• The applicant has been married to the same United States citizen and has lived with that citizen for the 3 years preceding the application.
• The United States spouse has been a legal citizen for the entire 3 years preceding the application and meets all of the residence and physical presence requirements set forth by the USCIS.
• The applicant meets other requirements for naturalization.

All applicants must be no younger than 18 years of age. Applicants must also have been legally admitted to the U.S. on the basis of permanent residency. This means that they have been legally granted the privilege of living in the United States permanently as an immigrant and have properly complied with all immigration laws.

An applicant will be eligible to petition for naturalization if:

• He or she has been legally admitted for permanent United States residency.
• He or she has lived continuously in the United States for the preceding 5 years as a legal permanent resident with an absence from the U.S. for no longer than 1 year during this time.
• He or she has been present in the United States physically for no less than 30 months out of those previous 5 years. Note that an absence of less than 1 year but more than 6 months will disrupt the continuous residency of the applicant unless proof can be shown that the applicant did not abandon the residence in the United States during that time.

Those applying for naturalization have to show that they are of good moral character and have retained this character for the required period – this is normally 5 years or 3 years when married to a citizen of the United States. Armed Forces expedites have to satisfy the requirement for 1 year. Applicants are prohibited permanently from applying for naturalization if and when they are convicted of murder or any other aggravated felony that is explained in Section 101(a)(43) of the immigration act. Applicants are considered to be in violation of the moral character rule if during the previous 5 years:

• He or she has been convicted of any crimes involving questionable morals.
• He or she has been convicted of 2 or more crimes and the total sentence that is imposed is more than 5 years.
• He or she has been convicted of any laws regarding controlled substances – Note that single offenses of simple possession of marijuana do not apply. Simple possession involves 30 grams or less.
• He or she has been imprisoned for more than 180 days during their statutory period as a result of a conviction.
• He or she has been convicted of 2 gambling offenses or more.
• He or she has earned their principal income from the act of illegal gambling.
• He or she has been involved in any sort or commercialized vice such as prostitution.
• He or she has been involved in any act of smuggling illegal aliens into the U.S.
• He or she has practiced or is currently practicing polygamy.
• He or she has shown evidence of habitual drunkenness.
• He or she has provided false testimony under oath that resulted in immigration benefits.
• He or she has purposely failed to support or refused to support their dependents.

Applicants are required to disclose all facts of their statutory period including criminal history even if that history will prove disqualification of the application.

Applicants must also show that they are attached or otherwise plan to abide by the principles found in the Constitution. They must be able to speak as well as read and write the English language satisfactorily. There are exemptions to the language rule as follows:

• He or she on the date of their filing have been living in the United States for more than 15 years or are over 55 years old.
• He or she has been living in the United States legally and are over 50 years old or have lived in the U.S. for more than 20 years.
• He or she has a medical or otherwise physical or mental disability that impairs their ability to learn the English language.

Applicants are required to learn about the history of the United States and its government. Those who are exempt from this requirement are applicants who are physically or mentally unable to learn about United States government and history. Also, any applicant who has been living in the United States for a period of 20 years or more and those who are 65 years of age or older will be permitted special considerations in regards to this requirement.

In order to become a legal citizen of the United States, an Oath of Allegiance must be taken. By reciting this Oath, each applicant swears to:

• Support the United States Constitution.
• Obey the laws of the United States.
• Renounce any foreign titles or allegiances.
• Bear arms for the United States Armed Forces when required or perform services for the United States government when required

A modified oath is offered at times when an applicant can show proof that their religion or belief prohibits them from taking part in any armed forces service.

There are certain exceptions for legal U.S. permanent residents who are married to United States citizens when the citizen is employed or station in the armed forces abroad. Some residents may not have to follow the requirements involving physical presence in the United States. These special circumstances apply when:

• The United States citizen spouse is employed by the United States government. This includes the Armed Forces.
• The citizen spouse is employed by an American research institute that is recognized as such by the United States Attorney Genera.
• The citizen spouse is employed by religious organizations that are recognized as such in the United States.
• The citizen spouse is employed by an American firm that is involved in the development of foreign trade within the United States.
• The citizen spouse is employed by one of several public international organizations of which the United States is a part.

Children of United States citizens who are born abroad may obtain citizenship evidence in a number of different ways. The citizen parent of the children who are born in a foreign country can file an N-600 application which is a certificate for citizenship. The form needs to be properly completed and should include 2 different photographs of the child as well as any relevant documentation that proves eligibility.

