I am so kicking myself right now for disclosing it. I have only myself to blame. I could just have shutup about it. They would NEVER have found out. IMPOSSIBLE. One ticket was in Oregon and they would never search there because I have never lived there. The other one was officially expunged from my record. But I tried to be an upstanding citizen. I am also a member of the bar and figured I have a duty of candor. And I got screwed. Blah!
Whenever an applicant responds YES to any question on the naturalization application which needs more explanation (with proof sometimes) to clarify it then it must need to have a supervisory approval especially to questions related to citation/charge/arrest/criminal history. Some vetern officers don't always seek a supervisory approval on this kind of issues; otherwise supervisory approval is always a must. And, do not forget the fact that most officers who conduct naturalization interview are not so experienced ones (particularly these days when new officers are hired to clear up the backlog). Thus, they do prefer to have their supervisor to review a case before it could be approved...particularly when they were/are told so at their training for this job. Another reason for them to do so is that they don't wanna get blamed if something goes wrong in the future. By the way, asking for the superviory approval on this issue does not mean a long delay....
In the case in hand, interviewing officer JUST wanted to make sure that s/he is making a right decision and didn't want to be blamed for something in the future which made him/her to seek a supervisory approval. This is a stardard procedure. So, there is no need to make a big fuzz over it especially when you have been blessed to be interviewed in less than 4 months of short time while most people wait for so long...Rather than appreciating the God and INS for being lucky to have your case be heard so quickly, you are regretting for not telling the truth?? I just don't get it. There are many people who are waiting for a year or more for their turn for the interview, and they are being truthful in their application....just you to know....
I don't know why you are so frustrated and angry here... Is it because you are upset for being truthful to US govt. on this issue?? Or is it because your case didn't get approved on the same day of inteview? Believe me EVERYONE wants their application to get approved as soon as possible...even in one day after filing it...if it's possible...but just think VERY hard and ask honestly to yourself as to which one is better for you-about you having told them the truth and waiting a bit more for your case to be approved , or risking yourself (and your family's as well) for a possible deportation in the future just because of this little lie??
I know this issue might seem a very trival/little to many so to imagine an application could be denied or a naturalized citizen could be denaturalized in the future, and I also know that this issue alone won't cause any problem in itself if it's truthfully disclosed to the govt, however, not being truthful on your application about it...might risk your immigration life in this country in the future regardless of how trival this issue is. And if this ever happens then whatever you've worked for to establish your life in this country will be ruined, including separation from your loved ones. Trust me, I've seen people being denaturalized and deported just because of lying anything on their application, including about their address. Those cases are reported and there to check.
Some may say/argue on how govt. can denaturalize and deport someone just because applicants did not provide a correct address on their application, but people need to understand that it's not about providing a wrong address/information on the application; instead it's about not being truthful on the application under oath to the US govt. which has a direct connection/relevancy to an individual's moral character, and as everyone knows well that having a good moral character is a prime criteria to be naturalized. So obviously, govt can denaturalize someone on the ground of lacking good moral character (a prime criteria for a naturalization) if it's found out that the person had lied/concealed/misrepresented ANYTHING on the application. I don't know many people know this that lying/misrepresenting to immigration officials is not only a crime but also a ground to bar someone for lifetime.
My best friend's mom is barred for lifetime on this ground since she was told that she obtained tourist visa in 1986 based upon lying by saying that she was going to US to visit some relatives but she went there for work. INS also told her that she also lied the same to immigration officials at the port of entry (airport) when she arrived on the tourist visa. So, they have barred her for lifetime just because on this ground. She is widow and old lady who has no one to take care of her in her country since her son lives here and he is a US citizen. He sponsored his mother as an immediate relative of US citizen but at the time of interview, her application got denied on the ground that she is barred for lifetime for that little lie which was ages ago. Under immigration laws, the only way she could be able to come back here if her parents or spouse who must be either US citizen or green card holder file a waiver application for her on EXTREME hardship ground. She doesn't have neither of them. Her parents and husband died more than 20 yrs ago, and she is old lady with high cultural values. Meaning, she won't marry in her age so that she could get waiver. So, she has no other way in this world just to live alone and apart from his son. It's a miserable life for her over there. You don't know. And just to clear things up, she did not lie anything to immigration to obtain visa, neither at US embassy nor at the airport. Someone filled the visa application for her, and she was not asked anything at the airport. How she could fill the application or say anything to immigration officer upon coming her when she doesn't know a single word in English?? Besides, that was ages ago. Before the bar on this kind of offense was for 10 yrs but Congress has made it for a lifetime in 1997. I did not mention this story to scare anyone; rather to help you guys to know that what a little lie could do....
In this country, govt. don't like someone lying to them under oath. That's why lying/misrepresenting to govt. official is a crime. Martha Steward went to jail for lying to the govt. than for anything else. Marion Jones, an Olympic runner/medalist is sentenced to 6 months in jail for lying to the govt. Not being truthful on the application is seen very seriously...of course if it's known. Though I know that govt. might never find out about this issue if it's not disclosed, but one should never rule out of anything. Truth has its own way to come out...Besides, we cannot say what could happen in the future. When govt. likes to get someone then they would do dig anything to get on them to make their case, for example, they charged and deported a Palestian professor in FL just because he failed to update his address with INS...even though he was living in this country for so many years and has established a good life along with his family. So, why to take such a risk for just a little issue?? Is it really worth??
I've been on this site for many years (a way before I signed on here), and have seen many debates on this issue time and time again...And I've also seen people getting approval..with or without disclosing this issue, but in my opinion it's always best to tell the truth about this issue even if it might take a little longer to get approval. The instructions on form N-400 don't say that it's a matter of personal choice as to whether to disclose this issue or not, instead instructions very clearly state that applicants MUST need to disclose ALL the citations. However, what is confusing and not understandable to people is that the instruction is merely saying about not submitting any document/paperwork to USCIS along with application if ticket is less than $500, which doesn't mean that those tickets should not be disclosed. It's very clear in there as black & white.
Traffic tickets are citiations, and N-400 form DOES require ALL citations to be reported/disclosed. Besides, there is a difference between disclosing about citiations and not submitting a paperwork if tickets were less than $500. No where on the form it states that applicants do not need to disclose about traffic citations nor does it state that it's a matter of individual's choice as to whether these traffic tickets should be disclosed or not. If this a matter of individual's choice then each and every information on the application is a matter of personal choice as to whether be truthful about those information or not..
Of course, we all make our own choice in our daily life on everything, but the question is-do we make a right one??...That being said, if I were in this situation then I would rather choose to tell the truth and wait a bit longer to get naturalized than risking my life (and my loved ones as well) in the future.
Good luck...
