Visa To United States & Dual Citizenship

[mnbcm]

My wife is a Thai citizen. I am a United States citizen. We live in the U.S. but are moving to Thailand. My wife has the opportunity to apply for U.S. citizenship before we leave. I have 2 questions.

1. What is your opinion on her obtaining dual citizenship? This will probably be her only opportunity to get it in the foreseeable future. The only benefits I see to doing it is the ease of travel and social security benefits that won't come into affect for several decades.

2. Assuming she does not become a citizen, what visa options will she have when we visit the U.S.? Government web sites are vague on how long visas are issued for. I would appreciate some recent experience.

Thank you!

[thaihome]

She should go ahead and get the citizenship, as you said the long term benefits make it worthwhile. If she doesn’t get it, she would have to apply for a tourist visa to the US once her green card expired or was invalid due to being out of the country for too long. She could apply for a re-entry permit which would allow her to stay out for 2 years and keep the green card.

As for the tourist visa to US, as you would be living in Thailand, once you establish ties to Thailand, getting the visa is pretty automatic. They would issue her a 10 year multi-entry. There is a chance they would only give her a 3 month single entry the first time, but on subsequent application, they would undoubtedly give her the 10 year.

TH

[SoCal]

As a US citizen, you must pay taxes on your world wide income for life and beyond.

[thaihome]

You must file a return if exceed a minimum amount. As the OP is US citizen he must do that anyway and being able to file a joint return with his wife, regardless if she is a US citizen (or even green card holder) only helps lower the tax rate. Unless she is going to have an large Thai income it won’t it won’t impact much.

TH

[SaigonDaze]

You must file a return if exceed a minimum amount. As the OP is US citizen he must do that anyway and being able to file a joint return with his wife, regardless if she is a US citizen (or even green card holder) only helps lower the tax rate. Unless she is going to have an large Thai income it won't it won't impact much.

TH

His wife will need a US SS# in order for him to claim her on his tax return.

[mgjackson69]

You must file a return if exceed a minimum amount. As the OP is US citizen he must do that anyway and being able to file a joint return with his wife, regardless if she is a US citizen (or even green card holder) only helps lower the tax rate. Unless she is going to have an large Thai income it won't it won't impact much.

TH

His wife will need a US SS# in order for him to claim her on his tax return.

Or a US Taxpayer ID Number (TID)...not the same thing...but either works for the purposed of filing US Federal and State (if applicable) Income Tax returns.

[SoCal]

Ooh, a deduction.

Tell me more.

Think about it op.

[dingdongrb]

As a US citizen, you must pay taxes on your world wide income for life and beyond.

I just love it when everyone shoots answers 'from the hip'.

If the wages earned are in a foreign country then there is a thing called 'exemption for foreign earned income'... Even though you have to file a US tax return does not necessarily mean you will have to pay taxes.

I say, don't get her the US citizenship. If she did then she would lose her Thai citizenship which then would not allow you (her) to own property in LOS.

If she has a permanent residency card (USA) then this (as well as a valid passport) should allow her entry into the USA without any issues.

[jumnien]

Keep the Thai citizenship. You don't need to be a citizen of the US to be claimed on a US tax return or to file jointly.

[SoCal]

She doesn't lose her Thai citizenship because she accepts American citizenship.

Apparently none of you have assets that give you returns outside of America, or so few that you don't mind the taxes, or agree so much with America's policies that you gladly make your contribution.

So sad for you.

[dingdongrb]

She doesn't lose her Thai citizenship because she accepts American citizenship.

Apparently none of you have assets that give you returns outside of America, or so few that you don't mind the taxes, or agree so much with America's policies that you gladly make your contribution.

So sad for you.

Sorry SoCal, you stated 'income', I took this as wage earning and not investment income. Since all of my investment income currently is in the USA (i.e. 401K, stocks, real estate, and personal savings) I don't know what the tax laws are for investment income outside the USA. But I am not yet retired and I have an annual salary which I DO KNOW is tax exempt from the USA IRS, working outside of the USA. So, isn't my annual wages considered "income"? And then wouldn't my scenario for "income" make your statement FALSE?

