N-400 AUGUST 2020 FILERS

[Annmar 10]

13 hours ago, HNZ91 said:

Congrats

 

14 hours ago, Karen&Marile said:

Hi everyone,

My wife had her I-175 interview yesterday (and 6 days later she was scheduled for the N400 interview).  Some mentioned possibly getting a call the morning of to inform it would be a combo interview, which we did NOT receive.  

The I-175 portion was very relaxed and the officer was friendly and not at all intimidating.  Asked us simple questions about time outside the U.S., vacations we took together, what states we've visited outside Illinois (Chicago), date of marriage and where, how we met and where and then he reviewed new evidence we brought - we're selling our condo, plus new lease, most updated bank statement, plus title of new car bought together, plus recently filed 2020 taxes.  That was it and we asked if it were possible to do the N400 interview since it was scheduled for next week, he said, "oh, you have that next week.... let me see if I can".... a couple minutes on his computer and he says, "sure, I can do it" -- omg!!!!!  Luckily she had been studying the N400 test questions just in case.

 

Civics Questions (she passed with first 6 questions):

1)What is the judicial system set up for?

2)The gov't is based on the idea of self-governance, what are the first 3 words of the constitution?

3) FORGOT

4)What is the political party of the current U.S. President?

5)Who is the current President of the U.S.?

6)For how long is the President elected?

 

English Test- he held up paper, and she had to read aloud the first sentence:  Where is the White House located?  Writing part - he gave her paper and she had to write what he said - "The White House is located in Washington, D.C."  SUPER EASY!  

Then he asked if he could keep the new taxes and our new lease to upload to the file and he approved both cases!  Final step is oath ceremony, which he said could be a couple months, but others I know have finished in a couple weeks.  

Here's our general timeline:

12 April 2017 - arrived in the US with marriage-based conditional Green Card

14 January 2019 - applied for Removal of Conditions

February 2019 - I-751 Biometrics completed

March 2019 - I-751 Ready to schedule interview

24 August 2020 - applied for US citizenship

30 December 2020 - N400 Biometrics reuse notice received

5 March 2021 - I-751 interview scheduled, which we had to reschedule due to being out of country

30 March 2021 - N400 interview scheduled notice

30 April 2021 - I-751 interview date - WHICH in the moment (no advance notice) became a combo interview for both ROC and citizenship

6 May 2021 - N400 interview date

Pending  - oath ceremony

 

I hope this helps everyone.  This has been such an entirely exhausting, daunting, stressful process with the 2 year wait to remove conditions and now with N400 approved, it's just DONE.  HANG IN THERE EVERYONE, YOU WILL GET THERE.

Congrats..... Applied in August too and still waiting. I'm confident that I will get through before the year ends. 

[Can49 9]

Hi guys. I posted below in the Newark thread as that’s my field office. Wondering what y’all class of Aug 2020 say.   Thank you !!!

 

///

Hi guys.  
 

filed 8/30/20. NOA date 8/31/20.   Initial estimate was April 2021 but it’s moved between June and may since then.  Got GC via marriage but waited 5+ years to file for n400 so did it via more simple solo filing. 
 

anyway. Wondering what you guys think about  timing.  I got the bio reuse letter in Feb 2021.  

 

i am moving to Florida over the next 1-2 months.  (Ft Lauderdale field office) and am wondering what the chances are of the interview to happen soon before or after?   Wondering if doing address change will speed or slow things down at this point ?  I have access to both Nj and FL houses and am shuffling back and forth for next couple of months so if Newark interview is imminent I’ll hold off on changing residences officially (like license , car reg, etc)  
 

the online login says my application is being processed by national benefit center… not sure if they will ever show it’s local until the interview update shows up. What do you guys  think ? 

Thank you. 

 

[HNZ91 70]

24 minutes ago, Can49 said:

Hi guys. I posted below in the Newark thread as that’s my field office. Wondering what y’all class of Aug 2020 say.   Thank you !!!

 

///

Hi guys.  
 

filed 8/30/20. NOA date 8/31/20.   Initial estimate was April 2021 but it’s moved between June and may since then.  Got GC via marriage but waited 5+ years to file for n400 so did it via more simple solo filing. 
 

anyway. Wondering what you guys think about  timing.  I got the bio reuse letter in Feb 2021.  

