What are the advantages to being a U.S. citizen?

     Congrats, you are now granted the right to vote and work in the U.S., but what else do newly inducted citizens of the U.S. recieve and are most American aware of their own rights as civilians?

     According to the website www.us-immigration.com, you can apply to be a U.S. citizen online! WOW!! Yes, from a touch screen phone, you may scroll up and down their website and apply to become a U.S. citizen and recieve the following perks:

Advantages of U.S. Citizenship

• Right to vote: The ability to elect the leaders of this nation is an exclusive right for U.S. citizens. Becoming one of them gives you the right to vote in Federal elections. Get a voice!
• Reunite your family in the United States: To promote family unity, U.S. citizens and legal residents are allowed to petition for certain qualified relatives to come and live permanently in the United States. But only U.S. citizens usually get priority when petitioning for their love ones. Bring your family to the US!
• Obtain citizenship for children born abroad: If you are a U.S. citizen and your child born outside of the country, he or she could become a U.S. citizen automatically.
• Ability to travel into and outside of the U.S. freely: Enjoy all the benefits to travel overseas with a U.S. passport! Get assistance from the U.S. government and feel safer and protected during your trips! At the same time, as a U.S. citizen you are not restricted on the amount of time you can spend outside of the country. - Permanent Residents may lose their status if they leave the country for a certain period of time.
• Collect benefits: Take advantage of the U.S. benefits such as social security and Medicare.
• Become a Federal employee: To be eligible for the most of Federal jobs you need to be a U.S. Citizen. You could apply and enjoy the benefits of being a Federal worker!
• Become an elected official: Most elected officers in this country require U.S. citizenship. Get the right to participate!

...This kind of raises a few eyebrows, especially no. 3, but I ain't saying nothing if you're not.

     Before I started working in the ESL field, I was really ignorant to the rights I have as a citizen of my own country. I was even more astonished to find out that there are so many unnaturalized citizens taking full advantage of their entitlements. My next question naturally, was that if one gives up their own citizenship, then what do they lose?  Well, first of all, you must give up your allegiances with your country. You must also answser the call to arms if the U.S. goverment calls for a draft.  You are also not allowed to defend your country in times of war with the U.S. All this seems like a light slap on the wrist, especially since the U.S. allows dual citizenship for many countries.

 



      Most foreigners first experience the U.S. through the visa process.  They are welcome in our borders for temporary work, study, tourism, business, and in some cases, medical attention.  This situation is as temporary as one month to up to two years.  In my field, students hold what is called an F-1 visa and allows them to study in the U.S. permitted that they attend their institution of learning for a minimum of 15 hours a week during their duration of stay with at least one vacation period where they are free to remain in the U.S. The next step to obtaining citizenship after a vias usually requires a green card where in a family relative or spouse is invited to legally live and work in the U.S. by another official U.S. citizen.   Under this division, official citizens of the U.S. can invite their parents. brothers and sisters, employees, professors, researchers, athelets, and people with extraordinary abilities, or national interest to live as citizens in the U.S. provided that they eventually obtain full U.S. citizenship through a path or track to citizenship by the government. 

    For more nformation on how to legally become a U.S. citizen, check out www.us-immigration.com

Best,
##mr.ford