ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
US Citizenship General Discussionhow long between the interview/test and the ceremony?
QUOTE (NickD @ Jun 16 2008, 07:52 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (sparkofcreation @ Jun 16 2008, 08:19 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Each office's policy is set by agreement with the local US District Court. Some offices allow same day oaths. Some don't. Some do if you request it in writing. It varies by office.


Hmmm, how would one make a request in writing? To your assigned field office? Did send them a couple of letters before with that long delay on the ten year green card. That was a wasted first class stamp. I did see besides a bunch of armed security guards at our local office, trash cans all over the place, sure that is where our letters ended up.

LOL, just wait and see what happens.


I asked my local US District Court, and she [the woman who coordinates the oath ceremony] said that the "request in writing" is a form they have available for you to sign the day of your interview. At my district, it must then be signed off on by a judge *before* the oath is given. (Usually a matter of a few days' wait.)

The only exception is that if you're changing your name via the N-400, the oath must be done in front of a judge, not a USCIS official.
sparkofcreationFemaleUnited Kingdom2008-06-17 23:06:00
US Citizenship General Discussionhow long between the interview/test and the ceremony?
QUOTE (NickD @ Jun 16 2008, 07:09 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
But what is with some here that got to say their oath the same day as their interview and I assume at the field office where they had their interview. And what is this about so many slots for people who can say the oath, if they have cancellations, a slot is open so you can say your oath much earlier. Only time I can recall having to say a oath was when inducted into military service, and some 500 of us had to say it at the same time.


Each office's policy is set by agreement with the local US District Court. Some offices allow same day oaths. Some don't. Some do if you request it in writing. It varies by office.

I assume the limit is the number of people who can sit on the stage or whatever. At my local office it used to be 400 but they've increased it to 600 by moving the location.
sparkofcreationFemaleUnited Kingdom2008-06-16 08:19:00
US Citizenship General Discussionhow long between the interview/test and the ceremony?
QUOTE (NickD @ Jun 3 2008, 05:30 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Nearest US District Court to us is in Madison, WI, 70 miles closer, but I like living in the sticks. Can I bring my camera?


It's not the *nearest* US District Court to you, it can be any US District Court in the district that has jurisdiction over your local office. Most districts have several courts in different cities with their main division being located in the largest city of that district. So for example, my local office is Albuquerque; the District of New Mexico has courts in Albuquerque (main division), Santa Fe, Las Cruces, Gallup, and Roswell; and oath ceremonies are scheduled mostly in Albuquerque but occasionally in Santa Fe. (Not in Las Cruces; that part of the state actually falls under the jurisdiction of the El Paso District Office, not Albuquerque; nor in Gallup or Roswell, which are only partially staffed.) So even though we actually live in Albuquerque, the ceremony could be either in Albuquerque or in Santa Fe.

I know Wisconsin has two Districts (Eastern and Western) but I don't know where all the courts are.

Edited by sparkofcreation, 15 June 2008 - 10:26 PM.

sparkofcreationFemaleUnited Kingdom2008-06-15 22:24:00
US Citizenship General Discussionhow long between the interview/test and the ceremony?
It varies but by law it must be scheduled within 90 days of your approval. So anywhere between the same day you are approved (which for most people is the day of the interview/test) and 90 days later.

Call your local US District Court if you really want to know, but if the oath ceremony happens to be during those dates, then you can probably reschedule.
sparkofcreationFemaleUnited Kingdom2008-06-15 22:21:00
US Citizenship General DiscussionWhen you receive your card, you must carry with you at all times if you are 18 or older.
QUOTE (NickD @ Jun 25 2008, 05:28 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Shouldn't us natural born US citizens be carrying our birth certificates with us at all times? What other proof do we have that we are here legally? And most birth certificates do not have a current photo ID if any photo ID period. So how come we aren't issued a green card or something like that. The only ID we have is our drivers license that we have to carry only while driving, but sure helps if you want to pick up your airline tickets at the airport, that is how they do that now to save on a postage stamp and the same goes for cashing a personal check. But rarely never do that anymore, much quicker to show swipe my CC. Ha, use to tease when asked to see my driver's license, why, was I speeding?

