Autumnal

You will need to go here and see how your stay outside the US affects your ability to file for Naturalization. If you really want to become a USC, you may want to wait. FYI, just because you do not have to PAY taxes, it is always best to FILE a tax return as the USCIS will require the last three years worth of tax returns or an explaination of why you are not required to file a tax return per IRS regulations--i.e. you need to cite the letter of the law because in the USCIS' eyes every USC and LPR is required to FILE a tax return each year up to the year of your death on all income or lack there of. So you may want to file the past years tax returns so you have them for the USCIS. As an example, my brother has not had a job for the past 10 or so years, but I have filed a tax return for him as he is required to file based on IRS regulations, so just because you have no job does not get you out of the requiement of filing a tax return. Most of the time it does, but there are situations where you fall into a special catagory that requires you to file a tax return.
File you back taxes, make certain you have all evidence that you were in the PI as a temporary care giver to your Grandmother and that you maintained your residency in the US and then file for Naturalization. No need to rush and have your application denied.
Good luck,
Dave

Absolutely not, your lawyer is just wrong, she doesn't know what she is talking about.
Yes, the letters/application forms are all great evidence of domicile. It's kind of a moot point now since he will actually be physically living there, so I assume he will have his driver's license, car insurance, maybe a bill or two in his name with his U.S. address etc etc.
Proving domicile when he is actually living there should be a piece of cake really.
I wasn't going to bother posting the whole domicile information thing - since it won't really help you at this point, however, I can see that you are questioning the validity of what your lawyer told you and you will probably find this information useful - so here goes.
If you look at the instructions for the I-864, although they are not easy to interpret, they do outline the basics of proving domicile:
15. Country of Domicile. This question is asking you to indicate the country where you maintain your principal residence and where you plan to reside for the foreseeable future. If your mailing address and/or place of residence is not in the United States, but your country of domicile is the United States, you must attach a written explanation and documentary evidence indicating how you meet the domicile requirement. If you are not currently living in the United States, you may meet the domicile requirement if you can submit evidence to establish that any of the following conditions apply:
A. You are employed by a certain organization. (lists organizations on the I-864)
B. You are living abroad temporarily. If you are not currently living in the United States, you must show that your trip abroad is temporary and that you have maintained your domicile in the United States. You can show this by providing proof of your voting record in the United States, proof of paying U.S. State or local taxes, proof of having property in the United States, proof of maintaining bank or investment accounts in the United States, or proof of having a permanent mailing address in the United States. Other proof could be evidence that you are a student studying abroad or that a foreign government has authorized a temporary stay.
C. You intend in good faith to reestablish your domicile in the United States no later than the date of the intending immigrant's admission or adjustment of status. You must submit proof that you have taken concrete steps to establish you will be domiciled in the United States at a time no later than the date of the intending immigrant's admission or adjustment of status. Concrete steps might include accepting a job in the United States, signing a lease or purchasing a residence in the United States, or registering children in U.S. schools. Please attach proof of the steps you have taken to establish domicile as described above.
So what does all this mean?
When you look at the instructions above it makes it obvious that the sponsor can prove domicile even if they are not physically residing in the United States.
For most people who are temporarily abroad and fall under category B - it's pretty transparent - should not be too hard to prove domicile if you have only been out of the U.S. for a few months for example.
However, what if you and your spouse are living together in another country, like Canada - this is where Item C comes in.
All they are asking under this category is that you intend in good faith to reestablish your domicile in the U.S. - basically, at the same time as, or before the immigrant.
This applies equally to sponsors who have never lived in the U.S. - which is where it can be misleading - how can you 'reestablish' something that you never physically established in the first place?
The bottom line is domicile, for U.S. immigration purposes, does not mean that you have to physically be in the U.S.
So how do you go about proving C?
All I can tell you is what we did (and neither one of us had lived in the U.S. prior to immigrating). Really you just have to think through what would prove that you are intending to move to the U.S. with the new immigrant. This will mean different documentation for different situations, but basically this is what we sent in (in total - initially we did not send enough proof of reestablishing domicile and received an RFE from NVC for more):
- A letter from my Sister in Nebraska, stating that we would be living in the U.S. with them after my Husband received his visa and that we had come to an agreement regarding money for accommodation. She also stated that they should feel free to call her if they had any questions.
- I opened a U.S. bank account with my Sister in Nebraska and deposited a small sum of money there. I sent along a bank statement from them.
- We opened a U.S. dollar account with a Canadian bank and moved most of our funds there.
- We applied in March of 2007. We sold our rental property in January of 2007 - we sent letters from our lawyer stating we had sold that house.
- An online quote from Upack for shipping our goods from Calgary to Nebraska.
- A copy of the letter of acknowlegement from the SS office, stating I had applied for my SSN in March 2007 and the card should arrive in 2 weeks.
That's about all I can think of. There may have been a couple of other documents.
So you can see how this all goes back to putting yourself in the mindset to figure out what might prove domicle in your situation - a voting record, applications to schools etc. I believe it would be much easier to prove if the sponsor had actually lived there before and already had established bank accounts etc.
It's all about saying...hey, we are moving! - then documenting everything required for that move, as well as providing documentation of ties to the U.S.