[SoCal]

For salary income you are correct, there is a substantial deduction.

If you are not planning to go back to the US, and have a wife you trust, then maybe you will make investments in the future outside of the US which may be in the wife's name, and not subject to tax on returns unless she takes your citizenship.

Its highly subjective, but there are many reasons for not making your wife a citizen.

[samran]

I just love it when everyone shoots answers 'from the hip'.

yeah, so do I......

I say, don't get her the US citizenship. If she did then she would lose her Thai citizenship which then would not allow you (her) to own property in LOS.

Thailand has no problems in this day and age for a Thai national to naturalise as a foreign national, nor with the concept of dual nationality in general. If the OP's wife naturalises as US citizen she still keeps all her rights as a Thai national, on an equal basis. Many, many people on this board with family with two passports, including myself, and my mother!

[mgjackson69]

As a US citizen, you must pay taxes on your world wide income for life and beyond.

I just love it when everyone shoots answers 'from the hip'.

If the wages earned are in a foreign country then there is a thing called 'exemption for foreign earned income'... Even though you have to file a US tax return does not necessarily mean you will have to pay taxes.

I say, don't get her the US citizenship. If she did then she would lose her Thai citizenship which then would not allow you (her) to own property in LOS.

If she has a permanent residency card (USA) then this (as well as a valid passport) should allow her entry into the USA without any issues.

Speaking of "shoot from the hip"...if the lady acquires USA citizenship she will not lose her Thai citizenship.

[dingdongrb]

As a US citizen, you must pay taxes on your world wide income for life and beyond.

I just love it when everyone shoots answers 'from the hip'.

If the wages earned are in a foreign country then there is a thing called 'exemption for foreign earned income'... Even though you have to file a US tax return does not necessarily mean you will have to pay taxes.

I say, don't get her the US citizenship. If she did then she would lose her Thai citizenship which then would not allow you (her) to own property in LOS.

If she has a permanent residency card (USA) then this (as well as a valid passport) should allow her entry into the USA without any issues.

Speaking of "shoot from the hip"...if the lady acquires USA citizenship she will not lose her Thai citizenship.

Notice the word, 'if'? I didn't say she would.... hmmmmm

[mgjackson69]

As a US citizen, you must pay taxes on your world wide income for life and beyond.

I just love it when everyone shoots answers 'from the hip'.

If the wages earned are in a foreign country then there is a thing called 'exemption for foreign earned income'... Even though you have to file a US tax return does not necessarily mean you will have to pay taxes.

I say, don't get her the US citizenship. If she did then she would lose her Thai citizenship which then would not allow you (her) to own property in LOS.

If she has a permanent residency card (USA) then this (as well as a valid passport) should allow her entry into the USA without any issues.

Speaking of "shoot from the hip"...if the lady acquires USA citizenship she will not lose her Thai citizenship.

Notice the word, 'if'? I didn't say she would.... hmmmmm

Huh?!?

I paraphrase your comment as, "If she gets USA citizenship she will lose her Thai citizenship".

If you intended it to mean something else, please clarify

[richm7]

You should realize that if you apply for citizenship now it will take about 9 months before you get an appointment for the biometrics and a further 2-3 months for the interview. In some places you get sworn in immediately after a successful interview but in most you do not, so then there is another appointment for the swearing in process. So, bet on one year if you apply now, and do not forget that all these appointments will be in the place you apply, so she will need to travel back for them. On top of that, though she no doubt qualifies now (married to a US citizen and legally been in the US for 3 years with no more than 18 months of those 3 years spent out of the country), when she goes for her interview they will ask what she has been doing SINCE her application. They might (or might not) conclude that she has abandonded the US when she tells them she's living in Thailand and refuse the application anyway. Nearly $700 down the drain.

That's the difficult news. The good news is that there are all sorts of excellent reasons to be a US citizen so if at all possible, DO IT. No visas for most places for a start. Want to go to Europe? No problem, jump on a plane if you have a US passport. If not, get in line on Wireless and get your cashiers check and pray. Anyway, it is also about options - you never know when you might need a bolthole. The tax thing is true but the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages; you're a Yank so you're stuck with filing a return anyway whether she's a citizen or not. Also, I see a comment about an SSN; surely as a legal resident ("green card") she has an SSN already?

