American Citizenship - Fotos & Check or Money Order

Preparing the documents, there are a few details to keep in mind.

To pay the fees you can use a check, a money order, or the credit card using the form G-1450, Authorization for Credit Card Transactions. The N-400 fees are the only ones that can be paid with credit card. In case you choose one of the first two payment methods, the payment will be done to "Department of Homeland Security."

The fees are not refundable in any case (whether you retire your application or the application is denied). Hence, make sure you are eligible to apply for naturalization, fill everything properly, and send all necessary documents.

Here you can read more details about being eligible and to know if any exceptions apply.  

Back to pictures: they have to be passport style, click here for more details on that; and for more information from the naturalization instructions, check this pdf and go to page 3.

The pictures can be taken at home or at Walmart or CVS or any other places. I went to CVS and flipped out with the bad quality and crazy prize: $12 for a picture with vertical illumination that causes shades under your eyes and in all the bad places. I later went and repeated them at the AAA store, and was a bit more satisfied, still same prize though. Insane for 2 pictures, if you ask me.

Well, I hope this is helpful, good luck!

American Citizenship - Starting the process with the N-400

Wow, it has been a year since I finally got back on the paperwork for naturalization. Well, I hope you guys don't take so long. Let's get started! 

As I already pointed out in a previous post, there are several processes of which we will focus on naturalization after birth. This applies to legal permanent residents, people doing military service, or people with at least an American parent who was born and lives abroad.

In the following posts we will take on specifically the naturalization of legal permanent residents, let's get started! 

To get started we need the form N-400 which can be downloaded here, as well as the instructions. It is also convenient to read the FAQ from this Guide to Naturalization to solve any possible doubts.

To fill the N-400 you may want to have at hand the following information:
-Green Card (A number, name & date in which you started to be a resident)
-Social Security Number
-Where did you live the last 5 years
-Contact information
-Personal information: yours, your husband, and your kids
-Where did you work &/or study the last 5 years
-How many days have you been outside of the United States, and how many trips you did abroad in the last 5 years
With the N-400 you will have to send several documents. Those will depend on your personal situation. Here there is a list of such documents, as well as some worksheets that may help with any eligibility for naturalization questions

Whichever your situation is, there are 3 common documents required:
-A copy of the Green Card (front & back)
-Two passport pictures (more details on the 5th part of the guide of naturalization)
-A check or a money order with the fees for the process and the biometrics ($680 as per January 2016 - check the guide of naturalization and website to get the current value)

Once the N-400 formed is filled and printed, and the needed documents are prepared we are ready to move on to the next phase. Now, I always recommend keeping copies of all the documents you send as well as to include a cover letter with a list of everything you are sending.

American Citizenship - Requirements & Benefits

After a long wait... New Year: new paperwork project! 

Today we start looking at what do we need to become an American citizen, aka the naturalization process.

First of all, there are several ways to obtain citizenship: at birth, or after birth. To know more you can visit the government website. Here I will focus on how to obtain citizenship through naturalization, after birth.

Start this process by reading the guide to naturalization (full PDF here) where you will be able to get an idea of the whole process, the requirements and the benefits. 
Following there is a copy of the requirements and benefits from the American Immigration Center website (which is a commercial web, not from the government) in which I marked in bold the key elements:

"Lawful Permanent residents (Green Card holders) whose Green Card has been valid during the 5 years prior can file for US citizenship. [...] If you are married to a US citizen, you may apply for US citizenship after 3 years with a valid Green Card. There are exceptions. If an applicant has served in the United States Armed Forces during war, that individual may obtain citizenship without first becoming a permanent resident if he or she was in the United States upon enlistment into the US military. A completed Form N-400 (US Citizenship Application) is the required form; it must be filed along with photos and supporting documents. Becoming a US citizen has many advantages. File today for US Citizenship, and don't wait to process your naturalization and immigration forms.

Advantages of U.S. Citizenship

• Right to vote: The ability to elect the leaders of this nation is an exclusive right of US citizens. Becoming one of them gives you the right to vote in federal elections. Get a voice!
• Reunite your family in the United States: To promote family unity, US citizens and legal residents are allowed to petition for certain qualified relatives to come and live permanently in the United States. Usually, only US citizens get priority when petitioning for loved ones. Bring your family to the US!
• Obtain citizenship for children born abroad: If you are a US citizen and your child was born outside of the country, he or she could become a US citizen automatically.
• Ability to travel freely across US borders: Enjoy all the benefits of overseas travel with a US passport! Get assistance from the US government and feel protected during your trips! Remember that as a US citizen the amount of time you spend outside the country is not restricted. Permanent Residents, on the other hand, may lose their status if they leave the country for a certain period of time.
• Collect benefits: Take advantage of US benefits like social security and Medicare.
• Become a federal employee: To be eligible for most federal jobs you need to be a US citizen. You can apply and enjoy the benefits of being a federal worker!
• Become an elected official: Most elected posts in this country require US citizenship. Get the right to participate!"

