Question -- how to get info on all trips taken

[dantm]

I am going to send in my N400 based on 5 year residency requirement being met.

One of the questions in the N400 document deals with the trips taken outside the US during the 5 years (I think it's worded 'since becoming resident').

The companies that I worked with during the last 5 years have sent me on a large number of trips (maybe 40-50 during the 5 year period), most of them consisting of 1-2 days -- this was due to the nature of the jobs I had...

Question -- as I have not kept a record of these trips, how would I go about obtaining information about my leaving/entering the US during this time? I assume that the US government would only have entry records (based on my green card) so there are no stamps in my passport to go by/etc.

Any suggestions? I assume I need to get the dates for these trips exactly right for the N400 (not just estimates).

Thank you.

 

[baikal3]

I am going to send in my N400 based on 5 year residency requirement being met.

One of the questions in the N400 document deals with the trips taken outside the US during the 5 years (I think it's worded 'since becoming resident').

The companies that I worked with during the last 5 years have sent me on a large number of trips (maybe 40-50 during the 5 year period), most of them consisting of 1-2 days -- this was due to the nature of the jobs I had...

Question -- as I have not kept a record of these trips, how would I go about obtaining information about my leaving/entering the US during this time?


I assume that the US government would only have entry records (based on my green card)

You are wrong on the last point. When you leave the U.S. by air, the airline that you use transmits the passenger manifest(which includes your passport info) to the CBP and the CBP keeps these departure records.

You can file a FOIA/PA request with the CBP to get their records regarding your departures from/arrivals to the U.S.
See the instructions on doing that at:
https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/de...-of-my-travel-in-and-out-of-the-united-states
These records may be somewhat incomplete, particularly if some of your trips involved arrivals/departures by land.

Note that you are not required to report trips under 24 hours long on N-400.

 

[dantm]

There were a lot of trips via land, to Canada, and a few to Mexico as well (from my company's location in Southern CA). Land trips were probably 80% of the overall trips and I have very sporadic records of them.

Should I just put the trips that I can get info on from the CBP on the form and mention during my interview about the other ones (or not mention it unless specifically asked)?

Thank you.

 

[baikal3]

There were a lot of trips via land, to Canada, and a few to Mexico as well (from my company's location in Southern CA). Land trips were probably 80% of the overall trips and I have very sporadic records of them.

Should I just put the trips that I can get info on from the CBP on the form and mention during my interview about the other ones (or not mention it unless specifically asked)?

Thank you.

Do not omit the land trips from the N-400 form.
Try to provide at least approximate information about them (such as month/year and approximate duration) if you don't have precise details. From the point of view of the law, you are required to provide this information in the N-400 and the fact that the relevant data may be difficult for you to assemble does not in any way exempt you from this requirement.

USCIS typically will accept the information you provide without requiring further documentation regarding these trips, except if there were so many that they come close to breaking your physical presence requirement for naturalization.

 

[Jackolantern]

The companies that I worked with during the last 5 years have sent me on a large number of trips (maybe 40-50 during the 5 year period), most of them consisting of 1-2 days -- this was due to the nature of the jobs I had...

Didn't they schedule and pay for your trips? They should have records of the trips.

 

[dantm]

Didn't they schedule and pay for your trips? They should have records of the trips.

I've had 4 employers during this time plus my side consulting business, plus personal trips, etc. It would be a disaster to try to track everything down, but I will file with the CBP to get their records and will try to fill in the gaps...

I've tried to evaluate the total time spent out and I think it may be around 150-200 days over the 4 years, since a few trips were anywhere between 8-10 days and they bring up the average time per trip to about 3-days or so...

PITA -- I should have known to record them; would have been very easy at the time.