Autumnal

That calculator link needs to be stickied at the top of the forum!

Just chiming in here - a foreign passport renewal should not be impacted by her ability to get other ID. Jump all over having that filled out and expedited, because she'll probably want it for lack of anything else.

She would be well advised to try and see if her secretary of state might be willing to renew her State ID card or something to the effect of it. But her best bet will probably be to come with passport in hand to the Infopass appointment.

When the permanent resident becomes a USC, any LPR children under 18 s/he has automatically become USCs too. They can apply for a naturalization certificate (N-600) of their own, which is awfully expensive, or a passport, which will also confirm their citizenship for about a quarter the cost. Most USC children are advised to get a passport, according to the IO officers I've talked to.

If your child was born to a USC parent who was a citizen at time of birth, she may already be a US citizen in her own right. Who it is conveyed to and how depends on the date of birth, and a few other factors like if the USC has ever lived in the US, for how long, and how long ago. That's its own can of worms you would be advised to post in the CRBA forum.

From my understanding, though, if your daughter was born prior to your husband attaining his naturalization, she is not eligible to register via CRBA. But she -is- eligible for sponsorship of permanent residency (K2) and then obtaining citizenship from there on the basis of the petitioner's status.

Try your spouse's social security number. If that doesn't work and you filed through an agency (e.g., H&R Block, Jackson-Hewitt) or using tax software (e.g., Quicken, TurboTax), see what comes up on your return. At the very least, you should be able to call the IRS information line and ask for transcript copies directly or get them from your local IRS office.

For the five year, definitely not necessary. My spouse probably would've been biting through his tongue over a certain response I got about bringing something to her attention, and getting, "I don't have time to read that, you shouldn't expect I'll review the document you brought me." >.>;

I think you hit the nail on the head with: "You provided good initial evidence and a cover letter."

Intent is what USCIS looks at, and without having you in front of them to start with, the immigration officers have to review your case taking into account variables that may not be explained out. Taking the extra time to carefully state what happened, the steps you took and the method/motive behind them, were probably very helpful. Especially when you were interviewed, it set the stage for someone taking the process seriously and willing to talk to USCIS/the consulate/other officials to correct a problem instead of acting evasively. At least the flags that might be raised were yellow instead of red, right?

Congrats on the oath!

Despite having checked everything over thoroughly at my immigration interview for correctness, such as height, name, city of residence and former nationality, I received a welcome surprise when I showed up at the certificate table at my oath ceremony... a hideous photo from biometrics and the wrong signed name on the side. Delightful. Right?

Me to lady at table: Does my signature had to match the photo signature, since I applied under my maiden name on my N-400?

Lady at table: Sign with your maiden name, and you'll always have to present your divorce decree with the name change article whenever showing the naturalization certificate.

During the oath ceremony presentation, a senior member of the Detroit USCIS staff advised anyone with certificate errors to see them immediately after the ceremony. Making changes after the fact will cost a new certificate (going rate: $600). I explained I applied for naturalization under my maiden name and the Detroit biometrics tech told me to sign with my old name. The USCIS IO at the ceremony said the biometrics tech was wrong, the interviewing officer was supposed to check the biometrics signature, and immediately issued a call back pass to come straight down to the Detroit USCIS office.

USCIS Detroit is closed on Mondays except for some personnel. I waited a pretty long time for the USCIS agent to pull out the passport photos I brought to my interview, manually load them onto a new certificate, and issue one. But I figure 90 minutes is better than major headaches. The lady was very kind, apologized for the inconvenience, and congratulated me on naturalizing.

Rule of thumb: take the extra time, be persistent if it's not your fault, and prepare to sit.

For those of you eligible to do your oath ceremony in downtown Detroit, here's a rehash of my experience to help you out.

Parking: Most garages average about $10 cash for the duration of the ceremony. Street parking is utterly unreliable, usually capped at two hours, and monitored closely -- hence, not recommended if you're showing up. A private lot across from 231 W. Jefferson's north entrance is crammed full of people and often has cars triple-parked (!), also not recommended. The cramped Fort Washington garage is $15 for two hours where I parked the second time around; most lawyers and USCIS naturalizing citizens go up Jefferson to the main garage, closer to $10 for two hours. By 9:30 am, lots are busy and more notably, Room 115 is full -- lots of family members, not enough guaranteed seats for everyone. Come early if you want a seat or have a party of 10.

Admission: Long queues form at the north side entrance where your GPS points. Go around to the south side of the building to the employees' entrance for a marginally quicker queue. For long lines, guards advised people to go to the south side entrance. Note you cannot bring cellular phones in unless you're a lawyer. Security turned away anyone with a cellular phone. Have a separate camera for photos.

