Certificate of citizenship missing

[Agapetos]

Hello everyone,

I really really hope this forum can help me answer some questions I have around proof of citizenship.

I moved to USA and got married in 2001. after the whole immigration process I finally ended up in an office in Phoenix where I was asked some questions and then congratulated on my new status as a us citizen.

In my pile of papers in this process which took about 4 years i have nothing that shows proof of citizenship.

My issue came about when I decided to travel back to my birth country Denmark and discovered that my pass port is expired. In my attempt to renew I was told that I needed proof of citizenship.

I can't even imagine not having received such a certificate when I was finally approved, but this is my question: is that not sent to me automatically?

Secondly, if I cant get this proof of citizenship fast enough ( I hear up to 2 moths) is there another way for me to obtain temporary passport or similar so I can travel?

Where do I go to get my proof of citizenship?

And what will I need in that process to show of documents?

Any help sure is appreciated, I feel lost as to where to begin and bummed that
I may not travel home this Christmas because I waited too long to look through all this.

Sincerely,
Michael Madsen

 

[namecheckvictim]

The passport that just got expired is that a US Passport? Usually if you are renewing a US Passport even within 6months after the expiration date on it they don't ask for a proof of citizenship.
The reason why i asked is that Citizenship oath is a meaningful event and a mile stone in most of the immigrants life and you just remember somebody congratulating you as a US Citizen. Right after congratulations part they take the GC back and hand over the Naturalization certificate.
If you start the process of a duplicate Nat'z Certificate it's gonna take few months to get it.

 

[zenoparadox]

Michael, your story does not mesh with what I've read here and with my own (partial) experience. (My oath is scheduled for next week.)

I've never heard of people being made citizens just after meeting with someone in an office. What normally happens is that you are interviewed by an immigration officer (IO). This IO can only tell you whether she recommends you for naturalization. Usually, her decision is reviewed by her supervisor. At any rate, any congratulations you get at the time of interview does not make you a US citizen. You need to go to an oath ceremony. Now, sometimes the oath ceremony is held at in the same building your interview took place and is held on the same day of your interview. At the ceremony, there are other people there taking the oath with you. A judge (or some other appropriate member of the judiciary branch) comes over to give the oath. It is a solemn thing, not something easy to forget. It is at that event that you get your naturalization certificate.

The way you tell your story it looks like (and I do emphasize "looks like") to me like you never went to your oath ceremony. Did you ever take the oath?

Moreover, you should have applied for a US passport as soon as possible after your naturalization. Did you ever do so? If you did, and got your US passport, then what evidence did you provide establishing your citizenship? (You are not required to apply for a US passport as soon as possible but it makes a lot of sense to do so. For one thing, the US wants its citizen to carry their US passport when reentering the US. Also, even for those who do not travel abroad, a US passport is a handy proof of citizenship. You keep the certificate safely stored and use the passport wherever you need to prove citizenship.)

 

[Agapetos]

Thanks a lot for the answers.

I just posted to this thread but it is not appearing so forgive for being somewhat shorter on this one )

I don't remember anything about an oath, just the congrats welcome to America u r a us citizen or close to that affect.
I never applied for US passports and did travel with my Danish EU passport in 2005.

I have looked through all my immigration papers and find no certificate of citizenship.

What is the difference between us citizenship and naturalization?

I am working on finding out what my status is in Denmark.....perhaps I never made the
last part that solidified my citizenship.

I have lived here as if I was but have never applied for social security or anything
that would require citizenship proof.

How could I check my status of my citizenship? Is there an easy way on a website or something?

It just seems strange to work through 4 years of a LOT of paperwork just to have a permanent resident status.
I have a paper that says that all my restrictions have now been removed on my permanent resident status.

Needless to say I am confused.....

If I am still a Danish citizen I guess I need to get everything cleared up LOL

thanks a lot,
Michael Madsen

 

[BigJoe5]

What kind of application did you file with USCIS when they said congratulations? You mentioned that "restrictions have now been removed". Did you get a greencard based on marriage to a USC? Did you have a conditional card for 2 years and then filed an I-751?

Did you file an N-400? Did you file an N-600?

 

[zenoparadox]

I don't remember anything about an oath, just the congrats welcome to America u r a us citizen or close to that affect.

Well, the oath is necessary, in one form or another.

I never applied for US passports and did travel with my Danish EU passport in 2005.

What document did you show to the immigration officers when you came back to the US?

What is the difference between us citizenship and naturalization?

