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Don't be lulled into thinking N400 interview is casual

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I'm sorry, but YOU used your law firms letterhead? YOU are an attorney? YOU are the attorney of record? If not, using legal letterhead to imply or in hope people will infer you are a lawyer, legally representing someone IS A FELONY! Hoping a law firm letterhead will influence someone is a crime. I'd love to hear the truth here so maybe someone can have you arrested if you are doing what you are not allowed to do. It goes more than one way you know. The way this post and thread is wrtten suggests you are not a lawyer but using influence of law firm letterhead. A CRIMINAL, FELONIOUS act and imprisonable.

The interviewer also repeatedly asked my wife if her parents, who have been dead for 30 years, were married, as well as a host of other questions that I, as a lawyer of 35 years experience, have difficulty seeing as relevant after someone has held a green card for seven years.

I think you missed this bit.

I can explain it to you. But I can't understand it for you.

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Filed: IR-1/CR-1 Visa Country: England
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I'm sorry, but YOU used your law firms letterhead? YOU are an attorney? YOU are the attorney of record? If not, using legal letterhead to imply or in hope people will infer you are a lawyer, legally representing someone IS A FELONY! Hoping a law firm letterhead will influence someone is a crime. I'd love to hear the truth here so maybe someone can have you arrested if you are doing what you are not allowed to do. It goes more than one way you know. The way this post and thread is wrtten suggests you are not a lawyer but using influence of law firm letterhead. A CRIMINAL, FELONIOUS act and imprisonable.

Take it you skim read the thread and missed the OP mentioning he is a lawyer. Looks like you need to relax.

My blog about my visa journey and adjusting to my new life in the US http://albiontoamerica.wordpress.com/

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Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Belarus
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I'm sorry, but YOU used your law firms letterhead? YOU are an attorney? YOU are the attorney of record? If not, using legal letterhead to imply or in hope people will infer you are a lawyer, legally representing someone IS A FELONY! Hoping a law firm letterhead will influence someone is a crime. I'd love to hear the truth here so maybe someone can have you arrested if you are doing what you are not allowed to do. It goes more than one way you know. The way this post and thread is wrtten suggests you are not a lawyer but using influence of law firm letterhead. A CRIMINAL, FELONIOUS act and imprisonable.

Thank you for your hysteria. I had NO IDEA! I am turning myself directly into federal prison officials. No wait, I am going to attempt to escape to Belarus before my FELONIOUS CONDUCT is discovered!!!

"Trauma Doc" indeed. Perhaps you should consult a Non-Trauma Doc for some tranquilizers. I am no more a doctor than you are a lawyer, but my preliminary diagnosis is leaning toward clinical insanity.

I am indeed both my wife's husband her attorney of record.

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Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Philippines
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Wow, had no idea this process could get this bad! Glad all turned out ok, but my goodness what an interrogation!

My wife is about a year away, so we now know this is no "walk in the park" thanks for the fascinating information!

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Filed: IR-1/CR-1 Visa Country: Ghana
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Although my Belarusian wife's application for naturalization was approved, the interview in Phoenix was exceedingly unpleasant and not at all what we had prepared for. My wife's name is Galina and she has had her green card since 2008. During the Soviet era, some official altered Galina to Halina (H is pronounced as G in Russian). Her Belarusian passport says Halina, her green card says Halina, her marriage certificate says Halina, her state ID says Halina, her Social Security card says Halina, and every other document says Halina. The only document that says Galina is the apostile (English translation) of her birth certificate. My wife is an extremely pleasant and open 60-year-old housewife.

The interview began with an unanticipated KGB-style interrogation as to what my wife was trying to pull by using two identities. My wife explained that Galina and Halina are the same name, but to no avail. The officious interviewer refused to listen and likewise did not offer to process the N400 with a name change, but merely informed my wife that the application would be processed as Galina or she could leave right now. As a result, I am going to have to change her name to Halina through the local court process - or change every other document in our lives.

The interviewer also repeatedly asked my wife if her parents, who have been dead for 30 years, were married, as well as a host of other questions that I, as a lawyer of 35 years experience, have difficulty seeing as relevant after someone has held a green card for seven years. She then went through the laundry list of "Have you ever ..." questions and required my wife to define terms such as "racism," "weapon" and others. Lastly, she required my wife to read the arcanely worded oath of allegiance out loud ("heretofore," "abjure", "potentate") which my wife had not anticipated, and explain her understanding of each sentence; she was then quite critical of my wife's explanation.

