Selective Service - Incorrectly indicated compliant in N400

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Citizen2Bee

Registered Users (C)
Hello,

My naturalization interview is scheduled for Nov 29, 2004. When I filled out N400, I didn't know that as an undocumented alien, I was supposed to have registered with Selective Service between ages of 18-26. So I indicated in N400 that I did not need to register.

Now that I know that I was incorrect, I reached out to Selective Service last week, providing them with all the information on their "request for status" form, acknowledging that I was out of status in the US before turning 26, did not register with SS. I have yet to receive this letter.

My question is; if and when I receive a letter of status from SS, and I take it with me to my naturalization interview, shall I volunteer this information and state that I unknowingly checked in N400 that I did not need to register? Or shall I follow the interviewer's queue and let him ask that question?

If I don't receive this letter from SS in time prior to the interview, what are my options?

My gut feeling is that I should volunteer this information, so I come clear of any misinformation.

I really would appreciate any suggestions in this regard.

Thanks in advance for any replies and I wish all of you best of luck !

-Citizen2Bee
 
it looks like we have the same problem , usually it takes them 2 weeks to send u a reply from Selective Service ... if u dont get the letter yet that might slow down your process (approval) you being a male that question will b asked for sure so dont try to avoid it .. its not like your intentionally avoided to register with SS you just did not know however you must convince the IO ... please keep this trea updated or even send me a private message with what happend at the interview ..... also if you dont mind what District Office ... i hear that some of them are really anal about this issue ( washington state and portland )
good luck
 
clisp,

My interview is at the Atlanta downtown office on Forsyth St.

I will not avoid the question, just don't want any complications, and I hope that I receive my Selective Service letter in time for the interview. I have no intentions to hide the facts, but from what I read, volunteering information is not always a good idea either. I'm just glad that I caught my mistake in time to contact SS.

I'll keep you posted. When is your interview? And what city?

If anyone else had a similar issue and their interview experience, please let me know.

Thanks
Citizen2Bee
 
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my feeling on this is , theres gota be quite a few people that had no idea that they had to register .... yet it depends on the interviewer .... the only problem you have is that u dont have that "darn" letter from Selective Services ...
interview for me is not yet set cause i am yet to apply for citiznship , but i am very curious on how that is gona go by ... of course you should never volunteer anythin but if u asked be "prepared"
 
If you haven't applied for your citizenship, then I suggest you get that letter from Selective Service ahead of time. I'm hopeful that I will receive it from them prior to the interview.

From what I've read on this board and british expats, it seems that they typically do not go back beyond 5 years to establish good moral character. I turned 26 over 5 years ago, so I'm hoping this will not be as much of a sticking point unless it were otherwise.

I'll keep you posted on my experience. Lets see what happens ... Nov 29, we shall find out.
 
To update this thread, I received the Selective Service letter yesterday, stating the following:
___________________________START_OF_LETTER________
"We have received your inquiry regarding your Selective Service registration status. You are not registered. Our records indicate that we sent one or more pieces of correspondence informing you of the requirement to register, which were not returned as undeliverable. You cannot register after attaining age 26.

Section 12(g) of the Military Selecive Service Act (50 App. U.S.C. 462(g)) reads as follows:

"(g) A person may not be denied a right, privilege, or benefit under Federal law by reason of failure to persent himself for and submit to registration under section 3 (of the Military Selective Service Act) if-
(1) the requirement for the person to so register has terminated or become inapplicable to the person; and
(2) the person shows by a prepondence of the evidence that the failure to register was not a knowing and willful failure to register."

The purrpose of this provision is to clarify that a non-registrant is not to be denied any Federal benefit if he can demonstrate that his failure to register was not knowing or willful.

Any explanation to justify your failure to register must be made to the agency administering the right, benefit, or privilege you seek for which Selective Services registration is required. Therefore, you should submit this letter to them for consideration along with a copy of any documentation you believe may be helpful to your case. The final decision regarding your eligibility is within the authority of that agency."
____________________END_OF_LETTER__________________

Even though back in 1990, I sent a response to SSS stating that I was a foreign student, and I didn't need to register, apparently it was not received by SSS and I don't have a copy of it either.