Wife has the same stuff in her wallet that I have in mine, SS card, DL, a bunch of credit cards, but if our wallets are lost or stolen, call the CC companies to block the old numbers and get new cards for free, same with the SS card, DL would cost about fourteen bucks for a replacement, that can be done in less than ten minutes, but that green card. Now that is a major headache if it gets lost or stolen.

But after she is naturalized, she is not required to carry anything, right?


There is no legal requirement for *anyone* to carry *identification* (unless you're doing something that requires it, but it's not required in general). The requirement is for *non-citizens* to carry proof of *immigration status*.
sparkofcreationFemaleUnited Kingdom2008-06-25 23:00:00
US Citizenship General DiscussionWhen you receive your card, you must carry with you at all times if you are 18 or older.
There was a well-publicized case here of a permanent resident (young woman from Korea) who was detained (as in, in jail) for like three days while they "verified her status" since she wasn't carrying her permanent resident card when asked for it.

Of course, within 100 miles of the border, the Border Patrol has total authority to stop absolutely anyone they see and ask them their immigration status for no reason whatsoever. And this did occur in Las Cruces, the second biggest city in NM, which is only about 20-30 miles from the border.
sparkofcreationFemaleUnited Kingdom2008-06-24 22:31:00
US Citizenship General DiscussionCase touched? What does it mean?
QUOTE (NickD @ Jun 23 2008, 03:34 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
You can go into:

https://egov.uscis.g...earchDisplay.do

And register your case receipt number, get an e-mail confirmation, then go back to that site above and login.

You will see something like this:

Receipt Number Your Tracking # E-mail Last Updated

LIN*00122xxxx YourName Y 04/05/2008 N400 APPLICATION FOR NATURALIZATION


I don't know why some use the word, touched when they actually mean if and when their case was updated, I mean:

My case was touched.
My case was updated.

Number of typed letters is exactly the same.


Touched and updated are not the same thing.

"Updated" means that the status of case has been changed in the system, for example, that the fingerprint results were received. In your case, the last update was0 March 31, when your application was received. The next update may say, for example, that they sent you a fingerprinting letter.

"Touched" means that only the "last updated" date changed (that's the date of the last update in the computer system, not the last update to your case). It means, literally that at a minimum, someone physically touched your file (so they had to change the date in the system), but whatever they did, didn't affect your status in any way. Your last touch was April 5. On April 5, someone did something with your file, which is better than having it sitting collecting dust, but not as good as if they'd (for example) actually sent that fingerprint letter.

Edited by sparkofcreation, 23 June 2008 - 07:34 PM.

sparkofcreationFemaleUnited Kingdom2008-06-23 19:32:00
US Citizenship General DiscussionQuestion on reciting the oath
Well, it's when required by law. So the minute your local jurisdiction starts requiring citizens to carry weapons, then I'd imagine they'll issue one. innocent.gif
sparkofcreationFemaleUnited Kingdom2008-07-01 22:33:00
US Citizenship General Discussionurgente deportacion
QUOTE (NickD @ Jul 9 2008, 09:08 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (sparkofcreation @ Jul 9 2008, 08:19 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (Steve Y Jessica @ Jul 8 2008, 10:53 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (sparkofcreation @ Jul 8 2008, 08:47 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Te avisaron correctamente la otra vez que pusiste la pregunta, la esposa deberá presentar la forma I-130 (Petición para un Pariente Cercano) a USCIS y al llegar al momento para la entrevista consular, le denegarán la visa y la pareja deberá solicitar una exención (waiver) por medio de las formas ya mencionadas.

ETA and I wish that people who clearly don't speak Spanish would quit answering. She's posting on behalf of a US citizen friend whose husband was deported. She's not the immigrant (well, she may be *an* immigrant, but she's not asking about her own situation).


And that is the way people were answering. But i agree with you, if he has a criminal record, it would probably be impossible for him to come here legally. Which, I do not think we are getting the whole story. With all of the illegals here, you have to do something pretty bad to be recognized and deported.