Dual citizenship is not a problem. She can be both Thai and American and use both passports (with some care, I might add; you don't want to piss the respective issuers off!).

Finally, if you do not go for citizenship, so long as she returns to the US every six months (no longer) she can keep her green card and return anytime anyway. You might get a picky immigration agent question that but I can assure you he will be wrong. Smile nicely, tell him you won't do it again and avoid the prick next time.

[dingdongrb]

When my Asian friends received their US citizenship back in the late 70s they had do give up their natural citizenship of their home country (Vietnam). I guess after reading on here and elsewhere things have changed. I knew it was okay for minors to hold dual citizenships but I thought it wasn't allowed for adults. I was wrong. Here is something that I found online at the USCIS website regarding dual citizenships and the USA:

"U.S. Policy

The current citizenship and immigration laws of the United States do not specifically address dual nationality. According to the State Department, "the U.S. Government recognizes that dual nationality exists but does not encourage it as a matter of policy because of the problems it may cause."216 The State Department notes that problems may arise from

• claims of other countries on dual national U.S. citizens that may conflict with U.S. law;

• conflicts that arise from a dual national’s allegiance to both the United States and the foreign country;

• dual nationals are required to obey the laws of both countries, which may be in conflict; and

• each country having the right to enforce its laws, particularly when the dual national is in that country.

Further, U.S. Government efforts to assist its dual citizens abroad may be limited. In particular, the country where a dual national is located generally has a stronger claim to that person's allegiance.217 "

[samran]

When my Asian friends received their US citizenship back in the late 70s they had do give up their natural citizenship of their home country (Vietnam). I guess after reading on here and elsewhere things have changed. I knew it was okay for minors to hold dual citizenships but I thought it wasn't allowed for adults. I was wrong. Here is something that I found online at the USCIS website regarding dual citizenships and the USA:

"U.S. Policy

The current citizenship and immigration laws of the United States do not specifically address dual nationality. According to the State Department, "the U.S. Government recognizes that dual nationality exists but does not encourage it as a matter of policy because of the problems it may cause."216 The State Department notes that problems may arise from

• claims of other countries on dual national U.S. citizens that may conflict with U.S. law;

• conflicts that arise from a dual national’s allegiance to both the United States and the foreign country;

• dual nationals are required to obey the laws of both countries, which may be in conflict; and

• each country having the right to enforce its laws, particularly when the dual national is in that country.

Further, U.S. Government efforts to assist its dual citizens abroad may be limited. In particular, the country where a dual national is located generally has a stronger claim to that person's allegiance.217 "

you missed the rest of the text....especially the bit highlighted below...

However, dual nationals owe allegiance to both the United States and the foreign country. They are required to obey the laws of both countries. Either country has the right to enforce its laws, particularly if the person later travels there.Most U.S. citizens, including dual nationals, must use a U.S. passport to enter and leave the United States. Dual nationals may also be required by the foreign country to use its passport to enter and leave that country. Use of the foreign passport does not endanger U.S. citizenship.Most countries permit a person to renounce or otherwise lose citizenship.

[mgjackson69]

When my Asian friends received their US citizenship back in the late 70s they had do give up their natural citizenship of their home country (Vietnam). I guess after reading on here and elsewhere things have changed.

Fair enough, I believe that. But that is a function of the government of Vietnam, not USA. Given the state of USA <-> Vietnam relations at that time, I am not surprised that they would have to give up their Vietnam citizenship to attain USA citizenship.

Whether Vietnam still takes that stance I have no idea.

Another example: I work with a lady from Sweden, she has been working in USA for years...I would say at least 15 years, possibly more. She attained USA citizenship just last year. She had waited because until just recently, Sweden did not allow dual citizenship and she did not want to give up her Sweden citizenship. Again, the restriction was from Sweden, not USA.

[Ragnarok]

My husband is Thai. He went to college in the States, and worked there, but never became a US citizen and it has worked out for us.

1) US Social Security: We got a statement saying he is eligible for ss benefits when he retires. We'd have to live in the US or a country that has a treaty for him to collect.