In short, don't anticipate the N400 interview necessarily being a simple or casual process. Although we are supposed to be grateful for the anti-terrorism efforts of the quasi-Nazi clowns at Homeland Security, TSA and other agencies that suck up our tax dollars, I believe the reality is captured in the title of a book that was popular about ten years ago: The Death of Common Sense.

Sorry for what your wife went through..

let me add these, i think you are right to find out where some of those questions stem from.

my guess will be that those questions will be based on "background check" on your wife...yes, they do check!

2. I dont know why you would compare a green card to the naturalization. A naturalized citizen has far more privileges than a green card holder. Green card is not an automatic guarantee for citizenship if it went through fairly easy. Heck, no one interviews for green card(correct me if that changed).

3. The interviewer might be new and so, newer employees tend to follow the rules word for word."Older" employees tend to use their discretion.

4. Your birth certificate is the important thing here.

* Most of USCIS forms allows you to write your name in your native alphabet. Your wife should have utilized that.

Variations in name spelling is a monster that doesn't go away by ignoring it. You as a lawyer should know what the difference in spelling could do.

You can complain about the officer for her to get fired but it won't fix her name issue. Do a name change period!

My friend went through the same thing! Her name is Janet but we sometimes call her Jane and she used it on her passport. She had to change it before get her visa approved.

And by the way, if that person was such an ####### to your wife, your letter to "intimidate" her will get no action. Like i said, go through her boss if you want some answers but you still gotta do that work.Citizenship is not a right esp. for us immigrants. Good luck!

(L)(L)(L)(L)(L)(L)(L)

CR- 1

Interview :  11/15/2016

Result: AP  (form 221 (g))

Correspondence with Embassy: Tons of emails, Facebook posts, tweets, Congressman inquiry

Complaint letter with OIG : 12/29/2016

Case dispatched to diplomatic pouch : 01/11/2017

Case dispatched from diplomatic mail service to NVC : 01/23/2017

Case arrived at NVC: 01/26/2017

NVC sent case to USCIS : 02/09/2017 (system update)

Case receive by USCIS (text & email notification): 03/07/2017

 

Reaffirm Petition Timeline for folks in GHANA.. Please update your information..Thank you!

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1k0NXnbJdyEIRR1_Dr4t3yXmsM0tBbq-tZsj0-o3cMV0/edit?usp=sharing

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Filed: IR-1/CR-1 Visa Country: Ghana
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Wow, had no idea this process could get this bad! Glad all turned out ok, but my goodness what an interrogation!

My wife is about a year away, so we now know this is no "walk in the park" thanks for the fascinating information!

It isn't normally that bad.

Just have all your documents in order (everything should be consistent throughout).

Learn the history and government questions.

Mine took 15 minutes!!

(L)(L)(L)(L)(L)(L)(L)

CR- 1

Interview :  11/15/2016

Result: AP  (form 221 (g))

Correspondence with Embassy: Tons of emails, Facebook posts, tweets, Congressman inquiry

Complaint letter with OIG : 12/29/2016

Case dispatched to diplomatic pouch : 01/11/2017

Case dispatched from diplomatic mail service to NVC : 01/23/2017

Case arrived at NVC: 01/26/2017

NVC sent case to USCIS : 02/09/2017 (system update)

Case receive by USCIS (text & email notification): 03/07/2017

 

Reaffirm Petition Timeline for folks in GHANA.. Please update your information..Thank you!

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1k0NXnbJdyEIRR1_Dr4t3yXmsM0tBbq-tZsj0-o3cMV0/edit?usp=sharing

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Filed: Timeline

I will share a technique that worked well with my wife's K-1 application and that I am employing here: When her K-1 application appeared to be lost, I was able, through guesswork and online investigation, to determine the email address of the director of USCIS himself and the direct telephone line of the director of the Vermont Service Center. This information is guarded like Fort Knox, but you can determine it or at least make a reasonable guesstimate if you are crafty. It is often hidden in sources you wouldn't expect. I actually sent my initial email to five different likely addresses for the director of USCIS; one of them went through. Both directors were EXTREMELY surprised to hear from an Arizona attorney, but both were perfectly pleasant. The director of USCIS put me in touch with one of his direct assistants, who looked into the matter and exchanged about five emails with me.

