harami

Hello, I dont know if this is the right space for this topic. Apologies if not.

I was wondering about income tax rates after changing status to a green card. Me and my wife plan to file jointly once we get the green card. What are the rates for us? Is there a definitive document that I can refer to about taxes while on a green card? I tried navigating the IRS website but it gave me a headache. Thanks for your replies!

Thank you for your replies. I have asked the court for a sealed envelope with the details of my ticket and disposition and the fine paid. I will take that with me when I go to the interview. I just had the biometrics done today so Im guessing the interview will be a good month or two away. Just wondering, from those who have had the interviews, could it be a big deal to change my answer from NO to YES on the arrested, cited, charged question? I imagine its anybody's guess, but given that its not that big a deal, I hope they accept my answer change and my court document, and that it does not trigger extra background checks and retroactively affect my EAD or AP. Any thoughts on that?

Yes, disclose the ticket. It shouldn't cause you any problem in and of itself. Failure to disclose it would be a problem. You will be required to answer even more specific questions about any entanglements with the law even further into the immigration process - there are several different questions about it on the citizenship document - so you don't want to be forced into a situation where you reverse what you wrote earlier as that will come back to haunt you. Disclose it at the interview and explain you were advised it did not count but you are worried that it does, so want to let them know you did not intend to misrepresent the true state of affairs, just did not understand what the true state of affairs were and ask for their understanding.

I had a similar 'citation' and I worried about how to handle it as well. I was cited and fined $10 for windsurfing without a life jacket:-). It didn't come up in any of my security checks and when I went to the Court to get a copy there was no record any more of the charge or fine. I had a newspaper article about it and a copy of the charge. The court sent me a letter stating that the records no longer existed. Nevertheless, I disclosed it all the way through the process submitting the newspaper article, the charge and the letter from the court saying the documentation no longer existed. At the citizenship interview, the officer definitely looked at it - then smiled and moved on. Disclosing it speaks to your 'integrity'.

Make several copies of your documentation - you will be requested by USCIS again - so you can inform them they already have the information on file and then provide certified copies for future use.

USCIS isn't only interested in the nature of the charge/crime/fine/ etc. - they are interested in the fact that you have disclosed the truth and as such have exhibited morally responsible behaviour -another of the criteria you must meet to become both a landed immigrant and a citizen.

Good luck.

Thank you for your reply! I intend to disclose it fully during the interview and also explain why I wrote No on the forms.

I wanted to ask, has that arrest affected any other aspect of your life, such as being asked about it at borders, or having to declare it in other kinds of immigration forms, possibly while entering the US ( I know the border card you need to sign asks questions about arrests) or other countries as well?

You were in the US to get a ticket 2 years ago? What visa are you adjusting from?

G4, before that I was on F1.

Thanks everyone. So, how do you suggest I proceed. From the forums it seems like sending info independently now would not guarantee that it would reach my case/IO. I cannot really afford a lawyer right now either.

I am planning to take the document with me (I got the court disposition docket printout from the Pennsylvania Court system website) and I also have my original yellow citation) when I go to the interview. When the IO asks me the Yes/No question about arrests/citation/charge, I will say I did not answer that question originally as YES because when I talked to the District Court where my case was, they said legally its "less than" a traffic ticket. But I was indeed charged with a summary noise violation and here is the citation and the final court disposition and proof of payment of fine and case closed. I called the court to ask if I can get a more official looking document than the printout and the lady said that thats the only thing they can send as well.

I guess I will take it from there. The only thing is I dont want this to be a thing that will now and forever follow me. That I have to reply YES to every question about charges and arrests, not only for US immigration, but for jobs, visas to other countries, starting my business etc. Also when I enter or leave the US, they will always ask me if I was arrested and then be held while they check and I miss my flight and they come up with a noise ordinance violation.

Any insight on this? Thank you for your replies.

Noted

Hi! I filed my application on Aug 26 and last week I received my biometrics appointment later for Tuesday the 23rd. Can I go to the application center and do a walk in tomorrow? Can anyone point me to walk-in information on the uscis website? My center is in Alexandria, VA. Thanks!

I would suggest saying yes. They will more than likely see it but it will not cause you any problems if you are honest about it.

Thanks, and I think that is the correct course of action.

However, I just called the police department that issued the citation, and talked to a police officer there. He said, the only way anyone would ever find out about the citation is if they called that specific police station and asked about me by name. He said summary offenses are not even reported to the state level, so not even a statewide check will show that I have this record. He said it wouldn't turn up in FBI's CRS or UNI.

Given that USCIS on their website says they do four checks. TECS, IDENT, FBI Fingerprint and FBI NNCP, I see no way how this will turn up in the USCIS's background check given there is no upward reporting.

However, I will carry the court files with me for my interview and volunteer the court disposition document that says - Disposition Guilty for A Noise Ordinance Violation. I just hope the IO will not say, well this document does not have a seal or isnt in a sealed envelope because that would delay the process by another few weeks at least.

Hah! Thanks man. I know its ridiculuous. But, I was going through the I485 and rereading the question, it says. have you been arrested,CITED, CHARGED, indicted ....etc.

I was cited for the noise violation, and I was charged, I plead guilty and paid a fine. So, is the NO on the i485 wrong? My fear is that when the IO asks me the question, and I say NO, she pulls up a record of my violation and accuses me of lying.

A Ticket.

So, can I call USCIS customer service and ask them the result of my background check?

I am wondering if I can call USCIS customer service to find out if my FBI check came back clean. I went to court and paid a noise violation fine in PA 2 years ago, and am wondering if that sort of stuff comes up in a background check. I called the court and the police station that gave me the citation, and they both confirmed that a non-traffic citation summons does not get reported beyond the police station, and that it will not turn up on a FBI NCIC name check. I also wrote NO on the have you been arrested question on i495. However, I would like to be certain. I will of course take the court documents with me and if asked I will answer truthfully. But, I am wondering if I should or should not volunteer a noise violation citation at the interview, given the possibility that the IO may then ask for sealed court documents and disposition records and what not.

Thank you for your responses. I have been reading on what gets reported to NCIC and UNI, and it seems that only misdemeanors and up get reported while summary violations excepting retail theft and theft of services do not. Any insights on this?