Oath taking at a field office

[Penguin_ie 5,986]

All I can say, and I am not trying to be rude, if your kids start to scream, have your husband take them out of the room even if he has to miss you receiving your certificate.

Totally agree. I have 3.5 year old twins and a 1.5 year old, and I would love to bring them but I don't want them waiting around for hours- or wait outside in the car! Plus I'm not exactly impressed with the location of our oath ceremony (USCIS field office waiting room in industrial estate). So they'll be staying at home with my husband and I'll go by myself. We'll probably have a party for friends and family later.

[NickD 202]

Was just another real long drive and a very tiring day for a lip syncing service to get a piece of paper. Wifes' first comment when she got into the car, oh my God, if anything happens to my mother, I cannot travel right now! So was even more stress in getting that US passport and another form to fill out. But only good for coming back, still needs her home country passport to enter.

Now she has to maintain two passports instead of one.

[OKflyboy 35]

Was just another real long drive and a very tiring day for a lip syncing service to get a piece of paper. Wifes' first comment when she got into the car, oh my God, if anything happens to my mother, I cannot travel right now! So was even more stress in getting that US passport and another form to fill out. But only good for coming back, still needs her home country passport to enter.

Now she has to maintain two passports instead of one.

I also have to maintain two passports. And unlike American passport, you cannot get the Russian one in the mail. Apply at the consulate in person, pick up at the consulate in person. Our consulate is 9 hours away.

[David-and-Mae 15]

I also have to maintain two passports. And unlike American passport, you cannot get the Russian one in the mail. Apply at the consulate in person, pick up at the consulate in person. Our consulate is 9 hours away.

I don't have to maintain my Philippine passport to enter the country, but will keep it renewed. Same thing here, we have to go to Chicago to renew it in person. Went there last winter, cost us $700 -- airfare, hotel and food -- for a $60 passport.

[OKflyboy 35]

I don't have to maintain my Philippine passport to enter the country, but will keep it renewed. Same thing here, we have to go to Chicago to renew it in person. Went there last winter, cost us $700 -- airfare, hotel and food -- for a $60 passport.

Yup, same for a $20 Russian passport. They dropped the price from $100 to $20, but made it more difficult to actually get it. Once a year they might come out of Houston and set up office in Dallas or Kansas City for the weekend, it's a little closer to where I live but still a pain, especially considering that my three kids are Russian citizens too and need passports to enter Russia.

[NickD 202]

Colombian passport cost us over 1,500 bucks excluding travel costs. Insisted we had to use notaries to get information we already had, and insisted on a new ID card. We could have gotten her new Colombian ID the same day by paying an extra 500 US bucks for expedient service, more like under the table, but said no to that. But they did get us for another couple of hundred bucks as my wife had to give her brother the power of attorney to pick up her new ID so he could mail it to her.

In Chicago, they just increased the fee by another 50 bucks, could thing I got a blank certified bank check. But we had to walk an extra nine blocks to their bank where I could have used my debit card.

No wonder why Colombia insists on having a Colombian passport to visit, good chance for them to clean you out. DOS doesn't even know why they put your place of birth on your US passport, always been that way, but think its because it offers further means of identification. They already have a three inch thick pile of proof, how much more do they want?

One big lie was when my wife was told, she is a US citizen just like she was born here. A kid born here from illegal parents doesn't have those problems. Most recent I am aware of is from a 14 year old girl that got herself knocked up, kid gets food stamps, Wick, and free Medicaid.

[OKflyboy 35]

Colombian passport cost us over 1,500 bucks excluding travel costs. Insisted we had to use notaries to get information we already had, and insisted on a new ID card. We could have gotten her new Colombian ID the same day by paying an extra 500 US bucks for expedient service, more like under the table, but said no to that. But they did get us for another couple of hundred bucks as my wife had to give her brother the power of attorney to pick up her new ID so he could mail it to her.

In Chicago, they just increased the fee by another 50 bucks, could thing I got a blank certified bank check. But we had to walk an extra nine blocks to their bank where I could have used my debit card.

No wonder why Colombia insists on having a Colombian passport to visit, good chance for them to clean you out. DOS doesn't even know why they put your place of birth on your US passport, always been that way, but think its because it offers further means of identification. They already have a three inch thick pile of proof, how much more do they want?

One big lie was when my wife was told, she is a US citizen just like she was born here. A kid born here from illegal parents doesn't have those problems. Most recent I am aware of is from a 14 year old girl that got herself knocked up, kid gets food stamps, Wick, and free Medicaid.

That, and control. Even if you want to get rid of the other citizenship, they make it so hard, you opt for maintaining the passport.

Wow, and I thought the Russian procedure was ridiculous...

[Udella&Wiz 325]

No, no screaming from mine

They've been there several times and sat in the dead quiet waiting room for a couple of hours a couple of times. Never had a problem.

Awesome - it can be hard to keep little ones occupied - I had to bring colouring books and small toys and snacks or my daughter became a little troublemaker

[OKflyboy 35]

Awesome - it can be hard to keep little ones occupied - I had to bring colouring books and small toys and snacks or my daughter became a little troublemaker

Oh yeah, coloring books rule:) In any case, if the little one makes a peep, he'll go outside, of course, or at least out of the ceremony room.

[xxhwx 2]

mine was at a federal court room, but I didn't have the luxury to review the certificate for errors (like some of y'all) before receiving it from the judge.

unlike most of y'all in this thread, I don't have the option to keep the nationality of my native country once I became an American citizen, the only up side about this is I don't have to keep renewing the old passport and applying visa to my native country could be done via mail

Congrats and welcome all incoming US citizens.