Scarlett-Dallas

I became a US citizen Wednesday along with 2,700 others from 124 countries at the Garland ISD Special Events Center in Texas--four years and eight months after my then fiance petitioned for a K1 visa, I've graduated USCIS and got the vote. (Full timeline below)

Best part: hearing all the different countries called out and cheering from each group--huge numbers from Mexico, Vietnam, and India.

Worst part: the choir--what were they thinking?

This was a pretty well organized event. There was assigned seating, and officials handed our certificates to us at our seats after the ceremony very quickly and efficiently. No standing in lines! On the downside, I was told to report at noon and the ceremony didn't start until 2. Not a very big price to pay for the good organization and lack of muddle, though.

There's a new Democrat in Texas. Wahaaay!

Thanks so very much to all who have helped me on this long journey which began with the K1 visa application back in July 2002. If you're just beginning the process, or stuck in the middle, take heart. It seems neverending during the process, but when it's over, it's OVER!

Here's the whole timeline:

ENGLISH LAKE DISTRICT TO DALLAS
K1 with 2 K2 children
(Texas Service Center
London Embassy
Dallas INS)

July 16, 2002
(DAY 1)
129F petition filed via Catholic Charities
(you don't have to be Catholic to use their service - we're not)

July 22, 2002
(DAY 7)
129F petition NOA-1 receipt date

(Sometime between these dates I opened a provisional file with London embassy.)

August 7, 2002
(DAY 23)
129F petition NOA-2 approval notice date

(Garth was visiting in England when petition approved so we don't know when exactly NOA-2 arrived at Garth's place but on August 13 (!!!) I received notification that London embassy already had NOA-2.)

October 31, 2002
(DAY 108)
London embassy interview and medical - visas received same day

December 11, 2002
(DAY 149)
Flew out to Dallas, via Newark Port of Entry

December 12, 2002
(DAY 150)
Legal wedding in our front room with local minister

December 13, 2002
(DAY 151)
Wedding recorded same day at Federal Building, downtown Dallas

December 21, 2002
(DAY 159)
Wedding ceremony

January 3, 2003
(DAY 1 AOS - DAY 172 from filing 129F)
Filed 3 x AOS (I-485) for me and girls and EAD for me through Catholic Charities

January 27, 2003
(DAY 25 AOS - DAY 172 from filing 129F)
AOS receipt date (though receipt didn't actually arrive till end February)

March 5, 2003
(DAY 62 AOS - DAY 233 from filing 129F)
Fingerprint appointment

March 17, 2003
(DAY 74 AOS - DAY 245 from filing 129F)
EAD issued and SSN applied for.

The SSN took more than 3 months to get because of the need for BCIS verification. Arriving AFTER the green card, the wait rendered the EAD a total waste of money as I never got to use it.

NB Social Security number finally turned up about a couple of weeks AFTER the green card. Learn from our mistake - if you come in on a K1 apply for that SSN BEFORE you marry. You'll save yourself a LOT of grief!!

May 7, 2003
(Day 126 AOS - Day 297 after filing 129F)
Got I-693 medical supplements for self and girls

May 19, 2003
(Day 138 AOS - Day 309 after filing 129F)
AOS interview. Passports stamped with I-551.

June 09, 2003
(Day 159 AOS - Day 330 after filing 129F)
Green cards arrive in mail.

February 2005
Applied for removal of conditional status on Green Cards.

9 May 2005
Conditions removed.

2 October 2006
Applied for naturalization.
N-400 goes in ordinary US mail, addressed to TSC.
6 October 2006
Both checks show up cashed in our bank account.

14 October 2006
Application receipt received.

24 October 2006
More fingerprints taken.

21 December 2006
Received N-400 interview invitation.

15 February 2007
Successful N-400 interview.

17 March 2007
Received invite to oath ceremony.

4 April 2007
I become a US citizen!

meauxna

Congratulations, MissScarlett! So glad to have you as an American, AND a brave Democrat in Texas! We'll always have you up in Oregon if they run you out on a rail....

Beautiful ceremony.. what a conclusion!

Just Jenney

YEEEE HAAWW!!! That's awesome!

Mark is only a few months behind you, and I'm really looking forward to making a post similar to yours here. It really does seem like graduation, doesn't it?

CONGRATULATIONS!

~ Jenney

ian-mstm

Congratulations! Great news.

Ian

Scarlett-Dallas

Thanks! My husband was telling me just today how nice Oregon is. We don't want to stay in Texas forever!

Scarlett-Dallas

Thanks, Ian. Feels GOOD!

Feanor

Wow, you got married the day after you arrived.

I arrived in the US on a K1 Visa on March 21st, 2003 and got married on May 5th. And I thought we were quick!

abba48uk

Congratulations Scarlett. We seem always to be one step behind you! Assuming I can find the CIS site (behind a La-Z-Boy store!!!)on Wednesday, i should be fingerprinted etc for Citizenship. As you say, its a long journey, but all worth it in the end. I even forgive you for potentially cancelling out my hard earned vote at the 2008 elections!

Scarlett-Dallas

Oh, I won't be just canceling out yours. I'm not just voting, I'm persuading other people to register too. Half the eligible people usually vote in a presidential election. If each of us who votes persuades just one person who wouldn't normally vote to do the same, it would be quite something, huh?



Thanks to everyone who wrote me, and good luck with your processes

Maggs

Congratulation Scarlett! It sounds like it was a nice ceremony. I have just under a year before I can apply, so it's nice to see some familiar names going through the process.

Good for you with your help in the 2008 Democratic Election campaign and good luck.

Maggie

Mh

In article <[email protected]> ,
Feanor <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> Thanks, Ian. Feels GOOD!
>>
>>
>
>Wow, you got married the day after you arrived.
>
>I arrived in the US on a K1 Visa on March 21st, 2003 and got married on
>May 5th. And I thought we were quick!

I got "legally" married 2 days after I arrived. And that's only because
that's the quickest we could get it done - city hall had a problem with
marriage licenses, so we hopped in the car and drove the 8-9 hours to
Vegas..

Of course, we had a "church blessing" approx 7 weeks before that (thanks,
RFE for asking for "from the future" info..).

MH

Mh

In article <[email protected]> ,
Scarlett-Dallas <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>I became a US citizen Wednesday along with 2,700 others from 124
>countries at the Garland ISD Special Events Center in Texas--four years
>and eight months after my then fiance petitioned for a K1 visa, I've
>graduated USCIS and got the vote. (Full timeline below)

Congrats. I just started I-751, N-400 in about a year... (Started Oct '03).

MH