Phoenix Naturalization Experience

[AZKira 3]

I'm done! My oath ceremony was today in Phoenix.

April 19 2011 - USCIS received my N-400 application.

May 18 2011 - Biometrics. The preferred walk-in day for Phoenix is Wednesday.

August 04 2011 - Interview

August 19 2011 - Naturalization ceremony

When I went to my Adjustment of Status meeting a few years ago at 2035 North Central Avenue in Phoenix, I was re-directed to another location.

This time, the address was correct. I was kept waiting about fifteen minutes past the appointment time and the citizenship interview itself

took fifteen minutes. There were no surprises. The building has its own parking lot and there's a flat $5.00 charge.

Actually, there was one surprise. Two days later I got the oath ceremony letter. It was scheduled for exactly two weeks after the interview.

Phoenix doesn't do same-day oath ceremonies.

I had some questions about the procedure and some ambiguity about times in the oath letter and was able to get them answered by calling the courthouse at 602-322-7200.

Phoenix holds two naturalization ceremonies every Friday at the U.S. District Courthouse, 401 West Washington, 2nd floor, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, with approximately

one hundred new citizens sworn in at each ceremony.

My ceremony started at 10:00 but they wanted all new citizens to be in the courtroom an hour before that, for the preamble.

Representatives from Social Security, the Passport office, and voter registration were there to explain their forms, and were there after the ceremony to receive filled-out forms.

After this introductory material, we were given a short break and were allowed to leave the courtroom but were warned to be back promptly.

Once everyone was back, our guests were let inside and the ceremony began right on time at 10.

My ceremony took about 45 minutes. Cameras are welcome. They permit cell phones but ask that they be muted.

The most convenient parking is across the street at the 305 West Washington parking garage. We were there for about an hour and a half and paid $10.

There is some metered parking along West Washington and there are other parking lots nearby.

The Sandra Day O'Connor courthouse is a beautiful glass structure, very modern and open. And HOT in August. The courtroom itself was comfortably air conditioned.

Acoustics are fine when the person speaking faces the audience and speaks into the microphone.

After the judge's introduction, the oath, the pledge, the videos, some volunteer new immigrant stories, and more from the judge, we were asked to stand up one row at a time

to accept our naturalization certificates. At first I wondered how they had them in the correct order and then I realized that each certificate has a photo on it

and while we were watching the videos and listening to the speeches, the people up front had plenty of time to match each certificate to the faces in front of them and organize the piles of paper.

The picture on my certificate was the one I had supplied with the N-400 application, not the one taken at Biometrics.

After we had our certificates and everyone had left the courtroom, we were allowed back inside to take pictures.

All in all, it was pretty efficiently handled and far less painful an experience than some I've read about.

[AZKira 3]

The only documentation they want to see is the oath letter, the most recent Green Card, and a driver’s license as photo ID to get through Security when you first enter the building.

They keep the oath letter and the Green Card.

[dolphin1 5]

Congratulations and thank you alot for sharing your experience. I'll apply when i get back from my trip, and i'll try to walk-in on Wednesday. Last year i went on Thursday and they let me in, they seem nice at the phoenix office. Thanks again, your post is helpful for me

[AZKira 3]

Thanks, Dolphin1. There really isn't much information specifically for the Phoenix office. I posted mine as a way of saying thank you to everyone at VisaJourney, and to leave something that might be helpful for future VJ members.

I hope that your experience goes as smoothly as mine.

[dolphin1 5]

That's nice of you to do so

[nina1 0]

hey there!

I'm canadian married to a us citizen.. I'm supposed to have my interview next week here in Phoenix as well,so can you please tell me which questions they asked you during your interview? Were they nice to you? What documents do i need to bring with me aside from my green card, the new and expired canadian passport, the marriage certificate and proof of us doing joint taxes? Did they ask you again about your marriage and how you met, blablabla?

[boilermaker 1]

hey there!

I'm canadian married to a us citizen.. I'm supposed to have my interview next week here in Phoenix as well,so can you please tell me which questions they asked you during your interview? Were they nice to you? What documents do i need to bring with me aside from my green card, the new and expired canadian passport, the marriage certificate and proof of us doing joint taxes? Did they ask you again about your marriage and how you met, blablabla?

Yeah, If your green card is based on marriage, expect questions regarding your marriage from the time you two met. Just like AOS interview.

I went through interview weeks ago and most of the interview was spent talking about marriage (my interview lasted 45 mins).

They only checked my green card, but took copies of all paperwork I sent (taxes, insurance) an other proof and passports.

If i were you, i'd pretend this is a second AOS interview, just be ready....at least that was my experience at PHX office.

Edited December 11, 2011 by boilermaker

[TBoneTX 43,058]

An unrelated post has been split from this thread, given this thread title,

"How to Do N-400 from Outside the USA? [split topic]",

and placed in the US Citizenship forum.

This old thread is now closed to further comments.

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