Should I submit N-400 or should I wait

U

USCResearch

New Member
I have been a green card holder for a little over 10 years. I have never been outside of US longer than a year and within the last 7 years total amount of time i spent outside of US is about 7 months(1 month each year)

My dillemma is that about 2 years ago, a couple months after graduating from grad school and being unemployed, I went to emergency for the first time in my life for a very valid reason. While i was being discharged i was given information about payment methods and the charity program. It was the hospital of the universty I graduated from and I was meeting the criteria for the charity program(being unemployed, amount of money in the bank account, etc.) My hospital bill was approximately $1500. I did fill out the forms and my case got approved.

About a year ago I decided to fill out the N-400 but this hospital bill issue concerned me. I located an immigration lawyer in my region and before submitting the N-400 I consulted this issue along with a license plate related case which was dismissed at court.

The lawyer took the charity program paid hospital bill very seriously and adviced me to wait 5 years from that incident to submit the N-400. She also told me that if I apply before 5 years from that incident I am very likely to be deported. I am not proud of using the charity program but I didn't think that it would be such a serious offense. I left the lawyer's office thinking that what a horrible person I am and decided to wait.

A couple of months ago I came across this wonderfull forum and learned a lot about the process. In fact I noticed some of the information lawyer provided me was wrong(if the rules haven't been changed since last year)(She explicitly claimed that to be eligible for the citizenship one's total out of US time within last 5 years must be less than 6 months)

I have read over 90 pages in this forum and didn't notice similar question. If I can refund charity back would that make a difference?
What should I do? Should I apply or wait?
 
USCResearch said:
The lawyer took the charity program paid hospital bill very seriously and adviced me to wait 5 years from that incident to submit the N-400. She also told me that if I apply before 5 years from that incident I am very likely to be deported.
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Negotiating a lower rate with a hospital does not make one a public charge. This so-called lawyer is full of nonsense.
 
Well actually I didn't negotiate a lower rate. The total charge was about $1500 and charity program covered it or wrote it off. If I were to find a way to pay it back to charity program would that make a difference?
 
I am not sure why using a charity will disqualify you, unless you lied on the form to get some benefit.

I do not see a reason, but could you explain why you think you may not be eligible?
 
She said that while getting the green card I agreed that I will support myself. With this charity paid bill I am being public charge.
 
Sounds like your lawyer was trying to take you for a ride by scaring you into thinking that taking advantage of a private charity would cause your deportation.
Stay away from that lawyer unless you want to spend money unnecessarily. You can easily apply for naturalization on your own.
 
Bobsmyth said:
Sounds like your lawyer was trying to take you for a ride by scaring you into thinking that taking advantage of a private charity would cause your deportation.
Stay away from that lawyer unless you want to spend money unnecessarily. You can easily apply for naturalization on your own.
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The other part is get rid of the guilty conscience. Whether you want to pay up and clean your conscience is your call, but irrespective of which way you go - stop thinking you did something wrong ... the reason you asked the lawyer also is because you thought you were guilty. If you have read 90 pages of this forum, you know that the USCIS is not out to harass you, and only once in a while they go wrong. In general, they are considerate to people, and if you did not violate anything asked on N-400, I don't think you have much to worry about.
 
Sounds like an incompetent Lawyer to me. She probably has never actually handled an immigration case before and was just guessing a lot of it.

I cannot see how that hospital issue could possibly have any bearing on your N-400. In fact there is no place to declare something like that in the form.

You would be advised to declare the License plate thing, whatever that was.

Stop feeling guilty about the hospital thing UNLESS you lied to receive the aid. Paying it back will achieve nothing other than maybe salve your conscience. :)
 
Jackolantern said:
That lawyer must have gone a very long time without visiting the toilet. Because she is so full of sh__.
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I second that as well without all the toilet references. This should not affect your N-400 application. You do not even have to disclose the fact that you have a hospital bill..
 
Wouldn't it be a problem if the OP had on-record means to pay the $1500 (like a salary) and still decided to use charity?

I do not know what you have to declare while using charity, but I guess you might have to declare that you have no means to pay the bill, in which case, it would amount to telling a lie ...
 
:DGuys,

In this case, the so-called "lie-lawyer" was trying to scare the OP into retaining her services. If a wealthy man decides to pay for your groceries for the two years, and that wealthy man happens to be a Congressman, are you on government welfare? I mean, his salary is from public taxes. :eek: I can't get why people can blatantly mislead others in hopes of retaining them for their own selfish reasons:$$$ I hope this isn't in NY? Someone I know in NY was screwed by a lawyer who failed to file for a work permit, even though she was given all filing fees, claimed the work permit is free and you don't have to apply for it....:confused:

OP, don't use any lawyer and keep your mouth shut, a gorrilla glue can work for you on this issue of charity paying for your medical bills. A key word there "charity" funds raised by private individuals to pursue causes of importance to the mission of that organization. I don't know any govt agency funding charities, unless you are the GOP funding Falwell, Hagee and Rush. :eek: Can you imagine govt funding causes of importance? Our Congress is adept at pursuing agenda of big business and crushing you average citizen...:eek:.

Rosh Hashanah to me and all my Jewish friends...:D
 
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