The citizenship application can be confusing and it’s not uncommon for applicants to make mistakes while filing. Today we want to talk about a few of the most commonly made mistakes…
Citizenship Application Mistakes Commonly Made By Applicants
Forgetting to Sign Forms
It’s a little detail that is easily overlooked and yet it has a huge impact on your application status. It’s not only important to go through your application to make sure that every form is signed in the correct place, but it’s also important to ensure that the correct person signed each form. Some forms will require your signature, where other signature spaces must be signed by the person sponsoring you for citizenship.
What happens if you forget to sign forms or the wrong person signs your form? Your application will automatically be rejected. This can cause a six-month delay in your application process. You can avoid making this mistake by checking and double-checking all forms and having your immigration attorney look over everything thoroughly before you mail in your application.
Missing a Filing Deadline
Filing deadlines are a very important part of the application process, so you MUST pay attention to the different deadlines for the citizenship application process and make sure that the right forms are submitted by the right deadlines. Missing a deadline doesn’t just set back your filing process by around six months, but it also tells the IRS that you aren’t serious about the citizenship process.
A great way to ensure that you don’t miss deadlines is to mark them on a calendar or set an alert on your smart device. If you invest in an immigration attorney, they will help you to stick to all of the pertinent deadlines for your application and remind you when items are coming due.
Not Getting Professional Assistance When Filing
Immigration forms, in general, are confusing particularly if English is your second language. Having a translator can help you to understand what forms are asking, but they can’t explain what these requests mean. This makes it easy to misunderstand what is being asked and means that you may provide the wrong information on your application. Doing this means that your application will be delayed or even rejected which can set back your application process by around six months.
If – at any point- you are confused about what is being asked of you or what specific terms mean, don’t guess, and don’t ask someone who has no legal experience to explain it to you. Consult a legal professional who can help you to understand what you need to provide for each form field and ensure that you are filling in those fields correctly.
Not Being Eligible For Citizenship
Filing for citizenship when you are not eligible for citizenship means that your application will get rejected. This comes as no surprise. Not being eligible for citizenship doesn’t necessarily mean that you aren’t eligible at all, though, it can also mean that you are not applying for citizenship within the correct time window. For instance, in order to be eligible to apply for citizenship, you must have lived in the U.S. as a permanent resident for at least five years.
If you are uncertain about when to apply for citizenship or if you have questions about filing requirements, you should always check with a legal professional to ensure that you don’t miss your window and cause delays in your application process in the future.
Lying on Or Inadvertently Providing False Information On Your Application
You should already know that lying on your citizenship application is going to cause you problems and it could lead to a lifetime ban from the United States. But sometimes applicants may inadvertently provide false information on their application by getting dates wrong, forgetting to provide specific events or details, or even being vague about specific events that require specific information.
This is where having an immigration attorney on your side can help you. Once you have completed your application, your attorney will go through each section of your application with you and double check to ensure that all of the necessary information is included in the necessary amount of detail.
Being Scammed
One of the most devastating problems that sometimes occurs for applicants is their being scammed. Unscrupulous people out there can pose as legal professionals or legitimate advisors and can offer to help you with your application for a specified fee (or they may even be unscrupulous attorneys who do not fulfil their obligations to you!). Falling for this type of scam can cause you to lose a considerable amount of money, but it can also severely impact your ability to obtain citizenship now or in the future. It may even impact your permanent residency and lead to your being banned from the U.S. forever.
It can be difficult to determine whether a professional is actually a professional who can assist with your application process. It can be even more difficult to determine whether an attorney is a legitimate and reputable attorney who can help you. We always recommend thoroughly researching the legal credentials of any attorney or advisor who offers to help you with your application. You should also make sure that an attorney is licensed to practice in your state. Lastly, it’s advisable to check public reviews of any advisor or attorney you are considering hiring to find out as much as possible about who you are going to trust with your personal information.
Want to Avoid Making These Common Citizenship Application Mistakes?
If you want to avoid making these common citizenship application mistakes it’s best to consult a reputable and experienced immigration attorney. If you are in need of an immigration lawyer in or around Pasadena, California, we here at Nelson and Associates can help, just call us today at 626-683-3451 to set up your consultation.
