Applying for US Citizenship Questions

[timhber 0]

Hello everyone,

I have some questions regarding becoming a US citizenship. My wife came to US with the K-1 Fiancee Visa. We got married in March of 2008. She got 10 years green card. We have been married over 3 years and we live happily together. Now she wants to become an US citizen. I know she has to file the US Naturalization (N-400) form. Is that right?

1.) What applications do we need to send?

2.) Can we submit the applications for my wife now since we have been married at least 3 years?

3.) I have been unemployed about 2 years but my wife has a job. Can we still file the applications?

4.) How long is the process or how long do you have to wait to be approved?

5.) After she has been approved, what are the next steps?

6.) Does she need to take the citizenship test during the interview? Are there alot of questions and what kind of questions will they ask?

7.) If she does not pass the test, will she has to submit the applications again and start the whole process again?

8.) My wife is Vietnamese. Will she loses her Vietnamese citizenship after she becomes a US citizen?

Thank you everyone!

Tim

[Oksana & Max 94]

Hello everyone,

I have some questions regarding becoming a US citizenship. My wife came to US with the K-1 Fiancee Visa. We got married in March of 2008. She got 10 years green card. We have been married over 3 years and we live happily together. Now she wants to become an US citizen. I know she has to file the US Naturalization (N-400) form. Is that right?

1.) What applications do we need to send?

2.) Can we submit the applications for my wife now since we have been married at least 3 years?

3.) I have been unemployed about 2 years but my wife has a job. Can we still file the applications?

4.) How long is the process or how long do you have to wait to be approved?

5.) After she has been approved, what are the next steps?

6.) Does she need to take the citizenship test during the interview? Are there alot of questions and what kind of questions will they ask?

7.) If she does not pass the test, will she has to submit the applications again and start the whole process again?

8.) My wife is Vietnamese. Will she loses her Vietnamese citizenship after she becomes a US citizen?

Thank you everyone!

Tim

Will try to answer one by one.

1. It is N400, you can download it from USCIS website and instructions as well.

2. You have to make sure that it's been 3 years since temp greencard

3. There is no financial requirements for citizenship, so yes you may apply.

4. The process depends on the office where your application will get processed, could take as long as a year. Mine took 5 month in NV.

5. She will have to go thru biometrics, and interview, and oath

6. Yes she need to take a test: reading, writing and oral. You can find samples on USCIS website or just google it.

7. She will have a chance to go thru the interview 2 more times, before she will need to resubmit.

8. Not sure about this one. It is depends whether her country accepts dual citizenship.

Hope this helps.

[v333k 59]

Here you go Tim...

http://www.uscis.gov/n-400

This link is the main page on USCIS's website that contains all the forms that you are asking about.

Also, checkout this Naturalization guide that bascially covers everything you need to know.

http://www.uscis.gov/files/article/M-476.pdf

1.) What applications do we need to send?

N-400

Form: http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/n-400.pdf

Instructions: http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/n-400instr.pdf

2.) Can we submit the applications for my wife now since we have been married at least 3 years?

The rule is must be a legal permanent resident of the US for 3 years based on marraige. Go by the date on the Green Card and count 3 years.

Document Checklist, Current Fees, Naturalization Eligibility Worksheet http://www.uscis.gov/files/article/attachments.pdf

Naturalization requirements: http://www.uscis.gov/USCIS/Office%20of%20Citizenship/Citizenship%20Resource%20Center%20Site/Publications/PDFs/G-1151.pdf

3.) I have been unemployed about 2 years but my wife has a job. Can we still file the applications?

Yes - all you need to show is a few samples of co-habitance (similar to I-751 Removing of Conditions).

4.) How long is the process or how long do you have to wait to be approved?

USCIS estimates 5 months. It can be longer or shorter depending on your District Office.

5.) After she has been approved, what are the next steps?

In a nut-shell: application, biometrics, interview, and finally oath

6.) Does she need to take the citizenship test during the interview? Are there alot of questions and what kind of questions will they ask?

Yes - there are a 100 questions that they will ask 10 out of. She must answer 6 correct to pass.

Study Guide: http://www.uscis.gov/USCIS/Office%20of%20Citizenship/Citizenship%20Resource%20Center%20Site/Publications/PDFs/M-638_red.pdf

7.) If she does not pass the test, will she has to submit the applications again and start the whole process again?

I believe that will be the case. She will fail and must go through the process again.

8.) My wife is Vietnamese. Will she loses her Vietnamese citizenship after she becomes a US citizen?

I think Vietnam is passing a new law about dual citizenship. She should check with friends and probably Vietnamese consulate.

[timhber 0]

Thank you Pharaoh and v333k for your quick responses and information.

My wife received her Permanent Resident Card (2 years green card) on 07/31/2008 and Removal of Conditional Card (10 years green card) on 07/27/2010. Will she be able to apply for the Naturalization application now or wait? How soon can we start applying based on the recieved date of her green cards?

I just found these information on USCIS web site regarding taking the English and the civics tests. It said "You have two opportunities to take the English and civics tests per application. If you fail any portion of the test during your first interview, you will be retested on the portion of the test that you failed within 90 days."

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.749cabd81f5ffc8fba713d10526e0aa0/?vgnextoid=f472639cf4b6a210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD&vgnextchannel=5efcebb7d4ff8210VgnVCM10000025e6a00aRCRD

My wife can speak, understand, read, and write in english. Sometime she has hard time understanding what people are saying if people talk too fast. Will the civics test questions be on paper with multiple choices?

Thank you!

Tim