Can I travel?

[Lappa1 0]

Hi friends,

I have a question. My N-400 interview was on April 7th and I have passed the English and Civic test. After the interview the IO gave me a paper saying that a decision could not be made by that time. I have to visit my country and see my mother who is very sick. Do I have to wait until get a decision from USCIS or can I travel and come back soon after see my mother? Is that a problem since my case is pending? What should I do?

[YuAndDan 153]

You should be able to travel using the green-card if you still have the green-card.

[Stella08 0]

Unfortunately I don't have an answer to your question. But I'm very sorry to hear about your mother and I hope that you can visit her without any probelms soon. I'm keeping you and her in my prayers.

[Lappa1 0]

Yes, I have the GC with me but don't you think that will make an issue for the application that pending. When we fill up the N-400 we clearly write how many days we stayes out of the country. If I travel after the interview do they have to ammend the form or do I have to tell them on the oath time? Will they denay my application because of the travelling I did after the interview? Do you ever heard something like that? I know we should not travel between interview and oath ceremony. But, what if the application is not approved and still pending after the interview?

You should be able to travel using the green-card if you still have the green-card.

[YuAndDan 153]

Yes, I have the GC with me but don't you think that will make an issue for the application that pending. When we fill up the N-400 we clearly write how many days we stayes out of the country. If I travel after the interview do they have to ammend the form or do I have to tell them on the oath time? Will they denay my application because of the travelling I did after the interview? Do you ever heard something like that? I know we should not travel between interview and oath ceremony. But, what if the application is not approved and still pending after the interview?

You should be able to travel using the green-card if you still have the green-card.

No, the N-400 travel has to do with travel before you filed the N-400.

When it comes time to do Oath they may ask you about status between time of interview and the oath ceremony. You are an LPR until N-400 is approved and you are sworn as a US Citizen.

[jasminelily 1]

Yes, I have the GC with me but don't you think that will make an issue for the application that pending. When we fill up the N-400 we clearly write how many days we stayes out of the country. If I travel after the interview do they have to ammend the form or do I have to tell them on the oath time? Will they denay my application because of the travelling I did after the interview? Do you ever heard something like that? I know we should not travel between interview and oath ceremony. But, what if the application is not approved and still pending after the interview?

You should be able to travel using the green-card if you still have the green-card.

No, the N-400 travel has to do with travel before you filed the N-400.

When it comes time to do Oath they may ask you about status between time of interview and the oath ceremony. You are an LPR until N-400 is approved and you are sworn as a US Citizen.

Worst case scenario, even if they deny this N400, then you'll still be a LPR, they don't take off your LPR status, you can always reapply, so you're perfectly fine to travel with your GC and current passport.

[lucyrich 19]

You can travel just as well after your interview as you could have before the interview. If the days out of the country would push you over the limit on physical presence or break your continuous residence, then you'd have a problem traveling. But that's not a common situation.

At the oath ceremony, you'll return a sheet of paper which asks you about travel (and other things) that have happened after your interview. You'll fill in the dates of travel on that paper and turn it in. As long as you still meet the requirements, it won't be an issue.

We took a ten day international vacation after the interview and before the oath. Declared it on the form, and had no problem at all.

[Stella08 0]

Usually you are allowed to travel between interview and oath. On your oath letter it asks about travels abroad during that time and you can enter all that info. No problem at all. My greencard was about to expire when I passed the interview. I asked about international travel and the officer told me I should take my greencard and the approval letter from the interview with me and that way the IO at the POE will see that I applied for citizenship and got approved and that this is why I didn't have to apply for a new greencard. So maybe you want to take your greencard and your letter from the interview. You should be just fine.

[NickD 202]

"After the interview the IO gave me a paper saying that a decision could not be made by that time."

I assume they didn't check that Congratulations box, but the one below it, was a reason given why? A request for more evidence? Even if the Congratulations box is checked, still left hanging, maybe the supervisor didn't like the way the IO conducted the interview or any other unknown reason. You are left hanging until you finally get your oath letter.

