Safest and Quickest Way to Acquire Citizenship

Safest and Quickest Way to Acquire Citizenship.

DEDICATION
I dedicate this to my family, which stood by me during the period of research and showered me with affection even when I was difficult to work with. I also dedicate this to all immigrants who are working honestly for decent pay. Aluta Continua!

Abstract
This paper explores the most effective and quickest way to acquire citizenship in the United States. There are two types of citizenship in America; one is by citizenship and another is by naturalization. This research compares the different ways through which a person may acquire citizenship. It focuses more on how immigrants can acquire citizenship and what is the easiest route to take when seeking citizenship. The research is also based on the fact that between the years 1990 and 2010, the number of foreign residents in the United States doubled from about 20 million to 40 million. It thus becomes important to understand the workings of immigration and more specifically, how to acquire citizenship. The research paper reviews various articles that delve on this subject. Looking at the different ways that immigrants become citizens will enable people to properly understand policies that relate to immigration and what process to take when seeking to be a citizen of different states.
Keywords: Citizenship, Immigration.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to thank God for giving me the strength to conduct this research, My loving wife Ann and my two beautiful children, Kate and Leyz, for inspiring me and giving me fresh ideas when mine seemed to run out.

I would also like to thank Professor Martin for his guidance and assistance with the paper.
Table of Contents
Dedication…………………………………………………………………………………………2
Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………………….3
Acknowledgement…………………………………………………………………………………4
Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………..6 TOC o “1-3” h z u Literature Review………………………………………………………………………………….7
Methodology……………………………………………………………………………………..11
Results……………………………………………………………………………………………12
Naturalization…………………………………………………………………………………….13
Citizenship Through marriage………………………………………………………………..….19
Discussion……………………………………………………………………………………..…22
Conclusion and Future Study……………………………………………………………..………24
References………………………………………………………………………………………..25
Appendix A………………………………………………………………………………………27
Appendix B………………………………………………………………………………………28

The Safest and Quickest way to acquire Citizenship
Introduction
Various definitions of citizenship and citizen have been propounded. Whereas a citizen is a person who is legally recognized as the subject of a state, citizenship is the status of being a citizen. A citizen is entitled to absolute rights that include the right to protection, the right to education, to life and adequate healthcare. As a citizen of a state, a person has duties and obligations not only towards the state but to other citizens as well. The most important thing to do as a citizen is to respect and obey the law and refrain from interfering with the rights of other citizens. Citizenship, on the other hand, provides a person with a distinct identity and a place to call home or his own. It is a symbol of the unity that a nation has. For every individual, it symbolizes the commitment that he or she has to his or her country. The big question, therefore, becomes, how does one become a citizen? The most familiar ways are by birth, naturalization, and registration. However, in the case of immigrants, citizenship through birth does not exist, and so for them, the only way to be the subject of a state is through the two other means. This research is thus aimed at analyzing the varied ways that an immigrant can become a citizen and ultimately to find the safest and quickest way to become one.
Literature Review
Hage (2003) asserts that citizenship is a means through which people acquire a place to live, work in or even study CITATION Hag03 l 1033 (Hage, 2003). One of the three defining characteristics of any state is a specific population. Although the number of people in such a nation is not fixed, the fact remains that a population is necessary for a state to be categorized as such. In light of this, anyone who resides in a country should have a citizenship that enables him or her to enjoy the rights that come with it. Tens of countries are grappling with matters of immigration. People are moving from their native countries to other nations to seek for greener pastures in the form of well-paying jobs, adequate security, improved medical care, escape from civil strife and a general improvement in the standards of living. According to Kane and Johnson (2006), America is just one country that is grappling with the issue of immigration that has been compounded by globalization. In today’s world, moving from state A to B is very easy. The hardest part becomes staying in that country, especially if the country has very stringent rules on illegal aliens CITATION Kan06 l 1033 (Kane & Johnson, 2006).
