aloma

3 hours ago, jkstark said:

Go for the 5 year rule - less paperwork and less hassle...  This was exactly the advise that I was given by the lawyer that had originally handled my GC application when I asked him to do a once-over on my N400.  I was eligible for either, so in his opinion there was a chance that the 5 year rule would get you through faster as well since there would be less paperwork for them to handle (and potentially lose...)

 

Good luck!

jkstark,

After reading the N-400 form, I do not see what would be the extra paperwork to base it on the 3 years instead than the 5 years. Either or they will ask if I am married with a U.S. citizen, I will have to say yes, and I will have to show his citizenship certificate (again), and I will have to show the marriage certificate (again). I do not know what would be the extra paperwork your lawyer was talking about. Did he/she mention what would be?

7 hours ago, tallnbrown said:

I submitted online. 

 

Submitted: 11/14/17

FP done: 12/05/17

Current Status: Case is active being reviewed by USCIS

 

Last year, couple of folks I know got their whole process done in little over 5 months. Those were paper applications so I expected my online application would go much faster. Apparently, I am wrong.  I have updated my timeline as well.

You still got time. Who knows, maybe next week you get an interview appointment. Five months (paper or online) does not sound as outrageous of what the Jacksonville office told me (1 year or over...). Crossing fingers for you!

On ‎2‎/‎21‎/‎2018 at 10:21 AM, Orangesapples said:

They don't check for HIV anymore. 

Whoops! They did for me about 7 years ago, but oh well then one thing lesser on their checklist  

On ‎2‎/‎21‎/‎2018 at 12:17 PM, Sal11 said:

Thanks for cheering me up ^.^ 

 

No problem. Wishing you the best during this process!

Thank you all for your opinions and insight! Much appreciated!

On ‎2‎/‎23‎/‎2018 at 12:45 PM, marriedtomrg said:

 

Not that I know of - if you go ahead and start a N-400 online application, you will see what questions they ask - I don't think they care if you are unemployed - only if you are able to account for the last 5 years of employment, schooling and any gaps (like unemployment) in your application.  You can likely include that letter as a piece of evidence - but that would be optional, provide it only if they ask for it.

Thank you! I appreciate your insight.

11 hours ago, Sal11 said:

Your answer was helpful and so reassuring!! Thanks 😍 and I was just a Lil worried I'm scared what if I won't clear up. I dont think ive something which can make me inadmissible.. By big infections you mean communicable diseases? 

 

By big infections I mean HIV, TB and the like. Don’t worry. For what you are saying there is no reason why you would not clear that medical portion.

11 hours ago, shomer said:

Are you filing based on marriage or employment?

I have lived in the USA as a PR for 7 years. I could either state I have been married to a USC for 3 years or say I have lived in the USA for 5 years.

No idea. That's why I was asking. If they are looking to give citizenships to people who can be a benefit for the society etc I was wondering if at first glance they may be nitpicky on the fact that an applicant is currently unemployed. Just wondering.

Hello everyone!

This January I just started with my doctoral program. The undertaking of this program is so overwhelming that most universities with this program highly encourage students not to work (I have a letter of the university stating this and their website also states it).  Back in December I quit my job to start this program. Right now our only income is my husband's but we managed to have good savings to pay for the very expensive education. Since I am most likely filling for citizenship after my midterm's tests I was wondering if it is going to be any red flag/issue in the application that right now I am not employed and I am a full-time graduate student instead.

Any words of wisdom? Thank you in advance!

While I understand your concern, I would not give it too much importance. You can have a cold and have a swollen lymph node; you can have an ear infection and have a swollen lymph node; you can even have acne and have swollen lymph nodes! Sometimes, the body is trying to fight a little encounter with some virus we will never develop and the only thing you know (or feel) is a swollen lymph node. To be honest, touching upon a swollen lymph node is just going to make it worse, they clear up by themselves.

Moreover, you have to put the picture together. If it is for immigration, they will do blood testing or TB testing whatever to make sure you do not have the big infections. No one is going to really say anything because hey the guy does not have TB but there is a lymph node swollen on his neck per say. If your Dr. said it is ok, why trying to find something wrong with your health?

