Citizenship Process HELP!!!!

[Sassikhan]

What is the name of your state? California

Hi, I'm living in Orange County, California for about 4 & half or five years, I'm a permanent Resident, In December 2007, It will be 5 years for me living in US. During these 5 Years in US, I have only been out of US 2 times. 1st trip was on year 2005 for about 2 months and the 2nd trip was about 5 and half months...My 2nd trip was from March till August of 2007...During my 2nd Trip to my Country Pakistan I got married. On my First trip to Pakistan I got my Marriage paperwork Done(so the immigration process will begun) ...And I filed I130-Immigration petition For Relative, Fiance Or Orphan, back in 2005. Now I want to file for my Citizenship. I know we can Apply 90 days in advance before I can meet the "continuous resident" requirement...but my question is Can we go Back to our country after filing for Citizenship...after we get our finger prints done....and wait for the call for citizenship outh while we are in our country.....I really want to go sine I miss my Husband soo much....I know to keep the continuous resident status we have to be in US More than 2 and half years...but its kind of hard to know this rule...plz help me understand what to do...I'm soo confuse...I want Citizenship...but I want to go back and live with my husband also... PlZ Help me

 

[ImmigAttyLana]

You can leave the US once you file for citizenship but you cannot stay outside the US for too long otherwise you may not be eligible for naturalization at the time of the interview.

 

[Sassikhan]

Thx

so, U mean that I can Apply for Citizenship and can go back to my country...and come back when they call me???if its possible thats great...but can you help me really understand the continuous resident" requirement????

 

[ImmigAttyLana]

No, I did not say that you can stay in your home country the entire time between the filing and the interview, since there is no way to know how long that period would be. I said you can travel internationally but not stay outside the US for extended period of time.

 

[Sassikhan]

Hmn

Well Thank You very Much For your Help....I have My Cousin Wedding coming up in December in my home country Pakistan...I want to Attend the Wedding Also...so U think I am able to go for about 15 days for her wedding?... I know I'm asking to many questions...But Thanks for all the Information and help you are giving me....

 

[ImmigAttyLana]

Yes, 15 days, certainly is fine. Going for several months is NOT advisable.

 

[Sassikhan]

I have 1 more question....

Now i have filed for my citizenship....its Been almost more than 10 days...my question is can my husband come to USA on V Visa...for few months....or longer...etc. Apply for a extinction for his stay in US....he have a good job in Pakistan...and he owned pretty good property in Pakistan...so getting the V visa in my opinion will have no problem...but because i already filed I-130 for him...can he still come and it wont effect the Application status???....

if so do i have to go to the INS office and apply form USA for v Visa...thanks

 

[ImmigAttyLana]

A V visa is only an option if you had filed the I-130 on his behalf prior to December 21, 2000. Is that the case? If not, there is no possibility of a V visa.

Please let me know if you have any additional questions or how I can be of further assistance to you in this matter.

 

[Sassikhan]

Hmn...

can he come to USA On Any visa then...etc Visitor Visa??? or any other option....I feel so lonely with out him..or is their any other option....going back to my country may be....or i just have to wait in USA...and this seems I'm waiting forever....

 

[Sassikhan]

Me Again!!!

Hi,
Its me again....I have been waiting for my receipt to come.....but apparently USCIS is saying that they are having receipt delays not only that but the naturalization process will take up to 16-18 months....now what i do???? wait!!!!I can stay for few more weeks not years????

what do you suggest I could do??? Should I file I-131 or N 470???? cAN i do that???....is their any way to preserve the years i have spent in united stats??? so i will qualify for citizenship??? help plz help I'm confuse????

 

[ImmigAttyLana]

Don't panic. The receipt notice will come and the naturalization process should not take that long just because the receipt notice issuance may be delayed. You don't need any special travel document to depart the US if you still have your green card. You can depart the US for several weeks but I would not suggest doing that until after you are fingerprinted.

 

[Sassikhan]

I really appreciate your help...However, I have few more questions...I have talked to the Information lady who is in the USCIS office in California in the Santa Ana Office...she said I can stay out of US if it is an Emergency with out any documentation for about 6 months, if i stayed longer than 6 months its questionable...but if I stayed for more than a year then I lose my "continue residential status"...hmn but my question is why r u suggesting not more than few months???I also asked that lady about the way I could make my case faster...and she stayed yes but I don't suggest that option..because the back ground check still going to take its time...my second question is Is their any thing we can do to make my background check faster???...I suggest I'm asking this question because I have been a student all this time...And haven't done any serious jobs may be these things makes my back ground check a little longer???

 

[evcalyptos]

I really appreciate your help...However, I have few more questions...I have talked to the Information lady who is in the USCIS office in California in the Santa Ana Office...she said I can stay out of US if it is an Emergency with out any documentation for about 6 months, if i stayed longer than 6 months its questionable...but if I stayed for more than a year then I lose my "continue residential status"...hmn but my question is why r u suggesting not more than few months???I also asked that lady about the way I could make my case faster...and she stayed yes but I don't suggest that option..because the back ground check still going to take its time...my second question is Is their any thing we can do to make my background check faster???...I suggest I'm asking this question because I have been a student all this time...And haven't done any serious jobs may be these things makes my back ground check a little longer???

You are just going to have to make some bigger picture decisions here, Sassikhan! If you leave the US for more than 6 months (and I would not even flirt with coming very close to that) you will break your eligibility for naturalization altogether and your application comes to a stop for 5 years.
Plan a trip to Pak for less than 6 months and be ready to come back immediately if you get a notice for an interview. Don't leave until after you've had your biometrics taken. They will complete the namecheck before scheduling your interview.
After your interview, you've then got to wait for the oath ceremony and THEN you can upgrade the petition for your husband.

The waits are going to be long for him.. men from Pakistan are having VERY long security checks right now and there is NOthing you can do about that. You can stay in Pak for as long as you like AFTER you are a citizen. Keep your eye on the big picture.

 

[Sassikhan]

I received my receipt this Saturday December 1st,2007.
I am Happy that their is some progress going on now...but I haven't received my Fingerprint notice...so I called them yesterday..USCIS customer services....I also checked my status online...but on the phone the told me that on December 3rd,2007 they have put my request for fingerprints in the computer but have not yet have a Date for me to schedule my fingerprints...due to long number of people they said I should wait till April??? Does that sound right?? ..or I should expect them to send me my fingerprint notice with in 1 month???

any comment will be appreciated

I also wanted you people to know how I'm doing in my case

 

[evcalyptos]

Glad to hear some news!

Your biometrics --should--be scheduled within a month, but this will depend on your Local Office schedule. Most of the biometrics letters I've seen over the past year are generated about a week after the receipt, but again, this depends on how busy YOUR office is. I don't think you will have to wait until April for your fingerprinting appointment.