candybabe

I am confused :
"most likely temporary for a few months to organize some aspects of my life. I drive 30-40 minutes from home to the office and I'm usually at the office most of the day, so I'm choosing a place that is very close to the office."
what is the purpose of this place ?
will it shorten your commute ? if so how , if you don't plan to sleep over -
are you going to store equipment that you would otherwise have to put in your car and drive around with for 30 mins each way ?
will your wife be on the lease as well ?
obviously I do not know you
but to me it sounds more like a place close to work where you can do things you cannot do at home -
and what are those things ? an affair ? again - do not take it personally, I am not judging - just showing you this is one way to see how it looks from the outside ....
 

Paint me RED, I am officially a CITIZEN!!!  Applying for passport tomorrow. 

She will need to return all USCIS issued documents anyway during the naturalization process -
My husband kept his son's GC from when he was 1yr old in his passport cover ( the son was 20 at the time) - when we came back from Canada at the border, the customs agent saw it ( the old old GC) -
we were pulled in and had to wait for 4 hours to be interviewed /fingerprinted /  give statements on why the GC was never returned etc - it turned an 8 hr trip from Toronto into a 13 hour ordeal -
So let them have the GC - my advise...

UPDATE: picked up my passport this afternoon and got the certificate back in the same envelope.

I beg to differ - the marriage certificate ( at least in Connecticut) does not specify the last name to be used after marriage - so you can change your name years down the line based on the same certificate ....

this is the perfect opportunity to either :
 
- get an infopass asap and get a copy of the rescheduling notice -
 
- show up on the 16th ( if you do not get your letter before then / or cannot get an infopass) and at least get a copy of the letter.
 
The last thing you want happening is to miss your interview because the phone call was not real / was in error etc.... I know it sounds a bit paranoid

the document is the Green Card - even if it is expired , you can have USCIS put a sticker on the back of it with an extension if your I-751 is in process. 
 
Unless you show the Green Card , that has your photo on it, they cannot just use the SSN because you could be stealing someone's identity.
 
For US citizens they request passport or birth certificate as proof.
 
 

this is by far the worst advice - the AOS interview is usually the toughest ! Expect to be questioned about everything, how you met, how soon you married etc .....The questions are in no way chit chat / friendly - they will try to intimidate you so be prepared.
 
you will need lots of docs to show you are in a genuine marriage - cohabitation, joint finances etc....
 
 

1. Keep all evidence that the marriage was entered into in good faith.
2. Make sure the divorce papers mention the Affidavit of Support she signed - If you cannot support yourself, she may have to pay alimony to you so you do not become a public charge.
3. As long as you have proof of bona fide marriage, she should not be able to hurt your status. US citizens like to believe and hold it above your head that they have all the power but that is not the case.
4.The fact that she changed your address is illegal - You can change your address using form AR-11- its is online and a very simple process https://www.uscis.gov/ar-11
5. The financial situation will only impact you if :
a. do not file your taxes or do not pay what you owe to the IRS - if you cannot afford it, make a payment plan and retain evidence of payments to date.
b. cannot support yourself and end up on government benefits - before that happens you should sue her for alimony. - Do not , repeat , do not claim to be a US citizen to gain federal benefits - that will basically cut all chances to citizenship.
 
I am not an immigration specialist / lawyer.

The only comment I would have is :
 
The more complicated you make the situation sound, the slower the review will go and more likely that you will either get RFE'd or simply not recommended for approval at the time of the interview.
 
The officers are humans too and they have to make a decision based on what they see, whatever is presented to them by the applicant in correlation with the background check.
 
When an application is kept simple and clean it makes their job easier and their decision process more straightforward.
 
The grayer a situation,  the more they would be inclined to make a conservative decision and tell you to wait rather than grant citizenship and risk being reprimanded for not having enough facts at the time of the decision.
 
Trying to interpret exceptional situations is good, but placing yourself in one without having to,  could end up in $725 of wasted application fee when not yet clearly eligible.
 
I am not an immigration lawyer / specialist.

