Naturalization application is not as easy as you think  

As I often do here in this column, I share real experiences of myself and my clients in my immigration practice with the hope that our readers can learn a lesson or two that can guide them in their own immigration journey. These situations range from the simple straightforward applications to more complex petitions. It also mentions instances when we were able to obtain favorable decisions, quite a few situations that led to requests for evidence, and some denials as well. These occasions of both reflection and learning to me and the petitioner.

Today’s column is about one time a naturalization application was denied.

Luz and her family came to the US as refugees from an Asian country ravaged by an ongoing civil war between the government and the ethnic communities. With no money and other possessions, not even a passport, they were one of the fortunate ones to be airlifted by the US government to a safe haven and were processed as refugees. Eventually, they found themselves settled in a state where they don’t know anyone and everything --culture, language, way of life, and even food was foreign to them. Despite the strangeness of starting a new life in the US, they were very grateful for the new opportunity offered to them.

Luz was able to work at a laundry shop while her husband was hired as a cook at a restaurant. Their kids went to school, made new friends, enjoying what any typical American teenager would. By all indications, these kids had adjusted very well to their new way of life. But not Luz and her husband. With no other immediate relatives, they only had a few friends to socialize with. They didn’t belong to a church or any community organization. Their daily routine revolved around work, home, and their kids.

When it was time for them to apply for naturalization, I found their English sufficient enough, though they still needed some guidance to pass the English part of the exams. We had the husband interviewed first; he passed and became a US citizen. As for Luz, more practice was needed and we had to do more intensive coaching sessions. When she was interviewed, she passed the civics part but she didn’t pass the English exam. It was a letdown for me and her.

So what do we do for the next time? I feel that though in our private sessions, Luz showed remarkable improvement, but during the interview, the pressure and stress got to her. Also, I realized that to have a mastery of the English exam, she would benefit from attending English classes designed for citizenship applicants. I did recommend that to her but she didn’t have time to do so due to demands of work and family duties. More importantly, reading, speaking, writing, and understanding English, just as any language, are skills to learn. These skills can be learned not just by an hour’s worth of tutorials but by a daily routine. Simple ways that add in learning English as a second language are watching American TV shows, conversing with colleagues at work, reading, listening to music, and even just small talk at a grocery checkout line. Naturalization application, more specifically, the English part isn’t as easy as we think. We Filipinos are fortunate to have learned English very early in our educational. Some other people from other countries aren’t as prepared as we are.

Filling out the naturalization application form is not enough. Understanding your answers to the questions on the form are more important and immigration officers have been very astute in framing their questions along the substance of those questions. This is where the basic skills of the English language comes in.