Citizenship Application

Young people who are native of different countries in the world aspire to acquire higher education, work and settle in the US. This nation attracts a lot of people providing freedom of speech and security to its citizens. The employer arranges for the US work permit and green card for the aspirant. As a green card holder, he gets the status of legal permanent resident in the US. There are many advantages in being a citizen than a green card holder. Citizens have the right to vote for representatives in the government. He or she is eligible to hold a position in the public office.

Before applying for the US citizenship, he has to know certain rules and regulations that are stipulated by the USCIS. The applicant should be more than 18 years of age. He/she should prove a good moral conduct by abiding the US laws while in US and his/her past records should be free from criminal activity. English being the official language in US, the applicant must be fluent in speaking, writing and reading in English. The applicant must strictly believe in the principles in the US constitution. He/she should have complete knowledge in US history and the government. The applicant shouldn't have a primary home in any other country. He/she should be loyal to the nation. He should be a green card holder for at least five years. He should show proof of his physical presence in the nation for the last two and half years. He should be continually present for the last three months in the area where he is applying for US citizenship.

The aspirant should fill in the US citizenship application form which is available at the USCIS office in his current place of residence. This process is called the N400 Naturalization. With the application form, the candidate must attach a photocopy of both sides of his green card. In case he loses his green card, he should furnish the photo copy of the Form I-90 receipt. He should make ready his two identical color photographs with his name and "A-number" written on the back lightly with a pencil. His facial features should be seen clearly, not glared by his wearing eye glasses or shining material. He should submit with the application, the application fees of $675 by check or money order.

He should attend the written test on the US history and the government. After passing the test, he should attend an interview by the USCIS officer and submit his finger prints for records. At the interview, the officer tests his fluency in English and his knowledge regarding US history and the government. On being successful, he has to attend the swearing-in-ceremony. He is given the certificate of N400 Naturalization by the USCIS officer. Now by becoming the US citizen, he gets the status of petitioning for having his nearest family member to stay with him in the nation. If the applicant is found using foul methods to acquire his green card, his N-400 application is withdrawn and he will be sent out of the country.

The Law Says Teens Must Restrict Passengers in Ohio

This makes a great deal of sense if you stop to think about it. This law is intended to bring down the numbers of teens killed and injured in car accidents. The impetus for this particular law happens to have been the figures that showed 16-year-old teens were deemed at fault in roughly 85 percent of the fatalities recorded for 2006. The figures weren't that much better for 2007 either.

It wasn't just those numbers that made the state legislators sit up and take notice. It was also the fact that it appeared that when there was one passenger in the car (non-family), with the teen it virtually doubled the risk of a crash. The national stats speak for themselves on this matter as they show 2 out of every 5 teens die thanks to a fatal traffic accident.

Of those young adults that died, just about 60 percent of them were going over the posted speed limit of 40 mph or less and close to 75 percent of the accidents happened within 25 miles of the teen's home. Gives one pause for thought doesn't it? Well, Ohio wanted to make sure something was done about this and it implemented a law aimed at addressing these statistics. It's not often a state takes this kind of a preventative measure to protect life, but the fact that they did shows it was a serious concern to them.

The law mandates that drivers under 17 may only have one non-family passenger, unless there is a parent present in the vehicle at the same time. Other restrictions are that 17 and 18 year olds are not allowed to drive between the hours of 1 am to 5 am - which if you have a teen who likes to stay out late, certainly becomes an issue at home with relation to curfews.

If a parent or guardian is with the teen, this is one of the exceptions to the rule, as is travel to or from school functions or a job (so long as the employer provides written verification.)

Two categories of license holders that have always raised some serious debates when discussing the high accident statistics are probationary license holders and temporary instruction permit holders. Probationary holders are usually 16 or younger and they are not allowed to drive between midnight and 6 am. The exceptions here are if they have a parent with them or they're going to or from school activities or work (similar to the restrictions for drivers under 17.)

Temporary instruction permit holders 17 and under, are not allowed to drive between midnight and 6 am unless they are with a parent with a valid license, which really goes without saying. There are a variety of other restrictions based on age that deal with making sure everyone buckles up, etc.

There is one provision of this law that seems to be making a significant difference to the traffic accident statistics, and that is the moving violation section. This section states that if a young driver, under the age of 16, is convicted of a moving violation within the first 6 months of getting their driver's license, they have to travel with a parent in the car with them for six more months after the conviction - or until they turn 17.

You have to know this would totally freak out a young teen wanting to show off to their friends. However, that's the general idea of this law - show teens that there are consequences to everything they do, serious consequences.