My interview was an interrogation

[robhostein 57]

It started off nice. I was asked about my bodily injures from the accident. Then, he went straight into the civics and English tests. Those were easy, first six I got right. Now he began asking me questions about my parents. Then, went on to my name. And boy, there were definitely questions about my name. Since my name was different from my green card and my birth certificate, I was asked questions. Very deep penetrating questions.

 

I had previously changed my full name via court order. The IO asked me why I changed my name. I was asked to explain why, for my first middle and last name. And he didn't accept a general reason like "oh it was for spiritual reasons." No, he asked even further, what spiritual reasons? What does the first name mean? He wanted a full on explanation for the full name. Absolutely no half-arsed answers were tolerated.

 

It was like I was guilty of a crime and I had to PROVE why I chose this name and why I want this name. He wanted to know what each name means. He repeatedly asked me what each name meant until I gave him a satisfactory answer. He asked me if this name was made up on a whim, and I had to repeatedly explain to him that I had planned this name for many years. He asked me what connections the last name had to family members.  At the end of it, I had now given a full description of my first, middle and last names and what spiritual meaning each name had for me along with what those names mean if you were to look them up in a name book or something.

 

I was even asked if my name change had anything to do with my arrest those years ago. I had to again assure him that the two are not related and that I had been planning my name change for years, way before that. In fact, his interrogation about my name was far more intense than his questions about my crime that I was arrested for!!! For the crime? Just a few short questions about what I did, and how I was sentenced. But my name, wow, so much heat I got about my name. He did have to step outside to ask someone about my sentencing, but from what I overheard, they told him it was normal.

 

After all that was over with, he went over the other questions on the N400, like have you ever been in a nazi group, where I live, where I work, etc etc. All very quickly. 

 

He brought up an issue he saw in his files about my birthday, and asked me why I have two birthdays. I mean I do not ever remember having two birthdays and I told him that it must have been a mistake from years ago, cause the birthday I put on the green card and everything else is the right one, not the one he told me was the second one. It was a small issue. He didn't make a fuss about it.

 

After all that, he brought the little tablet screen towards me again, and I had to reaffirm that if I become a citizen, I promise to bear arms and pledge my loyalty and all that jazz. And then I had to sign on the tablet. He then showed me notes he typed up (like about my name...) and any changes or things he added to my N400, and I had to sign the tablet again.

 

He gave a piece of paper saying that he recommends my application for approval and that I should wait for my oath letter in the mail pending final approval.

[Redheadguy03 505]

Well they recommended you for approval, so I wouldn't be complaining. They're allowed to ask anything they want. 

[bestluck 71]

6 minutes ago, robhostein said:

It started off nice. I was asked about my bodily injures from the accident. Then, he went straight into the civics and English tests. Those were easy, first six I got right. Now he began asking me questions about my parents. Then, went on to my name. And boy, there were definitely questions about my name. Since my name was different from my green card and my birth certificate, I was asked questions. Very deep penetrating questions.

 

I had previously changed my full name via court order. The IO asked me why I changed my name. I was asked to explain why, for my first middle and last name. And he didn't accept a general reason like "oh it was for spiritual reasons." No, he asked even further, what spiritual reasons? What does the first name mean? He wanted a full on explanation for the full name. Absolutely no half-arsed answers were tolerated.

 

It was like I was guilty of a crime and I had to PROVE why I chose this name and why I want this name. He wanted to know what each name means. He repeatedly asked me what each name meant until I gave him a satisfactory answer. He asked me if this name was made up on a whim, and I had to repeatedly explain to him that I had planned this name for many years. He asked me what connections the last name had to family members.  At the end of it, I had now given a full description of my first, middle and last names and what spiritual meaning each name had for me along with what those names mean if you were to look them up in a name book or something.

 

I was even asked if my name change had anything to do with my arrest those years ago. I had to again assure him that the two are not related and that I had been planning my name change for years, way before that. In fact, his interrogation about my name was far more intense than his questions about my crime that I was arrested for!!! For the crime? Just a few short questions about what I did, and how I was sentenced. But my name, wow, so much heat I got about my name. He did have to step outside to ask someone about my sentencing, but from what I overheard, they told him it was normal.

 

After all that was over with, he went over the other questions on the N400, like have you ever been in a nazi group, where I live, where I work, etc etc. All very quickly. 

 

He brought up an issue he saw in his files about my birthday, and asked me why I have two birthdays. I mean I do not ever remember having two birthdays and I told him that it must have been a mistake from years ago, cause the birthday I put on the green card and everything else is the right one, not the one he told me was the second one. It was a small issue. He didn't make a fuss about it.

 

After all that, he brought the little tablet screen towards me again, and I had to reaffirm that if I become a citizen, I promise to bear arms and pledge my loyalty and all that jazz. And then I had to sign on the tablet. He then showed me notes he typed up (like about my name...) and any changes or things he added to my N400, and I had to sign the tablet again.

