Top 5 Reasons To Become a U.S. Citizen

Top 5 Reasons to Become a U.S. Citizen

If you are a permanent resident of the United States, you can file for U.S. citizenship through USCIS. The cost is relatively low and the benefits are great, as you can see below.  These are just the top 5 reasons to become a naturalized U.S. Citizen.  There are other very good reasons that are not listed below.

1. Your  risk of removal (deportation) is reduced. Green Card holders can be deported for committing certain crimes.  This is not true if you are a U.S. Citizen. A U.S. citizen who commits a crime cannot be deported.  This is a big reason to become a U.S. citizen

However, you need to be aware that U.S. citizenship may be taken away from you , in the future, if USCIS determines that you lied or mislead them to obtain either lawful permanent residence (“green card”) or to obtain your U.S. citizenship.  This is an intricate area of the law and if you think you may have lied to USCIS then you should consult with an immigration attorney as soon as possible.

(As a side note: If you have committed crimes in the past you should have an immigration attorney review your situation prior to filing for U.S. Citizenship.  Otherwise, if the crime is serious enough you could have your U.S. Citizenship case denied or worse you could lose your green card.)

2. You will enjoy easier re-entry into the United States. If you become a United States Citizen then you will no longer have to deal with the longer lines at the airports and other ports of entry.  These lines are reserved for green card holders.

In addition, as a U.S. citizen you can have easier entry into other countries. This is because, in many instances, you can visit many foreign countries without a visa if you are a United States citizen.  Overall, it is easier to travel internationally as a U.S. Citizen.

3. You will Have the ability to take very long trips outside the United States.  As a United States Citizen you can take long trips outside of the United States and never have to worry about when you need to return to the United States.  In other words you do not have to worry that USCIS will deem that you have abandoned your green card. This is a very serious issue and one which needs to be looked at, by an experienced immigration attorney, if you are a permanent resident and plan on spending a fair amount of time outside of the United States.

4  You will have the ability to petition more family members. United States citizens can petition more types of loved ones into the United States than green card holders.

Only U.S. citizens may petition parents, siblings, and married children. In addition, in the cases where both U.S. citizens and green card holders may do a petition (such as for spouses), the wait time is generally significantly shorter for U.S. citizens.

If you plan on petitioning family members in the future, it almost always makes more sense to apply for your U.S. Citizenship prior to filing these petitions.  If you have already filed a petition for a loved one you can still file for your naturalization.  Once naturalized you can have a qualified immigration attorney help you notify USCIS so that the wait time on your petition will be shortened.

5. You will have the ability to obtain federal grants, federal jobs and other government benefits.  Let’s face it, we are dealing with difficult economic times.  Any extra opportunity you have for a job should be explored.  Certain jobs in our economy require U.S. citizenship. These include many local, state, and federal government jobs.  In addition, many federal grants and scholarships are available only to U.S. citizens.

Of course, there are many other reasons to consider U.S. citizenship.  If you are interested in becoming a U.S. citizen then please do not hesitate to contact our office for a free and confidential evaluation of your case.  Laws can and do change.  Please always review your case with an experienced immigration attorney prior to filing any paperwork with USCIS.