Westchester County, New York
Mandi Law Group assists Westchester County green card holders in becoming U.S. citizens — N-400 preparation, criminal history pre-review, civics interview preparation, and representation at the USCIS interview. Serving Yonkers, White Plains, Mount Vernon, New Rochelle, and all of Westchester. Call (518) 698-0347.
Westchester County's diverse immigrant communities — Dominican families in Yonkers and Mount Vernon, Guatemalan and Honduran families in Port Chester and Ossining, Haitian and Jamaican families in New Rochelle and White Plains — include tens of thousands of permanent residents who are eligible or approaching eligibility for U.S. citizenship. Naturalization is one of the most significant steps an immigrant can take, offering full voting rights, access to federal employment, protection from deportation, and the ability to petition for additional family members.
Call (518) 698-0347 to determine whether you are ready to apply for citizenship.
We prepare complete N-400 naturalization applications for Westchester County residents who have met the eligibility requirements — 5 years as an LPR (or 3 years if married to and living with a U.S. citizen), continuous residence, physical presence, good moral character, and English language ability. We review every aspect of your immigration history before filing to identify and address potential complications.
A criminal record does not automatically bar naturalization, but certain convictions — aggravated felonies, crimes involving moral turpitude, controlled substance offenses, and others — can deny naturalization or trigger removal proceedings. We conduct a full criminal record review before filing any N-400 to assess risk and advise on whether and how to proceed safely. This pre-filing review is essential for Westchester residents with any criminal history.
The naturalization interview includes civics questions (100 questions, 10 asked, must pass 6) and an English reading and writing test. We prepare clients fully for their USCIS interview, including practice civics sessions, tips for the English test, and what to expect during the interview itself. For applicants 65 or older with 20+ years of LPR status, a shorter civics test in their native language may be available.
Naturalization requires continuous residence in the United States (no single trip abroad of 6+ months that breaks continuity) and sufficient physical presence (at least 30 months physically present in the 5-year period). Westchester County residents with extensive international travel history — for work, to care for family abroad, or for other reasons — need a careful calculation of their days of physical presence before filing.
If USCIS denies a naturalization application, the applicant has 30 days to request a hearing before an immigration officer (Form N-336). If that hearing also results in denial, the applicant can petition the U.S. District Court for review. We handle N-336 hearings and federal court naturalization appeals for Westchester County clients who were incorrectly denied.
The United States does not formally recognize dual citizenship but does not prohibit it — many countries allow their nationals to retain citizenship after naturalizing elsewhere. Dominican Republic, Mexico, Colombia, India, and many other countries relevant to Westchester's immigrant communities permit dual citizenship. We advise clients on their home country's citizenship rules before they take the U.S. oath of citizenship.
Westchester County residents attend USCIS naturalization interviews at the New York City Field Offices. Westchester is served by the 26 Federal Plaza office in Lower Manhattan (for Manhattan and the Bronx, which processes Westchester applicants as well). The USCIS Elmsford, NY Application Support Center handles biometrics (fingerprints) for Westchester applicants — biometrics are taken locally, but the actual interview is at 26 Federal Plaza. We accompany clients to all USCIS appointments.
Probably yes, if you meet all the requirements. To naturalize, you need: 5 years as a lawful permanent resident (or 3 years if married to a U.S. citizen for that full period and living together); continuous residence — no single trip abroad of 6+ months that would break continuity; at least 30 months physically present in the U.S. during the 5-year period; residence in Westchester County for at least 3 months before filing; good moral character; ability to read, write, and speak English; and willingness to take the citizenship oath. The physical presence calculation is often the most complex — we calculate your days before advising you to file.
No. The Dominican Republic allows dual citizenship — Dominican nationals who naturalize as U.S. citizens do not lose their Dominican citizenship. You can hold both passports simultaneously. This is true for most Latin American countries with large Westchester populations — Mexico, Ecuador, Colombia, Honduras, and many others permit dual citizenship. Before naturalizing, we advise you to check your home country's specific rules, as a few countries do require their nationals to renounce other citizenships. For Dominican, Mexican, and most Central and South American clients in Westchester, dual citizenship is generally permitted.
An arrest without conviction is not a conviction and does not by itself make you ineligible for naturalization. However, you must disclose all arrests on the N-400 application, even arrests that did not result in conviction, charges that were dismissed, and juvenile arrests. USCIS can then review the circumstances. Certain arrests — particularly for drug offenses, even if dismissed — may prompt additional inquiry into your good moral character. We conduct a full review of your arrest history before filing any N-400 to ensure that arrests are properly disclosed and that the circumstances are presented in the best possible light.
Applicants who are 50 years old or older and have been LPRs for 20 or more years (50/20 rule) are exempt from the English requirement and may take the civics test in their native language. Applicants who are 55 years old or older and have been LPRs for 15 or more years (55/15 rule) are also exempt from the English requirement with the same civics accommodation. At 70 years old with 15 years of LPR status, you qualify under the 55/15 rule — you can take the civics exam in your native language through a USCIS-approved interpreter, and the English reading and writing test is waived. Additionally, you only need to answer 6 out of 10 special designated civics questions from a shorter list prepared for older applicants.
Contact Mandi Law Group to start your naturalization process. We review your eligibility and guide you through every step.