Today, using the initials and last name of the Interview Officer, I was able to determine her full name because some former employee had used her as a job reference on an online resume. I was then able to determine the email format for employees at the local USCIS office from some online bid documents (they are selling some old computers). Putting two and two together, I determined her email address and sent her a polite but firm request on my law firm's letterhead to resolve the name problem without further inconvenience to me or my wife. We'll see what happens.

As a friend pointed out to me, this is a technique best reserved for serious problems. I am probably now on multiple Homeland Security watch lists.

Its funny how many internal phone books wind up floating around.

Also good to have a few well placed Congressional staffers.

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Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Belarus
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Sorry for what your wife went through..

let me add these, i think you are right to find out where some of those questions stem from.

my guess will be that those questions will be based on "background check" on your wife...yes, they do check!

2. I dont know why you would compare a green card to the naturalization. A naturalized citizen has far more privileges than a green card holder. Green card is not an automatic guarantee for citizenship if it went through fairly easy. Heck, no one interviews for green card(correct me if that changed).

3. The interviewer might be new and so, newer employees tend to follow the rules word for word."Older" employees tend to use their discretion.

4. Your birth certificate is the important thing here.

* Most of USCIS forms allows you to write your name in your native alphabet. Your wife should have utilized that.

Variations in name spelling is a monster that doesn't go away by ignoring it. You as a lawyer should know what the difference in spelling could do.

You can complain about the officer for her to get fired but it won't fix her name issue. Do a name change period!

My friend went through the same thing! Her name is Janet but we sometimes call her Jane and she used it on her passport. She had to change it before get her visa approved.

And by the way, if that person was such an ####### to your wife, your letter to "intimidate" her will get no action. Like i said, go through her boss if you want some answers but you still gotta do that work.Citizenship is not a right esp. for us immigrants. Good luck!

I believe we may be living on different planets. The difference in rights and benefits between a green card holder and a naturalized citizen is so minimal that I had urged my wife not to bother at her age. We basically applied for the mental exercise of it (for her - I get plenty of mental exercise). A citizen obviously has a higher level of security than does a green card holder, but our lifestyle is such that security against deportation is really not a concern. Nor is voting or running for office of any interest.

Green card holders are, of course, permanent residents. The security concerns decrease, not increase, as one moves up the chain from visa to green card to citizen because allowing an undesirable into the country AT ALL is the primary concern. If you think there is no interview for a green card, you apparently obtained yours in the 15th Century. There is an extensive background check for a K-1 visa and both a background check and an interview for a green card.

No the interviewer was not new. She was highly experienced. No, there was nothing in my wife's background that triggered her questions. I believe that, in light of the Boston Marathon bombing and the resultant egg all over federal officials' faces, she simply went into Full KGB Mode upon seeing any discrepancy in names.

I did not suggest that I wrote to the interviewer in an effort to "intimidate" her. I have no interest in "getting her fired." I wrote to her in an effort to reason with her, experienced professional to experienced professional, and to minimize the inconvenience to myself and my wife. My hope is that she will authorize the name change at the naturalization ceremony.

I abandoned Internet forums some years ago (including this one, on which I had posted perhaps 100 times under another name) because I got tired of dealing with people who either cannot comprehend what they read or do not take the time to read carefully, who really have no idea what they are talking about, yet who feel compelled to increase their post totals by dispensing their "wisdom." If the shoe fits, as the saying goes. 'Bye now.

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Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Belarus
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Wow, had no idea this process could get this bad! Glad all turned out ok, but my goodness what an interrogation!

My wife is about a year away, so we now know this is no "walk in the park" thanks for the fascinating information!

Right. The point of my original post was simply: Do not assume everything will go smoothly merely because you have a green card and no obvious issues. My wife's best friend, who also had "name" issues, was finished in under ten minutes. I had assumed the interviewers followed pretty much of a canned script, but they clearly do not. Like all government employees (I have been one at all levels of government, and I KNOW) a percentage sincerely view their role as "public service" while a larger percentage view their role as "how can I, as a resentful, underpaid clerk, exercise the one thing I have - power - to cause you as much trouble as possible?" When the customers are viewed as powerless, which is true in spades with immigrants, and each interviewer is pretty much the dictator of his or her little domain - well, the temptation to wield power is almost irresistible.

