Hispanic Heritage Month: Celebrating the Path to U.S. Citizenship

By Melisa Peña, Esq. Founding Partner | September 18th, 2026

Every week in our Miami office, we sit across from people who have been waiting. Waiting for the right moment, waiting until life settles down a little, waiting until they feel completely ready. And every week, we remind them of the same thing: the right moment is usually now.

Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from September 15 to October 15, feels like the right moment to talk about something we care deeply about: what U.S. citizenship actually means, who it’s within reach for, and why waiting costs more than most people realize.

Miami is a city built by immigrants. By families who came here from Cuba, Venezuela, Colombia, Haiti, Nicaragua, and dozens of other countries, and built something real from scratch. This month belongs to that community. And so does this conversation.

Why Hispanic Heritage Month Starts on September 15

You might have noticed that Hispanic Heritage Month doesn’t start on the first of the month. That’s intentional. September 15 is the independence anniversary of five Latin American countries—Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Mexico’s independence day follows on September 16, and Chile’s on September 18.

The month was designed to overlap with that wave of celebrations—a deliberate recognition that the Hispanic and Latino community isn’t one story. It’s dozens of stories, from dozens of countries, woven into the fabric of this one. In Miami more than anywhere, that’s something you can feel.

What Citizenship Actually Gets You

We talk to a lot of people who think citizenship is mostly symbolic—a nice thing to have, but not all that different from a green card in day-to-day life. That’s usually not true, and we like to set the record straight.

Citizenship comes with real, concrete advantages that a green card simply doesn’t offer:

• The right to vote. Federal, state, local—your voice in every election.

• Permanent protection from deportation. A green card can be lost. Citizenship, once lawfully obtained, essentially cannot.

• A U.S. passport. Visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to far more countries than most other passports in the world.

• Faster family reunification. As a citizen, you can bring a spouse, parent, or unmarried child under 21 as an immediate relative—no annual cap, much shorter waits. For families who are separated, this matters enormously.

• Federal jobs, benefits, and more. Certain opportunities and protections are simply not available to non-citizens—including the ability to run for local and state office.

And in many cases, your children born abroad can acquire citizenship automatically when you naturalize. That protection extends to the next generation.

Not sure if you’re ready to apply? We can walk through it with you. Our team speaks English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole. Call us at 305-615-1005 or visit www.jp-lawgroup.com.

What the Path to Citizenship Actually Looks Like

For most green card holders, the path is more straightforward than people expect—even if the paperwork doesn’t always feel that way.

You hold a green card for five years—or three, if you’re married to and living with a U.S. citizen. You maintain continuous residence and physical presence in the U.S. during that time. You show good moral character. You pass the English and civics test. And then you file Form N-400, go through a biometrics appointment and an interview, and—if approved—you take the Oath of Allegiance.

Every step has details that can create problems if they’re not handled carefully. An old criminal charge. A long trip abroad. A gap in tax returns. None of these are automatic disqualifiers, but all of them need to be reviewed before you file—not discovered at the interview. That’s exactly what we do.

One More Reason Not to Wait

Beyond the personal reasons to apply, there’s a practical one right now: naturalization filing fees are set to rise significantly. USCIS has proposed an increase of roughly 75–80% to the citizenship application fee. The rule is still being finalized—but once it is, the higher fee applies immediately.

If you’re eligible and you’ve been putting this off, filing now is the simplest way to save several hundred dollars on something you were going to do eventually anyway. The citizenship itself doesn’t change. Only the price tag does.

Legal Guidance You Can Trust

Every citizenship case we handle carries weight. Behind the paperwork is someone’s history—the sacrifices that got them here, the years of work that got them this far, and the future they’re trying to protect. We never lose sight of that, even when we’re in the middle of forms and filing deadlines.

Getting the application wrong can do more than delay things. A missed issue in your history, an unanswered question on your citizenship application, a detail that wasn’t addressed before filing—any of these can turn a straightforward case into something much more complicated. Our bilingual team makes sure that doesn’t happen.

This month is a celebration of where our clients come from. Every citizenship case we file is a celebration of where they’re headed.

Frequently Asked Questions

I’ve been a green card holder for over 10 years and still haven’t filed. Is it too late?

Almost never. As long as you still hold a valid green card and meet the eligibility requirements, you can apply. Long-term green card holders sometimes worry that waiting has hurt their chances—it usually hasn’t. That said, extended time spent outside the U.S. or gaps in tax filing can create complications worth reviewing before you file.

Once I become a citizen, can I bring my parents to the United States?

Yes—and this is one of the benefits of citizenship our clients value most. As a U.S. citizen, you can sponsor your parents as immediate relatives, which means no annual numerical cap and significantly shorter wait times than other family categories. For families who have been separated for years, this can be life-changing.

What actually happens at the naturalization interview?

A USCIS officer reviews your N-400 application with you, asks questions about your background and eligibility, and administers the English and civics tests. Most interviews are straightforward if your application is well-prepared. Bring your green card, a government-issued photo ID, and any documents USCIS requested. If you worked with an attorney, your application will already anticipate most of what the officer will ask.

My kids were born in another country. Do they become citizens automatically when I naturalize?

In many cases, yes—but the rules are specific. Under the Child Citizenship Act, a child born abroad may automatically acquire U.S. citizenship when a parent naturalizes, as long as the child is under 18, is a lawful permanent resident, and lives in the U.S. in the legal and physical custody of the naturalizing parent. Children who don’t meet all those conditions may need a separate application. We look at each family’s situation individually.

Can the government take my citizenship away after I receive it?

It’s extremely rare. Citizenship can be revoked if it was obtained through fraud or misrepresentation—but lawfully obtained citizenship is essentially permanent. This is one reason we take the accuracy of your N-400 so seriously. A truthful, well-prepared application protects your citizenship for the rest of your life.

Ready to start your path to citizenship? Contact Jarbath Peña Law Group today at 305-615-1005 or visit us at www.jp-lawgroup.com for a consultation. Let us help you take that final step.