AOS Are you a US Citizen Question

[Mischuboy]

Hi there
Thank you for all these great tips and answers in this forum. I was going through the AOS form and saw the question
?Have you ever said you were a US citizen?

I?m trying to understand this question more. Does this apply only to federal and state laws, and any government forms you use? Or does it refer to anything, even if it?s not governmental. I understand that if you sign I 9 to pretend to be a citizen, it will bar you for life. I?m just trying to understand what this question refers to. I never lied about being a citizen and I never ever used fraudulent papers and IDs. Thank you!!

[newacct]

Hi there
Thank you for all these great tips and answers in this forum. I was going through the AOS form and saw the question
?Have you ever said you were a US citizen?

I?m trying to understand this question more. Does this apply only to federal and state laws, and any government forms you use? Or does it refer to anything, even if it?s not governmental. I understand that if you sign I 9 to pretend to be a citizen, it will bar you for life. I?m just trying to understand what this question refers to. I never lied about being a citizen and I never ever used fraudulent papers and IDs. Thank you!!

The question says "Have you EVER falsely claimed to be a U.S. citizen (in writing or any other way)?" without any other conditions. So to be honest you should say Yes if you have ever claimed to be a citizen to anyone under any circumstance. However, the law says that you get a lifetime ban if you falsely claimed to be a citizen for any benefit under any federal or state law. So it doesn't have to be claimed to a government official for you to get this ban; it can be to anyone as long as it's for a benefit under some law. If you hypothetically only claimed to be a citizen to a random person on the street with for no benefit under any law whatsoever, you should still say Yes and explain it, and they won't deny you for having the ban.

[Mischuboy]

Thank you

Thank you for your response
I?m still a little bit confused
Would you mind listing examples of what kind of federal and state laws? Are they talking about divers license, bank accounts, government food stamps, I 9....
I mean by benefit do they mean a benefit from the state and/or government? That?s what you?re saying, right? Thank you!

[newacct]

Thank you for your response
I?m still a little bit confused
Would you mind listing examples of what kind of federal and state laws? Are they talking about divers license, bank accounts, government food stamps, I 9....
I mean by benefit do they mean a benefit from the state and/or government? That?s what you?re saying, right? Thank you!

Volume 8 Part K Chapter 2 section E of the USCIS Policy Manual discusses what purpose or benefit under any federal or state law means.

[ember]

Thank you for your response
I?m still a little bit confused
Would you mind listing examples of what kind of federal and state laws? Are they talking about divers license, bank accounts, government food stamps, I 9....
I mean by benefit do they mean a benefit from the state and/or government? That?s what you?re saying, right? Thank you!

You cannot say that you are a US citizen if you are not. This includes virtually everything that is not joking around with friends or something.

If you say it to ANY gov't official OR on ANY type of official form, it counts. Employment, social security, education, etc. etc.

You must not say or write that you are a US citizen, and you must not check any boxes on any forms stating that you are a US citizen.

Edited for clarification - added the word "OR"