I got a traffic ticket ~7 years ago. I don't even remember the date/year to be exact, but it was before I got my green card.
Should I mention that? if needed, how do I get the needed info?
exactly. I also don't think I will need it, but sure feels good to have found them, nonetheless, just in case...so I guess, in a way, it's worth it.The interviewing officer said they don't care, but for me it was one less thing to be concerned about.
As I'm going through the N400, the notorious question "Have you ever committed a crime or offense for which you were not arrested?" keeps confusing me...
Is this the place to mark "YES" for simple old traffic violation (for which the fine was less than $500)? Or was this question meant for more severe type of felonies to be served as ground for citizenship revocation in the future in case you you marked "NO" and later on in life was found to have lied in the form?
I guess my question is this: Do I need to answer YES to this question for simple traffic violations for which I was not arrested?
That question is reserved for crimes, not traffic citations. You'd answer "yes" if you beat the that road rager to death but sped away and never got arrested for it.
LOL, good enough!
Now with regards to simple traffic violations... do I need to contact the DMV and the State Police and request a copy of my driving record to have for the interview? Do the IO even care about these? I had one speeding ticket more than 8 years ago, which I paid, and two other citations (going the wrong way (don't ask), and a red light ticket) - both of which were dismissed in court.
LOL, good enough!
Now with regards to simple traffic violations... do I need to contact the DMV and the State Police and request a copy of my driving record to have for the interview? Do the IO even care about these? I had one speeding ticket more than 8 years ago, which I paid, and two other citations (going the wrong way (don't ask), and a red light ticket) - both of which were dismissed in court.
This is arguably the most debated issue on this forum. Some people say that all traffic tickets must be disclosed, others say that they should only be disclosed if the fine is at least $500 and/or the offense is DUI/DWI/reckless driving. To draw an example from my personal situation, I didn't disclose any traffic tickets on my N-400, but then I stumbled upon this forum. I then went out of my way to get records of as many tickets as I could, including a letter from the FOIA department at the New York DMV, stating that no records are available for tickets older than 4 years. I was planning on disclosing all my tickets at the interview.
Recently, the debate flared up again, after certain applicants reported that the IO demanded to see proof of payment/court dispositions for minor traffic offenses ($50 U-turn ticket, for instance) when the applicant disclosed the ticket. To put the matter to rest, I called the USCIS and asked the service rep if traffic tickets need to be disclosed. The rep did a quick search on his computer and read to me that minor traffic violations DO NOT need to be disclosed. He confirmed that minor traffic violations are those that do not fall into the "$500/DUI/DWI" category. I then decided that I will not be disclosing any traffic violations at my interview. One of my colleagues had his interview 2 weeks ago, and he offered the IO his driving record with 2 tickets on it. The IO wouldn't even look at it.
In the end, it's totally up to you. If disclosing your traffic violations makes you feel better, then by all means do it. If not, then don't bother. I should, however, let you know that when you finally get your oath, you will be required to disclose any and all traffic tickets that you received between the interview and the oath.
I actually said yes and listed them and my interviewing officer sounded annoyed. He said specifically, "I don't want to know about violations unless it was something serious, where you were arrested; or unless it was a moving violation that got you a ticket more than $500".
You are right, most of us are extra cautious, i will also say no , got 4 speeding tickets and 1 red light violation in the last 12 years, 3 years ago being the last.
all were less than 500$ and no dui...
You are right, most of us are extra cautious, i will also say no , got 4 speeding tickets and 1 red light violation in the last 12 years, 3 years ago being the last.
all were less than 500$ and no dui...