(I am a healthcare professional, hope my two cents helped)

Anyone knows if it could jeopardize the N400 application the fact that I am currently unemployed? (I am studying a Doctorate degree where the administrators encourage students not to work because of the time commitment, clinical hours, and intensity of the degree). I have a letter from the school where they state that outside work is discouraged. I wonder if the fact that I say I am a full time graduate student at the moment but don't work since December could affect my application negatively

17 hours ago, tallnbrown said:

I know few folks who applied in jax last year and got the whole process done in 5 months. Those were paper applications though. Mine is online application & field office is Jax as well. I had my biometrics done on 12/05/17. I'll update you if I get any notification on interview date. 

Thank you tallnbrown! That would be fantastic to see how you are progressing on your application Much appreciated!

Hello there,

My husband and I went through the K1 visa about 8 years ago or so. As many people said it is not an easy process and it should not be taken lightly. Heck! nothing related to immigration should be taken lightly! We are no one to judge your love or intentions but for what you explain, you give the impression that your first priority is to come and stay in the USA instead of being together with the love of your life. Hubby and I went back and forth for over two years before we got engaged. It was becoming emotionally and financially draining for both of us so we were at a point that we split apart or commit to be together in one place once and for all. We obviously chose the second option and never looked back. However, after things settled we started feeling the weight of the day-to-day, living together, me having all my family and everything I know away. I miss home and my family terribly always though I do not regret choosing the man I love to be my husband. With that I come to say our relationship was and is strong and no matter how bothersome was to prove it we certainly could prove we were in a bona fide relationship. Just say you went the K1 visa...Can you prove you are in a bona fide relationship? Lies will just make matters worse...

If your K1 or marriage visa goes through and well...Are you sure you want to leave everything? Have you experienced the US to say you really like it as a place to live? What are you planning to do for a living? Are you going to be ok living with someone you have hardly shared moments with (at this point you two have not even met yet)? Will you be together after two years when you have to remove the conditions of your conditional greencard? 

This is life changing...It takes money, time, and sacrifices. If you take further actions as it is, what happened to you won't be your first denial and you will only get yourself in deep s**t with immigration which NEVER is a good thing.

6 hours ago, Hagrid said:

Yeah! I checked more threads and the online processing is definitively faster. I figure if there's no actual printed paper to read through and type in, things should be faster for whomever processes those cases.

 

About the lastnames, yeah I decided to keep both lastnames and both names (first and middle) because I don't want to deal with updating everything everywhere (social security, banks, insurance, etc) and having a mistmatch between my colombian and US passports.
 

The possibility that was long time was giving me a lot of grief particularly now that I am studying for my doctorate and have to meet many requirements in the classroom and in clinicals. Will have to try that online filling. Nothing can be easy huh? Thanks again for your insight!

4 hours ago, jxn said:

On your last point, I don't think there is any legal distinction between first and middle names. They are simply your given names. And your last name(s) are simply your surname(s).

Thank you for your answer. Actually for the SS office the middle name is not part of the legal name so I wonder if they will just take my word for it when I tell them the format I want. https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0110212001

Hagrid,

You are my hero. Last year I checked to see if the N400 would be a form that could be filled online. I was told by USCIS that it was not an option yet and to my surprise now it is available online. Did that guy who applied online applied to the Jacksonville office? These processing times are frustrating but also a funny thing...I know a lady who applied last year to the Jacksonville office. Her whole process beginning to end took about 6 months then others seem to go through the entire year. Go figure what factor makes it go faster. I wish I knew! By the way question! Being from Colombia are you leaving the birth two surnames in your citizenship application? Thanks again!

Hello everyone,

I have just come back from an Infopass in the Jacksonville office. They told me a few pieces of information that make me be cautious about initiating this whole citizenship ordeal.

