Traffic tickets and naturalization (threads merged)
- Thread starter patel789
- Start date
NewlyMinted
Registered Users (C)
If the officer ask you about them tell him/her the truth. He/she will ask you the same questions again. The application is not final until you sign it. At the interview the officer will give you a chance to include things that you forgot to put on the application.
Good luck,
Newly
Good luck,
Newly
Unless the ticket led to your arrest or the ticket was about DUI (either alcohol or drug related), you don't have to mention it in the application. However, if the interview officer specifically asks you about traffic violation, tell him/her the truth. Also, be prepared with court disposition on tickets to prove that you have formally closed the ticket by paying the necessary fines.dl7631 said:
Traffic ticket thing
Hi gurus,
I am filling out the N-400 because my memory is going and it it easier to track travel. Unfortunately, I haven't had a traffic violation in years so I can BARELY remember when they occurred. I will figure this out in time unless the gurus give other ideas. Anyway:
My question is: Which question do I answer yes to?
15. Have you ever committed a crime or offense for which you were not arrested?
or;
17. Have you ever been charged with committing a crime or offense?
BTW, the speeding tickets were like 10-15 mph over limit (nothing too serious)and I always had them moved to non-moving violations to keep insurance low.
Thanks so much for your help all these years!
Rafiq
Hi gurus,
I am filling out the N-400 because my memory is going and it it easier to track travel. Unfortunately, I haven't had a traffic violation in years so I can BARELY remember when they occurred. I will figure this out in time unless the gurus give other ideas. Anyway:
My question is: Which question do I answer yes to?
15. Have you ever committed a crime or offense for which you were not arrested?
or;
17. Have you ever been charged with committing a crime or offense?
BTW, the speeding tickets were like 10-15 mph over limit (nothing too serious)and I always had them moved to non-moving violations to keep insurance low.
Thanks so much for your help all these years!
Rafiq
Last edited by a moderator:
takadigi said:
Actually, the issue is not so clear cut and there are conflicting opinions regarding this, including from various lawers. The old version of N-400 in the question "Have you ever been arrested, cited or detained..." had an explicitly stated qualifier "excluding traffic violations". Several years ago N-400 was revised and the current version does not contain this qualifier. Now the question simply asks "Have you ever been arrested, CITED or detained by any law enforcement officer for any reason?"
A traffic ticket is a "citation" issued to you personally by a police officer, so the plain meaning of the question suggests that one should answer "yes" here if one had any traffic tickets.
Moreover, there is a passage in the N-400 instructions that is relevant:
"Note that unless a traffic incident was alcoholor drug related, you do not need to submit documentation for traffic fines and incidents that did not involve an actual arrest if the only penalty was afine of less than $500 and/or points on your driver'slicense".
This seems to indicate that one should mention traffic tickets but it is not necessary to provide documentation for them unless a DIU or a fine of more than $500 was involved.
There are some immigration lawers who now explicitly recommend mentioning traffic tickets in N-400, e.g. see:
http://chat.lawinfo.com/showthread.php/form_n_400-10327/index.html?amp;
Ron Gotcher: "It is better to err on the side of caution and report all brushes with the law, including traffic stops":
http://www.imminfo.com/articles-nats.html#
and
http://www.immigration-information.com/forums/showthread.php?t=503
It also appears that different immigration officers treat this issue differently. Some of them do not pay attention to traffic tickets but others do.
Someone was even given an RFE for the traffic ticket info:
http://boards.immigrationportal.com/showthread.php?t=227422&highlight=traffic+ticket
My personal feeling is that if you have or can get documentation regarding disposition of traffic tickets (i.e. proof that relevant fines were paid), it is better to mention them, just to be honest.
But if the tickets are too old and and it is not possible to get the disposition info, I would not mention them. The issue is pretty minor, and if you do mention such a ticket, there is a (pretty substantiual in my view) risk that some overly buraucratic IO will ask for the relevant documentation and the case might get stuck because of it.
Also, when you get your oath ceremony notice after a successful interview, there are a list of questions you must answer (yes or no) to. The list starts something like: "since your interview, have you ever...". The "Arrested, cited, etc" question specifically includes traffic tickets.
5 years ago I got into an accident where it was my fault as the guy infront of suddenly stopped and I hit him from behind. The police officer who came wrote the accident report about the accident and put me at fault on it for the accident as I rear ended the guy.
There was no ticket and I was given the accident report and then cop left. Does the accident report falls into any form of citation? I did not mention it on my N400 report as that is what i thought.
Do you guys agree?
thx
There was no ticket and I was given the accident report and then cop left. Does the accident report falls into any form of citation? I did not mention it on my N400 report as that is what i thought.
Do you guys agree?
thx
N400Applier
Registered Users (C)
Traffic Ticket. PLEASE HELP !!
Hi,
I got a minor traffic violation way back in 1995. No DUI just a simple ticket and a fine of less than $100.00.
I stated the ticket on my N-400 form. When I called the court for a Certified copy, they told me that they cannot provide information that far back and all they can do is a screen print showing the date of the ticket/fine and put a rubber stamp at the bottom of the page stating that this is from the court.
If asked, will this Screen Print document suffice at Interview?
Thanks
Hi,
I got a minor traffic violation way back in 1995. No DUI just a simple ticket and a fine of less than $100.00.
I stated the ticket on my N-400 form. When I called the court for a Certified copy, they told me that they cannot provide information that far back and all they can do is a screen print showing the date of the ticket/fine and put a rubber stamp at the bottom of the page stating that this is from the court.
If asked, will this Screen Print document suffice at Interview?
Thanks
I don't claim to be an expert on this, but I think you can stop hyperventilating You mentioned the traffic ticket in the N-400, and that's good. Probably that form they are providing you would be more than enough. It is my understanding that regular traffic tickets are not an issue during interview. However, I am sure there is plenty of folks in this forum that have gone through the same angst and will be able to give you a better answer. My personal point of view on this is that a traffic ticket so long ago is a non-issue.
My 2 cents
You mentioned the traffic ticket in the N-400, and that's good. Probably that form they are providing you would be more than enough. It is my understanding that regular traffic tickets are not an issue during interview. However, I am sure there is plenty of folks in this forum that have gone through the same angst and will be able to give you a better answer. My personal point of view on this is that a traffic ticket so long ago is a non-issue.My 2 cents
Don't worry. I can't imagine that anyone would insist on documentation for a $100 fine that is more than 10 years old.
All I brought with me was a document I got from the Texas Department of Public Safety saying that I had a clean driving record (I've had one ticket since moving to TX, the rest were a *very* long time ago). I never pulled it out of it's envelope at the interview (Dallas DO).
All I brought with me was a document I got from the Texas Department of Public Safety saying that I had a clean driving record (I've had one ticket since moving to TX, the rest were a *very* long time ago). I never pulled it out of it's envelope at the interview (Dallas DO).
I know this has been discussed round and round, however, I listed ALL the tickets on my N400 and then at the interview the officer was NOT interested in them. She said that I should not have listed them!
I would stil llist them, however, they are not going to be interested in it.
One other point for everyone. At the begining of the interview they put you under oath to swear that you will tell the truth. If you had no proof that you paid the ticket and that asked you if you paid it you could say yes. You could point out to them that you are under oath.
I would stil llist them, however, they are not going to be interested in it.
One other point for everyone. At the begining of the interview they put you under oath to swear that you will tell the truth. If you had no proof that you paid the ticket and that asked you if you paid it you could say yes. You could point out to them that you are under oath.