Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
US Citizenship General Discussion	Form 1722	1722 is actually 4506T. If you already provided tax transcripts say so at the interview. Same thing happened at my interview when they asked for my husband's brith certificate and while I did have the original with me, I pointed out to the IO that it was all provided at the initial submission - she looked a bit closer and found it! Same with tax returns, even though I did bring the new 2009 transcript as it wasn't available when I sent in my application - only sent them full copy of tax return. Gets a bit tedious when we provided a lot of the stuff at GC stage. I think the 1722 is often called for by universities etc to prove someone had NOT done a tax return - ie they had no taxable income In that case, the universities ask for a stamped 1722 - perhaps such a beast did exist at one time....they even ask for the request form. Like other posters, my concern is that the Interviewing Officer doesn't know that a tax extract of the return (and account) is what is required. It's a bit sticksy where I am going so I hope I don't get a rural newbie. Some of the posts in history insist that the 1722 IS still current and is different to a tax extract. They insist that the 1722 is the form that comes out from the IRS and not the request form. I wish the USCIS would get more professional about their forms and systems generally - all this about RFE when it's the fingerprints appointment etc - I mean, it's just very amateurish when we are paying $675 for the process. It almost seems to be deliberately confusing. They sent me on a 400 mile round trip for fingerprints and then 100 miles for the interview ? Crackers.	Captain Oates	Male	England	2010-09-21 09:22:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	Form 1722	ok so now I read the documents required for the interview One of them is tax form 1722 for 3 years So I search for it on VJ and google and everybody says different things. Some say it's an outdated form and that simple original tax transcripts from the IRS are what is necessary Some say no it's a special stamped form that needs to be obtained and you have to talk to the IRS for ages until someone knows what it is I actually sent my tax transcripts with my N400. I just ordered them again and they will be here in 10 days or so and they are free Has anybody been asked for a 1722 and were the transcripts ok ?	Captain Oates	Male	England	2010-09-20 19:42:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	Documents to bring to the interview (help please)	Hi there, well, I can finally said I am a US citizen I went to my interview yesterday, I got late due to rush hour in the morning, luckily they still accepted my letter. The questions and test went well. I explained what happened at the Atlanta airport and that was it. They didnt ask me for all the paperwork they asked me to bring in the yellow letter but oh well, I wont complain.. After my interview, they said there was gonna be a ceremony the same day and asked me if I wanted to come back so I can do the oath and of course I did it.. Anyways, I just wanted to share it with the forum Im going to celebrate now thanks to everyone.. Cheers Brill It's nice when the clouds roll away and it's all ok You can relax now and stay away from the USCIS ! I will	Captain Oates	Male	England	2010-09-24 21:34:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	Documents to bring to the interview (help please)	thanks guys, you're right about not reporting a regular procedure but me and my wife weren't sure when filling out the application. Anyways, I consulted a lawyer who has experience on this and he said something similar. I was denied admission to the states but all that got overruled since I got back into the states with a k-1 visa and became resident. So his advice is as long as I explained that to the officer in my interview and prove there was no moral character issue, I shouldn't have any problems. Even if they have an issue with what happened, they will not make a decision at that moment. I will study for my exam and get everything ready. thanks for your help, I will let you know how it goes Cheers, yippee onwards and upwards as long as you tell em 100% accurately and without hesitation if they ask, then it should be no problema. Quick, relaxed, truthful does it every time Except with the BMI lady at Manchester airport UK - she didn't want me to fly and that was the toughest struggle in 5 years fighting the USCIS. Luckily it was Sunday and her supervisor didn't answer her cell phone so she couldn't get confirmation and she let me fly in the end after 45 mins arguing - but said it was certain the US would refuse entry and send me back and i would be charged a lot ! US border smiled and stamped me and said have a nice time so hah ! to BMI. I fly Delta on Saturday. Another couple of months and all that stuff will be a grisly memory.	Captain Oates	Male	England	2010-09-06 16:33:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	Documents to bring to the interview (help please)	I wouldnt have reporterd it It wasn't a detention in connection with an offence committed or suspected - it was just an administrative procedure at the airport. I went through that device that blows cold air up your trouser keg to see if there are explosive vapours (I know) I giggled when it went under my arm pits and they hauled me out to be searched in the back room I don't class that as being detained - its just a security procedure. This visa examination was an admin procedure.	