My Naturalization Interview 2014 (Nervous for no reason) :-)

[SkeeWee 2]

So, to begin I was very excited to start the naturalization process. So excited that I had been doing the self-study exams on the USCIS website for about 2 years before I even sent in my application.

I mailed in my completed N400 at the end of April and everything went super fast after that. I had my biometrics done a month after and my case sent for scheduling 3 weeks after my biometrics. This is where the process seemed to stall a bit. My interview wasn't scheduled until September. No biggie I thought, I've waited this long, what's another month or two.

Now, at this point it's just a waiting game, before I know it, September 03 will be here. Now, waiting can be bliss or torture for some. For me, it ending up being the latter. The most gut-wrenching thing happened to me 3 weeks before my interview... I got a SPEEDING TICKET!!! I've never, ever gotten a speeding ticket in my 10 plus years of driving. It was all I could think about in those weeks leading up to the interview. I've ruined it!!! How could I have been so stupid!!!! I contacted a traffic attorney to handle the matter for me as it's my first offense and I don't want to just pay the ticket and be done with it. Unfortunately, the matter won't be resolved until after my interview date. I was devastated!! I beat myself up every chance I got. Finally, I had to let it all go, leave it up to God. I knew he had safely brought me through this whole process and this ticket would not stop what was to be.

The day before the interview, my nerves REALLY started to kick in. I didn't sleep at all. I was up early and ready to go the next morning. My appointment was at 9:30am and I would NOT be late. I entered the USCIS building and went through the security check-point at around 9:10am. I had left my purse and phone in my car and only took my documents in with me. Now, I may have gone a bit overboard with all the documents I brought but better to be over prepared I always say. I'm told to head to the open office where the lady at the front checked my interview notice and tells me to have a seat and wait for my name to be called. I wait for what felt like about 25 minutes before an AO comes out and called my name. This is it I told myself, stop with the stomach gurgles and dry mouth already!!!

We walk to his office which seemed to be all the way in the back of the building. I longer walk I have never taken (at least it felt that way) I enter his office and he shows me where to sit but before I do he tells me to take out my passport and green card. I lay both out on his desk and ask if he needs my driver license as well (I had received the yellow letter telling me to bring it along with all travel documents). He says yes. I sit and he walks around to his desk and asks me to stand and raise my right hand. I swear to tell the truth and then the interview begins. He asks me how I pronounce my name and I state it for him, he then asks me about my name change. This had already been done by a court so I only needed to show him the court document. He starts to go through my application with a red pen, circling and checking things off. After doing this for a few minutes, he asks me what's my current address, where I work (we had a laugh here, the first and only during the interview). He keeps going thru my application for a few more minutes. He stops and moves on to the civics, reading and writing portion of the interview. I was asked:

1. Who is the Governor of Florida?

2. Where is the Statue of Liberty?

3. What is one promise you make when you become a U.S. citizen?

4. What movement tried to end racial discrimination?

5. Name two U.S. national holidays?

6. Who was the first President?

I was asked to read, "Who lives in the White House? and write The President lives in the White House.

I guessed he heard my sigh of relief once I finished writing the sentence because he said "We're not done yet". He goes back to the application and starts to ask the rest of the questions, have you ever been a prostitute, have you every been an habitual drunkard, etc. Then comes the question, I'd been dreading. "Have you ever been arrested or detained by any officer in the U.S?" Now, I did sooooo much research on this and other websites about traffic violations and naturalization interviews. I had made up my mind that I would definitely disclose it at the interview even if it was asked or not. He never asked me if I was cited, just had I ever been arrested or detained. I said no, he then asks "Have you ever been arrested or detained by any officer in any other country" I said no. Before he could move on to the next question, I said, "I was just issued a speeding ticket" He dismisses it but then halts his circling and checking and asks, "Do you have it now?" I said "Yes, but I have paid a traffic attorney to handle the matter for me" He waves his hand and says "it's just a speeding ticket", and continues to ask the rest of the questions on the application.

After all the questions have been answered, he has me sign the bottom of my N400. He then prints out a form with all my biographical information on it and tells me that this is the information that will appear on my naturalization certificate. I had to verify that it was all correct and then sign. He then pulled out the 2 pictures I had sent in with my application and had me sign along the left hand side of each (face up). After that's all done and he placed all the signed forms and pictures in my file, he tell me then he was recommending my application for approval!!! He prints the form telling me that I've passed the civics and English test and the Congratulations box is checked off. He tells me that everything is done by mail. My file will be reviewed and if anything is needed I will receive a RFE by mail. He said if everything is good with my file, I will receive an Oath Ceremony notice in the mail in 30-120 days. He asks if I have any questions for him to which I say yes. I ask, "Will the ceremony take place here in this building?" He said most likely it will, but if not my letter will let me know where to go. He walks me back to the waiting area and it's all I can do to stop myself from bursting into tears of joy. I am beyond grateful and blessed. The whole interview lasted no longer than 20 minutes

Thanks to this site for all the useful information I was able to find while going thru this process. Good luck to every one who will be going through this process in the future.

Oh, today around 2:00pm, I received an update on my case. I was scheduled for the Oath Ceremony!! Just a day after my interview. I'm so overjoyed!!! Thank the Lord for all His blessings.

[huckerman26 3]

Congratutalation

[Pinkrlion 2,725]

Congrat!

[kcoyclay1 98]

So, to begin I was very excited to start the naturalization process. So excited that I had been doing the self-study exams on the USCIS website for about 2 years before I even sent in my application.