Security: Prompt and friendly, though the lines may not be the fastest. Everyone presents photo ID. I was asked to pop off my metal bracelet, put my coat and purse through the X-ray machine, and I was screened very quickly. No fuss, and I thanked all the guards for processing us quickly. They're very nice folks, have a smile and congratulations for you all.

USCIS Screening: Go up the stairs from security to the main mezzanine, spare a look for the lovely Beaux Arts and early Art Deco architecture that makes the courthouse a real gem from Detroit's heyday. I wish we spared more architecture like this in the city. Waves of grain and water flow in grand arches, and entertain the kids by asking them to search for stars, eagles, or a judge/President/presiding official of your choice. The middle counters are for people to fill out their USCIS affidavit forms, they do not supply pens there by the way. I filled out the answers in advance. Both sides converge into one line where a USCIS clerk asks to see your photo ID, your green card, and your form before proceeding to the table. Don't go straight to the USCIS table until he clears you, otherwise you'll be rightfully shooed to the back of the line by an unhappy USCIS person.

Two USCIS officers compare your form with your two pieces of ID, checking your date, address, name, and such. You'll be asked if you answered "no" to any questions. I had traveled outside the US for longer than 24 hours since my interview. The officer asked me the dates (22 to 27 May) and the location (Canada), jotted that on the form in red pen, then signed off on the change and the front of the page. She congratulated me, handed me my form and ID back, then had me join the very long line. US Passport Office officials hand out an info page and note you can pay $190 for an expedited passport at the office just across the street (at 211 Fort; if you park in Fort Washington, it's in the same building nearly).

Certificate: The certificate table is manned by a designated employee who looks up your certificate, has you check for details, and signs it. Mine had an error (see below) but she cleared me to continue. I signed, received my info packet, and went to take a seat.

Ceremony: The ceremony did not begin until 10:20AM. Very frustrating for those of us paying by the minute on a meter or taking some time off from work. The US Passport Agency clerk explained first how naturalizing citizens can apply for a passport, and if they come within 30 days, they don't have to send their naturalization certificate in/wait for its return. BIG plus. Fees were noted, the benefits of a passport card (acts as a confirmation of citizenship, which a Nexus pass or enhanced drivers license does not), and processing times of next day as need be. Passport forms were included in the packet. Also: children of naturalizing USCs under 18 do not need their own certificate (though you can order one for $600!, N-600), and the USCIS and US Passport reps both noted you can immediately apply for a passport for the children with their birth certificates, green cards, and such. After all the threads on the board lately about that, good to know they're arming us with solid info. I'd go to the passport agency if I had little ones in that boat.

The "housekeeping rules" followed -- no gum chewing, no eating/drinking, no wearing coats or hats, and the big one: no departures during the court session. Guests can leave at any point, but naturalizing citizens may not except emergencies. If you miss the oath for the bathroom, crying child, photo opp, whatever, you're not a citizen and you have to ask USCIS for another booking. Ouch.

The ceremony itself is pretty short after the judge's introductory comments. You all declare the oath together. People stumbled over trying to remember the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag, which ironically I knew from the hazy days of childhood (in Canada, hee!). The oldest immigrant is called up first for special recognition, then they go by alien/certificate number. Mine was near the back, after 140+ people from 29 countries, which definitely makes a girl's hands sore from applause (to say nothing of pregnancy...). Lots of smiling faces! We had several cranky kids, at least one parent was asked to take them out due to the disruption. Photo opportunities are restricted given the speed of the ceremony, and the judge stays after for snapshots.

Errors: My sincere apologies if you have a naturalization certificate with an error. Save yourself $600 and get it fixed then. See a USCIS officer immediately after, they pack up pretty quick. I went straight to their table. The signature on my biometrics photo was taken in my former name, per USCIS instructions, and it didn't match my current name on the application, certificate, etc. USCIS acknowledged it was their error and put blame squarely on the interviewing IO for not checking, then issued me a "Come Back Today N-400" pass for the main office on Jefferson where I got to wait 90 minutes for a new certificate.

But that beats $600.

I'm really at a loss with what to do with myself after work. I finally can unwind and I have no idea of what to do. Television or a movie are too distracting. I don't want to read, I've no energy or focus to write. I barely haul myself to the gym at this point. Any ideas on how to unwind and ways to keep active without too much stress or pushing and pulling? I love my husband but he's so stressed out from work all he wants to do is vanish into a computer game right now, and I'm feeling pretty much on my own coming up with ideas to dispel the boredom, and I can't think of anything. L:/

Congratulations! A fine summary indeed.

Do I -wish-! It's frustrating to have that long 7 month wait (and counting) for the citizenship certificate I've heard bandied about, whereas the CRBA is 3 weeks.

Alas, I moved from Naperville into Michigan, but I fondly remember that part of Chicagoland.

