Applying for Citizenship with a Misdemeanor
I came to this country as a permanent resident in 1994. In 1995, just a few weeks after I turned 18, I was involved in a fight in High School where several students (7 to be exact) beat me out; medical records of the incident indicate so. I pulled out a folding Knife but did not hurt anybody. I was charged with “Possession of a weapon (KNIFE) for Unlawful purpose”. The charge was then dropped to a misdemeanor “2C:33-2A (1) Improper Behavior” and sent back to a municipal court where I pleaded guilty. The only thing I had to pay was a fine of about $125. Since then, I’ve gotten a few couple traffic violations, none of them alcohol related. Other than that, I haven’t had any issue with the law. After this incident, I’ve been a pretty good resident; I went on to college and got my Bachelor degree and have been lucky enough to never been unemployed on the almost 15 years I’ve been here.
Questions are:
1) If I apply for my citizenship, will this incident post a major issue or cause my application to be denied?
2) If the application is declined, will it be declined before the interview, or will I at least get to present my case to the officer?
Thanks in advance for your response. Your help will be greatly appreciated.
Re: Applying for Citizenship with a Misdemeanor
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1) If I apply for my citizenship, will this incident post a major issue or cause my application to be denied?
Yes simply because it was a crime with a weapon.
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2) If the application is declined, will it be declined before the interview, or will I at least get to present my case to the officer?
More than likely you will get to present your case to the office. I would suggest gathering up the good things that you have accomplished and try to outweight the bad with the good. You need to prove that you are in no way a danger to other people or to the welfare of the citizens of the country. The fact it was dropped to a lower charge may help you out a bit but they will still question you about the original charge. Hope this helps.
Re: Applying for Citizenship with a Misdemeanor
Thank you very much for your quick response....I really, really appreciate it.