Willy Allen, immigration law expert, advised this Monday, on his weekly program on CiberCuba, against applying for citizenship if child support payments are not current, even if any delays are due to circumstances beyond the applicant's control.
Applying, with that outstanding debt, has consequences, or as Willy Allen says, it can lead to issues because failing to pay child support is interpreted as bad moral conduct.
It is important to remember that last Friday, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published a memorandum that regulates the tightening of the requirements for obtaining citizenship in the United States. The new rules require officials to be very strict in the area of "good moral character."
According to the lawyer's statements to CiberCuba, traffic fines and debts, whether from taxes or child support, pose an obstacle when it comes to approving the candidate's "good moral character."
However, if despite having that 'child support' debt, one has applied for citizenship, Willy Allen suggests arriving at the appointment "with the best excuses, hoping to get a good officer and dance a little." But, in his opinion, the most likely outcome is that one will have "a problem."
"My advice is to wait to apply for citizenship until you are up to date with your child support. Child maintenance is one of the two main reasons why men are not granted American citizenship right away when they apply. The other reason is military service. If you have lived in the United States before turning 28, you are required to have registered for the nonexistent mandatory military service, but it could exist in case of an emergency. Therefore, the law requires you to go to your local post office and register for military service. These two are reasons for denying citizenship," the lawyer insisted.
Other reasons also weigh in, such as owing money in taxes to the IRS or having a significant amount of traffic fines, which may lead the officer to conclude that you do not have good moral character because you do not respect traffic laws in the United States.
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