Child support evidence on N400

[ttyl]

Hi, I’m applying inline for citizenship under 5 year rule. I’m married and i have two kids who lives with my parents overseas. We are a big family that live together including my siblings, my wife and kids (cultural thing). My dad mostly take care of my kids and i send them money through western union sometimes as well. I’m a student I don’t make much money either and I’m waiting to be done with school and get a good paying job so i can sponsor them and bring them over. I have visited them three times in the last 5 years spending 3-4 months with them and my dad use to cover my trip expenses as well.

Now, when I completed the application online, they asked me for the child support evidence which i just have few receipts under my brothers name as a receiver. My question is:

1, should i ignore that part of the evidence on the application for now and wait until interview?

2, and what evidence should I provide? We don’t have any dispute to provide any court orders or whatever?

3, someone told me to get notarized affidavit letter from my wife but my wife is uneducated and my dad as well, which is the actual carer of my kids. So instead can i get the affidavit letter from my brother where he can explain the situation and state that he is writing on behalf of my dad and wife?
Please help I’m so lost.

 

[Jbuff]

Hi, I’m applying inline for citizenship under 5 year rule. I’m married and i have two kids who lives with my parents overseas. We are a big family that live together including my siblings, my wife and kids (cultural thing). My dad mostly take care of my kids and i send them money through western union sometimes as well. I’m a student I don’t make much money either and I’m waiting to be done with school and get a good paying job so i can sponsor them and bring them over. I have visited them three times in the last 5 years spending 3-4 months with them and my dad use to cover my trip expenses as well.

Now, when I completed the application online, they asked me for the child support evidence which i just have few receipts under my brothers name as a receiver. My question is:

1, should i ignore that part of the evidence on the application for now and wait until interview?

2, and what evidence should I provide? We don’t have any dispute to provide any court orders or whatever?

3, someone told me to get notarized affidavit letter from my wife but my wife is uneducated and my dad as well, which is the actual carer of my kids. So instead can i get the affidavit letter from my brother where he can explain the situation and state that he is writing on behalf of my dad and wife?
Please help I’m so lost.

The fact that you listed your kids on your application is a great thing.

You're not under order by a judge to make child support payments and have not paid.
So don't worry about providing evidence online.

Western union usually keeps a record. Make an online account using the same phone number you use to send money and all previous transactions should come up. Print that, Take all receipts possible to the interview

Have someone type up a letter stating your support for your kids and have your wife sign it and notarized.

Fyi.. Support of your kids might not even come up, as a background check will show you don't owe any child support. My advise i stated above is just so you're prepared in the slim chance that it does.

 

[SusieQQQ]

You're not under order by a judge to make child support payments and have not paid.
So don't worry about providing evidence online.
....

Fyi.. Support of your kids might not even come up, as a background check will show you don't owe any child support. .

I just want to point out that the “good moral character” angle of child support does not require a court order. The “obligation” to provide child support is considered a moral one by uscis - you are supposed to take care of your children without being forced to legally. Not having a legal obligation or not legally “owing” child support does not let one off the hook for immigration purposes. Under the circumstances it seems that getting a family member to confirm the support is probably the best OP can do, but he definitely needs to show something at interview.

 

[SusieQQQ]

Here is the actual wording, the bolded paragraph confirms you don’t need a court order to be obliged to pay.

K. Failure to Support Dependents
An applicant who willfully failed or refused to support his or her dependents during the statutory period cannot establish GMC unless the applicant establishes extenuating circumstances. [33] The GMC determination for failure to support dependents includes consideration of whether the applicant has complied with his or her child support obligations abroad in cases where it is relevant. [34]

Even if there is no court-ordered child support, the courts have concluded that parents have a moral and legal obligation to provide support for their minor children, and a willful failure to provide such support demonstrates that the individual lacks GMC

https://www.uscis.gov/policymanual/HTML/PolicyManual-Volume12-PartF-Chapter5.html

 

[Jbuff]

I just want to point out that the “good moral character” angle of child support does not require a court order. The “obligation” to provide child support is considered a moral one by uscis - you are supposed to take care of your children without being forced to legally. Not having a legal obligation or not legally “owing” child support does not let one off the hook for immigration purposes. Under the circumstances it seems that getting a family member to confirm the support is probably the best OP can do, but he definitely needs to show something at interview.

Sending $$ back to your home country leaves a record even with you no. Longer have the receipts. If OP has been sending money like he said. It won't be hard to get the records like I told him in previous post.

 

[SusieQQQ]

Sending $$ back to your home country leaves a record even with you no. Longer have the receipts. If OP has been sending money like he said. It won't be hard to get the records like I told him in previous post.