Captain Oates	Male	England	2010-08-24 14:45:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	More on the pesky tax extract	BREAKING NEWS !!! Just received the tax accounts for the 3 years from the IRS I received the transcripts of the returns last week. So when you call the IRS for transcripts you will get the returns and then the accounts a week later. No need to send a form, just call em on the free phone 1-800-829-0922 The accounts prove you have paid the amounts on the returns ok so the IRS are back in my good books .... Now totally ready for the USCIS (I think)	Captain Oates	Male	England	2010-09-27 13:56:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	More on the pesky tax extract	Conclusion is that dealing with the USCIS and IRS is pot luck. If it goes smoothly then everyone says 'no problema, it's easy - don't worry'. If you are the selected wildebeest in the herd that week or that year, then it's a nightmare and anything can happen. Low profile, gray man, keep it simple, is the only way to go. Many folks on VJ who get into probs, get there by self invitation. As in 'I smoked pot 10 years ago and I cannot tell a lie'. Or 'Yes I have been detained, a police officer detained me for 5 minutes while he wrote a speeding ticket'. On the other hand, it's best to be totally prepared and documented for all possible perceived attacks years down the road. Detecting the unperceived should then be the focus of our attention. It's a jungle out there. Interview 4 weeks today or as I prefer to put it 'Three weeks next Monday'	Captain Oates	Male	England	2010-09-27 10:27:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	More on the pesky tax extract	Hear about people getting refunds, we always have to send a check, at the end of our 1040 is the amount due. Yes there was a lot of money due, but my wife was never questioned about that. Maybe her IO figured that due amount was paid, since my wife was at her interview and not in jail. We also submitted four years of our joint returns, was my subtle way of telling the USCIS, if they weren't so damn slow in processing us, we should have of only had three. But still suspect they delayed us so our daughter would be over 18 so we would have to pay the extra 675 bucks. The fourth and earliest return was likewise returned to my wife. chuckle but the USCIS does induce paranoia in their clients... Throughout the year we always make sure we pay just a tiny bit more than the tax bill for the year before. As long as our incomes go up then we have a check to pay over. If our incomes go down we will get a refund or a carry forward Last year the GB pound went down so my GB pension was worth less dollars and we were due to pay less tax. I elected for a carry forward as I have to pay advance tax on my GB Pension as if I was self employed - so this year is tax free for me yippee ! If the US dollar goes down I will have extra tax to pay.	Captain Oates	Male	England	2010-09-26 15:02:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	More on the pesky tax extract	Mate, first up: loved your post in "Should I love or hate the USA!" The brilliant mind I am -- thanks to my late mother whose cleaning and organization skills had well crossed into the realm of the insane -- I still managed not only to type my SSN incorrectly on my tax transcript request (eyes need to check fingers!), but did not mark the correct box indicating what kind of transcripts I wanted. Pretty much on the dime two weeks later, the IRS sent my application back, nicely edited with a red marker. Well, I got it right the second time, which makes me think that you may have marked the wrong box on your request to the good tax people. As the veterans already stated, I wouldn't lose sleep over it, but perhaps, assuming you have still time, you may want to order a new set and have it faxed to you? Final solution: copy all of your tax returns for the past 3 years and take 'em with you to the interview. My guess is, nobody really cares, but what the hack, it's just trees, right? I actually made this request by phone using the auto system rather than sending a form and I must have got the SS numbers right as the transcripts came to my address in 4 days flat and they are correct. My beef is that the phone auto system says it will send transcripts of the return AND the account (the balance owing). However, it only sends the return and doesn't confirm the amount owing (which is nil) Anyway, I am going to go with the stuff I have and hope I don't get an eagle eyed new interviewer who has never met this before and realises there is no record of what I actually paid by check after the relevant year end. My images of the paid checks should help	Captain Oates	Male	England	2010-09-26 12:44:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	More on the pesky tax extract	They don't really look at the documents you submit until you are in the actual interview. When I had my naturalization interview it was obviously the first time my interviewer had seen the file. She had a checklist of necessary documents beside her and she went through my submission - while I was sitting there - checking everything off. She checked off that we had provided 3 years of tax transcripts (I had actually provided 4 - she handed the oldest ones back to me), checked the names on the transcripts and the dates and that was it - no other information was reviewed. She was interested in seeing that a) I had filed and b) it was a joint return. She then moved on to the other documents on her check list. Don't worry - as long as you have the transcripts for the necessary years and they show that you paid taxes jointly or at least paid them separately and filed as 'married, filing individually' they really won't