Long time green card holder looking to apply for citizenship

[Palpable6848 1]

Hi all,

 

Just signed up to get some clarity on a few things.

 

Background:

I've had a green card for just over 15 years now. But I only moved here in April 2018. Before that, I'd only ever visited the US on short trips. As of today, I'm eligible to apply for naturalization if I consider the last 5 years.

 

Concerns:

I know in the past we've applied (me and my family, I was a minor for the first 7 years) for and received re-entry permits at least twice. I also remember us being taken to the back room once when returning to the US after a long absence. And we also had a rough encounter with an immigration officer another time for a similar reason (no trips to the back room involved this time).

 

I know what I wrote is a little light on the details, but I honestly don't know much since I wasn't actively involved in the process until ~5 years ago. My question is - Should I gather all the information for the past 15 years OR would the last 5 years be enough? My concern is missing something important, them rejecting my application and ~700 bucks going to waste. I also read in their policy they look at your complete history since you became a permanent resident, and can even consider you in abandonment of your permanent residence. So worst case scenario could be me fighting to keep my green card.

 

I searched these forums for a similar case but didn't find any. Would appreciate any insight or suggestions.

 

Thanks in advance.

[OldUser 6,886]

I think it would help filing a FOIA request, asking for your entire immigration history as the first step (it's free).

 

Ask your parents and get as much information about prior applications and circumstances, trips etc.

 

Also consider consulting with an immigration lawyer.

 

My understanding is that you should be able to naturalize if you pass physical presence test and continuous residence test in the last 5 years.

 

If I was you, considering the complex and long immigration history, I would apply with a lawyer and have him or her come to the N-400 interview too.

 

There's a risk USCIS may start digging the past, but how much of it is a problem, it's hard to tell, since you're in the US as LPR and weren't put in removal proceedings (unless you were).

 

The worst that can happen to you is not losing filing fees, but USCIS going after your green card and LPR status, that's why you should be careful and truthful in your application.

Edited January 22, 2023 by OldUser

[Palpable6848 1]

54 minutes ago, OldUser said:

I think it would help filing a FOIA request, asking for your entire immigration history as the first step (it's free).

 

Ask your parents and get as much information about prior applications and circumstances, trips etc.

 

Also consider consulting with an immigration lawyer.

 

My understanding is that you should be able to naturalize if you pass physical presence test and continuous residence test in the last 5 years.

 

If I was you, considering the complex and long immigration history, I would apply with a lawyer and have him or her come to the N-400 interview too.

 

There's a risk USCIS may start digging the past, but how much of it is a problem, it's hard to tell, since you're in the US as LPR and weren't put in removal proceedings (unless you were).

 

The worst that can happen to you is not losing filing fees, but USCIS going after your green card and LPR status, that's why you should be careful and truthful in your application.

Thanks for the response, OldUser!

 

I'll take your advice and gather all the relevant information first. I'll also consider talking to an attorney, you're definitely right about that last statement.