rpjs

Just got the date and time for my oath ceremony, 10.00am next Friday at the US Southern District Courthouse in Manhattan.

My wife would like to accompany me, but is unsure if she should request a full or half day off from work. She'd need for everything to be over by 12.30pm to be able to get to work for her afternoon class. Is it reasonable to expect the whole shebang to be done in two and a half hours or should we plan to take off the whole day?

Rete

That's where Jim had his oath ceremony. Depending on the number of people, we had a full house, and it was over about 12:30 1:00. Most of the time is taken up with handing in your green card, checking over your naturalization certificate and signing it and then filing into the courtroom for the ceremony. Our judge was quick and we didn't have to sit through the customary Presidential speech welcoming you to the US or a lot of speeches from other people. One clerk told us it was because the Judge was running behind and likes his liquid lunch. Not kidding.

rpjs

Ah, yeah that sounds like NYC!

Thanks Rete, I was sort of hoping/expecting you'd have an idea at least!

So probably best to assume she won't be guaranteed to be back at EF (Marymount) by 2pm then.

Rete

Well the last part of the ceremony is you having your picture taken with the judge, we weren't allowed to do that, applying for your passport, etc. If she just wants to see you take the oath, she can cut out asa that is over, grab a subway to Grand Central and then the train. Of course, if you are driving down (which you really shouldn't as parking is a bitch in Foley Square), you both can head out asa you are called up and handed your certificate.

civilservant

So presumably this has been updated to have Trump giving the speech. Might give it a miss for 4 (hopefully not 8) years.

DottM

I was just thinking it would be a positive to have Trump performing the welcome opposed to the alternative!

deadshoppingmalls

Yeah...we're due for naturalization in 2021...probably going to skip it if it's Trump or Pence still in power

Rete

Seems like a silly reason not to naturalize. It isn't like the monarchy where the president stays in office for a lifetime. At least as a USC you can vote for your choice of a candidate.

tom169

To a lot of people that's a reason to speed up naturalizing.

deadshoppingmalls

ahh but it's a timing issue

Next election is November 2020...so what will happen will happen regardless. Will make a decision after that depending on what happens.

That said - we live in Texas, so our vote against the Red Team will literally not matter anyway.

civilservant

Georgia here. So yeah.... pretty much the same.

gad33

At my ceremony a couple of months ago, it was the head of the DHS. So maybe he was the first one they found who would do the welcome spiel.