Filling out N-400. Questions!?

P

PraetorianXI

Banned
So, I am getting my stuff ready to file for citizenship in May. I can not get a definite answer on these, maybe someone can shed some light on it?

N-400, Part 7, Question A: " How many total days did you spend outside of the United States in the past five years?"

Here is the deal. I have been a US resident since 8/7/2007. So about half of the past 5 years I have spent living in the US (with the exception of a couple of trips for 2 weeks or less). The other half (Pre August 2007) I spent mostly back in my home country, but I also spent several months visiting the USA. At least 9-12 months since May 2005, on several trips, 2-3 months each.

So... how do I calculate how many days? Do I really have to give an accurate amount of days since May 2005 until May 2010.

Or do I really just need to list the amount of days spent outside of the USA since I became a resident?

N-400, Part 5, Question E: Race (select one or more).

I am originally from Venezuela, South America. So on the previous question I marked YES for being hispanic/latino.

But I have no clue as to what "Race" I am... I am not white, or asian, or black, or islander...

Thanks for any help guys! :confused:
 
I guess you are applying as married to a US citizen in which case you only need to list trips for the last 3 years.

As for the race good question! it looks like you need to be white for N400 purposes.
 
That question about counting the days for 5 years is not worded properly to account for the different scenarios. In some cases it is 3 years, and in all cases you should not count the days outside the US before you became a permanent resident, even if the beginning of those days are within the 3 year or 5 year window.
 
Jackolantern said:
That question about counting the days for 5 years is not worded properly to account for the different scenarios. In some cases it is 3 years, and in all cases you should not count the days outside the US before you became a permanent resident, even if the beginning of those days are within the 3 year or 5 year window.
Click to expand...

That raise an interseting question for those who applied 90 days before 5 years of GC. If they spent a little bit more than half of their GC
period (5 year-90 days) but if they do not make any trip in the 90 days after filing , will they meet the physical presence criterion?
 
Yes, I am applying based on Marriage to an USC for the past 3 years, still married, still living together. So I will be applying after being a resident for 3 years (minus 90 days).

So, should I then only put how many days I have been out of the US in the past 3 years? there is another question that later asks how many trips I've taken since being a resident... so I am not sure this is right...

ps: I guess I'm white :p
 
Question 7A refers to the time outside US during statutory period. In your case it's 3 years, so you would disclose time outside US during last 3 years.

As for race, it's up to you to decide what you identify yourself with. Hispanic and latino are not races. For example, you can be a white or black hispanic, or a white and American Indian latino, depending on what you identify yourself with.
 
I guess there's not a brown race huh? maybe I will mark both white and black? mixed up makes... gray? :D

Thanks for the answer to 7A, which will save me a lot of time calculating trips back and for the USA.
 
Praetorian,

Just check yourself as hispanic, black and white, on the side write...no black or white in Venezuela, only chavenos...lol!!!
 
Bobsmyth said:
Question 7A refers to the time outside US during statutory period. In your case it's 3 years, so you would disclose time outside US during last 3 years.
Click to expand...


Even though the 3 year window is what the IO is interested in, the OP is required to disclose all the trips ever since becoming a LPR, do we have a disagreement on this one?
 
sreeleshk said:
Even though the 3 year window is what the IO is interested in, the OP is required to disclose all the trips ever since becoming a LPR, do we have a disagreement on this one?
Click to expand...
The OP has only been a LPR since 2007, so it still comes out to 3 years.
 
I thought the question about time outside of the country was confusing as well as for some it will mean count the days for 5 years for others 3 years. I applied for USC based on marriage but followed the form instructions to give the number of days for the last 5 (have been an LPR since 2000).
During my interview, the IO asked me how I had come up with the number of days and I told him I used the 5 year rule. He recounted for 3 years to make it match up with my application situation. He changed my application accordingly.
As many others have stated, the IO goes through the whole application during the interview so anything can be corrected that was filled out in error.
 
tobias2801 said:
As many others have stated, the IO goes through the whole application during the interview so anything can be corrected that was filled out in error.
Click to expand...

It is not even in error. The question is "how many total days did you spend outside of the United States during the last five years".

I think it should be changed to "how many total days did you spend outside of the United States during the last five years if Part 2 A is checked
or during the last 3 years if Part 2 B is checked".
 
PraetorianXI said:
So, I am getting my stuff ready to file for citizenship in May. I can not get a definite answer on these, maybe someone can shed some light on it?

N-400, Part 7, Question A: " How many total days did you spend outside of the United States in the past five years?"

Here is the deal. I have been a US resident since 8/7/2007. So about half of the past 5 years I have spent living in the US (with the exception of a couple of trips for 2 weeks or less). The other half (Pre August 2007) I spent mostly back in my home country, but I also spent several months visiting the USA. At least 9-12 months since May 2005, on several trips, 2-3 months each.

So... how do I calculate how many days? Do I really have to give an accurate amount of days since May 2005 until May 2010.

Or do I really just need to list the amount of days spent outside of the USA since I became a resident?

N-400, Part 5, Question E: Race (select one or more).

I am originally from Venezuela, South America. So on the previous question I marked YES for being hispanic/latino.

But I have no clue as to what "Race" I am... I am not white, or asian, or black, or islander...

Thanks for any help guys! :confused:
Click to expand...

where did all your so-called "wisdom" evaporate ? if you had something called "common sense" you could have easily figured it out ;)
 
So... how do I calculate how many days? Do I really have to give an accurate amount of days since May 2005 until May 2010.
Click to expand...

Section 7 reads as below:
List below all the trips of 24 hours or more that you have taken outside of United states since becoming lawful permanent resident. begin with your most recent trip

all you have to do is, look for dates on your passport.
 
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