Wow, its been a whilst since I've dropped by here But I am attempting to fill out the N400 to become a US citizen, and have done everything apart from the section where it asks you to list all the dates that you've been out of the country, for the last five years. I haven't lived here in the US for five years, so do I just go from when I filed for AOS in 2005? What have you guys all done on this question? If I answer for five years, I'll show a considerable number of days outside of the US (which is good I guess, as I shouldn't have been here for all that time anyways!!)

Any advice would be great, I'm a little lost on this one!

For the time prior to your entry to US, just write your last home address in UK--and don't bother writing down the trips.

For time after that point, write down the trips.

Did you read the N-400 Instruction Sheet?

"Part 7. Time Outside the United States (Including Trips to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean).
A. Write the total number of days you spent outside of the United States (including on military service) during the last five years. Count the days of every trip that lasted 24 hours or longer.
B. Write the number of trips you have taken outside the United States during the last five years. Count every trip that lasted 24 hours or longer.
C. Provide the requested information for every trip that you have taken outside the United States since you became a Lawful Permanent Resident. Begin with your most recent trip."

If you are filing 90 days before your 3rd PR card anniversary, you can only fill that out to the date you filed the application. Go back five years from that date, then count the days you were out of the country until the time you arrived and add that to days in step B putting the total in step A.

Does it make sense? What does make sense? Just do it if you want your citizenship.

NICKD is pretty opinionated when it comes to this topic. Not that I think what you are saying is rubbsih by any means, but don't think it is a cut and dry as you make it out to be.

I have talked to many who have done it with just listing the time since there GC and they have had no problem. However I haven’t talked to anyone yet who has been approved at an interview who has put in the days out of the country that have exceeded the allowable days out of the country (due to they only being here 3 years). I am not saying that it won’t get approved or people haven’t got approved, but I haven’t solicited any responses from them. Would love to hear their input, but I imagine most of them don’t frequent this site anymore since they are USC’s now. I imagine either way works, haven’t heard of any body being denied because of this question (who stayed with in the 3 or 5 year limits).

Certainly has been a discussion about listing your trips since you became a permanent resident, like if you live across the street from Canada, work in an international flight crew that has made 600 trips in the last three years, or you job requires a lot of overseas travel. Probably in those cases, best to consult with an immigration attorney. But how many trips are we talking about here?

Another problem that was one of ours, we didn't read the N-400 three years ago so didn't keep a diary of our trips since they are asking for the precise dates.

So that just leaves the number to put in the box, the number of days you were out of the country in the last five years, some suggest scratching out the five and writing in a three that could give reason for denial, and if you want to risk that, go ahead. But if you do that number would be the sum of the days you listed for your trips.

If you leave the form as is, can just subtract the number of days from the day you arrived here to the day your PRC indicates from 730 add the difference to the number of days you listed as being out of the country since you received your car and write that number in. But granted that number is irrelevant, the question should state the number of days you were out of the country since you became a permanent resident and they is what they want to know. So why didn't they ask it?

Luckily I've only had one trip home in the time since I became a permanent resident, and have been out of the US a whopping ten whole days since getting my greencard!

Thanks for the advice, its always good to hear some other opinions and get input!

Same with us, my step daughter not only to adapt but had to learn English as well starting off as a freshman in high school, so really no time to travel. Plus her biological father refused to sign for her passport and that is the rule of her country. So we could only make one trip, also ten days when my step daughter turned 18 and no longer required her dad's permission.

This day between dates saves a lot of calendar counting.

http://www.timeanddate.com/date/duration.html

Since it took the USCIS to present my wife and daughter 13 months to finally give them their green cards after their arrival here, considered those days as in the USA as they certainly were not out of this country and the day they arrived here was also the same date there address changed from there old country to this country.

We prepared our N-400 early selecting a date 90 days before the 3rd PR card anniversary day and that was the day put on when the application was made out and signed that was March 27, 2008. So by plugging in March 27, 2003 as the first date, and the day they arrived here as the second date, that gave us the days between dates, plus adding our ten days out of country, and plugging that number to the days they were out of the country for the last five years.

Again, does this make sense since the only days they care about our the days you are out of the country since receiving your PR card? But a stupid question deserves a stupid answer, a correct answer for their question, until they correct their form. But that is their job, not ours.