The immigration policy in countries like America has been chopped and changed to have control over the number of immigrants. It is by far the most daunting challenges that first world countries are facing. What makes the issue of citizenship crucial is the fact that many of the immigrants who move to a country every year do so in an attempt to become citizens. In America, for instance, there are more than 11.1 million immigrants who reside in the state CITATION Kan06 l 1033 (Kane & Johnson, 2006). This figure makes up for about 3.5% of the population. Regarding the working population, the figure stands at close to 8 million illegal immigrants who are either employed or unemployed and looking for work CITATION Kro16 l 1033 (Krogstad, Passel, & Cohn, 2016). Every day, the illegal aliens flock into a new country with the aim of getting a job and making life better for themselves. They take up most of the jobs that most citizens are either too proud or too lazy to do. What is more is that they do it at a fraction of the price. Several groups have come up protesting the presence of the immigrants claiming that they are saturating the job market. However, the truth is that without them, gardens would not be mowed, children would not be taken care of, and the dishes in the restaurant kitchen would have no one to wash.
Saavedra (2015) notes that no matter how educated or trained an immigrant is, he or she will always be viewed as a problem CITATION Saa15 l 1033 (Saavedra, 2015). Therefore, the need to become a citizen becomes even direr in such a situation. For an immigrant, citizen by birth is out of the picture. People are only entitled to become citizens by birth if they are born in the United States. It does not matter whether your parents are American or not. A person may also become a citizen if the individual is born outside the country to one or both parents who are citizens. Such a birth has to be recorded with the corresponding American Embassy so that the particulars of the child may be registered accordingly. It is by far the easiest way to be a citizen as the person does not have to do anything. He or she is a citizen simply by the virtue that his parent or parents are citizens. Immigrants are referred to as such because they were not born in America and therefore this does not apply to them. Most immigrants who are in the U.S unlawfully are called rapists and looters. Many see them as the reason why the economy has declined over the past few years. The truth is that all they desire for is better quality life, something each one of us desires. It only takes people who are kind hearted to understand the plight of the immigrants. That although they are breaking so many laws, it is partly justified.
Then comes the other method through which an individual may become a citizen, marriage. The history of marriage and citizenship is a long and arduous one. According to Volpp (2005), marriage is an act that tends to enact and reflect the term citizen. There seems to be a positive correlation between marriage and citizenship CITATION Vol05 l 1033 (Volpp, 2005). This is the major reason that there has remained a heterosexual policy on marriage and ultimately on acquiring citizenship CITATION Cru02 l 1033 (Cruz, 2002). It, therefore, appears that citizenship is pegged on issues such as gender and race. For a very long time, marriage was not only a way of becoming a subject of the state but was also used to take away the rights of women as citizens. One Ng Fung Sing was born in Washington state and automatically became a U.S citizen. However, when she sought to move back to the country after the demise of her spouse with whom she had lived with over in China, she was barred. She thought that she could just resume her American citizenship, but this did not happen. The state denied her re-entry because by marrying a foreigner, she had given up her citizenship. Denial of re-entry back to the country was based on the 1907 law that had been passed by Congress, which stated that any woman who would marry a foreign citizen would herself cease to be a citizen of the U.S and become a citizen of her husband’s nationality. The worst thing about such a law was that it meant that women such as Sing were not eligible to become citizens. It seems she lost her right to be a citizen purely based on her sex CITATION Vol05 l 1033 (Volpp, 2005). No such provisions had been made for the men. In fact, any man who married a foreigner automatically made her a citizen. She returned to mainland China. Her story never heard of again.
Franke (1999) opines that citizenship represents a moral and legal content for most immigrants CITATION Fra99 l 1033 (Franke, 1999). It is the only way to be treated the way they would wish. Free from providing labor that is almost slave-like, free from the allegations of stealing jobs which no one else is willing to do and free to receive the rights that all other American citizens receive. Today, however, becoming a national in the U.S through marriage is much easier that it was before and marrying a foreigner is not a reason to divest anyone’s citizenship. Such a process of becoming a citizen through marriage is referred to as naturalization. It is by far, one of the simplest ways of acquiring citizenship. It is also one of the safest. Under section 319(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), a person may become a citizen of the America if he or she has
Been a permanent resident for a period of three years.
Been living in a matrimonial union with the spouse for such a time.
