what's the best way to protect one's naturalization certificate?

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cratedsea

New Member
what's the best way to protect one's naturalization certificate?

I was thinking just leaving it in the bank safety deposit
where it has been sitting... but is this necessary? my
bank provides this free, as long as I keep my account
open, but will charge $9/month if my monthly average
acct balance falls below $5000.
 
Forget about protecting that peace of paper, If you have 5000 or more in your account let's be friend.
 
you can mail it to me, i will keep it safe for u .... just pay me 5 bucks a month.... hey ur saving $4.00 a month................protecting naturalization certificate .....hahaha
 
cratedsea said:
what's the best way to protect one's naturalization certificate?

I was thinking just leaving it in the bank safety deposit
where it has been sitting
Click to expand...

That sounds like a plan. You should be able to distribute the 9 dollars cost (if balance goes low) between the certificate, the social security card, other key documents such as old passport, some jewelry and come out with an average cost of less than a dollar per month for the NC. Jokes apart, I think one should take positive steps to protect the NC ... the extent of these steps and the cost is your decision. My bank charged me only 60 USD last year, see if you can shop around.
 
cratedsea said:
what's the best way to protect one's naturalization certificate?

I was thinking just leaving it in the bank safety deposit
where it has been sitting... but is this necessary? my
bank provides this free, as long as I keep my account
open, but will charge $9/month if my monthly average
acct balance falls below $5000.
Click to expand...

Scan a copy of it, and save it as encrypted file online.
As for the actual certificate, keep it in a safe place along with your other documents such as birth certificate and passport.
 
cratedsea said:
what's the best way to protect one's naturalization certificate?

I was thinking just leaving it in the bank safety deposit
where it has been sitting... but is this necessary? my
bank provides this free, as long as I keep my account
open, but will charge $9/month if my monthly average
acct balance falls below $5000.
Click to expand...


Just make color copies of it, place them in couple of safe places in the house while placing the original in a bank locker. Also, scan it and keep the soft copy at a place where you can access it from anywhere in the world. As for your bank balance details, do you really need to discuss those details here?
 
In addition to what others have advised you can buy a "Sheet Protector" from Staples or any office store and keep your certificate in there from getting damaged because of aging.
 
I keep mine along with other important documents (birth certificate etc.) in a fire safe at home. Unless you live in a really bad area, the chances of someone breaking into your home and bothering to search for and steal documents as opposed to TVs etc. is surely pretty minimal. Therefore, fire and other natural disaster is your main worry.
 
Primary documents: birth certificate, naturalization cert in bank deposit box. Plus copies of nat cert.

Derived documents at home: passports, plus copy of nat. cert.

Passport card in wallet.

That way if house burns down can get new passports using the birth cert for UK, nat cert for US (or passport card if wallet survived)

If bank burns down still have passports.

If bank and house burn down, hopefully have wallet with me :eek: and can use to get new passport.
 
Sometimes its interesting to see so many perspectives. Paying $9 a month to protect a document worth $380 (replacement certificate cost) sounds like an incredibly high insurance premium to me! In fact the $27 a year premium is also a bit on the higher side unless you tag along other valuables with it.

And then the suggestion from someone about the chances of theft being less likely than the house catching fire or the certificate getting destroyed in a tornado or tsunami or perhaps the house collapsing in an earth quake :eek:. I wonder how the odds play in each of these cases!

Not trying to make fun of anyone but its interesting to see so many different opinions; some amusing, some paranoids, some too brave, some extravagant, some humorous etc.

Personally I would suggest keeping with other important papers (bank locker/home locker is fine if you already rent/own one for other purposes but safely in the house using a sheet protector should work as good in my opinion).
 
richmondva said:
Sometimes its interesting to see so many perspectives. Paying $9 a month to protect a document worth $380 (replacement certificate cost) sounds like an incredibly high insurance premium to me! In fact the $27 a year premium is also a bit on the higher side unless you tag along other valuables with it.
Click to expand...
Most people do have other valuable documents and items, and the certificate would not be stored alone if they opened a safe box at the bank. The certificate might be the one factor that pushes them to obtain a safe box, but once the box is available it would be used for other things.
 
Dude,

Here are possible solutions to safeguard your naturalization certificate, a safe that it both fire and water proof. I have provided you with alternatives, but buy what your budget can afford. It is important to purchase quality and convenience, I personally have a safe that uses fingerprints, which means you have to cut my thumb to open it or when I am not home, tough luck getting anything out of it and also, finding it... Don't tell anyone, if your house has an attic, you can put your safe in the attic and just put it underneath insulations, I don't know any creative thugs who can think of getting into the attic for this purpose. Personally, I think newly minted Americans obssess over the naturalization certificate....:rolleyes:

https://www.schooloutfitters.com/catalog/product_info/pfam_id/PFAM8792/products_id/PRO22207

http://www.homedepot.com/Tools-Hard...splay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053
 
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