May work with an airline ticket within two weeks of travel, properly filled out DS-11 meeting all the requirements for a child under 16, bring the child and his green card with you. Being in person does make a difference, if you meet a stubborn agent politely ask to see his supervisor.
Since you have a good relationship with your ex, a notarized letter from him giving your son permission may help. Depending on whether you can prove sole custody. Your son by all definition is a US citizen. Dress nicely and be very polite.
Just got involved with my own personal problems, my stepdaughter only has one father and never blocked her from seeing him. But from what he pulled on her, she never wants to see him again. He is regretting his actions now.

Wrong. As long as he has his 10-yr card he's good to go. Card may have expired, but not his PR status.

Thanks for the review and congratulations once again!

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 had the same problem when I called too so I tried my hubbys social and that worked. H&R block obviously had hubby listed as primary for our taxes or something. I thought both socials should work but I got them using his.

You've done what a lot of people wouldn't, been proactive so I can only commend you for that! Too many people just expect things to fall into place and I can only imagine how it would have been if you weren't prepared! Filed in April yes, thank you for asking I'm in-line for interview so I suppose I could hear any day now! It's not a short drive (3 hours one way on a basically flat and desolate interstate!) so I was really hoping I could do same-day Oath but apparently my office doesn't offer it anymore. I'm still going to ask seeing I don't need to do a name change it doesn't need to be a fancy ceremony, otherwise I'll ask for it to be done in a ceremony closer to where I live (45 mins from home). It means waiting a bit longer (they only do them here once a month) but it'll still happen and that's the best part