To be at least 18 years old. A person can marry, as this is the legal age.
The person also has to reside in the country from the time he or she applies for citizenship to the time it is granted.
To be able to speak, read and write English and must have a basic understanding of the history of America.
To have a good moral character as per the United States Constitution.
It is also worthwhile to note that citizens who are employed by the U.S government may also marry and make their spouses citizens of the state. Such include military personnel and ambassadors. Apart from meeting the other criteria, such spouses are still entitled to citizenship even if they have not spent a specific period in the U.S, they have not resided there continuously or have not been married for a particular time. However, they must show that they intend to live in the America once their employment has been terminated CITATION Hom12 l 1033 (Homeland Security Staff, 2012).
Methodology
The research as a whole entailed reviewing sixteen different sources to gather information on the state of immigrants and just how they can become citizens. The sources also paid special attention to the actual processes that are involved in acquiring citizenship whether it is through registration or marriage. Eight of the sources were peer-reviewed journals, and although many focused on the plight of Hispanic immigrants, in particular, they provided major information on what the immigrants go through to acquire United States’ citizenship. Two of the sources were government websites. The websites were both focused on immigration and gave specific details of how one could become a citizen by marriage and by naturalization. Further, the USCIS websites highlighted the laws that govern issues relating to citizenship and immigration. These were invaluable. The remaining five sources were published books. Three were from the same author, Ilona Bray, who has dedicated her life to research on matters concerning immigration and citizenship. The books also focus on what it takes to acquire citizenship by naturalization. The analysis was conducted on a ‘first find, find serve’ basis where I would analyze the source that I found first.
Results
Most of the articles confirmed that the number of immigrants into the U.S is increasing annually. From 1940 to 2010, the number of immigrants has been on the rise and even as we move to 2020, the numbers are not expected to decline. (Refer to Appendix A for the statistical graph). There is a large discrepancy between the number of immigrants who enter America and those who acquire citizenship. (Refer to Appendix B) Many of them are either deported or denied citizenship. The total number of deportations has declined to show that citizenship is being awarded to more and more people.

Naturalization
Naturalization is by far the most complex processes and perhaps the least understood as well CITATION Alv87 l 1033 (Alvarez, 1987). The research that focuses on naturalization has not been focused on and has majorly been integrated as the secondary part of research. There is a myriad of reasons why some people will successfully become citizens through naturalization whereas others will not. Some of these reasons may be obvious including having a job and family ties in the country while others will not. Some of the unstated reasons include how a person views himself or herself and what their role in the country is. It is a combination of these reasons that contribute to the decision of making an individual a citizen of America. According to immigrants, several factors such a person’s livelihood, experience and a job are taken into consideration when a person is applying to become a citizen. This might seem like one of the easier ways of an immigrant becoming a citizen, but it also entails some well-defined steps CITATION Alv87 l 1033 (Alvarez, 1987). These actions usually portray the incompetence of agencies such as Immigration and Customs and bring to the light the deep-rooted bureaucracy that exists. Typically, such companies are supposed to be helpful and aid with the process of becoming a citizen. In most cases, however, they are simply barriers rather than facilitators. They are plagued with inconsistency and an apparent attitude that seems to convey the fact that things will not be easy for anyone wishing to be a citizen. Once they are through with the exams, the rest of the process seems relatively straightforward.
For anyone wishing to take the exam, however, it is largely a mystery. Some of the myths surrounding citizenship examinations include the rejection of people from other countries and unfairness in marking by the officials. What is not a mystery or a myth, however, is that most of those who take the exams are unsure about it and usually poor in English, which often makes them a target for examiners who delight in making them fail. Further, people approach it with vague notions and ultimately emerge with a new outlook and faces that are full of hope. What makes the process even tougher is the fact that there is minimal information out there. Most immigrants rely on family members who have gone through it or news from community centers. To meet the requirement of the law which states that one requires knowledge of some American history, many of them have paid exorbitant fees to lawyers CITATION Alv87 l 1033 (Alvarez, 1987). They do this in the hope that the lawyers will teach them the little history they require to pass the exam and become naturalized citizens.
