Citizenship and Naturalization Lawyer
Citizenship and Naturalization Lawyer for N-400 Green Card to U.S. Citizenship
Becoming a U.S. citizen is the last step in a journey your family started years ago. As a family immigration lawyer, we file the Form N-400 application for naturalization, prepare you for the civics and English test, and stand beside you at the USCIS interview, so the oath ceremony is the only surprise left.
WHY NATURALIZATION IS WORTH THE PAPERWORK
Key Benefits of U.S. Citizenship Over Permanent Residency
A green card lets you live and work in the United States. U.S. citizenship lets you stay. Citizens cannot be deported for a criminal conviction, cannot lose status for a long trip abroad, and cannot be placed in removal proceedings for failing to update an address on time. For most of our clients, that protection alone is the reason they hire a citizenship lawyer.
Naturalization also reopens the family immigration line. A naturalized citizen can petition for parents as immediate relatives, upgrade an F2B petition for an unmarried adult child to F1, and file new I-130 petitions for married children and siblings. The day of the oath is the day your family’s wait times reset.
Add the right to vote, a U.S. passport that opens visa-free travel to roughly 180 countries, federal jobs and security clearances, full Social Security and federal benefits, and the ability to pass citizenship automatically to children abroad, and the case for naturalization is no longer a matter of opinion.
NATURALIZATION ELIGIBILITY, AUDITED BEFORE WE FILE
N-400 Eligibility Requirements Our Citizenship and Naturalization Lawyer Review Before Filing
USCIS denies the Form N-400 for the same reasons every month: the applicant filed too early, broke continuous residence on a long trip, or has a criminal record that bars good moral character. Our citizenship and naturalization lawyers run the eligibility audit before the application is opened, not after the interview notice arrives.
Five years as a permanent resident
Three years for green card holders married to and living with a U.S. citizen the entire time. USCIS accepts N-400 filings 90 days before the anniversary under the early-filing rule, and we calendar that date the moment you retain us.
Continuous residence and physical presence
At least 30 months of physical presence in the five-year window, and no single trip abroad of six months or more without a documented explanation. Trips of a year or more presumptively break continuous residence and reset the clock.
Good moral character
USCIS reviews the statutory five or three year period, and may look further back. Arrests, DUIs, unpaid taxes, missed child support, and unregistered selective service are the recurring landmines we screen before filing.
English and U.S. civics
Applicants must read, write, and speak basic English and pass the civics test of 100 possible questions. Age and disability waivers exist under the 50/20, 55/15, and N-648 medical disability rules, and we apply for them when they fit.
Attachment to the U.S. Constitution
USCIS asks whether the applicant is willing to bear arms, perform noncombatant service, or perform civilian work of national importance. Religious and moral objections are accommodated when documented in advance, not improvised at the interview.
Age 18 and lawful permanent resident
Children under 18 usually become citizens automatically through a citizen parent under the Child Citizenship Act, with no N-400 required. We screen every family to find the relatives who already qualify without filing.
The N-400 IS NOT A ONE PAGE FORM
Why the Form N-400 Application for Naturalization Decides Your Case Long Before the Interview.
The 2024 edition of Form N-400 runs twenty pages and asks for every address, every employer, every trip abroad, every arrest, every membership, and every tax filing in the statutory period. Every answer becomes sworn testimony at the interview. The officer is allowed to deny the application for inconsistency, not just for ineligibility.
Travel history reconstructed correctly
We pull your CBP I-94 record, cross-check it against passport stamps, and rebuild a trip log USCIS will accept. Two missing days can be the difference between approval and a continuous residence finding.
Tax compliance documented up front
Filed as a non-resident? Owe back taxes? On a payment plan with the IRS? We document the resolution under the USCIS Policy Manual standard before the interview, not under cross-examination.
Arrest record disclosed and explained
Every arrest must be disclosed, even if charges were dropped, expunged, or sealed. Certified court dispositions are obtained for each incident, and a legal memo frames the good moral character analysis.
Selective service registration verified
Male applicants between 18 and 26 must have registered. Late or missing registration in the statutory period is a recurring denial ground and requires a documented explanation that meets the USCIS standard.
THE FULL NATURALIZATION LIFECYCLE
Steps of Your U.S. Naturalization
Eligibility audit and early-filing date
We confirm your statutory period, physical presence count, and good moral character window, then calendar the 90-day early filing date for the Form N-400.
Travel, tax, and criminal record review
CBP travel history, IRS transcripts, and certified court dispositions pulled and reconciled before drafting begins. Surprises stop here, not at the interview.
Form N-400 drafting and evidence
The application is drafted, reviewed line by line with you, and filed with a legal cover memo, supporting exhibits, and any waiver requests under N-648 or 50/20 and 55/15.
USCIS receipt and biometrics
An I-797C receipt is issued and a biometrics appointment scheduled at the closest Application Support Center, usually within four to six weeks.
