Traffic tickets and naturalization (threads merged)

documentation for tickets

Hi,

If you paid the ticket by cheque..either get a copy of the cheque + copy of ticket.

OR

If you remember where you got the ticket. Find out the address of city hall/municipal office and write them a letter asking for "Court disposition of the ticket" with a $20 cheque or money order(need to check the exact amount). Either they will send you or you need to go pick it up.

No harm in keeping it ready. If they dont ask well and good. If they do you have documentation.

Regards
 
Traffic Ticket case is pending

Hello Seniors and everybody

i have a interview scheduled on Jan-27-2009. i got traffic citation for $141.00 on Dec-198-2008. I decided to fight the traffic ticket hence i gave it to lawyer. Now my hearing at court is being scheduled on Feb-06-2009. So my question is that what should i do for interview? should i disclose my traffic ticket voluntarily or just wait for IO to ask me? Do i have to take any additional document from court or DMV? What are my chances to pass interview at first time? My lawyer has already submitted no guilty plea to court already. I will really appreciate who will giver me advice.
 
FL_BL said:
iT WAS ABOUT ACCIDENT; THE REASON; FAILED TO TAKE DUE CARE.
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What the heck is that? Never heard of that before? Which state and city did you get this ticket in?

To answer your question, if you want to be honest , you have to disclose the ticket. You were cited.Period. Outcome is irrelevant.

However, if you do disclose this,it may (not guaranteed) delay the approval of your application.
I have said it before in this board,I know some people who never disclosed any traffic tickets and were granted citizenship and some who did had to wait for final decision to be mailed (approved). Traffic violations are not big deal usually unless it is DUI. Your ticket also bothers me. I don't understand what it means? Was there a fine on the ticket?
Good luck. One thing is clear that if you don't disclose you will be lying under oath.Nothing may happen and they may never find it out but that is the fact.

Note: This is not a legal advice just my personal opinion.
 
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Well, considering that cases are taking anywhere from 5-10 months to process on average, your ticket may be resolved in the meantime. You should disclose it, and take the result with you to your interview.
 
jimgreener said:
What the heck is that? Never heard of that before? Which state and city did you get this ticket in?
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In WA state its a "Too fast for conditions" kinda of ticket which mean they couldnt find anything to write you a ticket for but they must give you a ticket for something!!;):D
 
USCIS is probably more likely to see this ticket show up in their system, because you actually have a court case for it. And you can't hide behind the usual "under $500, no DUI" escape clause, because you don't know if the result of the court case will be something worse than just the $141.

It is true that many don't disclose their tickets and still get approved. But they miss the point. Successful approval in such cases is not the measure of anything; the real test of the failure to disclose minor tickets is whether it can stand up to the challenge of denaturalization. Omitting those tickets gives them a way to later claim that you lied on the application, which opens the door to revoking your citizenship if the government gets in the mood to do that. Another terrorist attack on US soil could be the trigger that causes the government to pass a more draconian version of the PATRIOT Act and go on a denaturalization rampage.

So, if you want your citizenship to be as iron-clad as possible, you have these options:

1. Ask for a court date before your interview.
2. If that fails, request a reschedule of the interview, then you can later tell them the result of the court case at the new interview date.
3. Or go to the interview as is, tell them about the ticket and pending court case, and hope for the best.
4. Or just go to the court and pay the ticket now and be done with it. Then mention the ticket at the interview.
 
speeding tickets?

Hi all friends

I am back after enjoying my green card life and getting ready for my citizenship process.

of course like all of you my wife and myself received few speeding tickets during these 5 years. my wife has one in her record and I waived mine with defensing driving. we were never arrested nor convicted for this reason.

Can anyone explain in briefly what should we do in this case?
 
carlosvalbuena said:
Hi all friends

I am back after enjoying my green card life and getting ready for my citizenship process.

of course like all of you my wife and myself received few speeding tickets during these 5 years. my wife has one in her record and I waived mine with defensing driving. we were never arrested nor convicted for this reason.

Can anyone explain in briefly what should we do in this case?
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In your case, traffic citations under $500 dollars need not to be disclosed. If you want to, you can disclose them. It is up to you.
 
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Traffic tickets under $500 need not be documented but should be disclosed on your N-400 application. The application instructions are not very clear about disclosing traffic tickets but the letter for oath ceremony does ask for disclosure of all citations including traffic citations. I assume the intent of N-400 was also the same.
 
nkm-oct23 said:
Traffic tickets under $500 need not be documented but should be disclosed on your N-400 application. The application instructions are not very clear about disclosing traffic tickets but the letter for oath ceremony does ask for disclosure of all citations including traffic citations. I assume the intent of N-400 was also the same.
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From what I remember, the instructions are pretty clear if you analyze what they actually say and act accordingly. I think the problem is that some people confuse the concepts of "disclose" and "document". The former means to reveal while the latter requires providing evidence. Since traffic tickets under $500 must be disclosed but not documented they have to be included on the N-400 but without the need for any supporting paperwork such as court records.
 
dms1 said:
From what I remember, the instructions are pretty clear if you analyze what they actually say and act accordingly. I think the problem is that some people confuse the concepts of "disclose" and "document". The former means to reveal while the latter requires providing evidence. Since traffic tickets under $500 must be disclosed but not documented they have to be included on the N-400 but without the need for any supporting paperwork such as court records.
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And under what section/question in the N-400 you would disclose such information?
 
