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My mom has been living in the United States for 20 years. Can she ask for a citizenship rather than just a legal residency?
12 ANSWERS
General Practice Attorney serving Austintown, OH
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Law Offices of Grace Chan
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How old is your mom & how long has she been a permanent resident (green card holder)?
Answered on Jun 24th, 2013 at 12:50 AM
Maziar Mafi
Unlikely. A lawyer should examine the full circumstances of your mother and decide what her options may be.
Answered on Jun 19th, 2013 at 9:21 PM
LCA Audits and Investigations Attorney serving Houston, TX
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Fong Ilagan
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What is her basis for permanent residence? Are you a US citizen? She must be a PR first.
Answered on Jun 19th, 2013 at 1:59 AM
Contract Negotiations Attorney serving Miami Lakes, FL
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Florido & Associates, P.A.
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No, she must obtain residency status first. Unless she is a derivative citizen , but unlikely under your scenario.
Answered on Oct 04th, 2011 at 11:29 AM
Immigration Law Attorney serving New York, NY
Partner at
Oltarsh & Associates, P.C.
If your mother entered legally and has either a U.S. citizen husband or child over 21 she is eligible to apply for residence.
Answered on Sep 29th, 2011 at 12:01 PM
Business Litigation Attorney serving Chicago, IL
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Law Offices of Peter Y. Qiu
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Yes, she can by filing N-400.
Answered on Sep 29th, 2011 at 10:13 AM
U.S. Immigration and Nationality Law Attorney serving San Diego, CA
Partner at
Kazmi & Sakata
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She needs lawful residency to apply for citizenship unless she can derive it from her parents.
Answered on Sep 28th, 2011 at 4:38 PM
Real Estate Attorney serving Frisco, CO
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The Law Office of Eric A. Fisher, LLC
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Unless your mom's parents are US citizens, she will need to obtain lawful permanent residency first and then wait another 5 years to apply for US citizenship.
Answered on Sep 28th, 2011 at 12:47 PM
No. She must first apply for permanent resident status. However, if she is disqualified, she may be deported. I strongly recommend an appointment before anything is filed.
Answered on Sep 28th, 2011 at 11:16 AM
Criminal Law Attorney serving Las Vegas, NV
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Reza Athari & Associates, PLLC
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No, step one is to become a permanent resident and step 2, after 5 years, apply for naturalization.
Answered on Sep 28th, 2011 at 11:02 AM
Immigration and Naturalization Attorney serving San Francisco, CA
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The Law Office of Christine Troy
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No one can skip residency, so she would need to determine a way to become a green card holder first. (There are rare instances where a person is already a USC, but that has a lot to do with parental history!)
Answered on Sep 28th, 2011 at 9:52 AM
Generally, one first must become a Lawful Permanent Resident (get a "Green Card") before becoming eligible to petition to become a naturalized citizen. The naturalization process requires an applicant to have been a Permanent Resident for five years before becoming eligible; the period is three years for certain spouses of U.S. Citizens. An applicant may file the petition 90 days before reaching the 5-year or 3-year mark. If your mother has been living in the U.S. for 20 years, it will be important to carefully review her situation before applying for Permanent Resident status. It would be wise for her to review her situation with an immigration attorney to assess eligibility. Some immigration law firms, including mine, offer legal services on a "flat fee" basis so that a client will know the total expense from the very beginning, and a few immigration law firms, including mine, offer an initial consultation free of charge.
Answered on Sep 28th, 2011 at 9:14 AM