If gaining U.S. citizenship is your goal, then you likely understand the time and extensive effort required to secure such a benefit. Thus, you probably look forward to being able to relax somewhat in Plano once the process ends. After all, once you are a naturalized citizen, it is impossible to take your citizenship away, right?

That may not necessarily be true. Indeed, according to information shared byU.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, there are grounds for having your citizenship revoked. You may think this only occurs in extreme scenarios, yet that is not the case.

Securing citizenship illegally

Some of the grounds for revocation may seem fairly obvious. For example, if you failed to meet the eligibility requirements for citizenship in the first place (yet failed to disclose this fact), you may have your citizenship revoked. Indeed, a failure to share pertinent information in your application for citizenship can merit revocation if the following occurs:

U.S. immigration policy generally expects immigrants not to become public charges when they arrive in the country. Therefore, before approving an individual’s green card application, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services often requires the sponsor to submitan affidavit of support.

The affidavit of support is a legally binding contract that requires the sponsor to provide adequate financial support to the green card recipient. If you are thinking about executing an affidavit of support, you should understand your legal responsibilities.

Do you qualify?

If you intend to sponsor a family member for legal permanent residency, you likely must execute an affidavit of support. To do so, though, your income must be at least 125% ofthe federal poverty guidelines. If you do not meet this threshold, you may need to find a joint sponsor who can file a separate affidavit of support on your immigrant relative’s behalf.

Once you have been a lawful permanent resident of the United States for at least five years, you may be eligible to take the next step to become a citizen of the United States through the process of naturalization. Applying for citizenship is a significant step that carries with it certain responsibilities. Your application indicates that you are willing to commit to fulfilling your obligations to the best of your ability.

According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, obtaining citizenship allows you to do things that you would not be able to do as an LPR. To aid in decision-making about your status, here are some of the benefits of becoming a U.S. citizen.

1. Residency

If you are a citizen of the United States, no one can force you to leave. You have the right to remain in the U.S. under any circumstances.

Anyone in Plano who has had to try and navigate the waters of the immigration process may know exactly how complicated that process can be. Fortunately, when one has a family member that is either a U.S. citizen or a legal permanent resident, they often have a leg up on attaining legal immigration status.

That may not always be the case, however. Alleged immigration law violations committed by those with family members in the U.S. might still make them subject to deportation. It is in such a scenario where they may have to rely on other provisions that support their residency status.

Father fights to stay in the country

The legal team for a New Jersey resident currently facing deportation hopes just such a provision will allow him to stay in the country. According to reports, the man sought asylum after arriving from his native India, yet did not gain approval. He remained in the U.S., however, with his wife and two daughters (all of whom are U.S. citizens) up until federal immigration authorities recently detained him. Yet one of his daughters suffers from permanent disabilities and requires around-the-clock care. This has prompted his attorney to point out that his deportation would cause an undue hardship on his wife by leaving her to care for the girl alone. He currently sits in an immigration detention facility awaiting a ruling on his case.

Applying for U.S. citizenship is both exciting and time-consuming. Your effort to be vigilant may prevent the disappointment that comes when you overlook critical details throughout the application process.

One portion of the application process requires you to fill out and submit an N-400 form. Once received by the USCIS, you will receive correspondence notifying you of their decision.

The purpose of an N-400 form

On one hand, it could be a good idea to contact multiple people when deciding how to proceed with your immigration case. On the other hand, this could open you up to being the victim of a scam.

It is not always easy to identify whether someone who offers to help you with your immigration process is legitimate. To make matters worse, the American Bar Association has observed that notario fraud —immigration scams, in other words —is on the rise.

Be skeptical

Perhaps the best thing you could do to avoid scams would be to maintain skepticism about any claims of future success. Of course, you should maintain hope — but it would typically be unwise to let it distract you from the reality of the situation.

The United States provides many types of visas to foreign nationals. Some of these visas allow non-U.S. citizens to live and work legally in America.

When a person from another country wishes to have a family member from their home country join them in the U.S., the family member may also wish to work in the U.S.

H-1B visas for select occupations

As explained by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, people who have at least an undergraduate degree in specific fields may apply for and receive an H-1B visa, granting them the right to live and work in the U.S. Some of the recipients of H-1B visas may work in research or defense fields.

A spouse visa, also known as a K-3 visa, allows a person who has married a U.S. citizen to enter the United States while awaiting immigration approval. If you are a U.S. citizen married someone in another country who is not an American citizen, he or she can apply for the K-3 visa to shorten the time you must live apart.

Explore the steps toget a K-3 nonimmigrant visafor your spouse.

File petitions

If you are in the United States and have family members in another country, then you may want to bring them here. They will have to go through the proper channels to legally immigrate here to avoid potential legal issues.

According to the U.S. Department of State, there are two types of visas you may use to bring family members into the country. To get the visa, you must sponsor the person, and you must also apply for the right type of visa.

Family preference

To apply to become a naturalized U.S. citizen, you must be at least 18 years of age. You also need to have had a valid Permanent Resident Card, typically referred to as a Green Card, for at least five years before applying. There are no age requirements for Green Card eligibility.

To apply for a Green Card, you must show how you qualify to work or reside in the U.S. If you married a U.S. citizen in your home country, you may qualify to receive a Green Card. You may also receive a Green Card if a U.S. citizen adopted you before you turned 16.

When can the citizenship application process begin?

Often referred to as a fiance(e) visa,K-1 nonimmigrant visasenable U.S. citizens to bring their foreign partners to this country with the intent of marrying them in a certain time period. Understanding how fiance(e) visas work and what is expected of you and your partner during the process can make for a more efficient experience.

