It is something special that they will treasure for the rest of their lives. It is the day they became U.S. citizens. We read recently of a citizenship ceremony conducted by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for 50 children; most of them teens.
Watching nearby were proud parents and siblings, listening as the new citizens took the Oath of Allegiance and received their Certificate of Naturalization. Now that they are U.S. citizens, they have many more civic activities ahead, including registering to vote and then voting, applying for a passport, getting a driver’s license, serving on a jury and more.
The recent ceremony wasn’t here in Kentucky; it was in South Florida. Geography is not important when it comes to citizenship, however. The duties, benefits, privileges and rights that accompany citizenship go with you no matter where you live in the U.S.
“Here is a free country, you get to be free,” one of the new citizens said. “I feel like I’m an American right now. Best day of my life.”
Another of the newly minted Americans said that by taking the oath and receiving the certificate, doors of opportunity have opened for him. “Now I can do so many things that I couldn’t as a resident or just as someone who came to the United States as an immigrant.”
The Cuban-born 18-year-old added that he “felt like an American the whole time I was here. Since I was raised here, my first language was English.”
The dream of becoming a citizen burns bright for many. An experienced Louisville immigration law attorney can help you make that dream come true.