N400 application form

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RareGold

Registered Users (C)
Dear all,

Thank you for reading my post and please help me clarifying the following issues regarding form N400.

First of all I will apply based on 3 years marriage with the same US citizen.

1. Where you have lived during the last 5 years?

In my particular case do I have to list 3 years or 5 years of addresses going back to my addresses in original country as was written in my G 325 form?
If I don't know the exact days, what if I just put the months and years?

2. Information about sons and daughters.

I don't have any children and we don't have children together. My husband has two adults sons from his previous marriage , they never lived with us ( actually they never lived in Florida at all) and based on their age they cannot he my biological children either.
Can they be considered my step sons and do I need to list them?

Thank you taking time to reply.
Best regards
RareGold
 
If it says 5 yrs, then they need 5 yrs; doesn't matter where it is.
so list all places for the last 5 yrs.
If you really don't know exact dates, I think month & yr should be sufficient.

Idk about the 2nd question. (we don't have kids or step kids, so not sure how to answer that one)...someone else with more knowledge will soon post an answer, I'm sure.
 
Washburn27 said:
If it says 5 yrs, then they need 5 yrs; doesn't matter where it is.
so list all places for the last 5 yrs.
If you really don't know exact dates, I think month & yr should be sufficient.

Idk about the 2nd question. (we don't have kids or step kids, so not sure how to answer that one)...someone else with more knowledge will soon post an answer, I'm sure.
Click to expand...

Thank you Washburn. So 5 years, and months/years are sufficient.

Can anybody answer my second question ?

Thanks
RareGold
 
Raregold:
I just checked and it seems I did put exact dates, but we knew the dates.
So just wait a bit and see if someone else has a different opinion;
I also think you should call USCIS customer service and ask them if just month/yr is enough. then you at least have an explanation if/when they ask you "why just month/yr"?
I mean, if you don't know the dates, what else can you do?
 
RareGold said:
My husband has two adults sons from his previous marriage , they never lived with us ( actually they never lived in Florida at all) and based on their age they cannot he my biological children either.
Can they be considered my step sons and do I need to list them?
Click to expand...

Yes, they would be considered your step sons through the marriage to your husband, even if they never lived with you or you don't see them. You are therefore required to list them.
 
If applying based on marriage it is not necessary to list addresses or travel dates going back 5 years, you are only required to list for the 3 qualifying years.
 
McTavish said:
If applying based on marriage it is not necessary to list addresses or travel dates going back 5 years, you are only required to list for the 3 qualifying years.
Click to expand...

where did you see this?

I just looked at my marriage based (and approved) application and Part 6 says:
"Part 6. Information about your residence and employment.
Where have you lived during the last five years? Begin with where you live now and then list every place you lived for the last five years. If you need more space, use a separate sheet(s) of paper."

So I don't know where it says to list only 3 yrs for marriage based; the application sure doesn't mention anything like that, as you can see. I don't know if any other document mentions 3 yrs, but if it did, I must have missed it.
 
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Washburn27 said:

where did you see this?

I just looked at my marriage based (and approved) application and Part 6 says:
"Part 6. Information about your residence and employment.
Where have you lived during the last five years? Begin with where you live now and then list every place you lived for the last five years. If you need more space, use a separate sheet(s) of paper."

So I don't know where it says to list only 3 yrs for marriage based; the application sure doesn't mention anything like that, as you can see. I don't know if any other document mentions 3 yrs, but if it did, I must have missed it.
Click to expand...

You are 100% correct in your quote from the N400 application, however if you are applying based on three years marriage to a US citizen it is only those three years that are relevant to the application.

If it makes you feel better you can provide information for the two years prior to becoming eligible but if this is evidence of living in a foreign country it is not exactly helpful or useful to the application is it?

I stand by my original statement that evidence is only required from your qualifying period be that 3 or 5 years.

USCIS has been known to be ambiguous in their wording!
 
I do see what you mean.
I agree that it may not be relevant, logically to list 5 yrs, I just thought as there is no mention of it officially printed anywhere on any USCIS document to list only 3, it would be safest/correct to answer exactly what the question asks for.
What if they ask the applicant why he/she didn't list 5 yrs when the appl clearly asks for it? Can he/she really say "err, I thought logically that as mine is based on marriage, I should list only 3 yrs"? even if that is the correct logic, I highly doubt that an IO would respect that kind of explanation. So unless one can find a document which says it's ok to list 3 yrs, I think one should mention 5 yrs, simply because that's what the question asks for.

I listed all 5 yrs on mine, btw.
 
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I also see your point, but if you look at appendix A of the Naturalization Eligibility Worksheet it clearly moves the goalposts for marriage based applications from 5 to 3 years.
Unfortunately they fail to carry the 3/5 wording throught all the forms and documents.
I still fail to see what purpose giving details of an address prior to the dates when your immigration clock started ticking could serve.

Appendix A also clearly states that the physical presence requirement is 18months in 3 years, section 7 of the N400 still asks for details from 5 years.

If you are not living in the US it would seem pointless to provide details of time spent outside.

I am also basing my answer on anecdotal evidence from others who have provided information for only 3 years and completed their citizenship applications succesfully.
 
I see.
In that case, I'd advise anyone who lists 3 yrs to print those worksheet instructions and take them to the interview Just in case they ask. That way, they have something to show to the IO, because I'm pretty sure there are IOs who're not aware of such information which appears only on the worksheet/guide instructions and not on the N400 itself.
If the OP feels safer to list 3 yrs for some reason (although I don't see how it could harm to list 5 yrs), then he should be prepared to explain exactly why, in case the IO asks.
what would worry me is that if someone who's not well informed would take one look at his appl and send it back saying he needs to put down 5 yrs info.
 
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There is no harm to list 5 years it is simply not relevant to an application based on 3 years of marriage, the IO will not and should not be interested in where you lived in London, Sydney or Tokyo before you were a LPR.
If it makes anyone feel comfortable to list this info I see no harm but I believe it is irrelevant.
Looks like we may have to agree to disagree :)
 
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yep. and that's not so bad :) we were both trying to help; hopefully we didn't confuse the OP too much :)
main thing is that the OP does what he/she or feels safe with, (in this case it looks like both will be ok, but 5 yrs can be overkill?) and everything goes well.

and you meant 3 yrs below, right? ;)
McTavish said:
There is no harm to list 5 years it is simply not relevant to an application based on 5 years of marriage
Click to expand...
 
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Washburn27 said:
yep. and that's not so bad :) we were both trying to help; hopefully we didn't confuse the OP too much :)
main thing is that the OP does what he/she or feels safe with, (in this case it looks like both will be ok, but 5 yrs can be overkill?) and everything goes well.

and you meant 3 yrs below, right? ;)
Click to expand...

Yes I did sorry! I'll edit it if I can.
Good luck to the OP
 
I think there's no edit time limit on this forum; you should be able to edit it anytime. ..
EDIT: :D I see you already edited it.
I'm gonna go to bed. G'night! :)
 
RareGold said:
Thank you Washburn. So 5 years, and months/years are sufficient.

Can anybody answer my second question ?

Thanks
RareGold
Click to expand...

It's perfectly acceptable to put the month/year format. In fact, that's exactly how I listed my past addresses.
 
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