Q: Applying for us citizenship. I received my green card through 601-a waiver. Do I need to disclose the waiver on n400?
Entered the country without authorization over 20 years ago and later received my green card through 601-a inadmissibility waiver in 2015. never arrested or charged by immigration or law enforcement. Do I need to disclose the inadmissibility waiver on my n400?
Lawyers, want to be a Justia Connect Pro too? Learn more ›
- (916) 704-3009
- View Profile
- Answered
A:
Yes, you need to disclose your I-601A waiver on Form N-400. The application specifically asks about prior immigration proceedings and waivers, and it's crucial to be completely truthful in your citizenship application. Providing false information or omitting important details could be considered fraud and might jeopardize your citizenship application.
Your situation of entering without authorization and later obtaining legal status through a waiver is not uncommon. Many successful citizens have followed this same path. The fact that you properly obtained your green card through the waiver process shows that you've already addressed this immigration violation appropriately.
The most important thing is to maintain your honesty throughout the naturalization process. Since you've never had any criminal issues and have held your green card for several years, the previous unauthorized entry - which was already forgiven through the waiver - should not prevent you from qualifying for citizenship. Just make sure to gather all documentation related to your waiver approval to include with your application if requested.
Justia Ask A Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get free answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask A Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between Justia and you, or between any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions and you, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask A Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises, or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