go into more of it than that. The only time they might is if you owe the IRS and they will want to see documents to verify you are in a re-payment arrangement. Good luck at your interview. Thanks Kathryn sounds good. I don't know how they would know if I owed the IRS and that is what worried me. I wonder if they even contact the IRS to see if the account is paid. Anyway all 3 returns (2007,2008,2009)are joint, and I have copies of the paid checks with the IRS 's bank refs printed on them, so I am relaxed now. I wish the USCIS and IRS would get their act together though The IRS should not say they are sending transcripts of the return AND the account when they aren't The USCIS should stop talking about form 1722 and say 'Tax transcripts' If the quality control manager at the USCIS read these forums, they could learn a lot; but they obviously don't. Actually they could learn everything and their job would be done for them for free. I don't know what I will have to curmudgeonizate about when this is all over but I will find something I am sure. Probably something about my native language being waterboarded.	Captain Oates	Male	England	2010-09-26 12:11:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	More on the pesky tax extract	Seems what should only be of interest to them, one, yes indeed you did file a return, two, if applying under marriage, both your names are on the form. Wife said her IO thumbed through our returns, she must be nosy and maybe even a bit envious. But what the heck, we are both working our cans off and paying taxes. Too make their job easier, we highlighted our joint names on all the documents we submitted, would have liked to black marked the rest of it like the CIA does. Just on a need to know basis. They don't need to know the rest of that information. Yes, we are paying our taxes together should be sufficient for their needs. Thanks guys you reassure me.. We have had such a mauling from the USCIS in the past, that I am always looking for the weak spot where they might stick the knife in and so I am a bit paranoid about it. When I called the IRS, the thing that threw me was that the auto message referred to a transcript of the return AND the account, and I was disappointed that they only sent a transcript of the return which didn't state that I had paid my bill I too submitted a transcript (original) with my N-400 application but I didn't keep a copy - so now I have 2 originals and the USCIS has one. After the USCIS, I am twitchy about the IRS and I try to cover all the angles with them too. When I pay my tax bill, I keep a copy of my paid check image extracted from my online bank account statement. I will take copies of these check images which show the IRS bank account references stamped across the check. The amounts on the checks are exactly the same as the 'amount owing' on the tax transcripts. Our tax bill goes up every year and we only pay the amount of last years tax in advance and so there is always a check to send but never a penalty. Interview 4 weeks tomorrow and I am ready for it with the civics etc but worried about the English test if they ask me to write 'you all are applicationizing to be citizened'	Captain Oates	Male	England	2010-09-26 10:49:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	More on the pesky tax extract	ok so my IRS tax extracts arrived today and we all think they are the same as the 1722 form USCIS says we need to bring to the interview. When I called the IRS, the auto system said it would send a tax extract and account statement for each of the three years Well these extracts only show the account balance as nil for one year and that's the year where we paid more than we needed to in advance. For the other 2 years it shows the tax calculation but does not show that they received the check and the account is at nil When the auto line said it would send the extract of the return AND the account, I thought it would confirm NIL owing What thoughts ? Do I need an account balance in addition to the extracts of the calculations ? How do I do that ? thanks	Captain Oates	Male	England	2010-09-25 19:59:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	2- questions please.	That's correct. As long as 18 years or older, and meets the continuous and physical presence rules, then spouse has no affect on your application. And yes, the FBI runs the background checks, who know how they work but probably they process each days inputs as they come.. Except that ALL matters pertaining to an applicant's immigration history so far is up for review at this time and questions regarding any aspect of it can be asked. If any elements appear unusual, say an 18 year old man marrying a 75 year old female USC, then it is natural and proper that an Officer would seek to be satisfied on those unusual aspects of the case even though they were addressed at GC time. Indeed, even after Naturalization, any evidence of fraud can cancel a Naturalization that has happened - so it is never 'done with' So it would not be correct to say that such elements are irrelevant and will not arise in the interview. It is best to be prepared and not taken by surprise. I am preparing for any questions regarding my relationship as it is a key element for anyone who obtained an immediate relative visa Even people who are applying on their own after 5 years and are divorced, could be asked about the spouse who sponsored them and the circumstances surrounding that. The Officers are not limited to any questions regarding the history of the case right back to the start.. Having said that, if the case got through GC then it is pretty well nailed on it will get through Natutalization. The troubles I have read have been the result of information received from ex spouses etc and the result of criminal gangs being busted. Still, the Officer is paid to fish and fish they will.	