This post appears lengthy but the actual interview with the IO took only less than 10 minutes, from the time he called my name until he told me I passed and was all set to leave.
Parking 334 E Temple St. - flat rate $8 My husband and I drove from Marina del Rey. There was heavy traffic in the last seven miles of the 110 Freeway. Security The interview schedule was at 9:45 am on 300 N Los Angeles St. We were on the security screening line for about eight minutes. When it was our turn, my husband placed his stuff on the tray but the guard noticed his sharp keychain and said that he wasn't allowed to take the particular accessory design inside the building. I made my husband memorize my interview room number and told him to meet me there. He left the building and looked for a spot to hide his keychain someplace else. I got inside the building at 8:33 am. The Long Wait I greeted the guard outside Room 8509 and he asked for my interview letter. I handed it to him and he pointed the waiting room. It was packed because most of those who were getting interviewed invited one to three family members with them. After more than an hour of sitting there, I asked the couple beside me what time their interview was. I know they were already there before we arrived. The man said his wife was scheduled at 9:45 am. Several minutes past 11 o'clock, an IO called the wife and two minutes later, my IO showed up at 11:22 am. My husband and I waited for nearly two hours! He would occasionally walk around and talk to the funny guard outside the waiting room. My husband found out the guard was born in the Philippines and he was quite entertaining. Inside Suite 8509 The IO introduced himself and told me that the lady beside him will be with us during the interview for her training but she won't be asking me questions. She's only there to observe. The three of us walked towards his office while he was holding my N-400 form. He asked if: - the name on the form is accurate and whether I intend to keep or change it - I'm still living in the same address on the file and how long I've resided there. I said yes, four months. He requested to see my passport, 10-year permanent resident card, and state ID. He made copies of those and told me to place my stuff on the table inside his room. I saw on his table a very thick file which most likely contained everything we sent starting from the I-129F. After making copies of my IDs, the IO and the lady joined me inside the room and he led the oath. We all sat and he told me my test was about to begin. What is one promise you make when you become a United States citizen? Where is the Statue of Liberty? Who is the Governor of California? Who was the First President? What movement tried to end racial discrimination? Name two national US holidays. I got the first six correct. He gave me a paper and pointed at the portion to read aloud, "Who lives in the White House?" and handed me another paper and a pen then told me to write, "The President lives in the White House." He went back to holding my N-400 form and asked: Is your name spelled correctly here? How long have you lived in your current address? - I answered four months. He then chuckled and commented, "Oh, I've already asked you that!" It made me think that the IO asked a few questions repeatedly to check if my answers were consistent. Did you bring any evidence that you are still married to your husband, such as joint bank account statements? I named some documents and he kept saying, "We already have that on your file." I told him that they only got our 2009, 2010, and 2011 tax transcripts so I bought one for 2012. I handed the 2012 tax transcripts to him. I also gave him our: - joint bank account statements from 2010 to present, reflecting all four addresses we have lived in (one for every quarter) The IO said to the lady being trained that she should look at the statements and check for changes on the balances and if there's activity, then that's a good sign. Now I'm glad I didn't redact the details of the bank statements. I would normally redact those using thick, black ink, to conceal the balances and actual account numbers. - current lease agreement (I submitted two lease agreements for previous addresses during our ROC) He didn't have a copy of our current lease. - renter's insurance policy He verified if all the details I've written on my form are accurate such as my previous addresses and employment history. I'm currrently unemployed so he asked, "How do you support yourself?" I told him the truth: my husband and I agreed that it's better if only one of us would experience work-related stress. He smiled and asked what my husband's job is. I said he's a senior software engineer. The IO nodded. More questions: Have you made trips outside the country? Yes, three times. When was the last one? In May 2012 when my husband and I visited the Philippines for the first time since I arrived in the US. He asked about my marital history and my husband's. This is both our first marriage (and hopefully the only one ever). He also asked if we are currently separated or filing for divorce. Of course not! Do you have children? Not yet. For part 10 of the N-400 form, he didn't read to me every single yes or no question. He simply picked the first two or three questions from each portion and then skipped the rest. He then gave me a paper with my name, country of birth, and address to check if everything is correct and made me sign it together with parts 13 and 14 of my N-400 form. The IO went outside the room with the lady and made copies of our joint bank statements, current lease agreement, 2012 tax transcript, and renter's insurance policy. When he came back, he said that I passed my interview and congratulated me. He handed me Form N-652, Naturalization Interview Results (it has a line that says I should take the letter to the oath ceremony). The IO told me to expect my oath letter in the mail "in a couple of months." Hopefully that was only the standard answer and my oath ceremony gets scheduled sooner! I thanked him and the lady a few times over and left. The Finale The guard saw me and said that the IO who interviewed me was the kindest person there is in the interview suite. I agree. The IO asked me very easy questions and although he wanted to see more documents, he always spoke softly without a hint of intimidation or condescension. The guard gave me advice in Filipino, "Tell your husband you didn't pass and that you have to come back in August to redo the interview." I exclaimed, "Hindi ako marunong magsinungaling!" (I don't know how lie to my husband!) The guard laughed. I returned to the waiting room and my husband was very surprised to see me. He thought the interview would run at least 30 minutes. Nevertheless, I got a hug and a kiss from him in front of strangers who tried to congratulate me. We then walked to Little Tokyo in Downtown Los Angeles and had some unagi roll, salmon, and beef noodles for lunch. Acknowledgement Special appreciation to my husband and also to the N-400 February 2013 Filers. Thank you so much!

