Questions and your opinions please

[Faery 0]

Hello

I recently received my 10 year green card and am eligible to apply for citizen this november. However I am unsure what to do as I am expecting a baby in september, I have been very ill as it is a high risk pregnancy and come november I am going to have a tiny baby to take care of and inevitable sleep deprivation. The last few years have been very stressful and it is such a huge relief to finally have the 10 year green card and all the stress that goes along with that process finally over. So, I am undecided as to whether or not to apply for citizenship in the 90 window beginning november, or if I should wait awhile. I would very much appreciate hearing what you guys think, here are my questions/concerns:

1. Are there only certain windows of time that I am allowed to apply for citizenship? If I decide not to apply in my forthcoming 90 day window based on 3 years of marriage to my U.S. spouse do I have to wait until I have been resident for 5 years? Or can I apply anytime such as in a year's time?

2. Money is another concern, our income went dramatically down this year and it would be noticable in our most recent tax return, would I be denied for that reason?

As I live in a rural area I also have to fly ($200 round trip) to the city to have my bimetrics done, then again for the interview and than yet again for the oath ceremony, so that will be $600 for all the flights not including extortionate taxi fares from airport to USCIS offices)so there is that to consider too on top of everything else.

3. How difficult is the interview? (Experiences anyone?) How common is it for people to FAIL the interview? If you fail it for reasons other than paperwork, if you give the wrong answer to one of the history/civics questions is that it? Or do you get another chance?

I am TERRIFIED of interviews at the best of times, I am extremely introverted and an anxious type. How hard is it to learn all the stuff you have to know about history/civics etc? I find it really hard to absorb things I have no interest in so that is freaking me out! Especially as I will be no doubt exhausted and suffering brain fog from taking care of a new baby, I feel exhausted already and baby not even born yet, and the thought of yet another round of dealing with immigration stuff makes me feel but on the other hand maybe I should go for this final hurdle and then I will never have to deal with it again!!!

So I think those are my main issues. BTW, once you received your green cards, did you still keep copies of all the previous forms/paperwork you sent in right from beginning the process? Or did you shred it? Thank you for any responses!!!

[nwctzn 55]

1. Are there only certain windows of time that I am allowed to apply for citizenship? If I decide not to apply in my forthcoming 90 day window based on 3 years of marriage to my U.S. spouse do I have to wait until I have been resident for 5 years? Or can I apply anytime such as in a year's time?

No, there are no time windows/intervals. Once you are eligible (within the 90 days window or past the window), you can apply when you are ready. So you can wait until you have your baby and apply when you feel it is the right time. If you apply before you are resident of 5 years, then you need to apply based on marriage to US citizen. If you apply after being a resident for 5 years, then you have the option to either apply based on marriage or based on 5 year residency. But what I understand from your post is that you plan to apply within the next year. If so, you will apply based on marriage.

2. Money is another concern, our income went dramatically down this year and it would be noticable in our most recent tax return, would I be denied for that reason?

No, loss of employment or drop in income level are not factors for naturalization. So you are fine, no need to worry.

3. How difficult is the interview? (Experiences anyone?) How common is it for people to FAIL the interview? If you fail it for reasons other than paperwork, if you give the wrong answer to one of the history/civics questions is that it? Or do you get another chance?

You are from the UK and hence, a native English speaker. Your likelihood of failing is in my opinion zero. The civics/history test is very easy. There is a pool of 100 questions which you will study. USCIS will give you a study booklet and also a CD which has all the questions and answers that you will study. Most of them are common knowledge like what it the name of the current president. Out of this pool of 100 questions, they will ask only 10 out of these and you need to answer only 6 correctly. There are no surprise questions. So this is a very easy test, no need to worry at all.

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Edited June 5, 2012 by nwctzn

[VanessaTony 3,567]

Congrats on the baby!

1. Windows opens in the 90 days and remains open. Your only concern is if you divorce then you wait for the 5 year window. You don't have to apply EVER if you don't want to

2. No. Money is irrelevant now. Don't forget you also need to pay for a passport (this isn't included) because once you're a USC you cannot leave the US without leaving on your US passport.

3. If you fail you can reapply. You are still an LPR. I forget how many "wrong" you're allowed but from reading interview experiences it doesn't seem too hard.

Yeah the learning sucks. I downloaded a free app to my android phone that helped HEAPS. I also just today got free flash cards from the USCIS local office, and a CD. There's also some links online on the USCIS site for example with practice tests. Personally I started practicing the civics stuff a couple of months ago to see how hard it was going to be for me to absorb the info. Turns out it wasn't too bad (thanks to the app) so once I've actually applied I'll start practicing all over again. Maybe if you test yourself in a similar way you'll see it's not as hard as you've convinced yourself it will be.

Yes I have copies of EVERYTHING and I would hold onto them for a couple of years at least. I think it's 7 years for tax documents or something so I'll probably do the same... or hold onto them for forever for posterity

Edited June 5, 2012 by Vanessa&Tony

[NickD 202]

Distance to your nearest field office is irrelevant to the USCIS. What is really worse is if you still have to maintain your foreign passport to visit your home country having to show up in person with only three such consulates in the entire USA.

If you apply 91 days before your fifth year green card anniversary, would have to apply based on marriage requiring a ton of evidenced that you are married. But having a child with your US citizen spouse is very good evidence of a valid marriage relationship.

That ten year card created a lot of stress for a lot of people. Tell you to send that I-751 early, but still with a 90 day limit, based on our experience, should have sent it in the day after my girls received their conditional card. It was because of that frustration, we applied for US citizenship as soon as possible, for us it meant 1,350 miles of extra driving with fear about the weather, there, the Lord was with us. We begged for a same day oath, but not the policy of our field office to save yet another 450 mile trip. last year my wife was tied up for three days in Detroit traveling with the airlines due to bad weather, can't really count on them either. And no way could I drive to pick her up for the same reason.

You would have three such trips, biometrics, interview, and oath ceremony if not conducted at the same day, but that only applies if your interview is in the morning, if in the afternoon, may still have to come back.

Have two daughters with pregnancy problems, both had to be bed ridden for the last four months, if this is you, certainly don't want to be bothered with citizenship, that is a huge strain. Then afterwards, son just had a child with another three year old, they have to work to pay the bills. We can only help out during the weekends, just took my granddaughter back early yesterday morning. They certainly don't go out and party, just try to catch up with their sleep.

Ha, wife and I are debating which crook to vote for today, but lie like crazy. So really do not consider voting as a reason to get your citizenship. Claim your vote counts, but if your state is at the bottom of the list, candidates are already chosen before you even get a chance to vote. Getting a state or a federal job may be a reason, but having many cut-backs now.

In your situation, would forget about US citizenship, especially since you have a ten year fresh green card. Only obligation is to keep track of that AR-11 in case you move. Be most concerned about your baby, and its care, hope it is born healthy, but still quite a burden to feed and raise it. And your baby will be born a US citizen.

Your prime concerned now should be your baby, take good care of yourself, rest, and follow your doctors orders. Citizenship can wait. And that five years is so much easier than that three year.