And while you can travel with a valid green card, and even come back, you are left hanging again if you say your oath, they take away your green card, and you wonder how long and if you will get your US passport. Of course you can leave this country without it with a foreign passport, you just can't come back.

You generally can find some degree of mercy from the USCIS in the case of an emergency, would be not good if you just took off and an appointment letter comes in, you probably noticed they don't mutually agree on an appointment day, just say be there. Your main contact would be your IO, just hope you can make out his/her name, that tend to scribble it. They should point out to you before your interview to make sure you know that exact name of that person, and almost impossible to contact your field office by phone, so you have to send a letter explaining your predicament. If you are gone, and they want to see you with no response, you will get extensive delays. So try to make that contact first.

If you are in bed with your senators' office, they can do that for you, they have the phone numbers to call. Or you can try that general 800 number and hope for the best.

[Lappa1 0]

Thank you so much for you advise Mr. NickD. I am planning to write a letter to the IO who had interviewed me. Do you think my file will be with the IO who intervieed me or with the a supervisor?

The IO did not checked the congratulation box. He did put a reason for "not making a decision" on the paper. but the following colums are checked,

Its very important that

1) Notify USCIS is you change your address

2) Come to any scheduled interview

3) Submit all requested documetns.

4) If I want send question about my case to the officer's name given above.

5) Go to an Oath ceremony that you are scheduled to attend.

6) Write or notify to USCIS if can not make an scheduled oath with the N-652 copy.

I don't know what should I do. I don't have money to consult an attorney.

Please let me know what should I do.

Lappa

----------------

"After the interview the IO gave me a paper saying that a decision could not be made by that time."

I assume they didn't check that Congratulations box, but the one below it, was a reason given why? A request for more evidence? Even if the Congratulations box is checked, still left hanging, maybe the supervisor didn't like the way the IO conducted the interview or any other unknown reason. You are left hanging until you finally get your oath letter.

And while you can travel with a valid green card, and even come back, you are left hanging again if you say your oath, they take away your green card, and you wonder how long and if you will get your US passport. Of course you can leave this country without it with a foreign passport, you just can't come back.

You generally can find some degree of mercy from the USCIS in the case of an emergency, would be not good if you just took off and an appointment letter comes in, you probably noticed they don't mutually agree on an appointment day, just say be there. Your main contact would be your IO, just hope you can make out his/her name, that tend to scribble it. They should point out to you before your interview to make sure you know that exact name of that person, and almost impossible to contact your field office by phone, so you have to send a letter explaining your predicament. If you are gone, and they want to see you with no response, you will get extensive delays. So try to make that contact first.

If you are in bed with your senators' office, they can do that for you, they have the phone numbers to call. Or you can try that general 800 number and hope for the best.

[NickD 202]

Perhaps you don't want to disclosed the reason for the denial, can only guess about a court case or more evidence. You don't have to disclose it, but it generally means you have to bring another piece of paper in and they tell you when to do that. In one case we know of, the applicant was told to come to provide more evidence but not what evidence they wanted, so she had to make a second trip to bring the evidence, of all things, those stupid utility bills that don't amount to #######. Each trip for her was very expensive with days lost from work, taking a trains and way overpriced downtown Chicago hotel bills, they no longer let you sleep in the train stations at night.

Do you have someone at home to open your mail and act responsibly to request if anything even comes in? But do keep your IO informed and you do have a crisis situation, even the military was kind in this respect when I was in. Hopefully, all will work out for you.

[lucyrich 19]

Thank you so much for you advise Mr. NickD. I am planning to write a letter to the IO who had interviewed me. Do you think my file will be with the IO who intervieed me or with the a supervisor?

The IO did not checked the congratulation box. He did put a reason for "not making a decision" on the paper. but the following colums are checked,

Its very important that

1) Notify USCIS is you change your address

2) Come to any scheduled interview

3) Submit all requested documetns.

4) If I want send question about my case to the officer's name given above.

5) Go to an Oath ceremony that you are scheduled to attend.

6) Write or notify to USCIS if can not make an scheduled oath with the N-652 copy.

