A lawer in the field on naturalization law advises not to go on vacation after sending in the N-400 naturalization application, because suddenly you might be called in for the biometrics appointment or etc. I wonder though if it is safe to go out of town for several days. When you receive a notice for an appointment, how many days ahead of time has the appointment been?

I had 8 days advanced notice to the FP appointment from the date I recieved the letter. I think your lawyer is trying to caution you should you go on vacation and may get extended, but if its couple of days its not going to matter.

Just try to time it right. I went on vacation and it wasn't a problem at all. I had 5 days between receiving the letter and the appt. I would have somebody check your mail while you are gone.

Just don't go for an extended vacation like for 2 weeks. A few days won't make any difference you get enough warning for your bio appt. which you can always re-schedual. Interview on the other hand is a lot harder to deal with...

We were given the option of having the opportunity to get my wife's 3rd set of fingerprints, (wonder what happen to the first two sets) to either do it on the assigned date, (04/07/2008) that we couldn't make as already made an appointment in another town to get her passport renewed that took 3 months to get. Or any Wednesday at noon until 07/18/2008 at the Milwaukee field office. If wasn't done by that date, don't pass go, lose your 675 bucks, and have to reapply, but didn't have to go to jail like in Monopoly. 04/07/2008 was on a Monday, but we got it done 04/09/2008 that was the first Wednesday. 700 mile trip on Monday for us, another 450 mile trip on Wednesday, sure made Exxon happy.

Suggest you make a copy of your N-400 and bring that along, have to hand fill a form with the same questions on your N-400 and good to keep everything consistent.

We got out NOA and biometrics letter within 2 weeks of sending out our N-400. Plus, depending on how good your local office is, you may have your interview date within a few months.

Maybe have someone keep an eye on your mail?

We received the biometrics appointment letter 12 days after USCIS received the N-400. We got the appointment letter on June 14 and the appointment date is for June 25. There's a place in the appointment letter where you can request a new appointment. I hear that it's not a problem requesting a new appointment for the biometrics. My wife is actually in China right now and she is flying back home one day early to make the appointment. Our rush is if she can take the oath before our daughter turns 18 in October then our daughter will get the US Citizenship automatically. If not then she will have to apply on her own in 2+ years. So we didn't want to add any delays. It's already a long shot to make October.

I have very simmilar question. I am reday to send mine N-400 but we are planning going on vacation to Mexico. We haven`t bought the tickets yet. I am not sure how to make it work. If I Send the N-400 the day or two before I go to Mexico for 1 week will this a problem that I am going out of the country and obviosly it`s not listed on the application.

or If I go to Mexico first and when I come back send the N-400, I guess I will have to re-do the answer spent time out of US. Since I am applying based on 3 year marriage to US Citizen and I have been here 3 years and a half do I need to list this vacation to Mexico or just cover the period of 3 years since becoming Resident.


Thank you

If you are married to an American, you only have to be living in America for 1 and 1/2 years. If you are not married to an American you have to living in America for 3 years.

The real problem is missing your biometrics appointment. The letters are delivered quickly.

Call me paranoid, but I didn't make any plans for any vacation until that FP letter came in the mail. Afterwords, I was anxious about making any plans more than a month in advance anticipating my IL.