N-400 Owing back child support, but paying towards it currently & Selective Service

[Canerican 242]

Hi there all,

I am currently waiting on my I-751 to be approved. VSC is taking forever. I am looking ahead to citizenship of which I can apply for in August and wondering if I owe back child support if I can still get citizenship. I am currently paying extra with monthly support towards the back support. I have done some research and this is what the following website said:

FindLaw-http://immigration.findlaw.com/citizenship/4-issues-that-will-affect-your-us-citizenship-application.html

"2.Child Support

Parent applicants are required to prove that they financially support their minor children who do not live with them. If a court has ordered an applicant to pay child support, then the applicant must provide evidence showing that he or she is in compliance with that order. Applicants who are delinquent with their child support payments may be denied citizenship, however, owing back child support isn't an automatic bar to naturalization. If the applicant willfully failed to support any dependents, then his or her application for citizenship will be denied. On the other hand, parent applicants who can provide a reasonable explanation as to why they are behind on their child support payments may still be able to naturalize."

I am also wondering if anybody has went through this and got approved. I just don't want to apply and then they deny my application because of this and then waste my time and money.

Also another question about the registration with the Selective Service (only if you are between 18&26). When I immigrating to the USA I was 27 so I did not have to register with the Selective Service, I am now 30, turning 31 in October, so what would I take for proof. This is what the N-400 instructions say:

"F. Selective Service Registration. If you are a man between 18 and 26 years of age, provide proof of your registration with the Selective Service. If you are 26 years of age or older, provide proof that you registered with the Selective Service when you were required to do so between 18 and 26 years of age."

So my quandary is are they going to ask me for proof as I did not immigrate until I was 27, therefore I was not required to register with the Selective Service or am I going to need a letter from the Selective Service saying that I did not register and bring proof of when I immigrated to the USA?

Thank you in advance for all responses

[rutabaga 209]

Also another question about the registration with the Selective Service (only if you are between 18&26). When I immigrating to the USA I was 27 so I did not have to register with the Selective Service, I am now 30, turning 31 in October, so what would I take for proof. This is what the N-400 instructions say:

"F. Selective Service Registration. If you are a man between 18 and 26 years of age, provide proof of your registration with the Selective Service. If you are 26 years of age or older, provide proof that you registered with the Selective Service when you were required to do so between 18 and 26 years of age."

So my quandary is are they going to ask me for proof as I did not immigrate until I was 27, therefore I was not required to register with the Selective Service or am I going to need a letter from the Selective Service saying that I did not register and bring proof of when I immigrated to the USA?

Thank you in advance for all responses

Since you were not required to register for the Selective Service I would imagine that this particular requirement doesn't apply to you (in the bolded part it says when you were required to do so -- you were never required to do so), as you'll establish when you answer question 44 on the form.

Q44: Are you a male who lived in the United States at any time between your 18th and 26th birthdays? (This does not include living in the United States as a lawful nonimmigrant.)

[JimmyHou 611]

Hi there all,

I am currently waiting on my I-751 to be approved. VSC is taking forever. I am looking ahead to citizenship of which I can apply for in August and wondering if I owe back child support if I can still get citizenship. I am currently paying extra with monthly support towards the back support. I have done some research and this is what the following website said:

FindLaw-http://immigration.findlaw.com/citizenship/4-issues-that-will-affect-your-us-citizenship-application.html

"2.Child Support

Parent applicants are required to prove that they financially support their minor children who do not live with them. If a court has ordered an applicant to pay child support, then the applicant must provide evidence showing that he or she is in compliance with that order. Applicants who are delinquent with their child support payments may be denied citizenship, however, owing back child support isn't an automatic bar to naturalization. If the applicant willfully failed to support any dependents, then his or her application for citizenship will be denied. On the other hand, parent applicants who can provide a reasonable explanation as to why they are behind on their child support payments may still be able to naturalize."

I am also wondering if anybody has went through this and got approved. I just don't want to apply and then they deny my application because of this and then waste my time and money.

Also another question about the registration with the Selective Service (only if you are between 18&26). When I immigrating to the USA I was 27 so I did not have to register with the Selective Service, I am now 30, turning 31 in October, so what would I take for proof. This is what the N-400 instructions say:

"F. Selective Service Registration. If you are a man between 18 and 26 years of age, provide proof of your registration with the Selective Service. If you are 26 years of age or older, provide proof that you registered with the Selective Service when you were required to do so between 18 and 26 years of age."

So my quandary is are they going to ask me for proof as I did not immigrate until I was 27, therefore I was not required to register with the Selective Service or am I going to need a letter from the Selective Service saying that I did not register and bring proof of when I immigrated to the USA?

Thank you in advance for all responses

As long as you were not in the US as a legal immigrant or in the US while outside of legal status between the ages of 18 and 26 then you don't need to register. The date you got your green card should be enough proof for your interviewer, but sometimes they ask for a status letter from SSS anyway (no idea why, it'll just say you never registered). If you've got time, request this letter (the form is on their website) just in case, but I doubt you'll need it.

For your other question; yes, owing unpaid child support can affect your citizenship. Chances of approve would not have been very high if you were ignoring required payments. Your chances improve greatly because you are now paying what you owe, but there's a chance that the interviewer may see this as a moral character issue. I've been wrong often, but I don't think this is likely... just make sure you have documentation for the child support, any court documents ordering this support, and if possible, a letter acknowledging this from the child's guardian. Also be ready to explain why you were late in paying child support. That's my reading of the requirements, but if someone has first hand experience with this, please take their advice over mine. Also try searching the forum for something like "naturalization child support". It may take time but you'll probably find similar topics. Remember that most people who are approved don't continue to read this forum, but their experiences are here if you search for them.

[Canerican 242]

Have been thinking lately to wait till I am finished paying off my back support to apply for citizenship, but would like to have citizenship as soon as possible. Didn't come this far just to be a permanent resident. And I totally understand that it is my fault that I did not save up money over the years to pay for the back support.

My thing now is again I am paying towards that back support and paying support every month. I am just wondering if it is worth risking the fee? On one hand I take the fact that I am paying child support and extra each month to go on the back support and thinking that maybe the IO will see that as good moral character. I could also explain that I did not know where my child lived and therefore I could not pay the support owed. But on the other hand they could say why did you not save the money and just back the support owed.

If anyone who knows the answer to this question or has been through it and has stuck around VJ please answer. I really don't want to waste the fee.