In other areas such as Los Angeles, there are public advertisements and the exam is announced every so often. It is precisely why the area has a large number of immigrants who have turned to citizens. The massive advertising has gone a long way in informing people about the dates of exam and who can help them study for it. However, most immigrants get help from one of three places. The first is Unions such as the Ladies Garment Workers Union. It helps by giving English classes and any other kind of assistance that the immigrants who work there need. Many others receive help from friends who provide English and history lessons. Those friends who have gone through the process are best suited to teach others as they understand the system and know what is required to pass the exam. By avoiding the agencies that are tasked with Immigration, most of the immigrants seek help at other immigration assistance centers. The centers not only provide not only educational assistance but also give the immigrants awaiting exams positive encouragement and let them know that they will pass the exams. There is always the risk of running into frauds who claim to help, but all they do is extort money from desperate people.
The test is a grueling one, which often forces some of the people to study using flash cards and rent videos with the questions that are most frequently asked. The videos show the tests in both English and Spanish. The exam that the immigrants are subjected to mostly brings out different emotions and feelings in all of them. Some feel nervous, so nervous that they are unable to talk. Others feel lucky and confident that they will pass. For many, however, such a period is one that is occasioned will hope and fear, all rolled into one. Many hope that they will do well and become citizens of one of the best countries on the planet but fear that if they do not pass, then all that awaits them is deportation back to their country. The biggest worry stems from the fact that the exam is set in English. They understand that it cannot be any other way but the thought of being tested in a foreign language rarely makes the matter any easier. There are provisions which allow specific people to take the exam in their mother tongue CITATION Alv87 l 1033 (Alvarez, 1987) but the immigrants are almost always nervous nonetheless.
The type and number of questions also vary from place to place. Participants many be asked as few as three or as many as fifteen questions. The questions asked might also be simple although some immigrants have confessed that they were asked questions, which seemed rude. Issues about drug history and violence do not look like a typical citizenship examination session; rather it appears as if the immigrants are in a grilling session that is more interested in discovery their past than helping them establish a future. In several cases, those taking the exams are so shocked by the nature of the questions that they tend to forget the answers to some of the simplest questions such who is the president. Examiners have also been known to be wrong and take a demeaning attitude towards the immigrants despite the fact that some of them are immigrants, albeit legal ones. It seems like a massive hypocrisy that someone who is not natively American would want to thoroughly grill someone who is trying to become a citizen through legal means.
Bray and Bray (2009) have noted that there have been widespread fears about the process of acquiring citizenship through naturalization because of the U.S Citizenship and Immigration Service (U.S.C.I.S). The Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) previously carried out its functions, and many are not sure whether it is a facilitator or an inhibitor CITATION Bra09 l 1033 (Bray & Bray, 2009). Many complain of the long queues and the rude treatment that they are subjected to by the officials. Although every immigrant does not harbor the feeling, there is a consensus that individual offices should be avoided as much as possible. Anyone who is forced to interact with personnel from the Immigration department tends to feel very vulnerable and frustrated. The best scenario to illustrate just how frustrating it is to interact with immigration is perhaps in an issue of lost papers. Once an immigrant loses his or her papers, they usually have no recourse and no one to turn to who can help them. Any attempt to explain themselves at the immigration department are often rebuffed by terms such “careless” or “go away.” With such hostile treatment, it is impractical to ask anyone wishing to visit the department to look forward to it.
Fortunately, however, some changes are happening at the immigration department albeit slower than most people would want. There is a clear and noticeable difference between how things are currently run to how they were run before by the INS CITATION Alv87 l 1033 (Alvarez, 1987). Further, immigrants who are acquiring citizenship are becoming more and more varied, and the apparent discrimination that is claimed to have existed against individuals from other countries is gradually disappearing. Naturalization might not be the easiest way for an immigrant to become a citizen because of all the bureaucratic processes that are involved but it is one of the surest and quickest. Certain factors chief influences the choice to become a citizen among them is the desire to provide a better life for children and progeny in general. Immigrants do not want their young one’s top to go through whatever it is they have gone through. They would want their kids to have access to health, education, security and all the benefits that people enjoy by being American residents. CITATION Bra09 l 1033 (Bray & Bray, 2009).
