- 1). Gather the information used for your U.S. citizenship application. Find a copy of the application you submitted to the USCIS at the Department of Homeland Security to determine the status of your case and if the paperwork was received. Gather your current marriage certificate, permanent resident card, bank accounts, birth certificates of children, IRS-certified income tax forms for the past three years and any additional information you submitted with your USCIS application.
- 2). Call or email the office of your U.S. senator to schedule an appointment. The Senate website lists contact information for all senators. If you live in the same city that your senator's office is located in, contact your local office first instead of any location outside of your state. Because lawmakers are often too busy to respond to constituents' requests, a staff member will likely respond. Your initial phone call or email should explain the reason for your U.S. citizenship inquiry and set a time to drop off the supporting documents and briefly introduce yourself.
- 3). Bring a copy of the supporting documents you gathered. Make copies of the documents in case they aren't returned. Be prepared to describe your inquiry and present a timeline of events in your U.S. citizenship process. Senator's staff receive updates and the processing times for the most common immigration applications filed. Your senator's office can contact USCIS to verify the status of your application and how much longer it will take to process if the application is beyond its anticipated processing time. Senator's staff can also contact USCIS to inquire when it's anticipated that you'll be scheduled to attend an oath ceremony. In contrast, Sentator's offices cannot request for the agency to process your application faster than all others filed before yours. If there is an emergency, a procedure is in place that they must follow to expedite the application's processing.
- 4). Thank the U.S. senator or staff member for his time and effort. Send a personalized thank you card to the office. By thanking the senator or staff member, he will likely be more willing to offer assistance again.
- 5). Maintain a friendship with your Senator or a member of his staff. This can be done through an occasional email, phone call or visit to your Senator's office. Because senators are busy, you should correspond with his staff, who will pass on your greetings to your Senator. Lawmakers and their staff are interested in their constituents and would be happy to learn of your granted U.S. citizenship. Many lawmakers have very close relationships with immigrants, especially those who are here legally.
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