- They said their processing time frame for citizenship is 1 year!!!! I wonder if that is the real time frame or if they just say that to cover their bases just in case. Just makes it all difficult because I am doing a doctoral program and this Christmas will be the last time I can visit my family in Spain until I finish my program (so two years after this 2018 Christmas). I do not know how I feel about booking a trip when could be my potential Oath ceremony time or not knowing if those appointments will fall in a day I have to be in a hospital away from Jacksonville for clinicals/residency. Any Jacksonville office applicants to share your timeframe experiences? Anyone who has travelled out of the country with a N400 in process?

- Also, I am going to change my first name and last name for it to be again like it is in my birth certificate so I will need a judicial ceremony. Anyone had a judicial ceremony in Jacksonville? Did that make your application processing time longer or shorter?

- Finally, the USCIS agent told me that nowhere in the Naturalization certificate specifies what parts of your name are first, middle, or last. So I am going from a one-first, one-middle, one-last to a two-first, no-middle, two-last. How do I explain SS etc the name format then?

Thank you for your input!

Hello everyone,

I have been with a dilemma for over half year now.  I am from Spain where no one changes their name upon marriage (it is law) and people have two surnames. We also do not know what a middle name is. Basically, I have a two word first name (found that out when I learned that the middle name is not part of the legal name of someone in the USA per Social Security office) which right now is separated as a first and a middle name in the American documentation. Also, due to misinformation 7 years ago, I put in the USA my husband's last name instead of my two surnames because I came on a fiance visa and we thought that I had to change it (I know this is not true, we just were misinformed back then).

Fast forward 7 years and I am thinking of doing the citizenship. I am also thinking of changing my first name back (put my real first name which right now is separated as first and middle), leaving empty the middle name field, and changing my surname back (bringing back my two Spanish surnames). I am NOT getting a divorce just as an FYI because every time I explain the story people thinks I am getting divorced or something. However, I am terrified of what could happen if I change my name back to its original. Will the second word of my first name or my first surname be confused with a middle name all the time? Will I have issues because Americans will confuse the format of my name? Will I have to do frequent calls to correct my name 2000 times in each entity? Will USCIS question the validity of my marriage when I state on the citizenship form I want to change my name back to its original? Do I even have to explain why I want my name back to its original? Will it be an issue for my future children to also have a two word surname- no hyphen-? Will it be too much hassle and money to change it everywhere?

However, if I do not change it I will always have this sadness of not being able to be who I am. Additionally, I do not feel very comfortable with two passports and two different names and I have all my family back in Spain so I am going to use my original identity there.

Everything is so messy and I do not know what to think anymore. Sooo hazy. Anyone who reverted back to their maiden name during citizenship but still happily married? Anyone with a two word first name and a two word surname but no middle name? Could you share your experiences?

Thank you in advance for your time!

5 hours ago, Suss&Camm said:

Well sometimes you can't correct it - if it's the computer system char's limit...  but when it can be fixed I sometimes have to battle... but it was mostly int the beginning so that all the important stuff  had the right name, especially SSC... thy wrote my three names a as one at first.. I was so dumbfounded by that cause I had had a specific conversation about the name, and she assured me it's no problem... then got the card.. "sigh" went back.. spoke to another lady that had it fixed for me and it came out right... after that it was fine cause GC and SC had them so the DL (with the note "NO MIDDLE NAME") came out correctly from the start. It was a hassle to connect my credit reports... but only cause I started building credit before I got my SSN (still had maiden name) - so I had the hardest time getting Equifax to connect my file.. I had to put in a federal complaint of them not adhering to the Fair Credit Reporting Act - after attempting to get them to do it by myself for 6 months... it took them now 3 days to fix it... SMDH..

Anyhow.. Most often when it's just a matter of a store card or something not so important.. I just put ,my first first name... since now it's all connected through my credit file.. and SSN...so a bunch of variations of my name are being reported anyhow... it's basically just important when you need those ID docs.. You will have an easier time than me with your last name cause yours isn't hyphenated.. mine is.. and that's another thing the antiquated US computer systems don't like.. 

