Articles Posted in Citizenship

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Imagine waiting more than ten years as a lawful permanent resident for the day you can finally become a U.S. citizen.

One of our clients did exactly that. He received his N-400 citizenship interview notice, prepared for the appointment, and arrived at the USCIS office in Los Angeles excited about taking the next step toward naturalization. He believed he was eligible for citizenship, and his attorney had advised him that he qualified.

But he never walked out of that USCIS office as a new U.S. citizen.

Instead, ICE agents placed him in handcuffs and escorted him out of the building.

This is not a scene from a movie. It is a reality that some green card holders have faced when appearing for their naturalization interviews.

And he is not the only one.

Lessons From Real Client Cases

In this blog post, we share real client stories involving lawful permanent residents who appeared for their U.S. citizenship interviews only to be detained by ICE agents. These cases involve old removal orders, unpaid tickets that were forgotten and later turned into warrants, political activism that attracted government scrutiny, and other problems applicants may not realize could surface during the naturalization process.

Most importantly, we explain what these cases can teach other green card holders, and the steps you should take before filing your application.

What Happens at the N-400 Citizenship Interview

When you apply for U.S. citizenship, you file Form N-400, Application for Naturalization. At the interview, a USCIS officer will review your application with you and ask questions to confirm that the information you provided is accurate.

The officer may also review important parts of your immigration history, including your travel outside the United States, tax history, child support obligations, and any arrests, citations, charges, or other criminal issues. You will also be required to complete the English and civics portions of the naturalization test, unless you qualify for an exception.

At the end of the interview, USCIS may approve your application, continue the case because additional information or evidence is needed, or deny the application. An immediate denial at the interview itself is less common.

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If you’re applying for U.S. citizenship in 2026 or beyond, pay close attention. Every year, hundreds of applicants are denied citizenship because of three common mistakes—and they have nothing to do with failing the civics test.

In this video, I’ll explain exactly what those three mistakes are. These are serious issues that can cause a USCIS officer to stop your interview, close your case, and ultimately deny your citizenship application.

What are the requirements to apply for U.S. citizenship?

Generally, a green-card holder must meet these requirements:

  1. Be at least 18 years old when filing Form N-400.
  2. Have been a lawful permanent resident for at least 5 years. There is a separate 3-year rule for certain applicants who obtained their green card through marriage to a U.S. Citizen
  3. Maintain continuous residence in the United States during the required 5-year or 3-year period. Long trips outside the U.S., especially trips of 6 months or longer, can create problems.
  4. Be physically present in the United States for at least 30 months of the previous 5 years. Under the 3-year marriage rule, the requirement is generally at least 18 months.
  5. Demonstrate good moral character. USCIS generally examines at least the statutory 5-year or 3-year period, although conduct from earlier periods can also be taken into account
  6. Demonstrate basic English ability by speaking, reading, and writing English, unless you qualify for an age/residency or disability exception.
  7. Pass the U.S. civics test, unless an exception applies. For N-400 applications filed on or after October 20, 2025, USCIS uses the 2025 naturalization civics test.

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Good news for thousands of immigrants whose cases have been stuck in limbo: USCIS has resumed processing green card applications for nationals from 39 countries after a federal court ordered the agency to stop enforcing policies that had frozen thousands of cases.

For months, affected applicants faced uncertainty as green card applications, work permits, naturalization requests, and other immigration benefits remained stalled. Now, those cases are moving forward again.

But before anyone celebrates too soon, there’s a catch.

The federal government has already appealed the court’s ruling, meaning this legal battle is far from over. While USCIS is currently required to process these applications, future court decisions could change the landscape once again.

It’s also important to understand what this ruling does—and does not—do. The court ordered USCIS to resume adjudicating cases, but it did not order the agency to approve them. Applicants must still meet all eligibility requirements under U.S. immigration law.

Additionally, the judge’s order does not affect the separate temporary suspension of immigrant visa processing for nationals of 75 countries, which remains in effect.

For individuals and families who have spent months waiting for updates, this decision offers a long-awaited opportunity to move their cases forward. Employers may also begin seeing progress on petitions and applications that were previously stalled.

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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services recently announced that it will lift holds on the adjudication of green cards and other immigration-benefit requests for a select group of individuals.

As part of these exemptions, USCIS has lifted holds on some family petitions filed by U.S. citizens, intercountry adoptions, rescheduled naturalization oath ceremonies, asylum applications from lower-risk countries, work authorization requests, special immigrant visas, refugee registrations for South African nationals, applications associated with medical physicians, and cases that completed enhanced security vetting through Operation PARRIS.

This means that nationals who were previously subject to the “75-country pause” are no longer affected by the suspension and may resume normal processing of their immigration applications if they fall within one of the above categories.

Unfortunately, if you do not fall within one of the exempted categories, the adjudication of your green card and immigrant visa application will remain on hold.

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Starting April 27, 2026, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) implemented a new enhanced FBI security screening process that is affecting the adjudication of immigration benefit requests that require finger-print based background checks. The update requires USCIS officers to conduct additional background vetting before approving eligible cases.

Under the new policy, officers must resubmit certain pending applications for expanded FBI fingerprint and criminal history checks and place cases on hold until the updated review is completed. The change is expected to impact a range of immigration filings, including adjustment of status (green card) applications, asylum cases, naturalization applications, employment authorization documents, and some family-based petitions.

