Hi everyone. I'm Jackie
and I'm here to help you pass your U.S. naturalization interview.
If you're waiting for your U.S. naturalization interview,
you don't want to miss this video.
Today, I'm going to go over 10 common myths that I've seen about the U.S. naturalization interview
and I'm going to set the record straight.
Let's start.
10 common myths about U.S. naturalization interview
Myth 01. I only need to bring what's listed on the interview notice
The interview notice is a generic notice.
It's the same for everyone.
Those are just the basic documents that you have to bring.
However, every case is unique and I always recommend applicants to bring more than they ask for.
I've seen many interviews not get approved on the spot
just because the applicant didn't bring a document that the immigration officer asked for.
The immigration officer will then send you an N-14 (Request for Evidence) form
if they want additional documents that you didn't have during the interview.
Of course this just adds more time for you to get approved
and I'm sure you don't want that.
If you're not sure what other documents you need to bring, check out this video I've made.
Myth 02. USCIS will take away my green card or passport during the interview
No. USCIS does not take away your green card during the interview.
However, you need to bring your green card with you to the interview.
And they don't take away your passport at the interview or at the oath ceremony.
If you lost your green card before the interview,
make sure to file a police report and bring that with you.
USCIS will take away your green card during the oath ceremony
and give you the certificate of naturalization in return.
You can then use the certificate to apply for a U.S passport if you want to travel.
Myth 03. I only need to be married up until the interview for the three-year eligibility
In order to be eligible for the three-year marriage-based naturalization,
you must be married to your U.S citizen spouse
and live with your spouse during the entire naturalization process,
which means until the oath ceremony.
If at any point before the oath ceremony, you get divorced or separated,
you will no longer be eligible under the three-year marriage-based route.
And you must withdraw your application.
Luckily, you can reapply when you meet the five-year eligibility.
Myth 04. I don't need to mention my traffic tickets during the interview
The N-400 application does not specifically ask about traffic tickets.
However, question 23 asks
"Have you ever been arrested, cited, or detained by any law enforcement officer for any reason?"
A traffic ticket is a citation
and therefore if you've had a traffic ticket, you've been cited.
So, you should answer "Yes" to question 23.
Most traffic tickets will not affect your eligibility for U.S. citizenship
and there's no reason to hide that information.
However, your application can be denied if you lie on the application form.
So don't do it.
Some of you may have heard that if your traffic ticket is less than $500, you don't have to mention it.
That's actually not true.
The instruction states that you don't need to submit documentation if it's less than $500,
but you still need to report it.
If you have a traffic ticket regardless of how much it is,
you should answer "Yes" to question 23.
Some of you might have answered this question incorrectly when filling out the application.
There's no need to freak out.
Here's what you need to do.
Contact your local DMV for a copy of the traffic ticket
and check your bank account statement or credit card statement for proof that you've paid it.
Make sure to resolve all traffic tickets and bring all supporting documents to the interview.
And I suggest you to bring all supporting documents with you even if your tickets are less than $500.
Myth 05. I can use an interpreter because I don't speak English very well
Having the ability to speak and understand English is one of the requirements to pass the U.S naturalization interview.
You don't have to be perfect in English,
but you have to be able to understand what the immigration officer asks
and carry on a basic conversation.
You can have an interpreter only if you meet the English exemption requirements,
which require you to be older than a certain age and be a green card holder for a certain amount of time.
You can check out more information about the exemption using this link.
And I'll also add it in the video description.
Myth 06. There are two Civics test versions and I can choose which version to study
As of now, everyone has to take the 2008 version of the Civics test.
There was a 2020 version for a brief time, however USCIS phased it out in April 2021.
I'll add the link to the official USCIS announcement in the description.
Myth 07. The Civics test is multiple choice
There are a lot of apps out there helping applicants to study the Civics test.
However, a lot of them are multiple choice.
This is not the format during the interview.
During a naturalization interview, the immigration officer will ask you the question orally
and you have to respond with the correct answer.
It is not multiple choice.
And if you need help studying with the Civics test,
check out this video where I organize the questions by group.
It's very helpful.
Myth 08. I cannot travel abroad after submitting my application
The short answer is you can travel abroad.
Just make sure to keep track of the dates and update the immigration officer during the interview.
Any trip over 24 hours overseas has to be reported.
Remember though, you still need to meet the continuous residence and physical presence requirements.
If your upcoming travel plans will put you over the requirement,
then I suggest you to delay that trip until after your interview.
And don't forget that your green card has to be valid
or you may have issues returning to the U.S.
You don't want that.
Myth 09. If each international trip was less than six months, my application will not be denied
Remember, there are two requirements you need to meet,
physical presence and continuous residence, in order to apply for the N-400
Physical presence requires an applicant to have been physically present in the United States
for at least half the time for which his or her continuous residence is required.
So if you're applying under the 5-year eligibility,
you need to be here in the U.S for at least 30 months.
And if you're applying under the 3-year eligibility,
you need to be in the U.S for at least 18 months.
This means if all of your trips were less than six months per trip
but you were outside of the U.S for more than half the time,
your application form could be denied.
And you have to meet both requirements throughout the application process until the oath ceremony.
If you're still confused about the requirements,
make sure to check out this USCIS link.
Myth 10. "A decision cannot be made" means there are issues with my application
At the end of your naturalization interview,
the immigration officer will give you the N-652 "Naturalization interview results" paper
In the middle of the form, there are two options.
First, "Congratulations! Your application has been recommended for approval."
That's the option that all of you hope for at the interview.
However, some of you might get the second option, which is
"A decision cannot be made"
If you get that, does it mean that your application has issues?
Well, it depends.
If the immigration officer requests certain documents during the interview
and you don't have them, like your tax transcripts,
then the immigration officer will send you a "Request for Evidence" notice
and ask you to send in additional supporting documents.
As I mentioned in the beginning of the video,
you can avoid this delay by bringing all of your documents with you to the interview.
In most cases, "a decision cannot be made" just means
that the immigration officer needs a supervisor to do a final quality check
to make sure everything is correct before the final approval.
This is a common practice and most likely you will receive your oath ceremony notice within a week or two.
All right, I hope this video helps you.
Do you have any questions about the Naturalization interview?
Leave me a comment and I will see you next time.
Take care. Bye!