Old Passports; how many years does one have to show old passports?

[aa1979 100]

Hi everyone

 

This may be a stupid question... but how many past years do you have to bring with or show during the interview? Specifically, do you have to show passports from more than 20 years ago (when applicant was under 8 years of age at the time)?

 

Thanks

[xyz12345 260]

5 hours ago, aa1979 said:

Hi everyone

 

This may be a stupid question... but how many past years do you have to bring with or show during the interview? Specifically, do you have to show passports from more than 20 years ago (when applicant was under 8 years of age at the time)?

 

Thanks

I had to ask my IO if he meant 'all' passports when he asked me to show my passport, and he said yes. I put all 7 of them (since 1992) on his desk but all he did was look at the pile.

 

If you can find all your expired passports, that's great. But if not, don't worry too much about it. My personal opinion is that they'll be mostly interested in the passports that covered the last 5 years to look at passport stamps/check on your travels.

[SusieQQQ 11,587]

I brought all of them but CO was only interested in the ones since I got the immigrant visa. 

[aa1979 100]

The problem is that some of these passports are since early childhood when you had no control over where they are or if they are misplaced.  

[SusieQQQ 11,587]

I don’t think they are particularly interested in trips made as a minor, and there are countries where you have to hand back old passports before you can get new ones, but the point is that if you have any passports in your possession that show travels to the US you should bring them. 

 

Actually the letter they send you says bring “Your passport and/or any other documents you used in connection with any entries into the United States.” but the brief website guide just says “All valid and expired passports and travel documents issued to you that document your absences from the United States since becoming a permanent resident.”  https://my.uscis.gov/citizenship/what_to_expect

I played rather safe than sorry and followed the instructions on the interview letter.

 

[xyz12345 260]

1 hour ago, aa1979 said:

The problem is that some of these passports are since early childhood when you had no control over where they are or if they are misplaced.  

 

10 minutes ago, SusieQQQ said:

I don’t think they are particularly interested in trips made as a minor, and there are countries where you have to hand back old passports before you can get new ones, but the point is that if you have any passports in your possession that show travels to the US you should bring them. 

 

Actually the letter they send you says bring “Your passport and/or any other documents you used in connection with any entries into the United States.” but the brief website guide just says “All valid and expired passports and travel documents issued to you that document your absences from the United States since becoming a permanent resident.”  https://my.uscis.gov/citizenship/what_to_expect

I played rather safe than sorry and followed the instructions on the interview letter.

 

imo no need to worry about missing expired passports unless they're ones from the last 5 years. The N-400 asks, at the most, last 5 years worth of residential, employment and travel history before application. So even if you've been an immigrant for 20 years, the form only asks for the last 5 years. Arrests, convictions, charges, expunged records etc are different though because you have to report all 

even if they happened a long time ago.

 

The best if You can show the IO all your passports but if not, just tell that IO some old passports are missing. are you  anywhere close to breaking the physical presence and continuous residence requirements of the N-400?

 

if I were  you, I'll just apply. this is the least of your worries.

[aa1979 100]

2 hours ago, xyz12345 said:

 

imo no need to worry about missing expired passports unless they're ones from the last 5 years. The N-400 asks, at the most, last 5 years worth of residential, employment and travel history before application. So even if you've been an immigrant for 20 years, the form only asks for the last 5 years. Arrests, convictions, charges, expunged records etc are different though because you have to report all 

even if they happened a long time ago.

 

The best if You can show the IO all your passports but if not, just tell that IO some old passports are missing. are you  anywhere close to breaking the physical presence and continuous residence requirements of the N-400?

 

if I were  you, I'll just apply. this is the least of your worries.

 

2 hours ago, SusieQQQ said:

I don’t think they are particularly interested in trips made as a minor, and there are countries where you have to hand back old passports before you can get new ones, but the point is that if you have any passports in your possession that show travels to the US you should bring them. 

 

Actually the letter they send you says bring “Your passport and/or any other documents you used in connection with any entries into the United States.” but the brief website guide just says “All valid and expired passports and travel documents issued to you that document your absences from the United States since becoming a permanent resident.”  https://my.uscis.gov/citizenship/what_to_expect

I played rather safe than sorry and followed the instructions on the interview letter.

 

Thank you both for the information.  If the purpose here is to show that the applicant has physically stayed in the US for long enough to qualify, then I have no problems at all.  The applicant did not ever leave the US since they first arrived to the US.  I was just worried about the formality itself (of not having all the passports, i.e. the one passport from childhood; which has nothing to do with any traveling to the US).

