after 36 years

[psoord 0]

Hi to all , am new here so forgive my nervousnous . So i moved here with my family back in 1977 from England, i was 13 at the time and will be 50 this year (nov) i have had a green card all this time and am ready to move forward for citizenship - i served in the army when i turned 18 for 3 years left under other than honarable but while i was in the army my parents and siblings did get their citizenship .. when i came out of the army i just went on with life .. now my wife wants me to pursue my citizenship which i have filled out all the paperwork and have it ready to go. My british passport was lost long ago while i wa sin the army and i never re applied as i have never been out of the states since being here my question as i see a lot stating they will ask for the old passport..will that be an issue as i havent had one in 30 years . anyway any help will be greatly apprecieated

thank you all

[Inky 1,110]

All passports are requested on the interview letter document. I would assume they wanted them if they are specifically requesting them. But for your situation i'm not sure if it would apply to you since it has been so long since you had one and it would seem you have never left the country traveling.

[Highyella72 11]

Hi to all , am new here so forgive my nervousnous . So i moved here with my family back in 1977 from England, i was 13 at the time and will be 50 this year (nov) i have had a green card all this time and am ready to move forward for citizenship - i served in the army when i turned 18 for 3 years left under other than honarable but while i was in the army my parents and siblings did get their citizenship .. when i came out of the army i just went on with life .. now my wife wants me to pursue my citizenship which i have filled out all the paperwork and have it ready to go. My british passport was lost long ago while i wa sin the army and i never re applied as i have never been out of the states since being here my question as i see a lot stating they will ask for the old passport..will that be an issue as i havent had one in 30 years . anyway any help will be greatly apprecieated

thank you all

I entered the USA and became a Resident Alien (green card holder) when I was 9 years old. When I turned 39 years old I applied for my citizenship and became american when I was 39, so it was also 30 years later. I wasn't asked to turn in my Canadian passport at that time. I was only required on the day of my citizenship swearing prior to the ceremony to turn in my green card so they could destroy it. I still have in my possession my Canadian passport as I don't use it, I have now an american passport. Just so you know I just became american in May 2011. I am not sure it is required to be turned in to be destroyed.

[Inky 1,110]

I entered the USA and became a Resident Alien (green card holder) when I was 9 years old. When I turned 39 years old I applied for my citizenship and became american when I was 39, so it was also 30 years later. I wasn't asked to turn in my Canadian passport at that time. I was only required on the day of my citizenship swearing prior to the ceremony to turn in my green card so they could destroy it. I still have in my possession my Canadian passport as I don't use it, I have now an american passport. Just so you know I just became american in May 2011. I am not sure it is required to be turned in to be destroyed.

It is illegal for another country to take and destroy another countries passport. They review the passport pages at the interview for traveling and such. Then hand them back to you. Nothing else is done with foreigner passports other than checking them.

[Highyella72 11]

It is illegal for another country to take and destroy another countries passport. They review the passport pages at the interview for traveling and such. Then hand them back to you. Nothing else is done with foreigner passports other than checking them.

Correct, but I never said they requested it to destroy it. I said they never requested mine at all. They never requested at the interview nor at the ceremony. However, it may just be because I was Canadian and all the years prior with a green card you were not required to have a passport to travel to and fro. All they asked was for the dates on the application in which I was in and out of the country and the length of time.

[Inky 1,110]

I still have in my possession my Canadian passport as I don't use it, I have now an american passport. Just so you know I just became american in May 2011. I am not sure it is required to be turned in to be destroyed.

Correct, but I never said they requested it to destroy it. I said they never requested mine at all. They never requested at the interview nor at the ceremony. However, it may just be because I was Canadian and all the years prior with a green card you were not required to have a passport to travel to and fro. All they asked was for the dates on the application in which I was in and out of the country and the length of time.

I am responding to the section of your post quoted above, you said you are not sure it is required to be turned in to be destroyed.

[NickD 202]

How many total days did you spend outside of the United States during the past five years? Zero

How many trips of 24 hours or more have you taken outside of the United States during the past five years? None

Now this next question is tricky because it states since becoming a LPR, are they serious about going back 30 years?

List below all the trips of 24 hours or more that you have taken outside of the United States since becoming a Lawful

Permanent Resident. Begin with your most recent trip. If you need more space, use a separate sheet(s) of paper.

But was written by that Cuban refugee that was made director of the USCIS by Bush, these questions confuse many people. But you are not required to have a passport, and from the sounds of it, never made trips after becoming a LPR, so just type in N/A in those columns. Leaving this country with the military does not count with trips. Many have either lost their passports or were long expired without problems. These questions are primarily for residency requirements, like becoming a LPR less than five years ago, and being out of the country for most of that time.

i served in the army when i turned 18 for 3 years left under other than honarable

Is the part you should be concerned about, hope not a dishonorable discharge. This may require some explaining.

[psoord 0]

How many total days did you spend outside of the United States during the past five years? Zero

How many trips of 24 hours or more have you taken outside of the United States during the past five years? None

Now this next question is tricky because it states since becoming a LPR, are they serious about going back 30 years?