2) US Visa: He gets a 10 yr visa from the US Embassy in Bangkok.

3) US taxes: Zero. On our joint bank accts in the US we use his ss number first, so the interest is reported to the IRS under his ss number. There is no tax on interest earned by nonresident aliens. This doesn't apply to dividends though. We therefore put all our money into CD's and the interest is tax free. He does not file a US tax return since the interest is exempt.

[mnbcm]

You should realize that if you apply for citizenship now it will take about 9 months before you get an appointment for the biometrics and a further 2-3 months for the interview. In some places you get sworn in immediately after a successful interview but in most you do not, so then there is another appointment for the swearing in process. So, bet on one year if you apply now, and do not forget that all these appointments will be in the place you apply, so she will need to travel back for them. On top of that, though she no doubt qualifies now (married to a US citizen and legally been in the US for 3 years with no more than 18 months of those 3 years spent out of the country), when she goes for her interview they will ask what she has been doing SINCE her application. They might (or might not) conclude that she has abandonded the US when she tells them she's living in Thailand and refuse the application anyway. Nearly $700 down the drain.

That's the difficult news. The good news is that there are all sorts of excellent reasons to be a US citizen so if at all possible, DO IT. No visas for most places for a start. Want to go to Europe? No problem, jump on a plane if you have a US passport. If not, get in line on Wireless and get your cashiers check and pray. Anyway, it is also about options - you never know when you might need a bolthole. The tax thing is true but the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages; you're a Yank so you're stuck with filing a return anyway whether she's a citizen or not. Also, I see a comment about an SSN; surely as a legal resident ("green card") she has an SSN already?

Dual citizenship is not a problem. She can be both Thai and American and use both passports (with some care, I might add; you don't want to piss the respective issuers off!).

Finally, if you do not go for citizenship, so long as she returns to the US every six months (no longer) she can keep her green card and return anytime anyway. You might get a picky immigration agent question that but I can assure you he will be wrong. Smile nicely, tell him you won't do it again and avoid the prick next time.

Yes, she certainly has a SSN as I believe it was a requirement to get the green card. Green cards are a waste of time living oversees unless you have the cash to go back and fourth all the time and you have to worry about border crossings and paperwork. A 10-year visa sounds good, but I like the idea of easy travel and social security benefits in the future. I contacted 16 lawyers in Thailand to ask them if her Thai citizenship and property rights would be affected. I got about 16 different answers but most agreed it was no big deal.

If we choose to apply for naturalization, our 3 year wait period is waived. Due to my work, we qualify for expedited naturalization. If anyone is interested in what that entails, I've got a post going that deals with that issue at this link. It doesn't speed up the application, but it does waive the 3 year wait period in the U.S. Thank you for your posts!

[thaihome]

I have a very good friend whose Thai wife got US citizenship less the a year after getting a green card and only lived in the US for about 8 months. The 3 years was waived due to him working for an American Company doing buiness overseas. They did have to go back for the test and oath.

TH

[Martian]

Ok, I'm not a lawyer but have consulted many good sources regarding this subject and here are the pertinent things I have found and accept for my and my Thai wife's life:

1. I worked in Thailand for 4 years, receiving my salary direct deposited by my USA company into my USA account = NO TAX LIABILITY....all income tax withheld was refunded. Not the Social Security or Medicaid deduction though.

2. Thai citizenship cannot be taken away from a Thai citizen unless that citizen voluntarily signs an affidavit requesting so.

3. A Thai citizen being a US citizen has no restrictions in Thailand with regard to home or land ownership, nor any problems with any of the public programs such as the "30 Baht medical card" for the unemployed. I recommend not changing your wife's last name to yours after marriage just to keep things much more simple. Also, our marriage is not registered in Thailand.

4. The only ultimate way (for the Thai) to have freedom of movement between the USA and Thailand (and have long stays in either country) is to gain US citizenship. Green cards are now being pulled more often for too much time out of the USA even if it is within the prescribed 6 month maximum.

