The process of applying for citizenship in the United States has always been a long and complex one, but it is becoming more difficult and complicated more recently with political and legal changes taking place. Many Muslims in DuPage County have questions and concerns about the citizenship or naturalization process. Naturalization is the process through which a foreign citizen obtains U.S. citizenship. Sometimes Muslim families in Oakbrook Terrace need help with the naturalization process for a family member who is currently a citizen of another country. In other cases, Muslim residents of DuPage County may be living and working in the U.S. on a visa but want to begin the naturalization process in order to become a U.S. citizenship.

At Farooqi & Husain Law Office, we know how frustrating and difficult immigration law issues surrounding citizenship and naturalization can be. We have years of experience serving members of the Muslim community, and we can answer your questions about the naturalization process today.

Determining Eligibility for Naturalization

Going through the immigration process can be difficult and anxiety-inducing, particularly for many members of the DuPage County Muslim community. We would like to focus on one aspect of the immigration process that many DuPage County residents have questions about: the immigration interview. Once you have applied for permanent resident status in the U.S. (also known as applying for a green card), you will begin a series of steps that likely will culminate in an interview with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). We know that an in-person interview can produce fear among many people who are new to this country, but we want to emphasize that this is a standard part of the “adjustment of status” procedure that can result in you becoming a permanent resident of the United States.

What should you expect to happen at this interview?

Understand that USCIS Interviews Are a Normal Part of the Process

How much does it cost to file an immigration application or petition in the United States? Regardless of what those fees used to cost, they will rise this December. According to a news release from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the fees required for most immigration applications and petitions will increase, and those new fees take effect as of December 23, 2016. The fees may impact immigrants who are seeking certain benefits. At Farooqi & Husain Law Office, we are here to help Muslims in Oakbrook Terrace who have questions about immigration fees and other matters related to immigration applications and petitions.

Learning More about the Immigration Fee Increases

As the news release explains, USCIS will raise its fees, based on a final rule published in the Federal Register back in October, in an effort to provide additional funding to the agency. Specifically, the news release notes that “USCIS is almost entirely funded by the fees paid by applications and petitions for immigration benefits,” and in order to keep up with costs, federal law requires that USCIS review its fee schedule every two years to “determine the funding levels necessary to administer the nation’s immigration laws, process benefit requests, and provide the infrastructure needed to support those activities.”

Applying for a green card, or permanent resident status, in the United States can be a complicated process. Indeed, no matter what your current immigration status or that of a family member, the intricacies of immigration law can be frustrating and difficult to comprehend. Given that there are many members of the Muslim community in DuPage County that are learning more about the process of obtaining a green card, it is important to understand how the process works and whether you might be eligible for a “One Step Process.”

At Farooqi & Husain Law Office, we are committed to helping Muslims throughout DuPage County with all immigration law issues. One of our experienced Oakbrook Terrace immigration attorneys can speak with you about your case today.

Applying for a Green Card

Many members of the Oakbrook Terrace Muslim community have dealt with immigration law issues concerning family members’ immigration. In order for family-based immigrants to come to the United States, there is a requirement of the I-864 Affidavit of Support under Section 213A of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).

What is this Affidavit of Support? In short, it is used to show the federal government that the immigrant seeking to come to the U.S. has “adequate means of financial support,” according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) website, and thus that the immigrant is “not likely to rely on the U.S. government for financial support.”

Who Must Submit an I-864 Affidavit of Support