Citizenship & Naturalization
A person can become a citizen of the United States either by birth, adoption, acquisition or through naturalization. If any of your parents or grandparents were U.S. citizens, you may be one too. Children may become citizens in certain instances when their parents become citizens. Find out if you already are or may be eligible to become a U.S. citizen. If you think you may be a U.S. citizen or you may be eligible to apply for naturalization, contact Eagan Immigration. We can help!
Citizenship
A person who is born in the United States, in most cases, is automatically a citizen of the United States. Additionally, a person who is born abroad to a U.S. citizen parent may also automatically be a citizen of the United States. However, in order to show that a person born abroad is a U.S. citizen, he or she must meet multiple requirements. Moreover, the law that applies to citizenship for individuals born abroad has changed many times, and the law that was in effect at the time the person was born applies to his or her case. For a careful analysis to determine if you or someone you know may have acquired U.S. citizenship through parents, contact our office. Our attorney can help determine the law that applies to you.
Naturalization
Naturalization occurs when a person voluntarily applies to become a U.S. citizen. In order to naturalize, a person must be a permanent resident who has lived in the United States for a set period of time (usually three to five years). The individual must also pass an English test and a civics test. Special rules apply to elderly individuals and members of the U.S. Military. If you are a permanent resident and you are interested in becoming a U.S. citizen, please contact our office.
Child Citizenship Act
Under the Child Citizenship Act, the minor (under the age of 18) children of U.S. citizens can skip permanent residency and automatically become U.S. citizens. The parent must apply for permanent residence for his or her child. When the application is approved while the child is still under 18 and present in the United States, the child automatically becomes a U.S. citizen. This applies to adopted children, as well, so long as the two-year legal and physical custody requirements have been met. Even if the individual is over 18 now, as long as the individual met the requirements when he or she was under 18, the individual may still be a U.S. citizen. For a careful analysis to determine if the Child Citizenship Act applies to you or someone you know, please contact our office. Our attorneys can help determine whether the law applies in a particular situation.
Still need help?
Call us at (202) 709-6439 for our Virginia offices or email us. If you prefer, you can leave us your information in the following button and we will contact you.