N-400 Application: DONE & DUSTED!
Apr 24th 2007, 5:26 pm
#31
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Joined: Jun 2004
Location: Bath, UK ---> Indianapolis, IN
Posts: 371
Re: N-400 Application: DONE & DUSTED!
Just had my biometrics done.
The Indianapolis office seems to have upgraded since my fingerprints were last taken in Oct '05. Back then it was good old black ink and paper. Now they have fancy machines to scan each print digitally. I can just see my prints whizzing past the screen on CSI...
"Done & dusted" in less than 20 mins and got a nice study guide.
The Indianapolis office seems to have upgraded since my fingerprints were last taken in Oct '05. Back then it was good old black ink and paper. Now they have fancy machines to scan each print digitally. I can just see my prints whizzing past the screen on CSI...
"Done & dusted" in less than 20 mins and got a nice study guide.
May 1st 2007, 2:41 am
#32
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Joined: Jul 2002
Location: Richmond, VA, USA
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Re: N-400 Application: DONE & DUSTED!
I'm so glad it went smoothly and didn't get lost in the mail or something.Now we just need to make sure Mark gets THAT day off...
~ Jenney
May 10th 2007, 11:17 pm
#33
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Joined: Jun 2004
Location: Bath, UK ---> Indianapolis, IN
Posts: 371
Re: N-400 Application: DONE & DUSTED!
Just received my notice for interview on June 28!
Notice date is April 30, but the envelope contains 2 postal stamps, on the 2nd and 7th, and it arrived on the 10th. Looks like my background check was completed in a week unless they haven't finished it yet?
Notice date is April 30, but the envelope contains 2 postal stamps, on the 2nd and 7th, and it arrived on the 10th. Looks like my background check was completed in a week unless they haven't finished it yet?
May 11th 2007, 11:32 am
#34
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Joined: Mar 2004
Location: Massachusetts & formerly Turkey
Posts: 221
Re: N-400 Application: DONE & DUSTED!
James - When did you send your N-400 application in?
May 11th 2007, 2:44 pm
#35
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Location: Bath, UK ---> Indianapolis, IN
Posts: 371
May 11th 2007, 3:12 pm
#36
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Joined: Mar 2004
Location: Massachusetts & formerly Turkey
Posts: 221
Re: N-400 Application: DONE & DUSTED!
So that was pretty quick processing huh? Mid-March to a June interview! Congrats! Hope ours goes that quick when we apply in November!
May 13th 2007, 12:43 am
#37
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 307
Re: N-400 Application: DONE & DUSTED!
Well, the rescheduling request was signed for on April 21st, and today we received his new appointment time -- Wednesday, May 16th at 10am. Phew! I'm so glad it went smoothly and didn't get lost in the mail or something.
Now we just need to make sure Mark gets THAT day off...
~ Jenney
I'm so glad it went smoothly and didn't get lost in the mail or something.Now we just need to make sure Mark gets THAT day off...
~ Jenney
May 13th 2007, 1:31 am
#38
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Location: Richmond, VA, USA
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Re: N-400 Application: DONE & DUSTED!
Hi, Jenney, I went through the Norfolk office and they are fairly quick. It took me 7 months from start to finish (application sent Jan. 06 and oath ceremony was in mid-July 06). I had a name change, which held things up about a month or so, so your OH will probably have a quicker turnaround. Good luck!!
I'm very hopeful that within the next 3-4 months Mark will get his interview date. I see that you're in Hampton Roads -- where did your oath ceremony take place?
~ Jenney
May 14th 2007, 4:56 pm
#39
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Joined: Feb 2006
Location: Missouri
Posts: 238
Re: N-400 Application: DONE & DUSTED!
Wow, I can hardly believe it, but we sent off Mark's N-400 application in the mail today. 
Even MORE unbelievablly, I only posted ONE question about it before completing and compiling everything before mailing it!
Pretty amazing, huh?
If you're wondering -- Rete, Meauxna, et al -- yes, I was highly anal-retentive when putting everything together. Naturally, Mark didn't do anything except get his photos taken -- after much nagging, of course -- and sign the application and cover letter. But being the control freak that I am, I feel very confident that everything is in order. If I had left it to him, it wouldn't get done any time soon, that's for sure!
