davidAW

One thing I noticed this morning was the chap in front of me had ticked "yes" on the back of his form as having been arrested in the time between his interview and the ceremony! They took him out and he did not attend the ceremony or swear the Oath! Presumably they inquire as to what the arrest was for and then decide whether or not to let him proceed or maybe they just say, "sorry and there's the door".

lansbury

Congratulations

RICH

David, congratulations! I only just saw this thread. I will be applying in Tampa, hopefully in the next few months. Where is this new building? I only know of the one by the airport, West Cypress? It's been 5 years since I was there, I think.

davidAW

The new, all singing, all dancing, state of the art facility is at the end of the main runway on 5629 Hoover Blvd. It really is a nice place, very welcoming and professional - I had been to the old place a few years back; I seem to rememeber a lot of business being conducted in port-a-cabins (trailers).
Still, anything is better than the Miami one (unless they have changed that) - that had all the class of a Men's Restroom on Liverpool St. Station just before the drunk express on a Friday night!

Don't even ask

My GPS took me the long way round but depending on where you are coming from, I would suggest taking the I-4 east ext off of I-75 and then allow the GPS to take you in.

Good luck - its worth the wait. This morning I wake up as an American - can't beat that!

Rete

The immigration journey is over but you still have details to see to asap:

Take original naturalization certificate to the SSA and have your records updated to reflect your new status

Register to vote

Get your US passport (original certificate required)

Congratulations.

davidAW

I registered to vote after the Ceremony; they have a booth already set up to allow you to do this and it doesn't matter where you come from in Florida, they will handle it.

We were all told to wait at least two weeks before going to the SSA and changing status with them as it takes that long to get their records updated.

And the completed passport form, photographs and certificate are right here on my desk and I have an appointment at 11:00 on Tuesday at the PO that deals with Passports!

My Wife is somewhat bemused at the Passport as she has never had one. I think she just don't get it

paul32x

"Take original naturalization certificate to the SSA..."

Just don't make the mistake I did. I don't know about Tampa, but in Orlando the office you go to is the one that deals with applying for a new card, not the regular SSA office, so I had a very pleasant hour and a half wait in the wrong office watching infomercials, before heading across town to the right one! Congratulations.

davidAW

Thank you!

Anyway, the SSA will have to wait as the Passport Office take the original certificate and mail it back to you apparently. Not sure I like that idea so maybe I need to pay for a more secure service (?)

Noorah101

We used regular mail service here in Phoenix for my husband's passport and original certificate return. They were sent back safely with no issues. They came back a couple days apart, though, so don't worry if you get one but not the other back in the same envelope.

Rene

sunnysideup

Until the day you realize the ugly mess that is FACTA and IRS tax return filing requirements and that you are frozen out of opening certain bank accounts anywhere else in the world. Then you start the process of reversing your decision.
As a USC myself having been here 20 years for those who haven't yet taken the plunge here's my advice: unless you need to be a citizen because your job requires it (security clearance, federal employee etc) or you are 100% sure you will never want to live anywhere else ever again (can you ever be that sure?), or you married a USC, then think very very carefully about whether it is right for you. Being a US citizen these days can be a liability, not an advantage. I never thought the day would come when I would say that, but that's the way it is now.

RICH

I see it on the map. Looking forward to a visit. Thanks

RICH

Ha, almost a year later, I am sending my application out tomorrow - Searched n400 and found this thread I had forgotten about.

MarylandNed

Even if you do decide to live somewhere else, becoming a USC protects your right to move back to the US at any time in the future. To turn your argument around, can you ever be sure that you won't ever want to do that?

I think the pros of US citizenship far outweigh the cons...whether you think you will stay in the US or not. Remember that green card holders can be deported and are also subject to inadmissibility rules when returning to the US from trips abroad (e.g. they could be denied entry for contracting diseases such as TB). USC's have no such issues.

If you have the ability to naturalize and become a citizen of multiple countries, you can possibly use a non-US passport in those parts of the world where using a US passport may not be advisable.

Michael

No one can predict what may happen in 5, 10, or 20 years from now. The UK could possibly have a 25% unemployment rate and the safety net in shambles and then FATCA reporting will likely be the least of a concern for someone that could have naturalized and didn't. If that were to happen for someone without a USC spouse, not naturalizing could severely limit the job prospects of their children.

For many, FATCA reporting is just a very small insurance premium to keep their options available.

davidAW

Can't believe its been almost a year since becoming a USC!

I got my shiny new passport within three weeks - (had its first use on a cruise earlier this year for our wedding anniversary) - registered to vote and started flying the Stars and Stripes outside the house!

Getting a bit fed up with customers always asking where my accent comes from so I now say "Rosetta Stone".

Nest big thing is take my Wife to England and show her where I was born but that's gonna take some cash to do; 2 x return flights alone seem to be in the $2000 plus region.

I still look in on the forum and see if any of my experiences can help someone so please let me know if that is the case for anyone!

David