Who Is Legally Eligible for Expedited Review of a U.S. Citizenship Application?
Applicants for some types of legal status in the U.S. can pay an extra fee to have their application processed within 15 days. This is known as premium processing. While you cannot arrange for premium processing of an application for U.S. citizenship, known as Form N-400, you might be able to arrange for USCIS to expedite its review of the application. One of the most common reasons for expediting review of an application is when the foreign national is receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits through the federal government.
USCIS guarantees an expedited review if the foreign national is receiving SSI benefits, they will lose the benefits within a year if they do not become a citizen, and they applied for citizenship at least four months prior to making the request for expedited review. You should inform USCIS if all of these factors apply to your situation. You can write a letter to the USCIS office in your area or notify USCIS through an InfoPass appointment. To support your request, you must provide a copy of the most recent letter from the Social Security Administration that states the date on which your SSI benefits will end. If you show this letter or give a copy of it to USCIS, and you prove the three grounds above, your application will receive priority before others.
An individual may request expedited processing through the USCIS Contact Center or their local USCIS field office.
Seeking Expedited Review for Other Reasons
USCIS is not required to expedite review of any citizenship application except in the situation above involving SSI benefits. However, it has the discretion to expedite review of an application if the foreign national can show that certain grounds apply. For example, you might be able to get expedited review if your business or you would suffer major financial losses if you do not become a citizen soon. You also might be able to get expedited review based on urgent humanitarian reasons.
Some more unusual situations include a request by the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security, or another government agency that a foreign national become a citizen soon, based on the U.S. national interest. There is also a general rule that USCIS has the authority to expedite review of any particular application if it made a clear error. If USCIS mistakenly denied a previous application for citizenship, for example, it may agree to expedite review of the second application.
Immigration Law Center Contents
-
Immigration Law Center
- Green Cards and Lawful Permanent Residence in the U.S.
-
Becoming a U.S. Citizen Under Naturalization Law
- Civics and English Language Tests Under Naturalization Law
- Risks of Applying for Citizenship
- Cancellation of Green Card After Citizenship Denial
- Cost of Applying for Citizenship
- Residency Requirement When Applying for Citizenship
- The Fingerprinting Requirement for Citizenship Applications Under Naturalization Law
-
Who Is Legally Eligible for Expedited Review of a U.S. Citizenship Application?
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship as a Former Asylee or Refugee & Related Legal Concerns
- Fee Waivers When Applying for Citizenship & Potential Impact on Legal Eligibility
- The Naturalization Interview & Establishing Legal Eligibility for Citizenship
- Second Chance Naturalization Interviews & Proving Legal Eligibility for U.S. Citizenship
- Requesting a Hearing After Denial of U.S. Citizenship Under Naturalization Law
- Moving After Applying for Citizenship
- The Naturalization Ceremony & Legally Swearing Allegiance to the U.S.
- Muslim Applicants for Citizenship & Their Legal Options When Placed on the CARRP List
- Name Corrections & Legal Name Changes in the Naturalization Process
- Birthright Citizenship and Legal Acquisition or Derivation of Citizenship Through Parents
- When Military Service Members and Veterans May Have Legal Shortcuts to Citizenship
- Children of Refugees Legally Qualifying for Citizenship Through Derivation
- How Conditional Resident Status Can Legally Affect Applying for Citizenship
- When Foreign Nationals Affected by Domestic Violence May Have Legal Shortcuts to Citizenship
- Crimes That May Legally Prevent You From Receiving U.S. Citizenship
- Public Benefits & Legal Eligibility for U.S. Citizenship
- When Political Affiliations Can Legally Disqualify You From U.S. Citizenship
- Does an Extramarital Affair Legally Disqualify You From U.S. Citizenship?
- Impact of Bigamy or Polygamy on Legal Eligibility for U.S. Citizenship
- Does Failure to Register With the Selective Service Legally Disqualify You From U.S. Citizenship?
- When Absences From the U.S. Can Affect Legal Eligibility for Citizenship
- How Getting U.S. Citizenship Provides Legal Advantages
- Obtaining Legal Proof of U.S. Citizenship
- Voting Rights & Legally Registering to Vote After Receiving Citizenship
- Can U.S. Citizens Legally Hold Dual Citizenship?
- How Can U.S. Citizenship Be Legally Removed?
- Immigrant Visas Leading to Lawful Permanent Residence in the U.S.
- Non-Immigrant Visas Providing a Legal Basis for Temporary Residence in the U.S.
- Work Visas Allowing Foreign Nationals to Legally Enter the U.S.
- Family Immigration Options Under the Law
- Investor Visas Providing Legal Status in the U.S.
- Visitor Visas Allowing Foreign Nationals to Legally Enter the U.S.
- Student Visas Allowing Foreign Nationals to Legally Enter the U.S.
- Denials of Visas or Green Cards & Your Legal Options
- Consular Interviews When Seeking a Visa or Green Card
- VAWA Petitions for Foreign Nationals Affected by Domestic Violence & Seeking Legal Status in the U.S.
- How Children of Foreign Nationals Affected by Domestic Violence Can Legally Obtain Immigration Status
- Work Authorization for Foreign Nationals Without Green Cards
- How Foreign Nationals Unable to Return Home Safely May Legally Qualify for Temporary Protected Status
- Asylum for Foreign National Refugees
- Humanitarian Parole for Foreign Nationals With Compelling Needs
- Advance Parole for Foreign Nationals Living in the U.S. Without Green Cards
- Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Temporary Legal Protections From Deportation
- Visa Waiver Program for Brief Visits to the U.S. Without Formal Legal Status
- Grounds for Finding a Foreign National Legally Inadmissible to the U.S.
- How the Deportation Legal Process Works
- Appeals of Immigration Decisions Through the Legal Process
- LGBTQ+ Individuals Facing Immigration Legal Issues
- Inspections of Foreign Nationals Seeking to Legally Enter the U.S.
- Unlawful Presence in the U.S. & Legal Penalties
- Tax Law Issues for Visa or Green Card Holders
- Waivers of Legal Inadmissibility to the U.S.
- How a Criminal Record Legally Affects Immigration Status
- How Social Media Use Can Affect Legal Admissibility to the U.S.
- Immigration Law FAQs
- Immigration Legal Forms
- Find an Immigration Law Lawyer
-
Related Areas