N400-2011

I went through the VAWA process after being married for only 8 months. My ex assaulted me and was arrested for third degree assault. This was in July 2006. I believe that you can file the I-360 and I-485 concurrently - the pending I-485 would then allow you to file for a work permit at the same time. I filed my I-360 in Sept 2006 - it was approved in Oct 2007. I am still waiting for my interview (my I-485 was pending from the time my ex had filed for me - my attorneys had sent them a letter asking them to put a hold on it while the I-360 was being filed).
The agencies that I had contacted and who helped me (they may be able to point you in the right direction to get help in your area):
Sanctuary for Families: (212) 349-6009 (Family Court)
City Bar Justice Center: (212) 383-6600 (Immigration)
South Brooklyn Legal Services: (718) 237-5500 (Housing Court and Divorce Court)
Brooklyn Women's Services: (718) 748-1234 (Therapy)
Sanctuary helped me get my initial order of protection in Family Court. South Brooklyn helped me with Housing Court when the landlord tried to evict me - NY law allowed me to have the lease changed into my name even though the only name on the lease was my ex. Sanctuary gave me a grant to pay off the back rent once I could show them that I was working and would be able to pay the future rent. My ex took the plea deal in Criminal Court to avoid jail and I got two final orders of protection from both Family and Criminal Courts. South Brooklyn also helped me with my divorce (he had tried to get an annulment).
I also applied for, and got a brand new social security number from the Social Security Administration in my maiden name (domestic violence victims are allowed to apply for a new number - it is on their website).
Now, with all that said, your first priority is SAFETY! And you should also document everything. (In my case I had an arrest report and eye witnesses and many 911 calls from neighbors (he was on top of me in the hallway of my apartment building after he had succeeded in forcing me out of the apartment)). Talk to people who know your situation and those who have witnessed it firsthand and ask them to write affidavits on your behalf. Be honest and be strong.
ALL of my attorneys for everything were free of cost. My therapy was also free.
Good luck.

I PASSED!!! :dance: :dance:
Here is my report!
Got to the Garden City office at 1:56 PM. The appointment was for 2:05 PM. Went in to window 3 downstairs where the letter was stamped and was sent upstairs where the letter was taken from me. Sat in the waiting room with about 8 other persons. My name was called at 2:20 PM and I was taken into Ms. Iskhakova’s (very nice woman) office.
She administered the oath to tell the truth and then she asked for my green card, passport, and ID. She said that she would administer the test first and then we would go through the application.
Questions:

What is freedom of religion?
How many U.S. Senators are there?
When must all men register for the Selective Service?
When was the Constitution written?
What ocean is on the East Coast of the United States?
Name one state that borders Canada?

She had me sign the bottom of the test (she had written all of my answers in and ticked them off as correct).
She then asked me to read a sentence – it was a “longish” one and I cannot remember what the heck it was… Then I was told to write, “We have to pay taxes.”
Then she went through the entire application form line-by-line.
The IO was very nice and never asked for any other documents. I had a copy from my passport to give to her because I went home at the end of June but she said she didn’t need it – she just made a note of it in the file.
She gave me form N-652, Naturalization Interview Results, on which she had checked off:

You passed the tests of English and U.S. history and government
Congratulations! Your application has been recommended for approval. At this time, it appears that you have established your eligibility for naturalization. If final approval is granted, you will be notified when and where to report for the Oath Ceremony.

She told me that I should receive the Oath letter within the next two weeks.
And that was it! Anticlimactic after all of the waiting and stressing, for a 15 minute interview!!! And she told me that the Oath would be held in the Brooklyn Courthouse.
At 2:35 PM I was walking out of the building!!! YAY :dance: :dance:

Good luck with this part of the process. I applied last year under VAWA.
My package consisted of:
1. Completed the notification form
2. Completed application form
3. Attached copy of the I-360 approval notice
4. Attached copy of Policy Memo #89 (which shows that we can apply after 3 years) Did this just in case...
5. Attached copy of divorce decree and marriage certificate (wasn't sure if the marriage cert was needed but added it just in case...)
6. Green card - back and front
7. Check made out to US Department of Homeland Security
8. Two pictures
In Part 2: Information about your eligibility; I selected option D and wrote: "INA SEC 319 (A) allows me to file for naturalization after three years of becoming an LPR based on my obtaining my LPR under VAWA (Ex is a naturalized USC)
And here is a link to my interview last year: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/324227-i-passed-my-interview-today-at-garden-city-ny/page__p__4843651__fromsearch__1#entry4843651
I took copies of everything I had sent to USCIS re the I-360 application but was asked for none of them (better to have them and not be asked). Also, get your IRS transcripts (they are free to order online/by phone) - wasn't asked for them either...