Yes, I was just concerned that he might think he didn’t need to do anything because you twice mentioned he didn’t have a court order so didn’t need to worry and you said “support of your kids might not even come up”. It will. I wanted to be sure he realized he does need to bring something.

 

[Jbuff]

Yes, I was just concerned that he might think he didn’t need to do anything because you twice mentioned he didn’t have a court order so didn’t need to worry and you said “support of your kids might not even come up”. It will. I wanted to be sure he realized he does need to bring something.

Sorry If what I said was misconstrued, Only reason I mentioned the court order was. If you have a court order to pay child support and you're not up to date with the payments in comes up in the back ground check. That will definitely lead to a denial.

That's when I proceeded to tell him how to get the western union records and a notarized letter from his wife.

 

[ttyl]

Thank you guys for the response. So as of now I should ignore the evidence part on the application and wait until the interview?

Yes i can pull out the record of WesternUnion cuz I called them and it’s little bit of paper work to do but i can get the transaction history. But here is the thing i have sent the money under my brothers name cuz he receives the money since he run the house errands.

Also, like I said in earlier message that i can get the affidavit from my brother since my wife and my dad can’t read and write. Is it acceptable if brother writes the affidavit and explain the situation?

 

[ttyl]

I never knew about this until now, i thought i will just explain the situation and our living life style in our culture to the IO and that should be ok but didn’t expect to provide evidence.

 

[Jbuff]

Thank you guys for the response. So as of now I should ignore the evidence part on the application and wait until the interview?

Yes i can pull out the record of WesternUnion cuz I called them and it’s little bit of paper work to do but i can get the transaction history. But here is the thing i have sent the money under my brothers name cuz he receives the money since he run the house errands.

Also, like I said in earlier message that i can get the affidavit from my brother since my wife and my dad can’t read and write. Is it acceptable if brother writes the affidavit and explain the situation?

Get an affidavit from your wife that states something along the lines as your brothers name "John doe" picks up the money and gives it to your wife.

 

[L0T]

Hello all,
I have a similar situation. My child lives abroad with her mother. My parents support the child and the mother is willing to write a letter.
Can you help me with these questions:
1. Is it okay if the mother writes in the letter that she receives child support from my parents?
2. the mother got married and changed her surname, i.e. her surname on the birth certificate does not match the current one. How to draw up a notarized letter in such a situation?

 

[sergio91405]

Hello All,
Im a California Resident and applyed for cityzenship in april 2023, here is my history:
when applying on luiine i filled N-400 and stated all true, My caseis, on October 2022 my wife abandoned our home where we share for 32 years and we raised 4 Kids, Ages for the boys at october 2022 were, 28yo/25/yo/21 and 16/.
So because i didt know abouu much the process i did not load any evidense on line , when i came to the interview i passed the both test, englisg and Civic but the office sticked to the wife separation and child support So i did explain him verbaly as tru the our case as a couple, I did explain the officer the timing when wife left, i pointed him that but time we only have 1 minor that was 16yo and that i was sending her $500 cash with other 21yo boy form november2022 till March 2023 i sent her Cash and when i decided to apply i start sending her a Check wich i have evidence, So officer tod me in interview that he was unable to take a decision that day and told me he will send me a note on mail saying what heed as a proof, i received the note 3 weeks later he was asking me to show evidence of Child support from april2-18 till april 2023, something that i believe the oficer did not pay attetion to what i verbaly explained him that the wife left on October 2022, few moths before the interview and that before that date we were living as normal familly and no need of provide child suuport untill she left on oct2022, wich i did.
Because we dont know the serious this agency take this GMC thing i just sent the officer via only the evidences i had , check cashed on my bank from april to september 2003 thinking that because i explained the situacion of the timing of my separationto the officer he would be ok with the evidende, GUESS WHAT??? on october31,2003, 7 day ago, i received a certified letter from the agency that STATE that i was unalegible to be a citizent because the evidences was no enough to convince the officer of a GMC and my case was DENIED..........Now i have 25 from now to ask for a hearing filling the form N-336 i believe and pay other $700 if i believe i can bring the right evidences, otherwise i just will losse the money again, now my problem is that the wife does not talk to me and dont know if would like to sign a notarised letter that she state the true, the same true about the date she letf home and that i gave her like 4 month cash support, because the 4 years the officer was asking proof i can also give him my federal taxes forms that shows that i file as married and i asked 1 minor credit till 2022,. now in mrch 2023 i filed federal tax along and with no dependents. maybe that help the officer to urdestand, its very sad when you are saying the true and they just want you out, i had being a responsable husband and father all the time and that one person(the officer) see you the other way is sad.
im planning to file the N-336 and ask for a hearing becasue i belive it was a missundertending part of the officer and was my ignarance in the matter to no provide most of the evidence. they dont ask you or give you a chance before their decision to DENIED you the right to become a citycent