N-400: Ant’s Citizenship Interview Passed...OATH SCHEDULED...(Part 2 of 2)

[antda 13]

Hi Everyone,

Before I continue with the second part of the story and not to confuse you further, if you haven’t done so yet, please read the first part about my interview experience:

N-400: Ant’s Citizenship Interview Passed.…But….(Part 1 of 2)…. (11/18/09) My Helpful Very Detailed N-400 Buffalo, NY Experience Here….

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...p;#entry3510091

So without further waiting and suspense, here is part 2 of my interview story….

11/19/09. So it is a day after the interview, and I’m at home. I am usually connected to the internet with dial-up, so my phone line is usually busy. But this morning I decided not to, as I thought I would be expecting a phone call from immigration, since they mentioned yesterday after the interview that they would call me. And sure enough, I received that ‘surprise immigration phone call’….

11:30-11:45

D: (picks up the telephone).

Person on the other end: Is Mrs. (my last name) there?

D: Just a minute. Let me go get her.

D: Ant’s it’s a phone call from immigration I think, as they sound official here.

D: (and gives the phone to me)

IO: Hello, is this Mrs. (my last name)? This is officer (lady officer’s name, but not the same officer that interviewed me) from Buffalo immigration and court.

Ant: Yes. This is Mrs. (my last name).

IO: We talked to the director and we can accommodate your private oath ceremony request. What dates next week for the week of the 23rd-27th in the mornings will you be available to come in for the oath ceremony? What dates and times are best with you?

Ant: (is surprised, and checks the calendar). Well, I’m pretty much free anytime next week, except for next Tuesday and Wednesday (I had a doctors appointment scheduled for those dates). What date and time is convenient for you instead?

IO: (pauses for awhile). We can’t do Thursday, since it is Thanksgiving. What days are you available for the week after that, the week of the 30th-4th?

Ant: I’m free anytime the week after that. Whatever is the quickest and most convenient overall is fine with me.

IO: Ok, I’ll check back with the director about a date and time. So the next two weeks are you with you, right?

Ant: Yes. What else should I expect for the oath ceremony? Is it at the local office or district office, or somewhere else?

IO: Well, it’s pretty much going to be just me, the other immigration officer, the field director, and your family. It’s going to be at the field office here on Delaware Ave.

Ant: Will I also get something else in the mail with further instructions and details?

IO: Yes. You should expect something in the mail in the next day or so.

Ant: Ok. I’ll be on the lookout for that in the mail (thinks: it looks like I’ll be obsessively checking my mail again for the next few days)

Ant: Can I bring a camera too, since this is a special occasion, even though cameras aren’t allowed in the building usually? What else will I have to say to security when I go?

IO: I’ll have to check with the office about that, but it shouldn’t be a problem.

IO: Have a good day.

Ant: You too. Thanks for accommodating the request. I look forward to receiving more details and to the ceremony too. (hangs up the phone, still in shock about the call…)

11/20/09: So I continue waiting, thinking that I will get something in the mail by the next day. I had just finished using the internet, had turned off the computer, and was feeding the baby, when the phone rings again late on a Friday afternoon…

4:30-4:45

D: (picks up the telephone).

Person on the other end: Is Mrs. (my last name) there?

D: Just a minute. Let me go get her.

D: Ant, it’s a phone call from immigration again.

D: (and gives the phone to me)

Ant: (takes the telephone from D, and gives him the baby in my arms).

Ant: Hello? (feeling even more confused)

IO: Hello. This is officer (lady officer name again, the same one that called me the day before) from Buffalo immigration and court. Is this Mrs. (my last name)?

Ant: Yes. This is Mrs. (my last name).

IO: I just spoke to the director and we have a date and time scheduled. Will you be free next Monday on November 23, at 11:30am for an oath ceremony here in Buffalo?

Ant: Wow, that quickly (it’s only 3 days away!)? Yes, I’m available then.

Ant: (writes the date and time on the calendar)

IO: It will be here at Deleware Ave. in Buffalo in the director’s office.

Ant: Ok, no problem about that. Will I be expecting a letter to confirm that too?

IO: No. There’s not enough time to send you a letter and for it to get to you. Just show up on that date and time and we’ll take it from there.

Ant: How about going through security? Will they know that I’m here without a letter?

IO: I’ll let the guards know that you will show up at this date and time. Just tell them you have an oath ceremony scheduled there and they will let you in. Make sure you and everyone else brings identification too. The security will tell you to go to window 6 again, to sign in, and I’ll meet you there to go upstairs for the ceremony. From immigration, ceremony will be attended by me, the other officer that interviewed you, and the field director here in Buffalo.

Ant: Is there anything else I’m supposed to bring?

IO: Bring your green card. I’ll give you the other forms to sign when you get here.

Ant: Ummm..I only have my valid 10yr green card, is that ok if I just bring that, as I threw out my expired 2yr green card already.

IO: (pauses for awhile). Yes. Bring that.

IO: Who else are you bringing with you for the ceremony?

Ant: Just me, my husband, and my son. Not a crowd here.

IO: Ok. By the way, you are allowed to bring one camera. I’ll clear that with security.

