Manhattan, New York
Becoming a U.S. citizen is one of the most significant steps in an immigrant's journey. Mandi Law Group's Manhattan citizenship attorneys guide you through the entire N-400 naturalization process — from eligibility assessment through your oath of allegiance ceremony. Call (518) 698-0347 to get started.
Manhattan is home to hundreds of thousands of permanent residents who are eligible to apply for U.S. citizenship but have not yet taken that step. Whether you arrived from the Dominican Republic, China, Mexico, West Africa, Bangladesh, or anywhere else in the world, U.S. citizenship brings profound benefits: the right to vote, the ability to sponsor close family members, a U.S. passport, and permanent protection from deportation.
The naturalization process involves careful review of your residence history, travel records, tax compliance, and moral character — and the civics and English tests at your USCIS interview. Our Manhattan citizenship attorneys prepare you for every step and accompany you to your interview at 26 Federal Plaza in Lower Manhattan.
If you have questions about criminal records, extended travel abroad, selective service registration, or any complicating factor, consult with us before filing. The stakes are too high to navigate alone. Call (518) 698-0347 for your confidential consultation.
From straightforward N-400 filings to complex cases involving criminal history or extended foreign travel, our Manhattan citizenship attorneys handle it all.
We prepare and file your complete N-400 application, review your immigration and travel history, address prior criminal matters, and accompany you to your USCIS interview at 26 Federal Plaza in Lower Manhattan.
Before filing, we evaluate your continuous residence (5-year or 3-year rule for spouses of citizens), physical presence requirements, good moral character history, and any bars to naturalization including past criminal convictions.
A prior arrest, DUI, or criminal conviction can impact your naturalization or even trigger removal. We carefully analyze your record before filing and advise whether to proceed, wait, or seek post-conviction relief first.
Active duty and veteran service members may qualify for expedited or overseas naturalization. We handle INA § 328 and § 329 military naturalization cases for Manhattan residents who served or are currently serving.
Failure to register with Selective Service and extended foreign travel can both affect naturalization eligibility. We analyze your specific situation and document legitimate reasons for extended absences to protect your application.
If you were born abroad to at least one U.S. citizen parent, you may have derived or acquired citizenship automatically. We evaluate whether you are already a citizen and, if so, file your N-600 Certificate of Citizenship application.
Generally, you must hold a green card for 5 continuous years before applying. However, if you obtained your green card through marriage to a U.S. citizen and you are still married to and living with that spouse, you may apply after only 3 years. Refugees may count their time as a refugee toward the 5-year requirement. We review your specific immigration history to confirm your earliest eligible filing date.
Manhattan naturalization interviews are conducted at 26 Federal Plaza, New York, NY 10278. The USCIS officer reviews your N-400 application, verifies your identity documents, asks about your background and moral character, and administers the English reading/writing test and the civics test (10 questions from a pool of 100). Most applicants take the oath at a ceremony shortly after approval. We conduct full mock interviews with our clients before their appointments.
It depends on the offense and how much time has passed. A single DUI without aggravating factors may not permanently bar naturalization, but it can affect the good moral character requirement. More serious offenses — including aggravated felonies — can permanently bar citizenship and may result in deportation proceedings when you file. Never file an N-400 with an unreviewed criminal history. Our attorneys conduct a thorough criminal record analysis before recommending you file.
A trip of 6–12 months creates a rebuttable presumption that you abandoned continuous residence, but it is not automatic. We can help you document ties maintained to the U.S. during your absence (employment, family, property, taxes). Trips over 12 months generally break continuous residence entirely unless you had a prior N-470 preservation application. The physical presence requirement (30 months of the 60-month period) is calculated separately and is strictly mathematical.
If you fail one or both tests at your initial interview, USCIS schedules a second interview within 60–90 days to allow you to retake the test. If you fail again, your N-400 is denied, and you can either appeal (Form N-336) or file a new N-400. Applicants 65 and older who have held a green card for 20+ years qualify for the '65/20 exemption' and may take a shorter civics test in their native language. We provide civics study materials and conduct mock tests with all our Manhattan naturalization clients.
If you are eligible, don't wait. Our Manhattan citizenship attorneys will guide you through every step and fight for your approval. Call us today for a confidential consultation.