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Filed: IR-1/CR-1 Visa Country: Ghana
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I believe we may be living on different planets. The difference in rights and benefits between a green card holder and a naturalized citizen is so minimal that I had urged my wife not to bother at her age. We basically applied for the mental exercise of it (for her - I get plenty of mental exercise). A citizen obviously has a higher level of security than does a green card holder, but our lifestyle is such that security against deportation is really not a concern. Nor is voting or running for office of any interest.

Green card holders are, of course, permanent residents. The security concerns decrease, not increase, as one moves up the chain from visa to green card to citizen because allowing an undesirable into the country AT ALL is the primary concern. If you think there is no interview for a green card, you apparently obtained yours in the 15th Century. There is an extensive background check for a K-1 visa and both a background check and an interview for a green card.

No the interviewer was not new. She was highly experienced. No, there was nothing in my wife's background that triggered her questions. I believe that, in light of the Boston Marathon bombing and the resultant egg all over federal officials' faces, she simply went into Full KGB Mode upon seeing any discrepancy in names.

I did not suggest that I wrote to the interviewer in an effort to "intimidate" her. I have no interest in "getting her fired." I wrote to her in an effort to reason with her, experienced professional to experienced professional, and to minimize the inconvenience to myself and my wife. My hope is that she will authorize the name change at the naturalization ceremony.

I abandoned Internet forums some years ago (including this one, on which I had posted perhaps 100 times under another name) because I got tired of dealing with people who either cannot comprehend what they read or do not take the time to read carefully, who really have no idea what they are talking about, yet who feel compelled to increase their post totals by dispensing their "wisdom." If the shoe fits, as the saying goes. 'Bye now.

Dude,

With all your arrogance, you came here to ask for help yet you want sugar-coat replies.

I did get my greedcard in 2006.I DID NOT INTERVIEW FOR A GREEN CARD!

If nothing trigger those questions then why are you bother since that is the "NORMAL" procedure??

Get off your high horse. If your email was not to "intimidate or smoothen" things for you why would you send it to your interviewer with your law firm's LETTERHEAD?

I know what im talking about because 5 of my family members including myself have gone through this process. And none of them got those questions you stated. So, calm down and do as you are told.

It doesnt matter whether you want to run for president or not. When ome becomes a citizen all the rights of the citizenship are bestowed upon you and it is up to you to use it or not but you must follow ALL the requirements nothing less.

Honestly, the way you are "flexible" with rules and requirements i wonder kind of lawyer you are.

I hope your wife can get this resolved and be done with this.

Good luck!

(L)(L)(L)(L)(L)(L)(L)

CR- 1

Interview :  11/15/2016

Result: AP  (form 221 (g))

Correspondence with Embassy: Tons of emails, Facebook posts, tweets, Congressman inquiry

Complaint letter with OIG : 12/29/2016

Case dispatched to diplomatic pouch : 01/11/2017

Case dispatched from diplomatic mail service to NVC : 01/23/2017

Case arrived at NVC: 01/26/2017

NVC sent case to USCIS : 02/09/2017 (system update)

Case receive by USCIS (text & email notification): 03/07/2017

 

Reaffirm Petition Timeline for folks in GHANA.. Please update your information..Thank you!

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1k0NXnbJdyEIRR1_Dr4t3yXmsM0tBbq-tZsj0-o3cMV0/edit?usp=sharing

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Just my opinion, but for some reason the IO had some reason(s) to pick on your wife. Justified or not, only the IO could tell you this.

My gal had her N-400 interview the first week of this past March and it was no big deal. But, then again my gals name is the same as her birth certficate with the exeption of adding my last name to it... Her interview last all of 10 minutes, if that.

So sorry to hear about your wife's bad experience.

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Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Ecuador
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The bickering and assaultive posting in this thread stop now, or thread-bans or worse will result.

VJ Moderation

06-04-2007 = TSC stamps postal return-receipt for I-129f.

06-11-2007 = NOA1 date (unknown to me).