Oh, for crissakes. You haven't heard of the 100% enforcement initiative going on all across the border and in many other cities as well? You can get deported for speeding, for asking a police officer for directions, for being in a bus station, by going through a DWI checkpoint (as in, there are DWI checkpoints in my city where anyone speaking Spanish, whether or not they're drunk, is asked for their immigration documents and ICE is called if they can't produce any). Any situation that someone might come into contact with any law enforcement officer, they run the risk of being deported.


That's a state thing, right Spark? I have friends in Phoenix that tell me things are pretty rough down there with cop killers and all that so it's understandable the enforcement would be far more extensive. I'm in North Central Wisconsin, far more peaceful up here, but we are a country of 50 different states with 50 different sets of state statues.


It's a federal initiative, actually. Operation Streamline and Operation No Pass (the dividing line between the two initiatives is along the NM border so we deal with both here). Both run by the Department of Homeland Security. The scenarios I mentioned are four that I heard about firsthand from the ICE/BP agents involved. It is, of course, up to local law enforcement to decide whether or not to call ICE. Our local police do not but the sheriff's office (who runs the DWI checkpoints) does.

Sounds like your son's problem is that the local police didn't do their job, not illegal immigration per se. Here about 1 in 5 drivers don't have insurance, and most of them are USCs.

And in fact illegal immigration (the first time one is caught) is punished with a week in jail (and a federal misdemeanor conviction that means any future re-entry is punished more harshly), illegal re-entry after deportation is anywhere from a month to seven years. Actually the maximum penalty is twenty years, but seven is the most I've ever heard of. (Note that the maximum sentence for vehicular homicide is five years. Good to know Uncle Sam would prefer someone drive drunk and kill someone, or several someones, than walk across the border.)
sparkofcreationFemaleUnited Kingdom2008-07-09 19:10:00
US Citizenship General Discussionurgente deportacion
QUOTE (Steve Y Jessica @ Jul 8 2008, 10:53 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (sparkofcreation @ Jul 8 2008, 08:47 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Te avisaron correctamente la otra vez que pusiste la pregunta, la esposa deberá presentar la forma I-130 (Petición para un Pariente Cercano) a USCIS y al llegar al momento para la entrevista consular, le denegarán la visa y la pareja deberá solicitar una exención (waiver) por medio de las formas ya mencionadas.

ETA and I wish that people who clearly don't speak Spanish would quit answering. She's posting on behalf of a US citizen friend whose husband was deported. She's not the immigrant (well, she may be *an* immigrant, but she's not asking about her own situation).


And that is the way people were answering. But i agree with you, if he has a criminal record, it would probably be impossible for him to come here legally. Which, I do not think we are getting the whole story. With all of the illegals here, you have to do something pretty bad to be recognized and deported.


Oh, for crissakes. You haven't heard of the 100% enforcement initiative going on all across the border and in many other cities as well? You can get deported for speeding, for asking a police officer for directions, for being in a bus station, by going through a DWI checkpoint (as in, there are DWI checkpoints in my city where anyone speaking Spanish, whether or not they're drunk, is asked for their immigration documents and ICE is called if they can't produce any). Any situation that someone might come into contact with any law enforcement officer, they run the risk of being deported.
sparkofcreationFemaleUnited Kingdom2008-07-09 08:19:00
US Citizenship General Discussionurgente deportacion
Oh y para que se les conceda la exención y por lo tanto la visa, será necesario comprobar dificultad extrema al estar separados y si el esposo tiene antecedentes penales es probable que su regreso a EE UU sea totalmente imposible, aún más así si tiene antecedentes de violencia, narcotráfico o tráfico de personas.
sparkofcreationFemaleUnited Kingdom2008-07-08 22:53:00
US Citizenship General Discussionurgente deportacion
Te avisaron correctamente la otra vez que pusiste la pregunta, la esposa deberá presentar la forma I-130 (Petición para un Pariente Cercano) a USCIS y al llegar al momento para la entrevista consular, le denegarán la visa y la pareja deberá solicitar una exención (waiver) por medio de las formas ya mencionadas.