I probably submitted too much documentation, but as always, I wanted to be thorough. For those who are interested, below is a list of what was included in Mark's N-400 packet. Anything with an asterisk (*) was required per the N-400 instructions. If it says "Copies of..." that means one copy for each year stated, not copies for each month of each year stated (even I'm not THAT bad!):
Cover letter
N-400 Application*
Check for $400 ($330 application fee, $70 biometrics fee)*
IDENTIFICATION & PERMANENT ADDRESS DOCUMENTATION
Two passport-sized color photographs of Mark*
Copy of Mark's Permanent Residence Card (front & back)*
Copies of Mark & Jenney's Virginia driver licenses
MARITAL DOCUMENTATION
Copy of spouse Jenney's U.S. birth certificate*
Copy of current marriage certificate*
Copy of divorce certificate proving termination of spouse Jenney's prior marriage*
JOINT TAX RETURN DOCUMENTATION
Copy of first page of our 2006 joint tax return (electronically filed in March 2006)*
Official IRS tax transcripts of our 2005, 2004 and 2003 joint tax returns*
JOINT DOCUMENTATION
Copy of our consumer loan agreement (2007)
Copy of our auto loan agreement (2004)
Copies of USAA checking account statements (2007, 2006, 2005, 2004)
Copies of ING Savings Account online statements (2007, 2004)
Copy of our United Health medical insurance cards
Copies of auto insurance policy, showing both names (2007, 2004)
Copies of our apartment leases (2007, 2005, 2003)
Copies of our auto registration cards (2007, 2006)
Copy of Dominion Virginia Power bill (2006)
Copy of Spring Long Distance phone bill (2003)
On the upper right-hand corner of each copy I put a sticker that said, "N-400 Application / Mark [Surname] / A# 123456789" printed in red ink. I also highlighted our names, address and dates on each document as well to make it easier for them to find the information quickly. I tried to mostly include documentation that we've collected since last year, since Mark's I-751 application was submitted in April 2006. I did throw in a couple of things I found from earlier on, like the Sprint bill from 2003.
Anyway, it's finally done and in the mail. The cool thing is that it's almost exactly four years to the day from when Mark got his K1 visa -- March 24, 2003. We didn't plan it that way, it just happened that way.
I'm sure I'll post updates as they come along. Wish us luck!
~ Jenney
Even MORE unbelievablly, I only posted ONE question about it before completing and compiling everything before mailing it!
Pretty amazing, huh?If you're wondering -- Rete, Meauxna, et al -- yes, I was highly anal-retentive when putting everything together.
Naturally, Mark didn't do anything except get his photos taken -- after much nagging, of course -- and sign the application and cover letter. But being the control freak that I am, I feel very confident that everything is in order. If I had left it to him, it wouldn't get done any time soon, that's for sure! I probably submitted too much documentation, but as always, I wanted to be thorough. For those who are interested, below is a list of what was included in Mark's N-400 packet. Anything with an asterisk (*) was required per the N-400 instructions. If it says "Copies of..." that means one copy for each year stated, not copies for each month of each year stated (even I'm not THAT bad!):
Cover letter
N-400 Application*
Check for $400 ($330 application fee, $70 biometrics fee)*
IDENTIFICATION & PERMANENT ADDRESS DOCUMENTATION
Two passport-sized color photographs of Mark*
Copy of Mark's Permanent Residence Card (front & back)*
Copies of Mark & Jenney's Virginia driver licenses
MARITAL DOCUMENTATION
Copy of spouse Jenney's U.S. birth certificate*
Copy of current marriage certificate*
Copy of divorce certificate proving termination of spouse Jenney's prior marriage*
JOINT TAX RETURN DOCUMENTATION
Copy of first page of our 2006 joint tax return (electronically filed in March 2006)*
Official IRS tax transcripts of our 2005, 2004 and 2003 joint tax returns*
JOINT DOCUMENTATION
Copy of our consumer loan agreement (2007)
Copy of our auto loan agreement (2004)
Copies of USAA checking account statements (2007, 2006, 2005, 2004)
Copies of ING Savings Account online statements (2007, 2004)
Copy of our United Health medical insurance cards
Copies of auto insurance policy, showing both names (2007, 2004)
Copies of our apartment leases (2007, 2005, 2003)
Copies of our auto registration cards (2007, 2006)
Copy of Dominion Virginia Power bill (2006)
Copy of Spring Long Distance phone bill (2003)
On the upper right-hand corner of each copy I put a sticker that said, "N-400 Application / Mark [Surname] / A# 123456789" printed in red ink. I also highlighted our names, address and dates on each document as well to make it easier for them to find the information quickly. I tried to mostly include documentation that we've collected since last year, since Mark's I-751 application was submitted in April 2006. I did throw in a couple of things I found from earlier on, like the Sprint bill from 2003.
