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February 28, 2006  

Naturalization Information for Military Personnel

Military Naturalization Brochure (PDF format)

If you are
a member of the U.S. Armed Forces and are interested in becoming a U.S.
citizen, you may be eligible to apply for citizenship under special
provisions provided for in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
Generally, service in the U.S. Armed Forces means service in one of the
following branches:

  • Army,
  • Navy,
  • Marine Corps,
  • Air Force,
  • Coast Guard,
  • Certain Reserve components of the National Guard, and
  • Selected Reserve of the Ready Reserve

Recent
changes in the relevant sections of the INA (Sections 328 and 329) make
it easier for qualified military personnel to become U.S. citizens if
they choose to file a naturalization application.

In
addition, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has
created a streamlined process specifically for military personnel
serving in active-duty status or recently discharged.

This
brochure provides you with some basic information about the laws that
govern citizenship for military personnel and the process you should
follow to begin your journey to citizenship.

Do You Qualify?

There are general requirements and qualifications that must be met in order for you to become a US citizen. These include:

  • Demonstrating that you have good moral character
  • Demonstrating knowledge of the English language
  • Demonstrating knowledge of U.S. government and history (“civics”), and
  • Demonstrating attachment to the U.S. by taking an oath of allegiance to the U.S. Constitution.

As a
member of the military there are other naturalization requirements that
you may be excepted from, including the required residency and physical
presence in the United States. These exceptions are outlined in
Sections 328 and 329 of the INA.


Section 328, INA

This
section applies to all members currently serving in the U.S. Armed
Forces or those who have already been discharged from service.

  • Have you served honorably for a total of one or more years?
  • Are you a lawful permanent resident?
  • Will you be filing your application for naturalization while still in service or within six months of being discharged?

Section 329, INA

This
section applies to members of the U.S. Armed Forces who serve in
active-duty status during authorized periods of conflict as outlined in
the INA or any additional period designated by the President in an
Executive Order.*

*
Recently, the President signed an Executive Order identifying September
11, 2001 and after as an authorized period of conflict.

  • Have you served honorably in the U.S. Armed Forces during an authorized period of conflict?
  • After enlistment, were you lawfully admitted as a permanent
    resident of the United States, OR at the time or enlistment,
    reenlistment, or induction were you physically present in the United
    States or qualifying territory?

Changes on October 1, 2004

Recent
legislation has called for additional benefits to members of the
military. These benefits will go into effect on October 1, 2004.

  • No fees will be charged when you file for naturalization.
  • The naturalization process will be made available overseas to
    members of the Armed Forces at US embassies, consulates, and where
    practical, military installations abroad.

If You Qualify…

Every military installation should have a designated point-of-contact to handle your application and certify your Request for certification of Military or Naval Service (N-426).
You should inquire through your chain of command to find out who this
person is, so they can help you with your application packet.

Your point-of-contact will send your N-400, G325B, and certified N-426 to:

The Nebraska Service Center
PO Box 87426
Lincoln, NE 68501-7426

The
Service Center will review your application and perform the necessary
security checks. Then, they will send it to the district office closest
to your location. If you have a preference as to where you would like
to be interviewed, you can provide that information in a cover letter
attached to your naturalization packet. The district office will set a
date to interview you and test your knowledge of English and Civics. If
granted, USCIS will inform you of the date you can take your oath of
allegiance.

Forms you will need to complete and submit:

Forms and Handbooks

To get these forms, you can call the USCIS Form Line at: 1-800-870-3676 to request the “Military Packet” and obtain a copy of the handbook, “A Guide to Naturalization” or visit the website www.uscis.gov

Spouses of US Citizens Deployed Abroad

If you are
married to a U.S. citizen who is a member of the U.S. Armed Forces and
your citizen spouse is or will be deployed abroad by the Armed Forces
for one year, you may be eligible for expedited naturalization under
section 319(b) of the INA. For more information, please refer to the
USCIS Guide to Naturalization (page 22) at http://uscis.gov/graphics/services/natz/English.pdf.

Posthumous Benefits

The INA
allows for the awarding of posthumous citizenship to active-duty
military personnel who die while serving in the armed forces. In
addition, surviving family members seeking immigration benefits are
given special consideration. To learn more, contact your military
point-of-contact or the local district USCIS office.

February 17, 2006  

Unlicensed doctor charged with providing fake immigration exams

Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO – An
unlicensed doctor who allegedly injected immigrants with a saline
solution he claimed was a vaccine faces more than 100 criminal counts,
prosecutors said Thursday.

Stephen Brian Turner, 51, has been charged with 106 felonies for
allegedly providing fake immigration medical exams while unlicensed.
Charges include practicing medicine without a license, mishandling
blood samples and felony grand theft, according to prosecutors.

“Instead of helping these people, this defendant allegedly
manipulated them for his own personal profit,” San Francisco District
Attorney Kamala Harris said in a statement.

Turner was being held in county jail Thursday on $1.45 million bail after being arrested the day before at his Hayward home.

Prosecutors claim Turner stole $247,000 from 1,417 victims, most of
whom thought they were receiving legitimate immigration medical exams,
Harris said. Immigrants need to get routine physicals and vaccinations
to become citizens.

