DS 230 Question #25

[zenaxe 22]

Hello, re question #25 ie list how many times you've come to the USA... I live in Canada and have to the USA many times over the years. As silly as this may sound, do I list every single time I've come down? There are only three lines - do I use a separate sheet of paper? And I'm not even sure I can remember every single trip because some crossings were a long time ago.

Suggestions/comments? Thanks

[Marilyn. 340]

I would list all the big trips that you can remember and then for the rest just put something like. "I have been to the US numerous times between such and such a date"....

and yes you can use a separate piece of paper... I think it says something like that on the form somewhere

Edited January 10, 2010 by Marilyn.

[Udella&Wiz 325]

Marilyn said it already, but yes, you list every one and on an additional piece of paper if needed. I did not list the time when I was 15 when I went to Chicago for a church thing but I listed everything else.

[Malrothien 6]

We listed everything back to 2003, I believe. My husband couldn't remember all of the times he had been to the US - considering he was almost born in the country.

[LiLMermaid 2]

I listed the last 5 major trips that we took. I was born on a border town....I was in the US at least once a month or two up untill I was 18 and moved. There's no way I could possibly know the dates of those visits.

[Marilyn. 340]

there was no way in heck I was going to remember all the trips I took to the US because we lived pretty close to the border and would take frequent trips down there..

I would remember as many trips as possible, mainly the ones that were more then a day or two and like I said earlier put some kind of statement to cover the other trips.. I put something like I took numerous trips to the US from birth to the year 2004....

[Wyatt's Torch 45]

I listed the last 5 major trips that we took. I was born on a border town....I was in the US at least once a month or two up untill I was 18 and moved. There's no way I could possibly know the dates of those visits.

Me too. Spending all of my adult life within half an hour of the border has caused me to make at least 50 trips to the United States by car, if not more. Probably more... My mind isn't very good for dates, either. I'm willing to bet that the consular officer will understand that many of us cannot possibly recall every single day trip we've taken. Just make sure you list all trips to see your partner, and have supporting info of that.

[Dan and Ali 3]

I replied to this question by using a separate sheet and writing on the form itself, "Please see supplemental sheet". This is what I wrote on the additional sheet:

Form DS-230 Part 1 Supplement, Question 35: List dates of all previous visits to the United States.

From XX to XX

Location: XX

^ I did this for all the trips that I could remember in the last 5 years ... basically all the visits I had already documented with USCIS (when my fiance and I were visiting each other).

After all of my trips, I put this note:

I also visited several times throughout my childhood as a tourist, primarily to the state of Montana but also to Idaho. All trips to the U.S. varied in length from several hours to several days in length, but I do not have all the dates documented.

Someone from this forum gave me the suggested wording (raymaga, I think? thank you, btw ) Either way, I submitted the form to the consulate in December and they assigned my interview right away. I don't think it's too big of a deal

[Hugglebuggles 60]

Its not an absolute must, no. A lot of people have just disclosed their last three trips or put a line saying "multiple visits from xxxx to 2010" and had no problem with that. The consulates in Canada understand that Canadians often make very frequent visits to the US, especially when they have such an important reason to go.

I made a list of all the trips I made when visiting my husband (then boyfriend/fiance) and even then I'm sure I forgot some. He would always fly into the Buffalo airport and I would cross to pick him up when he visited me so I had at least 4 pages of listed trips over 3 and a half years. Like the others said, I just made a supplemental attached sheet, listed the trips I could remember and then wrote a note explaining I may have forgot some because I have crossed so frequently since childhood.

So, if you can do this it may help your case, or at least make your interview a little shorter. The IO interviewing me in Montreal thanked me for taking the time out to list the trips I have taken and the duration of those trips. She said it made her job easier. However, it really isn't a requirement. They won't deny you a visa because you didn't take 5 hours and diligently list trips. They may however ask you a little bit more about your trip history because of it. IO's actually do read your forms and documents, usually before you even step into the interview room.

[Marilyn. 340]

I never got extra questioning because of it.. I maybe listed 3 trips that I could remember...

[zenaxe 22]

I replied to this question by using a separate sheet and writing on the form itself, "Please see supplemental sheet". This is what I wrote on the additional sheet:

Form DS-230 Part 1 Supplement, Question 35: List dates of all previous visits to the United States.

From XX to XX

Location: XX

^ I did this for all the trips that I could remember in the last 5 years ... basically all the visits I had already documented with USCIS (when my fiance and I were visiting each other).

After all of my trips, I put this note:

I also visited several times throughout my childhood as a tourist, primarily to the state of Montana but also to Idaho. All trips to the U.S. varied in length from several hours to several days in length, but I do not have all the dates documented.

Someone from this forum gave me the suggested wording (raymaga, I think? thank you, btw ) Either way, I submitted the form to the consulate in December and they assigned my interview right away. I don't think it's too big of a deal

Thanks all, very helpful information. I have a follow up question. When identifying the location in the US, did you put the address or city/town and or state etc?

Thanks again.

[Wyatt's Torch 45]

Thanks all, very helpful information. I have a follow up question. When identifying the location in the US, did you put the address or city/town and or state etc?

Thanks again.

As I recall, I just put the city/state.

[frenzyheart 2]

I think we were just going to put "Multiple visits between 2006 and 2010. Varied in length but no longer than 1 month." because, before me, the only time he had come to the States (that I know of) was a school trip to Boston, which is something I'm wanting to do after we get married, hehe. (Oh lordy, I'd love to live there...)

Anyways, that's the wording that we were advised to use. I've spent more time in Canada than he has down here, that's for sure.

[Dan and Ali 3]

As I recall, I just put the city/state.

I did the same thing.