Hi! I just mailed my N400 today (YAY!) but I just realized that in the question about how many days/trips I spent outside the US, I forgot to cross the "5 years" and replace with "3 years" since I am applying based on marriage. Do you think they're going to be fussy about it? I hope not....I've only spent 44 days abroad in 3.5 years I've been in the US.

There won't be a problem - we didn't cross it out. They'll see your documents of marriage and realize why you're applying now.

Good Luck!

I don't understand that crossing out, but did you go back five years on your addresses and employment history? I handle all this legal stuff for my wife, but she seems to be finding many of her fellow countrymen on the web in the same boat she is in. One thing about the USCIS, they seem to check over the applications quickly and either accept them or reject them. If you get yours back, that will answer your question. Wasn't that big of a deal to count days and I haven't the slightest idea why they want that since they have all the dates to the day and the number of days, dates, that you have left the country since getting your PRC.

Depending on who looks at your form, you may tee them off and they will just set your application aside, just give them what they ask for.

I didn't cross out anything and my application was just fine, don't worry

You'll be fine.

I haven't sent mine in yet,and I'm applying under the 3 yr thing (came in on cr-1 visa) Where does it say to cross out the 5 years? On that 1 question, how many days one has been out of the country for the past 5 years, I estimated the days as best as I could. I assume this is the question your talking about??? part 7 question 'A" If so, I'm curious to see where it states to cross that off?

A. How many total days did you spend outside of the United States during the past five years?

Cross out the five and write a three above it, but that question is answerable in the literal sense.

This is an ambiguous question.

B. How many trips of 24 hours or more have you taken outside of the United States during the past five years?

Now how can you go back five years if you only lived here four years and two months? And how can you take a trip out of the USA for those ten months you didn't live here if you are not even here to leave the US?

The only logic I could use was during that ten month span in our lives, my wife wasn't my wife then, but she came here three times, but she didn't LEAVE the USA, she CAME to the USA, so we didn't count those three trips. In many aspects, it is a very poorly written form. We didn't leave the USA from the time she arrived here until she became a permanent resident and that arrival date is clearly stated and since we only left the USA once since her time of arrival, that worked out the same as number of times as when she became a permanent resident, and hence we answered 7B.

Feel question A and B, should be changed by the USCIS from Five years until the time one became a permanent resident, but they should do that, not us in my opinion. If you are not a permanent resident, you are nothing in regards to the USA, you are a citizen of another country, and can be here on a marriage, student, or work visa, on a K1, or just a tourist or here on business and you are expected to leave the USA when that time is up, unless you got married on the K1.

I was just curious if there was anything OFFICIAL that stated to cross out the 5 and write in 3 years.

I never saw it officially stated anywhere, I suppose that when you send a marriage based application it is given the years to be considered are 3...

As we all know nothing is "given" when it deals with immigration,lol people have had forms returned for the strangest reasons!

Heard someone say that some immigration attorneys started this practice, and if his/her fee is based on acceptance of all forms by the USCIS, that is fine with me. But I am not about to make changes to their forms, that can be good reason to reject them. Have to say from all the government and other forms I had to fill out over the years, the USCIS rates as the poorest and the most confusing.

Ha, that I-693 Medical form still let's you come in with every disease known to mankind as long as you agree to consoling. That I-751 demands all kinds of proof that you are living together but still allows permanent residency with a zillion reasons if you are not. That I-130 kind of says and doesn't if your spouse has a kid whether that form includes that kid or not. By the way, it does not include that kid, have to do a separate I-130 for each kid plus pay the fee, but the I-751 does allow you to include any number of kids, but the N-400 does not.

After you read all the forms and try to fill them out, helps to get about three months of psycho therapy or soak your head in a bucket of ice water for a couple of hours.

Actually, the "given" on the N-400 is part 2B where you check "I have been a Lawful Permanent Resident of the United States for at least three years, and I have been married to and living with the same U.S. citizen for the last three years, and my spouse has been a U.S. citizen for the last three years." So, based on that they'll see what you're applying for.

Good Luck!

I thought everyone understood that's what I meant...thank you.

I wil probably just leave it as it is with the 5 years and include a cover sheet with a 3 yr explanation. Probably doesnt really much matter