毛主席说：“犯了错误不要紧，改了就是好同志。”
在 I-485 的填表中，有一问：
"1. Have you ever, in or outside the United States:
b. been arrested, cited, charged, indicted, fined or imprisoned for breaking or violating any law or ordinance, excluding traffic violations?"
在回答这个问题时，有两个要点得注意：
1) 只要是被捕过，不问原因，也不计后果；
2) 只要是被捕过，不管是在美国，还是其它地方。
对于点一，如：
有的男同学冲动之下，扇了太太一耳光。后来法官也没有深究。
有的小同学在商店里看到了好的玩意儿，就揣进了兜里。法官念其年幼，就把材料都封了。
尽管如此，这两位同学在这里还是要答 "Yes". 虽然会有面试，总比因 mispresentation 而被拒了好。
虽然有过被捕的记录，并不意味着 I-485 就批不了，公民转不成。
法庭的文件说 discharge 了，还要答 Yes 吗？
-- 无论是 conditional discharge 还是 absolute discharge，都不改变曾经被捕过的事实。
我的 charge 被 dismiss 掉了，还要答 Yes 吗？
-- Yes.
我被告知 arrest record 已经 expunge 了，也要答 Yes 吗？
-- Yes.
对于点二，在美国以外的地方有了记录，FBI 能否查到？
虽然没有确切的根据，窃以为是查不到的。因为国与国的这种普通的信息没有共享，除非是你的行为太出格了，比如说遭到了国际刑警组织的通缉。
有的同学担心呀，那天超速拿了张罚单，或是停车过时。
－－这些都在 "excluding" 中。
I-485 中还有类似的一问：
"2. Have you received public assistance in the United States ..."
有位女同学就愁上了，生小宝宝的时候用过 WIC, 会不会就因此成为了公众负担？
没有。这位女同学都不必答 'Yes', 所有象这样的临时性的补助。
下面所列的都不算（不限于此）：
Medicaid, CHIP, prenatal care
Food Stamps, WIC, school meals
原则有二：
1) 没有接受现金 CASH WELFARE（如 SSI,TANF）；
2) 非长期 long-term
就不是 public charge.
另外，依附人即使接受了现金福利，但该福利不是家庭的唯一收入，亦不算。
对于追求上进的同学来说，还有头疼的一问，那就是
"List your present and past membership in or affiliation with every ..."
填不填中共党员呢？
除非是确信你能蒙混过关，否则还是如实填写为好。党员不是被拒的理由，完全没有必要茶饭不思，大不了是面试，或是说明已不参加组织活动了。
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In July XXXX, the last year of my college education, the English Department of the University recommended me for Communist Party Membership. I decided to accept the invitation to join the Communist Party. I was awarded CP membership because I had been one of the best students in my class throughout my college life. In China, enrollment by CP is a reward for good performance, as well as for excellence in extra curricular activities and helping other students. CP membership makes it easier for a fresh graduate to get a good job in state-owned enterprises. So, in all my classmates’ minds, the recommendation for CP membership was not only recognition of excellent performance, but also would be a big help for job hunting after graduation. It was with the hope for a better job, that I accepted the recommendation and joined the CP before I left the University.
I have never been an active member of the CP, worked on any committee, attended any meetings or endorsed Chinese CP policies. In fact, I have just barely maintained the membership.During the first 3 years after my graduation my membership dues were deducted automatically from my pay check. After 1999, I stopped paying the CP membership dues and was thus been deprived of the membership 8 years ago.
上面谈的这几点，不仅是针对 I-485 的，也同样适用于申请公民。
附 录
[1] A QUICK GUIDE TO ‘PUBLIC CHARGE AND RECEIPT TO PUBLIC BENEFITS (10/18/99)
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★ 推荐阅读 ★
• 手把手帮着填 I-485 和 G-325A
Last Rvsd 12/18/09
