N400 question about part 5. Information about your parents

[Saturn 0]

Hello everybody,

Before posting here I found the same question here but their situation is different than mine so I'm hoping someone can help me.

If your biological or legally adoptive mother or father is a U.S. citizen by birth, or naturalized before you reached your 18th birthday, you may already be a U.S. citizen. Visit the USCIS Web site at www.uscis.gov for further information on this topic before you consider filing Form N-400.

1. Were your parents married before your 18th birthday? yes or no

2. Is your mother a U.S. citizen?

   If "Yes," complete the following information.

My mother passed away in 2003 when my parents were living outside the US. After my dad moved to the US and became US citizen about 3 years ago.

My parents were married before my 18th birthday and they were obviously living outside the US.

So, for 1. do I need to answer "yes"?

and for 2. do I leave it unanswered?

For question if my father is US citizen I will obviously answer yes.

Why do they make these questions so confusing

Thanks in advance!

[EM_Vandaveer 2,427]

I'm sorry your mother passed away. You should still answer the question, though. Was she a US citizen? Yes or no? Simple.

[aayitrun 66]

think back to when you were 18, if at that point, any of your parents were us citizens, then yes you may already be one.

[Saturn 0]

Thank you both!

What confuses me is this part ", or naturalized before you reached your 18th birthday," Answer to that is "no"

but if you ask me "Were your parents married before your 18th birthday?" than the answer is "yes".

[newacct 688]

"or naturalized before you reached your 18th birthday" is not part of a question; it's just an informational statement that doesn't affect your filling of the form.

"Were your parents married before your 18th birthday?" is a question, so you have to answer it, and the answer is Yes.

"Is your mother a U.S. citizen?" is also a question, so you have to answer it. It's kind of unusual in this case because your mother is deceased, so, technically, "isn't" a citizen of anywhere. But I guess they mean when she was alive, and the correct answer is No.

For your father, the answer will be Yes, and you need to fill in his information. They will check his records and see he didn't naturalize until after you turned 18, and they will determine that you are not already a US citizen.

[Saturn 0]

"or naturalized before you reached your 18th birthday" is not part of a question; it's just an informational statement that doesn't affect your filling of the form.

"Were your parents married before your 18th birthday?" is a question, so you have to answer it, and the answer is Yes.

"Is your mother a U.S. citizen?" is also a question, so you have to answer it. It's kind of unusual in this case because your mother is deceased, so, technically, "isn't" a citizen of anywhere. But I guess they mean when she was alive, and the correct answer is No.

For your father, the answer will be Yes, and you need to fill in his information. They will check his records and see he didn't naturalize until after you turned 18, and they will determine that you are not already a US citizen.

Thanks newacct! that clears up my confusion.