How Can I Qualify for U.S. Naturalization in Arizona?

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) reports that 625,400 people became citizens in the fiscal year 2020, with people from Mexico accounting for 13.3 percent of all naturalizations, India representing 7.7 percent, the Philippines accounting for 5.3 percent, Cuba 5 percent, and the People’s Republic of China accounting for 3.7 percent. USCIS also states that 71 percent of people seeking naturalization lived in California, Florida, Texas, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Massachusetts, Illinois, Georgia, or Virginia, with the top five cities for naturalization being Miami, Brooklyn, Houston, the Bronx, and Las Vegas.

Naturalization Requirements

Arizona immigration lawyer explains that applying for naturalization to actually become a citizen of the United States means an immigrant cannot be under 18 years of age at the time they file an application, be able to read, write, and speak basic English, demonstrate good moral character, knowledge and understanding of U.S. history and government, and a loyalty to the principles of the United States Constitution, as well as a willingness to take the Oath of Allegiance. The time for which an immigrant must be a lawful permanent resident (LPR) can vary and may be any one of the following:

• More than 90 percent of applicants have been LPRs for the past five years and have no special circumstances, meaning they have five years as an LPR without leaving the United States for any trip of six months or longer.

• When an immigrant is currently married to and living with a United States citizen, has been married to and has been living with the same city for the past three years, and their spouse has been a citizen for the past three years, the applicant will need three years as an LPR without leaving the United States for trips of six months or longer.

• When an applicant is in the United States Armed Forces or is filing an application within six months of an honorable discharge and has served for at least one year, they must be an LPR on the day of their interview, but there are no continuous residence requirements.

• If an applicant is at least 18 years of age and was in the United States Armed Forces for less than a year or is at least 18 years of age and was in the United States Armed Forces for one year or more but had a discharge more than six months ago, they must have been an LPR for five years without leaving the United States for any trip of six months or longer. If the applicant was out of the country as part of their service, this time out of the country does not break their continuous residence and is treated just like time spent in the United States.

• If an applicant performed active duty military service during either World War I (from April 6, 1917-November 11, 1918), World War II (from September 1, 1939-December 31, 1946), Korea (from June 25, 1950-July 1, 1955), Vietnam (from February 28, 1961-October 15, 1978), Persian Gulf (from August 2, 1990-April 11, 1991), or any time on or after September 11, 2001, they are not required to be an LPR and have no continuous residence requirements.

• If an applicant is at least 18 years of age and was married to a United States citizen who died during a period of honorable active duty service in the United States Armed Forces, they must have been married to and living with their citizen spouse at the time of their death and must be an LPR on the day of their interview, but there are no continuous residence requirements.

• If an applicant is at least 18 years of age and is a United States national (meaning a non-citizen who owes permanent allegiance to the United States), has become a resident of any state, and is otherwise qualified for naturalization, they are not required to be an LPR and faces the same continuous residence requirements as any other applicant for naturalization, depending on their qualifications.

• If an applicant is at least 18 years of age and served on a vessel operated by the United States or served on a vessel registered in the United States and owned by United States citizens or a United States corporation, they need to have five years as an LPR without leaving the United States for trips of six months or longer, although time spent out of the country while serving on a vessel does not break continuous residence and gets the same treatment as any time spent in the United States.

• If an applicant is at least 18 years of age and is an employee or an individual under contract to the United States government, they need to have five years as an LPR without leaving the United States for trips of six months or longer. An absence from the United States for one year or more will break their continuous residence, but they can keep their continuous residence if they have at least one year of unbroken continuous residence since becoming an LPR and they get an approved Form N-470, Application to Preserve Residence for Naturalization Purposes before they have been out of the United States for one year.

• If an applicant is at least 18 years of age and performs ministerial or priestly functions for any religious denomination or an interdenominational organization with a valid presence in the United States, they need to have five years as an LPR without leaving the United States for trips of six months or longer. An absence from the United States for one year or more will break their continuous residence, but they can keep their continuous residence if they have had at least one year of unbroken continuous residence since becoming an LPR and they get an approved Form N-470 at any time before applying for naturalization.

• If an applicant is at least 18 years of age and has employment by an American institution of research that with recognition by the Attorney General, an American-owned firm or corporation that is engaged in the development of foreign trade and commerce for the United States, or a public international organization for which the United States is a member by law or treaty (if the employment began after they became an LPR), they need to have five years as an LPR without leaving the United States for any trip of six months or longer. An absence from the United States for one year or more will break their continuous residence, but they can keep their continuous residence if they have had at least one year of unbroken continuous residence since becoming an LPR and they get an approved Form N-470 at any time before applying for naturalization.

• If an applicant is at least 18 years of age and has been employed for five years or more by a United States nonprofit organization that principally promotes the interests of the United States abroad through the communications media, they need to have five years as an LPR, but there are no continuous residence requirements.

• If an applicant is at least 18 years of age and is the spouse of a United States citizen who is also a member of the United States Armed Forces, an employee or individual under contract to the United States government, an employee of an American institution of research that is recognized by the Attorney General, an employee of an American-owned firm or corporation that is engaged in the development of foreign trade and commerce for the United States, an employee of a public international organization for which the United States is a member by law or treaty, or performs ministerial or priestly functions for a religious denomination or an interdenominational organization that has a valid presence in the United States and they will be proceeding to join their spouse whose work abroad under orders of the qualifying employer will continue for at least one year after the date they will be naturalized with Form N-400 being filed prior to departing, they must be an LPR at the time of their USCIS interview but there are no continuous residence requirements.

Naturalization Application Process

An immigrant may apply for naturalization either online or by paper with the help of an Arizona immigration lawyer. Filing online will involve creating a USCIS online account to file an application online and submitting evidence and paying fees electronically, receiving case status updates and seeing a complete case history, communicating with USCIS, and responding to all requests for evidence.

When an applicant files by paper, they should read all instructions on Form N-400, complete and sign their Form N-400, pay the filing fee when applicable, and provide all required evidence and supporting documentation. After USCIS receives Form N-400, an applicant will receive a receipt notice confirming the agency received the application, a biometric services notice when applicable, a notice to appear for an interview when required, and a notice of the USCIS decision.

Call Us Today to Schedule a Free Consultation with an Arizona Immigration Attorney

Did you need help attempting to earn naturalization in the United States while living in Arizona? You will want to make sure you are working with Diamondback Legal for diligent and proven experience handling these types of cases because our Arizona immigration lawyer knows how to help people overcome many of the types of obstacles that can arise during the naturalization process.

Our firm strives to create very personal and long-lasting relationships with our clients so we will stay in touch with you even after your case is complete. Call us at (602) 755-3199 or contact us online to set up a free consultation with our Arizona immigration lawyer that will let us take a look at your case and outline what requirements you will be facing so you can know what to expect and also how you can proceed most effectively.

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