 

i am moving to Florida over the next 1-2 months.  (Ft Lauderdale field office) and am wondering what the chances are of the interview to happen soon before or after?   Wondering if doing address change will speed or slow things down at this point ?  I have access to both Nj and FL houses and am shuffling back and forth for next couple of months so if Newark interview is imminent I’ll hold off on changing residences officially (like license , car reg, etc)  
 

the online login says my application is being processed by national benefit center… not sure if they will ever show it’s local until the interview update shows up. What do you guys  think ? 

Thank you. 

 

Tough question. Moving usually slow down things but also your office is already slow.

 

in all cases I wish you best of luck

[Iamanimmigrant 2]

Finally interview scheduled.

Filed: august 29th.
Biometric reuse notice: April 17th

Interview notice: May 3rd

Interview date: June 7th. 

my office is Lawerence, MA. I got my green card through work but filed for citizenship through marriage with US citizen. Any recommendations of how I should prep for the interview? Also anyone know if Lawerence office is doing oaths then same day or later? Are naturalization certificates issued on the spot at oath or later? 

 

[marthasofi 7]

8 minutes ago, Iamanimmigrant said:

Finally interview scheduled.

Filed: august 29th.
Biometric reuse notice: April 17th

Interview notice: May 3rd

Interview date: June 7th. 

my office is Lawerence, MA. I got my green card through work but filed for citizenship through marriage with US citizen. Any recommendations of how I should prep for the interview? Also anyone know if Lawerence office is doing oaths then same day or later? Are naturalization certificates issued on the spot at oath or later? 

 

Hello!

I would recommend taking ALL documentation with you, I would personally even take the green card paperworks, since IO can always rise a question about it and you've better want to be prepared than not having that info with you. I took all my info and had it organized from latest to oldest and my IO was very pleased I did that, I separated everything with colorful tabs and believe me, she went through everything. I read the VJ experiences and you know it pretty much said 90% of the times is super smooth interview and that they even hardly look at your paperwork, well that wasn't the case for me and I'm glad I did my homework and went prepared. For my citizenship I took my last 4 year taxes with my husband, the paperwork of our house purchase, the cars and motorcycle title all under our names, old leases we had at places we rented, electricity, garbage, water bills, etc etc. 

From my experience with the Portland OR office, I know they offer same day oaths but it is entirely up to the IO decision... I didn't complain, I received my Oath ceremony date two weeks after that  and they gave me my naturalization certificate that day.  Good luck and let me know if you need any extra info. I will post my experience here:


 

 

•  
•  

Posted April 13 (edited)

Good afternoon guys,
I had my combo interview yesterday April 12, 2021 at the Portland, OR office and I thought it would be important to share my experience with the VisaJourney community that has helped me so greatly! ♥♥♥♥

--------------------- I applied under the 3-year rule -----------------

◘ March 5th: Interview was scheduled for 12Apr2021 @ 8:40am

1. About the date of the interview:

◘ Got in the building 15 minutes earlier. I was wearing high heels and they made me take them off, lol. I went in with my husband as my I-751 application stated it was mandatory he came with me.

◘ I was the 3rd person to get in the building. At 9:05 my name was called, the Immigration Officer asked us to follow her to her office. She was serious and quiet, I kind of wished I had other Immigration Officers, they looked way more easygoing? Who knows.

◘ Once I was sat there I could tell she had a huge pile! She explained it was everything the government had on file for me, since my K1 fiancee visa was submitted (back to 2016!)

 

     1.1. The Removal of Conditions Interview (or I-751)

     1.1.2. About the relationship:

 

She asked me and my husband:

– Where did you meet?

– When did you meet?

– Where do you like to vacation?

– What are your favorite activities as a couple? We got talking about snow, skiing, Idaho, Wyoming, etc. It was a fun topic.

– When did you guys marry?

– When was the last time you visited her country (Peru)?

– Did you bring with you any additional evidence since  you last file for your ROC (I-751)? Oh yes, sure thing, I had brought with me 6 big files in those huge folder, containing last 4 year taxes, last 4 year bank statements, utility bills, house deed and the whole stack of purchase info (as we bought a house), titles of both of our cars under our names, health insurance which states my husband is under my insurance, dental insurance, photos, 401k information, life insurance. She looked it at all!!! Big FYI. She was extremely thankful I was so organized. I used colorful tabs for all of my info. Taxes were in one folder, bank statements in another and so on.