[SusieQQQ 11,587]

2 hours ago, xyz12345 said:

 

imo no need to worry about missing expired passports unless they're ones from the last 5 years. The N-400 asks, at the most, last 5 years worth of residential, employment and travel history before application. So even if you've been an immigrant for 20 years, the form only asks for the last 5 years. Arrests, convictions, charges, expunged records etc are different though because you have to report all 

even if they happened a long time ago.

 

The best if You can show the IO all your passports but if not, just tell that IO some old passports are missing. are you  anywhere close to breaking the physical presence and continuous residence requirements of the N-400?

 

if I were  you, I'll just apply. this is the least of your worries.

The form only asks for five years, but at your interview they can ask you about anything since you became an lpr.  The form is to determine eligibility to apply; they can ask you anything they want about what you’ve done since becoming an lpr. I agree this doesn’t seem a big concern for OP, but neither would I be totally complacent either. I have seen reports of people being asked about absences that took place more than 5 years before applying. 
 

from the manual:

USCIS will consider the entire period from the LPR admission until the present when determining an applicant’s compliance with the continuous residence requirement.

 

 

 

 

 

[aa1979 100]

7 minutes ago, SusieQQQ said:

The form only asks for five years, but at your interview they can ask you about anything since you became an lpr.  The form is to determine eligibility to apply; they can ask you anything they want about what you’ve done since becoming an lpr. I agree this doesn’t seem a big concern for OP, but neither would I be totally complacent either. I have seen reports of people being asked about absences that took place more than 5 years before applying. 
 

from the manual:

USCIS will consider the entire period from the LPR admission until the present when determining an applicant’s compliance with the continuous residence requirement.

 

 

 

 

 

That's perfectly fine.  Thank you.  I wanted to also ask about the application N-400 supporting documents... If the applicant is taking the marriage route of 3 years, does the applicant need to send in so much of the supporting documents as we recommend in the ROC I-751 application? or is it more that you send the tax forms (filed jointly) maybe copy of the ID's lving at the same address, some bank statements and credit card statements.  

 

I am told by someone that all we need is to take most of the supporting documents to the interview and not include all the details by uploading all these forms online.  Is that true?

 

Edited December 24, 2019 by aa1979

[SusieQQQ 11,587]

I didn’t do marriage route, sorry, maybe someone who did can help you with that.

[Deagle 508]

Where I am originally from, the government will not issue or renew a passport unless they take the old one from the owner. My friend had like 6 or 7 passports, the passport validity is 3 or 5 years. He only has the current one. I think he told the IO that he had carried mlutiple ones and each with different number because of the expiration, and that he doesn't have any of the old ones with him. 

[aa1979 100]

    Can I ask you something... If the applicant is taking the marriage route of 3 years like you

56 minutes ago, Deagle said:

Where I am originally from, the government will not issue or renew a passport unless they take the old one from the owner. My friend had like 6 or 7 passports, the passport validity is 3 or 5 years. He only has the current one. I think he told the IO that he had carried mlutiple ones and each with different number because of the expiration, and that he doesn't have any of the old ones with him. 

 

Can I ask you something... If the applicant is taking the marriage route of 3 years like you, does the applicant need to send in so much of the supporting documents (the same amount of documents we recommend in the ROC I-751 application)? or is it more that you send the tax forms (filed jointly) maybe copy of the ID's lving at the same address, some bank statements and credit card statements?  How did you do it?  

 

Someone told me that all we need is to take most of the supporting documents to the interview and not include all the details by uploading all these forms online.  Is that true?

 

[Deagle 508]

6 minutes ago, aa1979 said:

    Can I ask you something... If the applicant is taking the marriage route of 3 years like you

 

Can I ask you something... If the applicant is taking the marriage route of 3 years like you, does the applicant need to send in so much of the supporting documents (the same amount of documents we recommend in the ROC I-751 application)? or is it more that you send the tax forms (filed jointly) maybe copy of the ID's lving at the same address, some bank statements and credit card statements?  How did you do it?  

 

Someone told me that all we need is to take most of the supporting documents to the interview and not include all the details by uploading all these forms online.  Is that true?

 

I filed under the 5 years rule. If I was filing under the 3 years rule (marriage route), I would send some of the evidence I sent for the ROC. Taxes, definitely.