Good for the elderly
If you are 50 years or older and have been a green card holder (permanent resident) in the United States for at least 20 years, you may be eligible to have your citizenship interview done in your original language. This is referred to as the ’50/20′ waiver in the business world.
If you are 65 years or older at the time of submitting your Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, and you have been a lawful permanent resident of the United States for at least 20 years, you may be eligible for special consideration under the Immigration and Naturalization Act.
ENGLISH TEST
You are exempt from the English language test if… | |
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At the time of filing, you are… | And you’ve lived in the United States as a green card holder for at least… |
Aged 50 and older | 20 years |
Aged 55 and older | 15 years |
There is no upper age restriction for obtaining a Green Card; you can apply for one at any time. There are, nevertheless, some eligibility conditions that must be met in order to qualify for and acquire a Green Card. People who want to apply for a Green Card in the United States can do so in a variety of ways, according to federal immigration law.
In the fortunate case of those suffering from major medical conditions, such as dementia, that considerably impair their capacity to study, there is a ″disability exemption″ to the citizenship exam criteria.
According to the USCIS, if you are at least 50 years old at the time of filing for naturalization and have resided in the United States as a green card holder for at least 20 years, you may be exempt from taking the English section of the exam altogether. The 50/20 exemption is the name given to this particular exception.
Currently, the national average processing time for naturalization (citizenship) applications is 14 months, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics. However, this is only the wait time for the application processing to be completed (see ″Understanding USCIS Processing Times″ below).
What Is the Cost of Becoming a Citizen of the United States?The entire application price for citizenship will be $725 as of February 2021, according to the most recent available information.A total of $640 is charged, with an additional $85, or biometrics, fee, to cover processing.The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) does not return these filing costs regardless of the outcome of the citizenship application.
Fees for applying for a Green Card in the United States in 2021 Those residing in the United States can apply for a Green Card based on their family; however, applicants living outside the United States must pay $1,200 instead of $1,760.
The Green Card Lottery is the most straightforward method of obtaining a Green Card. Every year, the Department of State distributes 55,000 Green Cards under the Diversity Visa Program, which is administered by the State Department.
You must be the unmarried son or daughter of a United States citizen and be at least 21 years old. A married son or daughter of a citizen of the United States. A brother or sister of a citizen of the United States who is at least 21 years old.
In the event that you are a close relative of a citizen or a green card holder in the United States, they can petition the government on your behalf to gain lawful permanent residency. This is the most expedient and widely used method of obtaining a green card in the United States. Petitioning for intimate relatives, such as spouses, is permissible for citizens of the United States.
If you are 50 years or older at the time of filing for naturalization and have been a permanent resident (green card holder) of the United States for at least 20 years, you are exempt from the English language requirement, but you are still required to take the civics test.
Minimum Requirements for Medical Disability Exceptions Naturalization candidates who are unable to comply with the English and civics criteria because of a ″medically determinable″ physical or developmental handicap or mental impairment that has lasted, or is likely to persist, at least 12 months are exempt from the requirements.