What is considered a stop by the police?

[corvusheart 163]

 Hi all. My husband will be going for his citizenship as soon as his window opens to do so. In the meantime I got him a study guide for the citizenship test. 2018 edition of course. There was one bit in the book that confused me. It said if you get arrested, detained or even stopped by the police you can have trouble with citizenship. He's never been arrested or detained or anything like that. But the book says if you've even gotten stopped by the police it can cause problems. He's never been directly stopped by the police. But one time in the car I was driving and he was a passenger. We were stopped by the police. We were stopped because I was swerving a bit on the road due to tiredness. The cop stopped is because of my poor driving. He never asked to see my husbands id or anything. He only asked him if he could drive for me since I was so tired. In which he replied he couldn't because he didn't have a driver's license after that the cop let us go without giving me a ticket. So it was more me being stopped and my husband was just in the car. So should he tell immigration he was stopped by police during the citizenship process? Or does this not count?

[Wuozopo 4,285]

Do NOT tell that story to immigration. YOU were driving. YOU were stopped. Nothing whatsoever to do with you husband. 

[payxibka 10,044]

5 minutes ago, corvusheart said:

 Hi all. My husband will be going for his citizenship as soon as his window opens to do so. In the meantime I got him a study guide for the citizenship test. 2018 edition of course. There was one bit in the book that confused me. It said if you get arrested, detained or even stopped by the police you can have trouble with citizenship. He's never been arrested or detained or anything like that. But the book says if you've even gotten stopped by the police it can cause problems. He's never been directly stopped by the police. But one time in the car I was driving and he was a passenger. We were stopped by the police. We were stopped because I was swerving a bit on the road due to tiredness. The cop stopped is because of my poor driving. He never asked to see my husbands id or anything. He only asked him if he could drive for me since I was so tired. In which he replied he couldn't because he didn't have a driver's license after that the cop let us go without giving me a ticket. So it was more me being stopped and my husband was just in the car. So should he tell immigration he was stopped by police during the citizenship process? Or does this not count?

you were stopped not him

[immianxiety 8]

16 minutes ago, corvusheart said:

 Hi all. My husband will be going for his citizenship as soon as his window opens to do so. In the meantime I got him a study guide for the citizenship test. 2018 edition of course. There was one bit in the book that confused me. It said if you get arrested, detained or even stopped by the police you can have trouble with citizenship. He's never been arrested or detained or anything like that. But the book says if you've even gotten stopped by the police it can cause problems. He's never been directly stopped by the police. But one time in the car I was driving and he was a passenger. We were stopped by the police. We were stopped because I was swerving a bit on the road due to tiredness. The cop stopped is because of my poor driving. He never asked to see my husbands id or anything. He only asked him if he could drive for me since I was so tired. In which he replied he couldn't because he didn't have a driver's license after that the cop let us go without giving me a ticket. So it was more me being stopped and my husband was just in the car. So should he tell immigration he was stopped by police during the citizenship process? Or does this not count?

He was not stopped so why would he say he was?

[corvusheart 163]

OK thanks. Another statement in the book says even when you were stopped by the police abroad you must report it. He was stopped twice in England by the police but was never charged or detained or anything like that. Once was when he was walking to a shop and started petting a stray cat. A police officer stopped and asked if he was loitering he answered honestly that he was just spending time with the cat. The police officer then said he should leave the area because there was currently a lot of criminal activity going on. So he agreed and left the area and nothing came of anything.

 

The second thing happened when a longer time ago when he was being beaten up by someone who lived on the same street as him and a police stopped the other person from assaulting him. The police officer asked him if he'd like to press charges on the man. He said no he just wanted to go home. So the police left the situation and the other guy left and again nothing came of it. Will these things need to be reported? Also when he got his foreign police report during the K-1 process it came up as "no trace". But do these things still need to be reported?

[Coco8 1,039]

8 minutes ago, corvusheart said:

OK thanks. Another statement in the book says even when you were stopped by the police abroad you must report it. He was stopped twice in England by the police but was never charged or detained or anything like that. Once was when he was walking to a shop and started petting a stray cat. A police officer stopped and asked if he was loitering he answered honestly that he was just spending time with the cat. The police officer then said he should leave the area because there was currently a lot of criminal activity going on. So he agreed and left the area and nothing came of anything.

 

The second thing happened when a longer time ago when he was being beaten up by someone who lived on the same street as him and a police stopped the other person from assaulting him. The police officer asked him if he'd like to press charges on the man. He said no he just wanted to go home. So the police left the situation and the other guy left and again nothing came of it. Will these things need to be reported? Also when he got his foreign police report during the K-1 process it came up as "no trace". But do these things still need to be reported?

