green card or citzenship?

Z

zuvi

New Member
I am thinking about applying for citizenship but I am not sure if it is a good idea.

I have been studying in an online school and staying here in Mexico, and the only time my Green Card is checked is when I go back to the US, about every few month. When I return to Mexico, they do not request any documents to cross the border.

I have been doing my taxes (I had some years that I had skipped since I didn't have an income, but I will be filing them as back taxes although I do not owe) and been gathering rent invoices, etc.

I have not been outside of the US (where they do check and stamp your passport) for more than 2 weeks, and I have not been convicted with any type of crime.

Please give me an opinion on if it is better for me to renew my green card or apply for citizenship.
I do know that I technically have to live in the US, but please keep in mind that I do have my US address.
Thank you.
 
I have been outside of US, but the immigration doesn't really know because they never check your documents when you leave the country (to mexico).
I was wondering if it is just easier to renew it instead of applying for citizenship.
I do not want to revoke my status because I heard it makes it harder for you to get a travel visa and also because I would have to go back to my country (not Mexico) to do this
 
zuvi said:
I have been outside of US, but the immigration doesn't really know because they never check your documents when you leave the country (to mexico).
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If Mexico checks your documents when you enter Mexico, they'll have a record of your entry, and they share some of that information with the US.

I was wondering if it is just easier to renew it instead of applying for citizenship.
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Renewal is definitely easier. For renewal they don't get into the deep scrutiny of your travel history like they do with naturalization.

I do not want to revoke my status because I heard it makes it harder for you to get a travel visa ...
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That is not true. If you voluntarily and officially surrender your green card with form I-407, that makes it easy to get a tourist visa to visit the US. But if you wait until they revoke your green card, that's when it might be hard to get a tourist visa.
 
The thing is, where I cross, they never check for documents, they don't even stop your car when you cross.
Do you think I should take the chance and go for the citizenship application?

And also, although this is not my case, is having a bad credit history or student loan problems bad for the interview process?

I would wait and renew the green card, but I feel that since it has been 5 years and I have not been in any crimes, no problems with the immigration, etc., I feel that maybe it is better to apply for citizenship while I am a student (online), since I feel like they would not ask why I don't have a job in the US.
 
I think you should not apply for naturalization if you are going to lie regarding your presence in the US. It doesn't matter if your documents are not checked when entering Mexico or not, you are not physically present in the US and unless you can meet the physical present requirement for naturalization it would be a waste of time and money to apply.
 
Lying to immigration is a big NO NO. For one thing, you have to list your work and residences in the US. You're going to make this up, or claim you're unemployed/not studying and live with your parents? You're nuts. Don't do it.

It's not a guarantee, but in future it could come out that you were in Mexico during a time you claimed you were in the US. What if you want a job with the government?

Are you never planning to move back to the US?
 
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