Captain Oates	Male	England	2010-10-19 11:04:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	2- questions please.	NO, age is not an issue for US Citizenship. My husband is 17 years younger than me and no one mentioned it this whole process - only at the Consulate level in his country. About the name check, in the past name check took a long time for people with very common or red flag names (people who had been in trouble with the law having the same name) but now rules are stricter and they are pretty much caught up. Name check is usually quite fast so you don't need to worry about it. I agree that the age of the candidate is irrelevant, but their sponsor's (spouse's) age might be questioned if the age gap is unusual. Any factor that counts as unusual may warrant a closer examination. If it was accepted at the green card stage then I don't see that it would be not accepted at naturalization stage but they might feel that it's worth double checking by asking the question. Personally, I like a female with a bit of tread left myself so it should be the same for women. Michael Douglas's father in law is younger than him - that is unusual. I had a cousin who married a 42 year old woman when he was 22 and she had a 19 year old daughter. He died first actually, so it seems risky.	Captain Oates	Male	England	2010-10-18 21:42:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	2- questions please.	Apparently, there is no age limit for U.S. citizenship. Eulalia Maturey became a U.S. citizen at age 101. I think he means that if he is 21 and is married to someone aged 91 in a care home, will the officer smell a rat ? or at least diapers...	Captain Oates	Male	England	2010-10-18 20:58:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	Bring "other"?	So I gather you don't have to bring anything to your oath ceremony. Could keep your oath letter and green card in your pocket and question your IO about that. Every box was checked on my wifes' oath letter except "other", glad they didn't check that one, was confused enough by checking that refugee and all other immigration documents. Did receive permission from both my wife and stepdaughter to open all of their mail regarding anything to do with immigration, proof read it, and scanned and printed copies of all of it, then tried to explain to them what it was all about. Then filed all that stuff in a somewhat organized fashion. Bit amazed that all these really important documents came in first class mail, completely untraceable. I think that mailing the original naturalization certificate is an awful security risk. If the authorized passport officer at the post office acceptance facility was to stamp and certify a color copy then that would be more secure. The DOS could check all the details and make sure nobody else had used that certificate for a passport and look up the photo on the USCIS database. Having it kicking around in the mail is far more risky for the country and for me. Course that's just ALIEN talk. I will get on message once the chip is implanted at the ceremony.	Captain Oates	Male	England	2010-10-27 10:48:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	Bring "other"?	there were no check boxes on my letter. it is a list of things to bring. It says: " You must bring the following with you: 1. This letter completed in its entirety..... 2. Your permanent Resident card. 3. All Reentry Permits or .... 4. Any other Immigration documents ... 5. If this citizenship application was filed on behalf of a child, bring the child to the ceremony. 6. Other. " Lol. Just thought it was funny. They stole my appointment letter ! They took it off me at the door and I never saw it again... I took a huge case of documents and copies that it took ages to put together. All she wanted was driver's license/GC/passport. I even had my wife's birth cert and passport - I volunteered her passport. She looked at the huge case of documents and said "Are you planning to move in here". I laughed and said that if I failed my English exam, my wife had told me not to come home. They could hear us in the next office and they were laughing too. I reckon the only time they will ask for something is if we turn up without it. Sods law operates at all times. I just spend 2 hours filing it all back in my documents safe and I reckon the next time it will see the light of day will be at probate time after I die. I was going to try for a Private pilot's license but I have decided I can't be bothered with documents and exams EVER again. I have UK and US motorbike and car licenses and UK and US social security numbers and soon I will have UK and US passports. I have 2 pensions and in a few short years it will be three. I have 5 computers, a boat, 3 pistols, 4 rifles, two cats, and one wife and no girlfriends. I am going to stick at that and aim for a more stress free life.	Captain Oates	Male	England	2010-10-26 13:34:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	Bring "other"?	When I was single I had 'others' - but I am not allowed 'others' now I am married Luckily, you only have to meet the conduct test of being at the standard of an 'Average American' but it is somewhat above that of an 'Average politician', many of whom have 'others' of all flavours Fortunately they only asked you to bring one 'other'. I would take Barny Frank and see what they said to that.	