MissMolina
Registered Users (C)
eo23, did the IO keep your original passports or she made copies? just curious...
cheers!
cheers!
Trips Abroad the reality? (Don't u think)..?
- Thread starter PeterPany
- Start date
she made copies ofcourse, she cannot keep my originals in case I want to travel.
Actually, the arrival-departue record is supposedly integrated into the IBIS interagency database, which is further incorporated into the whole security background check process. IBIS is independent of FBI name checks and is performed by USCIS. That means the checks are automatically designed to alert the USCIS of any residency and border-related issues. Naturally, the software would be programmed to flag only the people who have had close shave with physical/continuous residence issues. They have a system to sort out ones who requires closer scrutiny. That would explain why most people would not have issues with travel dates. But if you do, there are clearly chances they would have more detailed file on you.
It's been demonstrated that people with residence issues are often times investigated even before the interview. So when they walk into the office for interviews, they are told right away, "you have problems."
Anyway, that's what I heard from people who are more familiar with the system. It would be silly to check for accurate travel dates of every single applicants.
Follow up...
Okay - so when you say verifying the stamps, she is going to check the dates in your passport are the same as indicated in the application, which is the job that most IO undertake (it is well documented in the experiences of people at n400 interviews within this forum). That is different to checking the application departure and arrival dates with some kind of system that tracks it - right?
1) Did you get an indication that she was going to verify the arrival departure dates on a system or just x-check them with what is in the passport?
2)Do you know when you are expecting a decision?
.
Okay - so when you say verifying the stamps, she is going to check the dates in your passport are the same as indicated in the application, which is the job that most IO undertake (it is well documented in the experiences of people at n400 interviews within this forum). That is different to checking the application departure and arrival dates with some kind of system that tracks it - right?
1) Did you get an indication that she was going to verify the arrival departure dates on a system or just x-check them with what is in the passport?
2)Do you know when you are expecting a decision?
.
I am surprised that we are even discussing this topic as there is simply no debate. In addition to several things mentioned, how do you think DHS maintains, checks, and enforces the 'No-Fly' list (including for the domestic flights)? Airlines do have the passenger data, but who do you think has the access to it as well? - DHS
We are asking for any experience of people in N400 interview that may have accidently got the dates wrong (or otherwise) and been told that they are not correct (other then by the IO reviewing the x-checking passport stamps).
Most countries have no-fly lists and mechanism to enforce them. But that is different to the information available to naturalization IOs.
I had an experience of coming into the USA via flight and being asked how long I was out by an airport IO. I said 3 months, the officer questioned me a bit more and then wrote 3 months on the passport admittance stamp. I hadn't realized I had at the time that I had actually been out for close to 5 and a half months, but clearly the IO did not have any information to counter my claim (otherwise they would not need to ask in the first place?)
Uh, sure. You're just trying to find out how much leeway you'll have to massage your dates to your advantage.
First off all, I don't think anyone should try to cheat and if you are planning to do so then I have bad news for you. IO do have access to all foreign trips In and Out of the country, specially after Sep 11, 2001. During my interview IO did have the list of all my foreign trips (not sure on the screen or on a paper).
So,don't do it.
It is unbelievable to me how people can not answer a simple question. All posts - including mine! - are irrelevant to what has been asked. PeterPany did not ask our opinion on the morality of his ways, the abilities and training of IOs, our theories of integrated data systems run by the US government or his choice of deodorant. He wanted to know about cases when people flew in and out of the US without issues, put down erroneous info on their N-400 and they were confronted about it by the IO not based on their passoprts but based on another source of information. Nobody had an example of that.
Yeah right
I know for 100% it's not true. They don't have any list, just arrivals, but not all, just from airports. So you can cheat, but why to cheat? They can see you were not in the USA, they will just look at tax returns, there will be annual earning and IO will know if it was enough to live in some sort time in the USA. They can also ask for bank statement, social security statement and if there will be no action on these statement, then it's mean you are not in the USA, unless you are disabled or unemployed.
I think everyone wants to cheat USCIS, because want to sponsor her/his spouse or children and stay with them in the USA together.
