Citizenship?
Question:
Hello Jim, Having lived in California as a legal Permanent Resident for many, many years I recently consulted an attorney about Naturalization. I served in the US military, and was deployed to Southwest Asia during the Gulf War; I received an honorable discharge. The attorney advised me to pursue citizenship based on residency (Part 1 - N-400 Form) and pointedly did not furnish the N-426 Form - I only get to check ONE box. (Brief background story - in 1992, after I separated from the military I received a Deportation Notice. I thank my lucky stars that the Immigration Attorney I contacted was an upstanding one.) I'm in a quandary, what should I do? Is there one path to citizenship that's easier and looked upon more favorably? I look forward to hearing from you, thank you for your consideration.
Jim's Reply:
I wish I had an answer that made sense. As an American who has a proud tradition of military service in my family, I'm embarrassed by the attitude that has been set toward immigrants and particularly immigrants who put their lives on the line for our country.
I can't answer your question. I'm going to blame it on timing...the administration of this country is changing on Jan. 20th from one that has been extremely unfriendly towards immigrants to an administration that will have a much more reasonable approach.
Were I you I'd wait a little longer. The new administration is inheriting the worst of the worst of the global pandemic that's raging throughout the world as well as a lot of other issues that will require immediate attention. I believe that a kinder immigration policy as well as a more efficient process will come about in quick time. I'd suggest you wait a couple of months and then revisit your goals. Good luck!