N-400 Date your spouse became a US citizen

[prolixus 6]

This is something that has been on my mind for the past month and a half since I became a US citizen that I've been wanting to ask the community here about. 

 

I became a citizen based on the 3 year marriage rule. My spouse was not born in the US, but immigrated at 4 years old. She had a green card for a period of time, I'm not sure how long exactly. She eventually became a citizen (I believe at around 11 or 12 years old), which leads to my question. 

 

The N-400 form asks for the date your US citizen foreign born spouse became a citizen. She wasn't completely sure of the exact date, she never had a certificate of citizenship (to our knowledge) and only ever had her US passport. When she first arrived her father was already a citizen, he sponsored her and her mother. This was in 1997, so I'm not sure if the law back then allowed for her to become a citizen right away after arriving on an immigrant visa.

 

Before I filed N-400, I had her file an FOIA request with USCIS to find out the exact date (didn't want to pay $1000+ for the certificate of citizenship). They didn't respond with anything saying "you became a citizen on...xx/xx/xxxx" but instead provided her with a form N-600 that had been filed out, I guess to request a certificate of citizenship back from 2003. Whether or not she ever had one of these certificates, she doesn't know and her parents don't remember and if she did it has been long lost. 

 

So for the date that she became a citizen on my N-400 form, I just put the date that USCIS (i think it was actually INS back then) had stamped the form, which was the only official looking date. 

 

I was going to bring this up at the interview but it totally slipped my mind, and I wasn't asked anything about it. Is it something I should be concerned about? It's probably not a big deal at all but I can't stop thinking about it every now and then.

[HRQX 4,145]

Quote

Persons under the age of 18 on or after that date who met/meet the requirements of INA Section 320 automatically acquire(d) U.S. citizenship.

February 27, 2001 per INA Section 320

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/travel-legal-considerations/us-citizenship/Child-Citizenship-2000-Sections-320-322-INA.html

Edited May 23, 2019 by HRQX

[USS_Voyager 1,972]

18 minutes ago, prolixus said:

Is it something I should be concerned about?

Nooooooooo.

 

Just pop a beer and relaxxxxxxxxxx. 

[prolixus 6]

Yeah, it seems the Feb 2001 date is probably the actual date. I used the 2003 date on the form that was stamped by the INS on her N-600 application that they sent us a photocopy of from 2003. 

 

I kept telling myself in my head that it isn't a big deal but just couldn't stop thinking about it. Either way, whether it was 2001 or 2003 it doesn't change her eligibility to sponsor me or whatever I guess.

 

And yeah, I've had a few beers since I've been done with this process, I'm just not gonna think about it anymore and try to relax LOL. Thanks for the reassurance.