Items needed for N400

[Ready to do it 101]

My wife's N400 interview is next week. She's been a permanent resident for about 10 years.  We are confused on what all she needs to take. We received a letter with a list of items to take. Do we need to follow those instructions or do we need to bring extra stuff? No where does it say to bring a state issued driver's license or ID, nothing about bringing tax returns or tax transcripts, etc

 

The letter says to bring 1) this letter, 2) green card, and 3) passport.  Nothing else listed.  Any need to take anything else?  I helped her with the N400 application and I know we made numberous errors on it.  Do we need to send corrections to those errors through the USCIS website prior?  Intereview is in a week.   What kind of errors?  1) One trip date is off for a week, 2) Another trip date is off by a week b/c we were in Puerto Rico for a week and we listed that as part of the out of country visited countries, 3) We answered the question about taxes incorrectly bc I said we should "Yes," on have you ever not filed or paid taxes on time.  We filed late numerous years and we have been completely caught up for years. It's complicated as I personally had some serious health issues and I own a business.  I was in no position to be worrying about paying taxes ontime. Regardless, as I said, we answered Yes and I wrote out this 2 page explantion which I am certain my wife will not be able to explain. I should have just said, "No," according to an attorney, so should we upload a letter to USCIS saying we answered the question incorrectly and the answer to that question is "No," so they don't ask her anything about that?  There are other errors as well. Nothing major. 

 

Should we inform them of all the errors we know of now, or shall she mention them in the interview or only inform them if they ask.... assuming she even knows the answer. She would NEVER be able to answer the tax info. Heck, it would take me 30 minutes to explain the tax situation.

Edited December 8, 2021 by Ready to do it

[Sebat4 77]

This video explain the best what to bring as I used this video too.

 

 

Before the interview starts your wife should notify the IO that she made some mistakes on her application and ask politely if those could be corrected. Most IO's dont have a problem correcting all the mistakes done on the application. He will ask your wife what was the reason behind saying yes to the tax question and now chaning to NO. I would tell her to just say "due to my husbands medical issues we have filed our taxes late using IRA filing extention and I thought that the question didn't include filing late, but a lawyer explaint to us that it is OK to say NO, because we still filed the taxes on time within the tax filing season". That would be my explanation as this is legal IRS allowed move to file in Oct. as long as you file for extention. I had to explain why we dont have health insurance anymore so yes, they will ask and she needs to know answer, even if you write a letter your wife needs to know how to explain it in the shortest way but on point.

Edited December 8, 2021 by Sebat4

[Mike E 11,722]

That’s a thin list for the letter.  I would also bring;
 

corrections, fresh passport photos as insurance, any irs tax transcripts that weren’t available when N-400 was filed,  evidence of address. 

[Ready to do it 101]

8 hours ago, Mike E said:

That’s a thin list for the letter.  I would also bring;
 

corrections, fresh passport photos as insurance, any irs tax transcripts that weren’t available when N-400 was filed,  evidence of address. 

Thanks Mike! 

 

Passport is expired. I assume my wife will need to travel on her US one the next time we go to Colombia and she can renew her Colombian passport at that time (after US Citizenship, obviously).  Passport photos needed for interview?

 

Evidence of address, yep... all the utility bills are actually in her name.  Of course her state ID card doesn't have the correct address, but all the utiility bills do.

 

We will print out 5 years of tax transcripts, just in case, as well.

 

Thanks!

[Mike E 11,722]

Passport photos in case the IO asks: “where are your passport photos?”

 

It happens. 

[Ready to do it 101]

On 12/8/2021 at 7:30 AM, Mike E said:

That’s a thin list for the letter.  I would also bring;
 

corrections, fresh passport photos as insurance, any irs tax transcripts that weren’t available when N-400 was filed,  evidence of address. 

We were only able to get 4 years of tax transcripts off IRS website. That's all they said were available. Should I print out our 2016 tax return and have her take that with her to make it 5 years?

 

Back to the passport photos question.... passport photos needed for the N400 Interview?  I'm not sure I understand why.

[Mike E 11,722]

6 hours ago, Ready to do it said:

We were only able to get 4 years of tax transcripts off IRS website. That's all they said were available. Should I print out our 2016 tax return and have her take that with her to make it 5 years?

Yes. 
 

6 hours ago, Ready to do it said:

 

Back to the passport photos question.... passport photos needed for the N400 Interview?  I'm not sure I understand why.