As someone that has lived in Romania and the US- I can tell you that :
the Romanian insurance company selling you the policy will promise all things under the sun just to sell it to you - and when time comes to deliver they don't - there is a high level of ignorance when it comes to understanding how enormous medical costs can be here - folks outside the US just don't get it that if you end up with a baby in NICU it can go into the hundreds of thousands !!! a very close friend - visited the US, had to have emergency gall bladder surgery - he held an international insurance policy from Romania that was supposed to cover costs - hospital said they wouldn't perform surgery without deposit - he deposited $40,000 - luckily he could afford it - he ended up calling the insurance company from the hospital to file the claim- They REFUSED to pay it - this guy was out of pocket for the full amount the other thing to think about is the fact that a lot of folks take for granted that they can just show up at the ER and the doctors will have to deliver the baby anyway at the ER - therefore they are "not worried" -  

thank you - I get irritated when I hear folks from RO believing that it's all "milk and honey" over here - I work my ### off and I live a decent life - but no one put down the red carpet when I arrived in JFK almost 10 years ago ....

As someone that has lived in Romania and the US- I can tell you that :
the Romanian insurance company selling you the policy will promise all things under the sun just to sell it to you - and when time comes to deliver they don't - there is a high level of ignorance when it comes to understanding how enormous medical costs can be here - folks outside the US just don't get it that if you end up with a baby in NICU it can go into the hundreds of thousands !!! a very close friend - visited the US, had to have emergency gall bladder surgery - he held an international insurance policy from Romania that was supposed to cover costs - hospital said they wouldn't perform surgery without deposit - he deposited $40,000 - luckily he could afford it - he ended up calling the insurance company from the hospital to file the claim- They REFUSED to pay it - this guy was out of pocket for the full amount the other thing to think about is the fact that a lot of folks take for granted that they can just show up at the ER and the doctors will have to deliver the baby anyway at the ER - therefore they are "not worried" -  

If filed taxes as Single , that will also raise a flag if applying at 3 years based on marriage to US citizen - possibly flag the marriage for special review for marriage fraud.

You can obtain a photo id the same day in probably less than an hour. DMV actually have photo id designated centers which make the process very speedy.
You will need a photo id everywhere -any job,  doctor's office, bank, kid's school ....surprised you have not needed it in so many years.

The main proof of burden on the applicant for naturalization is proof of eligibility based on continuous residence within the U.S. -
 
That said, moving to another country permanently while only being a Lawful Permanent Resident will not only jeopardize your status as permanent resident and Green Card holder but it would also make you ineligible to naturalize.
 
So by moving permanently to the UK while a GC holder, regardless of whether you applied or not for naturalization (until naturalized you remain a GC holder), you could lose your Green Card and the chance to become a US citizen.
 
 
I am not an immigration lawyer / specialist.

marrying and moving to a different country and continent entails a lot more than a regular "we met at the bar down the street" relationship, it can be very stressful from all aspects and it is a big decision -
 
It is a huge choice for the foreign fiancé and the k1 allows for it to be an informed choice. 
 
although you are coming in on a k1 - no one is forcing you to marry if things don't turn out as expected once in the US  - you can always come over and not like the life in the US, the distance from everything familiar or something might happen with the relationship as in the US citizen doesn't want to go through with it and get cold feet and not get married and then have to go back to the country of birth -
that is the only legal requirement really = that if you don't marry you are out of status and have to exit the US.
 the K1 allows the foreign fiancé to visit their US citizen in their home environment and get married within 90 days - the embassy issuing the visa wants to of course see proof of bona fide relationship but the K1 is in no way legally binding to marry on its own - it is STILL a choice on both parts until the second they say I do! 
If they choose not to marry then the foreign fiancé must return home as they no longer have a visa to stay as the k1 is a one entry thing. 
my point was the k1 is more of a privilege to allow the foreign fiancée to see the US and their fiancé and their family etc in their natural environment before being actually legally married to them. 

Nobody is holding a gun to your head to marry once you step into the US, you can always change your mind and go back - the point I was trying to drive home was that if employment is a concern for the OP right off the plane, the K1 route is not facilitating that in the fastest way. If you want to be married and have employment authorization on Day 1 , CR-1 is the best route, although longer...