There is an updated list of panel physicians on the montreal consulate page.

Doctors have to apply to USCIS to become panel physicians and then USCIS has to approve them. There used to be more available but about 3 or 4 years ago there was a big 'de-listing' of panel physicians by USCIS in Canada. I don't know if anyone ever told us the reason, but yeah, it sure seems unreasonable that there are so few for such a large country.

Have you looked into uhauling to a location they do service and sending it from there?

I am going with ABF Upack. I am moving from Vancouver Island to Louisville. So sadly I have to rent a uhaul as well, to get my stuff from Vancouver Island over to Surrey. Upack quoted me 1262, which isn't to horrible, and the uhaul will probably be at least 200. We figured going with Upack would be a little less cheaper then renting a uhaul and driving all the way from VI to Louisville, with gas and ferry costs etc.

I recently went through a similar situation.
My wife had her naturalization on May 28th. Her daughter (my stepdaughter) fulfilled all the requirements of Section 320 of the Child Citizenship Act of 2000. Both of them applied for their passports at the Seattle Passport Agency. My wife had no problems with her passport application. She submitted her Certificate of Naturalization. However, the agent denied her daughter a passport. We submitted 1) her mother's Certificate of Naturalization, 2) her foreign birth certificate and 3) proof of permanent residence...her green card. Still, the agent requested more evidence. School records, baptismal certificate. Of course, we didn't have those documents (as this was not specified in the DS-11 instructions). He stated that if we couldn't furnish any of those documents, we would need to have her own Certificate of Citizenship or have a maternal dna test performed.
Of course, I know that the agent is misinformed. I quoted Section 320 of the CCA of 2000. He still insisted on providing additional evidence. We did plan on have her own Certificate of Citizenship. However, we'll get our state representatives involved in expediting her N-600 application. Since there is no biometrics or civics exam (for minors), we hope to have her certificate issued ASAP. It really irritates me that one person's ignorance of the law will cause so much inconvenience to others.
Right! The date on the Certificate of Citizenship should be the date the parent naturalized.

As long as she was under the age of 18, and in your legal and physical custody, and a permanent resident when you became a citizen, she became eligible to receive a US passport. Therefore it doesn't matter if the passport was applied for before or after her 18th birthday.
If you want additional proof of her citizenship status, she may file the N-600 application - she is now over 18 so she should be the one to fill it out. The date on the certificate should be the date when the parent became a citizen.

On a positive note, he will never use his naturalization certificate except for the application for his first US passport, so the photo on the certificate will never be 'seen in public'.

When I applied for my passport before my first international trip to meet my fiancee's family, I ordered my passport 3 months before my trip and paid the expedite fee at the post office ($60) and had my passport in about 2 weeks.
Here's a link to the passport fee page at the state department website:
http://travel.state.gov/passport/fees/fees_837.html#adult_ppt
And here's a link to the page where they give the current estimated processing times:
http://travel.state.gov/passport/processing/processing_1740.html
Hope this helps. Best of luck to you and congratulations
EDIT TO ADD: I want to reiterate the importance of reading the criteria of what to bring with you when you apply. I don't know how many times I've been at the post office and seen people turned away from the passport line because they didn't bring what they needed. You can find all that information on the state department by searching the proper pages regarding 1st time applicants.

