subject: Immigration Lawyer And Citizenship [print this page] If you are an illegal citizen of the United States, but have a child that was born in this country, your child has citizenship rights granted by the U.S. Government. Although many immigrants are aware of this particular clause in the Constitution, there are many that they aren't aware of. Hiring an immigration lawyer can help you learn your rights and gain your status as a citizen of the United States of America.
Another detail that an attorney can help you understand is that of your child's rights if they were born outside of the United States to American-born parents. If you and your spouse are US citizens and you had a child while you were living in another country, your child has the right to claim citizenship of both their birth country and of the United States.
You may need to hire an attorney to walk you through the process of granting your child dual citizen status. They will be more able to handle the paperwork and other deadlines required for filing for this kind of citizenship status. Talk to an attorney to find out what the process entails. You may need to find someone that specializes in law within your child's birth country, in order to streamline the process. However, any experienced immigration lawyer can be of assistance in a situation like yours.
Situations involving legal permanent residents may need the assistance of an immigration lawyer. Legal permanent residents have immigrant rights as well. Depending on a person's criminal record and length of time in which they have lived with the United States, they may be entitled to citizen status. Legal counsel will be able to assist people who believe that they fit within this category. Legal permanent residents filing for citizenship have many things that they need to prove, so it is best for them to hire an attorney for help.
An experienced attorney can help you navigate all of the ins and outs to filing for legal citizen status. You will want to have an expert on your side because the amount of paperwork, deadlines and criteria that you need to match can seem intense at times. Look for someone with experience in citizenship situations like yours. You will be more satisfied with the process if you find someone truly comfortable in the field.
You may want to talk to friends and family for recommendations when looking for an the right representation. Finding someone that a family member was comfortable and confident with will help you rest more easily during the long and sometimes trying process of becoming an American citizen. If you can't seek a recommendation or have no one to talk to about the process of finding the right legal counsel, look to your own community, city or county for resources.
Finding an immigration lawyer to explain to you the citizenship rights owed to you and your family will be a helpful and rewarding process.