If you want to know if you qualify to obtain American citizenship you can read the requirements on the guide to naturalization or fill a free quiz here (also part of the comercial website). Now, as you finish the quiz do NOT start the application with this company, you will have to pay $199 for their services, which are not necessary. You may opt to pay for their help, but as seen on the online reviews they do not seem to be of much help at all. Also, you can do the whole process on your own without having to pay that amount. 

Summing up, to qualify for American citizenship this way you have to be 18 years old or older and have a Green Card valid for at least 5 years, or 3 if you are married to an American citizen (**The process can be started 3 months before the 5 or the 3 years are met).

What is needed is to fill the N-400 form, pay the fees (680$ in January of 2016), 2 passport pictures, copies of the marriage certificate/divorce/widowe, green card, background check, tax returns... biometrics, an interview, a test, and an oath.

The next post will focus on how to start the application process with the N-400 form

See you soon!

Updated on January 2016

Removing Conditional 2 year Permanent Residence - Finalization

Alright, so I got started with the paperwork in September, sent it and got an appointment for biometrics for November. The process was just like when applying for the Green Card for the first time: fill in papers with eye color, hair color, height, weight... take finger prints, do a photo, and out of the door!

The following thing I received was just straight the Green Card. No interview, no more paperwork. This new Green Card has a 10 year validity.

Now, with the I-751 and the payment we sent a few documents to prove we are a valid marriage. Having no doubts about our marriage, that made our lives (and theirs) easier and we did not need the interview (they may get you in for an interview again if they see the need).

Alright! Here is the list of documents we sent:
-A copy of the car title where both (my husband and I) are owners (make sure at least one thing you buy has both of you as owners for this purpose)-A copy of our credit cards to prove we share them
-A letter from the bank directed to us to prove that we share bank accounts
-An IRS Tax Return that we filled together
-Pictures of our last 2 years that show we do things together
-A copy of our expenses' record from the last 2 years approximately
-Will and testament
-2 affidavits of known persons declaring that we are a legitimate marriage
-And lastly, a cover letter with a list of all the sent documents

I hope this is helpful for when you have to deal with this process. Good luck!

And then you can wait to renew the Green Card in 10 years, or get your American Citizenship as I will do in about a year!

Removing Conditional 2 year Permanent Residence - Getting started

Why do we need to do this? Because this Green Card as a condition, a 2 year validity linked to the veracity of the marriage (a lot of people get married to obtain the Green Card and divorce afterwards).

Therefore, if you need to get rid of the 2 year condition we have to do a different process than the renewal one (for which you could start the process up to 6 months before it expires). Let's get into it!

For this process you can start the process up to 90 days before the Green Card expires (basically we have half of the time we would if renewing). And for this process we only need 1 document, I-751, or Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence. Quite simple

Besides the I-751 there is of course a fee (are we used to this yet?): $505 to cover the paperwork process and $85 to cover the biometrics process (yes, again). So a total of $590 as of January 2017.

Here you can find some tips about how to fill the documents and how to do the payments.

Otherwise, the paperwork process is pretty much the same as the Green Card application. Once you send the documents and the money you receive a receipt letter that informs you that the application has been approved. Then you get another letter informing you of the following step: the biometrics appointment (click here for more information on biometrics).


Well then, I hope that was useful. Good luck!

SSN

Luckily, you do not need much to request the Social Security Card.

First, you have to fill in a form, which you can fill once at the office while waiting to be called, or bring it filled from home.
Second, you need a document that proves where you were born. I brought both my Green Card and my Spanish birth certificate together with the official translation. It ended up being that with the Green Card it was enough. 
Lastly, but not least, the passport (any nationality).

NOTE: Instead of the Green Card you can use the Employment Authorization / Advance Parole Card. That way you may get your SSN before your Green Card! 

The office normally opens its doors about 30 minutes before the official opening, so you can go and get a number. Be ready to wait, depending on how busy it is you may be there a long time, or not.

The number of the Social Security Card will be assigned a couple of days after you apply, and the card itself will take about 2 weeks to make it to your house. In case you want to know your number (which you may need for a job contract or to register in university classes), you will need to go back to the office and wait on line (they do not give it to you through the phone). However, if you do not need to know it, just wait until it gets to your house!

Well, I hope this was helpful!

Green Card - Green Card

This is the look of the Green Card, of course it was going to be green.
It took a week and a half to arrive, with the Christmas holidays in between,
thus it was quite fast!