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N-400 Post your individual journey please!

N-400 Post your individual journey please!

Old Aug 16th 2010, 5:50 pm
  #751  
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Default Re: N-400 Post your individual journey please!

Congratulations to everyone who passed! I have fingerprinting this afternoon.

Timeline so far:

7/08/2010 N-400 sent to Arizona
7/20/2010 Check cashed
7/21/2010 Email telling of USCIS acceptance of N-400
7/28/2010 NOA received by mail
8/16/2010 Fingerprinting at St Louis office
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Old Aug 17th 2010, 3:33 am
  #752  
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Default Re: N-400 Post your individual journey please!

One step closer......I am waiting for my interview date now....
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Old Aug 17th 2010, 9:05 pm
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Default Re: N-400 Post your individual journey please!

N-400 timeline:
August 09, 2010...Mailed N-400 USPS Express Mail to street address Phoenix
August 10, 2010...Delivery confirmed USCIS Phoenix USPS Express Mail
August 13, 2010...Check for $675.00 clears my bank (Friday the 13th ! oh no)
August 15, 2010...22.38PT - email receipt with case number (NBC*xxxxxxxxx)from USCIS
August 16, 2010...Case available on my account at USCIS - Initial Processing
August 17, 2010...Case 'touched' on my account at USCIS - Initial Processing
This is going too well - nobody gets a clear run...

By the way I have seen two shades of opinion:

A can't do the interview before the anniversary date
B Can't do the ceremony before the anniversary date

I am leaning towards B - and it could be that those who say A are at offices where the ceremony is done the same day.

Any thoughts ?

Alan
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Old Aug 17th 2010, 9:21 pm
  #754  
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Default Re: N-400 Post your individual journey please!

Originally Posted by exvj
N-400 timeline:
August 09, 2010...Mailed N-400 USPS Express Mail to street address Phoenix
August 10, 2010...Delivery confirmed USCIS Phoenix USPS Express Mail
August 13, 2010...Check for $675.00 clears my bank (Friday the 13th ! oh no)
August 15, 2010...22.38PT - email receipt with case number (NBC*xxxxxxxxx)from USCIS
August 16, 2010...Case available on my account at USCIS - Initial Processing
August 17, 2010...Case 'touched' on my account at USCIS - Initial Processing
This is going too well - nobody gets a clear run...

By the way I have seen two shades of opinion:

A can't do the interview before the anniversary date
B Can't do the ceremony before the anniversary date

I am leaning towards B - and it could be that those who say A are at offices where the ceremony is done the same day.

Any thoughts ?

Alan
Good luck with your naturalization.

By anniversary date I assume you mean the 5 (or 3) years as an LPR? Some of us had the interview prior to that date but I don't know of anyone who had the swearing in prior to it.

However, the process seems to depend on your local USCIS office as there are local variations.
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Old Aug 17th 2010, 10:12 pm
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Default Re: N-400 Post your individual journey please!

Originally Posted by Zonie
Good luck with your naturalization.

By anniversary date I assume you mean the 5 (or 3) years as an LPR? Some of us had the interview prior to that date but I don't know of anyone who had the swearing in prior to it.

However, the process seems to depend on your local USCIS office as there are local variations.
That's good thanks...

I see folks posting that their interview was delayed because it was originally set for before the anniversary date -- so it must be just for those offices who do the swearing the same day (I am good at swearing)

I reckon swearing is impossible before the date ie illegal.
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Old Aug 17th 2010, 10:15 pm
  #756  
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Default Re: N-400 Post your individual journey please!

Originally Posted by dbark
Congratulations to everyone who passed! I have fingerprinting this afternoon.

Timeline so far:

7/08/2010 N-400 sent to Arizona
7/20/2010 Check cashed
7/21/2010 Email telling of USCIS acceptance of N-400
7/28/2010 NOA received by mail
8/16/2010 Fingerprinting at St Louis office
hooray another step: only Edward scissor hands has failed this one.
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Old Aug 17th 2010, 11:37 pm
  #757  
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Default Re: N-400 Post your individual journey please!

I'm all done!

Naturalization ceremony was on 13th August at the Portland ME courthouse. There were 44 of us from 20 countries.

It took about 40 minutes. There was a little speech, then we all recited the oath, then the guy said "Congratulations you are all now US citizens" and everyone clapped. It was a nice moment

We got a certificate of Citizenship and a whole pack of other stuff including voter registration card, passport application, poster telling us to visit the SS office, copy of the Constitution and Declaration of Independence.

