WeekendPizzaiolo

Yes, depending on the officer. Multiple trips where two spouses are apart for a long period (weeks or months) is more likely to arouse suspicion, but one cannot be reasonably expected to have a perfectly aligned travel schedule where both spouses are physically together all the time. Work imposes constraints. Officers ask a multitude of questions to see where the answers lead and whether the person's pattern of travel behavior is reasonable. I, for one, like to shop a little bit before returning home so I am a habitual declarer at customs. When they occasionally probe deeper, I answer everything they want to know, and then I continue on my way with my carpet and Turkish delights.

This website says this only goes back 10 years, so it would only cover a limited period. A FOIA request might show entries for the 1990s but it might not have exits for 1996. Exit data was not transmitted to CBP from airlines until mid-2000s. US biometric exit verification was only implemented very recently. Your mother probably needs a waiver, which is usually filed after the CO finds her inadmissible due to entry without inspection (EWI). The evidence for this is likely a bit more involved. I would venture to guess this is not DIY and requires an immigration attorney with a positive track record with waivers.

One cannot file taxes with their mother. Their mother may declare the child as a dependent, but only if they're younger than 19 (or under full 24 as a student) or the adult child of any age is declared permanently and totally disabled. Claiming dependents is not the same as filing taxes. The only two people who can file together are spouses. It's much better to file N-400 under the 3 year rule when the married couple has been filing jointly, but it's still possible if both parties filed separately, just not ideal. If her husband is listed as non-filing, this needs to be rectified before filing. Not sure what you mean by "under the table"? Informal gigs are ok (e.g. car washing in people's driveways) but all income (including cash) needs to be reported with any applicable taxes paid. Some report this on Schedule C (business income).

No big deal. A lot of states are scanning and reprinting old B/W birth certificates onto special paper with security features when ordering new certified copies of birth certificates. The paper features a certified copy serial number, blue guilloché border, and a water mark. It sounds normal. I expect many COs will have noticed it when ordering new copies of their own birth certificates. When the paper is photo copied, it says "VOID" over it.

I read that as well. According to this article, the new 2020 version that was discontinued in 2021 (in favor of the 2008 version) does not look too difficult. The administration is considering bringing back the 2020 test. The new question bank increases from 100 questions to 128. Instead of needing to get 6 out of 10 right, applicants must get 12 out of 20 right. If one is getting close to the minimum of 60% when practicing, they leave little room for error and risk failure. Some of the new questions include: Why did the US enter World War I? When did women get the right to vote? Name an American invention. What is Veteran's Day? What is Memorial Day? There are no questions out of left field (e.g. explain a change the 12th amendment made to the electoral college). As long as someone aims comfortably above minimum score, they should be ok.

I do not believe that is correct. If a passport is lost, a new passport must be applied for in person. You present an original and a photocopy of your citizenship evidence. See: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/how-apply/citizenship-evidence.html I did not make an absolute statement that a CoC is required. Many have already chimed in that a certificate may make the child's bureaucratic life easier years or decades later for different reasons. One should consider N-600 when they have the funds. I never assume my loved ones will have the same tolerance for bureaucracy and forms that I have. The list of secondary evidence is quite involved:

If you refer to the I-864 instructions, where did you see that original documents are needed for sponsor citizenship proof and that two forms of proof (birth certificate and passport) are required? A photocopy of one of those documents should be sufficient. Read the instructions carefully. Consider using highlighters of different colors and marking out instructions that don't apply to you so you can focus on what matters.

If the child does not have a CBRA, a certificate of naturalization, or a certificate of citizenship to prove their status, it is a good idea to file an N-600 ($1385). This could be used to prove citizenship for whatever purpose (e.g. a US passport). Otherwise, the evidence needed for a US passport is more involved.

As long as her original intent upon entry into the US was just tourism, she can file AOS while living with you in the US. Otherwise, she will need to leave the US after marriage to you and you both would file for a CR1 visa through a consulate abroad. Then, if successful, she would be able to enter the US as a permanent resident. This process generally takes much longer than adjusting from the US. If she adjusts from US, she will not be able to visit family overseas until she receives her AP or green card. Florida does not allow the AOS receipt notice to be used to get a license or state ID (see here) - only AP, EAD, or GC. Her tourist visa would be invalidated. Immigration paperwork should be typo-free. Re-read and re-check over everything multiple times (on multiple days if possible)! Even minor errors can lead to denial. USCIS rarely refunds fees.

