Are you a resident and worries? It’s time to become a citizen!
If you have been a permanent resident for more than five years (or three if you got your residency through marriage), you are probably eligible to request citizenship. You will have to take the civics test and show a basic level of English comprehension (spoken and written).
If you are over 50 years of age and have been resident for more than 20 years (or if you are older than 55 and have been resident for over 15 years), you will have to take the civics test, but you can also do it in Spanish. If you have a serious medical condition that can be diagnosed and which inhibits your learning and limits your memory, it’s possible that you qualify for an exemption from the exam altogether.
While you are a permanent resident, you are at risk of being deported. Besides, as we saw a few weeks ago, the recent executive order by the President was implemented in such a way that it prohibited entry to various permanent residents who had traveled to the exterior. Even if it might seem like the confusion has been cleared up and the border agents are allowing the return of people who were mistakenly blocked, we live in strange times and we have to expect the unexpected.
Depending on your circumstances and history, maybe it’s not recommended for you to request citizenship. But, if you fulfill the requirements that are set here, meet with a lawyer so that you can determine if citizenship is a good option for your case.
