What to do if USCIS Denies your Citizenship Application?

If a person's American Citizenship application is denied, he will still be a lawful permanent resident but will not become a U.S. citizen. He can try correcting the reason for the denial and reapply again. At times the reason for denial may lead to deportation, hence the person may lose his permanent residence status.  


Under certain circumstances, denied applications are reconsidered by the USCIS. When you reapply for citizenship, you are required to submit a copy of your denied application or you must inform the USCIS, about when you first applied for citizenship. You must also state the reason for denial. You can always retain a copy of the form that you file and the mailing proof for your reference. If you meet all the eligibility requirements for citizenship, you will be called to submit only the finger prints, if you have already passed the civics and English tests.   

While you apply for citizenship, the USCIS reviews your entire file. It verifies your file for any fraudulent information. If your file seems to contain false information, then your application will be denied. USCIS denies your application for reasons such as lack of good moral character, knowledge of English and civics and criminal convictions.  

Grounds on which Citizenship may be denied:

*English and civics tests

One of the common reasons or the rejection of Citizenship applications is the inability to write, speak and read English. The citizenship interview and exam is done in English. You can request a waiver if you,
have been a Green card holder (lawful Permanent Resident) in the US for the past 20 years and you are above 50 years of age.
are 55 years old and you have been a Lawful Permanent Resident in the US for 15 years.
have disability which disallows you from taking the test.

The civics test consists of questions related to the government of the US. You can request a waiver if you are 60 years or older and you are a Lawful Permanent Resident for the past 20 years. Mentally and physically disabled people are also exempted, provided that they submit a letter signed by a doctor.  
If you fail in the test, you can prepare yourself and take up the English and the Civics test for the second time after 90 days from the first test. (if you fail in the first test, you will still be a permanent resident).   


*Good Moral Character

Another common reason for denial of citizenship is the lack of good moral character. If your application has been denied for lack of good moral character, you can reapply after 5 years, developing proof of your good moral character. 

If you are found to be a criminal, your application is most likely to be denied. If you have committed a grave crime, then you may be deported. If you are convicted of a less serious crime, you can reapply after 5 years form the date of that offense.  

If you have not met the permanent residence requirement, then you can reapply on meeting the residence requirements.

If your application is denied for the above mentioned reasons or for any other reason, you can deal with the issue that led to the denial. Then you can try solving the issues and then re-file citizenship application. Refiling the application may take several months.