Yeah right
So you can cheat, but why to cheat? They can see you were not in the USA, they will just look at tax returns, there will be annual earning and IO will know if it was enough to live in some sort time in the USA. They can also ask for bank statement, social security statement and if there will be no action on these statement, then it's mean you are not in the USA, unless you are disabled or unemployed.
I think everyone wants to cheat USCIS, because want to sponsor her/his spouse or children and stay with them in the USA together.
True. Aside from the speculation on their system capabilies, they can indeed build up a pattern of residency and intention through other sources of information. I am just asking how arrival/departures are verified.
I am asking for people experiences of having trips verified at the n400 interview. Its seems that this is done by the passport stamps. Are there any experiences of people being contradicted or corrected by an IO as the IO has a list of the USA trips departure and arrivals?
(The USA arrivals, we all know are documented on the passport - if the visiting country does not stamp their arrival then it is unlikely the IO can verify the departure dates from the USA?)
Thanks for bringing the question back on the front Upstater.
Not sure what you mean PeterPany, Takers for what?
Not sure what you mean PeterPany, Takers for what?
- That what are your chances of being grilled by the immigration officer during your Citizenship interview (after 'unknowingly' providing incorrect trip dates at the port of arrival)?
- That during your interview process, how much of a flexibility you have to play around with the dates in presence/or in lack of a comprehensive database recording all the travel dates of passengers in and out of US?
- Or both of the above?
She did not mention any system whatsoever and she will be basing the dates according to the passport stamps. In fact, I was meticulous with my entries and exits that I included trips to Canada that don't have any stamps on my passport.
She mentioned 30-90 days to receive Oath Letter (i.e. decision) however I asked my lawfirm and they mentioned that it shouldn't take her a few days to take care of this and 30-90 days is merely the 'legal' period.
I will keep everyone posted.
You guys are freaking me out here, with all this talk about electronic records of departure showing up at one's naturalization interview. I live in southern California and have made numerous trips to Mexico in the years since I became a Permanent Resident. Some have been longer than 24 hours, but many were simple day trips.
I was planning on reporting only the trips longer than 24 hours (as required on the N-400) but I think now I will state on one line of the foregin trips section that I did make numerous trips of less than a 24 hour duration to Mexico over the years that I have lived here. This is in case they run a check on my border crossing behavior over the years and then cross reference that with what is listed on my application (13 trips > 24 hours, 60 days total outside the US). There will certainly be many more entry records than there are trips listed outside the US, so I want to avoid any problems with that from the outset.
As for departure records, there is no record, either on the US side or the Mexican side, of a departure from the US and an arrival in Mexico, if one crosses at a land crossing and stays less than 72 hours or does not venture more than 150 miles from the border. Not sure how I can prove how long I was out of the country for most of those trips, except with the usual things (pay stubs, utility bills, mortgage payments etc.)
Anybody have any experience at the interview with multiple trips of this nature?
I was planning on reporting only the trips longer than 24 hours (as required on the N-400) but I think now I will state on one line of the foregin trips section that I did make numerous trips of less than a 24 hour duration to Mexico over the years that I have lived here. This is in case they run a check on my border crossing behavior over the years and then cross reference that with what is listed on my application (13 trips > 24 hours, 60 days total outside the US). There will certainly be many more entry records than there are trips listed outside the US, so I want to avoid any problems with that from the outset.
As for departure records, there is no record, either on the US side or the Mexican side, of a departure from the US and an arrival in Mexico, if one crosses at a land crossing and stays less than 72 hours or does not venture more than 150 miles from the border. Not sure how I can prove how long I was out of the country for most of those trips, except with the usual things (pay stubs, utility bills, mortgage payments etc.)
Anybody have any experience at the interview with multiple trips of this nature?
Yeah right
So you can cheat, but why to cheat? They can see you were not in the USA, they will just look at tax returns, there will be annual earning and IO will know if it was enough to live in some sort time in the USA. They can also ask for bank statement, social security statement and if there will be no action on these statement, then it's mean you are not in the USA, unless you are disabled or unemployed.
I think everyone wants to cheat USCIS, because want to sponsor her/his spouse or children and stay with them in the USA together.
Well, you can laugh and giggle all you want, but that's my personal experience believe it or not.