I mailed in my completed N400 at the end of April and everything went super fast after that. I had my biometrics done a month after and my case sent for scheduling 3 weeks after my biometrics. This is where the process seemed to stall a bit. My interview wasn't scheduled until September. No biggie I thought, I've waited this long, what's another month or two.

Now, at this point it's just a waiting game, before I know it, September 03 will be here. Now, waiting can be bliss or torture for some. For me, it ending up being the latter. The most gut-wrenching thing happened to me 3 weeks before my interview... I got a SPEEDING TICKET!!! I've never, ever gotten a speeding ticket in my 10 plus years of driving. It was all I could think about in those weeks leading up to the interview. I've ruined it!!! How could I have been so stupid!!!! I contacted a traffic attorney to handle the matter for me as it's my first offense and I don't want to just pay the ticket and be done with it. Unfortunately, the matter won't be resolved until after my interview date. I was devastated!! I beat myself up every chance I got. Finally, I had to let it all go, leave it up to God. I knew he had safely brought me through this whole process and this ticket would not stop what was to be.

The day before the interview, my nerves REALLY started to kick in. I didn't sleep at all. I was up early and ready to go the next morning. My appointment was at 9:30am and I would NOT be late. I entered the USCIS building and went through the security check-point at around 9:10am. I had left my purse and phone in my car and only took my documents in with me. Now, I may have gone a bit overboard with all the documents I brought but better to be over prepared I always say. I'm told to head to the open office where the lady at the front checked my interview notice and tells me to have a seat and wait for my name to be called. I wait for what felt like about 25 minutes before an AO comes out and called my name. This is it I told myself, stop with the stomach gurgles and dry mouth already!!!

We walk to his office which seemed to be all the way in the back of the building. I longer walk I have never taken (at least it felt that way) I enter his office and he shows me where to sit but before I do he tells me to take out my passport and green card. I lay both out on his desk and ask if he needs my driver license as well (I had received the yellow letter telling me to bring it along with all travel documents). He says yes. I sit and he walks around to his desk and asks me to stand and raise my right hand. I swear to tell the truth and then the interview begins. He asks me how I pronounce my name and I state it for him, he then asks me about my name change. This had already been done by a court so I only needed to show him the court document. He starts to go through my application with a red pen, circling and checking things off. After doing this for a few minutes, he asks me what's my current address, where I work (we had a laugh here, the first and only during the interview). He keeps going thru my application for a few more minutes. He stops and moves on to the civics, reading and writing portion of the interview. I was asked:

1. Who is the Governor of Florida?

2. Where is the Statue of Liberty?

3. What is one promise you make when you become a U.S. citizen?

4. What movement tried to end racial discrimination?

5. Name two U.S. national holidays?

6. Who was the first President?

I was asked to read, "Who lives in the White House? and write The President lives in the White House.

I guessed he heard my sigh of relief once I finished writing the sentence because he said "We're not done yet". He goes back to the application and starts to ask the rest of the questions, have you ever been a prostitute, have you every been an habitual drunkard, etc. Then comes the question, I'd been dreading. "Have you ever been arrested or detained by any officer in the U.S?" Now, I did sooooo much research on this and other websites about traffic violations and naturalization interviews. I had made up my mind that I would definitely disclose it at the interview even if it was asked or not. He never asked me if I was cited, just had I ever been arrested or detained. I said no, he then asks "Have you ever been arrested or detained by any officer in any other country" I said no. Before he could move on to the next question, I said, "I was just issued a speeding ticket" He dismisses it but then halts his circling and checking and asks, "Do you have it now?" I said "Yes, but I have paid a traffic attorney to handle the matter for me" He waves his hand and says "it's just a speeding ticket", and continues to ask the rest of the questions on the application.

After all the questions have been answered, he has me sign the bottom of my N400. He then prints out a form with all my biographical information on it and tells me that this is the information that will appear on my naturalization certificate. I had to verify that it was all correct and then sign. He then pulled out the 2 pictures I had sent in with my application and had me sign along the left hand side of each (face up). After that's all done and he placed all the signed forms and pictures in my file, he tell me then he was recommending my application for approval!!! He prints the form telling me that I've passed the civics and English test and the Congratulations box is checked off. He tells me that everything is done by mail. My file will be reviewed and if anything is needed I will receive a RFE by mail. He said if everything is good with my file, I will receive an Oath Ceremony notice in the mail in 30-120 days. He asks if I have any questions for him to which I say yes. I ask, "Will the ceremony take place here in this building?" He said most likely it will, but if not my letter will let me know where to go. He walks me back to the waiting area and it's all I can do to stop myself from bursting into tears of joy. I am beyond grateful and blessed. The whole interview lasted no longer than 20 minutes

Thanks to this site for all the useful information I was able to find while going thru this process. Good luck to every one who will be going through this process in the future.

Oh, today around 2:00pm, I received an update on my case. I was scheduled for the Oath Ceremony!! Just a day after my interview. I'm so overjoyed!!! Thank the Lord for all His blessings.

Thank you so much for sharing the details. I am sure that it will help others. You are also a great writer. Congratulations and all the best!

[SkeeWee 2]

Update: My Oath Ceremony is scheduled for September 19th

[DC85 113]

congratulation

[Penny Pincher 11]

it may be late, but Congratulations and thanks for sharing your experience (I will be in the process of applying N400 so I have to keep reading) .

[TBoneTX 47,684]

Thread is now closed to further comment -- OP hasn't logged on to VisaJourney since September 2014.