"And the rockets red glare..."
34 years. That's how long Martin Espinosa waited to sing our National Anthem as a U.S. citizen.

"This is a pivot point in my life, the single most important decision I could ever make. It gives me the security to go ahead with my plans for the rest of my life," he says.

When Espinosa learned the immigration processing fee was going up 60-percent last July, he officially applied for legal status. But so did thousands of others, causing a backlog in the system. Many were told the process would take three times as long and they'd be ineligible to vote for the upcoming President.

"They hired some temp people and had some people working overtime and then we worked hard in Rockford. We offered many classes, extended hours we worked very hard to get our clients ready for the interview and tests," says Citizen Initiative Coordinator Victoria Almonaci.

"Even though I've been a-political or not interested in politics for 30 years, this moves me to be proactive. Are you going to vote? Absolutely. It is my responsibility, my first responsibility to this country," Espinosa says.

He feels it's important to choose our country's future. Not for him, but his children. So he began his first day as a U.S. citizen, registering to vote.

Starting in October, the test for citizenship is going to get more difficult. There will be more questions about the meaning of becoming a citizen, and fewer trivia and memorization.