Oops...didn't remember that I took the VAWA stuff out of my signature.
 
The I-360 took 14 months to be approved.  I did not have to refile the I-485.  I had my green card interview 6 months after that.

Thank you... My oath is scheduled for September 15.
They will schedule your interview soon after your approval for the I-360 (mine took a little prodding by my attorney... When she went to them, I received the appointment notice a week later with just two weeks notice). The AOS interview itself was very straightforward and only took about 15 minutes. They don't ask anything about your marriage. I was asked for my passport, birth certificate and the orders of protection that I had. And then we went through the yes/no questions on the form. My passport was also stamped at that time.
You do not have to file a new I-485... They will adjudicate that one!

My interview through marriage had initially been set for one month after my ex assaulted me. I went to the interview by myself with a letter from my attorney with reference to the VAWA filing - it was stamped and I asked for a copy of it to be given back to me. I left after that - I never saw the IO. The letter specifically requested that the I-485 (which was filed because of the marriage) be placed on hold until the I-360 VAWA application was adjudicated by Vermont. I suggest you get a similar letter from your current attorney to get this done. One good thing about them placing your I-485 on hold is that while it is still pending you can apply for employment authorization and work.
I never filed a new I-485 - the old one was adjudicated after my VAWA petition was approved, and my priority date was the same.

My interview through marriage had initially been set for one month after my ex assaulted me. I went to the interview by myself with a letter from my attorney with reference to the VAWA filing - it was stamped and I asked for a copy of it to be given back to me. I left after that - I never saw the IO. The letter specifically requested that the I-485 (which was filed because of the marriage) be placed on hold until the I-360 VAWA application was adjudicated by Vermont. I suggest you get a similar letter from your current attorney to get this done. One good thing about them placing your I-485 on hold is that while it is still pending you can apply for employment authorization and work.
I never filed a new I-485 - the old one was adjudicated after my VAWA petition was approved, and my priority date was the same.

I was also asked if I had any orders of protection. I had the originals and copies with me. They are not supposed to ask about your marriage or abuse since that was already adjudicated in Vermont with the I-360 petition.
I took all of my paperwork with me just in case though... I was asked for my passport and birth certificate and all the questions on the I-485. My passport was stamped at the end of my interview which lasted about 15 minutes. Being divorced will not be an issue.
Good luck!

No more waiting 10 business days after you request it....
http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/Get-Transcript

No more waiting 10 business days after you request it....
http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/Get-Transcript

No more waiting 10 business days after you request it....
http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/Get-Transcript

Your son is NOT a permanent resident anymore. The minute you became a citizen, so did he. I really wouldn't trust that he can travel with his UK passport and greencard. He is a US citizen.
Thankfully, I had no issues getting my son his passport in 2011 (it was passport day so we could go directly to the passport agency without an appointment). Submitted everything that was required for my passport and card and for my son's. That was on a Saturday, and the agent told me not to bother paying for overnight or even to expedite it (wasn't travelling anyway) but we got everything back the following Wednesday (can only assume because it was passport day and the place was empty - nobody seemed to know).
Hopefully it will turn out alright for his holidays.

As long as she was under the age of 18, and in your legal and physical custody, and a permanent resident when you became a citizen, she became eligible to receive a US passport. Therefore it doesn't matter if the passport was applied for before or after her 18th birthday.
If you want additional proof of her citizenship status, she may file the N-600 application - she is now over 18 so she should be the one to fill it out. The date on the certificate should be the date when the parent became a citizen.

As long as she was under the age of 18, and in your legal and physical custody, and a permanent resident when you became a citizen, she became eligible to receive a US passport. Therefore it doesn't matter if the passport was applied for before or after her 18th birthday.
If you want additional proof of her citizenship status, she may file the N-600 application - she is now over 18 so she should be the one to fill it out. The date on the certificate should be the date when the parent became a citizen.

I haven't posted in the VAWA threads for a long time. Just wanted all of you to know that there is a light at the end of the long seemingly never-ending VAWA journey. Got my greencard through VAWA in 2008 and became a citizen in 2011. I read the last few pages, and I just have to say that it is good to see you guys supporting each other, and I agree that you just have to ignore the people who argue with you and disagree with everything you write. I know how that is - people on forums and even your friends will never understand what it is like, unless (God forbid) they go through it themselves. Keep the faith, be truthful with USCIS, and it will all work out in the end.
But, above all...be safe!
Good luck to you all!