ETA and I wish that people who clearly don't speak Spanish would quit answering. She's posting on behalf of a US citizen friend whose husband was deported. She's not the immigrant (well, she may be *an* immigrant, but she's not asking about her own situation).

Edited by sparkofcreation, 08 July 2008 - 10:49 PM.

sparkofcreationFemaleUnited Kingdom2008-07-08 22:47:00
US Citizenship General DiscussionN-400 questions on previous spouses marriage
Are you the immigrant or is your husband?

"You" on this application refers to the immigrant. So the question G is about the immigrant's spouse and then G1-G2 are about the immigrant's spouse's former spouse.
sparkofcreationFemaleUnited Kingdom2008-07-20 14:16:00
US Citizenship General DiscussionI think I'm ready to send off my N400
QUOTE (FVA @ Jul 20 2008, 09:56 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (sparkofcreation @ Jul 20 2008, 09:54 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
You don't send the supporting evidence with the application, you take it with you to the interview.


yeah you do, you send copies of stuff. see the link i posted...


See the rest of my comment: You do *not* send *all* the supporting evidence that the OP referred to as the "whole folder of evidence" they prepared for the I-751. That stuff gets taken with you to the interview. As I said, you send only the things specifically mentioned in the application, then the interview letter contains a list of other things to take with you.
sparkofcreationFemaleUnited Kingdom2008-07-20 23:04:00
US Citizenship General DiscussionI think I'm ready to send off my N400
You don't send the supporting evidence with the application, you take it with you to the interview.

The few things listed in the application (photos, copy of the green card, marriage cert, copy of USC's birth certificate or passport, tax transcripts) are the only things you send with the application. The interview letter has a rather long checklist of things you need to take to the interview.

Edited by sparkofcreation, 20 July 2008 - 10:57 PM.

sparkofcreationFemaleUnited Kingdom2008-07-20 22:54:00
US Citizenship General DiscussionAffiliations and question about race
QUOTE (NickD @ Jul 26 2008, 05:49 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
We watch the The Great Debaters movie last night that took place in 1935 Texas and they only had two races in that movie. Either White or Colored so at least the USCIS in there wisdom did expand that somewhat. But seems more logical to skip that section as the next section wants you to give identifying features like height, weight, color of hair, and eyes. Could just add color of skin and let it go at that.

Looking at my driver's license that is the de facto standard for identification, just lists sex, hair, eyes, height, and weight with a color photo, shouldn't that be enough?



When I worked for the courts in NJ, we did in fact ask for the defendant's skin color (light, medium or dark) along with hair and eye color and height and weight, and did not ask for race.

And the FBI needs to be a bit more precise than the DMV. I mean, the purpose of a driver license or any other photo ID is, "Is this person the same person described on the license, or not?" The FBI needs to have as much information as possible about someone without actually having them physically present, to match up your description as accurately as possible with other descriptions made of you by all sorts of agencies.
sparkofcreationFemaleUnited Kingdom2008-07-26 21:11:00
US Citizenship General DiscussionAffiliations and question about race
QUOTE (amnonbabs @ Jul 25 2008, 12:55 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I think your answer is really nice, and I thank you all for your answers, but I really wasn't looking to start a discussion about race, or racial classifications, I am just so confused by it!, I mean, seriously, no person who looks at me would say white, or black, or asian or etc.... what if I check "white" and the officer laughs at me during the interview?, lol, in any case, I do remember when I was in Canada and I had to get the Canadian police clearance the officer wrote down "Latina" and then under race he checked "white " because there was no other option... my husband (who btw is caucasian) was outraged by it, he said to the officer "she isn't white, what are you talking about?" and the officer said "well, what do you want me to say? Asian?" ... LOL


The issue is that "Latinos" can be any race ... I have a Mexican co-worker with blonde hair and blue eyes, a Dominican co-worker who is black, a former student who is Bolivian of Chinese descent, etc.

The stereotypical Latino (and what I assume you look like based on your comments--olive skin, brown eyes, dark brown or black hair) is usually mestizo, i.e. mixed white (usually of Spanish descent) and Amerindian. I don't know where you're from, but surely with the big deal being made of race and racial treatment in Latin American countries lately, you know whether you identify with the white majority or the Amerindian or black (or Asian, for that matter) minorities in your country?