07-20-2007 = Phoned Immigration Officer; got WAC#; where's NOA1?

09-25-2007 = Touch (first-ever).

09-28-2007 = NOA1, 23 days after their 45-day promise to send it (grrrr).

10-20 & 11-14-2007 = Phoned ImmOffs; "still pending."

12-11-2007 = 180 days; file is "between workstations, may be early Jan."; touches 12/11 & 12/12.

12-18-2007 = Call; file is with Division 9 ofcr. (bckgrnd check); e-prompt to shake it; touch.

12-19-2007 = NOA2 by e-mail & web, dated 12-18-07 (187 days; 201 per VJ); in mail 12/24/07.

01-09-2008 = File from USCIS to NVC, 1-4-08; NVC creates file, 1/15/08; to consulate 1/16/08.

01-23-2008 = Consulate gets file; outdated Packet 4 mailed to fiancee 1/27/08; rec'd 3/3/08.

04-29-2008 = Fiancee's 4-min. consular interview, 8:30 a.m.; much evidence brought but not allowed to be presented (consul: "More proof! Second interview! Bring your fiance!").

05-05-2008 = Infuriating $12 call to non-English-speaking consulate appointment-setter.

05-06-2008 = Better $12 call to English-speaker; "joint" interview date 6/30/08 (my selection).

06-30-2008 = Stokes Interrogations w/Ecuadorian (not USC); "wait 2 weeks; we'll mail her."

07-2008 = Daily calls to DOS: "currently processing"; 8/05 = Phoned consulate, got Section Chief; wrote him.

08-07-08 = E-mail from consulate, promising to issue visa "as soon as we get her passport" (on 8/12, per DHL).

08-27-08 = Phoned consulate (they "couldn't find" our file); visa DHL'd 8/28; in hand 9/1; through POE on 10/9 with NO hassles(!).

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Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Philippines
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Some interviews are going to have to be hard, they have to suspect some people of being terrorists or spies. I'm sure they have certain things they look for and if you fall into that category it is unfortunate for sure. Luckily all ended up well!

I've never heard of it being illegal to send a letter on law office stationary not from a lawyer, secretaries do it all the time and they aren't lawyers.

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Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Denmark
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It's interesting to see a different side to that process. One would think the naturalization part would not be the worst part of the process. This is what irks me about the whole immigration process, namely the unbridled leeway given to all officials in the process to exercise any and all discretion as they see fit. There seems to be no standard to which the officials must adhere unlike what one would find in a private company. It's scary to think that a loose cannon employee can have such major influences on peoples' lives and futures.

Edited by BaronB
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Filed: IR-1/CR-1 Visa Country: Jamaica
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Her interview was horrible. For mine the sentence I had to read was "which States has the most people?" Mine was literally 10 minutes with the only bump being I listed my traffic tickets wrong.

I've had my GC since 1991 and have lived here majority of my life so maybe that's why mine was different but I'm shocked to hear how bad hers was. It really sucks to make the choice to come here legally, work hard, pay taxes, and do the right thing by going through the process to become an American then get treated like ####### by some grouch.

Hope everything gets resolved.

09/27/14 Married :content:

12/03/14 Became a US citizen :star:

. .

02/25/15 130 Petition sent

02/27/15 NOA1 date :clock:

07/23/15 NOA2 date

08/03/15 Mailed to NVC

08/07/15 NVC Received

08/19/15 Case number assigned, submitted DS-261

08/20/15 Paid AOS bill

08/25/15 Received welcome letter

08/25/15 Sent AOS & IV package

08/31/15 DS-261 reviewed

08/31/15 AOS & IV scan date confirmed by Sup.

09/02/15 Received IV bill by email

09/03/15 Paid IV bill

09/09/15 Submitted DS-260

09/17/15 Case Completed @ NVC

10/06/15 Expedite Request sent to NVC

11/12/15 Contacted Sen. Marco Rubio for assistance with expedite by email

11/19/15 Expedite Approved

12/9/15 Medical

12/11/15 Interview (Approved)

12/14/15 CEAC Status changed to AP

12/15/15 CEAC Status Changed to Issued

12/18/15 Picked up Passport & booked hubby's ticket.

12/31/15 Ring in the New Years together after 4 years!!!! :dancing:

event.png

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