Anyway, it's finally done and in the mail. The cool thing is that it's almost exactly four years to the day from when Mark got his K1 visa -- March 24, 2003. We didn't plan it that way, it just happened that way.
I'm sure I'll post updates as they come along. Wish us luck!
~ Jenney
Hi Jenney,
I sent my N400 in end Oct 05 and had the fingerprints in the Jan 06.Then had the interview May 11th (3 days before my 4th anniversary of moving here on K1)Then did the Oath Cermony on June 30th 06.
So timeline was not that bad.
Good luck with Mark's.
Take care.
May 15th 2007, 1:04 am
#40
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 307
Re: N-400 Application: DONE & DUSTED!
Thanks, and congratulations! We're going this coming Wednesday to get his biometrics done. I don't have to go with him, but seeing as I haven't taken any vacation since I started working at my new job last August, I thought I'd go ahead and use it for this!
I'm very hopeful that within the next 3-4 months Mark will get his interview date. I see that you're in Hampton Roads -- where did your oath ceremony take place?
~ Jenney
I'm very hopeful that within the next 3-4 months Mark will get his interview date. I see that you're in Hampton Roads -- where did your oath ceremony take place?
~ Jenney
. My oath ceremony was in downtown Norfok at the courthouse, which is only about 20 minutes away from where I live. I thought it would only take about an hour or so, but all in all, it took about 3 hours -- there were about 145 people taking the oath that day!!
May 17th 2007, 4:01 am
#41
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Joined: Jul 2002
Location: Richmond, VA, USA
Posts: 4,316
Re: N-400 Application: DONE & DUSTED!
So we went down to Norfolk today for Mark's biometrics. What a day -- the first slightly negative experience we've had since we started the K1 process back in 2002.
We arrived five minutes early, which was good because we accidentally went to the wrong location. We went to the same office where Mark has had all of his previous biometrics appointments, not realizing that the address was actually different from that on the appointment notice; an honest mistake. As we approached the building, the security guard pushes the door open and walks up to us, arms crossed, very bouncer-like. "What are you here for?" he scowled at us. Mark handed him the appointment notice, which he glanced at and then shoved back to Mark and sniped, "You're at the wrong place, look at the address on the form." Quite rude -- would it have been so hard to say, "Oh, you actually need to go to this other building, which you'll find by turning around here and going around the corner"??
So two minutes later we're at the correct building and go inside. The guy sitting at the desk at the entrance, again, wasn't exactly friendly. No "Good morning" or anything like that. "Do you have a cell phone on you?" was the first thing out of his mouth, which he directed at me for some reason. When I said I didn't, he shot me this really weird look, almost like he didn't believe me. He hands Mark a clipboard with a form on it, and tells us to sit down while Mark fills it out. There were two rows of chairs near the entrance which are sort of perpendicular to each other. We start heading towards one of the rows and the guy's like, "No, you have to sit HERE" and points to the other row of chairs, which is about 10 feet away from the ones we had been walking towards. Again, rude. Did I mention that NO ONE was sitting in ANY of the chairs, in either row? What difference did it make?!?
Mark fills out the form and hands it back to the entrance desk guy. The guy looks it over, gives Mark an annoyed look and asks, "Were you born in England or Scotland?" Mark said England, at which point the guy crossed out where Mark had written "United Kingdom" on the form (in a couple of places) and wrote "ENGLAND" in red ink. He then gave Mark the form back along with a ticket (#137) and told us to sit in the chairs located in the middle of the room. After we sat down, Mark said to me, "What if I had been born in Wales or Northern Ireland? What would he have done then?!" Good point.
When we sat down we saw that the current ticket being processed was #132, so Mark would be the fifth person called. There were two women doing fingerprints. When they were finished with each person, they'd press a button which made a buzzer sound and the ticket number would change. One woman had even numbers and the other odd numbers. They eventually got up to #136 when a third woman took the place of the odd-numbered lady. This new woman finished with #135 so Mark was perched on the edge of his chair to go up next. Only problem was, when she pushed the button the number went up to #138 -- they skipped Mark! Instead, a person who arrived about two minutes after we had went up to the fingerprinting counter.