 

He gave a piece of paper saying that he recommends my application for approval and that I should wait for my oath letter in the mail pending final approval.

A least he approved you that's great news 

[robhostein 57]

8 minutes ago, Redheadguy03 said:

Well they recommended you for approval, so I wouldn't be complaining. They're allowed to ask anything they want. 

I'm not complaining, I'm just sharing my experience.

[Ann&James 179]

33 minutes ago, robhostein said:

It started off nice. I was asked about my bodily injures from the accident. Then, he went straight into the civics and English tests. Those were easy, first six I got right. Now he began asking me questions about my parents. Then, went on to my name. And boy, there were definitely questions about my name. Since my name was different from my green card and my birth certificate, I was asked questions. Very deep penetrating questions.

 

I had previously changed my full name via court order. The IO asked me why I changed my name. I was asked to explain why, for my first middle and last name. And he didn't accept a general reason like "oh it was for spiritual reasons." No, he asked even further, what spiritual reasons? What does the first name mean? He wanted a full on explanation for the full name. Absolutely no half-arsed answers were tolerated.

 

It was like I was guilty of a crime and I had to PROVE why I chose this name and why I want this name. He wanted to know what each name means. He repeatedly asked me what each name meant until I gave him a satisfactory answer. He asked me if this name was made up on a whim, and I had to repeatedly explain to him that I had planned this name for many years. He asked me what connections the last name had to family members.  At the end of it, I had now given a full description of my first, middle and last names and what spiritual meaning each name had for me along with what those names mean if you were to look them up in a name book or something.

 

I was even asked if my name change had anything to do with my arrest those years ago. I had to again assure him that the two are not related and that I had been planning my name change for years, way before that. In fact, his interrogation about my name was far more intense than his questions about my crime that I was arrested for!!! For the crime? Just a few short questions about what I did, and how I was sentenced. But my name, wow, so much heat I got about my name. He did have to step outside to ask someone about my sentencing, but from what I overheard, they told him it was normal.

 

After all that was over with, he went over the other questions on the N400, like have you ever been in a nazi group, where I live, where I work, etc etc. All very quickly. 

 

He brought up an issue he saw in his files about my birthday, and asked me why I have two birthdays. I mean I do not ever remember having two birthdays and I told him that it must have been a mistake from years ago, cause the birthday I put on the green card and everything else is the right one, not the one he told me was the second one. It was a small issue. He didn't make a fuss about it.

 

After all that, he brought the little tablet screen towards me again, and I had to reaffirm that if I become a citizen, I promise to bear arms and pledge my loyalty and all that jazz. And then I had to sign on the tablet. He then showed me notes he typed up (like about my name...) and any changes or things he added to my N400, and I had to sign the tablet again.

 

He gave a piece of paper saying that he recommends my application for approval and that I should wait for my oath letter in the mail pending final approval.

Congratulations 

[USS_Voyager 1,971]

Congratulations! Please vote in 2020!

[robhostein 57]

The website has updated. Case status is now, "We approved your application."

 

Interestingly, though, the estimated completion time has now gone from November 2019 to July 2019.

[Marieke H 2,301]

Two different dates of birth, a name change, and an arrest... of course the officer questioned you thoroughly; he was just doing his job. And you were able to answer all questions satisfactorily. 

Congratulations on your approval!

[geowrian 22,335]

Congrats!

 

Some IOs like to hone in and try to push buttons and see how people react. Getting people on the defensive tends to make liars, frauds, etc. come out. It sucks to have to go through it, but it sounds like once you answered the questions the IO was satisfied.

[Paul & Mallory 1,398]

^^^ Came to say the same as the above two posters. Sometimes, the questions they ask aren't so much about the answer you give, but the reaction you give. In all honesty? They should feel like interrogations. Granting someone citizenship is a great privilege to extend. Thankfully, you were able to answer all the questions as needed, and you were approved. Congratulations!! That's a huge accomplishment worth celebrating.

[robhostein 57]

26 minutes ago, MariekeH said:

Two different dates of birth, a name change, and an arrest... of course the officer questioned you thoroughly; he was just doing his job. And you were able to answer all questions satisfactorily. 

Congratulations on your approval!

Yeah, but I think the date of birth was a trick question, because I don't ever remember my parents telling me the government screwed up my date of birth when I was a child. I remember being issued two EAD cards with two different alien numbers at one point when I was a child. But the second alien number ended up being my official number by the time I got my green card. My parents sorted that out.

 

I made sure the officer knew this. In all the documents from my past, my birth date was always the same correct one from my birth certificate.

[Georgia16 2,858]

Congrats!  

[nastra30 1,968]

Congrats. Vote in 2020.

[Boiler 43,388]

Congrats

[Going through 5,668]

Congrats---you're almost at the finish line!