As diversification grows in Kentucky, there are many families with couples who come from significantly different backgrounds. Often, the circumstances under which they met and were wed are unconventional compared with times past. In cases where one of the parties is a U.S. citizen, but the other is not, the process of getting citizenship for the immigrant party can be lengthy and confusing. However, when proactive efforts are made to get the process underway as soon as possible and attention is paid to following the process exactly, naturalization may be more productive and efficient.
According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, spouses of U.S. citizens must meet certain criteria in order to be eligible for naturalization which will ultimately lead to citizenship. Some of the requirements are that they must be married to and living with their spouse who is a citizen, and they must provide proof that they have maintained a legitimate green card for at least three years.
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services also reminds applicants of the importance of providing all of the required documents at the onset of the application process. Some of the documents they will need include the following:
- Their civil marriage certificate.
- Any evidence of name changes and applicable documents including bills sent to their residence or a court judgement of a name change.
- A completed Form I-130 and the accompanying fee.
Petitioning couples will also need to provide proof that one of the parties is indeed a U.S. citizen before consideration for naturalization is made for the other party.