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-   -   Citizenship Interview (https://britishexpats.com/forum/us-immigration-citizenship-visas-34/citizenship-interview-942783/)

newadventure Feb 15th 2022 4:10 pm

Citizenship Interview
 
Mrs P has just received her citizenship interview. Her application includes youngest daughter and son. I assume only Mrs P needs to show up for the interview, but what happens if she passes and they have the oath ceremony immediately afterwards? Not such a big deal for son but daughter would have to return home from college if they have to attend the ceremony.

newadventure Feb 15th 2022 8:07 pm

Re: Citizenship Interview
 
Reading back, it is not terribly clear what i am after. Specifically:
i) how do i find out when the oath ceremony will be?
ii) do the U18 children on the application need to attend the oath ceremony?

Rete Feb 15th 2022 8:18 pm

Re: Citizenship Interview
 
The children would not be sworn in as US Citizens. No need for them to attend. They become US Citizens when their mother does automatically and they should apply for their US Passports at the same time as their mother. They will need certain documents, i.e. birth certificates, etc.

Are you a naturalized US Citizen? Are these are biological children?

tht Feb 15th 2022 8:18 pm

Re: Citizenship Interview
 

Originally Posted by newadventure (Post 13094914)
Reading back, it is not terribly clear what i am after. Specifically:
i) how do i find out when the oath ceremony will be?
ii) do the U18 children on the application need to attend the oath ceremony?

That is scheduled when you are approved. In my case before CV19 in the US it was a few weeks after the interview. I think I got the date/time the same day within a few hours of passing and being approved.

With CV19 others have reported they were given the same day, so I believe a few hours later.

I believe the Oath and hence attendance at the ceremony can be waived for a child under 14, not sure if it’s standard or if you have it get approval.

https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual/...rt-j-chapter-3

Pulaski Feb 15th 2022 8:22 pm

Re: Citizenship Interview
 
If she's not interviewed at a same-day-oath location and she doesn't like the date she is given for her oath then it is a simple matter to request a delay until a later date.

newadventure Feb 15th 2022 8:37 pm

Re: Citizenship Interview
 
Thanks all. I am not a US citizen (yet - application is in), children are biological (!) but it looks like they become US citizens automatically when Mrs P does. Time to get Mrs P up to speed on the test

tom169 Feb 15th 2022 9:51 pm

Re: Citizenship Interview
 

Originally Posted by newadventure (Post 13094926)
Thanks all. I am not a US citizen (yet - application is in), children are biological (!) but it looks like they become US citizens automatically when Mrs P does. Time to get Mrs P up to speed on the test

My advice is flash cards and not multiple choice. The actual test isn’t, but for some reason most of the online practice tests and apps are.

Pulaski Feb 15th 2022 10:25 pm

Re: Citizenship Interview
 

Originally Posted by tom169 (Post 13094934)
My advice is flash cards and not multiple choice. .....

My advice would be start off answering all the questions in the question bank "cold" (not multiple choice, just write down answers and then score the results) to establish a base-line of what you already know, as if you know a modest amount about the history of the US then you may well know more than enough to pass the test easily anyway. .... My first run through the question bank of 100 questions revealed that I knew 94 of the answers, so that is more or less where my preparation for the test ended, though I was curious about some of the ones I didn't know the answers to, such as naming my two state senators, that I went to find the answers.

EdgeAA Feb 15th 2022 10:36 pm

Re: Citizenship Interview
 

Originally Posted by Pulaski (Post 13094945)
My advice would be start off answering all the questions in the question bank "cold" (not multiple choice, just write down answers and then score the results) to establish a base-line of what you already know, as if you know a modest amount about the history of the US then you may well know more than enough to pass the test easily anyway. .... My first run through the question bank of 100 questions revealed that I knew 94 of the answers, so that is more or less where my preparation for the test ended, though I was curious about some of the ones I didn't know the answers to, such as naming my two state senators, that I went to find the answers.

This is what I did as well and also ended up with 94 that I knew. I learned two of the extra ones I didn't know which took me to 96 so even if the 4 I didn't know came up I'd still pass.

newadventure Feb 16th 2022 1:01 pm

Re: Citizenship Interview
 
Having studied History and Politics at uni, specialising in US politics of the civil rights era, this should be a walk in the park for Mrs P. Good idea to do a written test, it might snap her out of any complacency. I foresee her tried and tested approach that has been used for many an exam - prevarication followed by last minute cramming

tht Feb 16th 2022 1:19 pm

Re: Citizenship Interview
 

Originally Posted by newadventure (Post 13095062)
Having studied History and Politics at uni, specialising in US politics of the civil rights era, this should be a walk in the park for Mrs P. Good idea to do a written test, it might snap her out of any complacency. I foresee her tried and tested approach that has been used for many an exam - prevarication followed by last minute cramming

I looked at the apps etc, the thing I found most useful was the 2 page pdf from USCIS. As others said you likely know a lot already.

https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship-re...t-2020-version

For anyone who is an educated native english speaker it should be very easy. If there are any you need to memorize, and they have multiple answers, pick one and just memorize that. And make sure you look up the local state specific ones like you Senator.

Rete Feb 16th 2022 1:25 pm

Re: Citizenship Interview
 
Just a tidbit, you will be asked 10 questions. If you get the first 6 correct, it is more than likely that the interviewer will stop there as the passing mark is getting 6 correct.

Mercury39 Feb 16th 2022 6:23 pm

Re: Citizenship Interview
 

Originally Posted by tom169 (Post 13094934)
My advice is flash cards and not multiple choice. The actual test isn’t, but for some reason most of the online practice tests and apps are.

+1 on flash cards, we wrote out each of the questions and answer ( just one answer if there were multiple you can answer with, as is the case with a number of them) and then just went through them a couple of evenings. As other mentioned, surprised how many actually already knew the answer too, watching The West Wing was a helpful education!

also, when you have them all remembered, start testing your American friends, that is fun as you discover they don’t now many of them!

newadventure Mar 10th 2022 9:18 pm

Re: Citizenship Interview
 
Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions - Mrs P (and 2 out of 3 children) are now US citizens. Test ended after 6 questions, then through the questions on the N400. Mrs P had reported a 'detained' when she was pulled over for not stopping at a stop sign. The interviewing officer removed this from the application, but understood why she had reported it. Oath ceremony took place 1hr later, same location. I wasn't allowed in due to covid (and my shorts and flip flops might have been frowned upon) but quite emotional by all accounts, a real mix of nationalities and a reminder of the melting point we have joined. Big day for the family, almost 10 years to the day we landed, expecting to be 'home' again in 3yrs time!

Rete Mar 11th 2022 12:11 am

Re: Citizenship Interview
 
Congratulations to your wife and children.


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