It also prevents your fiance(e) from encountering issues with immigration. The more information you have, the better equipped you are to navigate the immigration process successfully.

Who is eligible for a K-1 nonimmigrant visa?

Most aspects of immigration law invoke hope and excitement in those involved with it; one area, however, can conjure up feelings of despair. This is due to the fact that while one works throughthe immigration process, the threat of deportation may be ever-present.

People in Plano dealing with immigration issues typically understand what they need to do to avoid the threat of deportation: stay out of trouble with the law. Indeed, according to information shared by theU.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcementoffice, of the almost 63,000 removal actions undertaken through the first quarter if 2019, over 40,300 involved some sort of criminal charge. However, that still leaves almost 20,000 removal cases due to some other immigration violation.

Fighting deportation

Green cards provide cardholders with a range of helpful benefits while they await naturalization and continue the process of working toward citizenship in the United States. A person’s application risks denial depending on his or her circumstances and the evidence they submit with their application.

People who receive correspondence notifying them of the denial of their application, have the right to file an appeal to dispute the decision.

Reopen vs. reconsider

Immigrants who have entered the United States unlawfully in the past may worry that they have no way of returning to the country. If you came to the country in this manner, you may face a three or ten-year bar on lawful reentry. Yet, if you have relatives who have legal status in the United States, you can apply for a provisional waiver on this bar.

Understanding how waivers work

If you decide to apply for a green card, you must to do so in your home country before returning to the United States. But if you entered the country without a visa, your ability to return could end up in jeopardy. A provisional waiver will help you return to the United States during this process. You must file the waiver in the United States, though, for it to be valid.

Fiancé(e) visas allow a person to bring their partner to the U.S. for the purpose of marrying them. You must follow certainsteps when bringing your future spouseto this country for the first time, or you may be subject to denial. Being aware of each step in the process improves the chance that the visa will be approved.

Petition for fiancé(e)

Form I-129F is used to establish a relationship between you and your partner. The form is submitted to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, who may ask you for further information about your relationship. The desire for marriage must be considered valid and not simply being pursued to gain entry to this country. If approved, the form is forwarded to the U.S. Department of State.

Changes to the process of obtaining a U.S. visa require certain applicants to list their social media accounts. Individuals seeking to obtain a visa may need to provide their online user names or profile handles when requested.

U.S. border control officials have the authority to review any information posted online to vet visa applicants, who currently number about 15 million individuals each year. Applicants requesting to visit the U.S. will need to comply with the social media review requests.

Social media contents may affect application approvals

You hear a lot about the necessity of having a green card in order to legally live and work in the U.S. But what is a green card and how do you get one?

To begin with, “green card” is only a nickname for the card you need. The official name is Permanent Resident Card. Green cards got their nickname because they were, in fact, green in color from 1946 until 1964.

Green card eligibility and process

The process of lawfully immigrating to the Unites States can be quite complex, and as many people in Plano know, is not a privilege immediately afforded to everyone. At the same time, countless people are legally granted residency in the U.S. every year (indeed,the Department of Homeland Securityreports that 1,031,000 people were granted lawful permanent residency status in 2019 alone). A large number of these people are folks hoping to be reunited with their families. Yet all immigration opportunities cannot be reserved for family reunification. As such, family immigration quotas have been established to govern the number of visas allotted to those looking to meet up with loved ones already in the U.S.

Perthe American Immigration Council, an unlimited number of visas are made available to the immediate family members of adult U.S. citizens. In this particular context, “immediate family members are considered to be parents, spouses and unmarried minor children. The relatives of other types of U.S. residents fall into the family preference hierarchy. This system (and the number of visas allotted to each category) is broken down as follows:

• Unmarried adult children of U.S. citizens: 23,400
• Spouses and minor children of legal permanent residents: 87,900
• Unmarried adult children of LPR’s: 26,300
• Married adult children of U.S. citizens: 23,400
• Siblings of U.S. citizens: 65,000

The numbers for each category are not static from year-to-year. If there are not enough petitions coming from the siblings of U.S. citizens to meet the allotment, the unused number are given to unmarried adult children of citizens. If not enough unmarried adult children of residents or spouses and minor children of LPR’s request visas, those unused visas go to the married adult children of citizens. Finally, all unused visas in any of thepreference categoriesare uses to fill sibling requests.

Blended families often have unique circumstances when it comes to the law. If you are considering an engagement with a U.S. citizen, you may have concerns about how moving to the United States to be with your future spouse will affect your children.

According to the U.S. Department of State—Bureau of Consular Affairs, options are available tobring your children with youor have them follow you after your move to America. However, a child does not qualify for the following options if he or she is married.

K-2 visa paperwork

As a permanent resident in Texas, you have certain rights and responsibilities. In addition, you have an obligation to retain your residency. When you receive a green card, this does not mean that you cannot lose your permanent residency. In fact, many people have to be careful when it comes to travel outside of the United States. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services explains that you arefree to travelto other countries. The length of your trip, however, could affect your permanent resident status. It is crucial to know what affects residency before you plan your trip.

It is possible to abandon your permanent residency. This happens if an officer determines that you did not plan to make the U.S. your permanent home. Generally, you do not have to worry about brief trips. Officers look at your records. They look to see if you paid your income taxes, if you have family and community ties or retained U.S. employment. In trips that are under a year in length, it has to be clear that you plan to return.

If you plan to leave for more than a year, then you will want to apply for reentry before you leave. This prevents you from having to apply for a returning resident visa. Now, if you are gone for more than two years, then you need to apply for a returning resident visa. Be careful, because absences for more than six months can disrupt the naturalization process. If you are worried about this disruption, then you can always file an Application to Preserve Residence for Naturalization purposes.