– She then excused herself for taking some time to "enter" some information in her computer. She took like 5-7 minutes, we were just like looking at the wall when she said "Phew, ok, I'm done, you case looks solid, I'm recommending you for approval. We will move onto the N-400 application". She turned to my husband and said he can stay or he can leave for that portion of the interview, either way, he was welcome to participate. He decided to stay.
 

     1.2. The Citizenship section (or N-400)

I can say this experience is a standard as it can get. I've read past experiences and they are all same Modus Operandi:

– I was asked 6 questions, I got them all right, she stopped right there. They were as follows:

♢ What do we call the first then amendments to the Constitution? The Bill of Rights.

♢ What are two rights in the Declaration of Independence? Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

♢ If the Presidente can no longer serve, who becomes a President? The vice president.

♢ When was the Declaration of Independence adopted? July 4, 1776.

♢ What is one thing Benjaming Franklin is famous for? U.S. Diplomat.

♢ When do we celebrate Independe Day? July 4.

– For the oral exam, I was asked to repeat after her "What state has the most population?"

– For the writing exam, I was asked to write in the pad: "California has the most people". 

– She went through all of the Yes/No questions (terrorism, international organizations, if I had commited any crimes, etc. etc.)

– Officer mentioned I had approved and the last step is the Oath of Allegiance, I should get a letter in the mail and on my online account stating the details of the ceremony. She said I should get a reply from them in a month regarding date and time, no more than that. If that did happened, I should get a hold of them.

– I asked regarding Same Day Oath ceremonies and she said they still do offer them, but only for those who had driven 4 hours or so, not for locals. I thought it was a lame excuse, we were so few of us, I would dare to say only 6. But anyways, I was of course thankful and left the room.

 

**Important: I had done a Change Of Address at the time of my Naturalization Application, but it looks like they never got it. they still had my old address on file, thankfully I had brought with me the screenshot of when I changed my address through "My USCIS" and the confirmation letter they had sent me. She looked surprised. You have to go as confidente as you can!

***Important: She asked to drop off GC, Advanced Parole and Employment Card when taking the Oath. Do not forget!
 

Last update: Checked my account this morning and the N-400 says "Oath Ceremony Will Be Scheduled". Patiently waiting here. Almost there. 

There might be some details I left out that I currently don't remember? I apologize.

If any of you have any questions, please don't hesitate to go ahead and ask me.

 

[MusicFan57 2]

My wife had her interview today at the Orlando field office.

We assumed that the oath ceremony would be scheduled for a later date, but got a great surprise.  After she passed her interview,

they said, ok wait out there and we'll get you set up for the oath ceremony!

 

It was quite a long wait, but well worth it.  

She said the interview was pretty quick and I guess everything lined up with the background checks, as no documents were asked to

be looked at, but she had everything handy, including 5 years of tax transcripts.

 

She got the first 6 questions correct and moved on the reading and writing section.  Passed those and then they went over

the application.  A couple of common mistakes were corrected and then verified information on the application.

 

The interview was short and sweet and then the wait began until she had her oath ceremony.  She walked in at 9:45am and walked out

around 2:30pm.    It was a long hot wait for me outside!    lol

 

Applied on Aug 30th.

Interview and oath on May 3rd.

So just over 8 months in total.

 

So happy it's complete and now on to the passport and SS update.

 

Hopefully, there aren't too many August filers left.    Good luck to everyone else waiting and hope you get your citizenship soon!

 

[Annmar 10]

4 hours ago, MusicFan57 said:

My wife had her interview today at the Orlando field office.

We assumed that the oath ceremony would be scheduled for a later date, but got a great surprise.  After she passed her interview,

they said, ok wait out there and we'll get you set up for the oath ceremony!

 

It was quite a long wait, but well worth it.  

She said the interview was pretty quick and I guess everything lined up with the background checks, as no documents were asked to

be looked at, but she had everything handy, including 5 years of tax transcripts.

 

She got the first 6 questions correct and moved on the reading and writing section.  Passed those and then they went over

the application.  A couple of common mistakes were corrected and then verified information on the application.

 

The interview was short and sweet and then the wait began until she had her oath ceremony.  She walked in at 9:45am and walked out

around 2:30pm.    It was a long hot wait for me outside!    lol

 

Applied on Aug 30th.

Interview and oath on May 3rd.

So just over 8 months in total.

 

So happy it's complete and now on to the passport and SS update.

