Check list of docs to bring to the interview

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vvrok

Registered Users (C)
My wife and I will have our Naturalization interview next week. I am preparing a list of docs I want to bring with me to the interview. Started with obvious:
- passports
- green cards
- DL and SSN
- letter from Selective Services
- copies of all previous letters from INS (F1,H1,etc.)
- tax return letters (requested from IRS)
- marriage license

What am I missing? Do we need to bring our birth certificates from our home country? (These were not translated in English.) Copies of university degrees? Do we need to have extra immigration/passport photos on hands, just in case? Any other tips/recommendations?
 
They may not ask, but I would take proof of residence like morgage docs or Lease contracts. Also would it hurt to take couple more pictures with you. If they don't need them you could use them with visa applications later.
 
-utilities bills
-employment IDs

They usually ask for GC & Passport but you never know what they may ask to see. So better be ready. :) Good luck.
 
Anyone from Dallas DO have experience on what documentation is normally requested for the interview - or is it pretty standard across the board?
 
Thanks for suggestions. Anybody was asked to show utility bills during interview? I have them and I will probably bring a sample of those, but I am just wondering if there were precedents...

Also, should we (my wife and I) expect to be interviewed at the same time (together)? Our appointment is for the same time, but I don't think it means much. I thought I saw a post here where somebody said both husband and wife were interviewed together.
 
my friend went to her interview this week and she only brought

gc
interview letter
passport

she only brought what they were mentioned in the interview letter. somehow, i think she was lucky. she even forgot to mail the gc copy along with her n400 and she did not have a photocopy of her n400 neither.
 
I had my int on March 1st in Pittsburgh, PA. I took everything that was on the list on the int letter and beyond. At the int the officer looked at mt Passport, made copy of GC as I didnt send it with my N400 (I didnt have it at that time as I was waiting for rew card with out condition). The only other thing I had to show him was my original Selectice service registration card. He told me I passed the test and they will need more time to make a decesion. I asked him if I could provide any other documents to help him decide. He said no. Since the interview I kept thinking what did I do wrong. Thats when I came accross this group and started reading posts. I read some where that name checks are the reason that ppl doesnt get decesion rightaway and it can take a long long time for that. But on March 28th, I got a pleasent surprise when I got my mail and got the oath letter for April 22nd. Cant hardly wait till its next Friday so that I can get all of this over with and start all over with INS so that I can bring my parents over here from Bangladesh.
Good luck to everyone else who is going thru the process. I guess every thing happens all in good times.
 
vvrok said:
My wife and I will have our Naturalization interview next week. I am preparing a list of docs I want to bring with me to the interview. Started with obvious:
- passports
- green cards
- DL and SSN
- letter from Selective Services
- copies of all previous letters from INS (F1,H1,etc.)
- tax return letters (requested from IRS)
- marriage license

What am I missing? Do we need to bring our birth certificates from our home country? (These were not translated in English.) Copies of university degrees? Do we need to have extra immigration/passport photos on hands, just in case? Any other tips/recommendations?
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among the original copies, do we have to make any photocopies and bring along with us to interview? i think i have so many documents and i do not mind to bring all originals and photocopies with me to the interview thou. even thought it might be overkilled, but i better prepare it.

luckily, i just received the letter from SSS to stay i did not have to regerister, and got the tax transcripts from irs.

vvrok: can you tell us what actual documents did you bring with you?

i plan to bring the documents which you listed + extra passport size photos, birth certificate copy (i do not have the original one as they are with my parents), copy of my degree, and school transcripts..

did i miss anything?
 
ocworker said:
among the original copies, do we have to make any photocopies and bring along with us to interview? i think i have so many documents and i do not mind to bring all originals and photocopies with me to the interview thou. even thought it might be overkilled, but i better prepare it.

luckily, i just received the letter from SSS to stay i did not have to regerister, and got the tax transcripts from irs.

vvrok: can you tell us what actual documents did you bring with you?

i plan to bring the documents which you listed + extra passport size photos, birth certificate copy (i do not have the original one as they are with my parents), copy of my degree, and school transcripts..

did i miss anything?
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ocworker,

Congratulations on getting your interview letter. I entered in USA first time when I was 33 years old. How can I get letter from SSS stating that you did not have to register? Also is there any charge for getting TAX transcripts from IRS? I know that these documents are not required in my case since I am filling based on GC+5 years and I did not take trip outside USA for more than 30 days. But as you said, it is good to have documents with you.

Thank You.
 
dilipjaju said:
ocworker,

Congratulations on getting your interview letter. I entered in USA first time when I was 33 years old. How can I get letter from SSS stating that you did not have to register? Also is there any charge for getting TAX transcripts from IRS? I know that these documents are not required in my case since I am filling based on GC+5 years and I did not take trip outside USA for more than 30 days. But as you said, it is good to have documents with you.

Thank You.
Click to expand...

