imzadi

Did you participate in DragonCon a few weeks back?

Yes, I was at the DragonCon! Excellent as always - I love the "madhouse"!

It's growing bigger every year.

I attended the Con the first time in 2005 and I'm coming back to back since.

I hope so, too - that I can make it.

I noticed on the website there's a costume event - any chance I can wear one of

my Star Trek uniforms?

I might join, too! Oct. 2nd, what a nice date - it's my birthday!

I just discovered this thread a few moments ago - wasn't even aware there have been meetings

like this before ...

Would be glad to meet some of the VJers in person.

Yes, and you should also include copies of your tax returns for the past 5 years or tax transcripts.

Good luck!

My husband received his 2 year card August 2008. He received his 10 year card January 2011. When will he be able to file for citizenship? I mean what month/year will that be? Thanks.

Hi,

since your husband became an LPR in August -- 2008, he is eligible to file 3 years (Aug -- 2011) minus 90 days after that, assuming you still live together. That means he could file already now - it's June now, even less than 90 days prior to the 3rd GC anniversary.

Conditional or unconditional GC won't matter - what counts is the date on the GC that says "Permanent Resident since ---".

Good luck on the last step of your journey!

Hi,

first of all - congrats on your passed citizenship test!

To your questions on item I (travel):

I have never heard about any restrictions about staying outside the US after becoming a US citizen - as far as I know, you can stay anywhere you want for as long as you want without losing your US citizenship.

Unless you voluntarily renounce your USC, commit treason against the US etc., you aren't gonna lose it.

You are also free to travel abroad as soon as you have your US passport in your hand - I don't know about having to wait for 6 months after getting the passport ...

I remember I travelled to Austria barely 2 months after I received my passport and I didn't encounter any problems.

As for your item II - sorry, I can't help you with that, but I'm sure someone here on VJ can.

Good luck on your journey!

Hmm, interesting. When the woman at SSA told me I would get a new card in the mail I said that the one I had was still fine - wasn't marked as restricted or anything. She said, nope, you'll get a new card. Maybe there had been a design change in between my original and the new one and they were updating it because of that? No idea. If you want a new card you can request one. You are allowed to have them replaced fairly regularly and on a far more generous scale than I would have expected .

Neither was mine - that could explain why I didn't get a new one.

Thanks for your input.

They will take a copy of your citizenship document for their records as well so it is good to do this before you send away for your US passport. You will also want to change your status with your Department of Driver Services or whoever issues Drivers' Licenses as well and they too will need to see your citizenship document even though they will also verify the information either with SSA or with USCIS. If you register to vote you have the option of using your driver's license for identification if you don't want to send in your certificate - they will check with the DL department and if you are not listed as a citizen with them they will send you a strongly worded letter advising you to bring in the proof of your citizenship to them otherwise face the consequences when they send your report in for investigation - at least that is what happened to me . I quickly went and updated my DL information and took in my certificate to the Voter's Registration. As I had only renewed my DL several months before I got my citizenship and it was still valid for another 3 years I didn't think I needed to update it right away. I was wrong .

You will get a brand new SSN card when you become a citizen whether you want the new card or not - mine looked different from the other card I had although I don't know if it was because they re-designed it for everyone or the citizenship one was designed differently.

That's what happened to me, too ...

But when I went to the SSA to update my status as USC they made a copy of my Certificate, but I never received a new SSN card. A mishap perhaps ?

Yes, the children must be mentioned on the form. Since they aren't your husband's kids, he can write "Stepson" or "Stepdaughter" in parentheses right next to their names to avoid confusion.

Good luck on the last chapter of your journey!

The PP is swiped only by the airline check-in staff, at most, not by the CBP or any govt. official. For someone leaving by air, they could theoretically look up the info in passenger manifests, but this is not done as a matter of routine. Why else would they have to ask every time "how long have you been gone?" And this would never work as an official means of tracking exits anyway, because there are numerous other ways someone can leave the country, i.e. walking across the borders or using private vehicles. In such cases they would have no record of how long a GC holder had been out.

The US govt. believes in the freedom of everyone to leave the country at will which is why there's no immigration check at exit, unlike in many other countries. Until and unless they start swiping GCs at all exits from the US, they really have no accurate way of knowing how long you've been gone when they swipe you in at POE (besides "what you tell them").

Sorry - error on my side ...

Can you please explain how they know how long you've been gone, when there's no GC swiping at exit? And if they already know then why do they need to ask almost every person this when they enter?

Yes, they don't swipe the GC, but the passport is scanned every time you leave the country. So there is some sort of record of international travel in their computers. Common sense, I guess ...

No reason to be nervous - the fact that your wife isn't traveling with you doesn't mean you have a bad relationship.

From all the trips my husband and I made there was only one we made separately (the return leg) - we flew into Vienna together but came back on different dates. I remember the POE officer just asked me how long I was gone, swiped the GC and stamped my passport. That was it.

