¶ … Naturalization Process
Naturalized Citizenship 101
Requirements for Naturalized Citizenship
What are the different categories of requirements for citizenship?
Foreign citizens who have been a permanent resident for five years or longer can apply to become a naturalized citizen of the United States (U.S. Department of Homeland Security [U.S. DHS], "Citizenship through Naturalization"). For permanent residents who are married to an American citizen the waiting period is reduced to three years. Permanent residents serving in the military can apply to become a naturalized citizen after one year of service, and if already discharged must have separated honorably. This one year waiting period can be waived if service is during a period of hostilities. Anyone that was born outside of the United States can apply for citizenship if one of the parents is a U.S. citizen.
What do you think it takes to be a good citizen of the United States, based on the requirements?
The five-year residency requirement, and the 30-month continuous physical presence prior to the application, demands a certain level of commitment to building a life in the United States. The American civics and English language requirements demonstrates the applicant's willingness to invest in citizenship. Permanent residents should also have been paying federal, state, and local taxes when required, and have signed up for Selective Service, which demonstrates a willingness to share the burden of citizenship. The good moral character requirement, as defined by the U.S. Constitution, represents a method for screening out criminals and those seeking to harm the United States.
Decide what you believe to be the five most important citizenship requirements, list them, and explain why you think each one is important.
2. Signing up for Selective Service is probably one of the more dramatic declarations of a commitment to American citizenship, because it demonstrates a willingness to give one's life in service to their country.
3. Paying taxes while a permanent resident probably represents a substantial commitment to American citizenship for many immigrants, especially if they are also burdened with financially supporting family members left behind in their own country.
4. Screening applicants for criminal histories would disqualify criminal evading an arrest warrant in their home country or avoiding prosecution and prison. There is also a sense of fair play that demands such screening, if one is to assume that the societies from which these people came are to some extent responsible for their criminal behavior.
5. A minimum age of 18 is important because changing ones' citizenship is not a decision that should be taken lightly. U.S. citizens can vote and be called to serve in the military by the age of 18, so this is an appropriate minimum age.
Part B: Oath of Allegiance
What are new citizens promising to do?
The Oath of Allegiance requires naturalized citizens to let go of their former lives as citizens of another country, before taking an oath of allegiance…
(Restore Fairness and Due Process: 1996 Immigration Laws go too far) Immigration and justice system presently entails overlapping of three distinct issues like "immigrants as crime victims; immigrants as criminals; and the socio-cultural dimension of immigrants." (Immigration and Justice System) the immigrants as crime victims include the issues relating to hate crimes on the basis of nativity status, national origin or race that some sometimes enticed by the economic concerns;
Eric Jones and I declare under the penalty of perjury that the following is true and correct to the best of my knowledge. Honorable field office director of The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services; my name is Eric Jones I am a very close friend of Mr. Sam -, despite his busy schedule Sam and I speak or see each other at least three times a week. I was
Immigration In recent years the issue of immigration has sparked a great deal of discussion. Although America is a nation of immigrants, there is also a deep-rooted belief that people should immigrate to America through the proper legal mechanisms. The purpose of this discussion is to investigate how the agency that governs immigration in the United States functions in its role. The research will focus on several facets of immigration including
Ozawa and Thind The claims of Ozawa and Thind to be "white" so as to be able to become naturalized citizens of the U.S. were predicated on separate arguments made by the two individuals. For Ozawa, the basis of his claim was that he had attended and graduated from university in California, had lived in Hawaii, and had for all intents and purposes been an American and "white" in terms of
S. citizenship (Bloemraad 2002). Given the ongoing need for qualified recruits by the U.S. armed forces, it just makes sense to determine the extent of enlistment in the armed forces by immigrants to identify their personal reasons for doing so. To the extent that these reasons are directly related to their desire to obtain American citizenship rather than a sense of patriotic responsibilities is the extent to which military service
Immigration In January of 2010 Haiti suffered a 7.0 magnitude earthquake which destroyed much of the country and left the population devastated. When this tragedy occurred, Haiti was "already the poorest in the Western Hemisphere with 80% of the population living under the poverty line and 54% in abject poverty." ("CIA") As a Haitian with little prospects of having a decent life, or making a decent living, I have decided that
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now