I 131 in case my wife doesn't pass the test..

[reloman 0]

Hello, thank you for your time.

My wife is taking the citizenship test next month, and we have real concerns that she will not pass the test. To put it in context, it took over 20 trips to the DMV to get her driver's license. I've been trying to encourage her to study for the civics test, but she only gets frustrated and says that she doesn't really care if she becomes a US Citizen. She's had a green card for 6 years, and is content with that. However, her last trip back home, Thailand, was almost 6 months in length and they gave us a hard time coming back in to the US. Knowing that our next trip, which begins in June, will be one year in length, I've been hoping she would take more interest in studying for N400 civics test, but no luck. We've already applied for the N400 and completed biometrics. Can you stop the process and get a refund at this point? Our next option is to get an I131 reentry permit. Does anyone know an alternative to spending almost $500 for an I131? Before you reply with "the test is easy" or "just study for the test", please understand that it is likely she will not pass the test. Like many Visajourney members, I married my wife and brought her here not fully comprehending the scope of what we were undertaking. 7 years on, we are very happy together, and truly in love. But, we also understand her limitations when it comes to taking a test in English. Any advice on how we can travel abroad for extended periods is appreciated.

Thank you.

John.

[Darth Vader Ku 16]

Hello, thank you for your time.

My wife is taking the citizenship test next month, and we have real concerns that she will not pass the test. To put it in context, it took over 20 trips to the DMV to get her driver's license. I've been trying to encourage her to study for the civics test, but she only gets frustrated and says that she doesn't really care if she becomes a US Citizen. She's had a green card for 6 years, and is content with that. However, her last trip back home, Thailand, was almost 6 months in length and they gave us a hard time coming back in to the US. Knowing that our next trip, which begins in June, will be one year in length, I've been hoping she would take more interest in studying for N400 civics test, but no luck. We've already applied for the N400 and completed biometrics. Can you stop the process and get a refund at this point? Our next option is to get an I131 reentry permit. Does anyone know an alternative to spending almost $500 for an I131? Before you reply with "the test is easy" or "just study for the test", please understand that it is likely she will not pass the test. Like many Visajourney members, I married my wife and brought her here not fully comprehending the scope of what we were undertaking. 7 years on, we are very happy together, and truly in love. But, we also understand her limitations when it comes to taking a test in English. Any advice on how we can travel abroad for extended periods is appreciated.

Thank you.

John.

1) You can stop the process. You will not get a refund.

2) It is not likely that you will find an alternative to avoid the mandatory filing fee to obtain the Re-entry Permit unless you qualify under indigent circumstances. That said, a couple with the resources to fly to Thailand is unlikely to qualify for fee exceptions for petitions to the USCIS.

[Jamnan_n_Steve 17]

We are a year and a half away from filing, but I understand your wife's trepidation about taking an exam in English. For us it is not the lenghthy travel but the ability to claim Social Security in Thailand.

I am not sure what your wife's stumbling block is - a helpful resource is the Seattle Public Library's citizenship guides, especially the Thai translation of the '100-question' civic exam:

http://www.spl.org/audiences/literacy-and-esl/citizenship-help#booklets

and their introductory video to the interview process:

http://www.seattlechannel.org/videos/video.asp?ID=4681

It might also be helpful to play the audio version of the questions on the USCIS on a MPEG player set to random play while walking. If you can't convert the CD versions to MPEGs (Windows Media Player will do the job) send me a message and I will forward them to you.

Steve

[NickD 202]

Know for a fact I would be dead meat if I had to take this civics test in Spanish. So certainly can appreciate another person speaking a foreign language could have great difficulty taking this test in English.

See if this site can help your wife:

http://www.uscis.gov/citizenship/other-languages

Wife commented the woman ahead of her at her oath ceremony couldn't even fill out those eight questions let alone fill in the date and location of the field office on the back of her oath letter. She said the officer helped her with this, so maybe not that critical.

[Karee 4,189]

I guess I'd put it to her like this:

"Study for the test and pass it, or risk flying 48 hours straight from Bangkok to the U.S. and back to Bangkok"

Because when she get's denied entry at POE because of failure to maintain residency, she'll be on the next flight back to Thailand or some other country outside of of the U.S.

[Karee 4,189]

I guess I'd put it to her like this:

"Study for the test and pass it, or risk flying 48 hours straight from Bangkok to the U.S. and back to Bangkok"

Because when she get's denied entry at POE because of failure to maintain residency, she'll be on the next flight back to Thailand or some other country outside of of the U.S.

ETA: My wife barely speaks English, mostly because I'm lazy and talk to her in Thai most of the time. She passed the test just fine, but she studied a lot for it.

Edited April 16, 2014 by Karee

[Messybrownhair 251]

I taught ESL in China for a year so I understand how your wife feels. If we lived close I would have volunteered to be her study buddy. Some advice I can give is turn it into a fun activity and not a chore, not something to be intimidated by. Write the questions on flash cards and pick one or two a day to work on, play the audio cd in the car. The Chinese I worked with were preparing for much harder tests like the toefl and gre etc and they were petrified but very determined. Motivation is a huge factor. Maybe if she understood the implications of not being a USC then she will be more motivated? Goodluck and I would at least tell her to try

Edited April 16, 2014 by Messybrownhair

[Leatherneck 693]

A re-entry permit is the option if you plan to be outside the U.S. for one year. As you already know first hand, any extended period of stay outside of the U.S. can be a hassle.

CBP officers have wide discretion--which means few options for maintaining permanent residence status.

[reloman 0]

We are a year and a half away from filing, but I understand your wife's trepidation about taking an exam in English. For us it is not the lenghthy travel but the ability to claim Social Security in Thailand.

I am not sure what your wife's stumbling block is - a helpful resource is the Seattle Public Library's citizenship guides, especially the Thai translation of the '100-question' civic exam:

http://www.spl.org/audiences/literacy-and-esl/citizenship-help#booklets

and their introductory video to the interview process:

http://www.seattlechannel.org/videos/video.asp?ID=4681

It might also be helpful to play the audio version of the questions on the USCIS on a MPEG player set to random play while walking. If you can't convert the CD versions to MPEGs (Windows Media Player will do the job) send me a message and I will forward them to you.

Steve

Thanks so much! I can't wait to show her the video tonight!

[reloman 0]

ETA: My wife barely speaks English, mostly because I'm lazy and talk to her in Thai most of the time. She passed the test just fine, but she studied a lot for it.

Thanks Karee. Good to know others in the same boat were able to pass. Thanks to everyone for chiming in, VJ to the rescue...again!