Citizenship and criminal record
In 2001 I was charged with shoplifting (retail fraud 3rd degree in michigan. I was convicted and paid fine and 7 days community service. In 2005 i got my green card. The case was expunged in 2008. Ever since 2001 i do not have any other criminal record in the last 9 years. Would this be a problem during the citizenship cause the application says good moral character in the last 5 years. My case is 9 years old and so i satisfy the 5 year rule for good moral character but not sure.
Generally speaking, USCIS looks at the last five years preceding the application, but they CAN go back as long as they wish for adjudicating good moral character. My guess is, you should be fine.
I have been in DC for 2.5 years now and spoken to many lawyers when it came to retaining services for immigration needs. In every interaction I have had with Rajiv's office, I was most impressed their honesty and no-nonsense attitude. Having dealt with some pretty bad lawyers who were more concerned about $$ than the interests of the client, dealing with Rajiv's firm was a breath of fresh air. I cannot say enough good things about Diane, my case manager. She really has been beyond fantastic. The most important thing for me was timely feedback, and in that regard, Diane was exceptional. I never ever had to ask as to what was going on with my application, b/c she was one step ahead in telling me. I wish I could send more positive comments about her, but I cant, simply because I do not believe it does her professionalism, her demeanor or her experience justice. Overall, a great experience (and one that only took 2.5 months for the GC ! ! !)