When you leave US, Airlines swipe the green card, that logs your Exit date. On Arrival to US, your passport gets stamped, creating Arrival record.
I did see DHS computer screen at the airport one time, listing all my travel info in chronological order. And guess who IO's work for !!!!!! D H S.....
abandonedGreenC
Registered Users (C)
JAXGUY,
PETERPANY,
I have a very interesting story to tell. My friend left the U.S 1998, worked one year only in the U.S. In 2003, he came back and even applied for the citizenship when he was overseas. After he recieved a notice to appear to the support center to have his fingerprint done. He arrived via fligh from Europe and it took only for him 2 minutes to pass the immigration inspection. He went to the support center and finished the fingerprint. He left back to his country. He came back for the interview and he told me the interview was so easy and never got a complicated question from the IO. At the end he passed the civic test, and english test. In the same day the IO told him his application has been approved and he will get the oath cermony soon. He perefered to wait instead of traveling outside the country and come back for oath cermony. He was so lucky and the got the oath cermony very sooner. At the end, he got the his naturalization certificate and in the same day went to the postal service and applied for a U.S passport. About 10 days later, got his passport and left the country for good.
What do you think peter, and Jax?
Personally, i don't believe the USCIS has the capabilities to know when you left the country from their system. An example, When you check in for your departure, DON'T GIVE THE I-94, OR GREEN CARD TO an Airline Agent.
After my first Re-entry permit expired. I have applied for a second Re-entry permit while i was outside the country and i got approved. Now i have the second Rentry permit.
________________________________________________________________
I have left the U.S since 2003 and i am coming back soon to apply for N-400
PETERPANY,
I have a very interesting story to tell. My friend left the U.S 1998, worked one year only in the U.S. In 2003, he came back and even applied for the citizenship when he was overseas. After he recieved a notice to appear to the support center to have his fingerprint done. He arrived via fligh from Europe and it took only for him 2 minutes to pass the immigration inspection. He went to the support center and finished the fingerprint. He left back to his country. He came back for the interview and he told me the interview was so easy and never got a complicated question from the IO. At the end he passed the civic test, and english test. In the same day the IO told him his application has been approved and he will get the oath cermony soon. He perefered to wait instead of traveling outside the country and come back for oath cermony. He was so lucky and the got the oath cermony very sooner. At the end, he got the his naturalization certificate and in the same day went to the postal service and applied for a U.S passport. About 10 days later, got his passport and left the country for good.
What do you think peter, and Jax?
Personally, i don't believe the USCIS has the capabilities to know when you left the country from their system. An example, When you check in for your departure, DON'T GIVE THE I-94, OR GREEN CARD TO an Airline Agent.
After my first Re-entry permit expired. I have applied for a second Re-entry permit while i was outside the country and i got approved. Now i have the second Rentry permit.
________________________________________________________________
I have left the U.S since 2003 and i am coming back soon to apply for N-400
Last edited by a moderator:
WOW
Your friend was really brave to take such a step and I am really surprised that his N-400 experience was such a breeze.
abandonedGreenC
Registered Users (C)
Koovik,
Even the people he stayed with while the N-400 is being processed could not believe it until he came home carrying his naturalization certificate. What do you all make of this amazing experience?
I believe with no doubt the USCIS system is atleast 20 years behind. Please slow down. I will be going through the same experience, and let us see what will happened when i come back
Even the people he stayed with while the N-400 is being processed could not believe it until he came home carrying his naturalization certificate. What do you all make of this amazing experience?
I believe with no doubt the USCIS system is atleast 20 years behind. Please slow down. I will be going through the same experience, and let us see what will happened when i come back
Last edited by a moderator:
Peter wouldn't be asking this question if he was not shady
come on peterpany...you are worried about your travel dates!
I hope you get caught. You can game the system as much as you want, but I hope karma gets your tail someday.
after you are a citizen, you can do want you want, including going abroad for years on end...
but while you wait for your turn with the IO, hope you lose some sleep.
come on peterpany...you are worried about your travel dates!
I hope you get caught. You can game the system as much as you want, but I hope karma gets your tail someday.
after you are a citizen, you can do want you want, including going abroad for years on end...
but while you wait for your turn with the IO, hope you lose some sleep.