I told Mark to go over there and tell them that their ticket number caller skipped #137 for some reason, but he wouldn't He decided to wait until the other even-numbered lady finished, because he thought his number would be called then. But was it? No -- it went up to #139. I told Mark he needed to tell someone, or else they would just accuse him of not paying attention and not going up when his number was called. So he went to the "receptionist desk" which is right there, only the receptionist guy (not to be confused with the rude entrance desk guy) wasn't there. Mark waited and waited, and finally someone came out (not the receptionist guy, though) and Mark told him that the ticket calling machine skipped his number. This guy told the new odd-numbered lady (who was finishing up with #138) that Mark "had missed his number" -- Mark quickly followed up by again saying that the ticket machine skipped his number, he didn't miss it -- and the lady said she would be with Mark in a minute.
Mark and I KNEW that she was going to be rude, we could just feel it. It was just that kind of day. And she didn't disappoint. When Mark was finally called up there, she said something like, "You should have come up when your number was called." He said, "My number wasn't called."
She then said, in a very sarcastic tone loud enough for everyone to hear, "Well, you need to pay more attention to what's going so you don't miss your number." At that point Mark said, "I DIDN'T miss my number, my number never came up..." and then he looked at me and mouthed "... for ****'s sake!"
It was the only bright point of the experience -- I couldn't help but bust out laughing!! Afterwards I told Mark that it instantly reminded me of David Brent in "The Office" when he first sees his chubby blind date in the pub. (See this clip at 0:18 if you need a reminder!)
Ten minutes later, we were out the door. Although the process itself was simple, we couldn't help but wonder why EVERY person we encountered had to be rude to us. It wasn't like the place was packed with people and screaming/crying children. There were like 15 people in there max at any one time. As Mark said to me as we were leaving, "A smile doesn't cost a thing -- would that have been so difficult for them?"
Anyway, another thing crossed off the list. Next stop, interview notice!
~ Jenney
We arrived five minutes early, which was good because we accidentally went to the wrong location. We went to the same office where Mark has had all of his previous biometrics appointments, not realizing that the address was actually different from that on the appointment notice; an honest mistake. As we approached the building, the security guard pushes the door open and walks up to us, arms crossed, very bouncer-like. "What are you here for?" he scowled at us. Mark handed him the appointment notice, which he glanced at and then shoved back to Mark and sniped, "You're at the wrong place, look at the address on the form." Quite rude -- would it have been so hard to say, "Oh, you actually need to go to this other building, which you'll find by turning around here and going around the corner"??
So two minutes later we're at the correct building and go inside. The guy sitting at the desk at the entrance, again, wasn't exactly friendly. No "Good morning" or anything like that. "Do you have a cell phone on you?" was the first thing out of his mouth, which he directed at me for some reason. When I said I didn't, he shot me this really weird look, almost like he didn't believe me. He hands Mark a clipboard with a form on it, and tells us to sit down while Mark fills it out. There were two rows of chairs near the entrance which are sort of perpendicular to each other. We start heading towards one of the rows and the guy's like, "No, you have to sit HERE" and points to the other row of chairs, which is about 10 feet away from the ones we had been walking towards. Again, rude. Did I mention that NO ONE was sitting in ANY of the chairs, in either row? What difference did it make?!?
Mark fills out the form and hands it back to the entrance desk guy. The guy looks it over, gives Mark an annoyed look and asks, "Were you born in England or Scotland?" Mark said England, at which point the guy crossed out where Mark had written "United Kingdom" on the form (in a couple of places) and wrote "ENGLAND" in red ink. He then gave Mark the form back along with a ticket (#137) and told us to sit in the chairs located in the middle of the room. After we sat down, Mark said to me, "What if I had been born in Wales or Northern Ireland? What would he have done then?!" Good point.
When we sat down we saw that the current ticket being processed was #132, so Mark would be the fifth person called. There were two women doing fingerprints. When they were finished with each person, they'd press a button which made a buzzer sound and the ticket number would change. One woman had even numbers and the other odd numbers. They eventually got up to #136 when a third woman took the place of the odd-numbered lady. This new woman finished with #135 so Mark was perched on the edge of his chair to go up next. Only problem was, when she pushed the button the number went up to #138 -- they skipped Mark! Instead, a person who arrived about two minutes after we had went up to the fingerprinting counter.
