Citizenship Questions

[Asif2000]

I am filling out the forms for Citizenship and I have a few questions.

1) In part 7, I have to list the trips abroad and total time outside the United States. In last 5 years, I have made 2 trips abroad. I have listed those. Now the tricky part is, I am leaving for back home in the end of December for a couple of weeks and I want to file for Citizenhip before I leave, just to get over with it. Should I include that visit (which is the very near future) in the list or not?

2) Do I need to make seperate checks for $330 and $70 or together? who do I make checks payable to?

3) The N-400 Instructions document referes to a "Guide" that can be downloaded from USCIS website. Anyone has a URL for that?

4) Should I send both my wife's and my applications together or seperately? If together, can I just make one check of $800 total?

5) I became permanant resident on 2/15/02. Is now the time to file for citzenship?

6) Part 13 and 14 aren't to be completed until a USCIS officer instructs you to do so. Does that mean that, the form is sent with no signature of applicants at all?

 

[pg8104]

I only answered a few, and these are not necessarily the best or "correct" answers...

2) Do I need to make seperate checks for $330 and $70 or together? who do I make checks payable to?

I made mine separately. Both to the Department of Homeland Security. This is what the lady at the NSC hotline told me.

3) The N-400 Instructions document referes to a "Guide" that can be downloaded from USCIS website. Anyone has a URL for that?

http://www.uscis.gov/files/nativedocuments/M-618.pdf

4) Should I send both my wife's and my applications together or seperately? If together, can I just make one check of $800 total?

I think separately would be the best, each with the two checks... maybe someone else with a spouse could answer this one better.

5) I became permanant resident on 2/15/02. Is now the time to file for citzenship?

I don't know if your application would be accepted until 2/15/07, because you get a reciept within a month and then they begin to process it.

 

[Flydog]

I am filling out the forms for Citizenship and I have a few questions.

1) In part 7, I have to list the trips abroad and total time outside the United States. In last 5 years, I have made 2 trips abroad. I have listed those. Now the tricky part is, I am leaving for back home in the end of December for a couple of weeks and I want to file for Citizenhip before I leave, just to get over with it. Should I include that visit (which is the very near future) in the list or not?

No, you haven't taken that trip yet, don't declare it. You will have to declare it at your interview (as well as any subsequent trips). If you take any trips after your interview and before your oath, you have to declare that as you enter for the oath ceremony.

2) Do I need to make seperate checks for $330 and $70 or together? who do I make checks payable to?

Either way seems to work. We did two checks each, but folks on this list have successfully sent a single $400 check. I believe the current instructions say to make the check out to the "Department of Homeland Security".

3) The N-400 Instructions document referes to a "Guide" that can be downloaded from USCIS website. Anyone has a URL for that?

If you downloaded the N-400 from the web, the "Guide to Naturalization" is mentioned on the same page, just follow the links. Or, just search the USCIS site for the N-400 and follow the links to the guide (everything has moved around in the past month, don't trust any links you find outside of the USCIS site).

OK, I just checked - they've screwed things up royally (surprise!). Those mentions of the Guide on the N-400 page used to be hot links to the guide download page. The guide can be found at:
http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/us...nnel=76719c7755cb9010VgnVCM10000045f3d6a1____

4) Should I send both my wife's and my applications together or seperately? If together, can I just make one check of $800 total?

One check (or one set of checks) per person. You should send two $400 checks (or two sets of $330 and $70 checks).

5) I became permanant resident on 2/15/02. Is now the time to file for citzenship?

The rule is 5 years less 90 days (from the date on your GC). Five years is February 15th of 2007, 90 days before that looks like Nov. 17. Double check everything to make sure, but it looks like you are good to go.

6) Part 13 and 14 aren't to be completed until a USCIS officer instructs you to do so. Does that mean that, the form is sent with no signature of applicants at all?

It seems to me that I signed something before I sent it away, but the "real" signature only happens at the interview. OK, I checked, I was right. Part 11 has a place for you to sign. Don't sign in parts 13 and 14 - that happens at the interview.

Good luck

 

[Asif2000]

Flydog

Thanks a million for taking the time and effort to post a thorough reply to my questions. I guess the only remaining question I have is the following:

Should I send both the applications together in one envolope or send them seperately?

 

[scarlethawk]

Flydog

Thanks a million for taking the time and effort to post a thorough reply to my questions. I guess the only remaining question I have is the following:

Should I send both the applications together in one envolope or send them seperately?

I would send them separately or at least in two separate envelopes within the same main envelope so that there is no chance of confusion on USCIS side.

 

[boatbod]

I sent ours totally separately, but you can submit them in separate envelopes inside a larger one, and you can also include a cover letter requesting group processing... however that option may slow one of you down if the other gets stuck in namecheck.

Even with totally separate applications, my wife and I were fingerprinted and interviewed at the same locations on the same days. The only thing that got out of step was my oath appointment coming back 5 days after interview, while hers took nearly a month longer. She was disappointed we didn't naturalize on the same day, but in the end it wasn't a big deal.

 

[Triple Citizen]

Asif,
I would advise you to keep them separate. Primarily for the following reasons:-
(1) USPS may lose (very small chance) the envelope. It is better to risk resending one and not both applications.
(2) Even if you request group processing, the two applications may be separated out at any stage.
(3) Enjoy the race between the two applications, who says you cannot enjoy the N-400 adjudication process

Flydog

Thanks a million for taking the time and effort to post a thorough reply to my questions. I guess the only remaining question I have is the following:

Should I send both the applications together in one envolope or send them seperately?

 

[Flydog]

We sent ours separately. They were processed completely in tandem (FPs same day, same time, interviews scheduled 5 minutes apart) until my interview was descheduled. We were very happy my wife's processing continued without mine.