Will this cause a denial of Citizenship?

Y

yaniv_naced

Registered Users (C)
Hi:
I have had a Green Card for over 5 years now (employment based) and I'm thinking of applying for Citizenship.

Back in 1996 I was working in the US under a TN visa (I'm a Canadian Citizen).
While at the job I found another position at a different company. I figured the new job was similar so I never bothered to get a new TN visa - I simply used the one I had from the previous employer. I later learned that it is not permitted to do that.

Will that be grounds for denial of my Citizenship, or worse, revocation of my Green Card & then deportation? Or do you think the officer would be okay if I came clean especially since it happened so long ago? I've been spotless since then.

Any opinions / comments would be great.
Thanks.
 
Personally, I would not bring it up during the interview UNLESS specifically asked about it. In that case, you have to tell the truth.

Why open can of worms if you don't have to? As far I can remember, there aren't any questions in N-400 that specifically asks about this issue.
 
I definitely would not bring it up voluntarily.

But the problem is with the "Selective Service Letter" since I was 24 years old when I changed jobs without renewing my TN visa.

I need to show them that I was a legal non-resident alien (which I was mostly, except for this tiny issue with the TN work visa).

I am wondering if Special Service will notice & research the problem and notify UCIS eith directly or in the letter that they send me.
 
I was on a TN status myself and got a new one every year. During the interview the IO I think did ask me if I had ever worked in the US illegally or not. I answered truthfully "no". You on the other hand might have that asked as well.

So be prepared for it in case it does happen. Isn't there a section to check off that asks if you have worked illegally in the US? I thought there was on the N-400, can't remember.

Just be ready for it in case they do ask...
 
Warlord or others:
When they ask you if you have ever worked illegaly, what it sufficient just to say "no" or did you have to back it up with paper evidence? Does the officer flip through through your old passports for visa stamps/dates, etc?
 
Well the IO will look through your passport and check things out that's for sure. If you have anything in there that's unusual he might ask some questions about it.

If he asks you if you've ever worked illegally in the US and you say no, they might catch that and boom there's grounds for immediate denial and possible deportation from the US for lying.

If he asks, he might ask because he knows already you worked illegally and wants to see what you say (if you lie) or he might not know and ask to see if you slip and admit to something. Or the IO might not ask anything at all. Either way if he asks then the best thing is to tell the truth. They are probably more lenient on someone accidently making a mistake and not knowing it was wrong, then someone flat out lying to their face during the interview...
 
Yes, tell the truth.

You might also have a (true) story ready that goes something like this:

I did work illegally once - without realizing that I was breaking the rules. When I found out, I immediately did XXX to correct the problem.

Honesty and not being flustered too much if the subject come up will (maybe) help. A lawyer might help as well.

I'm curious how you didn't know that TNs were employer specific. I was on more than a dozen TNs for about 5 years - it was very obvious to me (from day one) that I needed a new TN for each employer (and, when I was doing contract, each contract).
 
I was new to visa's etc and had just assumed that the one-year expiry date of the visa meant that within the validity period of the TN, once can switch employers. Anyway, that was quite naive and uninformed I guess.

If I ever apply for citizenship I'll definitely disclose my error if asked. If they wish to deny citizenship or deport me then I'm prepared to live with that consequence.

Given the scary potential outcome, I probably will stay on my GC until I have accomplished everything I wanted to accomplish career-wise in the USA and only then apply for Citizenship down the line (how many ever years that might be in the future).
 
Consult a good lawyer or two. Yours is an unusual situation, and I'd only be guessing if I simply told you to tell the truth.
 
I'm actually surprised your job would employee you on someone elses TN. They should have easily caught that before they even hired you. I know my frist and only job on a TN status, they had copies of it and had photocopies, my passport and so on to make sure it was all legit. And I was their first TN as well...
 
I'm actually surprised your job would employee you on someone elses TN. They should have easily caught that before they even hired you. I know my frist and only job on a TN status, they had copies of it and had photocopies, my passport and so on to make sure it was all legit. And I was their first TN as well...
 
i know - it sounds crazy. I was ignorant in submitting a previous TN, and the HR dept was ignorant in not flagging it. The question on this thread is not the obvious stupidity of the situation, but whether it will cause denial of Citizenship.
 
yaniv_naced said:
i know - it sounds crazy. I was ignorant in submitting a previous TN, and the HR dept was ignorant in not flagging it. The question on this thread is not the obvious stupidity of the situation, but whether it will cause denial of Citizenship.
Click to expand...

My suspicion is you'll be fine so long as you never claimed to be a USC to get the job. If you did that, its all over, and there is very little that can be done - however, your case sounds like genuine ignorance on both your part and your employer, so assuming it occurred outside the 5 year window, you should be ok.
 
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