The biggest stumbling block that seems to impede the smooth transition from immigrant to the citizen is the immigration department which seems ironic considering that it was created for such a purpose. Conversely, it is described as a policing institution while on the other it is a public service. The two seem like conflicting functions and in many cases the employees that are tasked with helping people are the first to label them as criminals. In only a handful of cases has the transition from immigrant to citizen been a smooth one. Either you have turned away and intimidated by the immigration officials or the examiner who administers the test is so rude that you forget the answers to the simplest questions. Fischer (1982) asserts that either way, the immigrants have a lot of work cut out for them. Without the help of family and friends, the dream to become a subject of the American state will remain just that, a dream CITATION Fis82 l 1033 (Fischer, 1982).
Ibpus.com (2013) asserts that USCIS may revoke or cancel certificates of naturalization under certain circumstances CITATION Ibp13 l 1033 (Ibpus.com, 2013). If the certificate was acquired illegally or fraudulently or if it was created through an illegality or fraud. The two sound almost the same but are quite different circumstances under which a person may have his or her naturalization certificate revoked or canceled by the Citizenship and Immigration Service. Under INA 342, the USCIS will write a notice to the person confirming or showing the impending cancelation and clearly detailing the reasons why the cancellation will be made. The agency should be well aware of the distinction between a certificate of citizenship and that of naturalization. Once a court has revoked an individual’s citizenship, then that person loses all the rights that were acquired at naturalization. He or she is required to surrender the certificate of naturalization as they await possible deportation, which is almost inevitable in case the person has committed a felony. The revocation will also affect other people such a spouses and children who automatically lose their citizenship that had been acquired as a result of the naturalization of the individual who has been stripped of it. CITATION Ibp13 l 1033 (Ibpus.com, 2013). This is because they are citizens through someone else and if they wish to continue beings citizens, then they would have to begin the process of naturalization process on their own.
As a naturalized citizen of the U.S, a person is capable of passing on citizenship to his or her children through a process called derivation of nationality. Such a method avoids things like taking an oath to declare allegiance to the state and any naturalization ceremonies that may follow CITATION Bra09 l 1033 (Bray & Bray, 2009). The laws that govern derivation of citizenship change from time to time and whether or not a person has attained the status of a citizen is mainly dependent on the laws that existed at the time the parents became citizens. Presently, a person is a citizen through derivation if one or both parents were naturalized before your 18th birthday while you were living in the country. A permanent residence or a green card is required by the person who is to become a derived citizen and it applies for both biological and adopted children. The current laws on derivation also provide for citizenship for a person whose parents were also born in America and not just those who were naturalized. The net effect is that many children are eligible to become citizens the moment they acquire green cards through just one American parent. No affidavits are required.
Citizenship through Marriage
Citizenship through registration is not the only way to go for those seeking to make the ‘Home of the Free and the Land of the Brave’ their permanent residence through naturalization. As stated earlier, marriage is also another solution that presents the chance to be a citizen of America. According to Bray (2010), the process of making your loved one or not so loved one become a subject of the state is not as easy as people want to imagineCITATION Bra10 l 1033 (Bray, 2010). Two types of spouses may become citizens of the state; those residing in the country and those living outside it. General rules on eligibility for people with spouses living in the state is that they must have lived in the country for not less than three years before filing an application. The two should also have been married for a similar amount of time. Other essential requirements include the attainment of 18 years by the spouse, the person should also be a lawful permanent resident of the country, the two should remain a married until the application is finalized and the spouse has taken an oath of allegiance, demonstration of a good grasp of English, both written and spoken is also important. The spouse should show an understanding of basic U.S history. All these will go into determining whether the person will become a citizen of the state through marriage CITATION Hom16 l 1033 (Homeland Security Staff, 2016).
