N400 based on marriage -

[NycBra 4]

For those who have already submitted N400 application based on marriage to a US citizen, how did you answer sections 6 and 7?

- Did you provide all 5 years of travel and residence history (even though you are applying based on the 3 year count mark)?

- Did you " strike " the word "five" and included "three", and filled the information only for the last 3 years since you are applying based on the 3 year residence/marriage mark?

I have been in US as a student between 2005 and 2007 with more than 6 months total travel abroad during that period. However, I became a resident at the end of 2007 with only 50 days abroad since then, therefore anything before that shouldn't really matter on their "count", right?

Edited September 19, 2010 by NycBra

[Happychap 0]

3 yrs if your applying based on marriage

[ELW 5]

Agreed, put only three years if you are applying due to marriage to US Citizen. We only put three years worth of residence and work history. We were going to cross out the 5 years and write in 3 instead, but forgot! Didn't matter, apparently no one cares and all is going smoothly and now scheduled for interview!

[Okalian 41]

I have been in US as a student between 2005 and 2007 with more than 6 months total travel abroad during that period. However, I became a resident at the end of 2007 with only 50 days abroad since then, therefore anything before that shouldn't really matter on their "count", right?

Correct. Only your time as a permanent resident count.

You know whats funny? they consider you non-existent until you become a permanent resident, regardless of how long you've been in the States They even send you a "welcome-to-the-United-States" letter when you get your greencard But i guess they look at it like you've always been a visitor.

But to be very honest, i really admire the fact that they tell me "Welcome Home" when I arrive at POE, even though im not a citizen yet. Gotta love America.

[NickD 203]

At the advice of our attorney, we answered that question literally as asked. That way they can't come back and say you changed the form. Apparently the USCIS hasn't taken the time to simply ask, How many days were you out of the country since becoming a LPR? If they don't like the answers, they can change that question.

And if you are applying at the earliest legal date by their instructions, its not 3 or 5 years, its 3 or 5 years minus 90 days! Could just put a ? in that box, attach a sheet a paper and state the table below only wants days out of the country exceeding 24 hours since becoming a LPR, in this case, our days out of the country is the sum of that table, which is X number of days.

At the end of the application is the application date that should be within that 90 day period you can apply legally from the 3rd or 5th anniversary when you became a LPR. That is the date you start counting backwards from for days outside the country.