The default for someone who is Latino is usually "white" unless the person is *clearly* black or Amerindian but you can, of course, check more than one. (Are you black? Are you Amerindian? Are you Asian? If none of the above, check "white.")

Above information is the official policy of (1) our local police, (2) the US Census, and (3) the Latino Studies courses I took in grad school. ;-)
sparkofcreationFemaleUnited Kingdom2008-07-26 10:29:00
US Citizenship General DiscussionN-400 Interview experience and question
QUOTE (NickD @ Aug 12 2008, 12:51 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE
how long does it usually take from passing the interview to getting the letter indicating you've been approved?


Not aware of getting any letter that you have been approved, wife got that checklist form with the first line stating:



The N-652 is the paper he got at the interview saying he'd been recommended for approval and a final decision is pending (it said N-652 on the top).

The N-445 is the form number of the letter that actually says you've been approved. I don't know if it's the same letter that schedules the oath or not, but it's the form you need to have in-hand to request an expedited oath.
sparkofcreationFemaleUnited Kingdom2008-08-12 14:23:00
US Citizenship General DiscussionN-400 Interview experience and question
My husband's N-400 interview was today.

Before I get to the interview experience, we have a question: assuming nothing gets held up in a name check or anything, how long does it usually take from passing the interview to getting the letter indicating you've been approved?

We made plans (back when the projected processing time was 14-18 months) to travel to the UK for my father-in-law's milestone birthday that he has people coming to from all over the world ffor. We leave October 1. So either my husband needs to be sworn in by September 16 to get a US passport in time to travel on that, or he'll miss both getting a US passport and voting in this year's election (the deadline to register to vote in my state is while we're overseas).

The AO today basically had no idea what she was doing, but did stick a post-it on the front of the file that he needed an expedited oath ceremony. But I know you can't formally request one until you get the approval letter, so I was wondering when we could expect that to happen.

-------------
Interview experience:
Interview scheduled for 9:45, arrived 9:15, called at 9:35.

The (obviously new) AO sat my husband down, opened the file, and announced she was going to have to deny it because he'd applied more than two months before reaching the three year mark. He said he was sure he'd applied at the appropriate time but couldn't remember the details of why that was allowed. (Have I mentioned that I'm the one who does all the paperwork?) She went and asked the AO in the next cubicle who (of course) told her that yes, of course one can apply up to 90 days before meeting the three-year requirement.

She then looked through the file and told him it was the first one she'd seen that had everything in it already. (When he told me that, I thought "What is there to leave out? There are so few things you're required to send for this one?") He said he'd brought the paperwork his interview letter requested (tax transcripts and proof of marital union*) and she told him she didn't think she needed any of it.

She gave him a printed copy of the oath to read (silently, not aloud) and asked if he was still willing to swear it. She asked him all the questions about "Are you a member of the Communist Party?" and all that.

She asked him: Who was the primary writer of the Declaration of Independence? Who meets in the Capitol? Who becomes President if the President and Vice-President are both incapacitated? Name one important right that citizens have. And two more he can't remember. He got all 6 questions right.

She gave him the paper (N-652) saying he had passed the interview and was being recommended for approval. He asked if it was possible to either get sworn in today or at the big oath ceremony being held this Friday, and she said it was too late for either of these but he could request to have the oath ceremony expedited administratively. She put a post-it on the front of the file saying he needed the expedited oath.

Interview ended at 9:50.


*Proof of marital union: He took (originals and copies of) our mortgage statements and the leases to the apartments we had before we bought the house; joint bank statements; car insurance cards; and a few greeting cards (Christmas, anniversary, etc.) and boarding passes we had lying around. As I said, she didn't ask him for any of it or anything about me or our relationship. Or anything about why he wanted to be a citizen or anything.
sparkofcreationFemaleUnited Kingdom2008-08-12 12:38:00
US Citizenship General Discussionchange name on N-400
QUOTE (NickD @ Aug 13 2008, 12:56 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (sparkofcreation @ Aug 13 2008, 01:11 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I've known a few people who did so and it didn't cause any problems.

