Well it's taken me over a month and a half to finally sit down and post my interview experience in Los Angeles, and I figure that it's now or never because I'm sure I've already forgotten some of the small details.

What prompted me to do this now is the fact that tomorrow I am going to become a US citizen finally!!

I am attending a ceremony in Montebello at Quiet Cannon (whatever on earth that is) at 2pm.

I'm really not 100% sure what to expect. I want to get there early and its supposed to be raining tomorrow which always causes havoc in LA. Don't know why I am being sent there and not LACC, but its a smaller ceremony so hopefully shorter and quicker!

If anyone has any experience at Montebello, I'd love to hear. Also, if anyone has any experience dealing with corrections on their certificates, or name changes that would be great to learn about too.

Interview Report from 12/23/2009

So, my interview took place in Los Angeles, downtown on 12/23. I thought that perhaps before the holidays it might be a little quieter, but really wasn't sure what to expect.

My appointment was for 11am and I got there very early. I took the metro downtown so that I didn't have to worry about parking and by the time I got through security, which was superfast, I was in the waiting room about 30-40 minutes before my scheduled time. The room was pretty full, with maybe about 75-100 people waiting.

On a random side note, I had no problem taking my cell phone and blackberry in with me. Both have the ability to take photos, and I did have to show them when I went through security, but this wasn't a big deal. I did read that you shouldn't have it on you, so I made sure not to take them out once I was in the waiting room, although there were other people who were sitting talking on their phones, very loudly and rudely I might add.

I checked in and took a seat and drank a cup of coffee and read the magazine that I'd brought with me.

They seemed to be taking in people pretty frequently, but some officers who came to call folks definitely looked happier than others and some looked outright grumpy and miserable and I hoped I didn't get one of those.

I became impatient, of course, even though I tried to remain calm and patient, but it was 10:45am, and then it was 11 and then 11:15 and then 11:45, and so on and so on. At this point I can't remember exactly how long I sat there, possibly close to or over 90 minutes. Of course drinking the water and coffee while I waited wasn't the best idea, but I was so scared to leave to go to the rest room in case I was called.

I went to ask the woman if she had an idea when I'd be called, only to see if I had some time to run to the restroom, but she was rude and said if they called me and I wasn't there, then I wasn't there and they'd take someone else.

Part of my frustration was that a lawyer arrived with a client who was in a wheelchair. He arrived about 20-30 minutes after I did and announced that his client had an 11am appointment. After about 10-15 minutes he was called and about 15 minutes later I saw them leaving the interview. It was hard not to be frustrated because my appt time was the same as his clients, and I'd been there 30 minutes earlier than them. Just kept telling myself to stay calm and be patient.

Every time the door opened, my heart jumped as I waited to see if they'd call my name.

Eventually I decided I needed to use the restroom and if I wasn't the next person called I was going to leave - and well what do you know, I heard my name.

I told the officer as we walked how lucky I felt that I hadn't left for the bathroom and he was so kind and sweet and offered to let me go while he waited for me - hell no!! There was no way I wasn't going anywhere but to the interviewing room with him. My bladder could wait. He said it wouldn't take very long.

I sad down in his office a little nervous, mostly because I didn't know how to approach the fact that I didn't declare my traffic tickets on my application and I wasn't sure how my past arrest was going to fare during the interview.

I knew the 3 rules of interviewing from this forum and knew that I absolutely shouldn't answer anything other than the question being asked and to try use "yes" or "no" as much as possible.

No dice with this interviewer - he was super friendly and chatty and was asking me a million and one, completely random and unrelated questions. He asked me where I was from and when I said South Africa originally, he had a whole bunch of questions for me, asking me about South African golfers - I kid you not. It was so hard to not engage in conversation, because I really didn't want to be rude before my interview had really started.

Finally we begun and he asked me to read a sentence (can't remember what now, of course) - then he asked me to write something down.

Then we discussed my arrest - he wanted to see paperwork to show that all the charges had been dropped and I hoped what I had was sufficient, which it was. I had submitted copies with my application, but he said he needed the originals, so I gave them to him. I stupidly didn't have any other copies of those documents (which I'd paid for frm the courts) but he kindly took my copies out of my file and gave them to me in exchange for the originals.

Then I brought up the traffic tickets, because he didn't ask if there was anything missing, etc - he didn't even care, and didn't want to see any of the paperwork I'd brought it. He said they only care if there is an outstanding warrant and then proceeded to tell me a long and scary story about a man he knew who was thrown in jail on a Friday over an old warrant and stuck there over the weekend, and ended up being raped, and on and on, and I thought this awful story would never end. Back to the bottom line - he didn't care about traffic tickets. YMMV.

He gave me back my driver's licence and passport and asked me if I wanted to change my name. (more details on that in another thread: http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=648711)
Short story on the name change is that despite having changed my name with SSA and DMV, etc - he said I needed to do it with them. I applied in my married name originally and my GC was in my maiden name. The result is he ended up changing my name in their system from what it should have been and currently is, to what it used to be.

Eventually it was all over, and all I could think about what, what about the questions??? I'd been studying and studying and studying and studying, and he didn't ask me a single one. The paperwork he'd given me saying I'd been approved even said I'd passed the test, which I hadn't taken.
He stood up to walk me out, and I didn't know what to do. I didn't want my interview being dismissed over a technicality later, so I spoke up and asked him.

So I asked him and he said, "I didn't give them to you?? Oh, wait, let me see...." and then said that this was the second interview today that he'd forgotten to do the questions. Really? wow - well no wonder since he was asking me about everything but myself and my application.

He got out a sheet and asked me the following:

1. What is the name of the national anthem?
2. How old do you need to be to vote?
3. What rule of the law?
4. What is the name of the ocean on the West Coast?
5. What happened 9/11/2001?
6. Why does the flag have 13 stripes?

If you're still reading this, thanks so much for baring with me for this long and detailed report. Hoping this will help others who don't know what to expect the same way I appreciated reading everyone else's reports, stories and experiences.

Thanks for listening!! and for all the support over the past few months!

What a great write up!! Thanks for sharing. Good luck at the ceremony tomorrow...looking forward to reading about that, too.

Rene

What an awesome read! As Noorah said - thanks for sharing and congratualtions!

It's all over!!!! I'm a brand new United States Citizen!!! Wooooo hoooooo

Yay!

Congratulations!!

Congratulations! Terrific news!

Ian

Have you got the big Star Spangled Banner just inside you front door yet, or maybe hanging out your window? If not, that should be top of your list!

Congratulations!

Yahoo...congratulations, and welcome to American Citizenship with all its ins and outs.

Well done hollywoodgirl! (and thanks for the roller coaster ride).

Congratulations, hollywoodgirl!

Now don't forget your 3 to-dos..
Register to Vote
Apply for your US passport
Update your status at the Social Security office

congratulations HOLLYWOODGIRL
(ps thanks for your advice aswell)