Asian Journal- The Filipino-American Community Newspaper

Obtaining US citizenship is the dream of many immigrants. There are many benefits of US citizenship which include, among others, voting in Federal and State elections, applying for certain Federal jobs, traveling with a US passport, petitioning loved ones, and many more. However, some immigrants, due to their age and inability to speak English, are discouraged from applying for Naturalization. Other immigrants may feel discouraged due to a physical or mental impairment. But, Naturalization is a possibility for many of these individuals.

Generally, an applicant for naturalization must meet the following requirements:

• Must be a lawful permanent resident.

• Must be 18 years or older.

• Must meet the continuous residence and physical presence requirements. Generally, an applicant must be a continuous resident for five years subsequent to lawful permanent resident status. However, if married to a US citizen the residency requirement is three years, if certain conditions are met. Abattered spouse or child who obtained lawful permanent resident status as a result of the extreme cruelty or batter may also apply for citizenship within a three year period.

• Must have resided for at least three months in the State where the application is filed.

• Must meet the physical presence requirements.

• Must have good moral character. Certain crimes and conduct may disqualify an applicant from Naturalization.

• Must demonstrate knowledge of the English language, US History and Government.

The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) provides that the English requirement shall not apply to persons who are over 50 and have lived in the US for 20 years in legal permanent resident Status; or, for persons who are over the age of 55 and have lived in the US as legal permanent residents for 15 years. This means that if an applicant meets the other requirements for Naturalization, the civics test can be taken in the person’s language. The applicant must study 100 questions and during the examination the examiner will ask ten questions out of which the applicant must answer six correctly.

The Attorney General can also give special consideration with regard to civics knowledge of the exam to persons who are over the age of 65 and have 20 years as legal permanent residents. Individuals who qualify for this special consideration are given an easier test. These applicants must answer six questions correctly out of ten questions in their language and are only required to study 25 civic questions.