Citizenship is the ultimate goal of U.S. immigration. It is not easily lost, and thus it provides much more security than even permanent residence, which still can be lost through deportation. It carries numerous benefits over permanent residence that are worth considering.
Three distinct practical questions arise:
- Whether one is or can become a U.S. citizen.
- How to obtain evidence of citizenship.
- How to avoid losing citizenship.
We have separate discussions about the popular topics of naturalization and U.S. passports.
How We Can Help
The Baker Donelson Immigration Group helps clients evaluate, develop and present claims to citizenship through passport, certificate of citizenship, naturalization, and other applications. On several occasions we have been meeting with a client seeking permanent residence and informed them of their claim to citizenship (these are happy cases indeed!). We have helped clients assert a claim to U.S. citizenship in defense of removal proceedings in Immigration Court. We represent families who enjoy the opportunity to adopt children from other countries, arranging immigration, adoption and re-adoption (cooperating with adoption lawyers in their country or state), and citizenship. We represent clients in appeals of application denials, in both administrative and court proceedings. We represent people who (before coming to us) have found themselves in removal proceedings, or even under criminal indictment, arising from a poorly calculated naturalization application. We help clients in urgent situations, such as when their passport and identity documents are stolen while they are traveling abroad. We help evaluate the prospects of dual citizenship and its numerous ramifications and help preserve it when desired. We help defend government actions to cancel someone's citizenship.