I told Mark to go over there and tell them that their ticket number caller skipped #137 for some reason, but he wouldn't He decided to wait until the other even-numbered lady finished, because he thought his number would be called then. But was it? No -- it went up to #139. I told Mark he needed to tell someone, or else they would just accuse him of not paying attention and not going up when his number was called. So he went to the "receptionist desk" which is right there, only the receptionist guy (not to be confused with the rude entrance desk guy) wasn't there. Mark waited and waited, and finally someone came out (not the receptionist guy, though) and Mark told him that the ticket calling machine skipped his number. This guy told the new odd-numbered lady (who was finishing up with #138) that Mark "had missed his number" -- Mark quickly followed up by again saying that the ticket machine skipped his number, he didn't miss it -- and the lady said she would be with Mark in a minute.
Mark and I KNEW that she was going to be rude, we could just feel it. It was just that kind of day. And she didn't disappoint. When Mark was finally called up there, she said something like, "You should have come up when your number was called." He said, "My number wasn't called."
She then said, in a very sarcastic tone loud enough for everyone to hear, "Well, you need to pay more attention to what's going so you don't miss your number." At that point Mark said, "I DIDN'T miss my number, my number never came up..." and then he looked at me and mouthed "... for ****'s sake!"
It was the only bright point of the experience -- I couldn't help but bust out laughing!! Afterwards I told Mark that it instantly reminded me of David Brent in "The Office" when he first sees his chubby blind date in the pub. (See this clip at 0:18 if you need a reminder!)Ten minutes later, we were out the door. Although the process itself was simple, we couldn't help but wonder why EVERY person we encountered had to be rude to us. It wasn't like the place was packed with people and screaming/crying children. There were like 15 people in there max at any one time. As Mark said to me as we were leaving, "A smile doesn't cost a thing -- would that have been so difficult for them?"
Anyway, another thing crossed off the list. Next stop, interview notice!
~ Jenney
May 17th 2007, 11:12 am
#42
Forum Regular
Joined: Mar 2004
Location: Massachusetts & formerly Turkey
Posts: 221
Re: N-400 Application: DONE & DUSTED!
Jenney -
I'm sorry for all the rude people you had to encounter during the appointment. It amazes me daily working in the federal building how the employees are treated so nicely by the security guards but if you go to the Immigration doorway the SAME security guards are being obnoxious and rude to those coming in for Immigration reasons. I am sure they deal with people who are incompetent every day but that is no reason to treat EVERYONE like they are incompetent.
Glad Mark's done with his biometrics and hopefully you guys can just look back and laugh at all the crap you've put up with once he's a citizen! Good luck with the rest of the process.
Allison
I'm sorry for all the rude people you had to encounter during the appointment. It amazes me daily working in the federal building how the employees are treated so nicely by the security guards but if you go to the Immigration doorway the SAME security guards are being obnoxious and rude to those coming in for Immigration reasons. I am sure they deal with people who are incompetent every day but that is no reason to treat EVERYONE like they are incompetent.
Glad Mark's done with his biometrics and hopefully you guys can just look back and laugh at all the crap you've put up with once he's a citizen! Good luck with the rest of the process.
Allison
Jun 28th 2007, 5:17 pm
#43
Member
Joined: Jun 2004
Location: Bath, UK ---> Indianapolis, IN
Posts: 371
Re: N-400 Application: DONE & DUSTED!
Just had my interview! Done & Dusted in 15 minutes 
He whizzed through the paperwork, and didn't even ask me for most of the paperwork I brought. The only things he wanted was my passport, driver license and green card.
I had to read a simple English sentence and write one. Then he verbally asked the 10 civics questions (and none of the hard ones!)
Sign here, there and somewhere else and done.
Oath ceremony in 3-4 months.
He whizzed through the paperwork, and didn't even ask me for most of the paperwork I brought. The only things he wanted was my passport, driver license and green card.
I had to read a simple English sentence and write one. Then he verbally asked the 10 civics questions (and none of the hard ones!)
Sign here, there and somewhere else and done.
Oath ceremony in 3-4 months.
Jun 30th 2007, 12:20 am
#44
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Joined: Dec 2002
Location: Ft Lauderdale, FL
Posts: 4,792
Re: N-400 Application: DONE & DUSTED!
Well done, did they not give you the option to wait for Oath ceremony appointment?
Reg. Frank R.
Reg. Frank R.
Jul 2nd 2007, 3:07 pm
#45
Member
Joined: Jun 2004
Location: Bath, UK ---> Indianapolis, IN
Posts: 371