Captain Oates	Male	England	2010-10-24 17:06:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	Naturalization interview today	So you dumped Saywhat as your handle and adopted Alan the Red instead? Can I do that too? Since I have a real nickname, "Nick", just use that as my handle, but some of these handles selected are weird. yes you are allowed to change your screen name once per year. But you cant register again and they trace ip numbers etc to make sure you don't I worked on the theory that using a real name should bring people to treat me as another human. It doesn't work on off topic where the haters hide under every stone. 'Red' means Conservative in the US and commie everywhere else. I like Alan the Red as I am familiar with his castle in Richmond, Yorkshire and wiki describes him as an immigrant who was the richest man who ever lived. As I am called Alan and I am from Yorkshire, and an immigrant who spends 5 hours per day doing financial dealings trying to get ahead, I thought it would give me something to live up to. How's about just 'Nick' if you fancy a change. I might go for 'Brittney' next year just to confuse the neanderthals. Edited by Alan the Red, 28 October 2010 - 11:31 AM.	Captain Oates	Male	England	2010-10-28 11:30:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	Naturalization interview today	Congratulations Alan, once you have taken the oath you will truly be part of the dark side. Cheers Dave - I am morphing into a Thomas Jefferson fan. He was objectionable too but he wrote the Declaration of Independence and so he got away with it. I reckon I will hide behind his coat tails !	Captain Oates	Male	England	2010-10-27 10:12:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	Naturalization interview today	By any chance is Alan the Red and Saywhat, one of the same person? Certainly have similarities. Alan the Red was the richest man who ever lived !! He was an immigrant and lived in Yorkshire. Saywhat is neither at the moment - but working on it while drinking nescafe instant! http://www.timesonli...icle2603983.ece	Captain Oates	Male	England	2010-10-26 17:57:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	Naturalization interview today	Sounds like you will be done far before Derek - congrats! Cheers fellow VJers ! I could not have got so far without you. No relaxion until the passport arrives. I always remember the lady at Atlanta where they took her GC at the ceremony and then didn't give her a certificate ! She went home without a GC or a certificate. Then we have to send the ORIGINAL CERTIFICATE to the DOS for the passport. It ain't over til it's over.	Captain Oates	Male	England	2010-10-26 12:19:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	Naturalization interview today	Yeah I have always been interested in the emotional part of this journey ride. It's interesting watching my perceptions change - it's almost like being an outsider to my own body. Like a near death experience where I float up to the corner of the room and watch my emotional visa journey develop. My ideas on British Monarchy have changed over the last three years and from here on the outside, it really does look like a ridiculous institution. Some of my contra ideas on US law and society have become reinforced. EG Hate speech and incitement to murder (abortion doctors etc)' should be outlawed. Murderers should not be given bail Washington State is thinking of changing bail now that some nut was given bail and murdered 4 Police Officers in a coffee shop. My views on American and British Society have sloshed around until I can see the very worst and the very best aspects of both, and now my thoughts on where to live are more dictated by weather and parking spaces and tax rather than which society is 'best'. I don't get homesick any more because now it feels like all Europe and all the USA is home. I reckon my eventually emotional journey will leave my political and ethical position somewhere in the mid Atlantic. I am thinking more like Thomas Jefferson every day and it is a good defence against the religious nuts who seek to dominate and who don't understand the 1st amendment, to reply that my religious beliefs are almost identical to his. They blink, and then put their own spin on it.	Captain Oates	Male	England	2010-10-26 10:40:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	Naturalization interview today	Interview report today at Yakima, Washington State. Any of you cool dudes who think you can walk in there without a sweat can think again. The day of your interview you WILL feel queasy. I arrived in Yakima an hour early. Went to Wendy?s for a burger and coffee. They asked if I wanted cream and I said yes. They said oh we don?t have any. I asked if they had a slice of apple pie or whatever like McDonald's ? NO. What a dump and viva McDonald's. I saw a gas station across the road and thought I would kill time and go there. The pumps had no card slot and it said pay inside. The woman said how much gas you need and I said I wanted to fill up. She said she wanted ID and my card and she would keep my card until I filled up. At this point I thought what a dump this town is. These people are lucky to have me as a citizen. I shouldn?t be nervous, they should be nervous that I might pull out. The weight lifted and I relaxed and I felt great. I went to the USCIS. Night club bouncer with a big gun etc and marine hairstyle and muscles. British bobby he was not. He asked me if I had a cell phone and then asked me if I had a gun. Bang on time the lady asked me in and she was absolutely great. She put me totally at ease and chatted but she was VERY professional too and I reckon she was getting my guard down at the same time as being pleasant and chatty. We