Facts: In May of 2024, a citizen of Liberia, who had obtained her residency in 1999, came to the firm seeking help with her naturalization application. It had recently been denied, again, because USCIS had determined that she had committed fraud in obtaining her residency, and because she had not obtained her residency lawfully, she was therefore permanently ineligible for naturalization.
The Firm’s Representation: The firm reviewed the facts of our client’s case and preliminarily determined that she should file form N-336, Request for a Hearing on a Decision in Naturalization Proceedings Under Section 336, which is essentially an appeal of the decision to deny an application for naturalization. The firm quickly filed the N-336 application for our client. Then, the firm began gathering even more information about our client’s case from various sources, including immediately submitting a Freedom of Information Act request to obtain our client’s immigration files from the government. The firm did a deep-dive review of her immigration file and other documents collected by the firm. In doing so, the firm noticed several facts which had been overlooked by both our client and other attorneys she had previously hired to work on her case. These facts demonstrated that our client had in fact not committed fraud. With this knowledge in hand, the firm prepared for our client’s N-336 interview by preparing necessary affidavits from both our client and other witnesses to her case. Through the affidavits and our client’s testimony at her N-336 interview, the firm was able to present a compelling case that no fraud had occurred.
Outcome: On or about November 1, 2024, our client’s application for naturalization was reopened, and on January 8, 2025, she became a naturalized citizen of the United States.
Comments: The firm prides itself on meticulously reviewing our clients’ case files to find ways to help our clients achieve their immigration goals. Our client is beyond happy–and so are we.