Bray (2010) states that a major misunderstanding that people have about citizenship through marriage is that it is easy. However, it is not. Whether the marriage is born out of a deep-rooted desire to do good and help another person acquire citizenship or is simply a fraud, keeping up appearances is all that matters. Regardless of the situation, the USCIS should be convinced that the two people in question share an undying love for one another that will not end once one of the parties gets citizenship. The truth about marriage and citizenship is that there are tens of forms that people should fill out to determine their origin followed by weeks, months or even years of delays that are purely bureaucratic. Even after all this is done, no one has any guarantee that the immigration office will say yes to the request of the spouse to become a citizen. In most instances, people only get temporary permission to reside in America and remain married. Permanent residence takes much longer, perhaps years, and it takes an even longer period to apply for and become a citizen.
Most applicants have no experience whatsoever and will readily waltz into the USCIS offices to pick up application forms CITATION Bra10 l 1033 (Bray, 2010). However, once the paperwork continues to pile up, the applicants feel a constant urge to visit a lawyer which is what they would have done in the first place. Not just any lawyer, but one who understands the working of the immigration department. This tends to make things go easier as the person is seeking help from an attorney who has the requisite experience of how to acquire citizenship. Almost all the applicants have little to no experience when it comes to the laws that govern citizenship by marriage or something as easy as how to apply for a green card based on a person’s marital status. There is no clear information on what to do and what not to do. This is precisely the reason why many end up looking for lawyers to help them through the process. Further, the laws are made even more complicated by the fact that they are constantly chopped and changed by Congress. It becomes difficult for any non-lawyer to follow the proceeding and understand what the ramifications of the change are.
People also need to know the nitty gritty of the law. For instance, when the law states that a spouse has have spent 18 months physically in the country out of the three years preceding application, the law refers to 548 days. People rarely notice such fine details, and it is for this reason that they require lawyers who understand what specific details mean. This would save them a lot of time and although it would not guarantee automatic citizenship, perhaps the lawyer would help the person seeking citizenship avoid the bureaucratic wait that is experienced by so many other people. Bray (2010) asserts that no two marriages will require the same thing or will go through the same procedure CITATION Bra10 l 1033 (Bray, 2010). Some couples will meet abroad and want to move to the states, there are those who will meet in America wish to have a home there and another home in another country, and there will also be those who will meet abroad, want to get married in America then leave again. The situations are different and for that reason the procedures that will be followed will be different. However, what cuts across all the different types of romances is the fact that there is much paperwork to be filled out by the spouse before he or she can be allowed to enter the U.S regardless of whether their stay is permanent or temporal.
Discussion
It is apparent that becoming a U.S citizen can be done using more than just one way. One such way is through birth. If an individual is born within the territory of the U.S, then he or she automatically becomes a citizen of the country regardless of where his or her parents come from. However, since at the time of birth such, a person is already a national of the state, then he or she cannot be considered an immigrant. It, therefore, follows that anyone who has moved to the country as an immigrant can only become a citizen by naturalization which comes in only one of two ways. One is through marriage while the other is through registration. None of them can be said to be particularly easy. Registration requires a lot of effort on the part of the immigrant. He or she is required to study for an exam which he or she takes on a specific date. Those who administer such exams are not always friendly and often, the immigrants are intimidated to the point of forgetting even the most basic of answers. Further, they have to go through USCIS, which although has improved since it was changed from the INS, still harbors a lot of hostility towards immigrants.
Many of them are seen as criminals who have broken the law and only want things that are free and easy to get from America. This is seldom the case as most immigrants are hard workers who take menial jobs that many other people will not even think twice about CITATION Pre16 l 1033 (Preston , 2016). Despite all these factors, many have succeeded in acquiring citizenship through naturalization and have gone on to become successful, law-abiding citizens. Naturalization may also be done because of marriage. The biggest challenge here is the mountain of paperwork that is involved. Because that it is a type of citizen that is brought on by marriage, many people make the mistake of thinking that they can handle it themselves. Many of them usually surrender and go to a lawyer as soon as they realize that the paperwork is too much. The reason seeking a lawyer is best advised is that legislation is always changing and most people cannot keep up with the rapid changes that Congress makes to laws regarding citizenship by marriage. Also, each individual’s marriage is unique, and the needs of one marriage might differ from another. People often seek consulting services from other couples whose marriages are not similar to their own. This is a wrong move that will almost always ends in disaster. The spouses may be living in the U.S or may be living abroad. It is such things that should be taken into account whenever anyone is seeking advice regarding citizenship via marriageCITATION Bra16 l 1033 (Bray, 2016).
