Magpie1

Thank you.

HisBetterHalf

Very good to know - thank you! We've decided that my passport should suffice (if they look at anything at all). My father thought he'd found my birth certificate, but it was actually my record of birth from the hospital and not the official thing. You'd think after all the hoopla over Obama's BC, he'd know the difference!

BeataB

Wow, now I am jealous! Had my fingerprints on July 5th and haven't heard a peep since. In fact, I am completely paranoid that I will miss or never receive the interview letter because the postal service is terrible at my current address.

Hope your husband's interview goes well!

BellaE

So...application sent March 10, check electronically cashed March 19, biometrics May 4, interview scheduled for June 15 (requested rescheduling due to business travel), rescheduled interview this morning -- oath ceremony next Friday! (August 24).
The officer was very friendly and was training a new officer, so she stopped several times to explain to her how to complete the forms and use the computer program. Four of the six questions I answered were: Who becomes President if the President and Vice President are unable to serve? Name one branch of government; What did the Declaration of Independence do? For how long do we elect senators? (I've forgotten the other two already!)
My husband is annoyed because I am going to cancel out his vote (so he says).

BellaE

Oh, and many thanks to BE, I wouldn't and couldn't have done it without all the great information and advice here.

HisBetterHalf

Congrats!!!

My husband's interview is tomorrow and he is more than ready, but still nervous as all get out. I've decided to treat him (after a presumed successful interview) to dinner at the best seafood restaurant in town. Should be fun as we've always talked about going but then talked ourselves out of it when we considered the hefty prices. I think this occasion deserves it though!

I'm surprised your oath ceremony is so soon. That is wonderful! We are hoping to request a ceremony date that has sentimental meaning (and my in-laws will be visiting), but if it can't happen, I guess having it sooner rather than later would also be nice.

Congrats again on your achievement!

HisBetterHalf

Husband had his interview yesterday and all went well - even if he was a nervous wreck before hand.

We waited for over 30 minutes (appointment at 3, arrived probably around 2:50 and he didn't get called back until 3:30ish). His actual interview lasted probably just over 5 minutes total. I guess the woman was all business and no small talk. She did try to trip him up with the question "No citations or arrests?" to which my husband answered "No" - - but of course, he had two speeding tickets and she reminded him of that. He apologized and said he had forgotten about those - and he had, as well has the fact that he fixated on the "arrests" portion of the question. Oh well - I'm sure lots of people do the same.

The Civics questions were at lightening speed and my husband rattled off the answers - but then when I asked what questions were asked, he completely forgot. He had to write "Abraham Lincoln was president during the Civil War" - and then the woman signed a paper saying he passed and he was done.

She didn't look at any of the documentation we provided and didn't ask for the passport pictures which we were told to bring (and my husband agonized over because he thought he looked like a thug in them). What are those pictures used for anyhow?

He forgot to ask about scheduling the oath ceremony on a requested date - he said he was so stunned at how quickly everything moved that it totally slipped his mind. We probably couldn't request a date anyhow, so it wasn't too upsetting.

So now we have a piece of paper saying he passed the test and that "pending approval" he will be scheduled for the oath ceremony. What further approval would be pending??

Husband thought it was strange that a big important thing such as citizenship is approved so quickly and he was a little disappointed that there wasn't a bit more of a happy/celebratory atmosphere at the interview. He said the woman didn't shake his hand, didn't say anything congratulatory and that it was all over so quickly. We figure she must do these things all day every day and the "joy" of the occasion has been killed by repetition .

After the interview, I took him to a great little wine/beer shop and told him to pick out whatever microbrews he wanted, so we loaded up the basket with IPAs and such and headed home to relax for a bit before going out for a celebratory dinner where we had one of the best (and most expensive) meals of our lives. Very fun and the husband was quite pleased with himself and kept rattling off civics facts to our server - and she got a very nice tip for going along with his silliness!

Noorah101

In my husband's case, that passport picture was the one they used on his Naturalization Certificate (much to our dismay, it was a horrible picture). Others have reported that it was the biometrics photo that made it to their Naturalization Certificate.

They will double check that he still meets the eligibility criteria on the day of his oath ceremony.

Congratulations!

Rene

lansbury

Congratulations

HisBetterHalf

Things just keep speeding along for us - - got the notice for the oath ceremony yesterday and husband is scheduled for September 6th!

I think it will be a large crowd as it is at the convention center. Should be fun dealing with morning rush-hour traffic downtown, but what can you do?

Husband is quite please and was literally jumping around last night - just so happy to have this all be done and to feel like he is out from under the microscope. He has really been taking this all very seriously and asking a lot of questions about government and the politcial process (thankfullly, I have a degree in politics/law, so I'm more than happy to discuss things!) and I have to say that I am incredibly proud of him and his attitude throughout everything. Back in the UK, he never really participated in the political processs, but he seems quite eager to change that in the US.

So in just over two weeks, we'll be done! I'm shocked it has gone so quickly - especially considering our local office is now posting that the average time to complete the process is 6 months and we'll have done it in just under four. Yay!

lansbury

Tell him to tread carefully I got involved and ended up being elected to City Council. A good way to increase your grief and stress levels.

ian-mstm

What can you do? Stay at a hotel nearby the night before! Arrive relaxed and unrushed.

Ian

HisBetterHalf

We live probably 20 minutes away, so it isn't a distance thing - it is just that all routes to get there have bad traffic congestion at that time of day (bottle-necking into downtown). But, what can you do? Perhaps we'll leave extra early and grab a good breakfast near the convention center!

When you consider that people travel hundreds of miles for this - not even considering the long journey to citizenship - I think our worries about rush-hour delays are pretty trivial.

ian-mstm

Distance wasn't the issue... it's about the ability to walk where you're going in the morning so you don't have to deal with rush hour traffic!


Since you're not really confused about what to do, why do you keep saying this?

Ian

HisBetterHalf

I'd rather spend an extra 20 minutes in the car than have to spend $200 on a downtown hotel room. Is complaining about traffic not allowed? I thought it was a universal complaint - especially urban morning rush-hour traffic.

As for what to do . . . Well, what can one do? It's not as if I can snap my fingers and spread the sea of cars like Moses. I'll just have to deal with it - and whine . . . if that is allowed.