Apply at 3y or 5y? (+ Conscientious objection)

[Ivy. 113]

Hi guys,

 

I am eligable to apply for citizenship under the 3 married resident years rule. I am a little bit hesitant to do so because of the extra stuff we have to send in... it just seems easier to wait until my 5 years go by. Has anyone decided to wait or is everyone jumping on it at 3 years?

 

On top of that, I have an issue with the oath. I am not willing to bear arms. I understand a waiver can be issued for that, but I do not have a regilious objection - just a moral one. I am unfamililar how exactly I would prove that or how much push I can expect when I say no on bearing arms. Anyone got some advice?

 

Thanks,

Ivy

[little immigrant 801]

Explain your standpoint in a letter. 

 

I waited for the 5 year eligibility. 

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

There is NO extra stuff to send in when naturalizing early. NONE.

You can object, make this as lengthy and painful as you want. Object, write to the President, protest in the streets. I personally would just zip it and go with the flow.
I have one question for you though: if you are with your husband at home, and an intruder puts a gun at your husband's head and is ready to blow his brains all over your dinner table, would you beat him with a vase over the head or would you rather move out of the room to avoid the messyness of it?

Same thing.

[apl1983 1]

On 2/1/2018 at 4:24 PM, Ivy. said:

Hi guys,

 

I am eligable to apply for citizenship under the 3 married resident years rule. I am a little bit hesitant to do so because of the extra stuff we have to send in... it just seems easier to wait until my 5 years go by. Has anyone decided to wait or is everyone jumping on it at 3 years?

 

On top of that, I have an issue with the oath. I am not willing to bear arms. I understand a waiver can be issued for that, but I do not have a regilious objection - just a moral one. I am unfamililar how exactly I would prove that or how much push I can expect when I say no on bearing arms. Anyone got some advice?

 

Thanks,

Ivy

If you are not comfortable with the oath and not comfortable with what the US asks of you to become a citizen then dont become one. Keep your GC forever.

 

You can't just lie saying you will when you wont.

 

 

[Ivy. 113]

23 minutes ago, apl1983 said:

If you are not comfortable with the oath and not comfortable with what the US asks of you to become a citizen then dont become one. Keep your GC forever.

 

You can't just lie saying you will when you wont.

 

 

If you do not have anything useful to say, please just skip commenting. 

 

I am not considering lying - I am asking about obtaining a waiver for the “bear arms” part - which is legally possible. I simply do not know how hard it is to do practically. If it’s hard to obtain, I’d rather keep my 700+ dollars and never apply than request the waiver unsuccessfully. 

[Going through 5,671]

This info may help you on how USCIS determines eligibility for oath modifications when making a decision on an applicant:

 

https://www.uscis.gov/policymanual/HTML/PolicyManual-Volume12-PartJ-Chapter3.html 

[nightingalejules 678]

It does appear that you can successfully argue for a waiver of the "bear arms" clause with "deeply held moral code" (ie - it is not necessary for the objection to be religious. You can supply an attestation or a witness statement. 

 

Your choice of picture and the screen name Ivy suggests that you are a woman... which means you don't have to register for the draft... so the likelihood that you would have to "live up" to that part of the oath is pretty darn slim! But of course file the appropriate papers if you don't feel right about saying it. (Of course the oath also says that we agree to give up allegiances to all foreign countries, and they don't actually expect me to resign my Canadian citizenship). 

 

As far as when to apply, that's totally up to you. You don't have to submit all the additional proof with your original application if you don't want to; you can bring it to the interview... but you will have to provide that proof then. If you wait until the 5 year mark, you don't have to provide that... but if you're waiting for another 2 years from now, you may not be able to vote in the next presidential election (depending on how long it takes to process by then)! 

 

To be honest, the off-chance that I will be a citizen in time to vote in the mid-terms is the main reason I'm applying now!

 

[Ivy. 113]

On 2/4/2018 at 4:35 PM, nightingalejules said:

but if you're waiting for another 2 years from now, you may not be able to vote in the next presidential election (depending on how long it takes to process by then)! 

 

To be honest, the off-chance that I will be a citizen in time to vote in the mid-terms is the main reason I'm applying now!

 

 

God, this is a good point. Thank you for your input.

[SashaLise 3]

On 2/3/2018 at 9:34 PM, Ivy. said:

If you do not have anything useful to say, please just skip commenting. 

 

I am not considering lying - I am asking about obtaining a waiver for the “bear arms” part - which is legally possible. I simply do not know how hard it is to do practically. If it’s hard to obtain, I’d rather keep my 700+ dollars and never apply than request the waiver unsuccessfully. 

imho, i don't think we need to be rude when we hear an alternative opinion.  i think the reply was helpful by presenting an alternate route, you just didn't like to hear it.

 

citizenship is a privilege and it does come with the corresponding cost and obligations.  which is why rich citizens who want to escape the taxes renounced their citizenship, for example.  

 

not trying to antagonize you, i am also applying for naturalization soon.  we can't pick and choose the nice parts of being a USC.

[Ivy. 113]

1 minute ago, SashaLise said:

not trying to antagonize you, i am also applying for naturalization soon.  we can't pick and choose the nice parts of being a USC.

But we can. We specifically have to option to “waive” or “opt out” of some parts. 

[mrs thb 331]

On 2/1/2018 at 2:24 PM, Ivy. said:

 

 

On top of that, I have an issue with the oath. I am not willing to bear arms. I understand a waiver can be issued for that, but I do not have a regilious objection - just a moral one. I am unfamililar how exactly I would prove that or how much push I can expect when I say no on bearing arms. Anyone got some advice?

 

 

 

On 2/21/2018 at 5:40 PM, Ivy. said:

But we can. We specifically have to option to “waive” or “opt out” of some parts. 

If you agree you can, then why put it there for others to answer?   You just answered your own question.....waive or opt out.

 

I suspect if initially  you gave yourself time to think about this, instead of seeking advise, you would have found the answer yourself, but since you didn't  you need to be open to other's answers and points of views.  Just saying......

 

Perhaps waiting the 5 years is the best option.  This way you'll have more time to ponder it and investigate legal advise.