Was he already living in the US with a green card when any of this happened?

[Lemonslice 4,555]

7 minutes ago, corvusheart said:

OK thanks. Another statement in the book says even when you were stopped by the police abroad you must report it. He was stopped twice in England by the police but was never charged or detained or anything like that. Once was when he was walking to a shop and started petting a stray cat. A police officer stopped and asked if he was loitering he answered honestly that he was just spending time with the cat. The police officer then said he should leave the area because there was currently a lot of criminal activity going on. So he agreed and left the area and nothing came of anything.

 

The second thing happened when a longer time ago when he was being beaten up by someone who lived on the same street as him and a police stopped the other person from assaulting him. The police officer asked him if he'd like to press charges on the man. He said no he just wanted to go home. So the police left the situation and the other guy left and again nothing came of it. Will these things need to be reported? Also when he got his foreign police report during the K-1 process it came up as "no trace". But do these things still need to be reported?

Seriously... talking to police officers is WAY different than being stopped or arrested.

 

Please breathe and use some judgment - do not get anxious over nothing. 

[corvusheart 163]

9 minutes ago, Coco8 said:

Was he already living in the US with a green card when any of this happened?

No, this was years before we even started the immigration process.

[Going through 5,668]

44 minutes ago, corvusheart said:

OK thanks. Another statement in the book says even when you were stopped by the police abroad you must report it. He was stopped twice in England by the police but was never charged or detained or anything like that. Once was when he was walking to a shop and started petting a stray cat. A police officer stopped and asked if he was loitering he answered honestly that he was just spending time with the cat. The police officer then said he should leave the area because there was currently a lot of criminal activity going on. So he agreed and left the area and nothing came of anything.

 

The second thing happened when a longer time ago when he was being beaten up by someone who lived on the same street as him and a police stopped the other person from assaulting him. The police officer asked him if he'd like to press charges on the man. He said no he just wanted to go home. So the police left the situation and the other guy left and again nothing came of it. Will these things need to be reported? Also when he got his foreign police report during the K-1 process it came up as "no trace". But do these things still need to be reported?

Neither incident needs be disclosed on his application.

He wasn't detained or ticketed or fined or cited or arrested or charged. 

 

In the 1st incident he was verbally advised by the police to clear the area for his own safety.

In the 2nd incident he was the victim, not the perpetrator.  

[Wuozopo 4,285]

25 minutes ago, corvusheart said:

No, this was years before we even started the immigration process.

 

Did petting kitty show up on his UK police certificate? If not, then he has nothing to report or even mention in the tiniest way on his application or at the interview. 

 

Use the USCIS checklist to read the real rules. https://www.uscis.gov/system/files_force/files/article/attachments.pdf?download=1

[corvusheart 163]

48 minutes ago, Wuozopo said:

 

Did petting kitty show up on his UK police certificate? If not, then he has nothing to report or even mention in the tiniest way on his application or at the interview. 

 

Use the USCIS checklist to read the real rules. https://www.uscis.gov/system/files_force/files/article/attachments.pdf?download=1

Perhaps the study guide we purchased is too extreme.

[Wuozopo 4,285]

43 minutes ago, corvusheart said:

Perhaps the study guide we purchased is too extreme.

 

My mantra for immigration was go straight to the source (USCIS) and read the instructions, forms, checklists over and over. And don't over think it by trying to think what USCIS might be thinking.

 

 But do use your common sense. If your husband's name was never even taken by a law enforcement officer and entered into his record, then you can't get a report to turn in because there is zero record for him. They want to know real offenses he might have committed and the official record of it.  He has none in his name. 

Edited January 8, 2018 by Wuozopo

[Coco8 1,039]

5 hours ago, corvusheart said:

No, this was years before we even started the immigration process.

Then I do not think it is relevant. Citizenship is based on your behavior during the GC. Anything before that matters for the GC, unless is something more serious than what you mentioned.

 

So I would not mention it because of that.

 

Plus, did he even (or had to) mention this when he applied for the GC?

[corvusheart 163]

6 hours ago, Coco8 said:

Then I do not think it is relevant. Citizenship is based on your behavior during the GC. Anything before that matters for the GC, unless is something more serious than what you mentioned.

 

So I would not mention it because of that.

 

Plus, did he even (or had to) mention this when he applied for the GC?

No. He only had to answer those generic questions about are you a terrorist or committed a crime before? Which was obviously no.

[corvusheart 163]

It's just that the book said "even if you are stopped by police you must report it". He said his name was taken down both times in England but nothing happened beyond that. He didn't go to the police department or anything.