Achieving the American dream draws many individuals like yourself to this wonderful country. You may find yourself building a better life and living in a way you never could have imagined in your country of origin. Luckily, this nation opened its arms to you, and you found a loving home here. However, you may feel as if you have missed out on something in your life if you have not yet obtained full citizenship.
Though the naturalization process can seem long and difficult, completing the proceedings successfully can mean that you obtain the ability to call yourself a citizen of the United States. One of the most important aspects of your process involves your naturalization interview, and therefore, you may wish to gain an idea of what takes place during the interview.
Attend your appointment
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services will provide you with an interview appointment, and you must attend. Missing your appointment could result in USCIS closing your case, and if you do not make a new interview appointment within a year of your case’s closure, your application could face denial.
Prepare for questioning
The interview works as a way for USCIS to compare the information in your application for citizenship and other information in your records. Topics that will likely come up in the interview include:
- Your background
- Place of residence
- Length of time at that residence
- Evidence supporting your request for citizenship
- You character and moral standing
- Views on the Constitution
- Willingness to pledge an Oath of Allegiance to the United States
During your interview, an officer will place you under oath. This step requires you to provide only truthful information, and the offering of any untrue information could result in serious legal issues as well as a citizenship denial.
Other preparations
In order to ensure that you do not miss your interview due to any confusion, you may want to take other preparations as well. Locating ahead of time your local USCIS office where you will attend your interview may prevent tardiness. Additionally, you do not want to get to your interview too early. Committing all of your application information to memory can also help you feel ready to answer any questions relating to your application.
In order to better prepare for your interview and other parts of the naturalization process, you may wish to enlist the assistance of an experienced immigration attorney. A New York professional could help you understand every aspect of the process, assist you in preparing for your interview and answer any questions you may have relating to naturalization and citizenship.