They have it in their system anyway how many trips you make abroad, how many days you are absent etc. Just need to be careful not to spend too much time outside the US.

I've always kept a little log of all my international trips - it saved me some time later when I filed N-400.

Anyway - have a nice trip, you'll be fine!

That's strange - never heard about such a thing.

From what I know, the US citizenship can be revoked if found out that someone lied to obtain it either in the naturalization process or during ROC, AOS etc.

Where did you get that info?

I did AOS and ROC with a lawyer - didn't know about the VJ site until after filing for ROC.

The Citizenship I did on my own. If I had found this site earlier, I could probably have done everything myself.

The info and members here are really a great help.

Hi CVB,

It looks like a normal time frame to me - I remember I received my yellow letter about 5 weeks prior to the interview letter. But this was last year and it was the Atlanta Field Office.

You can check with the timelines of people who filed in the same month you did - that gives you sort of a comparison.

Don't worry - you'll receive your Interview letter soon.

I know the feeling, though ... Every day of wait seems like an eternity.

Good luck for the last step of your immigration journey!

Hi Mr. Grey,

I had that situation last year too upon returning from a trip to Austria - the POE officer forgot to stamp my passport as well, only swiped the GC. I didn't notice it until later when I was home already ...

But anyway, no need to worry: the officer swiped your GC, so your absences from the US (exit and reentry) are in the system.

Besides, as Milimelo said - it can't hurt to keep a log about your trips outside the country. It's easier than searching for the passport stamps or digging in old calendars etc.

Good luck for the rest of your journey!

I visited the following states:

GA (live there), SC, NC, VA, WV, MD, NJ, NY, MI, IN, PA, OH, KY, TN, MO, KS, TX, SD, WY,

MT, NV, AZ, CA and HI - that makes 24

I didn't count UT and FL since I only changed planes once in Salt Lake City and Miami; didn't see very much from the countryside ...

My husband has visited all the 50 states - I still got ways to go ...

Actually, we do have one - sort of . We had a meeting last Fall for Atlanta/Georgia area VJers at one of the state parks. We posted about the get together in the New Life in America forum and 4 American/Canadian couples and one half of an American/Russian couple were able to make it. We are due for another get togeher - we just need some ideas for a where and when. Any suggestions?

And thanks for the Anniversary wishes!

Hi Kathryn,

having a meeting of the VJers around Atlanta is a good idea - didn't know you already had one last year.

I live in Acworth - 45 min. north of downtown Atlanta; so I might be able to join.

Happy Anniversary from me too!

Hi Sven,

bills are ok - you can also bring joint bank account statements, letters written to both of you, leases, mortgages, insurances etc., everything that shows both your names on it;

photos of both of you together, trips you took together (i.e. I had boarding passes that showed adjacent seats).

Oh, and don't forget the tax returns - they should show "married filing jointly".

You get the idea - good luck for the rest of your journey!

Hi Sven,

when I had my case updated, I got the interview notice less than a week later in the mail.

The interview itself took place about a month after I received the letter.

Depending on your DO you may have your interview at the beginning of May.

Good luck!

Hi monihar78,

I'm sorry to hear you're in such a dreadful situation.

You have already received good advice here. No matter which path you choose - removing the conditions with or without your wife, you need to collect every piece of evidence you can to prove a good faith marriage. It helps strengthen your case.

Since your GC expires in March '11, you are eligible to file for RoC 90 days before the expiration date - which makes it sometime in Dec. 2010.

This gives you enough time to decide whether you want to proceed for divorce or not.

As JimVaPhuong has pointed out - divorce before RoC may result in more scrutiny for you.

On the other hand, doing the RoC jointly (and that would require playing nice with her until then, putting up a facade etc.) might bite you sometime later in case you get interviewed and your wife gives you a hard time at that. Plus, suppressing all the anger and pain you feel already will even worsen your state of mind. It would be a living nightmare; you still have got 9 months to go ...

Every day is precious and life is too short to spend even one day in misery.

However you decide, I wish you all the best of luck. Make your decision wisely and not overhasty. You will do the right thing.

God bless you and I hope you have more happy days in your future!

I would comply, too - no problem.

Yes dear i m in that situation.

Oh Gosh - I'm sorry to hear that! My heartfelt sympathy for your loss!

Hope you have lots of fine memories of your husband/wife. He/she will go on in your heart.

Every sunset brings us peace, every sunrise brings us hope!

My best wishes for your future!

Hi Sibtain,

if the USC spouse dies before the 3 years have passed, the foreign spouse would have to wait until the 5 year mark.

Sad as it is (adding insult to the injury), but that's the rule. I can't remember where exactly I read it (maybe in the instructions for the N-400?), but I know for sure it's true.

This would apply even if one files for naturalization and the USC spouse dies between filing and the oath. The foreign spouse will have to wait until he/she meets the residency requirements of 5 years.

Hope this helps and this is just a hypothetical question and you are not actually in that situation.

I'm a Libra; my hubby is a Leo