Do I have sufficient documentation to prove 3 months residency for N-400 application??

S

SM001

Registered Users (C)
Hello All:

I need your help with my situation. Kindly review my details and advise.

I moved from California to Maryland to begin a new job on the 1st of February, where I live in a temporary accommodation (i.e., in the basement of a house living month to month without a lease). The rent that I pay includes all utilities. The reason for this arrangement was to plan to move to a larger place once my wife, who currently stayed behind in California is able find work in Maryland and join me. My wife still lives in our apartment in California.

My employment papers including my I-9, Federal and state W-4 tax withholding forms all lists my present Maryland address as my residence. All my pay slips are addressed to my residence in Maryland. I also obtained a Maryland Driver's License in Early May to permanently establish Maryland residency.

I filed for my naturalization in early May (~ 94-95 days) following my taking up a job in Maryland. I think I meet the 3 month residency requirements, but have the following question.

The only documents that I have to show for my 3 month Maryland residency is my employment paperwork, my state and federal withholding and my pay slips. All of these list my current Maryland address as my residence. I can also obtain a letter from my employer stating that I have been employed and working in Maryland since 1st of February.

Are these documents sufficient enough to satisfy an Immigration officer's question related to my 3 month residency requirement?

As I mentioned earlier, I do not have any rental agreement or utility bill dating from early February to date to show my residency in Maryland. Please advise if my employment documents that state my place of work in Maryland and my residence in Maryland will suffice for the 3 months residency requirement.

Many thanks,

Cheers......
 
No one can say what will suffice --- except the IO. Most of the time, they may not even ask. But if they do, you want as much evidence as you can get.

Proof of residence --- I can understand utilities being part of rent, but no rental receipt? No proof of rental payment - like a check?
What will it take to draw up a rental agreement - I do not think it needs to be attested by a government authority. A plain paper contract might be enough, or something notarized to that effect.
How about healthcare papers? Car Insurance papers? Addresses on Bank accounts? Addresses on Credit Cards?
Even if you have not changed some of these, why don't you go ahead and do it?
 
SM001 said:
Hello All:

I need your help with my situation. Kindly review my details and advise.

I moved from California to Maryland to begin a new job on the 1st of February, where I live in a temporary accommodation (i.e., in the basement of a house living month to month without a lease). The rent that I pay includes all utilities. The reason for this arrangement was to plan to move to a larger place once my wife, who currently stayed behind in California is able find work in Maryland and join me. My wife still lives in our apartment in California.

My employment papers including my I-9, Federal and state W-4 tax withholding forms all lists my present Maryland address as my residence. All my pay slips are addressed to my residence in Maryland. I also obtained a Maryland Driver's License in Early May to permanently establish Maryland residency.

I filed for my naturalization in early May (~ 94-95 days) following my taking up a job in Maryland. I think I meet the 3 month residency requirements, but have the following question.

The only documents that I have to show for my 3 month Maryland residency is my employment paperwork, my state and federal withholding and my pay slips. All of these list my current Maryland address as my residence. I can also obtain a letter from my employer stating that I have been employed and working in Maryland since 1st of February.

Are these documents sufficient enough to satisfy an Immigration officer's question related to my 3 month residency requirement?

As I mentioned earlier, I do not have any rental agreement or utility bill dating from early February to date to show my residency in Maryland. Please advise if my employment documents that state my place of work in Maryland and my residence in Maryland will suffice for the 3 months residency requirement.

Many thanks,

Cheers......
Click to expand...
When did you notify USCIS of your address change in February and why did you wait until May to change your driver's license?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Bobsmyth said:
When did you notify USCIS of your address change in February and why did you wait until May to change your driver's license?
Click to expand...

Bobsmyth:

I sent the AR-11 change of address form in early February. The delay in getting my DL changed was my fault. I was traveling both for work and back to California to spend time with my wife. I only thought about it in mid to late April.

Do you think the documents that I have will suffice. Kindly advise.
 
