N-400 5 year travel history & oath ceremony question

[Helpme123 9]

I'm filing for the 3 year marriage N-400.

I don't understand how I need to provide 5 year travel history when I haven't been in the US for 5 years? Also when I travel to Europe I go to like 8+ countries. Another example I went on a 7 day cruise and visited 5 different countries/islands.

Is it really necessary to list them all?

I see my self needing "additional sheets"

Also had a question about the oath ceremony. I currently hold two citizenship's and eligible for 3 others, yes international family. When you agree to the statement "Renounce and abjure absolutely and entirely all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which the applicant was before a subject or citizen;" Does this only have meaning in time of war?

And while I think of it do they do the english test for native english speaker? Or is it just 6 questions on the civic test?

Any help or advice would be appreciated!!

[Boiler 45,538]

Spreadsheet and include as an attachment.

If you read the oath closely most people would not find it an issue, seemingly people read into it what they think it should say not what it does.

Not sure what you mean by eleigible for 3 other citizenships, generally speaking you are or you are not. Evidence, ie a passport may be another issue.

The language element seems very basic even for non English speakers. Very low standard required.

Edited May 29, 2015 by Boiler

[Gosia & Tito 199]

I'm filing for the 3 year marriage N-400.

I don't understand how I need to provide 5 year travel history when I haven't been in the US for 5 years? Also when I travel to Europe I go to like 8+ countries. Another example I went on a 7 day cruise and visited 5 different countries/islands.

Is it really necessary to list them all?

I see my self needing "additional sheets"

Also had a question about the oath ceremony. I currently hold two citizenship's and eligible for 3 others, yes international family. When you agree to the statement "Renounce and abjure absolutely and entirely all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which the applicant was before a subject or citizen;" Does this only have meaning in time of war?

And while I think of it do they do the english test for native english speaker? Or is it just 6 questions on the civic test?

Any help or advice would be appreciated!!

It is because the standard period for citizneship is 5 years form the GC; for married peoploe, it is only 3.

Can't tell if all that is necessary, but I did mine, I had been in 50+ countries just in the 2 years before I had applied.

The oath: I believe this was on teh days when renouncing a prior citizenship was needed. These days, it is more and more common to have more than 1, but at same time, becoming a citizen has a level of commitment, this is that commitment. The renouncing of a past citizenship is not needed now and in fact, in some countries you can't renounce to it!

Never heard it is enforced, and at same time, I'd think one has to go out of the way to formally do that, but if you would typically is when you are renouncing your US citizenship -which people do, mostly for tax purposes these days

The English test takes a whole 5 minutes and it involves reading and writing, which would not be assumed just because you can speak it.

[Helpme123 9]

It is because the standard period for citizneship is 5 years form the GC; for married peoploe, it is only 3.

Can't tell if all that is necessary, but I did mine, I had been in 50+ countries just in the 2 years before I had applied.

The oath: I believe this was on teh days when renouncing a prior citizenship was needed. These days, it is more and more common to have more than 1, but at same time, becoming a citizen has a level of commitment, this is that commitment. The renouncing of a past citizenship is not needed now and in fact, in some countries you can't renounce to it!

Never heard it is enforced, and at same time, I'd think one has to go out of the way to formally do that, but if you would typically is when you are renouncing your US citizenship -which people do, mostly for tax purposes these days

The English test takes a whole 5 minutes and it involves reading and writing, which would not be assumed just because you can speak it.

Interesting. Thanks for your input. I guess prior to my residence in the US I will have to put out of the country for more than 6 months. Hopefully the reviewer will catch on.

Spreadsheet and include as an attachment.

If you read the oath closely most people would not find it an issue, seemingly people read into it what they think it should say not what it does.

Not sure what you mean by eleigible for 3 other citizenships, generally speaking you are or you are not. Evidence, ie a passport may be another issue.

The language element seems very basic even for non English speakers. Very low standard required.

Done a spreadsheet beats hand writing it in.

I'm eligible for 3 more citizenships. All I need to do is file the paper work, pay for the application fee and I'll receive a passport. I currently hold 2 passports. I'll bring these to the interview copies have already been sent in the past.

[Helpme123 9]

Just that only being in the US for a little under 4 years and travelling each year means my "days outside of the USA" will be in the order of 400+

anyone else been in the same situation and questioned on it?

Edited May 29, 2015 by Helpme123

[edt370a 3]

Just that only being in the US for a little under 4 years and travelling each year means my "days outside of the USA" will be in the order of 400+

anyone else been in the same situation and questioned on it?

You need 30 months of "physical presence" in the US since becoming an LPR/GC-holder in order to be eligible for naturalization.

