N-400 Post your individual journey please! v.2011
Dec 19th 2013, 4:16 am
#901
BE Irregular
Joined: Jan 2004
Location: Tampa Bay Florida
Posts: 4,849
Re: N-400 Post your individual journey please! v.2011
Hey Rich, that's great. Seems you had a really nice officer.
Well, I had my N-336 (appeal on naturalization) interview a few days ago. It seems I was lucky too and had a really nice officer. I had missed 2 oath ceremonies earlier this year and a letter requiring a reply within a deadline which was why I had been denied and had appealed. This officer said that they did not care why I had missed those things as long as all the requirements I had originally met when submitting the N-400 were still in place. They were. Regarding my absence out of the US of 6 months, he said "180 days within your time frame is fine". (He obviously did not count total number of days as a lawyer told me is done, just the months and assumed that 6 months equals 180 days.) So he recommended me for approval but said my FBI clearance has expired and needs to be renewed so I am now awaiting new biometrics.
It has now been more than 18 months since I applied for the N-400. Sigh...
It was solely my fault that I missed 2 oath ceremonies. On the other hand, that approval and notice of oath ceremony came more than 5 months (YES, MORE THAN FIVE MONTHS) after my N-400 interview in which everything was complete, fine, no loose ends, no question marks. I have no idea why that officer chose not to approve me on the spot, or why he took his sweet time afterwards. I know that some may not like what I'm about to write, but I think these things have something to do with the officer itself. Their level of competency, level of self-confidence to assess and complete a case, or something like that. Both the officer at my AOS interview and the one in my N-400 interview had me thinking at the time they could only do the one job they were in, whereas the one I met at the N-336 interview gave me the impression he was well educated, brighter and more capable than the ones I'd met before. Sorry again if this offends anyone, I don't think it should, but saying just in case.
Well, I had my N-336 (appeal on naturalization) interview a few days ago. It seems I was lucky too and had a really nice officer. I had missed 2 oath ceremonies earlier this year and a letter requiring a reply within a deadline which was why I had been denied and had appealed. This officer said that they did not care why I had missed those things as long as all the requirements I had originally met when submitting the N-400 were still in place. They were. Regarding my absence out of the US of 6 months, he said "180 days within your time frame is fine". (He obviously did not count total number of days as a lawyer told me is done, just the months and assumed that 6 months equals 180 days.) So he recommended me for approval but said my FBI clearance has expired and needs to be renewed so I am now awaiting new biometrics.
It has now been more than 18 months since I applied for the N-400. Sigh...
It was solely my fault that I missed 2 oath ceremonies. On the other hand, that approval and notice of oath ceremony came more than 5 months (YES, MORE THAN FIVE MONTHS) after my N-400 interview in which everything was complete, fine, no loose ends, no question marks. I have no idea why that officer chose not to approve me on the spot, or why he took his sweet time afterwards. I know that some may not like what I'm about to write, but I think these things have something to do with the officer itself. Their level of competency, level of self-confidence to assess and complete a case, or something like that. Both the officer at my AOS interview and the one in my N-400 interview had me thinking at the time they could only do the one job they were in, whereas the one I met at the N-336 interview gave me the impression he was well educated, brighter and more capable than the ones I'd met before. Sorry again if this offends anyone, I don't think it should, but saying just in case.
I had realized I had not been given the civics test, but I chose not to volunteer that info, per standard advice given on here.
Had I done so, and completed/passed the test, and still had the decree to submit by mail, I would be looking at the end of Jan for the oath ceremony.
My girl admitted, she has been doing AOS interviews for years, and only recently got back on N400's - " and it's all changed" ...
Dec 19th 2013, 1:52 pm
#902
Member
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 14,049
Re: N-400 Post your individual journey please! v.2011
I think you extrapolated the "standard advice" a bit too far. That advice is with regard to answering quetions asked by the interviewer, it hasn't been advised that an interviewee should not ask questions of the interviewer.
Regards, JEff
Regards, JEff
Last edited by jeffreyhy; Dec 19th 2013 at 1:55 pm.
Dec 20th 2013, 3:12 am
#903
BE Irregular
Joined: Jan 2004
Location: Tampa Bay Florida
Posts: 4,849
Re: N-400 Post your individual journey please! v.2011
I extrapolated, and chose not to ask if they would like to know what time it is.
