Help with my application

[vnoe 0]

Hello everyone,

I do know that I am still in the waiting process to get my 10 year gg, but thinking ahead I want to get a head start or at least think of everything for my Naturalization before it is a problem.

Here is my problem: I live on the USA/Canada border. I have spent many days in Canada, not more than 4 at a time, but they want a listing for the last 5 years. I do not remember. Wow, I barely remember last year.

Has anyone had this circumstance? or can help us?

Thanks in advance!!

Cheers

Vicki

[antda 13]

Hi Vnoe,

Nice to meet another fellow Canadian on vj! Great that you want a head start on your N-400 too!

Likewise, I live on the USA/Canada border (well, near the border, not on the border exactly..lol..I live a few hours away). And likewise, I have spent many days visiting in Canada too. And yeah, with that many trips, it can get pretty tricky, keeping track of them all! It doesn't help either, that we as Canadians don't get passport stamps when we visit Canada! So no way of keeping track that way either!

Regardless, whenever I travelled before citizenship, I used to show the border officials (on both sides of the border) my valid Canadian Passport and Green Card, and they do scan such in their computer system. So yes, they may have "official records" of such trips, even though we don't have records of such in our passports.

It shouldn't be a problem there that we as Canadians have no passport stamps in our passports for trips back to Canada.

Now for the N-400/Citizenship stage....

According to the N-400 form, they specifically ask the applicant to list "trips more than 24 hours" outside of the USA, which includes the following information: date you left the USA, date you returned to the USA, did your trip last more than 6 months, countries you traveled to, total days outside of the USA. The reason they ask this is to see if you have met the 'continuous residency' requirement in your eligibility for citizenship at the time and to see if you still have premanent residency status in the USA (you can't be more than 6 months outside of the country at one time or risk losing your status).

Try to remember as many trips as you can, to tbe best of your ability, as yes, they will ask for such when you apply for citizenship. Anything that you remember about these trips will certainly help. For example, did you travel back during a special occasion/event, season, etc., which hence will help you remember which exact dates you travelled on? Is there anyone you can ask that can help you remember such trips too (for example, did you visit anyone there?). Lol..I don't have any official records of my many trips driving over either..so I just have to rely on memory (and a little bit of help from others in remembering) there...So, start making a list and keeping a record now, if you haven't done such already, so that you will be ready when the time comes for citizenship

So I did list such trips to Canada, according to my own unofficial records, provided an explaination as to why I don't have official records in my passport, and said that if they wanted to verify my unofficial records they can find it themselves from their own official records (I can't be bothered additionally searching for and paying for records they might already have in their own government computers).

And yes, this did satisfy their requirements about recording such travels (lol..and they were impressed with my detailed list during the interview too!).

What I would recommend for you (and for any other Canadians) is to keep an unofficial record on your own about the trips you have made over the border over the years. Use a calendar, list, or whatever else...So in case they do ask about such cross-border Canada/USA trips in the future, you have an unofficial record already, and can verify it with their own official records. As well, if you have any additional proof of your trips (ticket stubs, itineries/agendas, photos, cards, etc.) keep those and show those as well when asked.

Remember: Always tell the truth about such trips and you'll be ok there.

Hope this helps. Good luck with the rest of your immigration journey too.

Ant

Hello everyone,

I do know that I am still in the waiting process to get my 10 year gg, but thinking ahead I want to get a head start or at least think of everything for my Naturalization before it is a problem.

Here is my problem: I live on the USA/Canada border. I have spent many days in Canada, not more than 4 at a time, but they want a listing for the last 5 years. I do not remember. Wow, I barely remember last year.

Has anyone had this circumstance? or can help us?

Thanks in advance!!

Cheers

Vicki

Edited January 4, 2010 by Ant+D+BabyA

[antda 13]

P.S. I forgot to mention....

On my detailed list of trips to Canada....

(even though I didn't have to list such since this trip was less than 24 hours)....

I mentioned that my shortest trip was to Canada 45 minutes...

Reason: To renew my Canadian passport...since I needed an I-551 stamp in my passport because of the unreasonable delays I had for my I-751 case and I was afraid that my 1yr extension letter was going to run out (which it almost did), and that I would have no legal US status after that expires...

We had a laugh too, when the both border guards asked how long we were going/gone for...."That's it?" they asked when I mentioned such...

Lol..."declare everything and all trips", I suppose.....

Humour me...

Oh and one more note....

Cross out five years and write instead "three-applying on basis of marriage to a US Citizen"....and list trips for the last 3 years instead..

That woud help too...

Ant

Edited January 4, 2010 by Ant+D+BabyA

[vnoe 0]

Thanks Ant

I will start to come up with a general idea of when, but wow, that is hard. I have done the 10-30 min trips into Canada to pick my kids up at my parents house after the weekend etc....oh the stress...lol.

thanks again for your treasured advice!

Cheers

Vicki

[antda 13]

Hi Vnoe,

Glad to be able to help you out here.. Lol..I never knew that I could give such "treasured advice"....

As for your many "short trips" over the border..If I were you, I would write down the following for that...

"Month/Year to Month/Year: 10-30 minute trips to Canada...to pick up my children..Totalling 5 hours for these short trips" (or something along that line)

And just list the other longer trips accordingly, for example, "Day/Month/Year to Day/Month/Year: X days in Canada....Totalling Y hours..."

Don't worry..these trips won't affect your citizenship application negatively...They are more concerned with trips more than 6 months at a time, really....

Likewise, I did the same thing too..As I like you, took many "short trips" to Canada too....They had no problems with that similar explaination for the short trips either.

Wow, I can't belive that you live so close to your parents' place in Canada...Lucky there, indeed! Off to the grandparents the kids go!

Hope this helps too. Good luck on your journey.

Ant

Thanks Ant

I will start to come up with a general idea of when, but wow, that is hard. I have done the 10-30 min trips into Canada to pick my kids up at my parents house after the weekend etc....oh the stress...lol.

thanks again for your treasured advice!

Cheers

Vicki

Edited January 5, 2010 by Ant+D+BabyA