 

Hopefully, there aren't too many August filers left.    Good luck to everyone else waiting and hope you get your citizenship soon!

 

Congrats.....I'm still waiting. I haven't even done my Biometrics.....it must feel good to be finally done. Congrats once again. 

[rallybug 17]

Had my interview today in the SLC Field Office - arrived 15 minutes before interview time in the letter, taken back by the USCIS officer 30 minutes later (15 minutes after scheduled time).

 

Answered the first six questions correctly, read and signed some stuff on the tablet, all he looked at was my green card and my Utah photo ID, and flicked through my file.

 

Asked the normal questions (no, no, no, I do, I do, no, no, etc 😄), had some small talk amongst it.

 

Out the door 45 minutes later - no document to say that I was recommended for Naturalization as the printers were broken 🤨

 

He said that I should get notification of my ceremony date in 2-6 weeks. Just checked my.uscis.gov, and there's the confirmation that I should get a letter within 30 days.

[Karen&Marile 7]

Hi All,

My wife had combo I-751 and N-400 interview on April 30 - both approved.  On May 11, got the oath ceremony scheduled notice (N445), with naturalization ceremony set for June 2 (Chicago).  So from date of approval, it's about 4 weeks, which was the same for my friend in same situation here.  

 

Since her conditional Green Card had expired, her IL driver's license also expired.  Does anyone know if you can take the N445 notice to renew the driver's license, or must you have the naturalization certificate?

[rallybug 17]

Notification of dispatch of the Naturalization Oath Ceremony letter, so checked in online and mine is set for June 2nd! 🥳

 

Big downside is no family at the ceremony, so my wife and kids won't be able to be in there when I swear the oath 😢 We are very unhappy about that, and I doubt there's enough time for USCIS to update their guidance to allow spouses at least, even though Utah itself is opening up, especially to vaccinated people like us.

[bumblebee7640 5]

I will have my n400 interview next week. And I applied for it through my marriage. I already received my 10 green card. Does anyone know if I have to bring my spouse with me?

[marthasofi 7]

5 minutes ago, bumblebee7640 said:

I will have my n400 interview next week. And I applied for it through my marriage. I already received my 10 green card. Does anyone know if I have to bring my spouse with me?

The N-400 interview pertains to only you, I wouldn't see the need for you to bring your husband. Mine got asked to step away as soon as my green card marriage-based interview was over. Good luck! You are so close!

[bumblebee7640 5]

I just want to share the good news that I have passed my citizenship interview. The officer congratulated me and issued the recommendation for approval. It was super quick for me. I went in at 9.15 and was out the door by 9.38. Everyone at the USCIS office was super nice. They have an officer who went in and out to instruct people where to go, he even brought me to the cubical for my interview. I didn't expect to have the interview via video call. But it was fast, easy, and safe. I already got my 10 year green card, but still brought all the additional documents just in case. The officer didn't ask for any extra docs, went straight to the test. I just want to say that I am super happy with today. I hope everybody else will have the same result and get your citizenship soon.

[HNZ91 70]

1 hour ago, bumblebee7640 said:

I just want to share the good news that I have passed my citizenship interview. The officer congratulated me and issued the recommendation for approval. It was super quick for me. I went in at 9.15 and was out the door by 9.38. Everyone at the USCIS office was super nice. They have an officer who went in and out to instruct people where to go, he even brought me to the cubical for my interview. I didn't expect to have the interview via video call. But it was fast, easy, and safe. I already got my 10 year green card, but still brought all the additional documents just in case. The officer didn't ask for any extra docs, went straight to the test. I just want to say that I am super happy with today. I hope everybody else will have the same result and get your citizenship soon.

Very good and congrats

[FriscoTX 1]

My Interview was at Dallas Field office on May 26th . Very easy and straightforward. Interview was at 9.20 AM and I was out of USCIS office by 10.20 AM. Officer went through 6 civics questions and the reviewed form N-400 details with me to verify if there were any changes.

He confirmed that I have passed the test and immediately next day I got oath ceremony updates on my online account. Oath ceremony is scheduled on June 14th.

 

My wife also had interview at Dallas office at same time/date with me. Again very easy and straight forward. Her interviewing officer also confirmed that she has passed the interview but her oath ceremony will be scheduled in about a month. Not sure why her oath ceremony is later than mine when our interview was at same time and we passed it on same date.

One reason that I think is that my wife has requested a name change at the time of interview.