Dec 20th 2013, 11:33 pm
#904
BE Irregular
Joined: Jan 2004
Location: Tampa Bay Florida
Posts: 4,849
Re: N-400 Post your individual journey please! v.2011
My name is RICH and I am an American.
Dec 24th 2013, 1:40 am
#907
BE Irregular
Joined: Jan 2004
Location: Tampa Bay Florida
Posts: 4,849
Re: N-400 Post your individual journey please! v.2011
Quick write up of the ceremony, which was uneventful.
Arrived in good time for 10am appointment. Quite a queue, compared to the Monday visits above. Security -usual deal. Then into waiting room, then line up and show appointment form, with questionairre about any changes since interview (arrests etc). Trooped off to ceremony hall, in groups of 10 or so. Hand in the form, and the Green Card. Take a seat.
There were 77 canditates fromm 37 countries they told us later. Once all 77 were accounted for , they let in family & friends - must have been 150 of them- seating/ room was mostly filled.
Candidates had a package on seats, containing; a small flag, booklet of the Declaration and Constitution, Citizen's Almanac, Voter's guide, welcome letter, passport Application, message from President.
Video message from Madeline Albright - who knew she was an immigrant!
Stand for a decent version of the National Anthem - not many sang along!
Then they had us stand up per country, to applause all round. All took the Oath of Allegiance together. Speech by the Field Office Director.
Video Message from President, Video to "Proud to be an American".
Pledge of Allegiance, then Certificates handed out as we left, close to 11AM
It was fairly informal, they allowed the guests to wander round taking photos.
No opportunity to apply for passport/register to vote on site, which I have heard happened for someone previously in Tampa.
Passport App is supposed to take about 4 weeks. Expedited - (2 weeks) requires a trip to Miami apparently, should it be needed.
SSN update, need to wait 10 days for the systems to synch.
That's about it from me then. Aug 21 sent Application, Dec 20th Oath ceremony (Gov shutdown in the middle) Make of it what you will
Arrived in good time for 10am appointment. Quite a queue, compared to the Monday visits above. Security -usual deal. Then into waiting room, then line up and show appointment form, with questionairre about any changes since interview (arrests etc). Trooped off to ceremony hall, in groups of 10 or so. Hand in the form, and the Green Card. Take a seat.
There were 77 canditates fromm 37 countries they told us later. Once all 77 were accounted for , they let in family & friends - must have been 150 of them- seating/ room was mostly filled.
Candidates had a package on seats, containing; a small flag, booklet of the Declaration and Constitution, Citizen's Almanac, Voter's guide, welcome letter, passport Application, message from President.
Video message from Madeline Albright - who knew she was an immigrant!
Stand for a decent version of the National Anthem - not many sang along!
Then they had us stand up per country, to applause all round. All took the Oath of Allegiance together. Speech by the Field Office Director.
Video Message from President, Video to "Proud to be an American".
Pledge of Allegiance, then Certificates handed out as we left, close to 11AM
It was fairly informal, they allowed the guests to wander round taking photos.
No opportunity to apply for passport/register to vote on site, which I have heard happened for someone previously in Tampa.
Passport App is supposed to take about 4 weeks. Expedited - (2 weeks) requires a trip to Miami apparently, should it be needed.
SSN update, need to wait 10 days for the systems to synch.
That's about it from me then. Aug 21 sent Application, Dec 20th Oath ceremony (Gov shutdown in the middle) Make of it what you will
Dec 24th 2013, 3:22 pm
#909
Joined: Oct 2006
Location: Reno Nevada
Posts: 15,917
Re: N-400 Post your individual journey please! v.2011
Congrats Rich
All very much of an anti climax very cheesy I thought, and personally could not wait to get my ass out of there
All very much of an anti climax very cheesy I thought, and personally could not wait to get my ass out of there
Dec 31st 2013, 2:55 am
#910
Forum Regular
Joined: Jan 2013
Location: Gainesville, FL
Posts: 202
Re: N-400 Post your individual journey please! v.2011
Congratulations Rich.
Dec 31st 2013, 10:45 am
#911
Forum Regular
Joined: Mar 2012
Location: Kissimmee
Posts: 165
Re: N-400 Post your individual journey please! v.2011
Many Congratulations, Rich.
