wordfool

I'm finally getting around to applying for naturalization and have discovered (once again) how hindsight is a wonderful thing -- I never knew about documenting international travel history and now I'm trying to dig up almost 10 years worth of international travel schedules for the N400 form. Based on stamps in my passports I have about 30 trips to account for.

Most of these trips were to Europe, which means no European entry stamp in my passport and therefore no indication of my date of departure from the US. All I have are the US re-entry stamps. Those trips outside Europe are not a problem thanks to entry and exit stamps, and I've managed to piece together all my travels for the last 4-5 years, but that still leaves about 17 trips that are a mystery.

Aside from trying to get all my past travel schedules from airlines (a laborious process evidently), are there any tips people have for digging up my European travel information from more than a few years ago? My email history goes back only about 4 years, so that's a dead end. Friends and family (and myself) tend not to keep diaries for more than a few years. Any other suggestions welcomed!

Ozzidoc

I suggest having a largish blank piece of paper and brainstorming.

Can you think about where you were for each Christmas/Easter/Eid/Whatever/Birthday/Special Occasion in the last ten years?

What about some of the things that you did while you were abroad?

As you start to remember what you were doing (skiing? walking? dinner with Gt Aunt Mary who died 3 yrs ago etc), you might also remember the weather (therefore the season) which can then prompt you.....maybe you were distracted on one of your trips home because you were worried about something that was work-related, somehting specific, which means you were there between xx/03 and xx/04 etc

When you eventually submit your travel dates, include a statement like "all dates remembered to the best of my ability" or similar.

Good luck

wordfool

I started brainstorming but quickly gave up because it proved fruitless... my life is apparently not interesting enough to make that work .

You'd think that having all those re-entry stamps in my passports would help, but they're more like a giant tease since that information is useless without departure dates.

However, I was inspired (determined) and just gave the airlines another go around and had a stroke of luck by approaching their online technical support people instead of the normal customer support folks (tip - technical people like to solve problems, customer service people like an easy life).

A couple of airlines (that account for all my international travel) said they would be able to mail me my travel history for the last 10 years based on the fact that I've had the same air miles account for so long. Previously they had said I would have to send a request in writing for it to be considered etc. etc.

We'll see if what they send me is going to be useful or not, but if it works out I guess there is some additional benefit of being a loyal airline customer.

it was also interesting going through passports looking at immigration stamps. The easiest to read were from Latin American countries and Australia. The hardest to read were from Asian countries and the US.

scrubbedexpat099

Sounds like your Biographers are going to have a nightmare...

lansbury

If my experience yesterday was anything to go by as long as you list the trips as best you can it will not cause problems.

I took all the original documents and supporting documents they asked for to my interview and the interviewing officer never even asked for them. All she looked at was the N-400, my GC, and the copies of documents I sent in with the application.

wordfool

I'm already nervous that I forgot to notify them of a change of address for a few years so I wanna try to get everything else spot on just in case

Thankfully the rest of the N400 was a piece of cake and apparently I need no supporting documents other than a copy of my GC -- no crimes, no marriages, no children, no long trips -- my life really is apparently not that interesting

scrubbedexpat099

Not even a traffic ticket?

I am impressed.

wordfool

I've only ever got one traffic ticket, and that was a minor speeding offence with a small (well under $500) penalty, so does not apparently need to be noted on the application.

I do feel rather squeaky clean. Nauseating really

The only question that threw me was the "selective service registration" one. Had to read more closely to determine that I was infact a "lawful nonimmigrant" (on an L visa) when I was elegible.

Noorah101

I think you still need to list it on the N-400, you just don't need to include supporting evidence.

Rene

Poppy girl

Yep me too, I have been filling the online form in for a while but as of yesterday I started the process of where I lived and who I worked for its a nightmare but getting there, as for the travel, I found all my trips in my old emails over the past 5 years, ie the ticket confirmation etc that might help you if you booked online and are like me and save old mail.

Norri

I don't think that you need the full 10 years, it is really only the last 5 or 3 years depending on what category you are filing under that is relevent.

Noorah101

Page 4 of the N-400, Part 7 C asks:

List below all trips of 24 hours or more that you have taken outside the United States since becoming a Lawful Permanent Resident.

If the OP has been a PR for 10 years, he has to list them all.

Rene

wordfool

yep, you have to note the number of days you've been out of the country and number of 24-hour trips in the last five years only (parts A & B) but then detail all the foreign trips since receiving your GC in part C, which in my case is 9.5 years worth. I've no idea why two different time periods apply in that section, but ours is not to reason why.

As for the speeding ticket, you're right about only not having to include documents, but is that something to note in Part 10.15 or part 10.16 on page 8? I assume 10.16, since it was only a citation. I plan to detail it simply as a "speeding citation", but what should I put as the outcome? Simply "fine paid" or "no charges filed"?

Poppy girl

Page 8 is Marital History and Page 10 D is Additional questions about convictions etc....or am I getting confused.

I am so lost on this question as well, Yes I committed a offence (red light)no I was not arrested or cited, its a bit double ended.

wordfool

*Part* 8 is marital history, part 10 is additional questions and the good moral character section falls on page 8 (at least on my N400 copy) Confusing, I know.