5. My wife has researched the citizenship question on her own and has determined US citizenship is the way to go.

Our experience with the applying for citizenship time frame:

May 22, 08 My wife and I submitted (mailed it on May 20) her citizenship application exactly 90 days prior to the 3rd anniversary of her green card issuance (having met residency requirements those previous 3 years). You can submit your application 90 days before having achieved 3 years residence IF you are filing based upon marriage and was married the whole 3 years previous to the date achieving 3 years permanent residency. Many people loose 3 month's time because they don't pay attention to the "90 days before stipulation".

June 12, 08 Appointment to complete Biometrics for citizenship application.

August 7, 08 Appointment for citizenship interview (Requested change because we were out of the country)

August 22, 08 New appointment for citizenship interview.

So, in actuality, we could have went from initial application to interview in about 78 days if we could have made the first interview appointment.

I think that is pretty efficient work on the part of USCIS. Of course it helps to be very, very, very, attentive to the rules and the paperwork you submit.....perfection is a must.

Good luck to all in their decisions.

Martian

[bkk_mike]

The only reason to not get it is tax...

But your wife would need to be making quite a lot of money for that to be an issue. i.e. I believe there's an $80K tax allowance for being non-resident so you need to be earning a lot, with the double-taxation agreement existing as well.

(I will admit, I don't know the rules for investments, or each state's local rules... - that allowance is just for federal income tax).

[donx]

Ok, I'm not a lawyer but have consulted many good sources regarding this subject and here are the pertinent things I have found and accept for my and my Thai wife's life:

1. I worked in Thailand for 4 years, receiving my salary direct deposited by my USA company into my USA account = NO TAX LIABILITY....all income tax withheld was refunded. Not the Social Security or Medicaid deduction though.

2. Thai citizenship cannot be taken away from a Thai citizen unless that citizen voluntarily signs an affidavit requesting so.

3. A Thai citizen being a US citizen has no restrictions in Thailand with regard to home or land ownership, nor any problems with any of the public programs such as the "30 Baht medical card" for the unemployed. I recommend not changing your wife's last name to yours after marriage just to keep things much more simple. Also, our marriage is not registered in Thailand.

4. The only ultimate way (for the Thai) to have freedom of movement between the USA and Thailand (and have long stays in either country) is to gain US citizenship. Green cards are now being pulled more often for too much time out of the USA even if it is within the prescribed 6 month maximum.

5. My wife has researched the citizenship question on her own and has determined US citizenship is the way to go.

Our experience with the applying for citizenship time frame:

May 22, 08 My wife and I submitted (mailed it on May 20) her citizenship application exactly 90 days prior to the 3rd anniversary of her green card issuance (having met residency requirements those previous 3 years). You can submit your application 90 days before having achieved 3 years residence IF you are filing based upon marriage and was married the whole 3 years previous to the date achieving 3 years permanent residency. Many people loose 3 month's time because they don't pay attention to the "90 days before stipulation".

June 12, 08 Appointment to complete Biometrics for citizenship application.

August 7, 08 Appointment for citizenship interview (Requested change because we were out of the country)

August 22, 08 New appointment for citizenship interview.

So, in actuality, we could have went from initial application to interview in about 78 days if we could have made the first interview appointment.

I think that is pretty efficient work on the part of USCIS. Of course it helps to be very, very, very, attentive to the rules and the paperwork you submit.....perfection is a must.

Good luck to all in their decisions.

Martian

Interesting that your situation is so very similar to my wife and mine. A few differences include that we have three children. You didn't mention one way or the other on that. My wife applied for citizenship and about three months later completed the Bionetrics and the English language and citizenship tests at the same time, which she passed. The interview was 3 months later. Unfortunately we made two mistakes at the inverview. The first mistake was that I should have accompanied her with our three children into the interview. I thought it would be better for me to leave her there alone, but she was given instructions that she didn't understand and the written instructions that she showed me were vague. Basically, we didn't provide enough proof that the marriage was valid. One problem was that I never submitted my children's birth certificates with the original application. The reason was that I forgot that when I had applied for their Thai birth certificates, the US birth certificates were taken away so I didn't have them when we applied. The application didn't say they were required, so I though it wouldn't be a big deal. Also my wife's name isn't on our house title. We submitted more documentation in support of our marriage including certified copies of our children's US birth certificates. It took another 11 months before we were assigned another interview. That interview was successful and she was sworn in that same day.