Children who are born abroad and who are natural children of United States citizens derive their U.S. citizenship from parents. The certificate is simply a record of that citizenship. Adopted children do require citizenship even if both parents are United States citizens. Adoptive parents will need to file form N-643 to petition for citizenship for their adopted children. Adopted children who are over 18 years of age will need to file form N-400.

Applicants who have served time in the United States armed forces are considered Veterans of the United States and are eligible to apply for naturalization based on their prior or current military service. They will need to file an N-400 military application for naturalization packet.

Veterans who have at least 3 years of U.S. military service and who are legal permanent residents of the United States do not have to meet residence requirements. This applies only if the application for naturalization is filed within 6 months of the veteran’s honorable discharge and only if:

• The applicant served in the military honorably or received an honorable discharge.
• The applicant served for at least 3 years or more in the military.
• The applicant is a lawful permanent resident when the application is submitted.
• The applicant has shown to be of good moral character – This applies only if the veteran receives a dishonorable discharge from the military or if service was discontinued.

Applicants may count periods of honorable service as part of their physical and residence requirements if they file for naturalization more than 6 months after their military termination of 3 years or more.

The post Requirements for United States Naturalization appeared first on World Immigration Guide.

Permanent residents are granted the privilege to live and work in the U.S. on a permanent basis. The permanent residence status is conditional when based on marriage and when that marriage is two years old or less. The permanent residence status remains conditional so that the married couple can prove that the marriage did not exist only to evade immigration laws.

If you are filing for removal of conditions jointly, you will need to submit form I-751 within the 90 days before your permanent resident card expires. It is essential that you file this form at the appropriate time. If you file before the 90 day period is reached, your application will be returned to you. You can file the form any time within this 90 day period although you should attempt to file as early as possible once you are within this 90 day window.

If you do not file form I-751 properly within the allotted time period, your status as conditional resident of the United States will be automatically terminated and removal proceedings will begin. The USCIS will send you notification that you have not properly filed to have your conditions removed and you will receive a notice to appear for a hearing that will be set. At this hearing, you may review the evidence against you and you will be permitted to speak on your own behalf against that evidence. You will need to be able to prove that you have in fact complied with the requirements. Please note that you will not receive a reminder to file the petition. This is all completely up to you.

You will need to assemble the package for the I-751. Please make sure that you have submitted all of the following documentation:

• Payment – You will be required to pay a fee for the application.
• Cover Sheet.
• I-751.
• Green Card – You need to provide a photocopy of the front and the back of your valid green card as well as those of any children who are holding K-2 visas.

Evidence of Your Relationship

Showing evidence of a bona-fide relationship is a critical part of the application process. There are a number of documents that you can submit to prove that your marriage is legitimate. Below is a list of acceptable documentation and while you certainly do not have to supply all of these, it is recommended that you include as many as possible. If you do not have enough of the following forms, you may use affidavits from others who know you and your spouse and can write a confirmation of your marriage.

Note that only copies of these documents are required. Make photocopies and ensure that they are legible and free from any marks or handwritten notes:

• Deed that shows you and your spouse own property together. You can also submit a lease agreement. Note that these documents will need to have your name as well as the name of your spouse.
• Any utility, credit card or other bills that have both names on them. Some utilities are only in one name so you can use bills in each of your names that show the same physical address on them.
• Photocopies of any jointly held cards – For instance, credit cards or insurance cards. These cards should show both of your names and have the same account number. You can also use insurance policies for your residence, car or health plan with both of your names or a life insurance policy with one spouse listed as the other’s beneficiary.
• Any savings or retirement accounts that have one spouse listed as the other’s beneficiary.
• Checking or stock accounts with both names.
• Joint tax returns.
• Any car or other property title that shows that the property is jointly owned by you and your spouse.
• Family pictures showing the two of you together. Try to get photos from different timelines within the past 2 years.
• Birth certificates of any children that you have had together.
• Vacation documentation for any trips that you have taken together. This can include hotel bill receipts, flight itineraries or vacation pictures showing the two of you together.
• Holiday or Christmas cards that were mailed to you and addressed to both of you.

Once you have the package together, mail is to either the Vermont or California USCIS office. Be sure that you are using certified or priority mail and that you request confirmation of delivery. You should write on the envelope – Attention: I-175 Petition to Remove Conditions of Status – this should be written directly under the office address.

Once the form has been received, you should receive a notice that your card is extended for one year and that you have travel and employment authorization for this time period. You should keep this receipt with your green card. If you are not approved to have conditions removed within this year you should make an appointment for InfoPass and request that your passport be stamped with I-551. If your NOA expires, this will be the only evidence that you have of legal residence status until your removal of conditions is approved.

