Documents to bring to the Citezenship interview

[Matiola 8]

Hi everyone,

I am getting ready for my Citezenship interview based on marriage. The NOA says:

 

If applying for NATURALIZATION AS THE SPOUSE of a United States Citizen;

• Your marriage certificate.

• Proof of death or divorce for each prior marriage of yourself or spouse.

• Your spouse's birth or naturalization certificate or certificate of citizenship. 

If copies of a document were submitted as evidence with your N400 application, the originals of those documents should be brought to the interview.

 

Question 1: what is certificate of citizenship? I've submitted the scan copy of my husband's passport together with N-400 online form. I asked him about his US birth certificate, he has it but he is a bit reluctant to give me an original. If I were him, I would be reluctant as well. Is there any way I can provide SCAN COPIES of both his Birth certificate, and passport at the interview?? I will bring along all originals of my documents and marriage certificate of course.

 

Question 2: do I need to print hundreds of pages of our tax returns, lease agreement etc.? Of course, I submitted all these documents together with my N-400 online application. Do I need to bring hard copies to the interview? Do officers ask for these papers? NOA does not mention these docs.

 

Question 3: should I upload any "unsolicited evidence" that I accumulated after submitting N-400? Mostly pictures with my husband and his family taken throughout 3 months after I had submitted the form. Has anyone submitted any evidence after submitting N-400? 

 

Thank you!!

 

 

Edited September 14, 2022 by Matiola

[Verrou 1,898]

1. yes bring the original. they wont take the original, they just want to see/check the original ( if it even ask). 

2. i will bring the hard copy just in case, never know with USCIS. also u need to bring the updated one that you havent submitted yet

3. pictures = bring in in person, u dont need to submit the pictures. 

 

side note : i rather bring everything, why take a chance ? what if you need it and you dont have it with you that cause delay? 

[Mike E 11,722]

37 minutes ago, Matiola said:

I asked him about his US birth certificate, he has it but he is a bit reluctant to give me an original. If I were him, I would be reluctant as well.

This is a red flag. It can cause the IO to question how bonafide the marital union is.  
 

When my wife has her N-400, I will absolutely hand my original naturalization certificate to her.  
 

And that is a document that is 2-3  orders of magnitude  harder to replace than a U.S. birth certificate.  
 

Why doesn’t he trust you to carry his birth certificate into the field office and back out?
 

Order another birth certificate.  If he is unwilling to do that  … oh my.  Ask his parents, children, or signings. Depending on the state of birth they might be authorized to get his birth certificate.  
 

(I will of course be waiting outside the field office for my wife after her interview, and after I ask her how it went, my second question will be: “so where is the naturalization certificate” ? 😂) 

 

Quote

 

 Is there any way I can provide SCAN COPIES of both his Birth certificate, and passport at the interview?? I will bring along all originals of my documents and marriage certificate of course.

 

You might luck out and get by.  Or an RFE.  Worst case I see a denial.  

Edited September 14, 2022 by Mike E

[Matiola 8]

46 minutes ago, Mike E said:

This is a red flag. It can cause the IO to question how bonafide the marital union is.  
 

When my wife has her N-400, I will absolutely hand my original naturalization certificate to her.  
 

And that is a document that is 2-3  orders of magnitude  harder to replace than a U.S. birth certificate.  
 

Why doesn’t he trust you to carry his birth certificate into the field office and back out?
 

Order another birth certificate.  If he is unwilling to do that  … oh my.  Ask his parents, children, or signings. Depending on the state of birth they might be authorized to get his birth certificate.  
 

(I will of course be waiting outside the field office for my wife after her interview, and after I ask her how it went, my second question will be: “so where is the naturalization certificate” ? 😂) 

 

You might luck out and get by.  Or an RFE.  Worst case I see a denial.  

