College Students' Place of Residence for Naturalization?

[strategist333]

I know that college students are considered to live at both their college and their home, and so can apply for naturalization from either place. I have several follow-up questions to this. All questions suppose the following:

* I have a my son who goes to college in NY.
* I live in CA (different district).
* My son has no long-term permanent residence at college (moves to a different dorm each year)
* My son does have a long-term mailing address (a PO box) in NY.
* My son meets all eligibility requirements for naturalization.

1.
A) Does the reported home address determine where the fingerprinting, interview, and oath will be done?
B) If he wants to have the fingerprinting, interview, and oath done in NY, can he still write his CA address as his home address?
C) If he puts his home address as CA and mailing address as NY, should the application be sent to the CA lockbox or to the NY lockbox facility?

2. Say my son comes home during the summer and decides to apply wtih a NY address.
A) Does this home address have to be the actual address of the dorm, or can it be the address of the university?
B) If it has to be the actual dorm residence, does this mean that he must wait until 3 months after moving into his new dorm before he can apply with a NY home address?
C) When he changes dorms between years, will he have to report a change in home address, even if the mailing address is the same?
D) When he comes home during the summer, will he have to report a change in home address, even if the mailing address is the same?
E) Should my son list his summer stay in CA in the list of residences for the past five years?

Any and all responses greatly appreciated!

 

[Jackolantern]

The 3 month residence requirement is for the state/district, not the specific address, so moving from dorm to dorm in the same college doesn't affect eligibility.

 

[strategist333]

Ah, I see. What about trips back home (across state/districts) during breaks? Does that count as a break in residency?

 

[dipc1]

Ah, I see. What about trips back home (across state/districts) during breaks? Does that count as a break in residency?

Be very careful about students applying for naturalization when the home state and the school state are different. He'll have to apply from where he satisfies the 3 month state residency condition but do not put any other addresses in the form. Since you were the primary applicant (for GC) it should be ok.

I have learn't it in a big way when my daughter after her interview moved to NY for her grad studies. She informed the IO about the move, updated AR11 at two places only to receive a set of oath scheduling and descheduling letters from the school state's FO. While we have been naturalized even after we rescheduled our oath (were at her school for her accomodation) first time, she is still waiting for her naturalization, as I write !

 

[Jackolantern]

I have learn't it in a big way when my daughter after her interview moved to NY for her grad studies. She informed the IO about the move, updated AR11 at two places only to receive a set of oath scheduling and descheduling letters from the school state's FO.

Changing states during the middle of the process is likely to cause delays, as you have observed.

However, that shouldn't happen in strategist333's case. Either he should apply with the CA address and leave the address like that until competing the oath, or apply with the NY address and keep using NY addresses until the oath. Given that naturalization these days usually completes in less than 5 months, it should be possible to keep using the college address throughout.