You may be called in for an interview but not all cases require an interview. Follow any instructions that you receive from USCIS. If you are notified of an interview, make sure that you provide all documentation requested and be on time for your interview. Once approved, your green card will be mailed to you within just a few weeks. Your 10 year green card has to be renewed every 10 years unless you become a legal citizen within that time period.

The post Removing Residency Conditions appeared first on World Immigration Guide.

We are looking for people who want to write UNIQUE Articles to be posted on this blog and on the forum. We want to get as much information as possible. So we were thinking you can tell us how much you would like for your articles, new topics, stories. Anything creative you have for us to post.

On the forums we are looking for sticky topics for each forum on each country. So we can help fill up as much content as possible.

So just reply to this blog post below with some contact information and we will get back to you. You can also register on the forums at http://worldimmigrationguide.net/forum/

Thanks to all future responders…. This is a paid service.

Long story short: You give us unique content to fill up around the blog and forum, we will discuss a price, and you will get paid. This includes articles, videos, pictures, slideshows… if you want help but don’t know what to do, you can still contact us here below in the comments with your contact information like EMAIL.

You can also email us at http://http://i.imgur.com/vgqLxda.png

The post AS YOU ALL CAN SEE…. appeared first on World Immigration Guide.

From The Globe and Mail:

Canada plans to create a new class of visa it hopes will attract high-tech and other entrepreneurs to immigrate to the country to start new companies, officials said Tuesday.

It has put a moratorium on issuing its existing entrepreneur visa, which only required an immigrant to hire one person for one year, and intends to initiate a visa that would be issued to people identified by venture capital funds as candidates to create startup firms in Canada. The venture funds would be required to invest in the startups.

Read more info here.

The post Canada Developing New Startup Entrepreneur Visa appeared first on World Immigration Guide.

The post 10 Countries Where Retirees Live Large appeared first on World Immigration Guide.

The post Most expensive cities in the world for Americans to work appeared first on World Immigration Guide.

Click to view a larger version.

This is a very useful map if you’re looking for a country that has universal healthcare.

The post Countries in the World with Universal Health Care appeared first on World Immigration Guide.

In fact, many “pockets” around the world have been identified as “Blue Zones,” where locals enjoy high quality of life and health in old age.

While failing to offer one “secret,” these regions share community factors such as diet, social integration, activity level, and outlook on life. While genetics plays a role in how long we live,researchers believe lifestyle factors account for 75% of our longevity.

Read more here.

The post Article: 10 places to move abroad and extend your life appeared first on World Immigration Guide.

From the article they posted:

Every day, it seems like more and more people continue to leave Ireland. In fact, Irish emigration rose to its highest level since the 19th century in the year through April. Most of this has to do with the weak economy. People are unable to find the work that they need to support their families in Ireland, and thus they have to look elsewhere.

According to the Central Statistics Office in Dublin, about 76,400 people have left Ireland during the year through April. Only about 42,300 people moved to Ireland. This means that Ireland had a net outflow of 34,100. The only good news is that this net outflow figure fell from 34,500 a year earlier. Either way, that is two straight years that Ireland has seen a big outflow of people.

Overall, Ireland’s economy has dropped 15 percent since 2007. On top of that, unemployment has tripled. The jobless rate has risen to 14.2 percent in the second quarter. This is up from the 13.9 percent that was seen in the first quarter.

Mark Fielding, who is the chief executive office of Dublin, said that the number of long-term unemployment continues to grow. This is creating a very big problem for Ireland. The younger generations are looking for work in other countries. This could put Ireland in a rough spot later down the road.

Overall, Irish payrolls have dropped by an annual 2 percent to just 1.821 million people in the second quarter. At the rate things are going, Ireland does not expect its numbers to improve anytime soon.

Source.

The post Irish are Fleeing Ireland at a Record Rate appeared first on World Immigration Guide.

If you’re a prospective expat looking for the right country to relocate to – then we’ve found the perfect website. It’s called “If it were my Home” and it takes a ton of data about every country in the world and compares it to where you live now.

It’s a fun way to explore what life would be like in other countries.

From the Site:

The lottery of birth is responsible for much of who we are. If you were not born in the country you were, what would your life be like? Would you be the same person?

IfItWereMyHome.com is your gateway to understanding life outside your home. Use our country comparison tool to compare living conditions in your own country to those of another. Start by selecting a region to compare on the map to the right, and begin your exploration.

Check out the site here.

The post Great Resource for Deciding What Country To Move To appeared first on World Immigration Guide.