Filing N-400 - Questions

[sweetpea1 0]

I intend to file for naturalization 90 days before my 3year (marriage to a US citizen) requirement and I have the following questions for anyone who can help me.

First question. My 90days filing date (November '09), will be before the year's end so I will only be able to send 2 years tax transcripts of my wife and myself. We have been married for 43 years and she has been a US citizen for 22+years. I won't be able to file taxes for 2009 until mid Febuary 2010. We are both retired for 7 years and live on a fixed income. Would this present a problem or can I go ahead and file my N-400 with all the other required documentation (bank accounts, property tax receipts, copy of deed to our home, etc) and when called for my interview have the 2009 tax return/transcript available for the IO or should I wait until after filing my 2009 tax return and apply for citizenship?

Second question. As mentioned above I have been retired for 7years so is it okay to put retired and the date in the section which asks that you list employment during the last 5 years?

Third question. Both our children are US citizens. Is it okay to so state in the section which refers to children and their ARC number and to put their Certificate numbers on the form?

Any help would be greatly appreciated

[queendlee 1]

I intend to file for naturalization 90 days before my 3year (marriage to a US citizen) requirement and I have the following questions for anyone who can help me.

First question. My 90days filing date (November '09), will be before the year's end so I will only be able to send 2 years tax transcripts of my wife and myself. We have been married for 43 years and she has been a US citizen for 22+years. I won't be able to file taxes for 2009 until mid Febuary 2010. We are both retired for 7 years and live on a fixed income. Would this present a problem or can I go ahead and file my N-400 with all the other required documentation (bank accounts, property tax receipts, copy of deed to our home, etc) and when called for my interview have the 2009 tax return/transcript available for the IO or should I wait until after filing my 2009 tax return and apply for citizenship?

Second question. As mentioned above I have been retired for 7years so is it okay to put retired and the date in the section which asks that you list employment during the last 5 years?

Third question. Both our children are US citizens. Is it okay to so state in the section which refers to children and their ARC number and to put their Certificate numbers on the form?

Any help would be greatly appreciated

1. Yes, you can go ahead and file. They may either ask for the tax return at the interview or you can explain you had not filed, they should know that people don't file taxes until between Feb-April. I filed mine before my husband and I finished our 2008 taxes (he always waits until late march/early april).

2. I think it's ok to put retired, but maybe you can put what you did in brackets (one word).

3. if your kids were born here, I think it's ok not to put a number in, if they have alien numbers/USC certificate numbers you should put it in.

Edited May 12, 2009 by queendlee

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Instead of including only 2 years of tax transcripts, include 3 - 2008, 2007 and 2006. That way you won't get an RFE for a tax transcript. They do explicitly state 3 years worth of taxes and it doesn't mean that one of those years is the tax year you are currently in.

Yes, just put down retired and the date that you retired.

If your children were born in the US you just need to check off US citizen. If they are naturalized citizens, then they would have A numbers and you would list their A numbers where it asks.

Good luck.

[sweetpea1 0]

Instead of including only 2 years of tax transcripts, include 3 - 2008, 2007 and 2006. That way you won't get an RFE for a tax transcript. They do explicitly state 3 years worth of taxes and it doesn't mean that one of those years is the tax year you are currently in.

Yes, just put down retired and the date that you retired.

If your children were born in the US you just need to check off US citizen. If they are naturalized citizens, then they would have A numbers and you would list their A numbers where it asks.

Good luck.

Thanks Queendlee and Kathryn41 for your replies. However with respect Kathryn41, I was not a LPR in 2006 and did not ever work in the US so I don't see how I will be able to get a transcript from IRS for that year. Also my sons would have a certificate of naturalization number not an A number so I am inclined to believe that Queendlee suggestions would be more correct. Maybe I should add a letter to my N-400 explaining the issues. Nevertheless I do appreciate both your kind help

[motu 6]

I sent in the tax returns I had - you can't send a copy if you haven't filed it yet (and are not required to file yet). AT the interview my wife took tax returns for 2006, 2007, 2008 and the interviewer took the 2007 and 08 returns. It's not a big deal - we had no rfe or anything for that. Your other two questions are simple - Yes! By the way - this is the easiest of all processes - don't worry about it (unless you have illegal acts in your background! ) Good Luck

[sweetpea1 0]

I sent in the tax returns I had - you can't send a copy if you haven't filed it yet (and are not required to file yet). AT the interview my wife took tax returns for 2006, 2007, 2008 and the interviewer took the 2007 and 08 returns. It's not a big deal - we had no rfe or anything for that. Your other two questions are simple - Yes! By the way - this is the easiest of all processes - don't worry about it (unless you have illegal acts in your background! ) Good Luck

Motu, Thanks for the info. I appreciate the time you, Queendlee and Kathryn41 took to answer my concerns.

[sweetpea1 0]

I sent in the tax returns I had - you can't send a copy if you haven't filed it yet (and are not required to file yet). AT the interview my wife took tax returns for 2006, 2007, 2008 and the interviewer took the 2007 and 08 returns. It's not a big deal - we had no rfe or anything for that. Your other two questions are simple - Yes! By the way - this is the easiest of all processes - don't worry about it (unless you have illegal acts in your background! ) Good Luck

One other question.

Is it okay to make a copy of my wife's Certificate of Naturalization to attach to my N-400? There is a statement on the document which says it is illegal to copy of this document. I am puzzled as the USCIS instructions for filing the N-400 asks for a copy of this document. Reason I am asking is my wife's current passport is only one year old and a copy of the appropriate pages does not indicate she has been a USC for the last 3 years although she has been a citizen for 22+years. Any help with this issue.

As always a big thank you

[motu 6]

Is it okay to make a copy of my wife's Certificate of Naturalization to attach to my N-400?

Yes - we have all done this. And I have done it many times - for my wife's K1, AOS, citizenship etc. Good Luck

Edited May 14, 2009 by motu