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Schedule a consultation →CITIZENSHIP & NATURALIZATION
The last step in the journey. And the one you cannot afford to rush.
Becoming a US citizen is the goal that most immigration journeys are quietly pointing toward. For many people it means filing Form N-400 and naturalizing after years as a green card holder. For others, citizenship may already have passed to them through a parent, or automatically to their children, without a single application. As a citizenship lawyer, our job is to figure out which of those is true for you before you file anything, because a naturalization case is also the moment USCIS re-examines your entire immigration history. We handle N-400 naturalization, citizenship through parents, derivative and automatic citizenship for children, and citizenship through marriage, from offices in Boynton Beach, Lake Worth, and Atlanta.
ARE YOU ELIGIBLE?
Most people become citizens through naturalization, the process of applying after holding a green card for a required number of years. Before you file, it is worth checking your situation against the core eligibility requirements. Meeting all of them does not make a case automatic, but missing one is the fastest way to a denial, and some of them are easier to get wrong than they look. You generally must:
Be at least 18 years old at the time you file.
Be a lawful permanent resident for the required time: usually 5 years, or 3 years if you are married to and living with a US citizen.
Show continuous residence in the United States for that period, without breaking it through long trips abroad.
Meet the physical presence requirement: actually being in the US for enough of that time, not just holding the status.
Have lived in the state or USCIS district where you file for at least three months.
Read, write, and speak basic English (with limited exceptions for older, long-term residents).
Pass the civics test on US history and government.
Show good moral character during the relevant period, the requirement that ends more cases than any other.
THE PROCESS
The naturalization process follows a predictable arc, even if the timing varies by field office. It starts when you file Form N-400. USCIS then schedules biometrics (fingerprints and a background check), followed by an interview where an officer reviews your application, tests your English, and administers the civics test. If everything is in order, the case is approved and you are scheduled for the final step.
That final step is the oath ceremony, where you take the Oath of Allegiance and receive your Certificate of Naturalization. You are not a citizen until you take that oath, which is why we tell clients not to book irreversible plans, surrender other status, or make travel commitments until the certificate is in hand. As an N-400 naturalization attorney, we prepare clients for the interview, get the file clean before it is filed, and make sure nothing in your history turns a routine approval into a problem.
CITIZENSHIP BY DESCENT
Some people are already US citizens and do not know it. If you were born abroad to a US citizen parent, you may have acquired citizenship at birth. And if you did, you were never eligible to naturalize, because you were a citizen all along. Whether this applies to you turns on when you were born, whether one or both parents were citizens, and how much time your citizen parent had spent physically in the United States before you were born. The rules have changed several times over the decades, so the answer depends heavily on your birthdate.
A US citizen parent generally must have been physically present in the United States for a required number of years before your birth, with a portion of that time after a certain age, for citizenship to pass to you at birth. The exact physical-presence requirement is the crux of these cases.
Different, older physical-presence rules apply, and they were more demanding in some respects. Because these standards changed at specific dates, two siblings born a few years apart can have different outcomes. Your parent's US residence history is the key evidence.
Time a citizen parent spent abroad in US military service, US government employment, or with certain international organizations can sometimes count toward the physical-presence requirement. These exceptions rescue cases that otherwise look ineligible.
CITIZENSHIP FOR CHILDREN
A child can also become a US citizen automatically, without a naturalization application, after birth but before turning 18. Under the Child Citizenship Act, a child generally becomes a citizen automatically once three things are all true before their 18th birthday: at least one parent is a US citizen (by birth or naturalization), the child is a lawful permanent resident, and the child is living in the United States in the legal and physical custody of that citizen parent.
This matters enormously for two groups. First, green card holder parents who naturalize often make their minor children citizens automatically in the same moment, and those children may already be citizens who simply need a Certificate of Citizenship as proof. Second, adopted children (including those admitted on IR-3, IH-3, IR-4, and IH-4 immigrant classifications) frequently acquire citizenship automatically once the adoption and residence conditions are met. As a derivative citizenship attorney, we sort out who is already a citizen on paper and help them document it.
