Thoughts on how to proceed appreciated...

[garfield529]

I have my thoughts on this, but since I have gleaned a good amount of information over the last ~5 years I would like to hear what the experienced folks have to add. My wife is eligible to apply for naturalization as of last month. She has one year of her nursing program left and we originally had planned to move her naturalization along as quick as possible so that next December she would be an American applying for jobs and not an LPR. Now, her parents have also persuaded her to bring our son (2years old next summer) back to China to see family for at least a month. I won't be able to attend as I have a science conference during the same time period. With the need for a passport and visa for her, plus the change in attitude that China has seemed to mount again "new" Americans, I am wondering if we should just wait until she comes back from her trip to apply for naturalization?? I know that our son will need a passport and visa to travel. I just wonder which situation is going to create the least amount of grief. I appreciate your thoughts and suggestions. I hope that this has been clear. Thanks!

[dnoblett]

My wife waited until 4 years of residency before making the move.

 

Employers can care less if a person is a Citizen or LPR would only need to be employable which either status allows. I work for a local state college, one coworker I know is in charge of the Bursars office, she is a Canadian Citizen, been living in the USA on a green-card for at least 30 years.

 

I would probably hold off until after the trip home then file for naturalization, this would at least save her having to apply for a China visa this time around.

 

Yes son if is US citizen will need a passport, visa, and probably your permission to travel to China. The state department has safe guards in place that would need your permission for your son to get passport to be able to travel to China. See: http://travel.state.gov/abduction/prevention/prevention_560.html

[Randy W]

It's not clear that you need to be talking about any kind of "grief" anywhere, except for the cost of the visa, like Dan points out.

 

If you really want to hold off on her citizenship, you could wait until just before the trip to apply or after she gets back - your choice, depending on the length of the trip.

[garfield529]

It's not clear that you need to be talking about any kind of "grief" anywhere, except for the cost of the visa, like Dan points out.

 

If you really want to hold off on her citizenship, you could wait until just before the trip to apply or after she gets back - your choice, depending on the length of the trip.

Randy, my point of saying "grief" was in reference to any perceived difficultly that this might cause my wife with travelling back to China. I did not mean to imply anything else. As anyone who has gone through any immigration process has learned, the idea of grief was thrown out a long time ago and replaced with patience and determination to get what needs to be accomplished. Thanks.

[Randy W]

 

It's not clear that you need to be talking about any kind of "grief" anywhere, except for the cost of the visa, like Dan points out.

 

If you really want to hold off on her citizenship, you could wait until just before the trip to apply or after she gets back - your choice, depending on the length of the trip.

Randy, my point of saying "grief" was in reference to any perceived difficultly that this might cause my wife with travelling back to China. I did not mean to imply anything else. As anyone who has gone through any immigration process has learned, the idea of grief was thrown out a long time ago and replaced with patience and determination to get what needs to be accomplished. Thanks.

 

 

. . . and I was talking about that same level of "grief", myself. An American passport is unlikely to cause her ANY amount of grief, except for getting the visa. So it's simply a matter of which you'd choose to do first.

 

If it were me, I'd probably not put off the citizenship application, but there's really not much difference one way or the other, except for the visa.

[garfield529]

Okay, thanks for the input, this is helping us both to steer this last leg of the road home. Best.

[dnoblett]

Note, the only added grief for a former Chinese citizen would be having to send both US and Chinese passport in when applying for the first visa, they then use this info to revoke Chinese citizenship, they then cancel the Chinese passport.

 

They do raise hell if the Chinese passport is lost, damaged or destroyed before filing for the first visa to visit China.