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Honolulu Immigration Attorney

Becoming a US Citizen

Are you an American citizen? If you’re not, you could be considered to be in this country illegally. With the United States government cracking down on illegal immigrants, it may be in your best interests to consult a Honolulu immigration attorney. Between 2000 and 2006, it is estimated that 30.6% of the 70,000 people that moved to Hawaii are immigrants. That’s around 20,000 people that have immigrated to Hawaii in just six years. Chances are, most of them didn’t take the proper steps to become citizens.

To become a US citizen, you must first have obtained a legal visa for permanent residency. Also called the green card, you must maintain this visa for a period of at least five years, and must continue residence in the United States after the application for citizenship and until such time as citizenship is granted. Your Honolulu immigration attorney will be able to help you in obtaining your green card.

After you’ve applied for citizenship, you need to participate in an interview process. The interview will start with the interviewer asking you a series of questions about your background and your reasons for wanting to become a citizen. After that, you will be required to take two tests, one on civics and American History, and the second on the English language. Should you fail any part of this, you may retake it within 90 days. However, if you fail a second time, then you must start the application process over.

Your Honolulu immigration attorney should be able to help you through the citizenship process, from obtaining your green card, to studying for the citizenship tests. Remember, becoming a United States citizen isn’t a walk in the park. You’ll need to study, and really put time into it. Make sure you can find a Honolulu immigration attorney that is willing to work with you and can offer the most amount of help.