A potential client came to our office seeking our assistance in obtaining his U.S. Citizenship through the Naturalization process. The client was originally from Lima, Peru and came to the United States when he was just a teenager. He had obtained his Legal Permanent Residence (green card) when he was 31 years old through his U.S. Citizen (“USC”) spouse. Client was now interested in becoming a U.S. citizen.
Once our office was retained, we initiated a thorough background check as is our general practice and standard. This is done with all of our clients to ensure our office has the full and complete picture of each client’s background.
It is our experience that any and all information, whether derogatory or not, should be revealed to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”). When applying for citizenship, it is best to disclose all the information that USCIS is asking for on the application. One cannot hide information from USCIS because they will always find it. This is true even if the particular incident or circumstances occurred many years ago and the client doesn’t think anyone knows about it.
If a person fails or refuses to provide all the requested information, once USCIS learns of the truth, they will use the fact that the person lied or omitted relevant facts against him or her. Failing to fully disclose or omitting important facts increases the likelihood that a case will ultimately be denied. Therefore, our office always advises all of our clients to be completely honest when dealing with USCIS.
When a client has derogatory information or an incident in his or her past, our office has found it is best to not only disclose that information, but to also provide a thorough explanation to mitigate the derogatory information’s impact. This way, the client remains credible in the eyes of the Immigration Officer.
At the time of filing his Application for Naturalization, this particular client was married to a USC wife and had two US born children. He was employed at a reputable international company in Bethesda, Maryland and had always been an upstanding and productive member of the community. Additionally, this particular client did not have a criminal record.
However, our office’s background investigation of the client revealed derogatory information he had not previously disclosed to our office. The client had participated in the local, state and federal elections in 2009. Due to the fact that he was not a US citizen when he voted in 2009, the client had unknowingly committed voter fraud.
After a long meeting with the client, he acknowledged and admitted to our immigration attorneys that he had participated in local and national elections. Once our attorneys explained why voting in the election was improper given his immigration status, the client assured our office that he had not meant to commit voter fraud and had just made an honest mistake.
As stated above, the truth is always the best policy. Therefore, our office disclosed the client’s voter fraud on his Application for Naturalization, which was filed by our office on June 20, 2010. This case was referred to numerous adjudicating officers and had numerous interviews with various Immigration Services Supervisors. During this whole ordeal, our dedicated & experienced immigration lawyers stood by the client, never gave up on him, and encouraged him to never give up hope either.
On April 16, 2013 our office received the news our client had been waiting years to hear — his Application for Naturalization had finally been granted. On April 29, 2013, our client had his oath ceremony in Baltimore, MD. The client cried when the USCIS officer handed him his Certification of Naturalization. After years of worrying that it would not happen, he had finally become what he always wanted – a United States Citizen.
The following is what the client wrote to our immigration attorneys to thank them for always believing in his case and never giving up:
“Hi Anthony, thanks for everything you and your team have done for me in this long process.
Here is a copy of my naturalization certificate. Now I can get on with my life in peace and close and seal my past. I look forward to a brighter future with to love to my country, family and God.
All my best wishes.”