The difference is that a judge needs to be present for your name to be changed. But in many places, a judge administers the oath anyway.


But that is only the tip of the iceberg, SS, DL, IRS, Marriage certificate, all financial statements, employment, resumes, showing your recorded name change with your birth certificate, grade transcripts, utilities, Christmas card list, plus many more.

Wife and I talked about it, just changing her first with her middle name, but then she said she would hurt her mother's feelings, ha, another consideration.

We left it.



Well, yes, but the question was whether changing one's name would cause any problems in the *immigration* process, not how difficult it would be in life in general (and frankly, I didn't find it very difficult at all--took a few weeks before everything was done, but so what?). And btw you have to notify Social Security when you naturalize anyway.
sparkofcreationFemaleUnited Kingdom2008-08-14 21:39:00
US Citizenship General Discussionchange name on N-400
I've known a few people who did so and it didn't cause any problems.

The difference is that a judge needs to be present for your name to be changed. But in many places, a judge administers the oath anyway.
sparkofcreationFemaleUnited Kingdom2008-08-13 13:11:00
US Citizenship General DiscussionWHAT is the BEST way to present your N-400 package
I agree with zyggy, the list of things to include was really short so we just put them in that order and stuck a binder clip on it. I don't think we even used a cover sheet for the N-400.
sparkofcreationFemaleUnited Kingdom2008-08-12 12:55:00
US Citizenship General Discussionis it ok if I send a tax transcript for N-400?
Where does this "10 days" thing everyone talks about come from? The last three times we needed tax transcripts (I-751, N-400, and naturalization interview), the IRS faxed them directly to us the same day.
sparkofcreationFemaleUnited Kingdom2008-08-17 11:54:00
US Citizenship General DiscussionIt's all over ...
QUOTE (NickD @ Aug 18 2008, 05:58 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
They expedited his oath ceremony because we have international travel plans three days after the day he was scheduled to take the oath. It was supposed to be 7 weeks later.

How did you pull that? Wife would like to see her family again checking the net for airline rates, but how can we plan?


Well, in part, because we booked non-refundable tickets six months ago for a big family reunion in the UK, at a time when his projected processing date was between January-March 2009.

QUOTE (Gemma12nel @ Aug 18 2008, 07:39 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Congrats to the two of you!

I remember whe we were both going thru Newark together

Julie


Hi Julie! Feels like a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. How's New Jersey?
sparkofcreationFemaleUnited Kingdom2008-08-18 14:46:00
US Citizenship General DiscussionIt's all over ...
QUOTE (NickD @ Aug 17 2008, 10:04 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I was shocked that your husband got his oath ceremony ahead of my wife, he is about a month later with his interview than her. But that is great, pleased it is over for you and your husband. Oath just three days after interview, wow.

Doesn't the USCIS like you, getting rid of you so quick? LOL. It must be that I am so likable they keep my wife hanging so they can hang unto me for awhile. Your you naughty, ha, then I will be naughty too.


They expedited his oath ceremony because we have international travel plans three days after the day he was scheduled to take the oath. It was supposed to be 7 weeks later.
sparkofcreationFemaleUnited Kingdom2008-08-17 23:51:00
US Citizenship General DiscussionIt's all over ...
So on Friday, just over four years after filing to adjust status, Gareth was sworn in as a US citizen, along with ~450 other people.

Gareth has always been slightly nervous about being an immigrant at the idea that he could (theoretically) get sent home at any time for any reason or no reason, no matter how unlikely that may be. But I've always thought I was very matter of fact about it. I quite like paperwork, so that wasn't difficult. Our immigration process was (relatively) straightforward, easy, and fast all the way through. 5½ months from filing AOS to green card, 4½ months from filing to lift conditions to the permanent green card, 9½ months from filing the N-400 to the oath ceremony.

But now it's like this huge part of our lives has disappeared! No more dozens of photocopies, no more trying to get people to take photos of us, no more having to make sure he has his green card whenever he goes out, no more gearing up for the next stage in the process, no more having to save up to fork over several hundred dollars more next year. We don't have anything to prove to anyone.

