Complications and Bars to Eligibility for U.S. Citizenship
Knowing the basic requirements for naturalized U.S. citizenship isn't necessarily enough to guarantee a successful application. Any applicant should also be aware of the possible disqualifying factors that could result in the application being denied -- and in the worst case, lead to being placed in removal proceedings and ultimately deported from the United States. Learn more here.
Inadmissibility, Deportability, and Other Issues for Citizenship Applicants
Inadmissibility, Deportability, and Other Issues for Citizenship Applicants
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Risks of Applying for Naturalized U.S. Citizenship: Denial or Even Deportation
Be careful about applying for U.S. citizenship if you have used fraud, have a criminal record, are a Communist Party member, and so on.
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Will Receiving Public Benefits Hurt Your Chances of U.S. Citizenship?
When you apply for U.S. citizenship (naturalization), you must show that you meet the basic requirements for good moral character. Fortunately, lawful receipt of public benefits is not a problem.
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Crimes That Will Prevent You From Receiving U.S. Citizenship
If you are a green card holder applying for U.S. citizenship through the process known as naturalization, one important question will be whether you have ever been prosecuted for a crime or committed some other unlawful act.
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Can Communist or Other Totalitarian Party Members Become Naturalized U.S. Citizens?
The application form that green card holders must fill out in order to apply for U.S. citizenship (Form N-400, Application for Naturalization), asks various questions about group and party memberships.
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Naturalization Eligibility for Men Who Failed to Register With the Selective Service
If you are a man who lived in the U.S. or got your green card at any time between the ages of 18 and 26, you were expected to register with the U.S. Selective Service System.
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Can an Extramarital Affair Really Disqualify You From Naturalization?
Cheating on one's spouse may be seen as evidence of bad moral character.
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Will You Be Denied U.S. Citizenship Based on Polygamy, Bigamy, or Multiple Marriages?
U.S. immigration law frowns on being married to more than one person at the same time, and prohibits both bigamists and polygamists from becoming naturalized citizens.
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Grounds of Deportability: When Legal U.S. Residents Can Be Removed
Whether on a nonimmigrant visa or green card, committing certain acts or crimes can make a person deportable from the U.S.
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How Absences From the U.S. Affect Eligibility for U.S. Citizenship
If you want to apply for U.S. citizenship after one or more recent trips outside the United States, your absences from the United States could affect your ability to apply right now.
FAQs About Citizenship Bars and Eligibility Problems
MoreFAQs About Citizenship Bars and Eligibility Problems
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Will Being Unemployed, in Debt, or Bankrupt Prevent My Becoming a U.S. Citizen?
Financial troubles do not, by themselves, bar a green card holder from naturalizing.
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Can I Apply for Citizenship If I’ve Divorced the Person Who Got Me My Green Card?
Why divorce is not a bar to approval for naturalized U.S. citizenship, but might raise questions.
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Got a DUI: Can I File Form N-400 for U.S. Citizenship?
Though not an automatic bar, a DUI or DWI on your record can hurt your chances of proving the necessary good moral character for naturalization.
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