I'm a bit concerned about the contents of this letter from SSS. It clearly states that I need to prove that my negligence was not willful. I have put together documentation that proves that I was not eligible upto the age of 24, but I still have 2 years with no proof that demonstrates that I was either not eligible for registration, or I did not know about the requirement for out of status personnel to register, but only my own word.

I'd welcome any suggestions. Interview is Nov 29, 2004.

Thanks
 
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citizen2bee,

even i was not registered at SS, i came to this country at the age of 23rd, I tried to register at 26 but could not, at the interview the officer asked me about it and i had a letter same way you had, and since i am 32 now she just asked me to write an letter stating why you failed to register and sign it, I wrote an letter right there and handed it over to the officer, you should be ok. My oath is due on Nov 25th.

sdb
 
6776,

Do you mind sharing what you wrote in that letter? Did you mention that you did not know about registration requirement,and by the time you did, it was too late? What else did you write?

Thanks
 
citizen2be,

I wrote it this way,

To,

the immigration officer,
970 broad street.
Newark, NJ,

Dear sir / Madam,

Truthfully i was not knowing about the selective service, and i came to know about it when i applied for citizenship, i kept on trying to register but was unable to do so due the 26yrs age limit, the affidavit should be notarized. It should explain why you failed to register (such as you didn't know anything about the need to register at the time you became a resident, etc.), and that you are willing to serve in the armed forces and are willing to fight for this country should it become necessary. Good luck.
 
6776,

Thanks for sharing the info. Was your oath conducted the same day as your interview? What city did you have your interview.
 
Naturalization Interview Passed - Here are the details

I had my naturalization interview scheduled for Monday, November 29, 2004 @ 10:25 AM. Well, I passed it and it was quite an experience. Here are the details:

Civics Quesitons asked:
1-Who wrote the star spangled banner?
2-How many times a senator may be elected?
3-Who has the authority to declare war?
4-Which countries did we fight during WWII?

English Writing: " I drive a green car".

Chronology of the interview:
9:00AM - Arrived at 77 Forsyth St, Atlanta.
10:00AM - Submitted interview letter in room 287 in the basket by the window.
10:50AM - Called in for the interview.
11:05AM - Passed the interview.
1:55PM - Received oath ceremony details.
3:15PM - Oath ceremony started after delays.
3:45PM - oath ceremony concluded.
US Natualization process complete.

Some recommendations:
-Take a bottle of water and some snacks with you. You may be there for a while. I was there for 7 hours.
-Unless your kids are called into the naturalization interview, arrange for a babysitter. It gets really warm in the waiting room, and you can't leave until they call your name. And if you left and they called your name, who knows what would happen.
-There are three entry doors into the interview rooms. So try to sit towards the front middle of the waiting room.
-Make sure you have gone to the bathroom prior to entering the waiting room. After the interview, before going back into the waiting room for oath ceremony details, I suggest grabbing a quick snank from the first floor and use the bathroom since it will be a while before they come back out.
-Set aside the whole day for this interview, not just a few hours. You don't know what to expect.
-Go straight to room 287 and ignore the pink signs asking you to go back down to triage for initial processing. The signs need to be removed, according to an officer and are not applicable.
-Don't bring any sharp objects with you, such as swiss knives, just as you would when going to the airport. There is a security screening machine at the entrance and they will not allow you into the building if you brought something sharp.
-I recommend at least a business casual attire for the interview. It makes a good impression.

Interview details:
Here are some additional details for those of you who'd like to dig deeper:

9:00AM-Upon my arrival, there was some confusion as to where I was supposed to go to. They had a sign posted outside room 287 that all N400 applicants are supposed to go to triage on the first floor. After having been in that line for 20 minutes, they said to go back to room 287. Confusing.