Citizenship means someone is a citizen of a country but it does not tell why that person is a citizen. Naturalization tells why someone is a citizen and how they became a citizen. My wife has US citizenship. Why? Because she was born in the US. I on the other hand do not yet have US citizenship. By Tuesday morning next week, I will have US citizenship. Why? Because I will have been naturalized.

How could I check my status of my citizenship? Is there an easy way on a website or something?

I do not know.

It just seems strange to work through 4 years of a LOT of paperwork just to have a permanent resident status.
I have a paper that says that all my restrictions have now been removed on my permanent resident status.

"Restrictions removed" on your green card just means that you've gone through a kind of probationary period. This is done for people who apply for a green card on the basis of marriage (and maybe for some other cases, I'm not sure). They want to make sure the marriage is not a sham. "Restrictions removed" does not mean you have been naturalized or are a citizen. You are still a permanent resident, no more.

If I am still a Danish citizen I guess I need to get everything cleared up LOL

I'm going to guess that if you never got US citizenship, then you still should be a Danish citizen. If you got US citizenship, then you probably still are a Danish citizen but I can't tell because that depends on Danish laws (which I do not know). I do know that to lose my Canadian citizenship, I'd have to go to an embassy or a consulate and formally state that I renounce my Canadian citizenship. I would also have to turn in my moose antlers.

Edit: You should also answer BigJoe5's questions. They are good questions.

 

[Agapetos]

thanks again for your willingness to answer some of my questions. I have a peace of paper that says I751 and that I paid for the processing of this form.

It then says if I don't hear from them within 11 month I may contact this office.

This appears to be my last info I have......

Thanks a lot you guys are tremendously help and I am appreciative, thank you!

Michael

 

[BigJoe5]

Now, we are getting to the bottom of things. You had your conditions lifted pursuant to an I-751. AFTER that, you should have received a new 10 year greencard. If you are still a lawful permanent resident, you would need to file a form N-400 to apply for naturalization as a USC, if otherwise eligible.

 

[Jackolantern]

You didn't obtain US citizenship, you got a green card! Two very different things, although many people confuse them. You don't have a citizenship certificate, because you're not a US citizen, you're a permanent resident.

Do you have the green card in your possession?

Now you need a new Danish passport to visit Denmark, and your green card to return to the US. If you can't renew the passport quickly, talk to your consulate to see if they have a provision to issue an emergency travel document so you can return to Denmark and then obtain a full-fledged new passport there.

I hope you never told any employer or government agency that you're a US citizen. And that you didn't vote in a US election (other than local elections in a jurisdiction where permanent residents are allowed to vote)

 

[Al Southner]

Friends,

It should have been clear from the get-go, that the OP was confused about the immigration process. He clearly mentioned that he moved to the US in 2001, got married and ended in the Phoenix office. As far as I am aware, unless you served in the military and could naturalize within a year, his wasn't the case. He got a green card probably in the 2002 and he was supposed to remove the conditions and get a 10 years. He could have by now being a US citizen, because it appears he has been a green card holder for while. However, there are couple of issues which the OP should be concerned about:

Did he ever claim to be a US citizen in writing while apply for a US job, as opposed to a LPR? Did he ever vote in the US elections? What he was told during the interview with the immigration officer was "Congratulations, welcome to the US, your green card will be mailed". He confused being a green card holder with US citizen, for which he IS NOT. I don't know of any US citizen, who has to renew his passport at a Danish Embassy... The OP has to prepare to apply for a US citizenship, a process that could go smooth or rough depending on what he has claimed in the past as his citizenship in the US. I hope it won't be a tough road for him.

 

[König]

Oh those happy worry-free EU folks... "Am I a citizen? No? I thought I was a citizen already... Oh well". I envy them

 

[Jackolantern]

My issue came about when I decided to travel back to my birth country Denmark and discovered that my pass port is expired. In my attempt to renew I was told that I needed proof of citizenship.

Did they actually say "citizenship"? US citizenship in particular? Or did they say another word in your language that can mean either residence or citizenship when translated into English?

How long ago did your passport expire? Many countries have a provision that allows their own citizens to enter with an expired passport, if it expired less than 6 months ago. But you'll probably still need to renew the passport while in Denmark in order to be allowed to fly back to the US.

 

[Jackolantern]

He could have by now being a US citizen, because it appears he has been a green card holder for while.

I'm wondering if his lack of applying for US citizenship is because he's thought he's already a citizen.

