Becoming a U.S. Citizen: Advantages of U.S. Citizenship
Advantages of U.S. Citizenship: The Right to Vote
Obviously, the right to vote is one of the major cornerstones of U.S. citizenship, and if you want to participate in local, state and national elections, then you will need to obtain U.S. citizenship. As soon as you have reached citizenship status, you can register to vote and begin to use your own opinions to elect representatives of your political views.
Advantages of U.S. Citizenship: The Right to Hold Federal Jobs
Federal jobs offer mid-to-high range salaries, excellent benefits, and maximum job security, which might be just what an immigrant needs to get on his or her feet in the U.S. Permanent residents are not eligible for federal jobs, but citizens are. You can work in the postal office or at your local branch of the social security administration. There are literally thousands of available federal jobs in most large cities.
Advantages of U.S. Citizenship: Protection from Anti-Immigrant Laws
It seems like the list of reasons for which INS can deport immigrants grows weekly, or even daily. When you complete your paperwork and become a U.S. citizen, you become immune to these ever-changing laws. You can go to work, take your children to the zoo, shop at the grocery store and visit public libraries without fear of INS.
Advantages of U.S. Citizenship: The Right to Vacation
Immigrants with green-card status can lose their permanent residence if they take extended vacations outside the U.S. or show evidence of resettling elsewhere. However, once you become a U.S. citizen, you can feel free to travel whenever (and for however long) you’d like without risk of losing your right to make your home in the U.S.
Advantages of U.S. Citizenship: The Right to Protection Abroad
Citizens of the U.S. are protected even when traveling abroad. If you are mugged, injured, assaulted or harmed in any way while traveling on your U.S. passport, the State Department will help you to ensure save travel home and will even assist you through the local U.S. consulate. Further, if you are arrested in another country, the State Department will make sure that you have an attorney and that your basic rights are not violated.
Advantages of U.S. Citizenship: Ease of Reentry
When you travel aboard, a U.S. citizen will have much less difficulty reentering the U.S. than will a green card holder. You’ll still have to pass through border patrol or customs, but U.S. citizens are not given a hard time.
Advantages of U.S. Citizenship: The Right to Citizenship for Family Members
Once you have achieved citizenship status, your children, your spouse, and any children that you adopt will become U.S. citizens much more easily. There will still be paperwork to file in order to make sure that they attain citizenship, but the process will not be nearly as long or arduous.
