N400 Interview at Chicago - Approved!!
Apr 22nd 2009, 11:47 pm
#1
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 29
N400 Interview at Chicago - Approved!!
First of all, I want to thank you for everyone who has shared your experience here which has been very helpful for me to go through this whole process. Finally, I’m just one step away.
My appointment was on 4/20 9:25am and we got to the building around 9:15am. Those security cops were very friendly and we went through the x-ray check without any problems. When we arrived at the third floor, it was at 8:20am. The lady at the reception was checking her computer and saying the system had some problems. She gave up after 5 minutes and took out a list and looked up my name, highlighted it and then asked me to sit around the area with a sign “Area 2”.
There were about 30 people waiting already and the whole building was so quiet. Then officer would open the door and call a name. Surprisingly there were quite a few people called were not there. As one of my husband’s students who had the interview on the same day as mine, when they arrived after 15 minutes, we greeted one another and wished good luck. Then, we also found another couple who were coming from the same town as us, so we started to chat a little bit. While talking with these couples, my name was called. It was about 10:10am.
The officer greeted me and showed me the way to his office. He asked for the appointment letter, my green card, driver’s license and passports. He checked my ID, and started asking me questions while doing his computer at the same time. He asked me for the tax return and I gave him the last three years tax return copies. He basically asked all the questions and re-confirmed all the information on the N-400 application once again. Also I told him that I had traveled to Hong Kong since I filed the application. He then wrote down the dates and country on the form. He also put all the names that I’ve been used on a separate form. I looked at my file and it wasn’t that thick that I had expected. It was about 2” high only.
Then, he told me that we would start the civic test.
1. The House of Representatives has how many voting members?
2. In what month do we vote for President?
3. We elect a U.S. Representative for how many years?
4. Who is the Chief Justice of the United States now?
5. Who is the “Father of Our Country”?
6. Name one war fought by the United States in the 1900s.
7. Name one American Indian tribe in the United States.
I got all seven questions right. He wrote down my answers on a form and put a check next to each answer.
Then, he asked I wanted to change my name. I said Yes. He then pulled out the two photos from a small plastic bag which I had submitted with the N-400. (I did prepare for another two photos though) He asked me to print my new name on the front side of each photo. Then he put them back to the plastic bag. Then, he asked me to sign two forms with my current name and my new name, print and signature each.
He then saw a copy of my driver’s license on top of the folder I carried and asked me if I had prepared a copy of it. I told him I actually had prepared a copy of each of my ID documents. He took the copies of passports, driver’s license and some other copies, and gave me back the rest which were on file already. Then, he asked me to stay in the room as he would go to copy my tax return. I told him those copies were for him. He looked very happy and sat back to his seat. He didn’t ask me for any other documents, such as utility bills or bank statements.
He then worked on my file trying to put all additional documents in order. He said if any paper was not in the correct order, the file might be considered incomplete. While I was thinking whether I had the writing and reading test, the officer pulled out a question paper from my file and asked me to read a sentence – “Who was the first president?” then, asked me to write “Washington was the first president”. Then he put this paper back to my file.
He double-checked all documents and my names one more time and then he put a stamp “Approved” on my application form. He looked up a map and checked the county I lived in, and told me the Oath Ceremony would be held in Peoria IL on May 21st, the next one after May would be July.
He then walked me back to the waiting area and nicely said goodbye to me. The two couples were still there, everyone was happy that I got approved. I tried to give them a little information of the ceremony ahead of time and we were excited that we would be met again. When we walked out the building, it was almost 11am.
What a relieved!! Now we are just waiting for the big time!!
My appointment was on 4/20 9:25am and we got to the building around 9:15am. Those security cops were very friendly and we went through the x-ray check without any problems. When we arrived at the third floor, it was at 8:20am. The lady at the reception was checking her computer and saying the system had some problems. She gave up after 5 minutes and took out a list and looked up my name, highlighted it and then asked me to sit around the area with a sign “Area 2”.
There were about 30 people waiting already and the whole building was so quiet. Then officer would open the door and call a name. Surprisingly there were quite a few people called were not there. As one of my husband’s students who had the interview on the same day as mine, when they arrived after 15 minutes, we greeted one another and wished good luck. Then, we also found another couple who were coming from the same town as us, so we started to chat a little bit. While talking with these couples, my name was called. It was about 10:10am.
The officer greeted me and showed me the way to his office. He asked for the appointment letter, my green card, driver’s license and passports. He checked my ID, and started asking me questions while doing his computer at the same time. He asked me for the tax return and I gave him the last three years tax return copies. He basically asked all the questions and re-confirmed all the information on the N-400 application once again. Also I told him that I had traveled to Hong Kong since I filed the application. He then wrote down the dates and country on the form. He also put all the names that I’ve been used on a separate form. I looked at my file and it wasn’t that thick that I had expected. It was about 2” high only.
Then, he told me that we would start the civic test.
1. The House of Representatives has how many voting members?
2. In what month do we vote for President?
3. We elect a U.S. Representative for how many years?
4. Who is the Chief Justice of the United States now?
5. Who is the “Father of Our Country”?
6. Name one war fought by the United States in the 1900s.
7. Name one American Indian tribe in the United States.
I got all seven questions right. He wrote down my answers on a form and put a check next to each answer.
Then, he asked I wanted to change my name. I said Yes. He then pulled out the two photos from a small plastic bag which I had submitted with the N-400. (I did prepare for another two photos though) He asked me to print my new name on the front side of each photo. Then he put them back to the plastic bag. Then, he asked me to sign two forms with my current name and my new name, print and signature each.
He then saw a copy of my driver’s license on top of the folder I carried and asked me if I had prepared a copy of it. I told him I actually had prepared a copy of each of my ID documents. He took the copies of passports, driver’s license and some other copies, and gave me back the rest which were on file already. Then, he asked me to stay in the room as he would go to copy my tax return. I told him those copies were for him. He looked very happy and sat back to his seat. He didn’t ask me for any other documents, such as utility bills or bank statements.
He then worked on my file trying to put all additional documents in order. He said if any paper was not in the correct order, the file might be considered incomplete. While I was thinking whether I had the writing and reading test, the officer pulled out a question paper from my file and asked me to read a sentence – “Who was the first president?” then, asked me to write “Washington was the first president”. Then he put this paper back to my file.
He double-checked all documents and my names one more time and then he put a stamp “Approved” on my application form. He looked up a map and checked the county I lived in, and told me the Oath Ceremony would be held in Peoria IL on May 21st, the next one after May would be July.
He then walked me back to the waiting area and nicely said goodbye to me. The two couples were still there, everyone was happy that I got approved. I tried to give them a little information of the ceremony ahead of time and we were excited that we would be met again. When we walked out the building, it was almost 11am.
What a relieved!! Now we are just waiting for the big time!!
Apr 23rd 2009, 4:50 am
#3
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,131
Re: N400 Interview at Chicago - Approved!!
Wonderful news :-) Congrats.
