N-400, Employment History

[gadt25 1]

Hi all,

Is it necessary to list overseas employment if it is included within the 5 year period? My wife has been here 3 years and has had short periods of employment interspersed with short periods of unemployment. If we include all periods of employment and unemployment for the past 5 years we will have 10 sections of Part 7.

[Darth Vader Ku 16]

Hi all,

Is it necessary to list overseas employment if it is included within the 5 year period? My wife has been here 3 years and has had short periods of employment interspersed with short periods of unemployment. If we include all periods of employment and unemployment for the past 5 years we will have 10 sections of Part 7.

It is necessary as stipulated in the form to list all domestic and international employment, including periods of unemployment, that fall within your statutory period. It does not matter that doing so would require ten sections (or even more) for Part Seven. The form makes this reasonably clear.

Good luck!

[gadt25 1]

Thought so. Thank you Sir !

[Darth Vader Ku 16]

Thought so. Thank you Sir !

I'm not a USCIS agent and my opinion has no authority, just so you know. Why would you think it shouldn't be included?

Good luck!

[Messybrownhair 251]

If filing based on 3 years of marriage, we only include residences and employment while we were in the US right for the past 3 years right? What happened beyond 3 years ago prior to becoming a resident or even reaching the country is not relevant? Thats what other members here have said. For example, I arrived here February 2011, so I include all address and schools/employment since then, not what I was doing in the Philippines in 2009

[gadt25 1]

If filing based on 3 years of marriage, we only include residences and employment while we were in the US right for the past 3 years right? What happened beyond 3 years ago prior to becoming a resident or even reaching the country is not relevant? Thats what other members here have said. For example, I arrived here February 2011, so I include all address and schools/employment since then, not what I was doing in the Philippines in 2009

I think I agree with the first reply Messybrownhair. If you read the instructions closely you need to account for all time within the 5 year period, residences and employment/unemployment/studies etc.

I'm not a USCIS agent and my opinion has no authority, just so you know. Why would you think it shouldn't be included?

Good luck!

For the same reasons as Messybrownhair cited.

[Darth Vader Ku 16]

I think I agree with the first reply Messybrownhair. If you read the instructions closely you need to account for all time within the 5 year period, residences and employment/unemployment/studies etc.

For the same reasons as Messybrownhair cited.

Ah! Understood.

[Shub 78]

USCIS is not interested in what you did prior to becoming a permanent resident.

You should only include your work and residence history since the past 5 years (or 3 years if your application is based on marriage to a US citizen), or since you became a permanent resident, whichever is shortest.

[Tom_Jim 40]

USCIS is not interested in what you did prior to becoming a permanent resident.

You should only include your work and residence history since the past 5 years (or 3 years if your application is based on marriage to a US citizen), or since you became a permanent resident, whichever is shortest.

From N-400 Instructions (verbatim):

Part 7. Information About Your Employment and Schools You Attended

List where you have worked or attended school full time or part time during the last 5 years. Provide information for the complete time period. Include all military, police, and/or intelligence service.

Begin by providing information about your current and most recent employment, studies, or unemployment, if applicable. Provide the locations and dates where you worked, were self-employed, were unemployed, or have studied during the last 5 years. If you worked for yourself, write "self-employed". If you were were unemployed, write "unemployed".

Not only is USCIS very interested with what you did prior to becoming an LPR, you're compelled to list everything where one has "worked... full time or part time in the last 5 years."

It couldn't be clearer.

[Messybrownhair 251]

I don't know exactly where the information came from, but everyone here has said that if you are applying based on 3 year rule, then you only need the past 3 years employment/education history. If you are applying based on the 5 year rule, then you must put all 5 years. Basically its the info since being a LPR. Hopefully someone can show where this information came from

[Darth Vader Ku 16]

I don't know exactly where the information came from, but everyone here has said that if you are applying based on 3 year rule, then you only need the past 3 years employment/education history. If you are applying based on the 5 year rule, then you must put all 5 years. Basically its the info since being a LPR. Hopefully someone can show where this information came from

...but Latoslatos already indicated above quite clearly where the information came from...directly from the USCIS (see his post above). Conversely, can you indicate where it is stipulated that Legal Permanent Residents applying under the three-year residency rule based on marriage to a U.S. citizen are limited in their residency/employment/etc. reporting requirements to give information going back only three years? In fairness to the confusion, the three-year rule stipulation does leave itself somewhat open to interpretation, but the five-year rule is stated quite clearly and leaves no room for doubt.

[Messybrownhair 251]

Fair enough, I'll add an additional page. No big deal, its just one extra page for me. (3 addresses and 2 jobs)

I was going to anyway, but some people here said I didn't have to

[Tom_Jim 40]

This is the first time I've heard about the "3 year vs. 5 year rule". I didn't observe that USCIS made such a distinction from the instructions.

[Darth Vader Ku 16]

This is the first time I've heard about the "3 year vs. 5 year rule". I didn't observe that USCIS made such a distinction from the instructions.

You're right, and that, in part, is why five-year reporting under the three-year rule is somewhat open to interpretation.