The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials or National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO), provides specific information on the process of acquiring citizenship in the United States.
Founded in 1976, NALEO aims to promote policies among the Latino community in the United States, so that they participate in the civic life of the country. Therefore, they are also promoters of naturalization and provide information on the process of obtaining citizenship.
NALEO explains that the first step to becoming a U.S. citizen is knowing the eligibility criteria and asks four key questions:
Am I 18 years or older?
Have I lived as a legal permanent resident (LPR) for at least five years?
If you have lived as an LPR for five years and have not left the US for more than six months, you meet another of the requirements to apply for citizenship. In total you must add at least 30 months in the country as a legal resident. In case you are married to a US citizen, the period of five years is reduced to three and the total sum of the months must be at least 18.
Am I a person of good moral character?
This is determined by a criminal record and honesty in the application process. The following offenses can delay the citizenship process: (1) Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs (DUI or DWI); (2) Domestic violence; (3) Participation in prostitution; (4) Lying to obtain immigration benefits or avoid deportation or removal; (5) Failure to pay court-ordered child support; and (6) Failing to complete any probation, probation, or sentencing before applying for naturalization.
Am I ready to take and pass the naturalization test?
The exam includes a face-to-face interview and an exam on American history and civics. There are some exceptions on the application of the English test, if the applicant is 50 years or older when submitting the application and also has been LPR for 20 years or more, it is not necessary to present it. And if he is 55 or older and 15 or older as an LPR.
On the other hand, the civic exam can only present certain modifications if the applicant is 65 years of age or older and has lived in the country for at least 20 years.
NALEO has a citizenship hotline. It is a bilingual service attended from its offices in Los Angeles throughout the year from Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. EDT: 888-839-8682
