What to Expect at the Naturalization Oath Ceremony

[Vilya 5]

You can bring as many guests as you want in Houston and you can take phones, iPads, etc into the ceremony. He should arrive around 7:00 to register... a little lateness won't hurt but the sooner you get there the sooner you leave... guests were allowed to enter until 9. Just a tip; bring umbrellas for everyone... it's a big parking lot and a long walk to the entrance and there might be a long wait outside. This is assuming it's for the 7am appointment at the Mo Cambell Educational Center.

Click on the link in my signature for details on the Houston oath ceremony.

Thank you, JimmyHou! Your information on Houston matters has been invaluable. This is exactly what we wanted to know. Yes, his letter said 7 am was the time, and I plan to get there in a timely fashion, as you point out-it would be great if we were able to get out earlier rather than later. I will definitely bring umbrellas, considering how much rain we've been getting lately.

Thanks again!

[sphynx 0]

I'm sorry if this has been asked before but does anyone have any idea how long the ceremony lasts in Los Angeles (convention center)? they scheduled mine at 8 am, I'm wondering if I should take the day off or tell my boss I can be back at work at 11 am? should I expect it more than 2 hours?

[Sonia_Sonia 16]

This is a great material. Thanks

[Capital Z 51]

I have a question what if you are not living together but also you are not legally separated or divorced. Does the three years condition still stands in that scenario of naturalization or  it becomes 5 years due to the fact of being living separately?

[bearmirus 45]

On 12/12/2016 at 8:24 PM, sphynx said:

I'm sorry if this has been asked before but does anyone have any idea how long the ceremony lasts in Los Angeles (convention center)? they scheduled mine at 8 am, I'm wondering if I should take the day off or tell my boss I can be back at work at 11 am? should I expect it more than 2 hours?

In case you were waiting for an answer (or other people may ask the same question), @eggplant shared his/her experience with the Oath Ceremony on February 15, 2017 into great details.

[spottymax 45]

CNN has a nice story about the citizenship ceremony... Reborn in the USA: Inside a citizenship ceremony

[TigerFlower 61]

Great info, thank you! I have a question. On the N-445, under "Please bring the following with you:", it says "Any other documents USCIS issued to you."  Surely this does not mean the previous NoAs you received during the entire journey? I'm probably being too paranoid, it would seem your Green Card, any reentry permits and the filled out N-445 are what they need? 

 

Nevermind! Sorry folks. I found the answer here: 

 

 

Edited March 15, 2017 by Tigerflower

[bxman 13]

April 19, 2017

Just returned from our Naturalization/Citizenship ceremony held at Richmond's 4th District Court

Courthouse is on E Broad st and parking was easy. Just a block away on 17th st (we used) 

Appointment was at 9:30 but was informed the ceremony would not begin till 11am on the 7th floor

11;30 appointments begin at 1pm

Courthouse opened at 8 

We entered at 9am and was one of the first to arrive

They began registration at 9:30. They do 72 people per ceremony

Ceremony took about 30 minutes. They will take your green card and appointment letter. (be sure you have both)

We all filed through in a line where they presented us with our Certificates

Hope this helps someone

 

 

 

 

 

[bxman 13]

I should also add this information as I know I wondered myself. Can cameras or cell phones be brought into the US Courthouse in Richmond Va which was where our oath ceremony was held. NO CAMERAS or CELL PHONES allowed! So save time and leave them in your car or whatever. When you enter the courthouse,it's just like entering the airport! Metal detectors and all that stuff. I can ONLY speak for the courthouse in Richmond Va so if your oath will be held at some other USCIS site you'd have to ask at that location. Hope this helps someone out there! 

[FrankD18 3]

Quick question: I have my oath ceremony scheduled tomorrow (after having applied in January...2016...with a very straightforward application, good job, degree, no legal issues etc. seems that it just fell through the cracks). Anyway, I answered no to all questions except for travel outside the country. I was out for 2 weeks for both work and vacation. The document says to bring a proof for whatever answer we say yes to. Do I need to bring my passport? And if so, can they actually take it away? 

