Can my wife apply for citizenship with an expired Bangladeshi passport?

[IndigoSkies 168]

I've been lazy and didn't apply for citizenship as early as possible. I want to get it done this week as I'm off. Only problem is my wife's Bangladeshi passport expired mid-2015. I'd go ahead and renew it before applying for US citizenship but we live in deep south. And Bangladesh passport renewal requires a trip to Washington DC. Apparently you have to appear in person to renew Bangladeshi passport. I'm trying to avoid this cost if she's gonna get the citizenship without non-expired passport. We'd just get US passport right after. This would save us thousands of dollars in cost to go to DC to renew a passport that's gonna get replaced with US passport (hopefully if she gets it).

Thanks for your speedy and decisive replies. VJ has been a great resource for my family for years and years and years. You'll are good people.

[apple21 953]

Foreign passport is not required when applying for N400.

What she needs to submit (amongst other requirements) is a copy of her green card.

[JimmyHou 613]

An applicant is required to present their foreign passport at the naturalization interview.

This serves two purposes:

1- Verification of legal name. If there is a discrepancy between the name on the green card and the name on the passport, a birth certificate, marriage certificate, or name change certificate will be the deciding factor.

2- Verification of travel history (which has to be listed on the application).

If you have lost your passport, you should file a police report and take that to the interview. While not all applicants without a passport are asked for this, some are.

There is no requirement that the passport has to be valid. An expired passport is fine.

If you have had multiple passports since becoming a permanent resident, take them all to the interview.

[apple21 953]

Thanks Jimmy for pointing that out. I was about to add it to my previous comment. ??

[IndigoSkies 168]

That's great advice right there and logical. My wife has per passport and it shows the two times she's been outside United States for more than 24 hours. I had to fill this out on N400 travel outside US section. The expired passport will serve as proof of that.

I'm gonna go ahead and send in her N400 with all the things needed. Passport copy doesn't seem to be a item needed. So we'll just hang on to this expired passport and take it to the interview if they ask for it.

Meanwhile in early spring 2017, if possible I'll go to DC with wife and family and get her passport renewed. It's really a stupid system to renew passport to have to go to embassy. What if we lived in Alaska. We'd have to still travel to DC to renew her Bangladeshi passport

An applicant is required to present their foreign passport at the naturalization interview.

This serves two purposes:

1- Verification of legal name. If there is a discrepancy between the name on the green card and the name on the passport, a birth certificate, marriage certificate, or name change certificate will be the deciding factor.

2- Verification of travel history (which has to be listed on the application).

If you have lost your passport, you should file a police report and take that to the interview. While not all applicants without a passport are asked for this, some are.

There is no requirement that the passport has to be valid. An expired passport is fine.

If you have had multiple passports since becoming a permanent resident, take them all to the interview.