Most permanent residents can apply for citizenship after five years (three if married to a citizen). The N-400 looks simple, but the “good moral character” review opens your entire history — arrests, taxes, child support, long trips abroad, past misstatements. For a clean record the process is routine; for anyone with complications, a lawyer prevents an application from turning into a removal case.
What a citizenship lawyer does
- Reviews your full immigration and criminal history before filing
- Prepares the N-400 and supporting documents
- Attends the interview with you and handles requests for evidence
- Pursues disability waivers, derivative citizenship and certificate corrections
When you need a citizenship lawyer
- You have any arrest, even if dismissed
- You spent six months or more abroad in a single trip
- You owe taxes or child support, or failed to register for Selective Service
- Your green card was obtained through a marriage that later ended
Questions to ask before you hire a citizenship lawyer
- Is there anything in my history that could put my green card at risk if I apply?
- Do I qualify for a fee waiver or a test exemption?
- Will you attend the interview?
- Could my children already be citizens through me?
Find a citizenship lawyer near you
Choose your state to see listed firms and the official bar directory for verifying any lawyer’s license.
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