Hi, I am aware that I would be given a date to take the oath and become a citizen of the U.S. The Interview is on mid-July, four months before the general elections. The problem is that I already have very important 'personal' plans from july 19-25 and I'm afraid that these plans, which require flying within the U.S, could get ruined by having the oath being given within that time interval. These plans cannot be moved. I want to know generally how long from the citizenship test is the ceremony.

Is there also a chance that the oath is on the same day of the citizenship interview?

When I had my interview/test - the woman told me that some people were no shows (they had empty spots I guess) and if I wanted to, she can put me in for the ceremony the same day (about 2 hours later in the afternoon). I told her that I was not in any hurry for the oath and certificate of citizenship; so others who need it for traveling or filing for their relatives etc. can take my spot. My gut is that you can ask the examiner if they can add you to the same day ceremony (if one is being held that day) or an earlier one or a later one depending on your schedule - some may help you. Good Luck

Remember that Bush is president of the USA.

thanks I'll think of that.

I definitively don't like Bush btw, but he'll be out very soon.

Whoops, posted in the wrong thread, sorry. But wondered about this ceremony myself. Was under the impression that the interview and oath were done at the same time, but apparently not. Just a very short oath and another 420 mile trip for us with the high price of fuel and a lost day of work. Sure the citizenship is an important event for my wife and for myself, but not really sure if anyone else cares. Ha, kind of like graduation where you sit for hours waiting for your kids name to be called in a very hot and airless stadium, try and bully my way up there to take a picture, but they don't let you do that anymore. Are you allowed to bring a camera into your field office? Are even professional photographers there? My pictures never turn out anyway, in that split second when the diploma is handed to your kid, someone steps right out in front.

We do get to meet a couple of our kids friends, and their parents, but will never see them again. In a town hundreds of miles away from us, so why the ceremony?

It would be a day to celebrate since have been dealing with the USCIS for over the last five years and that should come to an end that day.

But does someone thank you for coming here legally? Or thank you for your fees and patience with the USCIS? Or even say, thank you for shopping at the USCIS, please recommend us to all your friends?

Just wondered. And speaking of Bush, will he be there?

A ceremony, if your DO has them, might be offered on the same day. If not, your ceremony will actually be scheduled in your vicinity...normally done by the US District Court. They are the ones who schedule everything, and then USCIS sends you a notice of where to show up. Fortunately, your oath should be close to home.

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?

Well you can try and re-schedual your oath if it does happen to fall on your travel date. Not recommended, but it's there if you really need to. You could have your oath the same day depending on the interview and where you do the interview, or you could wait over a year like many do. There is no "Time Frame" average. People are all different and have all different wait times.

Mine for example was 2 months from the interview, others were 5 months while others were a month all at the same place I did my interview. It will depend on a lot of things, the interview, any follow up checks they need to do, how often they do the oath, how backlogged the oath is etc.

So you might just have to try and re-schedual the oath if you get it, that in itself can be a problem too as you get send back in the mix and some people have waiting a very long time to get their oath date again...

Well, looks like less than 10 days is uncommon then, hopefully it won't fall there.

It truly depends on the local office...I did it the same day (that's how Baltimore usually does it), but there are also people who end up waiting a few months. Your best bet is to find someone who just went through it at the same District Office you will be dealing with.
Good luck!

I had my interview on June 11/08 (at the West Palm Beach, Fl office) and my oath ceremony is on June 23rd...total of 12 days between them. Got the letter yesterday

After my interviewer told me I'd passed he said to expect a letter within a couple of weeks with my oath date. I'd heard from someone who'd had her interview here earlier this year that she had her oath ceremony 3 weeks later.
So...long story short...my husband travels for work and because I know we'll be here for July 4th I asked if my interview could be scheduled then. He didn't know if they'd be doing a 'special ceremony' on the 4th (normallly closed for holidays) but put a request on my file asking for that date or the day before or following the holiday, and the reason for my request.
Doubt if my husband will be able to be with me on the 23rd for the end of our visa journey....breaks my heart. He, above anyone, should be there beside me.
Casey

(fiance visa '98)

its 30-90 days if no problems r there with ur n400.

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.

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.

Ha, Wisconsinites complain about this, Milwaukee and Madison, about t 60 miles apart and both located near the southern border of the state. Milwaukee has a court office in Green Bay, and Madison up in Eau Clair, in the center of the state. Politicians come up for tax dollars, but seem to forget we are up here for returning some of that money back.

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. And ha, if we didn't, would be in deep trouble. But there you had to walk up front and claim you refuse to say the oath, not too many did that, none as I recall. And that was serious business.

Suppose will just hang around and see what happens. Our interview date now is one month away. Wonder if the price of gas will be over six bucks a gallon by then.

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.

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.

This depends on the individual, affected by several factors: service centre, local office, whether test on same day as fingerprints (mine was), ...

Yes, if your interview is done prior to noon, there is some possibility.

Yes, if your interview is done prior to noon, there is some possibility.

