N-400 Application - Advice needed

rcmuskula

Registered Users (C)
Hi Experts,

I got my GC in 2009. Though I am eligible by 2014, I delayed applying for Citizenship. I am ready now and filling N-400.
Here are my questions.

1. I, my wife, and my eldest daughter are GC holders and my younger one is a citizen by birth. I know that kids get citizenship automatically if parents are citizens, but my daughter is 17 now and will turn 18 in May, 2017. If the process takes an year or two before I get Citizenship, she will be 18 or 19 by the time we take Oath. Can she become a Citizen on the basis of ours or do I need to apply for her separately after she turns 18 in May?

2. I went thoroughly through N-400 and instructions, and confident of applying on my own without needing a lawyer's help. What do you guys think applying on our own?

3. In Section 12, question 23, I am listing 3 traffic violations that I have had in the last 11 years. All of them relatively minor and I paid penalties. I believe that I should list them rather than avoiding them. Please advice.

4. If the approval process is delayed and if I don't get Citizenship by Feb, 2019. Do I need renew my green card while Naturalization process is in progress?


Thanks,
Mrc
 
1. You will not get citizenship before her 18th birthday even if you filed today. She won't be given automatic citizenship based on yours since yours will definitely be after she turns 18. File yours and see how it goes, if you get to her 18th birthday and you're not yet a citizen, you file for her.

2. Don't waste a dime on a lawyer if you have a clean case. Not a dime!

3. Feel free to list them if you want to, have the payment receipts ready if possible. Many don't list them and so far as it's below $500 I've never heard anyone get denied for that.

4. Technically yes because by law you are supposed to carry you valid green card at all times. However in reality many people have naturalized with expired green cards. See http://www.alllaw.com/articles/nolo/us-immigration/applying-citizenship-expired-green-card.html. I wouldn't personally renew however its your call.
 
Thanks ananga73!

I am curious to know if I made a mistake by delaying in becoming Citizen. Had I applied as soon as I become eligible in 2014, I wold have got my Citizenship before she turned 18. In that case, could I have avoided applying for her separately (and paying the fee).
In other words, do children born outside USA get Citizenship automatically based on their parents acquiring Citizenship? Wondering if I am ending up paying $700 additional due to the delay.
 
Yes you definitely made a mistake delaying citizenship. Of course there may be reasons why you delayed. I for example have been in the USA for nineteen years and have delayed citizenship until now.

Automatic U.S. Citizenship After Birth - But Before the Age of 18: If a child was under 18 from December 24, 1952 to February 26, 2001 AND the child was residing as a Green Card holder in the U.S. and both parents naturalized before the child’s 18th birthday; https://www.uscis.gov/us-citizenship/citizenship-through-parents

I believe your daughter fits this criteria so yes you are ending up wasting the money because you waited before filing your citizenship. But don't worry, we all make mistakes
 
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