The Process of Immigration and Nationalization For Foreigners

Immigration and Naturalization for U.S. residents from other countries is a long and painstaking process. First, in order for a foreign national to establish residency in the United Sates, the foreign applicant must be sponsored by an upstanding citizen of the United States and be someone that has a personal knowledge of the applicant. The sponsor can be a relative, employer or hold political office as long as he or she does know the applicant.

Typically, after filing the appropriate paperwork to establish residency a federal background check is conducted, including fingerprinting and photographs of the applicant. It takes a minimum of six months for the background check and filing to be processed before a foreign national is granted residency and issued a green card, giving permission for them to stay in the United States legally. Green cards are now issued with five year expiration dates, at which time resident aliens, as they are referred to, must submit another application for permission to renew a green card.

For a resident alien to take out citizenship in the United States they must first be a legal resident for a period of five to seven years and submit a request to the Justice Department, that oversees the immigration and naturalization of foreign nationals. Each application has an accompanying fee and must be filed with an original birth certificate and social security number and an original photograph of the applicant.

Once the submitted paperwork is processed, another fingerprint check is submitted for an F.B.I. background check. This process takes a minimum of six months or longer to complete at which time the applicant is contacted via mail to report to a scheduled interview where an immigration and naturalization service, INS, officer asks a number of questions regarding U.S. history and the establishment of the U.S. government. Interviews are scheduled at least two months from the time the letter announcing the interview is received.

After successfully completing the interview the resident alien again a waits a letter announcing when and where they are to appear in federal court to be sworn in as a naturalized U.S. Citizen and renounce any allegiance to their homeland or country of origin. From start to finish the process for a resident alien to become a naturalized citizen can take up to one year of longer. Immigration attorneys give specific legal advice to their clients to assist them in the processes of establishing legal residence within the United States and aid in the preparation of documents for submission to the INS.

Looking for a practicing immigration attorney in Santa Ana, CA? Visit http://immigrationlaws.com Billings Farnsworth is a freelance writer.