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Citizenship of the United States of America

We have a highly qualified team to advise, guide and attend your process in the most professional, fast and efficient way possible. You can have the peace of mind of having a group of professionals who will work each case as yours. Here’s how the process works and some of the requirements to qualify.

Naturalization:

You can become a citizen of the United States through naturalization. Naturalization is the process by which US citizenship is granted to a citizen or foreign national after they meet the requirements established by Congress in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).

You can apply for naturalization if:

  • You have been a legal permanent resident for at least 5 years.
  • You have been a permanent resident for 3 years or more as the spouse of a US citizen.
  • You have qualified service in the U.S. armed forces.

Derivative Citizenship

Children born outside of the United States to a U.S. citizen parent may qualify for derivative citizenship if:

Foreign-born child of a US citizen father and a non-US citizen mother:

  • Children born on or after November 14, 1986: A child born outside the United States to a United States citizen parent and a non-United States citizen mother may be entitled to citizenship as long as the United States citizen parent has been physically present in the United States or in one of your outlying possessions for five years, of which at least two years were after he / she reached the age of fourteen. This period of physical presence must have taken place before the birth of the child.

  • A child born between December 24, 1952 and November 13, 1986: A child born outside the United States to a US citizen parent and a non-US citizen mother may be entitled to citizenship as long as the US citizen parent , prior to the child’s birth, was physically present in the United States for a period of ten years, at least five years of which were after reaching the age of fourteen.

 

A person born abroad out of wedlock, to a U.S. citizen mother and foreign father on or before June 11, 2017, may acquire U.S. citizenship if the mother was a U.S. citizen at the time of the person’s birth and if the mother was physically present in the United States or in one of its peripheral possessions for a continuous period of one year prior to the person’s birth.

A person born out of wedlock to a U.S. citizen mother and foreign father as of June 12, 2017, can acquire U.S. citizenship at birth if the mother was a U.S. citizen at the time of the person’s birth and was physically present at the United States or one of its peripheral possessions for a period of five years, two after fourteen years in accordance with Section 301 (g) of the INA.

Child born abroad and out of wedlock to a U.S. citizen parent:

A child born outside the United States to a United States citizen father where there is no marriage to the non-United States citizen mother, is entitled to United States citizenship as long as the United States citizen father has been physically present in the United States during the period specified in paragraphs above for children born in the marriage of a US citizen and a non-US citizen.

Children of U.S. Citizens Residing in the United States:

Children who were born outside the United States but now live in the United States can acquire citizenship. A child born outside of the United States automatically becomes a United States citizen when all of the following conditions are met as of February 27, 2001:

  • The child has at least one parent, including an adoptive parent, who is a US citizen by birth or naturalization;
  • The child is under 18 years of age;
  • The child is a Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR); and
  • The child resides in the United States in the legal and physical custody of the US citizen parent.


Children of U.S. Citizens Residing Outside of the United States:

A child who regularly resides outside of the United States is eligible for naturalization if all of the following conditions are met:

  • The child has at least one parent, including an adoptive parent, who is a US citizen by birth or naturalization;
  • The parent of the child’s US citizen or US citizen grandparent meets certain requirements for physical presence in the United States or peripheral possession;
  • The child is under 18 years of age;
  • The minor is residing outside the United States in the legal and physical custody of the U.S. citizen parent, or of a person who does not object to the application if the U.S. citizen parent is deceased; and
  • The child is legally admitted, physically present, and maintains legal status in the United States at the time the application is approved and at the time of naturalization.


If you are ready to become a United States citizen, it is very important that you work with an immigration attorney. Our attorneys have more than 15 years of experience and are committed to obtaining the best result for your case.

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EM Immigration Law Firm, PLLC is a pro-immigrant law firm dedicated to providing ethical legal solutions in immigration processes. Our attorneys have more than 25 years of experience and are committed to providing the best possible result while offering credible advice. EM Immigration Law Firm, PLLC, and Empowerme EIRL work together to expedite cases and offer Class A customer service. We have two locations: our head office is located in Times Square, New York, and the Dominican Republic office is in the province of Santo Domingo.