[JimmyHou 611]

The OP is applying under the 3 year rule so the physical precense requirement is for 18 months and not 30 months.

This determines if the OP satisfies the physical presence requirement.

The number of trips, the length of each trip, and the pattern of those trips will determine if the continuous residency requirement is also met. For example, if the OP took three trips over the last three years; 5 months abroad followed by 1 week in the US, followed by 4 months abroad, followed by 2 weeks in the US, followed by 3 months abroad, and then returned to the U.S., then continuous residency was possibly broken. The OP would have to convince the interviewer that he/she was living in the US and temporarily traveling abroad during that year and not living abroad and temporarily traveling to the US.

[Helpme123 9]

The OP is applying under the 3 year rule so the physical precense requirement is for 18 months and not 30 months.

This determines if the OP satisfies the physical presence requirement.

The number of trips, the length of each trip, and the pattern of those trips will determine if the continuous residency requirement is also met. For example, if the OP took three trips over the last three years; 5 months abroad followed by 1 week in the US, followed by 4 months abroad, followed by 2 weeks in the US, followed by 3 months abroad, and then returned to the U.S., then continuous residency was possibly broken. The OP would have to convince the interviewer that he/she was living in the US and temporarily traveling abroad during that year and not living abroad and temporarily traveling to the US.

So should I report my travel history 5 years prior to my application date? or only 3 years prior?

[Udella&Wiz 325]

Simply put, they are inquiring about your travel details while you had GC status....they are not including when you still lived in another country and travelled prior to entering the US. They are determining if you meant the physical presence requirement since becoming a GC holder...looks like you entered back in 2012...go back to then.

So should I report my travel history 5 years prior to my application date? or only 3 years prior?

[Helpme123 9]

Simply put, they are inquiring about your travel details while you had GC status....they are not including when you still lived in another country and travelled prior to entering the US. They are determining if you meant the physical presence requirement since becoming a GC holder...looks like you entered back in 2012...go back to then.

The only thing relevant would be giving the date since the date of my green card being issued. However the question states the previous 5 years. It's obviously not worded correctly for my situation and the question is open to misinterpretation depending on the reviewer.

Part 8. #3:

"List below all the trips of 24 hours or longer that you have taken outside the United States during the last 5 years."

Out of curiosity, are there any N400 applicants who have successfully entered only data from their green card issue date and not given 5 years of irrelevant history?

[Udella&Wiz 325]

I applied based on marriage (aka 3 yrs) so yes I would be one of those successful ones As I imagine are all the 3yr rule folks.

from another angle - how would you list travel outside the US when you weren't in the US beyond 3 yrs ago? Frankly before I moved from Canada to here - the only place I travelled was TO the US

As noted by someone previously - the same form is used for both 3yr and 5 yr folks.....do what applies to you. And as always you can't go wrong with more information and a tidy explanation

The only thing relevant would be giving the date since the date of my green card being issued. However the question states the previous 5 years. It's obviously not worded correctly for my situation and the question is open to misinterpretation depending on the reviewer.

Part 8. #3:

"List below all the trips of 24 hours or longer that you have taken outside the United States during the last 5 years."

Out of curiosity, are there any N400 applicants who have successfully entered only data from their green card issue date and not given 5 years of irrelevant history?

[Helpme123 9]

Cool man. I appreciate the first hand info! I'll just state that I have only had my GreenCard since such and such a date etc.

[JimmyHou 611]

The form is written for the standard N400 application. The 3 year marriage based application is a special expedited case.

The purpose of this question is to determine if you meet the physical precense and continuous residence requirements. They only care about your travel since you became a permanent resident. If you want to list your travel before you became a resident, that's up to you and you can explain that at your interview. The interviewer will likely cross those trips out.

Almost everyone who applies under the 3 year rule lists trips for only the last three years. If you don't want to do that, an alternative would be to write down one entry "Prior to 20xx: Outside the US" or something like that.

None of this will make any difference on your application as long as you meet the requirements which start the day you became a permanent resident.

[Helpme123 9]

The form is written for the standard N400 application. The 3 year marriage based application is a special expedited case.

The purpose of this question is to determine if you meet the physical precense and continuous residence requirements. They only care about your travel since you became a permanent resident. If you want to list your travel before you became a resident, that's up to you and you can explain that at your interview. The interviewer will likely cross those trips out.

Almost everyone who applies under the 3 year rule lists trips for only the last three years. If you don't want to do that, an alternative would be to write down one entry "Prior to 20xx: Outside the US" or something like that.

None of this will make any difference on your application as long as you meet the requirements which start the day you became a permanent resident.

Thanks Jim. Your response helped a lot!