 

[CentralPark1992 20]

Guys, can I ask USCIS to have modified oath at the oath ceremony? I had no idea about this till today and I am already done with the interview. 

[IPv6Freely 64]

I would have preferred a modified oath to remove the god part since I don't believe in that stuff, but decided it really isn't worth the effort. At the end of the day, they're just meaningless words anyway.

 

Anyway, the only question I have is... they don't make each individual person recite the oath, right? They just have the whole group all repeat it back at the same time? I mean, if the latter, how would they ever know if you just neglected to say the last couple words? Or any of it at all?

[iman84 0]

I recently heard from uscis about my case my i751 hasnt been approved yet but recieved a email from them saying they sent me a letter  with information for when and where my n400 interview going to be, im still waiting for it ,i would like to get some tips about it if anyone been in this case, n400 interview!!!!

[jefferyd 12]

Thought I would share as my oath ceremony didn't go exactly as planned...

 

My notice of oath letter had a ceremony time of 1:00 pm on March 26 at the George Eastman Museum. It also said CELLPHONES PROHIBITED. I happen to know the special events director at the museum so I asked him what to expect and what was allowed.  First off he told me cellphones were fine as long as they were set to silent.  He told me to get there early, like at 8:30.  I was surprised at that because of the 1 pm ceremony.  Impossible, he told me, they do it twice a year and it's always at 9:30 in the morning.  He called the judge who confirmed he was booked for a 9:30 ceremony.  He called USCIS.  Two days later I got a call from USCIS saying my ceremony time had changed to 9:30.  A few weeks later I got an email from someone at the field office telling me the time was at 9:30, that she emailed me a new letter and sent a new letter in the mail, also saying the ceremony would start at 9:30.  Fine.  So I showed up on the morning of March 26 and there was some commotion because people had received two letters with two ceremony times and they wanted to be sure so they showed up in the morning.  We were assured everything was fine, the ceremony was actually at 9:30.  I had also told my friends and family to be there at 9:30.  Mistake.

 

USCIS started checking people in at 9:30- we were 102 candidates so it was going to take a bit of time.  We were later told that the "Court" (the actual ceremony itself) would start at 11 so my poor friends were sitting around waiting for a long time.  Just as we were about to start, the museum director pulled me aside and said that there had been 42 no-shows, likely due to the confusion about times.  Also, the musical entertainment which was supposed to performed had not shown, neither had Social Security or the passport office.  Apparently they didn't get the memo about the 9:30 start time.  Court started just before 11, but since there was no music and we were only 60 people to receive our certificates, it went rather quickly.  The judge made some touching remarks. There was no music so we all sang the national anthem together, then the oath was administered. Then we all pledged allegiance to the flag. Our names were called from the stage, one by one, we stood, the judge came to meet us to pose for photographs and hand us our certificates.  I am not an overly emotional person but I bawled all the way through it.

 

When it was all over people had started showing up for their 1:00 ceremony.  To their credit, the people from USCIS made a few phone calls, spoke with the judge who agreed to stay and the museum director who confirmed they could keep the space, and another ceremony was to be held at 1:00 for the people showing up.  I can just imagine how infuriating it would have been  to show up for your ceremony only to find out you had missed it.... so I was happy for the rest of us who still managed to have their day, and might even have had some music to go along with it. 

[ksp9 18]

Oath Experience Cadman Plaza Brooklyn 5/16/2018: (Just in case some one needs to know what to expect at brooklyn oath ceremony)....