CITIZENSHIP THROUGH MARRIAGE
Marriage to a US citizen does not make you a citizen, but it can shorten your road to naturalization. Under the general spousal rule, a lawful permanent resident who has been married to and living with the same US citizen for the required period can apply to naturalize after three years as a green card holder, instead of the usual five, as long as the spouse has been a citizen for that whole time and the couple is still living in marital union.
There is also a separate path for spouses of US citizens who are stationed or working abroad in qualifying employment, which can allow naturalization on a different timeline. Both routes have precise requirements about the marriage, the timing, and continuous residence, and USCIS reads them strictly. Getting the three-year math right, and proving the marriage is intact through the oath, is the whole game.
The 3-year rule: married to and living with the same US citizen, who has been a citizen throughout? You may be able to naturalize after three years as a permanent resident instead of five.
WHERE CASES GO WRONG
A naturalization application reopens your whole immigration record, so the safest cases are the ones where problems are found and addressed before filing, not discovered by an officer at the interview. These are the issues that most often turn an approval into a denial, a delay, or worse.
This is the single biggest cause of naturalization denials. Certain crimes, unpaid taxes, failure to register for Selective Service, unpaid child support, or even misrepresentations can undermine good moral character during the statutory period. Some issues are permanent bars; others just require waiting or explanation.
Some offenses bar naturalization outright, some make you removable if you apply and draw attention to them, and some are manageable with the right disclosure. Never file an N-400 with a criminal record without having it reviewed first. Applying can be more dangerous than waiting.
Extended absences from the US can break the continuous-residence requirement and reset your eligibility clock, sometimes without the applicant realizing it happened.
Having previously claimed to be a US citizen (on a job form, to vote, or to enter the country) is one of the most serious problems in immigration law and can bar both a green card and citizenship. These cases need experienced counsel before anything is filed.
Inconsistencies between your N-400 and earlier filings invite scrutiny. We reconcile your history before the interview, not during it.
WHY DELGADO PURDY LAW
The value of a good citizenship lawyer is mostly invisible: it is the problem that never becomes a problem because someone experienced looked at your whole record first. Our two founding attorneys have guided clients through naturalization, citizenship-by-descent claims, and children's automatic-citizenship cases, and we take the same care whether your case is routine or genuinely complicated.
You work with your attorney directly, in the language you are most comfortable in: English, Spanish, Portuguese, or French. That matters at the naturalization interview, where nerves and language barriers derail otherwise strong applicants. And because we practice the full immigration spectrum, if your case turns out to be something other than a simple naturalization (an already-acquired citizenship, or an old issue that needs cleaning up first), we can handle that too, without sending you to another firm.
CLIENT REVIEWS
These are real Google reviews of this firm, not a selection sorted by case type. Each one links back to the profile it came from, so you can read the rest and check the count yourself.
“Thais is an amazing lawyer and person, and because she’s Brazilian too, our communication was great! During the process she was always there to answer the questions about my immigration process in minutes! She really helped me and clarified everything when I needed. I highly recommend her!”
Deborah Z.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil · Boynton Beach
“Delgado Law Group has done a great job on my family’s immigration case. They have been much more professional and productive than our prior legal team. We really appreciate their support.”
Haydee Cedeño
7 months ago · Lake Worth
“Thais was awesome and has great communication. I was having trouble getting my wife’s visa with another lawyer. Thais stepped in and got it done right away. She made our case a priority and I highly recommend hiring her. She turned our stressful situation into an easy one.”
David R.
Honolulu, HI · Boynton Beach
“Amazing job on my case! Amazing service overall! Jackie knows her stuff and will fight hard for you and your case! I am satisfied and would highly recommend! Thank you Jackie and her office for everything.”
Mimi M.
a year ago · Lake Worth
“After two frustrating experiences with other lawyers here in Florida, we finally found someone who would give us all the legal and emotional support to face this difficult and long-awaited dream. Thais Arsolino helped us overcome the fears and challenges of our EB-3. She guided our process from start to finish with dedication. Thank you for being a fundamental part of this achievement for our family!”
