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Lifetime Immigration Articles
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So you have finally made the decision
to take the step of becoming a US citizen. You have made a smart
choice to become a citizen of one of the greatest countries in the
world. A word of warning though, going through the citizenship
process is not as simple and straightforward as you may think.
It was with this in mind, I decided to write this article,
to provide you with some tips to help you through the citizenship
process and ultimately reach your goal of becoming a US citizen.
Firstly you need to get, fill out and submit form N-400, you
can do this online or via mail, you need to make sure you submit
your form to your local government office.
Once your N-400
form has been reviewed, and provided there are no major issues, you
will then be invited to attend an interview. In the interview you
will be asked a whole range of things from why you think you deserve
to become a US citizen, questions about the history of the united
stated as well as opinions and beliefs on a variety of subjects.
Whatever you do, dont panic during the interview process,
just be yourself and answer the questions as truthfully and
heartfelt as you can. The people conducting the interview are very
well trained and will soon know if you being dishonest, but for the
most part they are there to help you become a US citizen.
While this is far from an exhaustive guide on the steps to
gain citizenship, it does contain some tips to get you started on
your journey to becoming a US Citizen. |
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Immigration to the United Kingdom,
Immigration to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern
Ireland since 1922, has been substantial, in particular from Ireland
and the former colonies of the British Empire - such as India,
Bangladesh, Pakistan, the Caribbean, South Africa, Kenya and Hong
Kong - under British nationality law. Others have come as asylum
seekers, seeking protection as refugees under the United Nations
1951 Refugee Convention, or from European Union (EU) member states,
exercising one of the EUs Four Freedoms.
About half the
population increase between the 1991 and 2001 censuses was due to
foreign-born immigration. 4.9 million People (8.3 percent of the
population at the time) were born abroad, although the census gives
no indication of their immigration status or intended length of
stay.
In 2006, there were 149,035 applications for British
citizenship, 32 percent fewer than in 2005. The number of people
granted citizenship during 2006 was 154,095, 5 per cent fewer than
in 2005. The largest groups of people granted British citizenship
were from India, Pakistan, Somalia and the Philippines. In 2006,
134,430 people were granted settlement in the UK, a drop of 25 per
cent on 2005.Meanwhile, migration from Central and Eastern Europe
has increased since 2004 with the accession to the European Union of
eight Central and Eastern European states, since there is free
movement of labour within the EU. The UK government is currently
phasing in a new points-based immigration system for people from
outside of the European Economic Area.
Until the
Commonwealth Immigrants Act 1962, all Commonwealth citizens could
enter and stay in the United Kingdom without any restriction. The
Commonwealth Immigrants Act 1962 made Citizens of the United Kingdom
and Colonies (CUKCs) whose passports were not directly issued by the
United Kingdom Government (i.e. passports issued by the Governor of
a colony or by the Commander of a British protectorate) subject to
immigration control.
Indians began arriving in the UK in
large numbers shortly after their country gained independence in
1947. More than 60,000 arrived before 1955, many of whom drove
buses, or worked in foundries or textile factories. Later arrivals
opened corner shops or ran post offices. The flow of Indian
immigrants peaked between 1965 and 1972, boosted in particular by
Idi Amins sudden decision to expel all 50,000 Gujarati Indians from
Uganda. Around 30,000 Ugandan Asians migrated to the UK.
By
1972, only holders of work permits, or people with parents or
grandparents born in the UK could gain entry - effectively stemming
primary immigration from Commonwealth countries.
Following
the end of World War II, substantial groups of people from
Soviet-controlled territories settled in Britain, particularly Poles
and Ukrainians. The UK recruited displaced people as so-called
European Volunteer Workers in order to provide labour to industries
that were required in order to aim economic recovery after the war.
In the 1951 census, the Polish-born population of the UK numbered
some 162,339, up from 44,642 in 1931.
There was also an
influx of refugees from Hungary, following the crushing of the 1956
Hungarian revolution, numbering 20,990.
The British
Nationality Act 1981, which was enacted in 1983, distinguishes
between British citizen or British Overseas Territories citizen. The
former hold nationality by descent and the latter hold nationality
other than by descent. Citizens by descent cannot automatically pass
on British nationality to a child born outside the United Kingdom or
it’s Overseas Territories (though in some situations the child can
be registered as a citizen).
Immigration officers have to be
satisfied about a persons nationality and identity and entry could
be refused if they were not satisfied. |
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