PAsport not stamped on Entry to the US

I

Islander

New Member
Hi Everyone, I have a quick question and i'm hoping someone can shed some light on this for me.

I had my N400 interview today, and all went well, but I wasn't approved. Turns out that my passport did not have any entry to the US stamps in it actually, there was one, but that was from my most recent trip a year ago), all the other trips there was no stamp for them. I usually hand both my passport and my green card to the officer and they usually swipe the card and return both to me and send me on my way. The officer said that was unusual and that he would check, but that if was ok then he would approve my petition for citizenship.

Should I be worried? I'm starting to get worried.
 
Islander said:
Hi Everyone, I have a quick question and i'm hoping someone can shed some light on this for me.

I had my N400 interview today, and all went well, but I wasn't approved. Turns out that my passport did not have any entry to the US stamps in it actually, there was one, but that was from my most recent trip a year ago), all the other trips there was no stamp for them. I usually hand both my passport and my green card to the officer and they usually swipe the card and return both to me and send me on my way. The officer said that was unusual and that he would check, but that if was ok then he would approve my petition for citizenship.

Should I be worried? I'm starting to get worried.
Click to expand...

Are you on the borderline so fars as physical presences is calculated?
Otherwise why would IO care about missing stamp?
 
Probably a rookie IO. It's not that unusual to have missing stamps, in particular for land travel. I had a bunch of missing stamps and didn't get into this trouble. The only thing you should worry about is if they forget to process this. In general I would say you don't have a reason to worry now. I hope you get your oath letter soon.
 
I would agree with Huracan in saying that you had the misfortune of getting an in-experienced IO who has perhaps rarely travelled outside the US or just does not know the immigration procedures at the airports and borders.

I have travelled multiple times outside US by road and by air to Canada and India since my H1B and GC days, and in very few cases the agent actually stamped my passport on the way back, at the US point of entry.

After the IO checks with his superiors your case should be approved, unless you have any other complications.
 
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I am in the same boat.

I travelled to Canada (Car) and Bahamas (cruise) and both times I handed my Passport and GC, and did not stamp the passport. I did listed these trips in N-400, but if some one wants to see a stamp, my passport do not have it. I don't think this would be a problem.

---------------------------------------------
Local DO - Boston
04/30/09 - Application mailed to Lockbox
05/01/09 - Application received
05/06/09 - Check cashed
 
JSlade said:
I am in the same boat.

I travelled to Canada (Car) and Bahamas (cruise) and both times I handed my Passport and GC, and did not stamp the passport. I did listed these trips in N-400, but if some one wants to see a stamp, my passport do not have it. I don't think this would be a problem.

---------------------------------------------
Local DO - Boston
04/30/09 - Application mailed to Lockbox
05/01/09 - Application received
05/06/09 - Check cashed
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If you meet half of the time in USA criteia by a couple of days, IO may get serious want to verify exact entry/departure dates to compute for themselves
 
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WBH said:
If you meet half of the time in USA criteia by a couple of days, IO may get serious want to really veriry exact entry/departure dates to compute for themselves
Click to expand...

Agreed, and your point is well taken. However, it is the responsibility of the border agent to stamp the passport. The traveller cannot force the agent to stamp the passport. Most of the time the US border agent at the Canadian border glances at the GC and waves on the driver, without bothering to look at the passport, even if offered. And most of the time at the airport the agent swipes the GC, perhaps asks a couple of standard questions and waves the passenger on. Only when the passenger has been out of the US for a significant time the agent stamps the passport and writes something like "6 weeks" next to the stamp.

I cant see how the USCIS can deny N400 applicants based on passport stamps when their sister agency (CBP) does not stamp the passport all the time. This is a well known fact. Computer records of travellers based on swiping the GC and airline records could form a basis for denial (provided they are complete - but for road travellers they are obviously not complete), but passport stamps should not.

Having said that, the GC holder should maintain a record of all border crossings (air, sea and land) and declare all of them truthfully on the N400. Attempting to hide long absenses based on missing passport stamps could misfire and have serious consequences.
 
