Trips Abroad the reality? (Don't u think)..?

P

PeterPany

Registered Users (C)
Am going through the N400 process.

I think the interviewing officer has very limited ways of checking the trips in and out of the country.

The only data that he/she seems to have is the stamps on the passport? (providing you have not been detained for closer inspection previously on entry or exit).

If you specify that your trip ''out'', was closer to the arrival "in" date then in reality on the n400, how will anyone know? The only data they have is the arrival stamp on your passport???

(yeah, I know that this is not being honest and it is repeated in this forum about honesty - however if you have spent 5.5 months out, then a week in and then 5.5 months out again in the 4th and 5th year of your green card - then I think you are better of fudging the dates then trying to explain or arguing a rebuttable presumption only after 6 months with the interviewing officer)

Hence Question: Does anyone have any interview experience where an officer checked an flight manifest or a database to ensure your name was ticketed for departure on the date that you stated on the N400??

.
 
With an attitude like that, I hope you get caught. :mad:

If you've nothing to hide then I see no benefit in lying and getting caught out because USCIS knows something you think they don't. Frankly they may not know all you travel details, but the IOs are trained to spot deception, so you better be real convincing during interview.
 
Maybe I'm missing something here but why bother getting a green card if you plan to be in the US for one month in a year? Somehow that does not scream PERMANENT RESIDENT to me. If you have to fix the dates to make it appear that you are "satisfying" the conditions of your green card then you are probably not. If you are asking for yourself I hope you get busted and if you are asking for a "friend" I hope the same.
 
boatbod said:
With an attitude like that, I hope you get caught. :mad:

If you've nothing to hide then I see no benefit in lying and getting caught out because USCIS knows something you think they don't. Frankly they may not know all you travel details, but the IOs are trained to spot deception, so you better be real convincing during interview.
Click to expand...

In response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, we have to understand that the US now keeps accurate records of those who visit and those who leave as well, especially if they are boarding planes. All airlines need to furnish information about their passengers.
 
Because after the citizenship they will want to stay in the US as they can bring their family. Only during the greencard process they have to undertake this.
 
greencarder said:
In response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, we have to understand that the US now keeps accurate records of those who visit and those who leave as well, especially if they are boarding planes. All airlines need to furnish information about their passengers.
Click to expand...


I know that they have to provide this information. But the question was has anybody known of an officer in an interview doing a check by leaning over to his computer and tapping in details to get all your past flight schedules. I do not think this happens and is not in people's experiences.

The only checks that repeatly come up in people's interviews are the officers reviewing the passports. And they only show the arrival dates - right? More to the point, the N400 is submitted 3/4 months in advance, and if the systems were in place they would reject the application rather then relying on an interview and the passport stamps.

So does anybody have any experience of an interviewing officer contradicting the application other then by looking at the passport stamps - I think not?
 
CTZEN2B said:
Maybe I'm missing something here but why bother getting a green card if you plan to be in the US for one month in a year? Somehow that does not scream PERMANENT RESIDENT to me. If you have to fix the dates to make it appear that you are "satisfying" the conditions of your green card then you are probably not. If you are asking for yourself I hope you get busted and if you are asking for a "friend" I hope the same.
Click to expand...

To respond to this, they have sick elderly parents and have to look after them in their native country. On getting citizenship they can bring them to the USA. Hence the difficulties they face.
 
I am not being judgemental here. I think it would be extremely foolish to try to fool USCIS. If one is found out, one can be permanently barred for being a person of poor morals and lying to USCIS for immigration benefit.

I think you can go about doing what you have to do without lying. Get a re-entry permit and maintain residence here and visit overseas. File your taxes in the US every year (on income earned outside the US) and make an entry every 6 months. You might get away legally rather than trying to lie.
 
Thanks, but...

brb2 said:
I am not being judgemental here. I think it would be extremely foolish to try to fool USCIS. If one is found out, one can be permanently barred for being a person of poor morals and lying to USCIS for immigration benefit.

I think you can go about doing what you have to do without lying. Get a re-entry permit and maintain residence here and visit overseas. File your taxes in the US every year (on income earned outside the US) and make an entry every 6 months. You might get away legally rather than trying to lie.
Click to expand...

Well all the above have been done in anycase, with exception to the residence in the USA - including the re-entry permit.

Just am interested to hear of anyone that has had there departures and arrivals checked - other then via the passport stamps - so far no one can provide an experience of it happening??
 
I know someone who had a tough time re-entering the US from Pakistan in 2002 on his GC. The inspectors at JFK were just interested in finding out what all he did in Pakistan during his 3 month trip. After 20 minutes of questioning they let him enter, since he was an LPR. During his N-400 interview in 2005, the adjudicating officer had details of that episode at JFK. These details included the flight number, his seat assignment and the type of special meal he ordered. He is now a US citizen.


PeterPany said:
Hence Question: Does anyone have any interview experience where an officer checked an flight manifest or a database to ensure your name was ticketed for departure on the date that you stated on the N400??
Click to expand...
 
Stamps

You'll hardly get a stamp on your way out of US at a US airport but most of the destination countries would put a stamp on your passport when you set foot on their land. For example, you left US on march 3rd 2007 from Chicago to Islamabad, Pakistan. No one stamped your passport at O'hare but when you arrive at Islamabad and go through immigration, your passport will be stamped that would have a date you set foot in Pakistan. Same thing will happen when you'll leave Pakistan, they will put an exit stamp on your passport. This happens even if you are carryng a Pakistani passport. Now when you'll mention this trip on your N-400, I/O can look at those stamps and can very easily verify the validity of the dates you mentioned in your application.
 
