ChasUno

Apologies, I missed the part about the I-751 still pending. Amazingly I didn't have an interview for my I-751, and never had a combo interview with my spouse at any point in my visa journey. Covid may have had something to with that, perhaps clear cut applications with no issues were expedited during that period. Obviously things are different now compared with when I went through my application. I agree that in the situation of the applicant above, they should reschedule their interview to a time when their spouse can also attend. Or at least contact USCIS and tell them the situation and ask what they recommend.

When I had my N400 interview in November 2022, it was just me being interviewed (my spouse had to wait in the waiting room). My interview was very easy compared with most of the other stages of immigration, and my case was simple as nothing had changed, we were still married, still living at the same address, everything up to date and above board and the Civics and English test were no problem. There were still some COVID restrictions in place last year that might have been a factor in my case, but I don't think spouses are jointly interviewed for the N400. Your interview letter will make it clear who needs to attend, and if your spouse isn't mentioned in the letter then you should be fine to attend on your own.

Sorry for the delay in responding, it's been a whirlwind since the ceremony. When I got to USCIS and handed my Oath Letter in at the desk leading to the ceremony hall, the supervisor asked me for green card. I replied "just the current green card or do you need the expired conditional green card and work permit cards too?", to which she replied "your green card and any other expired cards you have on you". I asked if I could keep them as souvenirs, and she said sorry, but no. So I had to hand all of them back. I guess I could have kept quiet about the conditional green card and work permit card, and could probably have kept hold of them. But as I brought them to her attention, I couldn't really hold them back and had to return them. I did take photos of them before I went to the ceremony, so I still have those as a reminder of my journey from immigrant green card holder to citizen!

I have my Oath Ceremony tomorrow, and in the letter it asks that I bring: "All Permanent Resident Cards ("green card") that you have, valid or expired. Along with employment authorization cards, valid or expired." I have all these cards - my expired 2 year conditional green card, my expired employment authorization card (that is also the I-512 Advanced Parole), and my current 10 year green card - and I will be bringing them to the ceremony with me. Do we get to keep these cards as souvenirs, or do we have to give them back to the USCIS?

I filed my N400 (based on 5+ years of marriage plus continuous residency in the the USA) and received the NOA on 07/21/22. I couldn't believe it when I received my interview letter at the beginning of October saying they would re-use my biometrics and with an interview date of 11/03/22 (at the TPA Tampa, FL office). I was very surprised as when I checked "average processing times" via the USCIS for N400 applications processed at Tampa back in July, it was approx. 11 months. And I just checked today and it has since gone up to 15.5 months. I had one issue when I received my interview letter in that my UK passport was about to expire and I had already sent it back to the UK for renewal, and the "average processing time" for a UK passport meant that it would likely not be back in time for the interview. It ended up being processed much quicker and I got both my new and expired UK passports back well before my interview. That just left me furiously studying the civics questions using the phone app and online resources. I had my interview today and despite being nervous as heck (I always feared tests/ interviews ever since my school days!), I passed! The interviewing officer was both professional and accommodating, and also helped put me at ease. Everything went very smoothly, most probably because my case/ application was very simple (no issues, no red flags, no other family involved other than my spouse, everything being done by the book, no citations/ convictions etc.) I was probably worrying myself crazy about trying to remember the 100 Civics questions, but all the studying paid off and I got 6 out of 6 questions right. The English test was an absolute breeze - read out one simple sentence from the tablet, and write one simple sentence on the tablet after hearing it spoken by the IO. Being British and having spoken and written English all my life this was pretty much English 101. Then it was just being asked questions from the N400 itself and making sure they matched up - Name, Address, Occupation etc., plus about half a dozen or so of those questions at the end of the N400 that ask if you have been involved with dubious organizations or committed serious crimes, and a handful of questions about do you support the constitution, willing to bear arms for the USA if required etc. The IO took some digital photos and also my finger prints (left thumb and right index finger), had me sign a declaration with my name, and that was it. I then was given a USCIS letter stating that I had passed my naturalization interview, and after waiting a bit longer in the waiting area I was given another letter with the date and details of my Oath ceremony in a weeks time (plus a few tick box questions that need to be completed before the ceremony). The N400 for me was so, so, so much quicker and easier than the K1 and RoC, and I'm still kind of dazed that it happened so quickly. It still hasn't quite sunk in yet to be honest. Maybe it will when I have the oath ceremony next week and officially and legally become a US Citizen. It's hard to believe that my Visa Journey has reached its destination, and I did the whole process from K1 to Naturalization thanks to the all the guides, moderators and all the contributors in the Visa Journey Forum. Thank you all of you for making this a smooth journey and helping me achieve my goal of marrying the love of my life and also becoming a US Citizen. All that's left is for me to wish everyone else just starting and those already on this voyage a successful and smooth journey also. Bon Voyage!

Ah! Thank you so much! Of course I was only looking at the front of my green card and didn't think to look at the back! 🤦‍♂️ As you pointed out, my full name is on the bottom line among all the "<<<<<<<<<<" symbols. I shall now enter in my full name and check the box. I do feel that the N400 should state to look at the back of the card to confirm the full legal name though! I wonder how many other people got confused like I did? Thanks again for your help 🙂

Hey all, Been a while since I've been on here after my ROC, and now it's time to push forward with N400/ Naturalization. I've read the guides and have filled out my application online via USCIS website. No concerns except with one question about my "name" on my Permanent Resident card. In one section of the application form it asks: "What is your name exactly as it appears on your Permanent Resident Card?" There is a check box below this that states: "The name on my Permanent Resident Card matches my current legal name" Then below this are three boxes - 1. "Given Name (first name)", 2. "Middle Name" and 3. "Family Name (last name)" On my green card there are only headings for "Surname" and "Given Name". My surname is correct, however, under the "Given Name" heading they've put my first name and middle initial. i.e. if for example my name was John Michael Smith, my green card would show "Smith" as my Surname and "John M" as my Given Name. As such, I've filled in the N400 to show my Given Name as "John M", my Surname as "Smith" and I've left the Middle Name and check box blank (see pic). Is this the correct way to fill out this part of the N400? Many thanks for any advice.