List below all the trips of 24 hours or more that you have taken outside of the United States since becoming a Lawful

Permanent Resident. Begin with your most recent trip. If you need more space, use a separate sheet(s) of paper.

But was written by that Cuban refugee that was made director of the USCIS by Bush, these questions confuse many people. But you are not required to have a passport, and from the sounds of it, never made trips after becoming a LPR, so just type in N/A in those columns. Leaving this country with the military does not count with trips. Many have either lost their passports or were long expired without problems. These questions are primarily for residency requirements, like becoming a LPR less than five years ago, and being out of the country for most of that time.

Is the part you should be concerned about, hope not a dishonorable discharge. This may require some explaining.

Thank you all for your replies.. makes me feel a lot better.. oh and FYI .. no not a dishonarable just general under other than honorable ..

i will be submitting my paperwork this afternoon

thank you again

[FlipgalRN 19]

Hi to all , am new here so forgive my nervousnous . So i moved here with my family back in 1977 from England, i was 13 at the time and will be 50 this year (nov) i have had a green card all this time and am ready to move forward for citizenship - i served in the army when i turned 18 for 3 years left under other than honarable but while i was in the army my parents and siblings did get their citizenship .. when i came out of the army i just went on with life .. now my wife wants me to pursue my citizenship which i have filled out all the paperwork and have it ready to go. My british passport was lost long ago while i wa sin the army and i never re applied as i have never been out of the states since being here my question as i see a lot stating they will ask for the old passport..will that be an issue as i havent had one in 30 years . anyway any help will be greatly apprecieated

thank you all

Were you under the age of 21 when your parents became us citizens? Reason I ask is because you may already have a claim to us citizenship.

Edited March 19, 2013 by FlipgalRN

[psoord 0]

Were you under the age of 21 when your parents became us citizens? Reason I ask is because you may already have a claim to us citizenship.

i was 20 when they became naturalized citizens .. i was under the impressiong that although they became citizens as they were naturalized i still would have to apply etc ?

[FlipgalRN 19]

I would look into filing a N-600 (Certificate of Citizenship) not a N-400 (Application for Citizenship). You would need your parents naturalization certificate numbers as well. You are pretty much already a citizen if you satisfy all the requirements on the n-600. Just make sure you verify the dates of when they became citizens as long as you were under 21 you should be included.

Edited March 19, 2013 by FlipgalRN

[Okalian 41]

when they became citizens as long as you were under 21 you should be included.

I think you're confusing 2 different laws. Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) automatically grants a greencard when parents are granted a greencard, as long as the child is 21 years or younger and unmarried. However, Child Citizenship act grants citizenships automatically if one or both parents are naturalized when the child (a permanent resident) is 18 or younger.

So if the OP was 18 when his parents naturalized, he most likely is already a citizen. Since he was 20, he's on his own, citizenship-wise.

Edited March 19, 2013 by Okalian

[newacct 688]

I think you're confusing 2 different laws. Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) automatically grants a greencard when parents are granted a greencard, as long as the child is 21 years or younger and unmarried. However, Child Citizenship act grants citizenships automatically if one or both parents are naturalized when the child (a permanent resident) is 18 or younger.

So if the OP was 18 when his parents naturalized, he most likely is already a citizen. Since he was 20, he's on his own, citizenship-wise.

Also, I think the OP was born too early for the Child Citizenship Act to apply to him anyway.

[Jawaree 717]

Dude U can apply for a British PP at your High Comm with your BC(if U want it -I suggest U get one)

also U have all right to apply for citizenship ASAP, God forbid if U sneeze hard out of line these days

U can end up in removal proceedings even if U lived in the USA 90 yrs listen to your wife...U got no probs

best wishes bro.

[NickD 202]

I think you're confusing 2 different laws. Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) automatically grants a greencard when parents are granted a greencard, as long as the child is 21 years or younger and unmarried. However, Child Citizenship act grants citizenships automatically if one or both parents are naturalized when the child (a permanent resident) is 18 or younger.

So if the OP was 18 when his parents naturalized, he most likely is already a citizen. Since he was 20, he's on his own, citizenship-wise.

Wouldn't quite say automatically to get a green card if unmarried and under 21 years of age. That AOS stage is even more complicated and expensive to bring a child here than the parent of that child. Then if married under two years for that AOS, that child is still subject to the ROC stage. And that child has to receive that conditional card within 90 days of the parent or has have to file for a separate I-751 for that child or children. We were lucky in that we had a good attorney to expedite my stepdaughter's conditional green card, USCIS "misplaced: her file and did get it under that 90 day rule. Others here weren't so lucky and had to pay extra for that I-751.

So I can hardly use the word, automatic. But if under 18 for US citizenship, automatic does kind of apply, but without any proof of that US citizenship. Wonder who makes these laws and what their logic is behind it. USCIS claims congress makes these laws, any congressmen or senator I have talked to, has no idea what's going on. Let alone what the other 1,524 governmental agencies are doing with all their laws. Was told, the NVC is untouchable.