Conclusion and Future study
After analyzing several kinds of literature on the different methods through which an immigrant may become a citizen, it becomes apparent that the safest and quickest way to do so is through marriage. The other most common way is naturalization through registration where an individual has to not only take an exam but also has to go to the immigration’s office, which is never anyone’s cup of tea. The harassment that immigrants go through when trying to become citizens is too much, and many of them are seen as criminals. They undergo intimidation from examiners and are mainly stuck in no man’s land as many of them fear going back to their native homes due to fear of reprisals. Intimidation is also witnessed at the immigration office where many of them go to simply because they must. They advise each other to avoid that place as much as possible. Marriage, on the other hand, is a fool’s pass to citizenship. It does take about three years before a person who is married to a citizen can apply for citizenship. However, only some those seeking citizenship can attest to the struggles that other immigrants go through. There are no tests of any kind and what makes this method even simpler is that one can delegate all of his or her work to a lawyer and let them handle it. It is a sure and easy way to become a citizen.
References
BIBLIOGRAPHY Alvarez, R. (1987). A Profile of the Citizenship Process among Hispanics in the United States. The International Migration Review, 327-351.
Bray, I. (2010) Fiance & Marriage Visas: A Couple’s Guide to U.S. Immigration. New York: Nolo Publishers.
Bray, I. (2016) Becoming a U.S. Citizen: A Guide to the Law, Exam & Interview. New York: Nolo.
Bray, I., & Bray, I. M. (2009). U.S Immigration Made Easy. Washington: Nolo.
Cruz, D. B. (2002). Disestablishing Sex and Gender. California Law Review, n.p.
Fischer, C. S. (1982). To Dwell Among Friends: Personal Networks in Town and City. New York: University of Chicago Press.
Franke, K. M. (1999). Becoming a citizen: Reconstruction era regulation of African American marriages. Yale JL & Human, 251.
Hage, G. (2003). Against Paranoid Nationalism: Searching for Hope in a Shrinking Society. New York: Pluto Press Australia.
Homeland Security Staff. (2012, July 16). Naturalization for Spouses of U.S. Citizens. Retrieved . Retrieved from Department of Homeland Security: https://www.uscis.gov/us-citizenship/citizenship-through-naturalization/naturalization-spouses-us-citizens
Homeland Security Staff. (2016, November 2). Spouses of U.S. Citizens Residing in the United States. Retrieved from Official Website of the Department of Homeland Security: https://www.uscis.gov/policymanual/HTML/PolicyManual-Volume12-PartG-Chapter3.html
Ibpus.com. (2013). US Citizenship, Naturalization Regulation, and Procedures Handbook: Practical Information and Contacts. Chicago: Int’l Business Publications.
Kane, T., & Johnson, K. A. (2006). The Real Problem with Immigration and the Real Solution. Heritage Foundation Backgrounder, n.p.
Krogstad, J. M., Passel, J. S., & Cohn, D. (2016, November 3). Five facts about illegal immigration in the U.S. Retrieved from Pew Research Center: http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/11/03/5-facts-about-illegal-immigration-in-the-u-s/
Preston, J. (2016). Immigrants Aren’t Taking Americans’ Jobs, New Study Finds. New York Times, n.p.
Saavedra, M. (2015, September 3). As an Undocumented Alien, First-Generation College Grad, I Am a Problem? Retrieved from New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2015/09/03/is-immigration-really-a-problem-in-the-us/as-an-undocumented-alien-first-generation-college-grad-i-am-a-problem?register=facebook
Volpp, L. (2005). Divesting citizenship: On Asian American history and the loss of citizenship through marriage. UCLA Law Review, 1-80.

Appendix A
Graph showing the number of immigrants into the U.S by decade.

Appendix B
A graph showing the number of immigrants that were granted citizenship in America.