Oath Ceremony Questions

[visajuser 0]

Good evening!

This past Monday, exactly 2 weeks after my interview, I got my Notice of Naturalization Oath Ceremony in the mail. The Ceremony will happen next week. I'm very excited and happy that things have happened so quickly, however, I do have few questions and would appreciate it if anyone could clarify them to me.

• The letter tells me to bring the original notice to the Court where the Ceremony will take place and have the questions on the back filled out. However, do I need to fill out the questions on the back of the N-445 right now or exactly at the Ceremony itself?
  

• The letter also requires that I bring the "reentry permit or refugee travel document." I would like to know what exactly this is talking about. Does it mean the I-94 from INS that I got when I entered the country? I think that's the only document I have...
  

Thank you so much for your attention

[Inky 1,110]

The green card is most likely what its talking about. You have to hand it over at the oath.

[visajuser 0]

The green card is most likely what its talking about. You have to hand it over at the oath.

Thanks for the reply. However, the letter asks for the green card explicitly, right before this "refugee travel document", so I doubt that they are the same thing.

[Alex B 9]

Thanks for the reply. However, the letter asks for the green card explicitly, right before this "refugee travel document", so I doubt that they are the same thing.

They're asking for basically whatever you have showing your status in the US. They'll take all of that away from you and you'll leave the ceremony with your naturalization certificate. They don't need your old country's passport. Your giving that up is between you and your former country.

I remember when I did mine at the local USCIS office I arrived, handed over my GC and was ushered into their auditorium. I couldn't help thinking, "what if there's a fire now"?

I'll add my standard disclaimer, I had my ceremony in 2006 so things could, of course, have changed.

[Szilvia74 3]

I am going to my Oath soon too. I assume only bring it with you if you have one...

[Szilvia74 3]

Info here:

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=4c790a5659083210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD&vgnextchannel=4c790a5659083210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD

[JA Tam 7]

Congratulations! Enjoy the ceremony. Fill out the N445 now, makes no sense to wait until the day of the ceremony. If you don't anticipate anything changing between now and the time of your ceremony, then no need to procrastinate.

If that section on bringing your re-entry permit/refugee travel document does not apply to you, then don't worry about it. Just take your GC and completed N445 along with the oath ceremony letter with you. All the best to you!!!

[Brother Hesekiel 2,235]

Congratulations! Enjoy the ceremony. Fill out the N445 now, makes no sense to wait until the day of the ceremony.

Makes no sense to . . . WHAT?

If you fill out the N-445 now, totally against the rules, and on the way to the Oath Ceremony a cop stops you because you were speeding or because you made a turn without using your turn signal, what then? Finding an Office Depot, fast, to buy white out?

If you like to play by the rules in your last days of being a foreigner in this country, you fill out the back of the N-445 just before you go in line at the Oath Ceremony. Until you are in the building, you don't know what you have to mark on the back. Stuff happens, all the time.

[visajuser 0]

Seeing that the I-94 is the only document I have that proved my status in America before I got my green card, I think I will take it with me... just in case. And, to be safe, I will fill out the questions in the notice when I arrive to Court. Thanks so much for your replies and precautions!

After I become a citizen, will be it be safe to start to destroy my old immigration documents? I have a lot of stuff, even the flight tickets from when we got here.

Edited May 6, 2011 by Yevhen

[Szilvia74 3]

That is a really good question! I want to know that too. I am moving and I would love to place them into the recycling bin rather than bringing many lb stuff on the road.

After I become a citizen, will be it be safe to start to destroy my old immigration documents? I have a lot of stuff, even the flight tickets from when we got here.

[Alex B 9]

After I become a citizen, will be it be safe to start to destroy my old immigration documents? I have a lot of stuff, even the flight tickets from when we got here.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!

I thought I was done when I had my ceremony too. Then I meet a nice Canadian girl and finding my old G325a was _INVALUABLE_! Once it's gone, it's gone!

Just my $0.02 worth.

[JA Tam 7]

Makes no sense to . . . WHAT?

If you fill out the N-445 now, totally against the rules, and on the way to the Oath Ceremony a cop stops you because you were speeding or because you made a turn without using your turn signal, what then? Finding an Office Depot, fast, to buy white out?

If you like to play by the rules in your last days of being a foreigner in this country, you fill out the back of the N-445 just before you go in line at the Oath Ceremony. Until you are in the building, you don't know what you have to mark on the back. Stuff happens, all the time.

Edited May 7, 2011 by JA Tam

[JA Tam 7]

Bob, it really takes too much out of me to respond to you. OP, listen to King Bob, wait until you are in line to fill it all out. You'll have more than enough time

[Udella&Wiz 325]

I will probably scan my most important forms from the past few years and go paperless for the most part (PS: shred first! then recycle) I actually deconstructed my K1 package a while back since I've needed so many of the items from it for more recent immigration stuff. I threw out irrelevant stuff like the letter from my husband's employer back in 2006 and his old paystubs...we can always get those again if needed and we aren't likely to ever be asked for those again.

I threw out bills we used as proof back at ROC etc... I have a relatively small accordion folder which easily fits in our safe.

[Brother Hesekiel 2,235]

You should not destroy anything for at least he 2 years following your naturalization. Why? Because up to this point USCIS can revert your naturalization with the strike of a pen. No judge needed!

After that period has passed, it's up to you. I would at least keep the most important documents in a small file and just get rid of the filler stuff.