chatted about all sorts. I did the answers about me not being a communist or a terrorist etc and I then did the 6 questions and got all six. She asked about the gun club and I told her I drank coffee with the Vietnam vets twice a week and it was a great social life. I told her one of em said to me that if it wasn?t for the French, the Americans would still be speaking English. I think she was ok with that but I should have watched my mouth as it was running away with me because things were going so well. She asked if my wife was a citizen and I said she was from Milwaukee and she was a ?packer fan? She sat upright and said ? ?Your wife comes from Pakistan ? ? I said ?no she is a Packer Fan ? you know, Green Bay Packers?. I don?t think she knew about football but she relaxed again. Then she said ?Oh, you applied too soon?. My heart sank coz I thought I had nailed the 89 days prior to GC anniversary and we would have to do it all again and I would lose my money.. Then she said I wasn?t eligible for the oath until November 5 and she would keep the file until then and then write to me and give me 2 weeks notice. Phew I relaxed again. Told her I didn?t need 2 weeks as I was retired. Asked about ceremonies and they do them twice per month at Yakima. Sometimes at the courthouse with a judge and sometimes the USCIS are authorised to do it at their offices. Anyway, I have the form here and it has 2 ticks. 1 You passed the tests of English and history and government 2 Congratulations ! Your application has been recommended for approval. (Their bolds) At this time, it appears that you have established your eligibility for Naturalization. If final approval is granted, you will be notified when and where to report for the oath ceremony? So all in all I am a very happy bunny. No junk about more of the file to come (It was a foot thick) and twice a month ceremonies too ! I reckon I should be all done by the end of November and have the passport by xmas at the very latest. I still can?t believe I can file my marriage divorce etc FOREVER after all the times I have been involved with this stuff for 5 years. I suppose this really is freedom. All in all it was a pleasant experience once I was in the room but I was worried before. If I had been a shady character with something to hide, she would have gotten some dirt out of me with her reassuring manner which was very skilled. She was really good at her job. Edited by Alan the Red, 25 October 2010 - 08:34 PM.	Captain Oates	Male	England	2010-10-25 20:31:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	citizenship certification	I seem to recall reading in a thread here way back when: somebody was complaining loudly about the passport "Country of Birth" requirement, as she was a Canadian citizen [and newly minted US citizen] but her country of birth was some undisclosed third-world hellhole she hadn't been to since infancy and wanted no part of, and she resented having it listed in her US passport. Not entirely unreasonable. Anyway she chased getting that info changed fairly high up the US Passport powers-that-be hierarchy, and ended up getting a reply that they'd be perfectly happy to not include it, but it's an international treaty obligation to have it and they're stuck with it. Lancashire perhaps ? We spent our last year there before emigrating and it was like a North Korean Prison (I reckon) Edited by Alan the Red, 29 October 2010 - 09:48 PM.	Captain Oates	Male	England	2010-10-29 21:43:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	citizenship certification	I don't know why, isn't your birth certificate and the birth certificate of your USA parent evidence that you are a US citizen? Isn't the above the only proof you have to supply to get either a US passport or a USCIS certificate, what else do they need to verify US citizenship? And if the above is true, what about other governmental agencies, like the DMV, SS, and voters registration, shouldn't both birth certificates suffice? We don't make the laws, but I sure like to ask questions. Speaking of questions, why is your place of birth put on your US Passport? And when I talked to the DOS doesn't know why, it's just what they do, can't even find a law on this. It's in case you try and run for President. Your place of birth confirms your status as a second class citizen who is not equal to those born here. Me and Arnie are hard done by.	Captain Oates	Male	England	2010-10-29 20:23:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	One last question (I hope)	I shot a 10 shot 3/4 inch group at 50 yards on Wednesday. The guys at the gun club said I should be drafted into the army as a sniper. Hopefully they won't get me for the Iran/Syria/North Korea/Venezuela/Georgia/Taiwan wars as I can remember the Beatles' first record coming out and I was on honeymoon during the first moon landing.	Captain Oates	Male	England	2010-10-30 10:17:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	About Bio.	I must have accidentally sent 4 photos with my N400. At the interview she asked me to choose which one I wanted on my naturalization certificate. I chose the colourful one. So the photo they do at BIO time is just for the FBI	Captain Oates	Male	England	2010-10-29 20:01:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	How to report person who got greencard then citizenship with false documents?	