10:55AM-Officer Thornton called my name and led me to an interview room. Very polite person. He asked me to raise my right hand and asked to tell ony the truth. I agreed. He asked me for my passport and green card. Then started asking questions about the N400 application form that I had submitted back in March. Went over all the answers, asked me if I would bear arms for the US, I replied; only in the case of self defense will I do that. When he asked me about the Selective Services registration, he seemed a bit confused that I had marked exempt. I informed him that at the time I filled out the application, I was not aware that I was supposed to register with SSS, and since then I found out my mistake and I told him that I should have marked "did not register and will provide adequate documentation from SS in this regard". He was okay with my explanation and asked me if he could make a copy of the letter from Selective Service Administration. I gave him the original letter.

He then congratualted me on passing the naturalization interview and all tests and said that someone will need to double check his work on my application. Once that is complete, someone will come to the waiting room to meet with me again.

He asked me if I wanted to participate in an oath ceremony being conducted in the afternoon. I agreed to it. Officer kept my green card, which is an indication that oath will be conducted the same day. Was asked to return to the waiting room for oath ceremony time and location.

1:55PM-Officer Thornton came back out with details around the oath ceremony, scheduled at 2:30PM in room 103. I had about 20 minutes to grab something to eat. Went to McDonalds for a fish fillet, came back and took a seat in room 103.

3:15PM-3:45PM-Oath ceremony conducted. At this point, everyone was relaxed and having a good time. The tough interview part was over and only ceremonial formalities remained. We had a lot of fun in that room.

By the time I got out of the building, it was too late to apply for my US passport. Went to the post office the next day, applied for the passport. Will hopefully get it in the next 10-12 days.

Good luck to those of you planning to go to your interviews. Just relax and you will do fine.
 
Thanks for sharing your experience in such a great details. I am feeling better as i have my interview on 5th Jan, 2005 and I am little bit scared.
 
There is nothing to worry about. You have a legitimate case, otherwise you wouldn't have applied and they wouldn't have called you in for the interview. Remember that they gave you a green card some years ago based upon that trust. So just relax. Think of it as a job interview. Prepare for it and "be positive" during the interview. Interviewers meet with several candidates in a day's time, and a smile on your face would make all the difference in the world. Proper attire helps also.

Good luck !!
 
Hi,

Where do you go to reuqest the status information ? I am going to sumbit N400 next year. Fortunately, I got my GC 20 days after my 26th birthday, so I don't to need to register selective service.


Here is the link about "Who Must Register" http://www.sss.gov/must.htm.

ALIENS ** REQUIRED TO REGISTER?
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Lawful non-immigrants on visas
(e.g., diplomatic and consular
personnel and families, foreign
students, tourists with unexpired
visas (Forms I-94, I-95A),
or those with Border Crossing
Documents (Forms I-185, I-186, I-444). No


Permanent resident aliens. Yes


Special (seasonal) agricultural
workers (Form I-688). Yes

Special agricultural workers (Form I-688A). No

Refugee, parolee, and asylee aliens. Yes

Undocumented (illegal) aliens. Yes


James


Citizen2Bee said:
Hello,


Now that I know that I was incorrect, I reached out to Selective Service last week, providing them with all the information on their "request for status" form, acknowledging that I was out of status in the US before turning 26, did not register with SS. I have yet to receive this letter.

-Citizen2Bee
Click to expand...
 
How Ould It Affect Me?

I'm an asylee and I haven't received my greencard yet. I'm thirty one years old now. I turned 26 the same year when I arrived here, few months after I came here. Does this SSS registration applies to me? Joe F. or anybody who knows about this, please comment.
Thanks for your help.
 
Got my GC when was 25
Did not register because DID NOT KNOW!

Got a Status Letter from SS
Wrote them back saying I never received a notice to register
Got a reply saying they sent me a letter to first address in the US
Wrote them back saying 'never got a letter' since was already at a different addres AND was on F-1 and was not required to register anyway
Got a reply saying 'it is up to agence that administers the benefit bla bla'

Applied for Cit and had interview in Newark on Sep 14 2004
Passed the test, was told that my SS case will be 'investigated' and I will get a decision in 7 days
Still sitting here 3 month later and waiting for a decision
The InfoPass says there no available appointments
Should I write them? What are my chances? THANKS!
 
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