Interview Experience Los Angeles

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

Exactly 85 days after dropping my N-400 application into the local mailbox on 9/11 (don't ask), my citizenship interview was scheduled for this morning, December 6, in downtown Los Angeles, which is not a pretty place by anyone's imagination.

I planed on going alone, but my wife mentioned something about being left out, so I invited her to come along, warning her that she won't be allowed inside with me at the actual interview, but since I promised a nice lunch at a cool restaurant and some shopping afterward, she was excited.

The interview letter spoke of "limited seating" and specifically asked not to come more than 30 minutes earlier. Given my estimated driving time of 1 hour and 17 minutes, I figured I'd better play it safe and add a few minutes, enough to change a flat tire along the way, so I arrived at exactly 10:21.

When exiting the parking structure, we encountered a line of people along the building and around the corner, pretty much as you would envision the bread lines of WWII. Two Armenian girls behind us also had an 11:00 o' clock N-400, so were were guessing how long it would take to make it to the entrance. Well, it took us until 11:13, so 13 minutes late. A guard whom I asked shortly before that informed me that they would be running late today and they "they inside are well aware about it."

Up on the 6th floor, when we entered the waiting room at about 11:17, sat a short Asian guy with a gun and a "private security" badge. Whatever. He looked at the interview letter and asked us to submit it at window number 2. At that time about 12 or so people were waiting. Most of them were dressed casually; I had dressed up in business attire. My personal philosophy is to rather err on the side of caution, better come over as "neat" then sloppy, although I usually wear blue jeans as my daily uniform.

Time passed along and every 15 minutes or so another name -- many of the apparently unpronouncable -- was called. The room started to fill up. At about 12:25 the Missus overheard that people with 1 o' clock appointments taking a seat . . . . two hours later than mine!

I walked over to the window number 2 and asked a female I.O. who was just sorting some papers if that would be still okay as I was waiting now for quite some time. She was very friendly, asked for my Green Card and promised to check up on it. A few minutes later she called my name, apologized for the delay, and informed me that my case was now assigned to an I.O. and I should be called in shortly.

My I.O. was Arthur Washington, a black Gentleman in his late 40s, pretty much dressed like myself, with a nice tie. When the wife and I approached him, he shouted "no waaives" after which I looked at my wife and said "them waaives stay here" in my fake Alabama slang. We both laughed!

The guy was just great. "Before you sit down, let me swear you in, okay?" I do, so God help me. Done. Sit down. I need to see your driver's license, your Green Card, and then your wife's birth certificate -- passport is okay but I rather see the birth certificate -- and your marriage certificate.

I handed him everything and he said . . . so your wife is a real California girl. Yep, she is. "Yes, Sir!"

He then grabbed a red pen and went over my entire application. Days outside the U.S.? Well, none, but I was outside the U.S. for about 3 hours when the wife and I visited the British Virgin Islands while vacationing at the U.S.V.I. He marked "1" where I previously had entered "O" in the application form. My response of "the instructions say a day means 24 hours or more" felt on deaf ears. Oh, well.

Have you ever been arrested . . . "I have been cited, Sir, for answering my cell phone while operating a motor vehicle." I showed him the paperwork. That was a traffic infraction, right? "Yes, Sir." He noted that on the form, in red, and moved on. He then looked at my name change request.

So you want to change your name to Richard von Stauffenberg? "Yes, Sir. I want something less German sounding." Not a problem. Spell that for me. He entered my new, chosen name in the computer and printed it out, 3 times. He then asked me to read it over carefully and make sure that everything was entered correctly. I did. He then asked me to sign the forms with my new name!

Then came the test.

He showed my a piece of paper with 3 sentences. Read the one in the middle!

"Yes, Sir. What state borders to the north of the U.S.?

I read the sentence, then answered "Canada."

That's right. Write down: Canada is north of the United States. Write United States, not U.S., and print.

"Print? No longhand? No, print!"

Done. Now the questions:

"What group of people were brought to the United States as slaves?" he asked while smiling like a little girl who just got a new Barbie doll. "Africans . . . people from Africa."

That's correct. Why did the Colonist fight the British? I answered. Four more mindless questions, none of which I remember (honestly), and he marked every of my answers and said. That's it, you passed.

I then politely mentioned that the questions must have been written by a retard, and he agreed. They don't want anybody to fail, you know. Before the new test was introduced, you asked a question and they had to know the answer. Now you ask: name one Indian tribe, and that's it. I mentioned that not one of the local California tribes, such as the Morongo or Chumasch indians were on the answer page and he waived and said, yeah, I know.

