You have lived in the United States, paid your taxes, built your life here, and called this country home for years. Now it is time to make it official. Becoming a U.S. citizen through naturalization is the final step in your immigration journey, and it is one worth taking seriously.
The naturalization process is more involved than most people expect. The government reviews your full background, your time in the U.S., your travels, and your personal history. If anything raises a question, it can slow down or even stop your application. A naturalization lawyer in Raleigh can help you prepare your application correctly and avoid common mistakes.
Mendoza Law has been helping immigrants take this final step since 2016. We have served over 100,000 clients, and our team brings over a hundred years of combined experience to every case. If you need a Raleigh immigration lawyer who will make sure your path to citizenship is handled with care and attention to detail, call us today.
What Does It Mean to Become a U.S. Citizen?
Naturalization is the process of officially becoming a U.S. citizen when you were not born here. It is the last step for most immigrants, and it comes with rights and benefits that a green card alone cannot give you. As a U.S. citizen, you can:
- Vote in local, state, and national elections
- Apply for a U.S. passport
- Never worry about renewing your green card again
- Sponsor more family members to come to the U.S. and in faster categories
- Access jobs and benefits that are only available to citizens
- Pass citizenship to your children in many cases
For most people, naturalization is not just a legal process. It is the moment this country truly becomes theirs.
The Basic Requirements
Before you apply, you need to make sure you meet the requirements. Here is what the government looks at:
How long you have had your green card
Most people need to have been a lawful permanent resident for at least five years. If you are married to a U.S. citizen and living together, this goes down to three years.
Continuous residence
You need to show that you have lived in the U.S. without leaving for long stretches of time. This is called continuous residence. Trips outside the U.S. that last more than six months can break your continuous residence and reset your clock.
Physical presence
You need to have actually been physically inside the U.S. for at least 30 months out of the five years before you apply.
Good moral character
The government will look at your personal history to make sure you are a person of good moral character. This means no serious crimes, no lying on government forms, and no major issues with your immigration history.
English and civics
You need to show that you can read, write, and speak basic English. You also need to pass a civics test about U.S. history and government.
Our Raleigh naturalization lawyers can go through each of these requirements with you and tell you honestly whether you are ready to apply or whether there is anything you need to take care of first.
Filling Out Form N-400
The naturalization application is called Form N-400. It is a long form that asks detailed questions about your life, your background, your travels, and your history in the U.S. Every question needs to be answered honestly and completely. Some of the things the form asks about include:
- Every trip you have taken outside the U.S. in the last five years
- Your employment history
- Whether you have ever been arrested or charged with a crime
- Whether you have filed your taxes every year
- Whether you have ever been a member of any organizations or groups
Leaving something out or answering incorrectly, even by accident, can cause serious problems. At Mendoza Law, we go through Form N-400 with every client line by line to make sure everything is accurate and complete before it is submitted.
What Happens at Your Interview
After your application is filed and your biometrics are taken, you will be scheduled for an interview with a USCIS officer. USCIS stands for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, which is the government agency that handles immigration cases. At the interview, the officer will:
- Go through your N-400 application with you and ask questions about your answers
- Give you the English test, which involves reading a sentence out loud and writing a sentence they say to you
- Give you the civics test, asking you up to 10 questions from a list of 100 possible questions about U.S. history and government. You need to answer at least 6 correctly.
Being well prepared for this interview makes a big difference. At Mendoza Law, we sit down with every client before their interview to go through the questions, practice the tests, and make sure they feel ready and calm when the day comes.
What Can Go Wrong
Most naturalization cases go smoothly when they are prepared correctly. But there are things that can cause problems. These include:
- Long trips outside the U.S. that affected your continuous residence
- Missing tax returns or unpaid taxes
- A criminal record, even for something that happened a long time ago
- Failing to register for Selective Service. Selective Service is a government program that requires certain men between the ages of 18 and 25 to register in case the U.S. ever needs to call up military forces.
- Any inconsistencies between what you say at your interview and what is in your application
At Mendoza Law, we look at all of these things before your application is ever filed. We find potential issues early and address them the right way so they do not become bigger problems later.
Get Help From a Naturalization Lawyer in Raleigh Now
Becoming a U.S. citizen is the most important step you will take in your immigration journey. It deserves the right preparation and a legal team that is fully committed to helping you succeed.
At Mendoza Law, we review every case carefully, prepare every application thoroughly, and make sure every client walks into their interview ready. We only take cases we believe we can win, and when we take yours, we are with you all the way to the oath ceremony.
Contact a naturalization lawyer in Raleigh at Mendoza Law today for a free case review.