Be 100% sure that you know that the information you provide here is absolutely correct. Immigration fraud shouldn't be taken lightly. It's a serious crime and because of those people doing it, the future immigration of serious people gets more complicated. I agree with the fact that you try to report him, I don't agree with the motivation. It would have been much better when you would have acted BEFORE the guy stole from you, not after. Read this article, it might help you. The article is a bit - ok a lot - impractical when it says 'get the green card holders GC number'. If we know someone and they tell us how they did a fraud and how they forged a false name etc then that is enough suspicion. If we reported that and just say exactly what we heard then ICE will take it from there. We are not investigators. So long as we say exactly what we heard then we cannot get in trouble even if the subject turns out to be legitimate. Only people who manufacture false stories maliciously in order to get someone investigated are doing something wrong. Even having an incidental reason to report the person does not make it malicious if the reported facts are actually what happened or what was heard. Here in Central Washington, it is thought that a huge proportion of the local workers are illegal (apple picking) I read in the local paper that workers offer a number of names and driver's licenses and GC's and SS numbers - and the employers just submit one after another of these identities until the Government accepts it. The employer will call the worker in and say it's rejected - the employee then says try this name etc and the employers are complicit. The gov must be aware but apparently the crop picking would be impossible with out these armies of illegals and so the gov goes along with it It is so 'normal' that a guy went for his naturalization interview in Yakima and took his illegal wife along with him to the interview ! They simply asked them to leave the office. I am convinced the government don't care as it would be so easy to round them up. They have mass protest marches with thousands of illegals taking part. Nobody cares because the economy would suffer from lack of fruit pickers.. When my buddies hear my visa journey they say why didnt you just walk in ?	Captain Oates	Male	England	2010-11-01 10:40:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	How to report person who got greencard then citizenship with false documents?	That's heart warming! If somebody were to report me for immigration fraud, and Police and ICE enter my house with a warrant, leave a mess, and once I'm cleared of the charges find out which son of a gun did this to me, I wouldn't be surprised if some morning he'd find his car covered in paint stripper, the engine drained of all engine oil. Since I wouldn't want something like this happening to me, I would not report anybody based on my belief; I would wait until I have proof. That said, I admire people who disregard their own safety and the safety of their loved ones and just do what's right. Or even wrong. Vandalizing someone's car is criminal and people who do it deserve to be jailed. I would expect Al Capone to do that to witnesses but we should respect the law. In the criminal fraternity, it is 'not done' to tell the Police about anything. In the honest citizen fraternity it is seen as our duty to report criminal matters. We choose which we are. We should report suspicious activity - it is up to law enforcement to obtain proof. The idea of flying to South America on our own to obtain written proof just isn't required. If we hear of someone bragging about cheating the USCIS then that's plenty enough to report it and plenty enough for the USCIS to investigate it. Having a car vandalized by someone as the price for being a good citizen is a risk we must take. If we stay quiet then we deserve the society which results. A society full of USCIS cheats and car vandals.	Captain Oates	Male	England	2010-10-30 18:53:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	How to report person who got greencard then citizenship with false documents?	The fact is that if a person has reason to suspect that another person has committed immigration fraud, then they should report that and let USCIS investigate. If it turns out you are wrong, then no harm done You cannot be sued or prosecuted for making a report which you believed might have substance. You can only get into trouble for making a report that you knew was false. They should be reported to the USCIS whether they stole from you or not. It is our duty to report these things and we don't need a reason other than that. You don't need proof and you don't need motive - it's your duty to report once you have reason to be suspicious of such a thing. It's up to authorities to investigate and gather the facts and decide whether there is substance to the suspicions.	Captain Oates	Male	England	2010-10-30 10:08:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	Question regarding to have my wife go to the interview?	I doubt she needs to, but make sure to take her original passport/naturalization cert/birth cert and the original marriage license. Take also copies in case they want a copy. Yes , if she was required they would have said so. I took all those documents but they didn't ask. Almost everyone reports the same. A guy at Yakima USCIS Office brought his illegal wife ! Not only was she not required but she was actually asked to leave the office, A bit harsh eh ? Another guy was married to three women at the same time. A glutton for punishment and anniversary presents.	