Anyone successfully passed interview while failing to register with SSS?

[Pechkin 1]

I got my GC via DV lottery, and when you sign DS-230 it says:

 

"I understand that completion of this form by persons

required by law to register with the Selective Service

System (males 18 through 25 years of age)

constitutes such registration in accordance with the

Military Selective Service Act."

 

So it seems that I should have been registered automatically? But I got a letter from SSS, and it's clearly says that I'm not registered.

 

I've already filed N-400, how should I explain to the officer, why I failed to register? Anyone had successful experience of passing an interview without registration?

[CarlHamilton 252]

I think you just explained it.

[Pechkin 1]

I think most of the people suggest to say "I didn't know" (and I really didn't know), but I'm pretty sure SSS requirements were somewhere in the welcome letter, so proving a "didn't know" thing might be tricky.

 

Though not sure that blaming USCIS is a better strategy.

[Roel 7,192]

Ignorance is not an excuse. 

Responsibility of green card holders/ us citizens are pretty clear and it's your job to follow them. 

 

 

[Pechkin 1]

6 minutes ago, Roel said:

Ignorance is not an excuse. 

Responsibility of green card holders/ us citizens are pretty clear and it's your job to follow them. 

 

 

Ok then. I did everything I was required to do, and I believed that I was registered with SSS, because DS-230 says so. And according to USCIS: "Failure on the part of USCIS or SSS to complete the process on behalf of the applicant, however, will not constitute a willful failure to register on the part of the applicant.".

 

So I totally have an awesome moral character!

[Ksenia_O 696]

22 minutes ago, Pechkin said:

Ok then. I did everything I was required to do, and I believed that I was registered with SSS, because DS-230 says so. And according to USCIS: "Failure on the part of USCIS or SSS to complete the process on behalf of the applicant, however, will not constitute a willful failure to register on the part of the applicant.".

 

So I totally have an awesome moral character!

"Immigrant Men Are Required to Register

With very few exceptions, all males between ages 18 and 25 must register with the Selective Service System (SSS) within 30 days of arriving in the United States. This includes U.S. born and naturalized citizens, parolees, undocumented immigrants, legal permanent residents, asylum seekers, refugees, and all males with visas of any kind which expired more than 30 days ago. The few individuals who are exempt from this requirement are those on current non-immigrant visas. A complete list of acceptable documentation for exemption may be found here."

 

So, there is no failure on the part of USCIS or SSS. It's YOUR responsibility to register, or to make sure registration got completed.

[Hypnos 6,576]

How old were you when you first entered the US? 

 

And if you're now 31 or older (or 29 or older if applying for naturalisation on the basis of being married to a US citizen) then even a wilful failure to register for SSS is not grounds for your N-400 to be denied. 

[Pechkin 1]

I'm 30, and I arrived to us at 25, at the time of interview I'll probably will be 31, but as I understand it doesn't matter, because I was 30 when I filed N-400. So I'll have to prove that failing to register was not willful.

[Hypnos 6,576]

You may have been automatically registered by USCIS or DoS. 

 

On Monday, call Selective Service at 1-888-655-1825 and ask them to perform a detailed lookup for you. Their phone agents have access to more information in their systems than you do on their site. 

 

If it turns out you aren't registered then your N-400 will likely be denied due to failing the good moral character requirement due to lack of SSS registration. 

[Pechkin 1]

Today I passed interview, and this was not an issue at all. DS-230 clearly says that IT IS A SSS REGISTRATION, and that I was not in SSS system was not my fault.