To Keep in mind for future citizenship application

[Scottfla]

Hi everyone,

Just thought that I would point out something to keep in mind for the five years (for EB residency) between getting permanent residency and applying for citizenship: you need to account for each trip of 24 hours or more you take outside the U.S. for this 5 year period. The citizenship application (N-400), in Part 7, asks you into list the departure and return dates for all trips taken outside of the U.S. since permanent residency was granted. So, if citizenship is a goal, it might not be a bad idea to start a log of all such trips for easy access in the future.

Scott

[AmericanWannabe]

It is enough to Just ask the immigration officer of every country you visit
to put a date of entry/exit stamp on your passport

[alren]

That's provided they do it. E.g. countries like US do not put an exit stamp.

[AmericanWannabe]

Originally Posted by alren

That's provided they do it. E.g. countries like US do not put an exit stamp.

When you travel from country A to country B, use the country
B entry stamp as country A exit stamp for recording dates
purpose.

Or you can buy a date stamp and place a stamp on your own passport
(assuming it is legal to do so).

Can one write anything on one's own passport except signature?

[brb2]

When I go to Australia from the US, US does not put a stamp and Australia does not put a stamp while going in or out for security reasons. Any answers you give about length of stay or departure are entered against your name and verified next time in casual conversation. Once I went for a conference on the way out the lady asked me if I enjoyed the conference. I was surprised at the question and later realized that while coming in I had given that information.

I do however write on the page using a pencil the dates of departure and return to the US for each overseas visit. Hopefully one day we will be done with that too in a few years time

[AmericanWannabe]

Originally Posted by brb2

When I go to Australia from the US, US does not put a stamp and Australia does not put a stamp while going in or out for security reasons. Any answers you give about length of stay or departure are entered against your name and verified next time in casual conversation. Once I went for a conference on the way out the lady asked me if I enjoyed the conference. I was surprised at the question and later realized that while coming in I had given that information.

I do however write on the page using a pencil the dates of departure and return to the US for each overseas visit. Hopefully one day we will be done with that too in a few years time

I think you can still ask a stamp even if they don't put one.
You can always get a US entry stamp if you want.

[litmu]

how about keeping Crayons in your pocket all the time, and drawing pictures on your passport, and putting dates on it. hahaha

[alren]

Originally Posted by AmericanWannabe

When you travel from country A to country B, use the country
B entry stamp as country A exit stamp for recording dates
purpose.

Or you can buy a date stamp and place a stamp on your own passport
(assuming it is legal to do so).

Can one write anything on one's own passport except signature?

The point is that not to rely completly on that.

If you got to Canada with your GC, I don't think there's any stamping on the PP any way ..

[AmericanWannabe]

Originally Posted by alren

The point is that not to rely completly on that.

If you got to Canada with your GC, I don't think there's any stamping on the PP any way ..

You can ask for a PP even if they don't do it by default.
I got PP both from Canada at entering Canada
and another PP from USA when coming back.

I specifically told them I need PP as records
of my outside-USA trips.

[eltoro]

Originally Posted by AmericanWannabe

When you travel from country A to country B, use the country B entry stamp as country A exit stamp for recording dates
purpose.

That wouldn't necessarily work. US requires you to provide a starting and ending date of the trip. A starting date is the date you LEFT the US and the ending date is the date you entered the US.

Now consider going to Europe from the US. You leave today, 11/2/2004, but you don't arrive in EU before tomorrow (11/3/2004 - it's an overnight flight). At best you'll get a stamp with 11/3/2004, but you need to register 11/2/2004, as this would be the date you LEFT the US.

Keeping the log is the most sensible thing, IMHO.

[AmericanWannabe]

Originally Posted by eltoro

That wouldn't necessarily work. US requires you to provide a starting and ending date of the trip. A starting date is the date you LEFT the US and the ending date is the date you entered the US.

Now consider going to Europe from the US. You leave today, 11/2/2004, but you don't arrive in EU before tomorrow (11/3/2004 - it's an overnight flight). At best you'll get a stamp with 11/3/2004, but you need to register 11/2/2004, as this would be the date you LEFT the US.

Keeping the log is the most sensible thing, IMHO.

The N-400 says to recall such trips to the best of your memory.
It allows errors.

[GeneM]

Scott,
This is obviously a common-sense thing to do. Passports expire, people get married and get new passports, Canadiens do not stamp your forehead if just show your GC, so having a written record is never a bad thing. It came pretty handy when I was filling out my N-400 application.