Smaug

Warning - this is a fairly lengthy write-up =)
tl;dr; Passed my Naturalization Interview - Ceremony tomorrow.

I met my now wife in person for the first time in 2003. In 2005 we were married. I had conditions removed in 2007. My 10 year GC was due to expire soon, and the fees were going up for the N-400 application. I had never been in a rush to naturalize, but decided last December that now was the time.

So, on 21st July 2017 I had my Naturalization Interview...

I took this day off work as the following week I was flying to NY and then taking a vacation to Maine.

I arrived smartly dressed around 8:45am at 6130 Tyvola Centre Drive in Charlotte, NC, and sat in the car for a little while composing myself. I started to give one last look through the question/answers for the test, but quickly put it down as I had mastered it all.
I had a folder stuffed with documents, passports, certificates, etc, and quite importantly the letter inviting me to the interview. My appointment time was 9:10am.

Upon entering the building around 9:00am I was immediately greeted at the door by 3 security officers who wanted my letter, and wrote something illegible on it. I set my folder down and got it for them. They had me go through the typical airport screening and then told me to go to Window 1 on the right side of the corridor, which was in a waiting room. I checked in there and was given a ticket number - stapled to my letter, and additional instructions on where to go next. Back out the same way, across the corridor and into another waiting room. There were 5-6 people sat there in a room designed to hold a hundred or so.

I resigned myself to waiting, watching TV, perking up and smiling every time someone came into the room. I counted at least two, maybe three officers working that day doing interviews. One was a very by-the-book but polite sounding man. Every so often he came in, went directly to the interviewee (I assume they look at the picture that’s on-file) introduced himself and invited them to follow him. There was no handshaking (at all, by anyone).

About an hour after my appointment time, my interviewer came to the room. She was Pamela T Williams. We made small talk as she escorted me through to the badge-only area (after fiddling to get her badge to work) and into her office. She asked me to remain standing and to set my folder down. She told me to raise my right hand. I immediately responded by asking her if this was a religious oath and she said no. I swore on oath and sat down.

Immediately following she asked if I had been out of the country since submitting my application. I told her that I had, and also had missed out on one of my trips in my application. I apologized for it, and brought up the hardcopy emails that had the correct dates, but she didn’t want to see them directly, and instead asked me for the dates. Despite giving the dates, she also wanted to know the duration (not sure why their computer can’t calculate it?). She didn’t ask for the reason for the trips, and wasn’t bothered at all by my oversight or the trips.

The reading test was “George Washington was the first President”.
The writing test? “Washington was the first President”. Success!
My aural and oral English were also fine.
Next was the 10 questions. I think these were the ones I had. Since I got them all correct, I only did 6.

1. How many amendments does the Constitution have?
2. Name one war fought by the United States in the 1900s.
3. The House of Representatives has how many voting members?
4. We elect a U.S. Representative for how many years?
5. In what month do we vote for President?
6. Who is the Chief Justice of the United States now?

She then moved on to review my application, and read over it all in detail and asked me every question on there. She made some corrections in red on it, and noted some things I had said verbally, such as not having any other children than what I had written down to support.

When she got to question 30.E. (Have you EVER Married someone in order to obtain an immigration benefit?) Since I was under oath, I paused, and said “Uhhh, wait a minute, technically I have, I married my wife after the K-1 Visa”. She then re-read it to herself and after showing her surprise at it, she said that the way it reads, it’s not very clear at all and needs rewriting, and that I was the first person to ever notice that!

There were no questions about Selective Service (I was beyond the age bracket)

In all, she made and marked up 6 corrections/annotations. She also had the cover letter I had written, and showed it to me and said she was submitting it as a supplement. She got me to sign a document affirming the red ink notes and the supplement.

Finally she told me that I had been successful! I was elated.
She wanted to know if I wanted to change my name - I declined.
She had a document that she wanted me to sign saying I would take the oath. She wanted to know if I was willing to take the Oath, and I said I was, but not with the religious part. She said that was fine, and handed it to me. Right there at the end was ‘so help me God’. I said that I’d like to cross that part off. She then apologized for forgetting it was there, and crossed the entire bottom line off! I told her I was fine with the preceding words, and she apologized again and asked that I write out the sentence myself, and initial it. (Good job I passed the reading and writing test earlier!)

She then picked a day on the calendar with me for the Ceremony (they do them Tues and Thurs). So I picked 1st August 2017, and she scheduled it for 9:30am.

She did need to get someone to review my application and her work on it before everything was finalized, so she escorted me back to the waiting room for about 20 minutes. On the way I asked her how many interviews a day she does, and it was 10. She said the ones that struggle with the English the most are ‘the Asians’, and that the longer/more difficult interviews are where there is a criminal history. She said my application was easy.

Then a different lady came out to say all was well, and she confirmed my appointment and gave me the printed letter to take to the ceremony, with instructions. She reminded me that I would have to declare any crimes committed, etc. between now and the Ceremony!


And that was that. Out the door!

A few things left:

• Attend the Oath Ceremony and receive my Certificate of Naturalization N-550.
• Apply for a US Passport.
• Update the SS office (need to wait at least ten days after the ceremony).
• Update my employer.
• Renew my driver’s license and remove the LPR restriction.
• Register to vote.

I have my Ceremony tomorrow - anyone (Charlotte NC in-particular!) have any tips? I'm going alone as the family is out of town.

Cheers, and good luck to everyone else still working on theirs!

Rete

No tip, but congratulations and love the write up.

Smaug

I keep my write-ups in a document dating back to the beginning. Funny how my writing style has changed (at least to me) over the years.

I figured including the detail would allow me to re-enjoy the memories, and would be good for my descendants to read, if they wanted to.

KK85

This is wonderful! Huge congratulations, and thank you for the detailed write-up. I agree - it will be a joy for your descendants to read one day!

MikeRenouf

Great Job, I've been in Savannah GA for 13 years on a green card and am planning on doing the citizenship soon. Good to get an insight.