Thank you. It is not a red flag, we have been together for almost 9 years and went through a lot of paperwork and quite a few very sad and difficult situations, he trusts me. I just don’t think it is right thing to give anyone (even the closest relative) your IDs or important documents. I don’t want to give my documents to anyone. My sister once lost a very important paper that caused me a lot of troubles. Things happen especially when traveling. If he absolutely have to, he will give it to me. I am not thrilled by this idea though. He won’t be waiting for me near the field office. I’ll be flying to my interview for almost 6 hours and he is not coming with me.

Anyway, thank you for your opinion. You basically listed ALL possible scenarios: it will work, they will require more docs, it will not work.  

[Matiola 8]

1 hour ago, Misscloud said:

1. yes bring the original. they wont take the original, they just want to see/check the original ( if it even ask). 

2. i will bring the hard copy just in case, never know with USCIS. also u need to bring the updated one that you havent submitted yet

3. pictures = bring in in person, u dont need to submit the pictures. 

 

side note : i rather bring everything, why take a chance ? what if you need it and you dont have it with you that cause delay? 

Thank you! 
yes, I always think the same: better to print and don’t need the document than they ask and I don’t have it.

It is just so tiresome and such a waste of paper! But I agree with you. Better to be safe than sorry. 

I much appreciate your response and help! 

[Mike E 11,722]

3 minutes ago, Matiola said:

Thank you. It is not a red flag,

My point is it can be a red flag for the IO.  

3 minutes ago, Matiola said:

 . I just don’t think it is right thing to give anyone (even the closest relative) your IDs or important documents.

 Your interview letter says bring his birth certificate and you won’t do it. Will you tell the IO that the USCIS’s demand is not right?
 

3 minutes ago, Matiola said:

 . I’ll be flying to my interview for almost 6 hours and he is not coming with me.

 This suggests your interview is not in the state where you live.  Did you move?

3 minutes ago, Matiola said:

Anyway, thank you for your opinion. You basically listed ALL possible scenarios: it will work, they will require more docs, it will not work.  

Perhaps you  were expecting a definitive answer.  I cannot give you that because every IO and every case is different. And each field office can operate under different rules.  Rules that will change with each new director. 
 

There is one more possibility:  You can apply on the basis of being married for 5 years to your husband assuming you were married for 5 years at the time you filed N-400.  If so, it should be  possible to change the basis for N-400 at the interview. 

[Matiola 8]

4 minutes ago, Mike E said:

My point is it can be a red flag for the IO.  

 Your interview letter says bring his birth certificate and you won’t do it. Will you tell the IO that the USCIS’s demand is not right?
 

 This suggests your interview is not in the state where you live.  Did you move?

Perhaps you  were expecting a definitive answer.  I cannot give you that because every IO and every case is different. And each field office can operate under different rules.  Rules that will change with each new director. 
 

There is one more possibility:  You can apply on the basis of being married for 5 years to your husband assuming you were married for 5 years at the time you filed N-400.  If so, it should be  possible to change the basis for N-400 at the interview. 

I understand you can not know how the interview will go and how USCIS officer will act. I would not wait for any definite answer. You expressed your thoughts and I do appreciate it. 

Of course, I will not say anything to IO as it is useless and pointless to fight with the system. I must obey.

 

Yes, I am moving right now and I will be on the go for a while, traveling throughout the country with my husband in the motor home. I don’t have a new physical address just mailing address. 

 

Thank you for mentioning the possibility of changing the basis for N-400, I did not know that. I will calculate and consider this option. 
thank you again!

[Mike E 11,722]

1 minute ago, Matiola said:

Yes, I am moving right now and I will be on the go for a while, traveling throughout the country with my husband in the motor home. I don’t have a new physical address just mailing address. 

This is a problem.  
 

When you move physically you must notify USCIS via AR-11 within 10 days of moving.  
 

(your financial sponsor must notify USCIS via I-865 within 30 days)

 

1. if your motor home trip takes less than 10 days then you can defer AR-11 until you arrive at your next home. otherwise on the 10th day and each 10th day thereafter you will need to file AR-11 for your current physical location. Presumably the RV park you happen to be in at the time.  It can be done online.  
 