Captain Oates	Male	England	2010-11-03 19:10:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	speeding Ticket VS N 400	Though as far as tickets, it's still not needed to even disclose them if under the $500 non DUI. Even disclosing them on the N-400 you very well can be asked then to go back and get all the details which has happened many times. Up to each individual. I researched enough for my situation and realized I did not even need to mention them on the N-400 which was backed up by my IO. I'm glad I didn't. I know someone that did disclose it on the N-400 and then because they did, had to go back years from another state to find all the records and try and find proof (which the state no longer had) of them paying and thus delaying their application. Up to each individual. There are many of us that were glad we contacted multiple sources and not just the internet or the vague USCIS instructions on this and saved ourselves a lot of hassle... I think the risk of not disclosing on the N400 and thereby inviting suspicion of what else is not disclosed, is greater than the risk of having further questions regarding tickets. At my interview she said "I see you got a ticket". I said , "Yes just one - I paid it in cash 40 minutes after I got it". She smiled and that was that. If she had said "You failed to disclose any tickets but we have found a record", I would have been severely embarrassed and it could have triggered even longer delays while they looked harder at my file. That's the way I weighed the risks. Honesty is the best policy up to a point. Where is the line ? The guy who said " I smoked cannabis once and it was 10 years ago" on his GC medical questionnaire was too honest - so work back from there.	Captain Oates	Male	England	2010-11-04 10:54:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	speeding Ticket VS N 400	How can I explain to somebody the utterly important difference of "disclosing" or "mentioning" and "documenting?" TICKETS: Disclosing - good Mentioning - bad (One should keep one's mouth shut and one's bowels open) Documenting - be prepared that's all	Captain Oates	Male	England	2010-11-03 20:22:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	speeding Ticket VS N 400	Yes we do need to record them on the N400 No we do not need to submit documentation for minor traffic offenses Yes we can can be denied Naturalization if we have a lot of tickets and they are unpaid (Bad moral character) I was asked about my one ticket at the interview	Captain Oates	Male	England	2010-11-03 19:25:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	REALLY unhappy	Glad you liked the new word. Another useful expression is: 'I feel like writing bum on the wall' As you say - no rush - so enjoy the freedom from jury duty a bit longer - oh sorry it's supposed to be an advantage. Universal health care - now that would be an advantage. 'Write it on a pound note' as we say in the Sceptred Isle.	Captain Oates	Male	England	2010-11-08 23:22:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	REALLY unhappy	Thank you to all the well-wishers. Unfortunately, after traveling the whole way into Philadelphia, paying for parking, etc. he was told they couldn't interview him because his file is somewhere else (didn't say where). They were nice about it, but it's still really frustrating. We're both out of a day's pay, gas money, parking, etc. Now we just wait to find out when he's been rescheduled to interview. Oh well - at least the journey was quick and easy at the beginning - the visa was the fastest and easiest part. Seems like we've been downhill since then, so it's a good thing this is the final chapter! venusfire Commiserations it was worth the try. Now we sit and wait - The mail has just been and I don't have my birthday card from my daughter or the ceremony letter. But I do have chocolate ! Our mission now is to put the whole thing to the back of our minds and do something useful - a watched kettle never boils.	Captain Oates	Male	England	2010-11-08 18:28:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	REALLY unhappy	Good strategy. Nothing to lose and something to gain. A good risk/reward on offer. Looking fwd to the update while I wait for the mailman	Captain Oates	Male	England	2010-11-07 12:55:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	REALLY unhappy	Wondering about this myself, where did they get your phone number? Only place on the N-400 they ask for a phone number is for the preparer of the application, but if you prepared it yourself, that entire section remains blank. Did you get a confirming letter for the cancellation? If not, I would show up for your interview this coming Monday morning. And on a cell phone to boot? Sometimes that doesn't work, wife was asking me about a voice message I sent her and why, she got it three days later!! I got an email from my broker on Friday saying they acknowledged receiving a same day cash transfer from me. They actually received it 10 days before that and I went online and spent it the same day ! Yes turning up for the interview sounds good - they can only say go away.	Captain Oates	Male	England	2010-11-06 15:59:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	REALLY unhappy	They did that to me at GC stage. I had Left Yorkshire to travel to London Embassy the day before so I didn't get the cancellation letter in time. Inside the Embassy, the interviewing officer said "You don't have an interview here today. How did you get in here ? How did you get past the security guards ? " I came out with the GC approved and got the Visa and my passport the next day. It's just part of the USCIS rich pageant of life. I am waiting on my ceremony letter so you know the let down feeling every day as you trudge back from the mailbox. We can either get used to it or get clinical depression. We have that choice and you have that to look forward to after the interview unless you get the ceremony and chip implant the same day.	Captain Oates	Male	England	2010-11-06 15:14:00