It's weird--it's like a huge weight was taken off our shoulders, that we didn't even know was there. Everything else just seems easier to cope with. Also, we have nothing to talk about (just kidding).
sparkofcreationFemaleUnited Kingdom2008-08-17 10:05:00
US Citizenship General DiscussionWhat do we bring to the oat ceremony?
QUOTE (Tammi @ Aug 18 2008, 06:10 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (sparkofcreation @ Aug 17 2008, 10:55 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (Tammi @ Aug 16 2008, 05:42 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Yes, we were already there at the time of postings. They do the ceremony at the lovely hour of 8 am!


My husband's ceremony was at 10:00 am, but we still had to be there at 7:00! What time did you have to be there?


We just had to be there at 8. The judge came in at 9. I can't believe you had to be there three hours early!!!



Well they started check-in at 7:00, check-in finished at 9:00 (you'd think they could stagger it, have some people due to arrive at 7:00, 7:15, 7:30, etc.; but it did take them until 9:00 to get everyone checked in because they swore in over 450 people), then the new citizens had to sign their naturalization certificates and fill out their Social Security applications and get them checked over by the SSA people and pick up passport applications, everyone had to be in their seats at 9:45 and the ceremony started at 10:00 on the dot. Distribution of naturalization certificates started at 11:00 and finished at 12:15. Then back to Social Security, voter registration, and over to the post office to apply for a passport.
sparkofcreationFemaleUnited Kingdom2008-08-18 14:52:00
US Citizenship General DiscussionWhat do we bring to the oat ceremony?
QUOTE (Tammi @ Aug 16 2008, 05:42 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Yes, we were already there at the time of postings. They do the ceremony at the lovely hour of 8 am!


My husband's ceremony was at 10:00 am, but we still had to be there at 7:00! What time did you have to be there?
sparkofcreationFemaleUnited Kingdom2008-08-17 09:55:00
US Citizenship General DiscussionWhat do we bring to the oat ceremony?
We are also wondering. Does "immigration documents" mean all the stuff we've ever gotten from USCIS, or just things that were used to enter/leave the country?
sparkofcreationFemaleUnited Kingdom2008-08-14 21:33:00
US Citizenship General DiscussionN-400 November Filers
Gareth was sworn in on Friday, August 15, nine months and 10 days after our NOA-1 date.
sparkofcreationFemaleUnited Kingdom2008-08-17 11:55:00
US Citizenship General DiscussionN-400 November Filers
QUOTE (flavaofsummer @ Jun 14 2008, 12:14 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
r u guys in nyc?


As the information under my profile and my signature both say, my local office is Albuquerque, New Mexico.
sparkofcreationFemaleUnited Kingdom2008-06-14 14:19:00
US Citizenship General DiscussionN-400 November Filers
QUOTE (RICHIE07 @ Jun 14 2008, 12:53 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (sparkofcreation @ Jun 13 2008, 11:51 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Interview letter received yesterday 6/12/08. Interview scheduled for 8/12/08 at 9:45 am.

There's an oath ceremony here on August 15 and one on September 12, I'm hoping he can make the August 15 one because we're traveling overseas October 1 and it'd suck to have to pay the extra $$$ to expedite the passport. But at my office you can take the oath in person at USCIS if you formally request it in writing instead of doing it during the mass ceremony.


Wow, that's cool if you can take the oath in person at USCIS. If I don't received my oath letter by the middle of July, I'm going to make an infopass appointment.

I'm hoping to get it soon..


Each office has its own policy that's an agreement with the local US District Court (since the court conducts the ceremony). My local office normally has an oath ceremony every 90 days (they've added more this year due to the increased applications) and you can take the oath at the USCIS instead if (a) there's no ceremony scheduled in the next 45 days after your approval or (2) you request it in writing explaining why. (There's no right or wrong answer why, you just need some explanation.)

Edited by sparkofcreation, 14 June 2008 - 12:23 PM.

sparkofcreationFemaleUnited Kingdom2008-06-14 12:22:00
US Citizenship General DiscussionN-400 November Filers
Interview letter received yesterday 6/12/08. Interview scheduled for 8/12/08 at 9:45 am.

