Surprise question on N400

[Journeyer 17]

So, I'm filing for my wife's citizenship and I was almost done with the N400 when I sort of hit a snag, because they asked for something I don't have and did not expect them to ask for. Maybe my fault because I didn't do any research ahead of time? But anyway, I had everything else I needed to complete the form.

 

They're asking for proof of my wife's relationship to her children. They are all in their 30s and have no intention of immigrating here. But anyway I suppose they want birth certs and translations for all of them. Ugh, what a pain and now a delay. I hope it doesn't take a month so that I have to start the form over again. 

 

Does anyone think it could cause a delay if I don't provide these before submitting the electronic form? It says she can just take them to the interview, but I'm concerned it might cause a delay.

 

 

[jennareid 20]

4 minutes ago, Journeyer said:

 I hope it doesn't take a month so that I have to start the form over again.

You don't have to add any more info within the 30 days on the website, you just need to login to the account to reset the timer. Just login once a week to keep it active. Sometimes I've had to go in and re-write a field just to trigger it, so just re-write a name or something simple.

[Going through 5,671]

6 minutes ago, Journeyer said:

Does anyone think it could cause a delay if I don't provide these before submitting the electronic form? It says she can just take them to the interview, but I'm concerned it might cause a delay.

 

Two possible outcomes by not providing them when you submit the application, if the application is listing them as required:

 

1)  Your wife gets RFE'd for it later...and if you don't have the birth certificates in hand to upload/submit by the limited response time, then the N400 can be denied altogether for not properly responding to the RFE.

 

2)  You wife doesn't receive an RFE for them, and they are requested at her interview.

 

1 or 2 happening is dependent on how stringent the person adjudicating the case wants to be.

[Journeyer 17]

Thanks. I'm still confused as to why they are asking for birth certs for her adult children from another marriage. Do they really want those? Seems crazy. 

[Going through 5,671]

9 hours ago, Journeyer said:

Thanks. I'm still confused as to why they are asking for birth certs for her adult children from another marriage. Do they really want those? Seems crazy. 

Scratch my answer----missed in the original post where this was for adult children.

 

Birth certificates for children are another piece of evidence if you want to show more documentation of a relationship between you and your spouse (I assume the wife is filing under the 3-year rule)....if they are not also YOUR children, you don't need to include that.  

 

The reason the online application is suggesting the birth certificates is likely because you listed her children on the N400 application.  So it automatically prompted you to upload their birth certificates.  

 

If you both share children, then yes, upload those birth certificates for children born during your marriage.

 

Apologies for the confusion.

 

Edited January 17, 2019 by Going through