How I Became An American Citizen
At the end of May, after almost seven years of taking the path to citizenship, I swore an oath and became American! But I couldn’t have done this on my own. I (and a few other friends born in other countries) used an awesome lawyer in LA who has helped every step of the way. His name is John Craig. If you’re in California, he’s amazing for Citizenship via marriage - he works with your finances, quick to communicate, super personable and very knowledgeable.
For those of you interested in the process, here it is put super simply:
1) First Green Card: I married an American citizen who was able to sponsor me for a green card after we had our marriage certificate. This residency card expired after two years.
2) Removing Limitations / Renewing Green Card: After two years, you’re eligible for a five-year green card. At this point, you can keep renewing your card every 5-10 years or move to step three.
3) Applying for Citizenship: My lawyer, John, told me last year that I was eligible to apply for citizenship. With all things concerned with the political climate in the US, I wanted to be able to vote for issues that directly affect my daughters and my family’s lives so I opted to apply.
4) Testing and Oath: After 9 months of waiting, I studied for 10 question civics test (USCIS asks you 10 of 100 possible questions) and you must get 6 correct. After you pass, they schedule your oath!
If you’re considering this path, open to answering questions or reach out to John Craig!
- Christianne Cruz AKA MiLOWE Mom