When you file for Naturalization you take into consideration the date when you became a Resident -
so
3 years since the date on GC under the Resident since, AND have to be married to the US Citizen and in a bona fide marriage so sending proof of that , or
5 years since the date on  GC under the Resident since , which will qualify him based on his residency regardless of marriage status.
 
As far as trips ,
for the 3 years rule, you would be expected to list all trips taken during those 3 years of having been a resident .
Filing for AOS did not make him a resident automatically , he became one when your AOS was approved ( which could have been months later)....
So in theory , any trips after filing for AOS and before being approved would not normally qualify in your time count towards naturalization.
 
The time count starts on the day he became a resident ( date on GC).
In example :
He married you in 2013, filed for AOS.
He became a conditional resident on 3/1/2014 - that is his Resident since date on his GC.
He filed for Removal of Conditions on 3/1/2016 ( or 90 days earlier). He obtained his permanent card that shows same Resident since date as the first one.
He wants to file for citizenship at 3 years rule based on marriage to US Citizen. He is eligible 3/1/2017.
He would only need to list all travel since 3/1/2014 (last 3 years).
 
Hope this makes sense.
 
I am not an immigration lawyer / specialist.
 
 

I would request a copy from your landlord or the rental office. It should not take long for them to provide it. Making a note of it doesn't really do anything. As a friend of mine likes to say, excuses are monuments of nothing  - On the contrary, highlighting it may cause concern since getting a copy is supposedly an easy fix. So if you don't go through the process they may wonder if you added the LPR and can actually obtain a copy.
 
You can also show residence through driver's license, utility bills, credit card bill to/ mail to address - Also, joint financial responsibility items like car loans or leases, student loans, store cards, health insurance cards, 401K showing beneficiaries etc. The key here being that if two people are in a bona fide marriage they would share the good the bad and the ugly....so rights ( savings, 401K, health insurance) and responsibilities ( loans, credit cards, mortgage etc)
 
 

I am rooting for you ! You're the flag bearer of hope around here lol

Here is what I replied to a similar question a few days ago - In general if applying at 3 yrs , the documentation to be sent with the application is more complex. I don't know about the photos , but it cannot hurt to send them in if he has them, or make sure he brings them to the interview, your choice.
 
On ‎3‎/‎20‎/‎2017 at 2:23 PM, candybabe said:
1. One check for $725, in the reference section of the check write down your A# and what the check is for : Naturalization & Biometrics fees
 
2. Full package should be sent to the same address, based on your state of residence , send it with second day delivery and signature USPS Priority - it cost me $23, well worth the price, delivered 2nd day by noon.
 
3. If filing under 3 years rule, it is your burden of proof, which means you have to prove that the marriage is bona fide -So yes, you will need to send evidence of that .
In addition to the documents required in the instructions, you may want to add:
-  documents showing joint financial responsibility ( mortgage contract showing both names, tax transcripts, bank statements, credit cards, car loans,  heath insurance cards, 401K beneficiary info showing both spouses, car insurance policy listing both spouses, etc) ,
-  documents showing joint social life ( birth certificates of children, emergency contact information from work listing other spouse, or from school, listing other spouse as authorized to communicate with school, any joint memberships, evidence of trips taken together, family events etc) -
 
That being said, the package should be cleanly organized and structured, so that it does not overwhelm the reviewer.
 
* A coversheet, listing content in order of attachments helps to make sure nothing you said you sent had been lost.
 
* You may want to list evidence per the above separation - financial and social -
 
* Attach the check at the front so they see it right away.
 
* Put your A# on all pieces of paper you send in.
 
Hope this helps -
 
I am not an immigration lawyer / specialist.

Thank you - this question comes up pretty often and I am lazy so I copy paste

This is very odd that he had the same adjudicator because their rules state that they cannot review the same case twice - so if a file will be placed in their queue that they have reviewed before , they will need to swap with another IO. This ensures fair review.

If filing under the 5yr rule , you need to bring the tax transcripts to the interview, not mandatory to send in with your application. If you do send them in, you will still need them for your interview.