There was a video of Obama saying welcome and thank you.

Also a very very cheesy video of some 'We love America' song that had my British friends rolling their eyes uncontrollably.

That was about it.

Dress code was followed by most but not all. A lot of people videoed themselves swearing the oath using their cellphones, and loads of people rushed to kneel in the aisle and take photos of their friends swearing the oath - was a bit weird.

Afterwards we went and had breakfast for lunch which felt suitably American. Then later that evening we had a pot luck dinner and asked everyone to bring an American dish (and some statins).

Have applied for passport now, and registered to vote.

My friends are a variety of impressed, pleased for me, and horrified that I've become a Yank...
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Old Aug 17th 2010, 11:43 pm
  #758  
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Default Re: N-400 Post your individual journey please!

Originally Posted by kins
I'm all done!

Naturalization ceremony was on 13th August at the Portland ME courthouse. There were 44 of us from 20 countries.

It took about 40 minutes. There was a little speech, then we all recited the oath, then the guy said "Congratulations you are all now US citizens" and everyone clapped. It was a nice moment

We got a certificate of Citizenship and a whole pack of other stuff including voter registration card, passport application, poster telling us to visit the SS office, copy of the Constitution and Declaration of Independence.

There was a video of Obama saying welcome and thank you.

Also a very very cheesy video of some 'We love America' song that had my British friends rolling their eyes uncontrollably.

That was about it.

Dress code was followed by most but not all. A lot of people videoed themselves swearing the oath using their cellphones, and loads of people rushed to kneel in the aisle and take photos of their friends swearing the oath - was a bit weird.

Afterwards we went and had breakfast for lunch which felt suitably American. Then later that evening we had a pot luck dinner and asked everyone to bring an American dish (and some statins).

Have applied for passport now, and registered to vote.

My friends are a variety of impressed, pleased for me, and horrified that I've become a Yank...
Excellent well done and congrats and I don't feel alone now you describe the cringeworthy cheesey stuff.

I still regard 1776 as an illegal armed insurrection but I will swallow it. I am really looking forward to the interview but I need drugs for the ceremony as I know it will be OTT and chuckworthy. My USC wife will be there to video me and blackmail me with threats of circulating it in Yorkshire.

Enough of that - well done and hooray ! Free at last (from the USCIS)
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Old Aug 18th 2010, 12:46 am
  #759  
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Default Re: N-400 Post your individual journey please!

Got my oath cereomony coming up this Friday 8am Yuk
2 questions
do they put the words up for you to read or give you something to read from?

when do they insert the microchip?
G
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Old Aug 18th 2010, 12:50 am
  #760  
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Default Re: N-400 Post your individual journey please!

Originally Posted by garfro
Got my oath cereomony coming up this Friday 8am Yuk
2 questions
do they put the words up for you to read or give you something to read from?

when do they insert the microchip?
G
they read it out and 500 people repeat it..

most people just move their lips a bit

microfrenchfries ?
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Old Aug 18th 2010, 1:08 am
  #761  
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Default Re: N-400 Post your individual journey please!

Originally Posted by exvj
they read it out and 500 people repeat it..

most people just move their lips a bit
microfrenchfries ?
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Old Aug 18th 2010, 1:11 am
  #762  
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Default Re: N-400 Post your individual journey please!

Originally Posted by exvj
they read it out and 500 people repeat it..

most people just move their lips a bit

microfrenchfries ?


It's true !

watch the chinese ? girl !


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pN4tWYXLu0E
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Old Aug 18th 2010, 3:20 am
  #763  
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Default Re: N-400 Post your individual journey please!

Congrats Kins!
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Old Aug 18th 2010, 12:32 pm
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Default Re: N-400 Post your individual journey please!

Originally Posted by kins
Naturalization ceremony was on 13th August at the Portland ME courthouse. There were 44 of us from 20 countries.
Congratulations! Well done.

Ian
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Old Aug 18th 2010, 1:39 pm
  #765  
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Default Re: N-400 Post your individual journey please!

Originally Posted by garfro
Got my oath cereomony coming up this Friday 8am Yuk
2 questions
do they put the words up for you to read or give you something to read from?

when do they insert the microchip?
G
They gave us the words to read from - some people struggled to hold the sheet of paper and cellphone (to video themselves) while also raising their right hand. It was quite comic. My husband videoed me and it does look like I'm just moving my lips

Enjoy the ceremony
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