I don't know what should I do. I don't have money to consult an attorney.

Please let me know what should I do.

Lappa

I wouldn't get too concerned just yet. We got exactly the same box checked. No "Congratulations", but instead "A decision cannot be made at this time". We never found out the reason. A few weeks later (see our timeline below) we got an oath letter. I've heard reports from several others with the same experience. I've also heard plenty of people who got the "Congratulations" box checked.

They will send you some communications soon. With any luck at all, it will be an oath letter. If not, it will be an RFE or some other communications that will give more details of a problem and how you can correct it. If and when that happens, you will deal with it. But until that happens, you have to wait.

Those things about notifying the USCIS, attending interview, submitting requested documents, etc. are the standard things they always have on the form letter.

"A decision cannot be made at this time" is NOT the same as "we think we're going to decide against you".

[NickD 202]

Thank you so much for you advise Mr. NickD. I am planning to write a letter to the IO who had interviewed me. Do you think my file will be with the IO who intervieed me or with the a supervisor?

The IO did not checked the congratulation box. He did put a reason for "not making a decision" on the paper. but the following colums are checked,

Its very important that

1) Notify USCIS is you change your address

2) Come to any scheduled interview

3) Submit all requested documetns.

4) If I want send question about my case to the officer's name given above.

5) Go to an Oath ceremony that you are scheduled to attend.

6) Write or notify to USCIS if can not make an scheduled oath with the N-652 copy.

I don't know what should I do. I don't have money to consult an attorney.

Please let me know what should I do.

Lappa

I wouldn't get too concerned just yet. We got exactly the same box checked. No "Congratulations", but instead "A decision cannot be made at this time". We never found out the reason. A few weeks later (see our timeline below) we got an oath letter. I've heard reports from several others with the same experience. I've also heard plenty of people who got the "Congratulations" box checked.

They will send you some communications soon. With any luck at all, it will be an oath letter. If not, it will be an RFE or some other communications that will give more details of a problem and how you can correct it. If and when that happens, you will deal with it. But until that happens, you have to wait.

Those things about notifying the USCIS, attending interview, submitting requested documents, etc. are the standard things they always have on the form letter.

"A decision cannot be made at this time" is NOT the same as "we think we're going to decide against you".

You mean like an inexperienced IO that for example, takes two hours to decide whether to wear a red, blue or no tie at all?

That is a definite possibility and would much prefer if his/her supervisor would make the decision for him/her.

[Lappa1 0]

Thankk you so much for you quick response which gives me more hope. The case status screen shows an RFE sent on the day of the interview which I did not get until today. I made several call to 1800 numbers and they told me to make an INFOPASS. When I made an INFOPASS the officer in the counter went into to inside the office with the online stauts printout to talk the actual IO who interviewed me. He came back and told me that the IO did not make a decision yet and I should wait. When I asked him how long I should wait he said he did not have an answer and the file is with the IO, so I should wait. I asked about the online status (shows RFE Sent) he said that it was a mistake, don't worry about it. What does this all mean? As fare as i remember the actual interview was not a bad one. I gave answers for everything he asked. My husband is 10 yrs oldder than me. Is that a problem in their eyes?

[NickD 202]

It doesn't take luck to apply for USC, it takes work, have to completely and honestly fill out the N-400, read the M-476 manual and meet all the eligibility requirements plus gather all the evidence and other items they request, make out the check properly and mail it in.

Where the luck comes in is making your appointment on time not running into a severe traffic jam and having a good decent IO. Sounds like with the latter, you were not lucky, he/she is sitting on your application, that isn't right. But legally, he/she has 120 days to play with it. Wife's IO sat on her application, I got my senator on her with a letter of apology from the office manager and an oath appointment within three days of my call.

Not familiar with any age requirements for marriage, but believe if you are under 18 in some states, require your parents permission and if like the rest of us, you did manage to get the AOS and the I-751 without your age difference being a problem.

Depending on your IO, if you make inquiries, may just set your application further back, run into people like that, I just don't know what type of person he/she is. But with me, I will go over their head.