Philadelphia Immigration Lawyers: Becoming a U.S. Citizen
There are many people born outside of the United States who would like to become U.S. citizens, so they begin the lengthy naturalization process. However, there are some people born outside the U.S. that are already U.S. citizens and may not be aware of it. Philadelphia immigration lawyers report that there are three categories into which most of these U.S. citizens belong.
Citizens Born in the United States
The first group consists of people who were born in the United States but moved out as very young children, and have lived the rest of their lives in other countries. Just because you lived outside of the United States for many years, you have not lost your birthright. Being born in the United States or one of its territories makes you a U.S. citizen.
Inheriting Citizenship
The second group consists of people who have parents or grandparents that are U.S. citizens. If a person, born in another country, has one parent that is a U.S. citizen, then that person acquires U.S. citizenship through that parent. In some cases, if a grandparent is a citizen, then their children would be citizens and, thus, their grandchildren are citizens even if that grandchild’s parents were living in another country at the time of the child’s birth. The laws governing how a person acquires citizenship from their ancestry have changed over the years. Therefore, it is important to consult an experienced Philadelphia immigration lawyer to help you determine if you have legally acquired citizenship from one of your ancestors.
Becoming Naturalized as a Minor
The third group consists of minor children of naturalized U.S. citizens. Children under the age of 18 may derive U.S. citizenship once one of their parents becomes a naturalized citizen. If the child is a minor, lives with the parent(s) being naturalized, and has a green card, that child becomes a U.S. citizen once their parent(s) is naturalized and, therefore, will never have to go through the naturalization process.
If you have any questions regarding one of these categories of U.S. citizenship or do not fit into one of these categories but would like to know if you are eligible to apply for U.S. citizenship, the experienced Philadelphia immigration lawyers at Surin & Griffin can help you to understand the eligibility requirements and the steps in the naturalization process.
Philadelphia Immigration Lawyers at Surin & Griffin ,P.C. Assist People Applying for U.S. Citizenship
Navigating the U.S. Citizenship application process can be confusing and overwhelming. Philadelphia immigration lawyers at Surin & Griffin, P.C. can help make the process easier and less complicated. If you or a loved one is in need of legal representation for any aspect of immigration law, contact us via our online contact form or call us today at 215-925-4435 for a confidential consultation.
