Questions on Submitting N-400

[warlord 72]

Ok I'm allowed to submit my N-400 3 months before my 3rd anniversery of being a legal resident (since it's marriage based). That is pretty much in a few weeks for the earliest submittal.

Now with that, I will download the latest form and then send that in. Now the first question is how long does it take to get the interview (where they ask you the American questions etc)? Just generally speaking, since I know it varies. Do you get that months ahead of when you get sworn in, or is it something that occurs and then you get sworn in the ceremony close to that date? Or is it just random and happens both ways?

The next question is, during the interview do they request seeing your original passport? When you get sworn in, do they take your current (other countries) passport at all? Since you're now an American (after the ceremony of course)?

The reason I'm curious is that since I'm submitting the form in a few weeks, my Canadian passport is going to expire in July of 2007. I would like to renew it in Canada before I become an USC, however, I don't really want to send them the current passport with all my immigration stuff in it over the past few years. They should send it back with holes in it (to signify it's invalid), but I don't know if they still do that? So I'm curious about a possible timeline here and how significant passports are in this final process?

Hope that wasn't that confusing...

Pete

[zyggy 9]

Ok I'm allowed to submit my N-400 3 months before my 3rd anniversery of being a legal resident (since it's marriage based). That is pretty much in a few weeks for the earliest submittal.

Now with that, I will download the latest form and then send that in. Now the first question is how long does it take to get the interview (where they ask you the American questions etc)? Just generally speaking, since I know it varies. Do you get that months ahead of when you get sworn in, or is it something that occurs and then you get sworn in the ceremony close to that date? Or is it just random and happens both ways?

The next question is, during the interview do they request seeing your original passport? When you get sworn in, do they take your current (other countries) passport at all? Since you're now an American (after the ceremony of course)?

The reason I'm curious is that since I'm submitting the form in a few weeks, my Canadian passport is going to expire in July of 2007. I would like to renew it in Canada before I become an USC, however, I don't really want to send them the current passport with all my immigration stuff in it over the past few years. They should send it back with holes in it (to signify it's invalid), but I don't know if they still do that? So I'm curious about a possible timeline here and how significant passports are in this final process?

Hope that wasn't that confusing...

Pete

I don't think that your passport has anything to do with naturalization, just your GC. And just to let you know, you don't lose your Canadian Citizenship when you naturalize... And no.. they don't take any other passports... the US Government has no right to...

USCIS has stated that they want all process to be finished in 6 months. But they probably won't interview you until you have been in the US for more than 3 years... Don't be surprised if you get an interview within 6 months of submission. After the interview, you could take the oath the same day, or it may be scheduled several weeks or months later. You are not a US Citizen until you take the oath...

[Saddle Bronc 124]

Ok I'm allowed to submit my N-400 3 months before my 3rd anniversery of being a legal resident (since it's marriage based). That is pretty much in a few weeks for the earliest submittal.

Now with that, I will download the latest form and then send that in. Now the first question is how long does it take to get the interview (where they ask you the American questions etc)? Just generally speaking, since I know it varies. Do you get that months ahead of when you get sworn in, or is it something that occurs and then you get sworn in the ceremony close to that date? Or is it just random and happens both ways?

The next question is, during the interview do they request seeing your original passport? When you get sworn in, do they take your current (other countries) passport at all? Since you're now an American (after the ceremony of course)?

As zyggy stated, US has no right to take the passport of another country. However, it IS true that you cannot re-enter US afterward with non-US passport.

The reason I'm curious is that since I'm submitting the form in a few weeks, my Canadian passport is going to expire in July of 2007. I would like to renew it in Canada before I become an USC, however, I don't really want to send them the current passport with all my immigration stuff in it over the past few years. They should send it back with holes in it (to signify it's invalid), but I don't know if they still do that? So I'm curious about a possible timeline here and how significant passports are in this final process?

Hope that wasn't that confusing...

Pete

If you are in Canada at the time of renewal, you can ask them NOT to punch holes through those pages. I was in Calgary in December 2001 (with expiry Feb 2002); renewed there (yes, took the 2-month penalty). I had a 10-year visa to India on the expiring passport--and I asked the passport office not to hole-through that page.

As I got US citizenship just before my May 2005 trip to India (a 2-birds-one-stone of meeting Pras for proof of meeting and attendance at Annual Retreat), I had to take 3 passports with me (expired Canuck with visa, current Canuck to show to Indian officials at entry/exit along with the aforesaid expired one, US passport for re-entry at JFK--last not shown at all to Indian officials).

[meauxna 15]

Ok I'm allowed to submit my N-400 3 months before my 3rd anniversery of being a legal resident (since it's marriage based). That is pretty much in a few weeks for the earliest submittal.

Now with that, I will download the latest form and then send that in. Now the first question is how long does it take to get the interview (where they ask you the American questions etc)? Just generally speaking, since I know it varies. Do you get that months ahead of when you get sworn in, or is it something that occurs and then you get sworn in the ceremony close to that date? Or is it just random and happens both ways?

The next question is, during the interview do they request seeing your original passport? When you get sworn in, do they take your current (other countries) passport at all? Since you're now an American (after the ceremony of course)?

The reason I'm curious is that since I'm submitting the form in a few weeks, my Canadian passport is going to expire in July of 2007. I would like to renew it in Canada before I become an USC, however, I don't really want to send them the current passport with all my immigration stuff in it over the past few years. They should send it back with holes in it (to signify it's invalid), but I don't know if they still do that? So I'm curious about a possible timeline here and how significant passports are in this final process?