Civics and English preparation
We provide the current 100-question civics study set, an English reading and writing rehearsal, and at least one mock interview before the real one.
USCIS naturalization interview
The officer reviews the N-400 under oath, administers the civics and English tests, and issues a Form N-652 result. Our office attends the interview as counsel of record.
Decision and oath scheduling
Approved cases are scheduled for the Form N-445 oath ceremony, sometimes the same day. Continued cases get a follow-up appointment under the second-chance rule for the test or a missing document.
Oath of allegiance and Certificate of Naturalization
You take the oath, surrender the green card, and receive the Certificate of Naturalization. We file the U.S. passport application and any I-130 upgrade petitions the week after.
THE CIVICS AND ENGLISH TEST
What the USCIS Citizenship Test Actually Looks Like, and How Our Naturalization Attorney Prepares You for It.
USCIS administers the 2008 civics test for most applicants: ten questions drawn from a published bank of one hundred, six correct answers needed to pass. The English component covers speaking (judged throughout the interview), reading one of three sentences correctly, and writing one of three sentences correctly. We rehearse all three until they are unremarkable.
Civics: 100-question bank, 10 asked
Pass at 6 correct. We provide the official study set in plain English and Spanish, group questions by theme, and drill the ones officers ask most.
English speaking
Judged on your answers to the N-400 itself during the interview. Comfort with the form is comfort with the test.
Reading and writing
One of three sentences read aloud, one of three written. Vocabulary is published; we drill the actual list, not a substitute.
Age and disability waivers
50/20 rule: age 50+ with 20 years as an LPR may test in the native language. 55/15 rule: age 55+ with 15 years. N-648 medical waiver removes the test entirely when properly supported.
2026 NATURALIZATION TIMELINE
How Long the N-400 Naturalization Process Actually Takes in 2026.
USCIS field-office processing times vary widely. The ranges below reflect what our office is currently seeing across the busiest field offices. We provide a field-office-specific estimate at consultation.
N-400 filing to receipt notice
2 – 4 weeks
Biometrics appointment
Interview notice
5 – 12 months after filing
Interview to decision
Often the same day
Oath ceremony
Same day to 8 weeks
Total filing to oath (median)
8 – 14 months
Backlogs in Newark, Los Angeles, Houston, and Miami currently run longer than the national median. We file at your home field office and brief you on its current pace.
WHAT IS INCLUDED
Citizenship and Naturalization Attorney Flat Fee Services
One naturalization attorney, one engagement letter, one written price per applicant. The USCIS filing fee is separate and itemized before you sign, and the biometrics fee, when applicable, is disclosed up front.
Eligibility and good moral character audit
Statutory period, physical presence math, travel record, tax compliance, and criminal record screened before drafting.
N-400 drafting and exhibits
Application, supporting documents, legal cover memo, and N-648 or age waiver requests where eligible.
USCIS correspondence
Receipt notices tracked, biometrics scheduled, RFE responses included for the filings we make.
Civics and English preparation
Official study set, drilled question sets, reading and writing rehearsal, and at least one full mock interview.
Attorney at the naturalization interview
Counsel of record present at the USCIS field office for the duration of the interview, included in the flat fee.
Oath ceremony briefing
Form N-445 walkthrough, ceremony-day checklist, and same-week instructions for the passport and family upgrade petitions.
Post-oath family petitions
Discounted I-130 upgrades for parents, married children, and siblings filed the week of your oath.
Households filing together (spouses, adult children) receive a blended quote that reduces the per-applicant fee.
WHEN NATURALIZATION IS ANYTHING BUT ROUTINE
Complex Citizenship Cases We Handle
An applicant with a DUI, a long trip abroad, unfiled tax years, or a green card USCIS suspects should never have issued in the first place needs a citizenship and naturalization lawyer who reads the policy manual before opening the application.
Criminal record and good moral character
DUI, theft, domestic violence, drug offenses, and unresolved warrants are routinely fatal at the interview if not addressed in writing first. We map every disposition against INA 101(f) before filing
Long trips abroad and continuous residence
A single trip of six months or more presumptively breaks continuous residence. We document the ties you preserved (home, family, taxes, employment) and rebut the presumption in the cover memo.
Tax problems and IRS payment plans
Owed taxes are not an automatic bar, but unresolved obligations are. We document the payment plan, the compliance record, and the absence of willful disregard before the officer asks.
USCIS revisiting your green card
Officers can reopen the underlying I-485 or immigrant visa at the naturalization interview. If your green card was issued through marriage, asylum, or employment under contested facts, we prepare the file to withstand that review.
Prior N-400 denial or withdrawal
Denied applicants can refile or appeal under Form N-336 within 30 days. We diagnose the denial reason, fix the underlying issue, and choose between hearing and refile based on the field office record.
