These are the five worst mistakes immigrants make when applying for US citizenship. The
US government announced just recently that the US citizenship test is going to be changed
quite significantly. In fact, I've made a video, right here, that talks about some of
the main changes to the US citizenship test. As we are getting ready to transition into
a new test on December 1, those of you that are going to be filing for citizenship before
December 1 will benefit from the old test. But no matter what you're going to use, the
old test or the new test, there are five worst mistakes that many immigrants make when applying
for US citizenship. And I'll talk about those mistakes in this video. If you're a green
card holder and you qualify for citizenship, my recommendation is to file for citizenship
as soon as you can before any fee increases or changes to the exam and other regulations.
Once you become a US citizen, you can obtain a US passport, update your social security
card, and register to vote. So, let's talk about the five worst mistakes that immigrants
make when applying for US citizenship. Number one, failing to double, triple check their
application before submission. Applicants focus on the questions and studying for the
exam, as opposed to really looking at their actual application. People study for the exam
months before the actual test they worry about getting the questions and start practicing
but they don't think about the actual application. It is really important to make sure that you
review and think about what you put in this application if you do it yourself. Sections
about your travel history are really important. People make mistakes there, sections about
your addresses, previous addresses that conflict with information that you provided your green
card application. And most importantly, when you check those boxes, they ask you questions
about your criminal history, the information you provided to the immigration, and other
things like that. Make sure you're very careful as to what you check in those boxes because
once you submit that application if the information is wrong, sometimes, immigration may perceive
it as misrepresentation, and your application can be denied just for that reason. So, make
sure you always double, triple check your application before you send it. Number two,
failing to submit citizenship proof for spouse if you file for your citizenship based on
marriage to a US citizen. What do I mean by that? If you’re filing, for example, after
three years, and you’re married and living together with a US citizen spouse, you have
to prove that you were actually married to a US citizen spouse, so providing the marriage
certificate, providing proof of her citizenship, and maybe some documents to prove that you
are still living together. Either you submitted your application, or you bring it at the time
of the interview but it's really important to address that point. And many, many people
forget to do so. And they have a lot of issues at the time of the interview. And sometimes,
this can result in a denial of the application for lack of qualification. So, remember, if
you’re filing for citizenship based on marriage, your US citizen spouse, make sure you prove
that that spouse is actually a citizen and that you’re still living together or married.
Number three, failing to pay the right fees. There are so many cases where we see applicants
file for their N-400 application but the cases get sent back because they send the wrong
fees, or their checks are not signed, or things like that. So, make sure you check the correct
fee. And remember, the application fee is $725, and that includes $85 for biometrics,
do not forget that too. Many cases are being sent back because people send the wrong fees.
And it may take weeks to receive the file back. And in the meantime, your case gets
delayed and is not being processed. So, remember, always check on the USCIS website for the
correct fees. And never forget to send the biometric fees as well. Number four, failing
to respond to requests for evidence and submitting supporting documents on time. Very often,
when you file your N-400 application, it may happen that you get a request for more evidence.
Sometimes, they want to see proof of your financial documents like taxes. Sometimes,
they may want to prove about your marriage. If you're filing based on marriage, sometimes,
they need more evidence about your travel. This can happen while the application is pending,
or after your interview, the officer will give you a request for more evidence, based
on things that happened in the interview. In too many cases, we see that people just
don't send information on time. And as a result, those cases get denied. So, always read the
request for evidence. Submit everything on the list. And always submit documents requested
from USCIS on time. Number five, failing to meet the eligibility requirements before you
actually file your application. So, what do I mean by that? For example, some people file
their N-400 based on marriage to a US citizen. They can file this after three years but it
happens that they don't live together anymore for whatever reason, that is not going to
work because the requirement is that you still have to be married, but also living together.
And so, filing after three years may not work. In this case, the application may be rejected.
And you have to wait two more years to file based on the five-year requirements. Another
issue could be with excessive travel from the United States while having a green card.
That means you may have broken the continuous residency requirements so when you apply for
your citizenship, you may not qualify. You have to calculate all the dates, make sure
that you have enough dates based on requirements to file for citizenship, and only then file.
Too many people are filing too early. They don't meet the requirements and at the time
of the interview, they just get denied. So, make sure that before you file, check that
you actually qualify to avoid an unnecessary denial. And finally, an extra tip. Always
tell the truth to the US officer at the time of the interview. You may have a good application
and all the documents are in there but when they ask you questions in the interview, and
they don't think you're telling the truth, you may be denied citizenship for lack of
good moral character. So, remember, always be honest with the officer, it's worth it,
because if not, your case may be denied just for that. So, hopefully, these tips were helpful.
Let's repeat them once again. Number one, failing to check your application before you
actually file it. Always check and triple check. Number two, failing to submit proof
of citizenship and other documents based on marriage to a US citizen if you're actually
married to a US citizen. Number three, paying the wrong fees. Always make sure you check
the fees on the USCIS website. Number four, failing to submit supporting documents on
time. Failing to respond on RFE on time is a major reason why a lot of cases get denied.
And number five, failing to meet the eligibility requirements before actually filing. Always
check that you qualify before spending the money and filing for nothing. Hopefully, this
video was helpful. Let me know in the comments what you think. Don't forget to subscribe
to our channel and I'll see you in the next video. Hey, wait a second. We're not done
yet. If you want to know all the changes to the US citizenship test, click the video right
here. It will tell you all about it.