Bruna Loyola
Florida · Boynton Beach
Translated from Portuguese.
Verify on Google, Boynton Beach profile“Ms. Delgado is the best lawyer ever. Helped my whole family and can’t thank her enough. God bless Ms. Delgado and her whole crew.”
Manuel Francisco
10 months ago · Lake Worth
“I would recommend this law office over any other in the South Florida area. The care and attention I have received here is unlike any other. When you call, you get to speak with the actual attorney, not an assistant or paralegal.”
Ryan B.
Miami, FL · Boynton Beach
“Thais was always available for my calls and messages. I was surprised at how quickly she and her staff responded to my concerns. I’m happy to say that my case is now over and I can move on with my life.”
Maria F.
Jupiter, FL · Boynton Beach
“No words for the professionalism. I recommend Purdy to everyone. I especially thank Thais, an undisputed professional.”
Lailson Lesbao
Brazil · Boynton Beach
Translated from Portuguese.
Verify on Google, Boynton Beach profileThese are real reviews from real clients, published with their permission. Every immigration case turns on its own facts. A prospective client may not obtain the same or similar results.
CITIZENSHIP FAQS
Usually five years as a lawful permanent resident before you can file Form N-400. If you got your green card through marriage to a US citizen and you are still married to and living with that citizen spouse, the wait is generally three years. There are also special rules for US military service members. You can typically file up to 90 days before you complete the required residence period.
It depends heavily on which USCIS field office handles your case, but many applicants move from filing to the oath ceremony within roughly a year. Some offices are faster and some are slower, and complications in your record can extend it. We give you a realistic estimate for your local office at the consultation.
It is more common than people expect. If you were born abroad to a US citizen parent, you may have acquired citizenship at birth, depending on your birthdate and how long your citizen parent had lived in the United States before you were born. And if a parent naturalized while you were a minor green card holder living with them, you may have become a citizen automatically. If either might apply, do not file to naturalize. You may just need a Certificate of Citizenship to prove what is already true. This is worth a consultation before you assume you need to apply.
Possibly, automatically. Under the Child Citizenship Act, a child under 18 generally becomes a US citizen automatically when at least one parent is a US citizen, the child is a lawful permanent resident, and the child is living in the United States in that parent's legal and physical custody. If all of that was true before your child turned 18, they may already be a citizen and can obtain a Certificate of Citizenship as proof, rather than filing a separate application.
Not without having it reviewed by an immigration attorney first. This is one of the situations where applying can be more dangerous than waiting. Some offenses bar naturalization for a period, some are permanent bars, and some can even make you removable if the application draws attention to your record. An experienced attorney can tell you whether it is safe to file, whether you should wait, and whether the record creates a risk you did not know about. Please do not file an N-400 with any criminal history until you have talked to someone.
Good moral character is a requirement for naturalization, and USCIS looks at your conduct during the statutory period before filing (generally the three or five years, though older conduct can still matter). It covers a wide range: certain crimes, unpaid taxes, failure to pay court-ordered child support, providing false information to immigration authorities, and more. It is the requirement that ends the most cases, which is why we review it carefully before you file.
The United States does not require you to formally renounce your other citizenship to naturalize, and many US citizens hold dual citizenship. However, whether your home country lets you keep its citizenship after you naturalize in the US is a question of that country's law, not US law. If dual citizenship matters to you, check your country of origin's rules. We can flag the issue, but your home country's law controls that side.
Naturalization cases are typically handled as a flat legal fee within a defined range, separate from the government filing fee, so you know the cost up front. A straightforward case costs less than one with a criminal record, a long absence from the US, or a citizenship-by-descent question that has to be untangled. We quote a real number at the consultation. A 30-minute consultation is $100 by phone or video, or $250 in person, and if you retain us, that fee is credited to your case.
RELATED PRACTICE AREAS
READY WHEN YOU ARE
Schedule a consultation and we will review your full history, tell you whether to file, whether you are already a citizen, and what the real timeline and cost look like, in English, Spanish, Portuguese, or French, before you commit to anything.