GhostRider said:
And under what section/question in the N-400 you would disclose such information?
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It's part 10 D.16.

"16. Have you ever been arrested, cited or detained by any law enforcement officer
(including USCIS or former INS and military officers) for any reason?"

A traffic ticket, however handled, is a citation.
 
dms1 said:
It's part 10 D.16.

"16. Have you ever been arrested, cited or detained by any law enforcement officer
(including USCIS or former INS and military officers) for any reason?"

A traffic ticket, however handled, is a citation.
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Duh! :eek:
 
I got a ticket in the mail for running a red light with nice picture of me doing it. But , I was not cited DIRECTLY by an officer just caught on camera.
Do I have to say YES to Part10.D 16 ??
 
bkd52 said:
I got a ticket in the mail for running a red light with nice picture of me doing it. But , I was not cited DIRECTLY by an officer just caught on camera.
Do I have to say YES to Part10.D 16 ??
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If this is the only citation you have ever received and have never been detained, arrested, or cited in person by a law enforcement officer, then you would answer "NO" since the question pertains to your interactions with law enforcement agents.
 
Passed Interview but still nervous about Speed tickets!!

Hi folks,

Just had the N-400 interview today and was pleasantly surprised that it was simple straight and easy.

My case was based on my marriage to my US citizen wife so naturally back 3 years tax transcripts and our sons birth cert was asked immediately.

The IO was relaxed and friendly and put me to ease. That was VERY refreshing! I had all the docs he needed and the case was pretty simple.

He even commented that after i get my citizenship I should apply for a job with the GOV since i speak URDU and in the TECH field.

The question that i was worried about and which i was searching for at this great site last night was about my speeding tickets. I did not mention a license suspension for 30 days in NJ back in 2000 and just brought up a speeding ticket i got here in California since i though that to bring up an old ticket less than $500 was unnecessary unless specifically asked.

He asked me simple civic questions and the usual, are you part of AL-QAIDA (I would like to meet the person who sez YES to this question and beat him silly)

He attached a N-400 GRANTED on my file and approved my case and told me to wait for the OATH letter...he even hinted a data as soon as 1/29/09!!!

The nervous nelly I am, at the end he did say the file has to go through a QA (quality assurance) check and then I should be all clear...

I applied on 9/2/08 and with all the FP and stuff passed the interview on 1/6/09...waiting for the OATH LETTER...
 
falconusa said:
Hi folks,

Just had the N-400 interview today and was pleasantly surprised that it was simple straight and easy.

My case was based on my marriage to my US citizen wife so naturally back 3 years tax transcripts and our sons birth cert was asked immediately.

The IO was relaxed and friendly and put me to ease. That was VERY refreshing! I had all the docs he needed and the case was pretty simple.

He even commented that after i get my citizenship I should apply for a job with the GOV since i speak URDU and in the TECH field.

The question that i was worried about and which i was searching for at this great site last night was about my speeding tickets. I did not mention a license suspension for 30 days in NJ back in 2000 and just brought up a speeding ticket i got here in California since i though that to bring up an old ticket less than $500 was unnecessary unless specifically asked.

He asked me simple civic questions and the usual, are you part of AL-QAIDA (I would like to meet the person who sez YES to this question and beat him silly)

He attached a N-400 GRANTED on my file and approved my case and told me to wait for the OATH letter...he even hinted a data as soon as 1/29/09!!!

The nervous nelly I am, at the end he did say the file has to go through a QA (quality assurance) check and then I should be all clear...

I applied on 9/2/08 and with all the FP and stuff passed the interview on 1/6/09...waiting for the OATH LETTER...
Click to expand...

There is a discussion on this forum about "disclose" and "document" and if one means this and the other means that, and the reality of the situation is that the n-400 question is very vague, and whoever redacted and approved it ( US Govt + US Congress) meant to leave it that way, just in case the govt needs to denaturalize you in the future.

I am going to try to find some jurisprudence on the subject and bring it on to this forum, even though not all cases are same.

As for you, I would advise you to move on, you already made your decision, did not disclose it bcs they were traffic violations and your n-400 was apprvd.

For some people, they have disclosed it, got into a lot of trouble, other have not, so we on this forum don't have a clear picture.
 
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rick92 said:
There is a discussion on this forum about "disclose" and "document" and if one means this and the other means that, and the reality of the situation is that the n-400 question is very vague, and whoever redacted and approved it ( US Govt + US Congress) meant to leave it that way, just in case the govt needs to denaturalize you in the future.
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I don't necessarily subscribe to that theory. If the Government wanted to go on a mass denaturalization spree, it (Congress) would simply pass a bill invalidating citizenship gained through naturalization. It need not be some vague reference to a minor speeding ticket.

And I don't think the courts would agree with denaturalizing someone just because of a speeding ticket anyway.
 
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