Naturalization Approved Despite Multiple Complications

Applicant: Mr. Lock
Applying for: Citizenship RFE
Case type: N-400, Naturalization
Time: 2 ½ years
Challenges:

• Proving the U.S. residency period of a client who had spent a lot of time abroad
• Two arrests on client’s record which one was not initially disclosed
• The client had already interviewed for citizenship twice before our involvement and was denied both times

BACKGROUND

Mr. Lock is a hard-working immigrant who was trying to put his rough, troubled past behind him by applying for U.S. citizenship. Upon embarking on the long and extremely demanding process of naturalization, however, he soon realized that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) tends to scrutinize past personal records a lot more harshly than he was expecting. He had already interviewed for citizenship twice, both times to no avail which was most likely due in no small part to the arrest and inconsistent child support payments that were looming in the past. Furthermore, his several-month-long ventures in Afghanistan created doubt about whether or not he had spent enough time inside the country to satisfy the citizenship application requirements; thus, Mr. Lock was understandably beginning to get concerned about his chances. The fact that he already had two unsuccessful interviews and had received a request for further documentation was only confirming what he had been fearing: that at the end of this tedious and expensive ordeal, he would ultimately be denied his citizenship.

Overwhelmed by the notion of presenting his past in a way that would prove his reformed character, and seeking help in assembling the proper documentation, Mr. Lock finally resolved to bring his case to us at Tsang & Associates.

KEYS TO SUCCESS

Over the course of our long correspondence with Mr. Lock, we worked to schedule his status checks and biometrics appointments, as well as, to coordinate the appropriate interviews for him. Our goal was to follow through in maximizing Mr. Lock’s chances for approval by proving his good character– even despite the several glaring legal setbacks on his record.

This proved to be more difficult than anticipated, however, as new information surfaced regarding his complicated personal history. Namely, it was revealed that Mr. Lock had a second arrest on file and that he had also been divorced one more time than he had originally claimed. Both of these factors tipped the scales even further out of Mr. Lock’s favor, effectively making our argument regarding his reformation even harder to support.

Nonetheless, we tackled each of USCIS’s concerns about Mr. Lock one-by-one. We started by accounting for our client’s inability to satisfy the requirement of residing within the country for a minimum of six months. We explained what he had been doing during his several trips abroad, showing how his international work exemplifies his proactivity and capability as a U.S. citizen. Pressing forward from there, we acknowledged the new details of our client’s past as part of a chapter in his life that has since closed. The granting of Mr. Lock’s citizenship, we posited, was the continuation of his new existence, as well as the life-changing opportunity he deserves.

OUTCOME

Despite the several setbacks, the new developments, and the unpromising outlook, Mr. Lock was finally granted citizenship in January 2019. Recognizing just how much his efforts with us contributed to this unexpectedly positive outcome, Mr. Lock made sure to convey to us the depth of his gratitude. With this weight off of his shoulders, he can finally start his new life as a U.S. citizen.