2. Notifying USCIS of your change of address is likely to derail your N-400 interview, if you change states.   Your interview will be rescheduled for at least 3 months after you have established your new residence.  
 

3. If your interview is not derailed you must disclose this change of physical address to the IO.  The IO will likely end the interview at that point.  

[Matiola 8]

2 minutes ago, Mike E said:

This is a problem.  
 

When you move physically you must notify USCIS via AR-11 within 10 days of moving.  
 

(your financial sponsor must notify USCIS via I-865 within 30 days)

 

1. if your motor home trip takes less than 10 days then you can defer AR-11 until you arrive at your next home. otherwise on the 10th day and each 10th day thereafter you will need to file AR-11 for your current physical location. Presumably the RV park you happen to be in at the time.  It can be done online.  
 

2. Notifying USCIS of your change of address is likely to derail your N-400 interview, if you change states.   Your interview will be rescheduled for at least 3 months after you have established your new residence.  
 

3. If your interview is not derailed you must disclose this change of physical address to the IO.  The IO will likely end the interview at that point.  

Thank you. I asked multiple questions about address change in other posts. I was told that I can change the address at the interview. Even if I file AR-11 now,  unlikely it will be processed before my interview, since USCIS website says it takes 2-3 weeks. I called USCIS to ask questions and understand how to do it right but was unable to get through to the real person. I plan to describe my situation to the IO at the interview and see what the IO says. If my case will be delayed, then it will be delayed. I will wait till the moment they reschedule it. 

[Mike E 11,722]

29 minutes ago, Matiola said:

Thank you. I asked multiple questions about address change in other posts. I was told that I can change the address at the interview.

In 

perhaps you didn’t understand what Crazy Cat and Family were saying.  Or perhaps I didn’t understand what they were saying. But I think they saying that because you will no longer reside in California, your interview won’t take place. 
 

In the other other thread you were advised erroneously that you do not have to report your physical location.  
 

29 minutes ago, Matiola said:

 

Even if I file AR-11 now,  unlikely it will be processed before my interview, since USCIS website says it takes 2-3 weeks

Not in my wife’s experience 

29 minutes ago, Matiola said:

 

 I called USCIS to ask questions and understand how to do it right but was unable to get through to the real person. I plan to describe my situation to the IO at the interview and see what the IO says. If my case will be delayed, then it will be delayed. I will wait till the moment they reschedule it. 

Regardless inform the IO at the interview that you now a transient outside California and see what happens 

[jan22 2,897]

It appears the passport is not sufficient for their needs, or it would have been on the list of documents that could be submitted. A passport is proof, of course, that your husband is a US citizen, but it does not prove how or when he received that citizenship.  Only one of the three document mentioned can do that and, evidently, they want that information. 

 

I would submit the birth certificate -- that document is easy to replace if necessary in the US and can be done on-line in, I believe, every state.  And, more importantly,  it's the only one of the three on the list that he will have or qualify for.

Edited September 15, 2022 by jan22

[Lil bear 3,831]

21 hours ago, Matiola said:

Thank you. It is not a red flag, we have been together for almost 9 years and went through a lot of paperwork and quite a few very sad and difficult situations, he trusts me. I just don’t think it is right thing to give anyone 

You wont get through the naturalization process without having the original certificate  in hand at the interview     Its not that “ precious” of a document .. a replacement costs maybe $25 and takes 2 weeks. Like your marriage certificate, it is needed for many processes. Hope he gets over it and makes your naturalization a little easier 

[Joyoussinger 1,410]

21 hours ago, Matiola said:

I just don’t think it is right thing to give anyone (even the closest relative) your IDs or important documents. I don’t want to give my documents to anyone. My sister once lost a very important paper that caused me a lot of troubles.

I understand your not wanting to give your important documents to someone, but this is USCIS, and they need to see them. There is no way around it. If they want to see your original documents, you'll need to be able to show them. You need to take all originals with you. They will look at them and hand them right back to you.