S Folinsky

The office where I am "of counsel" had a client come in late last year who wanted to become a citizen ASAP.

His I-551 card stated he had been a permanent resident since "2-27-2008." Knowing that we can file 90 days "early" -- the office prepared and filed the N-400 on December 3, 2012.

Office receives interview notice for March 14, 2013 in San Bernadino [60 miles from the office]. Interview goes just fine, English, Civics, check, check check. Very nice officer then frowns -- the adjustment I-485 has an approval date of 3-27-2008!

Profuse apologies with a promise to request a filing fee refund.

[p.s., the 2008 approval was after a 2007 interview followed by a minor RFE, so client had no way of knowing the March 2008 approval notice had not been delayed a month in getting out to him].

Noorah101

So his permanent resident card "resident since" date was incorrect, right?

Rene

S Folinsky

It was off by one month -- he had adjusted on "3/27/2008" and not "2/27/2008." So the application was prematurely filed -- it should have been rejected by Service Center.

civilservant

I read the last part of the title as FBAR and wondered what that had to do with naturalization

Marocco

So what happens to the guy now?

ian-mstm

My guess... nothing happens. He refiles now and he's eligible.

Ian

S Folinsky

He came in yesterday and the new application will be sent in on Monday. We know that the fee refund will take many months. In hindsight, I wonder if I should have asked to refile locally then and there with a fee waiver -- I don't know if the local office had the authority or not.

BenGrant

So how is it possible that they approved the case originally on 2-27-2008 when the same office or officer did not issue the final I-485 approval until 3-27-2008?

Also, is there a lessons learned for the rest of us here? Is there a way to go back and confirm the 'resident since' date on our cards is correct?

Noorah101

I'm pretty sure the person approving the N-400 was not the same officer who approved the I-485.

Rene

S Folinsky

The "Welcome" I-797 was dated March 28, 2008. He later received the actual I-551 card with the "2-27-2008" date thereon. The card was the ONLY item which purported to set forth the actual adjustment date.

Want to be paranoid? Do a FOIA/PA on your own file. [BTW, the redactions on the FOIA/PA productions are somewhat weird. For example, I've seen the parents' names blacked out on birth certificates. Also, the spouses' information on the G-325 provided by the alien will also be blacked out. Weird.]

crg

I once learned of someone who submitted an N-400 application with fee. CIS sent him a receipt and an immediate rejection. The applicant had been an F-1 student for 5 years and figured he would be eligible since he had been residing permanently in the US for the requisite 5 years. It made perfect sense to him, but CIS didn't see it that way. He didn't even have an A number. CIS kept the money.

KCK_DR

He/she must of had reading comprehension problems...

A I

When I got my PR card, It was a manual process of the agent filling out a form, by hand, indicating what data would be included on the card... mine came out OK, but my sister in law had a similar situation where her card showed,in her case, approval many months in advance.

Pulaski

As far as I know the date on mine was correct (I traded up for citizenship 6 years ago), but it did have TWO material errors when it was first issued: despite immigrating on a British passport, my nationality was recorded as Irish (apart from one short vacation I have NO connection whatsoever with the island of Ireland), and my surname name was changed by switching the first letter, similar to Jones becoming Bones!