Getting legal citizenship as an illegal immigrant
There may be many ways to get your citizenship in the United States, but knowing how to get legalized might be the toughest decision to make. However, if you are an illegal immigrant and want to get your legal status in the country, then you may want to speak with an immigration attorney for legal advice on your rights and the process of getting your American citizenship.
Immigration application
The first step in getting legalized may be to obtain the immigration forms. These applications can be found online and may require a small fee. In general, these forms will ask for your information and related personal identifiers.
Some applicants have worried about deportation while in the process of obtaining citizenship, but you may be less likely to get deported if you can prove that you are making legal efforts to stay in this country.
Eligible for citizenship
After getting the right application forms, then you may want to find out whether you are eligible to gain legal status. In many cases, you may want to learn the English language as well as the American Constitution. This knowledge may prove to be helpful when meeting with an immigration representative.
Filing your immigration paperwork
Once you have filled out the forms and determined your eligibility, then you may want to contact the US Citizenship and Immigration Services to schedule an interview and to file your application. It might be a good idea to also provide a personal indentification photo, birth certificate or other relevant documentation.
Immigration interview
Your local immigration office may have you come in to take a couple of civic tests and answer some immigration questions. If you pass, then you may schedule another interview with an immigration representative and possibly obtain your citizenship certificate from UCIS.
Getting a green card
Your green card may be obtained after your interviews if you did not pass. You may apply for a change in your legal status in order to obtain this card.
This card may be granted to you from a family member, employment or through a marital partnership. This person petitioning for you might be obligated to go through an intensive process to get your green card.
It might be advised to also be careful about the assumption of green card rights through marriage. If you are caught lying to the government about your intentions, then you can risk deportation or possibly even jail time.
