Steffi

Hello fellow expats!

It's time for me to work on the N-400, so are there any tips from you new citizens? The instructions seem pretty straight-forward, but if anyone can comment on additional useful items not mentioned on the list of the website I'd appreciate you sharing that knowledge!

Steffi

Ray

Ye!! Lucky ...how are you .....

meauxna

Steffi!
I've been thinking about your house every now and again; it must be perfectly complete by now! I'm a terrible pen pal.

You've only got UK citizenship now, right? No others to look out for?

Do you want your thread in the marriage based group? Did you know you could apply after 3 years of marriage? Or is this your way of telling us something...

Steffi

Hello old friends!

Things are going well, minus the flooding we had some weeks back here in Atlanta that filled our crawl space with 22 inches of rain water and ruined our furnace and hot water heater. Otherwise the house progress is coming along slowly...so much more paint to strip off the wood! But we're making progress.

I was under the impression marriage based immigrants could apply for citizenship 3 years after receiving the GC. Is it actually 3 years after marriage? If I was mistaken then oh well, it wasn't a matter of life and death, right? But yes, I am wanting to start the citizenship process now! And I only have German citizenship. The N-400 application seems simple enough. I don't have any criminal history, no divorce history, and no children. So really even the paperwork they ask for seems really simple. Is it really that straigh-forward? Any specific paperwork that I should include that they didn't list that would get me brownie points? Or just send everything in the way they say it?

I see Atlanta seems to indicate that they take 5 months to get through the application. I actually had a friend from Ghana that applied I believe around February and got his citizenship by April, which seemed super fast. But then again since we're talking about me I'm sure it'll take 10 months instead of 5.

But any useful input would be appreciated!

Noorah101

Hi Steffi, welcome back!

You are correct, based on marriage to a USC, you can file the N-400 3 years after becoming a PR (actually they allow you to file the N-400 up to 90 days before that time). The marriage itself must be MORE than 3 years old.

German citizens might not be able to be dual citizens...check that out.

Yep, it's very straightforward. Sadegh just became a USC this year, too, and it was super easy.

Rene

meauxna

lol, I didn't want to mis-guess on the German citizenship, but that is what I remembered about you! You will need to research what you need to do with Germany before you natz to US. They will allow it, but you have to apply to Germany first (to keep your German citizenship that is).

And mine was an excited mistype; for a K-1er, (and everyone else of course) it's 3 years of PR status plus 3 years married to your USC.

I'll see what I can find out about the German thing, and so sorry to hear about your basement.
Hope the insurance came through for you.

Steffi

Well, sounds simple enough then! I guess I should just compile all the requested documents and send it off then.

Rene - How was the testing for Sadegh? What kind of questions did they ask? I assume he did good since he is a citizen! Any tips on that end? Just study via the USCIS online test application?

Meauxna - Unfortunately our homeowners insurance doesn't cover flooding. We don't live anywhere near a water source (river, lake, ocean, whatever), so there seemed no reason to spend the extra money on it. My guess is that 99% of Atlantans are probably in the same position. As much as our situation sucked at least we only had 22 inches. Other Atlantans were under water to the 2nd floor! I can't imagine being in their shoes without flood insurance - ouch!!

Noorah101

The citizenship test was the hardest part for Sadegh, but only because of his English language difficulties. Everything was new to him...the vocabulary, the basic government ideas, the pronuncation, spelling...everything!

He had the 100 question/answer list, we went over it together and picked the easiest answers for him to remember (sometimes you have a choice of several different answers...we picked the one he could remember best). Right around that time, they changed the test format, so there was no CD available for him to listen to (there is now!). So I took it up on myself to record his own personalized tape...I read each question out loud, gave him time to read it himself, and then read the answer we had picked out for him to remember, giving him time to speak it aloud himself. It was a fun project for me, and it helped him so much with memorizing...he played the tape at home in the evenings, or while he was working, and let it sink in. Then once every few days I'd test him on what he's learned, and we picked out another 5 or 6 new questions to learn. Spacing it out like this, he was able to learn all 100 questions and answers, from scratch, in about 4 months.

At the interview, they ask you 10 random questions from the 100 on the list. You have to get 6 right to pass. Sadegh got the first 6 correct and passed!

Rene

Rete

Steffi

LTNS. And how the devil are you and the DH? What's new and exciting in your lives? I moved your thread here as you are a long time member of the MBF.

Congratulations starting the last step of the immigration process.

Steffi

Noorah, I think I'm going to practice by doing the online multiple choice questions on my own for a while, and then maybe Patrick can read them to me and have me answer them on my own.

Rete, we're doing great! Our business has kept us busy (thankfully, despite the economy!). We are continuing to restore our 1917 bungalow and have been really active with our neighborhood. And we added a new little member to our family - our kitten Buster. How have things been going in immigration land?

Noorah101

Make sure you practice them verbally. The test at the interview is verbal, not multiple choice.

Rene

Steffi

Just to make sure that I have all the correct documents for the N-400, here is what I intend to submit:

1. Form N-400, Application for Naturalization
2. Application Fee (Attached to Form N-400)
3. Two (2) Color Photographs (Attached to Form N-400)
4. Photocopy of I-551, Permanent Resident Card (Front and Back)
5. Photocopy of Spouse’s Passport (Evidence of U.S. Citizenship)
6. Photocopy of Marriage Certificate
7. Documents Referring to Applicant and Spouse
   • 2008 Federal Income Tax Summary
   • 2006 Settlement Statement
   • 2004 Bank Statement

I have no children, no prior marriages, no criminal record, and no military record.

Are there any documents I'm missing?

Thanks!

meauxna

Just dug out our list for you and it looks spot on. I think that we included 3 years of tax transcripts is the only difference I see.
Yay!

Steffi

Thank you!

What was the compilation rule again - paperclips only?

meauxna

Yeah, and/or bulldog clips. Staple multipage documents (ie 4 pages of 1 year's tax transcript).
It's the slimmest mailing EVAH!