Am I a good candidate to apply for citizenship?

[jingo 38]

Hey all,

 

I just wanted to get some opinions on whether it'd be a good time for me to apply for citizenship. I still have a few years on my green card, but I'd also love the peace of mind of being a citizen.

 

- I moved here on a K1 visa in 2012 and married my college bf, we were married for around 3 years then got divorced when we grew apart. Originally from England.

- I have a 10 year green card that expires in 2024.

- I'm a freelancer and currently very underemployed due to the pandemic. I've been on a mixture of unemployment benefits and the occasional freelance gig for the last year. I know a job isn't a requirement, but do they look at this at all and is it better to wait until I have a more steady/impressive income?

- Did Trump make it harder for people to get citizenship right now, and/or has Biden made it any better?

- Otherwise no issues or prior problems or anything. Have always paid taxes and been a chill resident. 

 

Anyway I'd appreciate some real people's opinions based on your experiences because finding concrete info/advice on the government websites is so difficult.

Thank you so much!

[HRQX 4,145]

14 minutes ago, jingo said:

Did Trump make it harder for people to get citizenship right now, and/or has Biden made it any better?

The Trump administration implemented a new version of the civics test that had some harder questions: https://mobile.twitter.com/ReichlinMelnick/status/1327309164520099840/photo/2 And some questions were controversial: https://mobile.twitter.com/ReichlinMelnick/status/1327312188269268997/photo/2

 

But the Biden administration essentially reversed it back to the 2008 version of the test: https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual/volume-12-part-e-chapter-2

Applicable Test for Applications Filed Before December 1, 2020 or On or After March 1, 2021

An applicant who files for naturalization before December 1, 2020 or on or after March 1, 2021 takes the 2008 civics test.

• Passing the 2008 Civics Test – An applicant passes the civics test if he or she provides a correct answer or provides an alternative phrasing of the correct answer for six of the 10 questions.

• Failing the 2008 Civics Test – An applicant fails the civics test if he or she provides an incorrect answer or fails to respond to five out of the 10 questions.

23 minutes ago, jingo said:

but do they look at this at all and is it better to wait until I have a more steady/impressive income?

They don't look at that at all for N-400 adjudication.

[Coco8 1,042]

Yes, you can get citizenship. Times are getting better, I think. A friend got it in less than 6 months.

 

I think it's better to do it, because otherwise you have to keep reporting when you move, keep track of trips and all that if you ever fill out citizenship forms. It seems just practical to have it.

Edited March 17, 2021 by Coco8

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

10 hours ago, jingo said:

Hey all,

 

I just wanted to get some opinions on whether it'd be a good time for me to apply for citizenship. I still have a few years on my green card, but I'd also love the peace of mind of being a citizen.

 

- I moved here on a K1 visa in 2012 and married my college bf, we were married for around 3 years then got divorced when we grew apart. Originally from England.

- I have a 10 year green card that expires in 2024.

- I'm a freelancer and currently very underemployed due to the pandemic. I've been on a mixture of unemployment benefits and the occasional freelance gig for the last year. I know a job isn't a requirement, but do they look at this at all and is it better to wait until I have a more steady/impressive income?

- Did Trump make it harder for people to get citizenship right now, and/or has Biden made it any better?

- Otherwise no issues or prior problems or anything. Have always paid taxes and been a chill resident. 

 

Anyway I'd appreciate some real people's opinions based on your experiences because finding concrete info/advice on the government websites is so difficult.

Thank you so much!

None of the things you seem to be worried about have any bearing on whether or not you can naturalize.

- did you meet the continuous residence requirement?

- Did you meet the physical presence requirement?

- did you meet good moral character requirements (basically... no crimes, pay any child support needed, pay taxes) during the 5 year period before filing?

if the answers to the above are yes you’re good to go 

 

PS I think the reason you can’t find the “concrete advice” on official websites you’re looking for is because it doesn’t exist, for the simple reason the factors you are worried about don’t matter.

 

 

 

 

Edited March 17, 2021 by SusieQQQ

[jingo 38]

Thank you so much, everyone! This was so helpful!