I didn’t either.  Yet at my N-400 interview I was told I made a mistake by not bringing them.   Even though the letter didn’t say to bring t photos.  So I had to get photos taken and had to bring them back the next day. 
 

At oath my naturalization certificate didn’t have my photo from the pics I brought in the next day.  It appears they used photos taken at biometrics 11 months prior.  
 

I later asked an immigration lawyer what they was all about. She said that something’s there are problems printing naturalization certificates (paper jams, ink issues, mis aligned, etc). For security reasons, the system used to print naturalization certificates allows just two attempts to print a certificate with the same photo.  So USCIS likes having a second unique photo so that it can make 4 attempts.  
 

 Possibly your FO will take an extra set of biometrics before your N-400 interview.  When I did my N-400 interview the IO said his digital camera wasn’t working. 
 

It’s up to you: bring photos that probably won’t be used.  or don’t bring photos and possibly delay your oath by moths or years.   

[Ready to do it 101]

6 hours ago, Mike E said:

Yes. 
 

I didn’t either.  Yet at my N-400 interview I was told I made a mistake by not bringing them.   Even though the letter didn’t say to bring t photos.  So I had to get photos taken and had to bring them back the next day. 
 

At oath my naturalization certificate didn’t have my photo from the pics I brought in the next day.  It appears they used photos taken at biometrics 11 months prior.  
 

I later asked an immigration lawyer what they was all about. She said that something’s there are problems printing naturalization certificates (paper jams, ink issues, mis aligned, etc). For security reasons, the system used to print naturalization certificates allows just two attempts to print a certificate with the same photo.  So USCIS likes having a second unique photo so that it can make 4 attempts.  
 

 Possibly your FO will take an extra set of biometrics before your N-400 interview.  When I did my N-400 interview the IO said his digital camera wasn’t working. 
 

It’s up to you: bring photos that probably won’t be used.  or don’t bring photos and possibly delay your oath by moths or years.   

Oh Snap, thanks so much for the explanation. We will absolutely get some passport photos to take.  What's the recommended amount? 2 or 4 photos?

 

Thanks again Mike!

[Mike E 11,722]

3 hours ago, Ready to do it said:

Oh Snap, thanks so much for the explanation. We will absolutely get some passport photos to take.  What's the recommended amount? 2 or 4 photos?

 

Thanks again Mike!

2 should be plenty.  If they don’t take your photos you can use them for your passport photo. 

[CNMN 18]

Had my interview last Tuesday the 7th, the IO only asked for what was on the letter and nothing else. GC, DL, Passport, mine was done by Marriage to a USC so they asked for Marriage Certificate and/or Divorce Papers and/or Death Certificate if any applies to you.

Edited December 13, 2021 by CNMN

[Ready to do it 101]

Wife had her interview today in San Antonio.  Very easy... only asked for the items on the N400 appointment list.  Didn't need tax transcripts, photos, etc.  Only asked 6 Civic questions since she got the all right.

 

My conclusion.... I think they are trying to pass everyone.  The 6 questions were like the most basic, easiest questions.  My wife speaks very little English... wasn't a problem.  We applied for N400 on October 2, 2021 and it listed approximate time as 13 months.  Here we are today 74 days later and she has passed her N400 interview. They said she'll get a letter in the mail to come back for Oath Ceremony.  FWIW- There was an oath ceremony today that was lined up at the same time as the N400 interviews.  My wife said they entered and were done and out of the ceremony before the folks waiting for the N400 interviews were called in. I.e. The Oath Ceremony lasted 10 minutes max.

 

Perhaps it varies by Officer or location, but from my eyes, my conclusion is they simply want to collect the $800 (or whatever the cost was) have an interview to just say it was done, and then give everyone their citizenship as fast as possible. I.e. No need to sweat it. We waited 10 years. Part of that was because my wife really speaks zilch english.  I work from home, she's a housewife/1% owner of my company and does light clerical work, and we're together 24 hours/day and usually just speak in Spanish so we were kind of sweating whether she would pass the English part or not or flop in explaining stuff on the application in English.  It was a breeze.  No need for anyone to worry IMO. 

 

Forgot to mention... my wife said the officer told everyone to have their letter and ID out to speed things up. My wife said there were people who did not understand those instructions. Ie. People who clearly spoke less English than my wife, so that clearly says something about the need, or non-need, to really be able to speak or understand English. 

Edited December 15, 2021 by Ready to do it