As long as you have some other kind of proof of her full name in some other document, I do not see a big issue that your passport only has her first name.

You're welcome. Bear in mind, this level of travel ease is not always the case outside EU even with a US passport. UK and Canada are anecdotally more interrogative to US passport holders than EU, especially for young, college-aged travelers who may not have strong ties yet to the US.

Congratulations. Regarding your questions, in my answers, I will assume you don't have qualifying citizenship (EU, Schengen, EFTA), which would give you access to member countries like Italy as a non-visitor (and you'd be required to enter on such passport if you had one). In 2025, US citizens don't need a visa for tourism in Europe (see #5): US citizens generally don't need a visa for EU tourism or business for 90 days within the previous 180 days. Schengen requires a US passport have 6 months of validity. Proof of financial condition in EU: Generally, US citizens are not asked in Europe. If one is very young and gives off a suspicion of overstaying, I suppose it's theoretically possible that the officer may ask for ties to the US. I've never been asked for financial proof even when I was very young. Letter from sister: I've never been asked for such letters in the EU even when visiting residents. Sometimes, the officer does not even make eye contact and stamps my passport without even a hello back. Insurance is required for Schengen: They don't check but insurance is required for visitors. Be on the safe side and always travel with travel insurance even for EU countries that in practice don't always bill visitors. One time, my friend needed antibiotics in Rome and the doctor asked for him to go to an ATM and take out some cash. Each EU nation has a different healthcare system so there is not uniformity in rules. To be safe, US citizens should always expect billing for any care received even if a bill is not provided when discharged. Most travel insurance policies only covers emergency and catastrophic healthcare, medical transport (very expensive), and repatriation of remains (I hope not!) Since I travel a lot, I buy an annual policy of GeoBlue Trekker Choice international travel insurance, which can also be used for non-emergency care (e.g. an ear infection). Bad news: in 2026, US citizens will need an ETIAS authorization to visit most of Europe. The European Union will adopt an ESTA-like system for visitors called ETIAS in 2026. Once implemented, Americans must apply for a ETIAS authorization and pay 20 Euros via a website. An ETIAS authorization will be valid for 3 years or the expiration of the passport, whichever comes first. Good news: in October 2025, EU will allow US citizens to use e-gates at passport control: According to this EU press release, EU will allow visitors to use e-gates but American visitors must see an officer on their first entry. Some passengers may be pulled aside for manual inspection. Where do US citizens need a visa? Wikipedia has a great resource to show you what the visa requirements are for US citizens throughout the world. It's generally a good idea to verify the requirements on each country's official immigration website. Enjoy seeing the world on your new US passport.

For each their own. I am not a fan of paper.

US citizen by birth here. I keep a Google spreadsheet. I also forward all of my ticket bookings to TripIt. I also archive all my ticket e-mails. One time, I needed an exact record, so I FOIA'ed it from CBP but it took 6 months to get a response. I received my entries and exits going back to the 1990s. It even includes the lane number and sometimes even the baggage scan details. Different countries share different amounts of information, but the minimum info included is the date and time of inspection. The PDF CBP sent did not include inter-Schengen international crossings for obvious reasons. Sometimes the departure or arrival airport is blacked out. The redaction reason given is usually that the information sharing agreement is not public information, but the date is there so I can work out where I was. I used to ask for an exit stamp in some countries where it mattered, e.g. leaving a country for which I previously had a work visa. Stamping is becoming less common as the years go on. Officers often politely refuse posterity stamps. Traveling around Asia, I am noticing even the e-visa gates do not involve talking to an officer. Some say paper passports are becoming a thing of the past (see this article) and eventually they will be replaced by cards.

Ah, yes -- you're right. I would then print this and show the rep, perhaps highlighting the appropriate item. Printed webpages that have .gov hyperlink can also help. They may need to call a supervisor to verify. People in bureaucratic roles often prefer to handle the most common cases where they have the most efficiency and the least chance of making a mistake. The less common one's case is, the more a clerk will need to actually leave their comfort zone and do something that imposes risk on them (making a mistake) so they may refuse service. In these cases, I either ask them what doubt they have, talk to a peer of theirs, talk to a supervisor, or try a different office. My spouse's I-485 was approved in 8 months but their I-765 was not adjudicated until 14 months after receipt notice so it was moot. This was in 2023 so it may have sped up. You're welcome.