Investigators said in court documents that Turner injected patients
with saline rather than vaccines for illnesses like mumps and rubella.
Many of the patients visited Turner in a clinic in the city’s Mission
District, a hub for Latino immigrants, prosecutors said. He also is
accused of drawing blood for AIDS and syphilis tests that weren’t
performed.

Prosecutors said Turner surrendered his California medical license in 1998, but continued seeing patients until late last year.

Herman Franck, Turner’s lawyer, could not immediately be reached for comment.

Authorities are encouraging former patients to have medical exams performed again by another doctor.

Turner previously pleaded no contest to charges that he masturbated
in front of two young girls in 1984 while a radiology resident at the
University of Southern California, according to medical board records.
He was later convicted in Alameda County in 1993 of indecent exposure
for an incident near the University of California, Berkeley, campus,
board records show.

January 28, 2006  

Civics Examination – Flash Cards & Study Aids


Welcome to the United States: A Guide for New Immigrants An important resource for all new permanent residents.


 


• Learn About the United States: Quick Civics Lessons NEW! (PDF, 20 pages, 1.22 MB) Short lessons based on the U.S. history and government questions found on the naturalization exam.



 


• Faces of America: A Tribute to Citizenship  This video highlights the 229 years of America’s history as a nation of immigrants. To view this video you must save the file directly to your computer using “right-click” and “Save As” on Windows systems (Warning: MPG, 35MB)


 


 • Helping Immigrants Become New Americans: Communities Discuss the Issues (PDF, 26 pages, 643 KB) A report on community efforts to promote immigrant integration.


 


• Office of Citizenship Brochure (PDF, 172 KB) A brochure outlining the mission of the Office of Citizenship.

The following Civics Flash Cards will help you increase your knowledge and understanding of U.S. history and government. Immigrants applying for naturalization can use these flash cards as a study tool to prepare for the naturalization exam and teachers and volunteers can use these flash cards in the classroom.

The flash cards are available in Adobe PDF, an online web-based version.  Each version can be accessed by clicking on the links below.





















PDF version: Civics Flash Cards (PDF, 3.44 MB, 48 pages)
  Civics Flash Cards with reverse colors (PDF, 3.44 MB, 48 pages)
(White background with blue text)
   
Online version: Civics Flash Cards Question List
   
Additional Information: Quick Civics Lessons (PDF, 1.2 MB, 20 pages)
Online Version with the Civics Flash Cards
This booklet provides short lessons, based on each of the civics questions on the naturalization exam. This additional information is intended to help naturalization applicants gain a deeper understanding of U.S. history and government as they prepare to become citizens. During your naturalization interview, you will NOT be tested on the additional information in the short lessons. You will only be asked the Questions and Answers.

January 24, 2006  

AIR Assesses Naturalization Test for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service 

    WASHINGTON, Jan. 24 /PRNewswire/ — The American Institutes for Research

(AIR), on behalf of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service — formerly

known as the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service — has been

conducting an assessment of the current U.S. Naturalization Test to determine

options for redesigning the test.


In September 2005, AIR was asked to assess the Naturalization Test process

to help determine how to make the test’s content and testing procedures more

efficient, fair, secure, and applicant-centered.  AIR’s report to Citizenship

and Immigration Service considers the value and feasibility of strategies to

rewrite the entire Naturalization Test, and to redesign only certain sections

of the test, as well as strategies to continue using parts of the current test

in their existing form.

About AIR

Established in 1946, the American Institutes for Research (AIR) is a

nonpartisan not-for-profit organization that conducts behavioral and social

science research on important social issues and delivers technical assistance

both domestically and internationally in the areas of health, education, and

workforce productivity.

SOURCE American Institutes for Research
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/01-24-2006/0004266756&EDATE=

December 15, 2005  

USCIS ISSUES CITIZENSHIP AND NATURALIZATION FACTS – FACT SHEET

• According to a recent Pew Hispanic Center report, 11.3 million naturalized citizens live in the United States.

• Nearly eight million immigrants living in the United States are eligible for naturalization.

• During FY2004, USCIS welcomed more than 537,000 new citizens.

• Nearly 70% of all new citizens naturalized during FY2004 call California, New York, Florida, Texas, Illinois, or New Jersey home.

• 54% of all new citizens naturalized during FY2004 were women.

• Asia is the leading continent of birth among persons naturalizing. 42% percent of new citizens naturalized during FY2004 were born in Asia.

• Mexico was the leading country of birth among persons who naturalized in FY2004. More than 63,000 Mexicans became U.S. citizens in FY2004.

• Since September 11, 2001, USCIS has naturalized 24,745 military service members.

• There are approximately 40,000 immigrant military service members serving around the world. During FY2005, USCIS naturalized 8,504 military service members. A total of 7,498 service members were naturalized stateside and a total of 1,006 service members were naturalized overseas. USCIS is currently processing an additional 3,472 military naturalization applications for FY2006.

• Since September 11, 2001, USCIS has granted posthumous citizenship to 69 military service members. 65 served in operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, four served during previous conflicts in Vietnam and World War II.

• USCIS’ Office of Citizenship recently introduced a New Immigrant Orientation Guide, Civics Flash Cards and other free tools to help applicants prepare for citizenship. These materials are available at http://uscis.gov/graphics/citizenship

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