I picked up the truck in Vancouver, the car towing dolly in Blaine, WA, and dropped the pair of them off in Naperville, IL. It was immeasurably cheaper to get the towing dolly in Blaine. The difference in price between Blaine and Vancouver was minimal and I didn't want to fuss with crossing the border twice.

You can do cross-border drop off, just make sure you price out if it's cheaper in Sarnia (I'm assuming your location, given Blue Water) or Blue Water, MI to pick it up. Some franchises will charge you more.

For those that drove uhauls, did you pick up in canada and drop off in US?

That is allowed?

We planned to bring my step dad up with us, have him rent a truck in blue water, MI, cross the border with it, get our stuff, then drive back and drop truck off in IL.

But if I can actually rent locally and drop off in US, WAY better! saves me 4 hours of gas.

Has anyone had the experience of packing a storage unit up and shipping it out? My personal stuff is still in a unit, and due to being pregnant, I really don't care to go out there with a U-Haul and load everything up. Not a good idea, at any rate, I'm too far along. I don't think getting an ABF crate or a uPack pod/box/thing will work since it's a storage unit. They may well charge me.

Any help is welcome!

It may be enough to turn in his passport. You might also be able to get him to notarize something in front of a military official?

It may be enough to turn in his passport. You might also be able to get him to notarize something in front of a military official?

Is this through your Canadian or American insurance? If it's American, some of the mandates of the Affordable Care Act (ACA, "Obamacare") already cover breast pumps under the "Women's and Preventive Health" measures. It should already be covered for you, at least for most plans. I'd call your plan and ask to know whether the breastfeeding supplies are covered for your plan, if they offer discounted rates through specific vendors/providers, and what other benefits you have.

See: http://www.healthcare.gov/news/factsheets/2011/08/womensprevention08012011a.html

and

See: http://healthfinder.gov/HealthTopics/Category/pregnancy/getting-ready-for-your-baby/breastfeed-your-baby#take-action_1

Your state will probably also provide support if you're considered low income, though I don't want to make any assumptions there. If your baby is due after 1/1/14, you may also be eligible to enroll on a more affordable health plan on the Marketplace. And in that case, they do have to cover the breastfeeding equipment as part of the Essential Health Benefits package. Your mileage may vary depending on your income and your state, but pre-existing conditions don't apply.

AND i found out breast pumps are not covered. Only if there is a medical condition etc etc. no way i'm forking over money for those, as it is i started our registry and am going to have a nervous breakdown at how expensive stuff is here. we don't have alot of friends and i cannot expect my husbands family to pay for alot. and my family well..they are useless and broke to begin with, and i haven't really spoken to them since i moved.

Babies have their own movement routines, that's what I'm discovering. I've felt Niblet since about 14-15 weeks (first pregnancy), but then I was really paying attention for it. The little one likes to get me when I'm sitting very still, sometimes listening to certain songs, definitely when I'm about to fall asleep... and whenever Daddy leans over to offer a loving "Hello, Niblet!" as part of his morning/evening greetings. I'm up to almost 23 weeks now, and the baby absolutely seems to respond to the gentle pressure and conversation of its father.

Figures! He's got a thespian's voice, I put the blame there.

1. You must list every address you have had within the time period, even if you were staying with friends or moving between places.

2. You need to list your stepchildren, even if you never see them. These are the biological children of your husband. Ask your husband for their birthdays and addresses, as need be. There aren't likely to be many questions about them, except perhaps if they live with you.

3. The process goes: file N400 package, biometrics appointment, interview, oath ceremony.

3a. Biometrics appointment: Go by yourself. Bring the letter, your green card, and photo ID (like driver's license).

3b. Interview: You can bring your husband, not necessary. Bring the letter, two passport photos, all requested identification on the letter, and additional material as you want. Search the forums for examples of what other couples took to their interview.

3c. Oath Ceremony: You can bring your husband, not necessary. Bring the letter, your green card, your photo ID, and any other requested information on the letter (like visas).

4. The purpose of the interview is to determine your good character, the fidelity of your marriage (e.g., not marrying to just get citizenship), that the information you provided is correct, you understand the laws and culture of the U.S., and you can communicate in English.

1) N-400: information about addresses - before my marriage I was on lease in few apartments, and then for a few moth I lived with my friend (not on lease) do I need to mention this location?

2) N-400: information about kids: my hubby and I don't have kids yet, but he has 2 kids from previous relationships(not married) they are not my step-kids, we see them once or twice a month. Question is do i need to write their information?? Addresses and Birthdays??? Their mom are not happy about me, cause Tom had married me not them, will they be asked questions from IO? or information about kids is just general

3) Interview: how is the process goes? first we send package, then BIO appointment, then the actual BIO, then interview?? Am I going by myself or with my husband (USC)? What documents do I need to have with me besides 2 photos and passport, Tax transcripts?