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prithis said:
Agreed, and your point is well taken. However, it is the responsibility of the border agent to stamp the passport.
I cant see how the USCIS can deny N400 applicants based on passport stamps
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The OP said he was not approved but that clears differ from he was denied.
Most likely I believe his case is that his physical presences is close to the
borderline and even one or two days can make a critical differences so that
IOs want to double check before approval.

If the boder does not want to stamp yoru passport but if you ask for it,
they should stamp yopur passport. I did that once when back from Canada
 
Thanks for the responses everyone... jst to clarify.. I got my GC in 2002 and since that time i've been living in NYC. I've gone abroad to the carribean and canada a few times, maybe 6 of 7 times since 2002 and the longest time i've stayed out is 11 days at any one time. I definately have met the proof of time in the US, so this is why I was concerned. Maybe he is a rookie... who knows... as he said, he is going to clear me once this travel stamp thing check out. I submitted tax records, leases etc. Also, on two of these trips my wife and daughter traveled with me and the also did not receive a stamp from customs when we got back to nyc. I think it'll be ok... but my fingers are crossed.


p.s I never even looked for a stamp or thought about it until he asked... it just never occured to me since they swipe the GC everytime. I'm disappointed but hoping this will be over soon enough.
 
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Islander said:
Thanks for the responses everyone... jst to clarify.. I got my GC in 2002 and since that time i've been living in NYC. I've gone abroad to the carribean and canada a few times, maybe 6 of 7 times since 2002 and the longest time i've stayed out is 11 days at any one time. I definately have met the proof of time in the US, so this is why I was concerned. Maybe he is a rookie... who knows... as he said, he is going to clear me once this travel stamp thing check out. I submitted tax records, leases etc. Also, on two of these trips my wife and daughter traveled with me and the also did not receive a stamp from customs when we got back to nyc. I think it'll be ok... but my fingers are crossed.


p.s I never even looked for a stamp or thought about it until he asked... it just never occured to me since they swipe the GC everytime. I'm disappointed but hoping this will be over soon enough.
Click to expand...

Good luck, and hope you get the approval and oath letter soon. Update this thread once you are done.
 
Unless you witheld disclosing the trips based on no stamps in your passport, you shouldn't have an issue considering the length and number of trips you had.
 
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Islander said:
I had my N400 interview today, and all went well, but I wasn't approved. Turns out that my passport did not have any entry to the US stamps in it actually, there was one, but that was from my most recent trip a year ago), all the other trips there was no stamp for them. I usually hand both my passport and my green card to the officer and they usually swipe the card and return both to me and send me on my way. The officer said that was unusual and that he would check, but that if was ok then he would approve my petition for citizenship.

Should I be worried? I'm starting to get worried.
Click to expand...
Did you fail to list any trips, or think that some of the dates of the trips you listed are inaccurate as a result of not having the passport stamps to look at? If the answer is NO to both, you'll be OK and it is just a matter of waiting a few days or weeks for the IO to finalize your approval.
 
Islander said:
Thanks for the responses everyone... jst to clarify.. I got my GC in 2002 and since that time i've been living in NYC. I've gone abroad to the carribean and canada a few times, maybe 6 of 7 times since 2002 and the longest time i've stayed out is 11 days at any one time. I definately have met the proof of time in the US, so this is why I was concerned. Maybe he is a rookie... who knows... as he said, he is going to clear me once this travel stamp thing check out. I submitted tax records, leases etc. Also, on two of these trips my wife and daughter traveled with me and the also did not receive a stamp from customs when we got back to nyc. I think it'll be ok... but my fingers are crossed.


p.s I never even looked for a stamp or thought about it until he asked... it just never occured to me since they swipe the GC everytime. I'm disappointed but hoping this will be over soon enough.
Click to expand...

And, technically, you are not even required to present your passport upon reentry to the US if you are in possession of a valid green card.
 
Its official... I got approved

I finally got my oath letter today... I'm taking it on June 19th. Guess my IO was a rookie.

Thanks for the well wishes everyone.
 
Just a follow up to this thread... I took the oath today and completed my naturalization... finally. I went to the ceremony down town brooklyn ... cadman plaza court house. The great thing about this is that I was able to take the oath with my brother today, so while the ceremony was underwhelming, the experience was a good one.
Thanks again for your posts... it def. helped relieve me of some anxiety.
 
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