Havnfun

My son had to reschedule his interview which was scheduled for July. His interview date was 3 days after he left on a month long vacation. He sent in the letter with the explanation as to why he couldn't make it and asked for the interview to be after August 10th. Within a few weeks he had letter with a new date for August 16th and his oath ceremony was September 24th.

Stribs

Thank you for the Reply. Great info. I just sent it off last Frlday with flight tickets and hotel bookings . Fingers crossed i get a letter in the next week or so.

Stribs

interview Monday....

Ive read a few different reviews of how the day goes...

Could i ask anyone who has had their citizenship interview/civics test to describe how the day went from walking through the metal detectors... to going home.

Thanks

Noorah101

My husband's day went like this:
Arrive at USCIS office.
Fill out the final questionnaire (asking for any updated travel and marriage questions).
Wait to be called in.
Called in to an office and verified the N-400 information. Answered 6 civics questions (verbal) and got them right so stopped there. Was asked to write a short sentence, and asked to read a short sentence.
Recommended for approval.
Left the USCIS office.
All took about 90 minutes which was mostly waiting around.
Oath letter came a few weeks later with a date a few weeks later than that.
This was in Phoenix in 2009.

Rene

tht

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Philadelphia..

Your descriptiotn was very detailed in your post so good read.

Thanks both for your posts. Ill go and do what im told.

Thanks

livinginnyc

Hey! congratulations on the interview - you're so close to the end!

I naturalized in Oct, and have written this up elsewhere but....

My interview was at 9:30am, so naturally I was wired the entire night before, and we left our place at about 7am to get there nice and early & park up.etc. The building I interviewed in only allows a certain number of people to run through the security check at a time (4) - the rest stay outside (it was freezing). First step is you show your green card & interview slip to an officer who then advised its airport security - everything gets x-rayed including your shoes - they were friendly and joking.

After you clear security, I was sent to a window to check in, took about 45 seconds, signed some paperwork and was told to sit in the waiting room for my name to be called - GMA was on the TV instead of the standard USCIS loops, they have at biometrics.etc .etc .etc During this time, there is a fair amount of movement with officers coming through and calling peoples names, immigration attorneys turning up.etc but its not exactly disruptive; but you do see a lot of nervous looking faces who are all going through the same experience as you. After about 10 minutes a lady called my name, introduced herself as the case officer and my interviewer and asked me to follow to her office through a security door. You basically wind through a pretty standard looking office building until you get literally into the officers office and it feels like a job interview. It's nothing like previous experiences at say the embassy or biometrics - its 1:1 at a desk, in a quiet room (no glass or anything).

She got through the pleasantries pretty quick asked how I was doing (sh!tting myself was my exact answer), and asked if I wanted to get civics done first (to which I replied yes). After that, she swore me in, took my picture and scanned my right index finger and then pointed at my case history (Basically a giant giant paper file). She administered the civics test (and I was counting along on how many questions she'd asked), and then moved onto my case history - how I met my partner, what I did in the U.S, proof of health insurance, proof of paying taxes. She asked me to confirm my age, height & weight and then asked a number of questions ranging from have I ever joined the communist party through to have I ever been a prostitute. I was then asked if I would defend and uphold the constitution and a ton of related questions. She then advised I had passed the interview and was recommended for citizenship (at which point I got emotional - and got a hug). The whole interview I'd say took about 30 minutes, maybe less.

The center I interviewed at is tiny, and they are fairly unique that they do same day naturalization - so she asked if I would 'hang around' for 40 minutes, to which point I said something about requiring an eviction notice at this point to leave, she then came back out with me, met my spouse and I was handed an invitation to a naturalization ceremony and the form you have to fill in to say if you had committed a crime between the interview & ceremony. I filled it all out in the waiting room and then basically watched the rest of GMA, text a few friends (phones are allowed as long as you don't take photos) & looked at work Slack/email to pass the time.

I then met the regional manager/director (who was also very cool), and he took all the ceremony participants in for a 20 minute quick brief to explain what would happen, rights & responsibilities, information on voting & the necessity of getting a US passport for travel, and then took 8 minutes to ask around the room to hear peoples stories on how they got from their respective countries to today.

I'll save the details on the rest of the ceremony for when you (or anyone else reading this) gets invited, as it's something very special and should be savored. At the end, the center we were at was too small to offer passport applications, but they did have volunteers registering everyone to vote - and file/send the paperwork for you. I filed for my passport from our local USPS when we got back to Manhattan.

- On the note of going home, we exited through a different door. They want you out pretty quickly (with no pressure but still), we went via a different door that dumps you straight outside so we headed to the car, at which point the adrenaline started to wear off and my body reminded me I hadn't eaten that day - so we basically drove around looking for a place to eat. In a mix of irony & the fact that nothing else was around, my first meal as an American was a $1 cheeseburger (also the first McDonalds I'd had in about 3 years), which 'held' till we got home. At which point it was party time.

Good luck! but as long as you've read the book they give you on civics, and have copies of what you filed, you'll be fine!

Stribs

Great detailed response. Thank you so much.

We'll see what tomorrow brings...

livinginnyc

So how did it go?????

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#ProudToBeAnAmerican

Success!!! Besides a longer than expected wait (bad weather kept some workers away in Philly) all was very smooth.

Got my notification today that I will receive the notice for my swearing in ceremony in the next couple of days.

What a journey.

Huge thanks to everyone on this forum who has informed, reassured, and generally steered in the right direction. 5 years in the making... 🥺🍾🥂

tht

livinginnyc

WOO HOO! CONGRATS!!!!


Now you can look forward to a very special day followed by having to run around and tell various parts of the gov, your employer.etc .etc the good news!

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Interview: Monday 2nd
Email stating notice mailed: Tuesday 3rd.
Oath ceremony letter received: Saturday 7th

My Oath Ceremony will be December 13th. Now a slight possible issue. I am flying to England December 31st will return Jan 8th. I know I will have to give in my greencard.. and assume I will not have a US passport rhat day.

When returning to the U.S, would ai expect issues or any temporary letter that will allow me to return without issues. (Finally a citizen and still issues lol)

Thanks

Olly_

You need to get a US passport before you travel really, you won't be able to board a flight because you won't have the right documentation.

There's an express service that you can use if you have pre-booked travel though so you should be able to get one before your trip. Alternatively you could postpone your ceremony?

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I have a british passport.. make a difference?