Consular returns and 221(g) refusals
When a consular officer issues a 221(g) administrative processing notice or returns the petition to USCIS, the family needs counsel who has stood at that exact post. We respond to the post, not just to USCIS.
CITIZENSHIP PATH BEYOND THE STANDARD N-400
Citizenship Pathways Beyond N-400 (Lawyer Review)
Citizenship through a U.S. citizen spouse (3-year rule)
Permanent residents married to and living with the same U.S. citizen for three years can file the N-400 a year earlier than the rest. The marriage must remain intact through the oath, and the spouse must have been a citizen the entire three years.
Acquired citizenship at birth abroad
Children born outside the United States to a U.S. citizen parent may already be citizens under INA 301 and 309. We screen the parent’s physical presence record and file an N-600 Application for Certificate of Citizenship rather than an N-400 that was never needed.
Derived citizenship under the Child Citizenship Act
A child under 18 who becomes a lawful permanent resident while in the legal and physical custody of a U.S. citizen parent becomes a citizen automatically under INA 320. The certificate is requested on Form N-600, not Form N-400.
Military naturalization (INA 328 and 329)
Current and former U.S. military members may naturalize on accelerated timelines, sometimes with no permanent residence requirement at all. The N-400 is filed with a Form N-426 verification and is processed at a dedicated military USCIS unit.
Naturalization for surviving spouses of citizens
A widow or widower of a U.S. citizen, or of a member of the armed forces who died from a service-connected injury, may qualify for naturalization without the standard three-year marriage requirement.
Citizenship for permanent residents abroad
U.S. citizen spouses of certain employees stationed abroad (qualifying employers under INA 319(b)) may naturalize without continuous residence in the United States. Eligibility is narrow and document-heavy, and we run it before you fly home.
WHY GREEN CARD HOLDERS HIRE OUR NATURALIZATION ATTORNEY
Why Green Card Holders Across All 50 States Hire Our Citizenship and Naturalization Lawyer
An attorney at every USCIS interview
We do not send you in alone. Counsel of record sits beside you for the entire naturalization interview, raises objections on the record, and corrects officer misstatements in real time.
Eligibility audited before a form is opened
Most denials are eligibility problems the applicant never saw. Our citizenship lawyer runs the travel, tax, and criminal audit before drafting begins, and tells you plainly when to wait.
A family immigration practice, not a citizenship mill
We see naturalization as the door that reopens family petitions. Your oath day comes with a calendared plan for parent, sibling, and child petitions, ready to file the same week.
Flat fee, in writing, before you sign
No hourly clock at the interview. No surprise invoice after the RFE. The price is quoted per applicant before the engagement letter is signed and does not change.
FROM OUR CITIZENSHIP CLIENTS
“I had a fifteen-year-old DUI I thought would sink my N-400. They built a good moral character record before we filed. I was sworn in eleven months later.”
R. A., naturalized citizen, Houston field office
98%
Approval rate on filed N-400 applications
11 mo
Median filing to oath for our clients
100%
Interviews attended by counsel of record
3
Languages we represent in
USCIS Form N-400 instructions
We track the current edition date and the 2024 fee schedule. Filing on a superseded edition triggers automatic rejection by the lockbox.
USCIS 100-question civics test
We provide the official study set in English and Spanish, plus the redesigned 2020 bank where it still applies, and drill the questions officers ask most.
USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 12
Citizenship and naturalization adjudication standards, good moral character framework, and continuous residence rules our briefs cite directly.
CITIZENSHIP AND NATURALIZATION LAWYER FAQs
What Green Card Holders Ask Before Hiring a Citizenship and Naturalization Lawyer.
How early can I file the Form N-400?
Ninety days before your fifth anniversary as a permanent resident, or your third anniversary if you qualify under the marriage to a U.S. citizen rule. Filing one day early triggers automatic rejection, which is why we calendar the exact date at intake.
Will USCIS deny me for an old arrest?
Not automatically. Many old, resolved offenses fall outside the statutory good moral character period or do not bar naturalization at all. Disclosure, certified court records, and a legal memo are the difference between approval and denial.
What happens if I fail the civics or English test?
USCIS gives a second chance, usually within 60 to 90 days. Failing both portions twice results in denial, which is why our naturalization attorneys insist on the mock interview and the targeted study work before the first appointment.
Can I travel abroad after I file the N-400?
Yes, with planning. Trips under six months generally do not break continuous residence, but they can complicate the physical presence count and trigger questions at interview. We brief you on each planned trip and document the ties you preserved.
Do I have to give up my original citizenship?
U.S. law does not require renunciation, and most countries allow dual citizenship with the United States. We review your country of origin’s rules, so you know whether your home passport survives the oath of allegiance.
Do I really need a citizenship and naturalization lawyer to file Form N-400?
The form is publicly available. The good moral character analysis, the continuous residence reconstruction, the N-648 waiver standard, and the interview record are not. Most denied N-400 applications we review on second opinion are applications that should never have been filed when they were.