How to Help Someone Become a US Citizen
Obtaining citizenship in the United States is a two-step process. First, a foreign national must become a permanent resident through the acquisition of a green card. Once the green card is earned, the next step of citizenship is the naturalization process. For a foreign national who does not currently reside within the United States, the citizenship process may take up to five years or more. As a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, you can help your loved ones through the process by association. Additionally, you can help by assisting your relative with the filing of paperwork, learning the English language and American civics.
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Instructions
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Prepare Form I-130 for submission to the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Service (USCIS). Form I-130, known as a petition for alien relative, helps establish the relationship between you and your family member. As a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident, you can directly help only your spouse, parents, children and siblings gain citizenship.
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File the completed Form I-130 with required supporting documents. The form requires you to prove your citizenship status in the United States as well as your relationship to any relatives claimed on the petition. Proof of relationship may include birth certificates, marriage certificates, divorce decrees or any other civil document.
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Await a decision on the filed Form I-130. If approved, your family member will receive a green card. This grants your relative permanent residency in the United States, which is the first step toward citizenship. As the spouse of a U.S. citizen, a green card holder must live in the United States for three years to apply for citizenship. Other family members and any green-card holder who is not married to a U.S. citizen must complete five years of continuous residence before applying for citizenship.
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Tutor your relative for the naturalization test, which is administered prior to gaining citizenship. As an applicant, your relative must prove she can read, write and speak English. If English is not her primary language, she should enroll in an English class or do self-study. Additionally, she must pass a U.S. civics test--10 questions (chosen from 100), of which she must answer at least six correctly. Upon completing the naturalization test, your relative will be sworn in as a U.S. citizen at a specified location and date.
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Tips & Warnings
Although not necessary, hiring an immigration lawyer to help you through the green-card and citizenship process may save you time and stress.
Only immediate relatives (parents, siblings, spouse, children) are eligible for a green card through your sponsorship. Friends and distant relatives are not afforded the same association benefits.
References
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