I then asked him how many interviews they have to do every day, and he answered "we're supposed to do 13," but that's rarely happening. You are easy, with people like you, we could make that, no problem, but there are so many language barriers, attorneys who ask for privileges, you wouldn't believe it."

Okay, you passed the interview and the test. Sign here. And here. And here. Okaaay.

"May I ask you one questions, Sir?" Sure. Do you have any idea on when I'll be having my Oath? I know the last ceremony this year is on the 18th, and I was just wondering . . . . "I'll tell 'ya right now!"

He hands me over the paperwork, approval notice, Constitution, passport application, and says: you'll receive an oath letter within 90 days, and on that letter will be the date and location."

At that point I realized that there's no merit in pursuing this any further, so I got up and thanked him. "Tell the wife I said "hello!"

Yes, Sir, will do! I walked out the security zone, told my wife what he asked me to do, and we left.

Parking was $18.00 by the way! Downtown Los Angeles, indeed.

Edited December 7, 2010 by Just Bob

[LADYDARE 28]

Detailed review good job. Congratulations

[Minted7 3]

haha awesome. I remember doing that, it was pretty much cool.

[RICARDO4EVA2 194]

Excellent. I was to mail off my N-400 on 12/3 but noticed they required a copy of my divorce certificate. I have a question I too, had the thought of a name change but thought it had to be accompanied by certain documents.... That not correct?

[Sand 5]

Congrats, Good News. so he dint say anything about ur traffic ticket? and by the way .. what did u write on the last column of question Number 16??

Thanks alot.

Edited December 7, 2010 by Sand

[CVB 18]

Congratulations Bob !! Very well done and thanks for sharing.

[v333k 59]

Hey JustBob! Congratulations!

[JA Tam 7]

Congrats Just Bob. Hope you get your oath letter soon.

Congrats Just Bob. Hope you get your oath letter soon.

[Journey05 1]

Congrat Bob. Excellent description of the interview process.

Hey is it just me or Bob is begining to sound just like Alan the red funnier with each post.LOL.

[OBX 51]

Excellent review, congratulations!

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

Congrats, Good News. so he dint say anything about ur traffic ticket? and by the way .. what did u write on the last column of question Number 16??

Thanks alot.

I answered question 16 ("Have you ever been cited by a law enforcement officer . . . "), with "YES" of course.

In the column I wrote:

Using cell phone while driving . . . . 05/11/2009 . . . . Ventura, CA . . . . paid $132 fine.

I showed him the paperwork; he just briefly looked at it (about 1-1/2 seconds) and marked it on the N-400 sheet as "okay"

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

Excellent. I was to mail off my N-400 on 12/3 but noticed they required a copy of my divorce certificate. I have a question I too, had the thought of a name change but thought it had to be accompanied by certain documents.... That not correct?

Changing one's name is easily done when getting married and one partner takes on the other partner's family name, which is purely optional in the United States (and many other countries).

Otherwise, a name change will take the involvement of a court, which means paperwork, and the signature of a judge, all of which costs money.

Now . . . when becoming a US citizen, it's like being born again in a new country. Part of this process is the ability to choose any name one wants, within reason. You won't get away with Queen Latifa or Barack Hussein Obama because of an apparent conflict of identity, or Dipp Shitt, because it's vulgar, but otherwise the world of imagination opens up for you. Since it takes the presence of a judge anyway to swear you in as a US citizen, the name change is just one more signature on a piece of paper while he signs all that stuff anyway.

Hence, there in no paperwork, as you simply can make up a name you like. Originally, this provision was invented to give immigrants with a foreign and difficult to pronounce name the opportunity to blend in better as new-born Americans. But to this day, it's also an opportunity to separate your identities in the old and the New World, which is why I did it. I'll have different passports from different countries with different names. If I ever become a fugitive for any reason, it'll be easier for me to hide from the assassins.

[RICARDO4EVA2 194]

I answered question 16 ("Have you ever been cited by a law enforcement officer . . . "), with "YES" of course.

In the column I wrote:

Using cell phone while driving . . . . 05/11/2009 . . . . Ventura, CA . . . . paid $132 fine.

I showed him the paperwork; he just briefly looked at it (about 1-1/2 seconds) and marked it on the N-400 sheet as "okay"

Ok I guess I will reprint page #8, part 10, D, #16.. I was not arrested But cited 8 years ago I choose "NO" but will change it to "yes" hope my application will not be affected.

[Buxton babe 0]

Congratulations

[safroot 1]

Congratulations and i hope you get the Oath letter soon