Since its establishment in 2009, the US Citizenship and Integration Grant Program has issued a total of $18.3 million in grants to immigrant-serving organizations that have provided citizenship preparation services to more than 29,000 US permanent residents.

Eligible organisations have until 7 May 2012 to apply for grant funding. Organizations must offer both citizenship instruction and naturalization services to permanent residents to be eligible for the grant. USCIS expects to announce an estimated 31 award recipients in September 2012.

You may qualify for Naturalization if:

• You have been a permanent resident for at least 5 years and meet all other eligibility requirements.
• You have been a permanent resident for 3 years or more and meet all eligibility requirements to file as a spouse of a US citizen.
• You have qualifying service in the US armed forces and meet all other eligibility requirements.
• Your child may qualify for naturalization if you are a US citizen, the child was born outside the US, the child is currently residing outside the US, and all other eligibility requirements are met.

Global Visa Support offers a variety of programs in United States. Please visit our USA page for more information: http://www.globalvisasupport.com/usa.html

A family based immigration in to the United States is some thing that could be done easily. This is done if you could fulfill the under mentioned terms and conditions. In this kind of immigration the guardian angle happens to be the relative who is either already staying in the United States, or is a lawful permanent resident already in the US.

The above mentioned could be done in 2 ways (this is the IR category).

1. Some one who is an immediate relative of an US citizen, which is a spouse, widow or an unmarried child who essentially needs to be under the age of 21. This category could also be useful for the parents of an adult US citizen.
2. People with a returning resident status. This applies to people who have been previously staying in the United States as a permanent resident and now is coming back after a stay in some other nation for a year.

As far as the above mentioned is concerned (limited family based immigration), there are some preferences which are involved in the same. The hierarchy of the preferences are as per the under mentioned.

Preference 1 – Children of people who are already US citizens who are below the age of 21.

Preference 2 – The spouses of the lawful United States citizens with or without their children, who are below the age of 21. However in the case of unmarried daughters there is a relaxation. Daughters even if they are over the age of 21 still they are permissible, as per the said provision.

Preference 3 – Next in the preference grid comes, the number for the children of a United States citizen whose children are married.

Preference 4 – Last but not the least the siblings of a person who has the status of a permanent resident in the United States are also allowed as per the provision.

Be it the IR category or the preference category, the relative in the United States has to first submit a petition related to the immigrant visa. The said petition has to be essentially accompanied by the proof of your relation ship with the citizen who has filed in the petition.

Post the approval is received on the petition that has been filed in by the relative, who is either a citizen or a permanent citizen in the United States, the department of States would be considering to figure out if there is a number that is available to be given to you for the immigration related visa. However this is applicable only if your current residency is out side the United States. In case you are inside the United States then, you could apply for a change in the status. That would involve a form called I – 485.

Primarily there are two ways by which you might become a citizen of the United States.

Birth – If you are born within the territorial boundary of the United States or, if you are born of an American parent, who already holds the American citizenship.

Naturalization – Naturalization refers to the process, where in you approach the United States government with a citizenship request, as per the policies laid down by the federal government.

Being a Citizen of the United States would bring in a bagful of rights for you. The same has been briefly discussed about here to give you an idea of the same.

Rights of an US Citizen

Voting – As a citizen of the United States you would have the right to cast your vote in the federal elections, and you would be able to exercise your choice in choosing the next president of the United States of America.

Serve as Jury – As a citizen you would have the privilege to serve as the jury, and you would have your liberty to pronounce a person guilty or not guilty in a trial in any of the federal courts where you would be invited for being present in the trial and there after expressing your opinion.

Invite to United States – As a Citizen you would have the right to invite your family members to the United States of America, who till date have been staying in some different country. You would also have the liberty to file a request for their permanent residency with you.

Obtain Citizenship – In case your children are born in a different country other than the United States you would be allowed to obtain a citizenship for them.

US Passport – Being a citizen of the United States of America would mean that you would be eligible to get an American passport and you would be allowed to travel with the same all over the world.

Work for Federal offices – As a citizen you would be allowed to apply for a federal job opening.

Grant Eligibility – You would be eligible for obtaining the benefits of the federal grants and the scholarships.