Even if you get away with fudging the dates and you get your citizenship, the threat of it being revoked will be there for sometime. Anyone who knows of your trips can call the USCIS (although that might not happened and USCIS might not act on it) and report you. If USCIS is doing its job and they investigate, they will find out. Your citizenship can be revoked for lying to USCIS.

I suggest you tell the truth, even if you have to wait a little bit more to apply. That's better to being permanently barred.
 
Straight answer

He was asking a specific question and everyone gave their mmind without answering that specific question :)

I don't know the answer but am curious to know.
 
The general answer to questions of this nature on this forum is "Fill in your N-400 assuming that the USCIS knows everything that you have ever done".

In general, you won't get an answer on this forum that might encourage dishonesty when dealing with any federal agency.

And, someone did give an answer that indicated that the USCIS had information about one of their applicant's specific flight information
 
Folks:

Post-9/11, things have changed a lot. When a person leaves the US,
he/she has to present I94 or GC or US Passport. If the person is on
non-immigrant visa, then he/she goes through secondary inspection where
an IO will be asking questions and recording the details of the person before
letting him/her go out of the country. **

Likewise, when the person is entering the US, the passenger manifest is
checked with the person's visa/GC/passport and the details are entered. ***

Now the question that someone asked was, how the interviewer will find
this out as the stamps on the PP are checked. WRONG.. SORRY TO SAY.

When you apply for N400, all your details are run through the system(s) including your going out/coming in to the US. This is part of checklist
like other details such as name check etc.

If any one of the details is NOT in order, then the interviewer will ask questions (in a candid way) and you will end up lying to the Officer and
there goes your application out of the window.

I am hearing from this forum and other forums that people who are applying
for non-immigrant visa extensions, are asked these questions as to the details of being present in the Country as the dates are matched against
the system that holds all travel information.
 
I believe I did answer his question. I quoted an example where USCIS has very specific "airline information" for an applicant on a specific flight. I am sure USCIS got that information from the airline in that instance.

upamanyu said:
He was asking a specific question and everyone gave their mmind without answering that specific question :)
Click to expand...
 
I posted earlier today in a different thread on the same subject, about my issue with trips. All my trips were under 2 weeks and I remembered and put down exact and accurate dates on the N400 form. However, some of the stamps were never put in my passport and I cannot get copies of itineraries from the airlines because the trips were 3 to 4 years ago. The information posted by howdy-howdy and TripleCitizen in encouraging to me because it suggests that the IO will be able to tell that I have told the truth about my trips even though the stamps are missing from my passport.
 
how about trips to canada by road - there are just too many trips to remember- mostly weekend trips?


the way i see it is:
if u fly
1. nowadays - they pin ur I-95 wiht ur boarding pass- and take it- we have to presume they enter the data
2. destination country - or transit country - puts a stamp
3. upon returning - origin country - or transit country puts a stamp
4. upon arrival to US - GC is scanned and/or passport stamped.

my take is if any one of this happens in ur trip- u better tell the truth in N400.
because if they see one - they are going to have followup questions!
and ur one lie will becoem nine lies- and they can spot u out.
 
howdy_howdy said:
Folks:

Post-9/11, things have changed a lot. When a person leaves the US,
he/she has to present I94 or GC or US Passport. If the person is on
non-immigrant visa, then he/she goes through secondary inspection where
an IO will be asking questions and recording the details of the person before
letting him/her go out of the country. **

Likewise, when the person is entering the US, the passenger manifest is
checked with the person's visa/GC/passport and the details are entered. ***

Now the question that someone asked was, how the interviewer will find
this out as the stamps on the PP are checked. WRONG.. SORRY TO SAY.

When you apply for N400, all your details are run through the system(s) including your going out/coming in to the US. This is part of checklist
like other details such as name check etc.

If any one of the details is NOT in order, then the interviewer will ask questions (in a candid way) and you will end up lying to the Officer and
there goes your application out of the window.

I am hearing from this forum and other forums that people who are applying
for non-immigrant visa extensions, are asked these questions as to the details of being present in the Country as the dates are matched against
the system that holds all travel information.
Click to expand...


Thanks for the reply. As per post earlier, if there has been a secondary inspection for a person entering or leaving, then these details will naturally be available at a naturlization meeting. This is a known and people experiences speak to that.

Manifest enteries are for arrival verification, however its not clear how or indeed, if, the information that is gathered at *departure*, is actually on the system and available for n400 x-checks. Its a bit like Customs data.. who actually checks all those forms to ensure they have bonfide addresses (its not possible).

Record keeping is greater after 911, however these systems are for anti terrorism as opposed to for legal immigration.

There are many people's experiences of undergoing naturalization interviews on this forum. And there are many myths about the abilities of the immigration authorities. However there is yet to be a experience of anyone on this site who has been confronted about an incorrect arrival/departure date on their application (other then by x-checking the passport stamps). Think about it - many, many people have to recall the last 5 years of their trips - you would think there would be lots of errors, but not one example of the authorities computer tripping someone up??

Lots of experiences of the passport stamps being checked though. If the authorities had a system to check all this, then why would the IO need to go through the passport stamps? Normal govement IT projects take forever and are never very well joined up.

I am not encouraging anyone to be dishonest, just want the debate on the authorities capabilities.

No one has had an N400 date corrected by a computer check as of yet???
 
Hi all,

Just had my interview yesterday and I have had 580 days out of the US but a total of 30 trips (mostly short ones).

The officer was astonished to see the amount of travelling and decided to give me a 'decision cannot be made' until she verifies the passports' stamps (old and current) with the dates I put on the application.

Regarding the discussion, I think that they rely heavily on passports and to be frank if you are not close to the 913 days out mark then you are safe (i.e. 2.5 years).

I guess the amount of travelling raised the flag with her and it would have taken a long time during the interview to verfiy all the dates.

Any ideas anyone?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top