Visitor

If you aren't in a hurry to go anywhere I have found it much easier to wait until you've been married for 5 years and been living at the same address for 5 years. It simplifies the whole process and there seems to be less paperwork to do.

I've been married for 12 years to a us born citizen and living in the states for that long. My 10 year green card expires in August 2014. I've just submitted my application for citizenship a few days ago. I could have applied for citizenship years ago but we decided to wait until we had lived in our new home for 5 years. As I said, it simplifies the process and shows the USCIS stability in both marriage and home address. Having lived at the same address for 5 years also makes it easier to gather all the necessary documents. Not suggesting you've moved but just saying.

Thank you for the information.

I just sent the same N-400 package a few days ago.

I did not include any cover letter. The guide and instructions do not state any such requirement. I put the G-1145 E-Notification form on top and paper clipped the check and 2 photos onto that.

I just left spaces blank which did not apply to me. I thought best to keep things as simple and uncluttered as possible.

I also don't have a middle name and left such spaces blank.

Good luck.

What is the official annual income requirement to be above the poverty line? I have no idea.

When my husband and I were married he was on a very high income working at NASA then he retired from his job and we are now living on his military retirement. We live comfortably but officially have no idea of what the poverty line is.

I concur with others in this thread. A friend of mine came from Australia and married someone who lives below the poverty line and she had to get a US citizen friend to sponsor her. The system worked and she is living happily married here in the US now.

Good luck! I hope everything works out for you.

You will have top contact your national embassy or consulate to find out that information.

Hmmm...yes I too am currently filling out the N-400 form and I didn't see any place to list addresses during trips outside of the US. I too will be interested in hearing more responses to this question as I also just listed dates and country. I was only out of the country myself on 2 occasions. One was 10 days and the other was just an (in Canada both times as I live very close to the border) but I didn't see any place on the N-400 form which asked for places stayed or specific addresses.

Can anyone clarify this?

I don't know why they have problems changing addresses. When I got my 10 year unconditional green card we sold our house and moved. We sent the proper form informing INS of our address change (they were INS at the time and later changed to USCIS).

Here's the irony - They replied by sending me a letter to the NEW address saying they would not acknowledge our new address and that I would have to resubmit address change.

I went back to our lawyer and she did it for us. UNBELIEVABLE!!

Sorry not much help to you I know but to answer your question yes a change of address CAN be this difficult sometimes. You aren't alone! It happens!

I've been in my home now for 6 years and have submitted address change online more than once and to this day I STILL do not know what address they have on me as they never acknowledged me.

I'm currently applying for citizenship so when I send in my N-400 forms I will put my current address on those forms and hope for the best.

Good luck!

Thank you for your reply. I know I have to provide all information and have all the documents to do so but they ask the same question later in the forms. This particular question had me confused because of the questions prior to it referring to current name but I will cover myself by attaching a piece of paper with all the necessary info and if needed repeat it again on other pages as requested. I'm hoping too much info or repeated information is better than not enough in this case.

Thanks again.

My husband and I hired an attorney/lawyer for my case when I came from Australia. My husband is a veteran and we tried to get help from JAG but they wouldn't help so we found a good lawyer and she got all our paperwork in order and organised our appointments and interviews all the way to 10 year green card stage. We couldn't have done it without her. Having said all that, however, we are now going to get my citizenship and go through all the naturalization process without any help from a lawyer. I have found in my 10 plus years in the US that acquiring my green card was a much more difficult process than applying for citizenship. In my experience I would say a good lawyer is most helpful for green card work but not necessary for naturalization process as it's much easier. Good luck.

Hi all,

Although I'm new to this forum I've lived in the states after moving here and getting married to a US born citizen in Dec 1999.

After getting through all the red tape to get my green card with the help of a lawyer and many thousands of $'s later I finally got the conditions removed and have had my unconditional 10 year green card for the last 8 years.

My permanent resident status expires in August 2014 so rather than renew my green card/permanent resident card again I decided to apply for US citizenship.

I'm currently gathering all my documents and going through all my guides, instructions and forms getting ready to put my application package together. A mountain of paperwork but unlike the green card process this is actually easier so we'll NOT be hiring a lawyer this time but will be doing this leg of the paperwork ourselves.

Thankfully we've lived in our current home longer than 5 years so that makes the application process easier.

Washington state is a far cry from tropical Queensland especially when everything goes white with snow for 6 months in the winter but it's very scenic here and home is where the heart is so we love it even if it does get cold.

They made no mention of this in the N-400 forms or documents check list.

Thank you for the information.

Do they actually take your passport or do they just want to look at it?

Hello,

I'm new to the forum so please bear with my inexperience. Thank you.

I'm Australian and I'm applying for US citizenship. I do qualify as I've lived here as a permanent resident for over 10 years and have been married to an American born citizen for that time.

On the N-400 form Part 1 - Section C - Have you ever used other names, provide them below. The questions before it ask my current legal name and name exactly as it appears on my Permanent Resident Card.

Does the question pertain to the surround questions as in the US or does it mean all the names I've had since birth?

I have been married and divorced prior to this marriage. I still use my Australian passport when I travel and passport name as I haven't (and probably won't) change my passport name as it's unnecessary and too complicated. I have always and only used my US married name for everything since I've lived in the US. I haven't changed my name to anything else and don't wish to so will always use my US married name but this question has me somewhat confused.

Thank you for any help you can give me.