There are many reasons to become a U.S. Citizen—whether it’s the right to vote or the ability to bring your family to the United States. There are many amazing benefits from gaining citizenship that you may not have considered.
Here are five of the top reasons to consider becoming a U.S. citizen right now.
1) Protecting Your Children
When you become a U.S. citizen, any qualified children under the age of eighteen will automatically receive their citizenship, too. This means they’ll never have to worry about the expensive process of renewing a green card, they’ll immediately have access to all of the benefits of citizenship, and they’ll never have to worry about losing their U.S. immigration status.
Why not give your children the gift of citizenship?
2) The Right to a U.S. Passport
Possessing a U.S. passport allows you to visit one hundred and sixty countries without needing a visa, saving you time and money. Don’t miss out on your chance to see the world!
3) U.S. Citizens Make More Money
Studies show naturalized U.S. citizens make more money than green card holders. There are many reasons for this, one being that U.S. citizens have better access to jobs and education opportunities. Naturalized citizens make 50 to 70 percent more than non-citizen immigrants.
This statistic is largely influenced by the individual characteristics of people who naturalize. They tend to be older, have more education, and have lived in the U.S. longer. However, even taking those individual characteristics out, citizenship still has a positive impact on immigrants’ incomes, by about 8 percent.
4) Living and Traveling Outside the U.S.
As a green card holder, you cannot travel outside the U.S. for more than one year at a time. If you do, you risk losing your permanent residence status. U.S. citizens don’t have this restriction. As a citizen, you can remain outside the U.S. for however long you like, without ever having to worry about losing your citizenship.
5) Citizenship Is Less Expensive in the Long Run
Becoming a U.S. citizen is actually much cheaper than remaining a green card holder. Green card holders need to spend $540 every time they renew or lose their green card. That can add up to a lot of money. If you become a U.S. citizen, you never have to renew your green card again, saving you potentially thousands of dollars over the course of a lifetime.
How to Become a U.S. Citizen
If you have been convinced that citizenship is the right path for you, you’ll probably be wondering what steps you need to take. Becoming a citizen of the United States can take a long time and requires applicants to fulfill numerous requirements.
Many people submit their paperwork only to find that their efforts and application fees have gone to waste because of an error or oversight. Others spend a great deal of money to hire an immigration attorney.
Silicon Valley-based FileRight.com offers a better alternative. Here is how you can move forward in becoming a U.S. citizen with ease and confidence.
If you were born outside the U.S. to a parent who was a U.S. citizen, or your parent became a citizen before you turned eighteen, you have the right to claim citizenship. Otherwise, you will have to go through the naturalization process.
If becoming a citizen through naturalization, you must first make sure that you are eligible to apply. There are a variety of criteria that you must meet in order to apply for citizenship. Take this eligibility quiz to see if you qualify for naturalization.
If you do qualify, you will need to file Form N-400. This form is the longest and most expensive application from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Along with the application, you will need to pay the applicable fees and provide supporting documentation.
You will then have to provide your biometric data, including your fingerprints, photograph, and signature. After that, you will have an interview as well as tests for language and civics. If you pass those steps, you will participate in a naturalization ceremony, where you will swear an Oath of Allegiance to the United States.