Hope that wasn't that confusing...

Pete

hi Pete, congrats on your next step.

Time to interview date will depend on your District Office--you can look up their N-400 processing time to see what they're doing. My office has a 6 month or less turnaround, but we're a small office. Oath scheduling works much the same--just depends on local workload/policy.

Actually, I don't think the DAH took his UK passport to anything to do with his N-400, other than the application itself. You use your Green Card and other ID at the interview, and the passport is not taken to the oath. CIs doesn't concern itself with what you do with the property of a foreign gov't (the pp isn't really 'yours').

Here's what our workflow was like:

N-400 submitted.

NOA rc'd within a week. This has your 'priority date' on it.

Fingerprint appt letter generated within a week and sent out--appt was about 2 weeks out from received date.

A couple/few of months later, interview letter received.

During this time, I found out that same-day oaths were possible at my office if one had a morning appt. I stopped in CIS one day to find out if all the namechecks were back in and to confirm the same day oath business because we had out of town guests to attend the ceremony. Since all the checks were back in and clear, I knew that if he passed the interview (a morning one), he would have a same day oath.

Interview day, passed interview, returned a couple of hours later for the ceremony. Report is posted here.

The goal for all offices is to complete your N-400 within 6 months. If you send in N-400, start studying!

I'm not clear on your objection about renewing the Canadian pp. Canada won't care about your US immigration stamps. There's one or two dual US/Canada citizens kicking around.

Oh, I guess I have to click ''post' if you're going to see this.... lol

[zyggy 9]

Ok I'm allowed to submit my N-400 3 months before my 3rd anniversery of being a legal resident (since it's marriage based). That is pretty much in a few weeks for the earliest submittal.

Now with that, I will download the latest form and then send that in. Now the first question is how long does it take to get the interview (where they ask you the American questions etc)? Just generally speaking, since I know it varies. Do you get that months ahead of when you get sworn in, or is it something that occurs and then you get sworn in the ceremony close to that date? Or is it just random and happens both ways?

The next question is, during the interview do they request seeing your original passport? When you get sworn in, do they take your current (other countries) passport at all? Since you're now an American (after the ceremony of course)?

The reason I'm curious is that since I'm submitting the form in a few weeks, my Canadian passport is going to expire in July of 2007. I would like to renew it in Canada before I become an USC, however, I don't really want to send them the current passport with all my immigration stuff in it over the past few years. They should send it back with holes in it (to signify it's invalid), but I don't know if they still do that? So I'm curious about a possible timeline here and how significant passports are in this final process?

Hope that wasn't that confusing...

Pete

I'm not clear on your objection about renewing the Canadian pp. Canada won't care about your US immigration stamps. There's one or two dual US/Canada citizens kicking around.

Oh, I guess I have to click ''post' if you're going to see this.... lol

Oh yeah.. I guess one of those dual Canada/US Citizens is me.. heh.. but I got mine by accident (or fortune) of birth

[warlord 72]

Cool thanks for the info guys. I will assume that since my 3 years of being on a GC (I've been in the US close to 9 years now, but 5 or 6 of those were on a TN, so that doesn't count for naturalization). Anyways, I'll send out my passport to get it renewed by mail (as I did 5 years ago) since I won't be anywhere near Canada to do it manually. And I'll submit my N-400 in a few weeks.

I am thinking the general average of 6 months probably won't be until my actual 3rd year of being a PR (which is in Jan), rather then having the 6 months from Oct when I send in the forms. If this is the case, I just wonder what's the point of being allowed to send the N-400 in 3 months early? Or does it just secure you a better spot in the queue?

Yeah the studying stuff, I haven't reviewed the material for about a year and a half, it's still lying on the floor of my car, guess I had better get that back out and re-look it all over again. From what I have heard, guess people generally be asked the easier type questions, but with my luck that won't be the case...

Pete

[Saddle Bronc 124]

Cool thanks for the info guys. I will assume that since my 3 years of being on a GC (I've been in the US close to 9 years now, but 5 or 6 of those were on a TN, so that doesn't count for naturalization). Anyways, I'll send out my passport to get it renewed by mail (as I did 5 years ago) since I won't be anywhere near Canada to do it manually. And I'll submit my N-400 in a few weeks.

I am thinking the general average of 6 months probably won't be until my actual 3rd year of being a PR (which is in Jan), rather then having the 6 months from Oct when I send in the forms. If this is the case, I just wonder what's the point of being allowed to send the N-400 in 3 months early? Or does it just secure you a better spot in the queue?

Not necessarily; this average puts the time for oath AFTER the completion of 3 years.

I applied in Oct. 2004 (from an EB-3 GC received in Dec 1999, single) and was sworn in Apr. 2005.

Yeah the studying stuff, I haven't reviewed the material for about a year and a half, it's still lying on the floor of my car, guess I had better get that back out and re-look it all over again. From what I have heard, guess people generally be asked the easier type questions, but with my luck that won't be the case...

Pete

If you're offered the option of taking the test at the same time as fingerprints, DO IT. The civics/history test then is multiple choice.

[warlord 72]

If you're offered the option of taking the test at the same time as fingerprints, DO IT. The civics/history test then is multiple choice.

Now that would be good if that's the way it is. I did know it all about a year ago, but like I said, I've kind of forgot to review it etc...