Let me quote from the offending website:
"Since you turn in your green card at the naturalization ceremony, your Certificate of Naturalization is all you have to prove your right to live and work in America."
This is clearly wrong - a US passport serves the same purpose and for work authorization just an unrestricted social security card and state-issued photo ID will do too.
Sometimes people don't obtain a passport. I agree it is outdated, as the I-9 requirements have eliminated the certificate as an acceptable document. I agree that drivers license and social security card is fine for employment. However, I've read of people losing these and having a lot of trouble rebuilding their identities without the naturalization certificate or certificate of citizenship.
"Your whole way of life and livelihood in our great nation depend on you having and keeping your Certificate of Naturalization. It should only be carried and used when you have to legally prove your citizenship (like at the border or when applying for a job)."
The first sentence is clearly a hyperbole since, as already said, a passport is just as good. As for the second sentence, a Certificate of Naturalization would be of no use at a national border. (Of course, they are perfectly correct when they say not to carry your certificate unless you need to.)
Yes, comment is outdated because the WHTI requirements have eliminated the naturalization certificate as a document valid to cross the border, and it cannot be used for I-9 anymore. Still the comment applies of not carrying the certificate around unless necessary. In this case pretty much the only uses left is to apply for a passport and certain jobs and schools (colleges) that ask to see it.
Yes, it is a bit of a hyperbole, but for some people seems to be true. If they lose a wallet containing the driver license, social security card and naturalization certificate it is pretty tough for them to have proof of employability again.
"Furthermore, with the INS being reorganized as Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), there is an added risk that the INS may accidentally destroy, alter, or lose your naturalization records. This would leave your Certificate of Naturalization as the only genuine proof that you became a US citizen."
Not only is this very out of date, it is classic conspiracy theory type stuff and doesn't warrant further comment.
Yes, I agree with your observation.
"If you lose your Certificate of Naturalization, you risk losing the life you have built for yourself and your family here in the United States."
Again, a ridiculous hyperbole designed to scare people.
More than anything it is repetitive as there was a similar line you quoted earlier. Yes, it is not as bad as that, but it could take a month or a couple of months to replace a lost certificate (expediting it and being lucky).
Of course losing your Certificate of Naturalization would be a right pain, costing time and money to correct, simply because losing any official document is a pain. However, it is certainly not the end of the world.
Agreed, not the end of the world. It is still good advice to make a good number of photocopies or scans and keep the certificate in a safe place and not carry it around unnecessarily. It would be good to send an e-mail to the webmaster to make those points and ask to update with the US passport card, and suggesting people to obtain both the passport card and passport book for additional proof of citizenship and protection against loss of citizenship proof documents.
Thanks for taking the time of collecting these quotes.