 

I left home early and reached the venue by 7:30 AM as I have decided to drive and park in the near by parking. Found many and parked at 111 livingstone icon parking garage that has $20 if you park anytime between 5 AM to 10 AM and can take out any number of hours. I booked my spot from 6 AM to 2 PM just in case and it still costed me 20 bucks. Left my phone in the car itself. It was a short and scenic walk from livingstone street to Cadman Plaza E court building. By the time I reach there was a line formed. Contrary to some vj'ers here, it was more blessing in disguise and you will know what I mean shortly. Anyways, just like any airport security you go through like removing belts / no cameras / no phones / etc... Once through you are asked to get to 2nd floor while your family members are requested to get to 3rd floor. Today there were about 261 becoming new citizens. So the room was jam packed and there was hardly room for family members, so it's luck and depends on the day. Today no family members. Once inside FIFO (first in first out method is adopted). So they make you seated in a kind of order. The first 30 members get a chance to sit on cushioned chairs with arm rest. So if you reach early you might end up being in those chairs and instead of being stacked along on those long bench tables. Since you will probably end up sitting there for at least 4 hrs or so, the cushion chairs made it more comfortable.

 

You have to fill the back portion of the oath letter there itself and enter the city / state as "brooklyn , new york". once done, that's it. There were no one from voter registration since there are no elections around the corner I guess. Now time is about 9 AM. Still all the people are being filled up slowly in an orderly form. Once all the candidates are seated (or so), they will call people with special cases like name changes or picture issue. Then about 9:30 AM or so, from row 1 (the first set of candidates who came in first) are called to hand over their filled out form along with green card (s) if you more than one and any other documents like EAD, Travel Documents, Refugee , I94 etc. They will write the last 3 digits on to your form and hand over an envelop that contains Oath / Pledge and passport application and voter information flyer and a hard case for keeping your certificate later. Once you collect your enevelop after handing over the GC etc.. you are directed to another table where they will have you verify your naturalization certificate for any errors and then if all ok, then you are asked to sign in front of them (the same signature that you have done during your interview). That's it. You are sent back to your seat and you wait and wait until all the remaining fellow would be citizens are taken care of as well. Once the process is complete, including name changes / picture issue folks, they will formally make a phone call to request the judge to join us all. This was about 11:20 AM or so. Until this process you are free to go to the rest room as well. There are drinking water fountains available as well just in case you need to drink some water near the rest room corridor. But once they make the judge to come, that's a hint that you are not supposed to be outside since if you miss the oath / pledge then you are not naturalized yet.. it's that simple. So guys understand when they say not to leave the room, they make sense because we have come to this point after lot of hurdles hence, don't miss this out.

 

Judge walks in at 11:40  and we all rise welcoming her and in turn today the judge was a women, who was very jovial and pleasant. Made our day more memorable. She complimented all of us and also apologized related to how hard it is to come into this building going through security etc and all other formalities etc... but nevertheless she said first let's have our citizens , and so immediately did the oath / pledge with that done, we were officially citizens at that precise moment. Then she congratulated all of us and then she read out all the countries and we all supported each other with this great achievement. There were about 65 countries or so. It was an emotional farewell to motherland but judge made it clear that even though you have renounced all ties but don't renounce your love to your own country and culture. Please carry on the legacy of it. America is built on freedom and it's "WE THE PEOPLE" that makes it proud.  Then she left at 12 Noon or so, now again the first row is called upon to submit our oath letter and then collect our certificates and we are on our own once outside that building and disappear in world that is now painted "RED" "BLUE" and "WHITE" by 12:20 PM.

 

I have my passport appointment scheduled for Friday and got to my car and headed back home driving for the very first time as an american citizen.

 

Thanks to some of the folks here who were sharing their experiences.. like @Going through@vkhutchings@anu19@lela and many others...

 

Some pointers to remember:

1. it's always FIFO (so if you come early you will leave early as well)

2. Status updates (Might happen or might not happen - so don't depend and be anxious and above all STOP Comparing with others statuses)

3. Attire - I have noticed that some were too casual but nevertheless this is one of the most important event of your life, so I would suggest go in your formal (suits for men and ladies to be business). that gives the event the dignity and respect (not that this is mandatory but will be great to have these worn)

4. Eat something in the morning if possible, I was really hungry as I could not eat anything in the morning. By the time you are done, you feel exhausted at some level even though you are very happy.