Being a dependent on someone else's taxes does NOT absolve you of the need to file your own.
You need to file your own taxes if you were making any money. Then in the box where it says "can someone else claim you as a dependent" you say yes. You still do your own taxes.
People think that "being a dependent" means that your taxes are on their tax return, but that is NOT true. It just changes the exemptions for the respective parties.

No- well, about a year before you will move back, as that is how long the process takes.

hey Saif,
sorry for late answer. My appointment was may 23 at 10:30. I took my wife and my new born baby with me since I heard it looks good to have them.there with me. I live in Naperville so its like about 35 miles from.the city but the traffic was bad so i wish I had left house a little early. Anyway, I got to the city on congress parkway, there is a parking lot right behind BP gas station which was the closest to the building. I dont know if you are familliar with the area or not, but the building jas no signs of immigration or anything. we went through security and then took the elevator to the third floor where you will immediately find like a little office where you have to check in with the clerk and he will give you a beeper. I was called 10 minutes after I say down. I don't know why they use beeper I'd they are going to call your name out loud. i went to the lady that called me and then asked me to follow her. The thing that I just remembered Bute its that she never swore me before she stated tge interview. she proceeded to ask me for name change because my name was to long which I did cut it to my first and last name. she asked me about college because I had stated that I go to college and proceeded to ask me General questions. they also had asked me to bring some documents prior to the interview but they never asked for it in the interview. and the io proceeded to give me the test which I currently answered the first 6 questions and then the reading and writing. and then she said obviously you passed. and then she printed three pieces of papers two of them I had to sign for the name change and the last one said that I passed and it had the name of the officer on it. and then she walked me out. but I haven't received any updates status to the case so far.

Thank you, Roselinda!
Not long at all folks! Keep on hanging in there!
Good luck to all those with upcoming interviews and congratulations to those with oath ceremonies!

Congrats Markieboy and everyone else who have recently gained citizenship. Good luck to all those waiting! Not long now folks!

For my husband's citizenship, we sent in way less than for the other steps. We basically sent what the directions on the USCIS website said to send (the N-400, copy of our marriage certificate, copy of my birth certificate-me being the US citizen, copy of my husband's green card-front and back, copies of tax return transcripts- 2009-2011, check for the fees-$680, and 2 passport size photos). I think that was it. However, for the interview, we put togther a huge binder of all originals already submitted plus other documents such as joint bank statements, joint car insurance statements, utilities showing both of our names, our paystubs showing same address, 2012 tax return transcripts, life insurance beneficiary and retirement beneficiary forms etc. My husband was not asked to show any of those documents at his interview, but we thought "better safe than sorry".
Good luck to you.

I am a dual citizen as well, I carry both passports generally. I make all my flight reservations with my US passport and carry it because that must match. I present my Canadian pasport at Canadian customs when entering after getting off the plane at the airport. When I am travelling by car into Canada I only present my Canadian passport.

There may be children at the ceremony anyway if they are being naturalized. Having said that, if you can't keep your children under control then don't take them to possibly ruin someone's ceremony, wedding or otherwise. I had 3 boys and they knew how to behave. My 3 year old was my ring bearer at my wedding and behaved awesome. My cousin brought her 3 year old who screamed through my wedding vows. Not nice. The polite thing would have been to go outside. If one of my children starts to act up (they are children after all and not perfect) as the responsible person I removed them from the room. (They also learn if thy want to be included, behave!) Yes families should share in these things but when adults don't manage the situation or don't know how or have uncontrollable children then they shouldn't bring them. Often at a wedding the kids don't come for the ceremony, just the party where they can play and relax. It's stressful for an exuberant child to have to stay under control and stressful for adults to manage and people without children or who want to hear a ceremony should be allowed peace. Parents, be considerate. No one want to listen to your child scream, or watch them run around. Use your judgement. Be considerate!