If the following conditions are met, then the children will automatically acquire citizenship when their mom naturalizes.
The children are under the age of 18 The children are legal permanent residents The children are in the mom's legal and physical custody and residing in the US Your wife can apply for citizenship 3 years (less 90 days (note: NOT 3 months)) prior to her 3rd anniversary as a permanent resident (the resident since date on her conditional/10-year (should be the same date) card is the date to use to calculate the time frame).
Using her naturalization certificate after she takes the oath, she can file for US passports for herself and her two children (if they satisfy all the criteria). She would also need written permission from their father in order to apply for their passports.
Alternatively, she would be able to file the N-600, application for certificate of citizenship on their behalf (again, if they satisfy all the criteria) but this bit of paper costs $600. I obtained my son's passport and card prior to filing the N-600.

Depends on the question - you have to read them properly. Some require one response, others more than one.
Example of question requiring one answer:
Name one American Indian tribe in the United States.

 Cherokee  Cheyenne  Navajo  Arawak  Sioux  Shawnee  Chippewa  Mohegan  Choctaw  Huron  Pueblo  Oneida  Apache  Lakota  Iroquois  Crow  Creek  Teton  Blackfeet  Hopi  Seminole  Inuit Example of question requiring two answers:
What are two rights in the Declaration of Independence?
 life
 liberty  pursuit of happiness And this question requires three answers:
There were 13 original states. Name three.  New Hampshire  Delaware  Massachusetts  Maryland  Rhode Island  Virginia  Connecticut  North Carolina  New York  South Carolina  New Jersey  Georgia  Pennsylvania

I haven't posted in the VAWA threads for a long time. Just wanted all of you to know that there is a light at the end of the long seemingly never-ending VAWA journey. Got my greencard through VAWA in 2008 and became a citizen in 2011. I read the last few pages, and I just have to say that it is good to see you guys supporting each other, and I agree that you just have to ignore the people who argue with you and disagree with everything you write. I know how that is - people on forums and even your friends will never understand what it is like, unless (God forbid) they go through it themselves. Keep the faith, be truthful with USCIS, and it will all work out in the end.
But, above all...be safe!
Good luck to you all!

I actually have a Digicel SIM in my phone which I top up every three months to keep active for when I am in Jamaica (have had the same number since 2008 - prepaid), and I can make calls from here and send text messages using that SIM...

I got my greencard through VAWA. It is a very long process. I have offered advice on this forum to others that went through domestic violence. While it is true that some stories may be false, others may be true...I prefer to give people the benefit of the doubt. I was married for slightly less than 8 months when my ex attacked me. Neighbors called the police and he was arrested. He eventually took the guilty plea in criminal court. No man, or woman, should experience domestic violence. For me, it was the first and last physical assault. I refuse to live like that and my first advice is always to make sure that the person is safe. Check out my timeline.

It looks like the first card was canceled. The IB6 designation is for VAWA. I believe that you would have to wait until 2015 in order to file.
If you try to file this year you may be wasting the filing fee. My suggestion for you is to make an infopass appointment and ask your questions.

It looks like the first card was canceled. The IB6 designation is for VAWA. I believe that you would have to wait until 2015 in order to file.
If you try to file this year you may be wasting the filing fee. My suggestion for you is to make an infopass appointment and ask your questions.

Do not tie yourself to someone who is already acting the part of an abuser. If he is acting this way now, it will only get worse.

For $345 you would use form N-565 to get a replacement.

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N-400: February 2011 Applicants
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USCIS Dallas/Lewisville, Texas Lockbox
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buffalobound1....|02/02/11.|02/09/11.|02/14/11.|03/01/11.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|Buffalo, NY....|
Keubas...........|02/02/11.|02/08/11.|02/07/11.|03/04/11.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|Baltimore,MD...|
mvpvapi..........|02/04/11.|02/10/11.|02/14/11.|03/01/11.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|Jacksonville,Fl|
letty............|02/15/11.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|San Antonio ......|
Meriem_DZ........|02/18/11.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|Memphis, TN....|
Deppeler.........|02/22/11.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|Okla City,OK...|
Udella&Wiz.......|02/22/11.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|Fairfax, Va....|
Vawa-2006........|02/22/11.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|NYC, NY........|
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USCIS Phoenix, Arizona Lockbox
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UserName...........|Sent.....| ChkCashd|..NOA....|.Fprints.|.Int Ltr.|.Intview.|.Oath....|.Field Office
hadrianina1........|02/01/11.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|Detroit MI...|
lysianne...........|02/02/11.|02/08/11.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|Portland, OR.|
what_da............|02/05/11.|02/08/11.|02/12/11.|03/09/11.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|Phoenix, AZ..|
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