San Diego Attorneys Helping you Become a US Citizen
When you obtain your green card and become a permanent resident of the United States, you get to live and work freely in America and can reap the benefits of life in our country. While the road to become a U.S. citizen is a long one, it comes with rights and opportunities that are not available to permanent residents. Below, we’ve shared ten of the biggest benefits of naturalization.
- You earn the right to vote. Do you truly belong to a place if your opinion doesn’t count? When you become a United States citizen, you gain the special privilege of voting. Not only can you vote for the president every four years, you can also vote on state and local representatives as well as federal, state, and local laws.
- It becomes easier to travel abroad. When you become a United States citizen, you earn the ability to secure an U.S. Passport. Also, unlike permanent residents, you can travel freely around the world without having to worry about re-entry and other restrictions. Permanent residents can only travel outside of America’s borders for 180 days before facing restrictions and possibly losing their green card.
- You end the possibility of being deported. Anyone who is not a citizen must face the possibility of deportation –even if they hold a valid visa or green card. For example, permanent residents who are found guilty of a serious crime or who leave the country for an extended period of time may be deported. U.S. citizens cannot be deported.
- You gain international protection. U.S. citizens are protected by the United States government to a certain extent when they travel abroad. For example, the U.S. helps citizens abroad who are the victims of crimes, natural disasters, or international emergencies.
- You can sponsor other relatives who want green cards. U.S. citizens can help close relatives gain family-based green cards. For example, you could help your spouse, your parents, or your children gain permanent residency and ultimately citizenship.
- You can run for public office. Not only can you vote for those in public office, you can run for office yourself. Naturalized citizens have become representatives, governors, and senators – the only post that is closed to you is the presidency.
- You can apply for most government jobs. A significant number of government jobs, outside of political jobs, require U.S. Citizenship.
- You can get citizenship for your kids. Once you are a U.S. citizen, any children born to you will also be U.S. citizens. In addition, when you become a citizen, any minor children you have that are permanent residents may also become citizens.
- You can avoid estate tax complications. Property transfers between spouses, when one spouse is not a U.S. citizen, is subject to taxation. In addition, the widowed spouse of a U.S. citizen who is not a citizen may face heavy estate taxes.
- You can apply for more grants and scholarships. A significant number of academic scholarships and government grants are only for U.S. citizens and not available for permanent residents.
Get Legal Help With The Naturalization Process
Gaining permanent resident status is wonderful, but there is nothing quite like becoming an official citizen of the United States. If you currently have a green card and wish to become a citizen, or if you’d like to begin your path toward a green card and citizenship, we are here to help you on your journey.
At Feldman Feldman & Associates, we have dedicated our law offices to assisting individuals and families who wish to live and work in the United States. No matter your immigration legal issue, we want to hear your story!
Are you ready to begin the journey of becoming a US citizen? Contact our offices todayand allow us to consider your case. Let us help you become a citizen of the USA.