There's an oath ceremony here on August 15 and one on September 12, I'm hoping he can make the August 15 one because we're traveling overseas October 1 and it'd suck to have to pay the extra $$$ to expedite the passport. But at my office you can take the oath in person at USCIS if you formally request it in writing instead of doing it during the mass ceremony.
sparkofcreationFemaleUnited Kingdom2008-06-14 00:51:00
US Citizenship General DiscussionN-400 November Filers
Other November TSC filers, are your receipt numbers in the system yet? My husband's still isn't. He was fingerprinted in February.
sparkofcreationFemaleUnited Kingdom2008-05-11 11:11:00
US Citizenship General DiscussionN-400 November Filers
QUOTE (Waiting4GC @ Mar 9 2008, 09:48 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (cottonqueen @ Mar 8 2008, 09:14 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I received the notification for the interview date today. It was mailed Feb 26 (!!!) and the appointment will be April 4.



Good Luck! It seems like most of the people who filed in November have received the appt for the interview.


Except those of us who filed at Texas.
sparkofcreationFemaleUnited Kingdom2008-03-27 23:05:00
US Citizenship General DiscussionN-400 November Filers
N-400 sent via FedEx on 11/1/07.
Received (signed for) at Texas Service Center on 11/5/07.

I think it would be worthwhile for people who post in this thread to say which Service Center they're using; after all, not everyone is caught in the Texas quagmire...
sparkofcreationFemaleUnited Kingdom2007-11-12 13:45:00
US Citizenship General DiscussionDual British and American citizenship?
No, you enter and leave each country on that country's passport. That's standard practice everywhere that allows dual citizenship. You don't need to use the same passport for the whole trip.

The US changed the law about requiring you to give up your other country's citizenship awhile back ... maybe 10-20 years ago? You still have to say it during the oath, and I think they still send your home country a letter saying "This person swore the oath of US citizenship," but many other countries (including of course the UK) don't really care, and the US doesn't require you to actually go and renounce your foreign citizenship.

For those who acquire the US citizenship first and another country's afterwards, the US Dept. of State do have the *right* to refuse to renew your US passport if you've done anything to jeopardize your US citizenship (including getting citizenship elsewhere), but I believe they only do so if you take a high government job/serve in the military of another country.
sparkofcreationFemaleUnited Kingdom2008-08-17 11:50:00
US Citizenship General DiscussionNaturalization interview experience In Chula Vista - San Diego
congrats!!! :thumbs:
luis&susyFemaleMexico2011-01-13 15:54:00
US Citizenship General DiscussionN400 January 2011 Filers
ok well it took him like 3 hours for the oath, and finally us citizen..good luck everyone!! :thumbs:
luis&susyFemaleMexico2011-05-14 10:26:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures1-800 number of USCIS LOcated in India ?

I have never heard of that. I doubt that they would do that but who knows. I know that I don't like it when I call an airline or something and reach India on the weekends... I never get the same information as I do when I call during the week.


Ugh, don't even get me started on that!! :lol: When trying to move cross-country with cats, there was nothing I could do to get through to a person who actually worked for Delta and could actually give me any answers that weren't printed on the script in front of them. :angry: And that was during business hours during the week. Finally I made G. look up the number of the Atlanta airport, since Atlanta is Delta's biggest hub, and demand to speak to the Delta desk. It worked. :lol:

And man,... I'm sorry, but I speak with a very standard American accent with no strong regional features of any kind, and if you cannot understand my accent, you should not be providing customer service to an American company.

IS THIS TRUE THAT THE 1-800- NUMBER OF THE USCIS CUSTOMER SERVICE LOACED IN iNDIA ?


I have never heard that. However, I do know that the information line of the US Embassy in London is actually a call center in Glasgow (or maybe Edinburgh?). And they don't have any information that's not in the script there, either.

It's asinine. I don't call customer service unless I want an answer that's not available on the website. Why staff customer service lines with people who know nothing except the same information that's on the website?!
sparkofcreationFemaleUnited Kingdom2006-07-08 23:28:00