Who is Impacted

The temporary delays primarily affect applicants whose fingerprints were submitted before April 27, as USCIS is now reprocessing those records through the updated vetting system. Newly filed applications may also experience longer processing times while the agency works through the increased review requirements.

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If you’re eligible for U.S. citizenship but still holding onto your green card, waiting could cost you more than you think. Backlogs are growing, processing times are stretching, and delays are only expected to get worse. What seems like “waiting for the right time” can quickly turn into years of lost opportunity. In this video, we break down why applying now is the smartest move you can make and what’s at stake.

What’s Causing the Long Wait for U.S. Citizenship?

Becoming a U.S. citizen is taking longer than ever due to limited government resources and heightened scrutiny of an applicant’s good moral character, including extensive background checks.

Biometrics appointments have become a significant bottleneck in the U.S. citizenship application process, often adding weeks or even months of delay to an application. These appointments—handled by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services—are required to collect fingerprints, photos, and signatures for background checks, but limited appointment availability and heightened scrutiny have caused delays.

Since biometrics is a required step before an application can move forward, these delays can stall the entire process, contributing to the growing backlog and extending the timeline for naturalization.

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New immigration rules under Donald Trump will soon bar green card holders from receiving certain SBA government loans, while also introducing heightened scrutiny and travel restrictions for both domestic and international travel.

#1 Green Card Holders Banned from Receiving SBA Loans

Under a major policy change by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), green card holders (lawful permanent residents) will no longer be eligible for SBA-backed business loans beginning March 1, 2026.

  • What’s changing: The SBA issued updated guidance requiring that 100% of all direct and indirect owners of a business seeking SBA loans must be U.S. citizens or U.S. nationals with their principal residence in the United States. This eliminates any eligibility for businesses owned by green card holders.
  • Effective date: The rule goes into effect March 1, 2026, meaning any SBA loan applications must have been assigned a loan number before that date to qualify under the old eligibility standards.
  • Programs affected: Major SBA lending programs such as the 7(a) and 504 loan programs will be impacted, cutting off access to federal funding for small businesses owned by green card holders.

#2 New Rules for Green Card Holders Traveling or Planning to Leave the U.S.

A new trend over the past three weeks indicates that green card holders returning from any of the 75 countries listed under President Trump’s visa ban are increasingly being sent to secondary inspection by U.S. Customs and Border Protection for additional questioning. While most are ultimately admitted, the added scrutiny creates yet another hurdle for lawful permanent residents returning to the U.S. after temporary foreign travel.

Social media vetting is also increasing, with green card holders reportedly being asked by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers to display their social media accounts during re-entry inspections. Before traveling, it is important to review social media content that could be misinterpreted, taken out of context, or that is inconsistent with your immigration history.

Finally, if you plan to travel to one of the 75 countries named in President’s Trump’s visa ban, it is important to carry documentation explaining the purpose of your trip and evidence of your strong ties to the United States. Being prepared will help facilitate a smoother re-entry process.

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Still holding a green card in 2026? You might be missing out—big time. While lawful permanent residence offers stability, it also comes with limits that many immigrants don’t realize until it’s too late. From travel and tax exposure to voting rights and deportation risk, the gap between a green card and U.S. citizenship is wider than ever.

Here are five surprising differences that could make staying a permanent resident a costly mistake.

#1 Security & Deportation Concerns

One of the biggest risks of remaining a green card holder is that old criminal issues never truly disappear. Even offenses from years—or decades—ago can trigger detention or deportation if immigration laws or enforcement priorities shift.

Unlike U.S. citizens, permanent residents can be placed in removal proceedings based on past conduct—sometimes years later—making citizenship the only status that offers true long-term security from deportation. For example, a lawful permanent resident can now be detained without ever being convicted of a crime. Under the Laken Riley Act, non-citizens can face mandatory detention based solely on an arrest or charge, meaning an accusation alone can be enough to trigger custody.

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Navigating the U.S. immigration system is difficult enough — but what many people don’t realize is that even legal immigrants can face deportation for mistakes they never knew were serious.

From minor paperwork oversights to everyday misunderstandings of immigration rules, these pitfalls can put lawful status at risk without warning.

In this guide, we break down the 7 most common mistakes that get even legal immigrants deported — and number 4 surprised even us. Understanding these risks is essential to protecting your future in the United States.

Mistake #1 Crimes of Moral Turpitude

Certain offenses—known as crimes involving moral turpitude—carry especially harsh consequences, including deportation, even for green card holders.

These crimes typically involve conduct considered dishonest, deceptive, or morally unacceptable, such as fraud, theft, domestic violence, or certain assault-related offenses.

What complicates things further is that even a single conviction could trigger removal proceedings for permanent residents and nonimmigrant visa holders.

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In this video we discuss five emerging trends in 2025 that are likely to affect U.S. green card holders — they reflect changes and risks that are gaining traction.

If you’re a green card holder—or hoping to become one—you need to know that getting arrested for driving under the influence, accumulating speeding tickets, not paying taxes, or even prolonged absences from the United States can have serious consequences for your status.

What to Avoid

To stay off the radar of immigration enforcement—especially under stricter policies—it’s crucial to avoid any legal troubles that could flag your record. This means steering clear of DUIs, repeated traffic violations like speeding tickets, and making sure you’re fully compliant with tax filings. Also, be cautious with international travel. Extended or frequent trips abroad without proper documentation can raise red flags.

Staying law-abiding, keeping your paperwork in order, and consulting an immigration lawyer if issues arise are the best ways to minimize risk and protect your status.

Here’s what you need to know.

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