Becoming a US citizen is a long dream for many individuals and the one thing that you need to acquire is a green card to fulfill this dream. There are many different steps that need to be taken in order to properly apply for a green card. In order to apply for US citizenship, you need to make the required applications and also remember to do them without any errors. If you submit an erroneous application, it will automatically get canceled and you might have to do the process all over again. This would prove to be highly time-consuming and frustrating, to say the least. This article aims to clarify the important steps that you need to take to apply for US citizenship.
The most important steps for a US citizenship application
- Decide if you want to choose the traditional method or the lottery- You can apply for US citizenship, both through traditional methods or through the DV lottery that is held annually in the United States. The former step might take some time because a lot of applications are sent for processing, while the latter is usually less time consuming because once selected in the lottery a maximum of one year might be taken to complete your green card process. You need to choose which method you want to opt for and proceed accordingly. Both the methods require you to take extra care regarding what you fill in the details section because making a mistake might delay the process, thereby adding to your frustration.
- Learn which category you fall under- There are different eligibility categories that you might fall under if you apply for US citizenship. These categories are decided by your job, marriage or refugee/asylee status, and each has separate steps associated with them. You need to be sure, which category you fall under to apply properly.
- Check for availability- You also need to check if there are available visas in your category and make sure that you apply only if there are enough visas present.
- Fill up the requisite forms- Make sure that you correctly fill up the form that applies to you in order to complete the registration procedure. If you apply for US citizenship there are various forms that are specific to the category you fall under. Fill those forms properly with the accurate information in order to move ahead to the final steps. The forms that are part of this list include I-130, I-140, I-360, and I-526. Making a mistake while filling up details might force you to start the process all over again, so take care that you don’t commit one.
- Final steps- The final steps involved if you apply for US citizenship include submitting information about your biometrics and going through the interview. The USCIS will take the decision of whether you have passed the interview and qualified for the last step or not. If accepted, you need to visit a court judge on the day allotted to you and take your oath of allegiance to become a US citizen by law.
Hiring a professional
You need to consider hiring a professional to help you through the different stages and steps and make sure that you don’t commit any mistake. If you are registering through the DV lottery, making a mistake can cost you an entire year. The United States Green Card Association is a brilliant service provider that guides you through each of the steps and makes sure that your registration goes accurately and without a hitch. Choose them to make the road to US citizenship devoid of obstacles and errors.