Thank you thank you for your detailed answer. Oh boy I am sorry to read you went through so much hassle. You bet that even if I explain it, I will have to get it fixed somewhere. For example in the very brief time I had my real name in the US before I married I got addressed and received letters as Ms. Second last name. When I went for my marriage license my full name was spelled right. I explained the lady I have two surnames passport in hand and all. Marriage certificate again good spelling throughout. They put our marriage announcement online in Dayton Daily and says my hubby married Ms. Second last name. I said to him there, you married somebody else. 

8 hours ago, Asherbabe876 said:

My middle name is misspelt on mine and I was still able to complete transaction and get a learners permit 

Yes, you are absolutely right. If you look at the extract of SSA and the link they say it does not matter if you have it, omit it, initialize it, or if it is misspelled the middle name name "does not matter" to them as is not part of your legal name just used if your identity is in doubt. I live in FL and they have the true ID system. You bet that the DL, SSC and passport/immigration documents have to match

4 hours ago, Suss&Camm said:

I have 3 first names and 2 last names - only problem is that people mistake my other first names as middle names.... when filling out any forms I always have to put "OBS! NO MIDDLE NAME" or similar. Some computer systems here are antiquated  (many actually) and won't accept too many characters in a field and then it'll get cut off or put as middle name.

Thank you for your answer. Does it happen often? And when you call to fix it do you have to "battle" a whole lot? 

Thank you for your answer

4 hours ago, Andrina said:

I wouldn't say that middle names are considered nothing in the US. I added a middle name since oath because I never had one and always wanted one.

 

However, I don't see anything wrong with restoring your name as it was before. Also there are many people in the US from Latin countries who have two surnames. 

 

You'll file I-90 to replace your Green Card and change your name on it. I'm not sure how it goes about reverting back to the maiden name. I had changed my name after I got married a second time with the I-90 and the divorce and new marriage certificates. If I was in your shoes, I would probably send the divorce certificate and birth certificate with translation showing the maiden name.

I am sorry for the misunderstanding but I am not getting divorced and don't plan to do it either. I just don't want or need my husband's name behind my name. I am happily married. Thank you for your time regardless

Thank you for your answer

41 minutes ago, BuiQuang said:

wrong.  middle names are important.  social security cares.  my brother immigrate check yes for SS card on DS230, SS did not send him card.  we went to office and they say they did not issue becuz of similar name to someone already has SS card but different birthday.  

 

 

However, here is an extract from the SSA website. 

1. Middle name and suffix

We do not consider the middle name or suffix part of the legal name. Whether the middle name or suffix is included, omitted or incorrectly shown on evidentiary documents submitted with an SS-5 (Application for a Social Security number Card) does not matter.

NOTE: Both the middle name and suffix, even if not part of the legal name by SSA’s definition, should be used to resolve situations where the identity of the applicant or number holder is in question.

and the link : https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0110212001

Hello everyone! 

Seven years ago I moved to the US under a fiancé visa. I am from Spain and my name is along the lines of Ana María González Rodriguez (fictitious name but just for this discussion purposes). I never had heard of middle names so filled my papers with Ana as a first and Maria as a middle. Later, I got married and my husband was paranoid with the fact that changing the surname is something American brides do and if I didn't then it would affect our case negatively. Fast forward to today and I want to recover my identity. Been researching if two surnames cause issues and misunderstandings here in the US with mixed opinions. Even I got people saying it did not cause them trouble but then they give their children one surname because 2 are "problematic." Contradictory, right?

Finally I found in the US the middle name is nothing and is not even part of the legal name to the point that social security does not give importance for it to be an initial or misspelled. Therefore, since I am going to burn about 2000 usd to change my surname back may as well put my first name as it should too so would be first: Ana María, NO middle name, last: González Rodriguez.

Therefore I was wondering if someone has been in that position before to have two firsts, no middle, two lasts and if any challenges arised.

Also, did anyone replaced their green card due to name change and how was the process? 

Thank you in advance!

Thank you JJGussiaas for clarifying. Yeah well I guess I am terrified of all these stories of people saying that some interpret the first last name as a middle name ot chop part of their last names and then screw ups begin to happen haha. Perhaps is just an urban legend.