Hmmm I wonder if you will even get a letter from SSS.
Here is a site you can visit:
http://www.sss.gov/must.htm
and here is the text that sould be ok:

NOTE: Immigrants who did not enter the United States or maintained their lawful non-immigrant status by continually remaining on a valid visa until after they were 26 years old were never required to register. Also, immigrants born before 1960 who did not enter the United States or maintained their lawful non-immigrant status by continually remaining on a valid visa until after March 29, 1975 were never required to register.

Hope this helps.
 
ravirai said:
Hmmm I wonder if you will even get a letter from SSS.
Here is a site you can visit:
http://www.sss.gov/must.htm
and here is the text that sould be ok:

NOTE: Immigrants who did not enter the United States or maintained their lawful non-immigrant status by continually remaining on a valid visa until after they were 26 years old were never required to register. Also, immigrants born before 1960 who did not enter the United States or maintained their lawful non-immigrant status by continually remaining on a valid visa until after March 29, 1975 were never required to register.

Hope this helps.
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correct. however, if you want to get a letter from SSS to show (offically) on paper about you did not have to register, you still can write to SSS and sent the required documents and they will send you a letter saying "xxx not require to register" something like that.

i got mine for sake of peace.
 
dilipjaju said:
ocworker,

Congratulations on getting your interview letter. I entered in USA first time when I was 33 years old. How can I get letter from SSS stating that you did not have to register? Also is there any charge for getting TAX transcripts from IRS? I know that these documents are not required in my case since I am filling based on GC+5 years and I did not take trip outside USA for more than 30 days. But as you said, it is good to have documents with you.

Thank You.
Click to expand...

ravirai mentioned the website www.sss.gov.

there has no charge to request copies of your tax and account transcripts from IRS. you can call the IRS 800 phone number and request it on the phone. you can request it up to 10 years of tax / account transcripts. however, if you want to have a copy of your tax return, it will cost you $3x. Tax and account transcripts are good enough.

i called it on 5/18, and i received them on 5/23.

also, i requested the tax and account summary transcripts (not just tax transcripts).
 
ocworker said:
ravirai mentioned the website www.sss.gov.

there has no charge to request copies of your tax and account transcripts from IRS. you can call the IRS 800 phone number and request it on the phone. you can request it up to 10 years of tax / account transcripts. however, if you want to have a copy of your tax return, it will cost you $3x. Tax and account transcripts are good enough.

i called it on 5/18, and i received them on 5/23.

also, i requested the tax and account summary transcripts (not just tax transcripts).
Click to expand...


Thanks a lot.
 
Take copies of any AR-11 (Change of Address) forms you've submitted, including proof of delivery if you have them.
 
Based on experiences, do inerviewing officers ask for AR 11 address change specifically. I have moved 3 times in the last 5 years . I probably don't have one of the AR-11 copy.

I have never sent any AR-11 by certified mail. Is that cause of concern?
 
kash_k5 said:
Based on experiences, do inerviewing officers ask for AR 11 address change specifically. I have moved 3 times in the last 5 years . I probably don't have one of the AR-11 copy.

I have never sent any AR-11 by certified mail. Is that cause of concern?
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i am in the same boat. i was not even aware of i had to file AR 11. I did not remember if I received the information when I received my actual green card.
 
kash_k5 said:
Based on experiences, do inerviewing officers ask for AR 11 address change specifically. I have moved 3 times in the last 5 years . I probably don't have one of the AR-11 copy.

I have never sent any AR-11 by certified mail. Is that cause of concern?
Click to expand...

You just never know. I've not heard of them asking for this specifically, but it would be an obvious thing for them to try trip you up on. Like all of the other extra suggested documents I would take it (and any proof of delivery) if you have it. If you don't have these, I wouldn't be too worried about it (remember, they'll put the burden of proof on you always to show that you were compliant with the law).

Here's an excerpt from the USCIS site on proof delivery for AR-11:

"You may choose the method of mailing your Form AR-11. Using certified, registered or receipt mail is not currently a USCIS requirement. However, it is advisable to send the AR-11 with a Return Receipt or some other method (see "Adding Extra Services") that will give you documentation that you did indeed mail the form to the USCIS, in case there should ever be a question."

It's that "in case there should ever be a question" statement that worries me. The naturalization interview would be an obvious time for this...
 
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I know I have asked this before and it is the list of documents I plan to bring with me to the interview in next month. However, I am tryinig to get the last 6th and 7th Tax transcripts. I do not have the proof of the AR-11 since i was not even aware of the requirement of sending it to INS :( (i checked with my friend and he has been in US for 28 years. he came to US when he was at 2yrs old and he was not aware of sending the AR-11 to change address. :( )

01. N400 form
02. Interview letter
03. Green card
04. Tax transcripts
05. Tax account summary
06. extra Passport photos
07. All passports
08. Traffic tickets and proof of no balance
09. Tax return forms
10. Utilities bills
11. Rent agreement
12. Employment verification
13. Bank statements
14. Prior marriage license
15. Divorce court paper
16. Selective service letter to show no need to register
17. Copies of all previous letter from ins (h1b, f1)
18. Driver license and ssn

and bring a photocopy of everything in above.

did i miss anything else? thanks in advance
 
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