View Full Version : Friend applied for citizenship-never took oath?
My very best friend is going through an ordeal right now. Here's her situation:
She came to the US at the Age of 3-her aunt and legal guardian petitioned for her and she became a permanent resident.
In 1996, when she was about 22 years old, she filed the application for US Citizenship. It was approved for her to do the test. (She still has the proof of paying the application fee). She took the citizenship test and PASSED. (She has paperwork proving that she passed, too).
The only thing left for her to do was to take the oath for citizenship. Well, long story short, she was having personal issues in her life at that time and she put it aside and NEVER TOOK HER OATH FOR CITIZENSHIP.
About a year ago, she finally took it upon herself to complete the process she never finished when she was younger. She went to the USCIS office local here to us in Dallas, TX and was going to ask about the citizenship thing while she was there to renew her permanent resident card which had expired. The lady that helped her put in her Alien# in the system and she told her that she was not in their system. My friend found that very strange.?.?.? Then, she began wondering if it had anything to do with her application for citizenship 10 years earlier? What if they have it in their system that she IS a US citizen (although she never took the oath)?
What steps does she take to get to the bottom of this? Who can she call? What numbers? It's now 2008 and she says she just wants to get this over and done with. I told her I'd ask my buddy bud buds here at my most favorite place on the web :D.
Marie
01-08-2008, 03:07 AM
You would think that the alien number would still come up though.
The lady in Dallas couldn't help her figure it out?
aleful
01-09-2008, 01:12 PM
Lynette,
Did the lady try to type the number more than once? Sometimes people don't appear in a system due to typing errors. She should try again. Maybe she can also go to a local SS office and find out with her SS number how do they have her in the system. Do they have her only as a resident? I would think that. But anyway did she find out if she was required to take the test again since it has been 10 years? I have no clue if the test expires or if since she passed, she only needs the oath.
Lynette,
Did the lady try to type the number more than once? Sometimes people don't appear in a system due to typing errors. She should try again. Maybe she can also go to a local SS office and find out with her SS number how do they have her in the system. Do they have her only as a resident? I would think that. But anyway did she find out if she was required to take the test again since it has been 10 years? I have no clue if the test expires or if since she passed, she only needs the oath.
Actually, I ate lunch with her yesterday and she mentioned that. She remembered about the "not finding her in the system dilema at USCIS" when she went to the Social Security office to replace her SS card (she had lost it). Well, her Alien card was expired and because she wasn't found in the system that one day she went to the USCIS office, she wondered if they made "the mistake" of having her in the system as a US citizen already so she tried to get a replacement card and said she was a citizen. This was last year. A nice lady helped her and said that it still showed up in THEIR system that she was a Permanent Resident and that if she was a citizen she needed to bring her Naturalization certificate.
Then I saw this post. How ironic. So, you're saying that the social security records are linked to USCIS records? If so, then maybe it WAS a typo. She wants to call them today but doesn't know which number to call.
Marie
01-09-2008, 01:40 PM
I don't think the SS office and USCIS are linked.
She definitely needs to find something because if she is a citizen, she'll need her certificate. She'll probably have to file to get a replacement.
she wondered if they made "the mistake" of having her in the system as a US citizen already so she tried to get a replacement card and said she was a citizen.
Are you saying she went to the USCIS and they told her she was a citizen?
Are you saying she went to the USCIS and they told her she was a citizen?
No, they couldn't even find her in the system. But when she went for a replacement SS card, she said she was a citizen (in case it was in the system wrong). The reason she did that was because we both have a mutual friend that went to get her driver license 3 years ago. First she went for her test. Then as she was in line to take the driving test, they sent her home to come back the next day. She never went back in time. Turns out she got her DL in the mail anyway! Unrestricted as if she TOOK the driving test! So, she remembered that situation as she went to the SS office cuz her alien card was expired anyway, and that's what they told her. That their records say she is still a permanent resident. Very confusing, this whole situation! :)
And she says she shouldn't be a citizen because she never took the oath, so it's all up in the air. She needs a number to call or something.
aleful
01-09-2008, 05:41 PM
Marie,
They are somewhat linked, in order to verify the documents that you present at the window are real. For example, if you have your work permit and you go to get your SS number, they have to check in their system sent by immigration that you have been approved to grant you a SS number. And when you get your GC, immigration will send them the information that now you are a LPR. It happened to me. Since I knew that it takes around 2 to 3 weeks to get the information in the system, when I got my GC I went back to the SS office to have them give me the GC without the legend. I waited 2 months just in case to go to the office, when I got inside the office, the person told me that immigration hadn't sent them the update that now I was a LPR (Miami) so they couldn't send me the new SS card. They gave me a paper stating that I had requested a new card and that when their system was updated, they would mail me the card. Less than 2 weeks later, I got the card in the mail. They told me that immigration lacks personnel and that's what delayed their receiving the information.
Marie
01-09-2008, 05:52 PM
Wow, how times advance I guess.
Lynette, I would tell her to call the USCIS or go back to the window. I really think they would still have record of her, even as an LPR. I don't think they delete you once you become a USC. There has to be SOME record of her.
Also, tell her to call her senators, maybe they can help.
aleful
01-09-2008, 06:07 PM
Lynette,
Did she go to the USCIS office without an appointment? If so, maybe this time she could try the INFOPASS and make an appoitment. INFOPASS is to check the status of applications and petition, so maybe she can make an appointment via Internet and then ask all the questions she needs and I hope they can give her an answer.
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