Becoming a U.S. Citizen through Naturalization can be difficult if you were convicted arrested or even admitted to committing crime. Yes it may be difficult but still may be possible if you know what to do!

The 1^st thing is to be prepared if you are not a U.S. Citizen always get an Immigration Attorney to help you. Get copies of all documents (arrest reports, court record, etc. ) and do not lose them. No matter how minor you thing the crime was also see an immigration attorney. There are many times that you may be right about how minor the crime is but you should have copies to protect yourself when questioned by customs when reentering the U.S. after a trip.

When apply for U.S. Citizenship you will be asked if you have ever been convicted arrested, detained or committed any crime. Don’t lie because they will be checking you record anywhere in the U.S. or abroad. You should discuss your situation with an Immigration attorney before applying for Citizenship to see if you should even apply or when you should apply. Certain types of crimes such as drugs, domestic violence, theft certain sex crimes and of course the more serious crimes can make it very difficult to gain citizenship but not always impossible.

Whether the crime will prevent you becoming a U.S. Citizen will depend of what the possible sentence for the crime is under the law and how much prison time you were sentenced as well as the type of crime and how long ago the crime was.

Please contact a licensed Immigration attorney before you act on your specific situation. Immigration Laws and Federal Regulations are constantly changing and the general information provided can change over time.