As others have said, I see only tax issues as a potential drawback. Since we reside in the US, this isn't even an issue since, as I understand it, even permanent residence are responsible for paying US taxes (excluding diplomats, etc.). I may be wrong about this, but I know when I was thinking about working in Taiwan for a year, I was told that I would have to pay Taiwan income tax and I would get a tax break on US income tax. I have a brother who is married to a Swede and lives in Sweden. They have their own business. He pays no US income tax at all though he pays Swedish taxes (to some extent).

[Martian]

donx,

We do not have any children together. Only I have children from a previous marriage but they are both out on their own. I don't completely understand the problems with your children and birth certificates etc. But I am concerned about a couple of the other problems you encountered, especially the one about not having your wife's name on your house title/deed or whatever.

I owned the house before we were married and have never had her name added, assuming that in the event of death, the wife automatically inherits the assets of her husband unless there is an enforceable will or trust agreed to by both stating otherwise.

When the citizenship application is submitted, they ask for the same types of evidence regarding the legitimacy of the marriage and therefore should be satisfied with that aspect before scheduling an interview or request additional documentation before scheduling the interview. All of this is requested for the second green card as well so this aspect should be satisfied again before issuing the green card without conditions.

What if someone is renting an apartment and the lease is is one person's name? what if the couple is living with family or with their parents?

Also, I find it perplexing that there are two seeming same requests or I don't understand them. On the Interview Document Checklist, it says:

bring your current marriage certificate registered by civil authority and later it asks:

Proof of marital union as well as proof of residence.

Isn't the marriage license signed by the person who wed us the evidence that we have been lawfully married?

It was/is my impression that at this point USCIS is convinced the marriage is legit and that the citizenship process is about one having assimilated by learning to read, write and speak English and to show true interest in becoming a citizen by taking the time to learn about facts and history most Americans couldn't remember.

Any insights?

Regards,

Martian

[donx]

donx,

We do not have any children together. Only I have children from a previous marriage but they are both out on their own. I don't completely understand the problems with your children and birth certificates etc. But I am concerned about a couple of the other problems you encountered, especially the one about not having your wife's name on your house title/deed or whatever.

I owned the house before we were married and have never had her name added, assuming that in the event of death, the wife automatically inherits the assets of her husband unless there is an enforceable will or trust agreed to by both stating otherwise.

When the citizenship application is submitted, they ask for the same types of evidence regarding the legitimacy of the marriage and therefore should be satisfied with that aspect before scheduling an interview or request additional documentation before scheduling the interview. All of this is requested for the second green card as well so this aspect should be satisfied again before issuing the green card without conditions.

What if someone is renting an apartment and the lease is is one person's name? what if the couple is living with family or with their parents?

Also, I find it perplexing that there are two seeming same requests or I don't understand them. On the Interview Document Checklist, it says:

bring your current marriage certificate registered by civil authority and later it asks:

Proof of marital union as well as proof of residence.

Isn't the marriage license signed by the person who wed us the evidence that we have been lawfully married?

It was/is my impression that at this point USCIS is convinced the marriage is legit and that the citizenship process is about one having assimilated by learning to read, write and speak English and to show true interest in becoming a citizen by taking the time to learn about facts and history most Americans couldn't remember.

Any insights?

Regards,

Martian

Since you don't have any children, I won't go into the issue regarding their birth certificates. What you said about proving that the marriage is valid is exactly what I thought. I thought that since we had been through the scrutiny of validating the marriage twice before in our pursuit of a grean card that the US government had all the information they needed. I found out that they don't look any information that was used for the green card process. They only look at the information that you submit with the citizenship application.

Because you, like me, don't have your wife listed on your property title, you need to provide other information to prove that she actually lives with you as your wife. I was stupid and didn't even put my wife's name on any of the bills such as gas, electric, telephone, cable, etc. I could see how they may think that she doesn't really reside at the same location as I do. I had to gather other documents such as insurance policies, car titles, joint bank account statements, etc. to prove that she really does live at the same address. This is the kind of information they are looking for when the say "Proof of marital union as well as proof of residence." The request for "your current marriage certificate registered by civil authority" is not the same thing as proof that you live together. Anyone can get a marriage certificate and then proceed to live separate lives.