Maybe it's a language barrier issue, such as there not being two separate words in his language for citizenship and residence, so he thinks of the two concepts as the same thing.

 

[Al Southner]

I'm wondering if his lack of applying for US citizenship is because he's thought he's already a citizen.

Maybe it's a language barrier issue, such as there not being two separate words in his language for citizenship and residence, so he thinks of the two concepts as the same thing.

Jack,

I believe that's probably the reason he negated applying for US citizenship.

 

[Agapetos]

ROFL!!!

Ok so I get this might be funny in some ways, but since I have always been self employed, paid my taxes and never applied for a job anywhere I think I am safe. I have a permanent
resident card which lasts me 10 years (from 2004) when my residence got approved.

Why is it a big deal about if I voted or not? Am I in trouble?

At the end of my permanent resident card exp. what is the procedure moving forward?

I am of course a bit embarrassed that I have not been clear but hey its not like these things where not complicted enough
all ready. The 4 years where insane as far as paperwork, meetings,m stress and money and when she lloked at me and said congrats
I was like YEAH! I am done!!!!

Well, I wasn't and now I continue the journey of immigration once again.

For now, I am calling the pass office in Denmark, to find out what they need and then I will mail it all
to My mother who will get my Danish pass port renewed for me and it will be mailed to me here.


I have about 3 yeas to get clear with what I want.

Thanks everyone, this is more helpful than any forum I have ever been in!!!

Michael

PS, HI Al Southener, my name is Michael.....dunno what OP stands for but I am right here

 

[Agapetos]

Yes, I considered PERMANENT RESIDENT, meaning I am a us citizen, why? because I can live here (resident) and it is not limited (permanent) and I have a social security number
as well as tax ID and bought several homes......how could I not be a US citizen???? I understand the difference now, and it was never made clear to me that naturalization was
needed to become us citizen, I was told that naturalization is when a foreigners record of being an immigrant is removed, but I did not translate that into: either you get naturalised
or else you must leave in 10 years..... that is not congruent with permanent resident, this is more like: limited visitor

 

[BigJoe5]

The card with the 10 year expiration date is only telling you when the CARD expires. Your Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) status is valid after the card expires until you either abandon the status, naturalize, get deported, or die. If you choose to remain an LPR (legal immigrant) just renew the card (form I-90). If you wish to become a citizen, file an N-400. You probably qualify for naturaliztion under INA 316(a) based on at least 5 years as a LPR. Your card will tell you "Resident since: DATE" That is the date from which you calculate your eligibility. Married to a USC, you could have applied based on 3 years residence, but it looks like you'll qualify based on 5 years (which is less paperwork). Visit www.uscis.gov and check out the Guide to Naturalization and form N-400.

 

[zenoparadox]

Why is it a big deal about if I voted or not? Am I in trouble?

If you voted in an election which is open only to US citizens, then you broke the law. Also, the USCIS could take that as evidence that you misrepresented yourself as a US citizen. Note that on form N400, which is the form for naturalization, the USCIS does ask you whether you've voted illegally or misrepresented yourself as a US citizen. If you did either, it can hurt your case.

PS, HI Al Southener, my name is Michael.....dunno what OP stands for but I am right here

OP is used for both "original post" and "original poster."

 

[Agapetos]

Alright, I am clear where I am at now.

Only issue I have currently is that in order for me to get my danish pass renewed is through the danish embassy.

I can't believe I got into all this mess, I had friends at the immigration, lawyer friends and tons of websites I read through, and I still got it all wrong.
I even helped a friend of mine go through it all and it all went well.

Closest one is in Chigago.....I am discouraged at this point and I am not sure how I want to proceed.

Thansk again for all your help I am going to sleep on it,

Michael

 

[Jackolantern]

Why is it a big deal about if I voted or not? Am I in trouble?

Voting is a deportable offense if you are a noncitizen and the election you voted in is restricted to US citizen voters (which is all Federal elections, and at least 95% of state/county/town elections). Registering to vote in such an election is also technically a deportable offense, although if you registered but didn't actually vote, they usually don't go as far as deportation but they'll probably still deny your naturalization if the registration was in the past 5 years.

At the end of my permanent resident card exp. what is the procedure moving forward?

Either renew the card for another 10 years, or apply to become a US citizen. If you do neither, you would still remain a permanent resident, but without a valid green card you'd have difficulty proving it.

So you might be wondering what is the difference between a permanent resident and citizen? See this other thread for some discussion of those differences: http://forums.immigration.com/showthread.php?300003