San Diego Immigration Law Blog

The state of immigration in the United States is constantly changing. Even things that might seem insignificant have a major impact on people who are trying to come into this country. This is one thing that makes it very difficult for immigrants who are taking the correct steps to move here legally. They have to know how all of the laws, including recent changes, affect their cases.

One thing that is proving to be especially challenging now is that there is an uptick in the number of declined visas due to public-charge enforcement. Unfortunately, this is affecting even immigrants who are hoping to join family members who are already in the United States.

While you are a permanent resident, what you do can have an impact on your ability to become a citizen. You do have rights and responsibilities to think about so that you are sure you are making the best decisions for your needs.

Some of the responsibilities you have include obeying all laws, including local, state and federal, and registering for the Selective Service if you are a male who is 18 to 26 years old. You also have to pay all applicable taxes and ensure that your immigration status is up to date. You have to keep your permanent residency proof on you at all times and report any changes of address within 10 days.

The process of becoming a citizen of the United States is challenging, so you have to be sure that you are taking the time to prepare. Your journey is going to start with ensuring that you fill out the paperwork completely. Any oversights or misstatements can mean that you are denied for the citizenship that can better your life.

You must ensure that you meet the requirements for seeking citizenship. There are several of these that apply to all cases. While these are the basic requirements, there might be others that you also have to meet:

• You are 18 years old or older
• You have a valid green card
• You have been in the U.S. for at least five years (a few exceptions apply)
• You have a good moral character
• You haven't spent a year or longer outside of the U.S. during the five years
• You have lived in your current state three months
• You can pass a U.S. history and government test
• You will pledge allegiance to the country
• You can speak, write and read English
• You haven't established a primary home in another country
• You have been in the U.S. for at least half of the previous five years

Bringing family members into the United States from another country requires that you fill out immigration paperwork and go through a process. This isn't going to be easy and since the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) tends to run behind on processing times, which can mean that applications take longer than they should. This can make it a challenge to plan for your loved one to come here, but it can also pose problems with the renewals.

It is important to note that even if a person has a renewal application pending, they can still be arrested and possibly deported if they don't have a valid one at the time they are approached about their immigration status. Making sure that they have their documentation in order when they come here and handling renewal applications early can prevent this from happening.