As far as renting goes, the rental agreement is best if it is in both of your names. If not, then utilities in both names would help. As for living with family, again any and all documentation that indicates that both of you reside at the same address should be brought to the interview.

Just because you have an interview, don't assume that they think all of your documentation you submitted was adequate for allowing your wife to become a US citizen. It is during this interview that they actually review this information. I'm convinced that they don't actually look at the application supporting documents until the interview. Otherwise, they would have informed me that our supporting documents were insufficient for my wife to become a US citizen. Remember I said my wife already passed the English and citizenship tests when she had her fingerprints taken. The last hurdle was the interview which should have been a breeze. I was so surprized when she wasn't accepted that day. And then to have to wait almost another year for a second interview. All I can say is thank God I don't have to deal with those a-holes any more!

[Martian]

donx,

Thank you for sharing your experiences. I too haven't put my wife's name on any utility bills etc but we were cosigners for her car loan etc.

Well, I am happy to report that she passed her interview and the paper she was given says so. It also says that we will receive a document of final approval and the date and time of her oath ceremony within 6 weeks. I interpret this to mean she will receive one of those letters we all have been receiving stating her approval and providing the ceremony information. Our field office has always been quicker than promised (yes, it is true) so we hope this will all be finished within 2-3 weeks then on to passport procurement. I have everything for the passport completed already.

My wife said they did not want to see any documents other than her green card, passport and they had the NS 400. He asked her several questions about the history of US etc. had her write a sentence he spoke to her, then read a sentence he handed to her. He chit-chatted a little about her life and the journey to get to this point but that was about it on the personal side of things.

The interviewer had no interest in seeing any of the documents she had with her ready to provide. Very different experiences in different field offices, I guess.

Needless to say, my wife is the happiest person on the planet today.

I filled up our car at $3.43 per gallon on the way home so I am happy too....lol!

Martian

[donx]

donx,

Thank you for sharing your experiences. I too haven't put my wife's name on any utility bills etc but we were cosigners for her car loan etc.

Well, I am happy to report that she passed her interview and the paper she was given says so. It also says that we will receive a document of final approval and the date and time of her oath ceremony within 6 weeks. I interpret this to mean she will receive one of those letters we all have been receiving stating her approval and providing the ceremony information. Our field office has always been quicker than promised (yes, it is true) so we hope this will all be finished within 2-3 weeks then on to passport procurement. I have everything for the passport completed already.

My wife said they did not want to see any documents other than her green card, passport and they had the NS 400. He asked her several questions about the history of US etc. had her write a sentence he spoke to her, then read a sentence he handed to her. He chit-chatted a little about her life and the journey to get to this point but that was about it on the personal side of things.

The interviewer had no interest in seeing any of the documents she had with her ready to provide. Very different experiences in different field offices, I guess.

Needless to say, my wife is the happiest person on the planet today.

I filled up our car at $3.43 per gallon on the way home so I am happy too....lol!

Martian

I'm glad to hear the interview went smoothly. One thing I forgot to mention that your post reminded me of was the fact that it appeared to us that different interviewers acted differently. We noticed as we waited that some interviewers appeared to approve more applications than others. The younger ones tended to be less strict. The interviewer my wife had looked like he had been doing this for at least 30 years. He was unpleasant and refused to explain his written request for more information when I asked him. He said that he already explained it to my wife and if she didn't understand then too bad. He was a complete A-hole.

At least when my wife did get approved, she was able to take the oath that same day. I guess your office doesn't offer same day oath ceremonies. I didn't expect to be, but I was very emotionally moved by the oath ceremony. I guess struggling for so many years to ensure that my wife can remain with me in the US took its toll.

Our field office is in Baltimore. I noticed you are from Ohio. I grew up in Cincinnati rooting for the Buckeyes. I now live outside Washington DC. Congratulate your wife for me.