LOL, struck out again, interview is at 12:50 PM, that is considered afternoon, right?

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.

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.


The N-400 form sure gives the impression you can easily change your name by checking off that box and typing in the new name, but the instructions state you have to appear before a judge first, do the name change, and submit the document before you send in the N-400 application.

So are you saying if you did go through all this, have to see the judge again?

Wife likes her middle name better than her first name, so asked her if she wanted that switched, until we read what we have to go through, eh, just leave it.

You do NOT have to do a name change through the courts before the N-400, you just check the box. My best friend's husband just did it a couple months ago (his original K-1 was done with the "wrong" name). They also didn't want to go through the hassle and expense of doing it via the courts, so he just waited and did it on his citizenship app.

You only have to submit documentation with the N-400 if you have ALREADY started using the new name. If you don't want to start using it until after the oath, you check the box and your name is changed as of the date of the ceremony.

thanks for the info.

And if there's the rare and unfortunate chance that they will schedule me between the 21-25 week (i assume they don't do it on sat/sun), is it completely final? is it recommended to have evidence of flight tickets/hotel bookings and show that it's an inconvenient time?

You are correct on the name change, sparkofcreation, reread the instructions more carefully this time, must have just glanced at it the first time as my wife said no to the name change. Ha, didn't want to offend her mother.

Also found this in the M-476 manal:


"1. Receive a
ceremony date
If USCIS approves your
application for naturalization,
you must attend a ceremony and
take the Oath of Allegiance to
the United States. USCIS will
notify you by mail of the time
and date of your ceremony.
The notice USCIS sends
you is called the “Notice of
Naturalization Oath Ceremony”
(Form N-445). In some cases,
USCIS may give you the option
to take the Oath on the same day
as your interview.
If you arrange to take a “sameday”
Oath, USCIS will ask you
to come back to the office later
that day. At this time, you will
take the Oath and receive your
Certificate of Naturalization.
2. Check in at
the ceremony
When you arrive at the
ceremony, you will be asked
to check in with USCIS. Try
to arrive early. Remember that
there are often many other
people being naturalized with
you who must also be checked
in with USCIS.
If you cannot attend the
ceremony on the day you are
scheduled, you should return
the USCIS notice (Form N-445)
to your local USCIS office.
You should include a letter
explaining why you cannot be at
the ceremony and asking USCIS
to reschedule you.
The naturalization ceremony is
a solemn and meaningful event.
Please dress in proper attire to
respect the dignity of this event
(please no jeans, shorts, or flip
flops)."

Thought I read someplace where the interviewee can request to say the oath the same day after successful completion of the interview, but can't find that now.

Read also between the time of the interview and the oath have to answer these questions.

"You must bring the following with you:
This letter, WITH ALL THE QUESTIONS ON PAGE 2 ANSWERED. TYPE OR PRINT ANSWERS IN
BLACK INK.
Permanent Resident Card.
Any Immigration documents you may have.
If the naturalization application is on behalf of your child (children), bring your child (children).
Other.
Proper attire should be worn.
If you cannot come to this ceremony, return this notice immediately and state why you cannot appear. In such case,
you will be sent another notice of ceremony at a later date. You must appear at an oath ceremony to complete the
naturalization process.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
. .
. .
Reentry Permit or Refugee Travel Document.
Form N-445, Notice of Naturalization Oath Ceremony



Have you traveled outside the United States?

Have you knowingly committed any crime or offense, for which you have not been
arrested?

Have you joined any organization, including the Communist Party, or become
associated or connected therewith in any way?

Have you claimed exemption from military service?

Has there been any change in your willingness to bear arms on behalf of the
United States; to perform non-combatant service in the armed forces of the
United States; to perform work of national importance under civilian direction, if
the law requires it?

Have you practiced polygamy, received income from illegal gambling, been a
prostitute, procured anyone for prostitution or been involved in any other unlawful
commercialized vice, encouraged or helped any alien to enter the United States
illegally, illicitly trafficked in drugs or marijuana, given any false testimony to obtain
immigration benefits, or been a habitual drunkard?

Have you been arrested, cited, charged, indicted, convicted, fined or imprisoned for
breaking or violating any law or ordinance, including traffic violations?"

So I guess you have to be good after your interview and drive carefully.

Ha, love that:

Has there been any change in your willingness to bear arms on behalf of the United States;

Will they actually give us a gun? Way things are going, regardless of the 2nd amendment, they are trying to take them away.

My husband's interview letter doesn't have any of those questions on it. The first item on the list of things to bring just says "This letter."

Not on the interview notice, but suppose to be on the N-445 Oath appointment notice, USCIS does not list this form, but found an older version at

http://www.ilw.com/forms/N445.pdf

Nice to have an idea as to what to expect.

HAd interview on June 3rd, oath July 2nd

Any idea what "Any Immigration documents you may have" means on the Form N-445?

I've got a fat file folder of "immigration documents", at least the ones related to the K-1 through N-400 process.