Hello @Sandra G.
Thank you for sharing this! I’m scheduled to travel internationally from May to August, pending citizenship. I have no criminal record.
As for my status, it’s a bit of a grey area: I may have technically overstayed, but it was never clearly defined. Here's a quick timeline: my work visa expired in November 2015, I got married in December 2015, but due to abuse, I never filed for adjustment. I applied for VAWA in 2018, received my green card in 2022, and began my citizenship process in 2025. No biometrics were required—my application went straight to “being reviewed.”
Given all this, how can we best prepare for international travel while our citizenship is pending? What should we know, and what steps can we take to protect ourselves?