You don't have a rental agreement? Are you paying the landlord under the table and does he/she provide you with payment receipt?Your pay stubs and fact that you notified USCIS of change of adrdess in February should be sufficient.
 
Bobsmyth said:
You don't have a rental agreement? Are you paying the landlord under the table and does he/she provide you with payment receipt?Your pay stubs and fact that you notified USCIS of change of adrdess in February should be sufficient.
Click to expand...

Hi Bobsmyth:

Thank you for your comments. I don't have an agreement because my stay in this house was initially supposed to be a temporary. I have now decided to continue staying in that house on a moth-to-month basis till I get my naturalization. I pay rent using personal checks and have copies of my rent checks. Will they also help? Kindly advise....
 
SM001 said:
Hi Bobsmyth:

Thank you for your comments. I don't have an agreement because my stay in this house was initially supposed to be a temporary. I have now decided to continue staying in that house on a moth-to-month basis till I get my naturalization. I pay rent using personal checks and have copies of my rent checks. Will they also help? Kindly advise....
Click to expand...

If the checks have the rental property address or landlord's address it can help in establishing residency in the district.
 
SM001 said:
I don't have an agreement because my stay in this house was initially supposed to be a temporary. I have now decided to continue staying in that house on a moth-to-month basis till I get my naturalization. I pay rent using personal checks and have copies of my rent checks. Will they also help? Kindly advise....
Click to expand...

Even if you do not have an agreement now, can't you work with the landlord and write an agreement?
 
SM001: It is fairly likely that you will not get asked to show any documents proving the 3-month residence, apart from the driver's license.
As others have suggested, you may want to try to get a formal rental agreement from the landlord. Also, if you do not have utility bills in your name, you probably do have bank and/or credit card statements addressed at the Maryland address.

In any event: do not volunteer any information at the interview regarding the 3-month residence unless specifically asked for by the IO. Just show the IO the drivers license. If the IO asks some follow-up questions regarding the 3-month residency, answer them honestly. But do not try to explain anything unless and until the IO asks about it.
 
baikal3 said:
SM001: It is fairly likely that you will not get asked to show any documents proving the 3-month residence, apart from the driver's license.
As others have suggested, you may want to try to get a formal rental agreement from the landlord. Also, if you do not have utility bills in your name, you probably do have bank and/or credit card statements addressed at the Maryland address.

In any event: do not volunteer any information at the interview regarding the 3-month residence unless specifically asked for by the IO. Just show the IO the drivers license. If the IO asks some follow-up questions regarding the 3-month residency, answer them honestly. But do not try to explain anything unless and until the IO asks about it.
Click to expand...

baikal3:

Thank you for the advise. I propose to follow your advise to the tee. When requested, I will submit my driver's license to the IO at the interview. if the IO requests for additional proofs of residence, then I propose to provide the following evidence -
a) my employment paperwork (signed employment acceptance document) indicating my joining date (Feb 1st and my place of employment in Maryland)
b) my pay slips since February 1st indicating my residential address in Maryland
c) Signed Federal and Maryland state tax withholding forms all indicating my February 1st joining date and my address in Maryland.
d) I also propose to get a detailed letter from my company HR that states my place of employment and my joining date .

I hope these documents should be okay. Please let me know.

I am working on strategies for getting a rental agreement from the landlady. It might be a little difficult as i moved to this place as a temporary month to month arrangement with the plan of moving on when my wife joined me. Now when I broach the subject of rental agreement, my landlady wants to increase the rent on me and adding a bunch of additional charges. I want to get through my naturalization interview at the current address and then move on.

Cheers.....
 
SM001 said:
I don't have an agreement because my stay in this house was initially supposed to be a temporary. I have now decided to continue staying in that house on a moth-to-month basis till I get my naturalization.
Click to expand...
That doesn't make sense, and I hope you won't tell the IO that. Temporary and month-to-month arrangements usually have written agreements*. It's just that the agreement indicates the temporary or month-to-month situation instead of a specified period.


*unless very informal, like renting a room in a family member's house.
 
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