Many applicants who are denied naturalization in the United States make the mistake of believing they have reached the end of the road. They do not realize there is a process to appeal denial of citizenship via Form N-336
Requesting a hearing on a decision in naturalization proceedings is a straightforward process, although it often makes sense to hire an immigration attorney to help you discover what went wrong the first time and to address the problem.
Every year, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) denies between 50,000 and 92,000 naturalization applications. Few people who are rejected appeal the decision.
One of the most common reasons for denial of an N-400 citizenship application is when the applicant fails to pass the English or civics test. This is one of the most easily rectifiable issues. USCIS gives applicants another chance and even provides helpful materials.
Other reasons for denial require more work to correct. Failure to obtain lawful permanent resident status is another common reason for the denial of citizenship. USCIS can also deny an application if the applicant failed to show that they maintained lawful permanent resident status.
You can lose your permanent resident status for numerous reasons from spending periods of 12 months or more outside the United States to marriage fraud, acquiring a criminal record, or failing to remove conditions on residence. We can work with you to make the most favorable case possible when you request a hearing over your denial of citizenship. You should never lose heart. Citizenship refusals are often overturned.
In some cases, the overworked staff at USCIS may have made a mistake or you could have incorrectly filed your initial application for citizenship.
You should carefully fill in N-336 or an attorney can file it on your behalf. The most important section of the form is part 4 which gives you plenty of space to detail the reason why you are requesting a hearing.
The filing fee for N-336 is $700 and the form can be filled in online or sent to USCIS in the mail. Talk to the attorneys at Gardner & Mendoza for answers to your citizenship and naturalization questions.
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