4) Those who are applied based on 3 years residency(married) the purpose of the interview is to prove we still married or to prove I'll be a good citizen??

Wait until the interview. When going down the list of questions, the IO will give you a chance to make corrections. Wait until she gets to the data portion, and say the eye colour was noted wrong.

Good luck!

I sure wish they'd use the photograph I sent in with my original N400 -- I'm pregnant, the last thing I want is that full-faced photo snapped in a hurry at a Walgreens for the interview, or the biometrics photo when I'd been run down and exhausted from March...

That said, traveling outside the country won't be a problem at all. I have done so repeatedly after submitting my N400. I updated the page for days spent outside the U.S. and countries traveled to, presented that at my immigration interview, and then updated *again* when my oath ceremony was given.

Husband applied at the post office, and had his passport in just under 9 days. As noted, make sure that you have everything required including three or four personal cheques. Our office required two separate payments, and you never know if you might make an accident on them.

Can your parents provide a copy of their tax returns where you were claimed as a dependent? I assume they listed your SSN to do so, and that would provide proof your income was claimed somewhere.

You need to file your taxes on your own, even for those years you were claimed as a dependent. Fortunately it's never too late to introduce yourself to the IRS. Depending on when your interview date is, or whether you submitted your N-400 application already, you should prepare the forms yourself or with a tax advisor's assistance and file them in person at an IRS tax office. Make an appointment and see if you can't get someone to manually enter details or the like.

My ex did not file for 4+ years while he lived in Canada, unaware he had to continue filing in the U.S. When he moved back to the U.S., he walked into the IRS office closest to the border and submitted those completed 1099 forms for the years spent abroad. The IRS officer got everything in the system right then and there, and we had hard copies to show he wasn't in default any further for a failure to file. This was a few years ago, but the IRS doesn't tend to prevent people from paying their taxes and filing correctly. If you explain you honestly didn't know, they can be very kind.*

*Take the "set up an appointment" option with a grain of salt as we did this a few years ago. I'd suggest calling the IRS information line, explaining yourself ("Hi, I realized my parents claimed me as a dependent when they filed for tax years 2009 - 2011, but I didn't realize I had to submit my own tax returns. I want to get my returns filed right away. Can I make an appointment at an IRS office in my city or is there a better option?")

Up until 2012, my parents were handling taxes in behalf of me. Most likely, they would've included me as a dependent- thus I don't have any tax filings prior to 2012. Should I just bring tax form of 2011 and 2012 where I reported my own gain? Or should I ask my parents to give their tax filings?

Again, thanks for the help

One hour to go and getting all the bits and pieces of paperwork together just in case. I don't know why I'm more anxious for the end of the journey rather than the beginning, but good luck to everyone out there!

The N-400 form can be found here: http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=480ccac09aa5d010VgnVCM10000048f3d6a1RCRD&vgnextchannel=db029c7755cb9010VgnVCM10000045f3d6a1RCRD

You'd be advised to download and print the instructions, since they include a handy checklist of documentation you may require. You have not specified whether you are filing for 3 year marriage or 5 year general. If 5 year general, the list is pretty shockingly short after earlier petitions (e.g., copy of green card and other ID, the N-400 form, two passport photos, 5 years of tax returns, and a few other miscellaneous items depending upon your situation).

Is your husband part of the National Guard, the army reserves, or something else? I'm afraid I am not sure whether National Guard or reserves for the national forces qualify for lifting the filing fees. I'd see the instructions for the N-400, they list out explicitly what's allowed.

Can somebody here please post me the list of documents along with N-400 form.

Next question is, we have a plan to go out of country around Ocotber. What do you guys think, should be wait or do you all think, we should be able to have a interview by then. BTW i live in virginia, if this helps.

Next question, my husband is in reserve in military, so where should be send our form? Is it Texas or Nebraska. Shoud we be exempt from the filing fee.

Interview times cannot be predicted easily. Not even IO officers can guarantee when you might come up, it all depends on caseload, how long it takes to review your application, and other factors. Look at your filing centre to see the estimated wait time. As ever, these numbers can shift around if large numbers of applicants file or your case worker needs extra information.

How long do you intend to be gone for? If it's a two week vacation, I'd book the holiday and make preparations for someone trusted to pick up your mail in case any USCIS notices arrive. Biometrics should be the quickest step, happening 4-8 weeks after you file for N-400. (In my case, it was under a month from filing to fingerprinting.) You can act on your interview once you receive the notice. If you won't be in town, you can show your electronic airline stubs and other travel plans to request a change of interview date.

Biometrics happen at every stage of the game: adjustment of status, renewing conditional green cards, naturalization. They want to make sure your fingerprints continue to match up and other details are correct. A bit frustrating for the 3-year marriage filers, but it's all for a good cause (preventing fraud).