Ant: Ok. Thanks, as that’s a special occasion, and I want to capture that moment.

Ant: Again, thanks for taking my accommodation into consideration. I’m looking forward to the oath ceremony coming up on Monday. See you and everyone else then.

IO: Have a good day.

Ant: You too. (hangs up the phone)

Wow, only 2 days away!….Yikes!....

On Monday November 23, 2009, at 11:30am, in Buffalo, NY….my immigration journey will be complete, with a private citizenship oath ceremony. I’m happy to get a private ceremony request granted (as I was unsure at first if they would do such), as that is a rare (lol..methinks I’m the only one to ask for such here in Buffalo, NY) occurrence overall. I had requested a private oath ceremony, as my oath ceremony accommodation, for specific important reasons (which I can’t disclose any of it here, but had outlined in detail in a 2-page letter and had additional evidence that I had submitted during the interview before). I was also surprised that I got an oath ceremony this quickly too, as Buffalo, NY does not do same day oaths, and the earliest group ceremony oath date would have been in January, so I was thinking I would get something at around that time or not much earlier than that. And yes, immigration officials do indeed make ‘house phone calls’, so don’t be surprised if they happen to call anyone else either, especially if they promised they would do such beforehand…

So overall, I’m looking forward to my private oath ceremony on Monday, November 23.

It should be an interesting experience for me, my family, and the immigration officials, indeed!

I hope you found this story interesting and helpful to read. Thanks for reading both part 1 and part 2 about my citizenship interview story!

The waiting continues for the oath ceremony…(though not a long wait though…)

I’ll post the details about that private oath ceremony here next week….

Ant (A few more days to go ‘til the immigration journey ends in Buffalo, NY…. )

[imzadi 0]

Hi Ant,

Congratulations on your passed interview and to your upcoming oath ceremony!

It's really great the accomodations you requested were granted.

Have a nice ceremony and enjoy your day - it's a once-in-a-lifetime event!

[nayalamb 0]

congrats Ant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[karenros 0]

Congrats Ant...Is there any particular reason that you requested a private oath ceremony... I am just curious or trying to be nosy...lol..

[NickD 202]

Congrats Ant...Is there any particular reason that you requested a private oath ceremony... I am just curious or trying to be nosy...lol..

Wow, you are doing just as good as what our Senator Feingold's office did for us, three days. So you make that trip again tomorrow, how long is your drive?

I did get some nice photos of my wife at her oath ceremony, ironically, she doesn't want to look at them, just as soon as forget the whole process, it was long.

[antda 13]

Hi Everyone,

Again, thanks for all your replies and well wishes...

Well, tomorrow is the big day for my oath ceremony....

So before I post about that experience later on in the week, let me respond to your replies here first:

Imazadi-Thanks for the congrats. Yes, it was nice that they were able to accomodate my request. I agree, it is a once-in-a-lifetime event, so I might as well enjoy it this way, accomodations and all!

Hi Ant,

Congratulations on your passed interview and to your upcoming oath ceremony!

It's really great the accomodations you requested were granted.

Have a nice ceremony and enjoy your day - it's a once-in-a-lifetime event!

Nayalamb-Thanks for the congrats.

congrats Ant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Karenros-Thanks for the congrats. Yes, there are particular reasons that I requested a private oath ceremony, that I outlined in a 2-3 page letter and with additional evidence, which I submitted during my interview. I can’t go into detail here as to why I wanted such, but believe me, that it was best for me and my family that this was done instead of a traditional group ceremony. Glad though, that immigration was understanding about that, and did give me the request accommodation after all.

Congrats Ant...Is there any particular reason that you requested a private oath ceremony... I am just curious or trying to be nosy...lol..

NickD-By the way, what did Senator Feingold’s office do for you and your family?

Lol..I don’t work for a senator, nor would I ever want to work for the government. I did though, contact my congressman during the I-751 stage for those delays, which helped there. Who knows, maybe they have that in their files…”Ant likes contacting the congressman (or other government official) if there are problems”….

I did try to ask on my own for such an accommodation, thinking that they might say no at first, and then if they did say no, to take it up to the congressman, or someone else about this. But I was really surprised that they did say yes (lol..and maybe having a 2-3 page letter and additional evidence helped there too..).

I think that everyone out there has “the right to petition for or against the government”, so why not ask for accommodations, if there is a need for one. Can’t hurt there, really, the least they could do is say no, right? And if they do say yes (like in my case here), then it is better there too.

As for the drive there tomorrow..it’s about 2-3 hours one way or so…(4-6 hours both ways).(and my husband is driving again..lol..I don’t drive in the city..too chaotic…). Not that bad, really, but seems longer with the baby in the backseat, driving down country/rural dirt roads, driving during rush hour traffic in the city, having to worry about snow and/or bad weather (hopefully we won’t get that), having to pay extra for gas, and hoping that the car/van doesn’t break down on the way there…lol…It’s going to be quite a trip, indeed!

Funny, how driving to Buffalo is the 'halfway point' to Toronto...Maybe after all this I should head towards that direction....just kidding...

But yeah, my local office is not that local to me at all.....It's a long trip....

Hope we all make it out alive and I’ll tell the tale about it this week!

Lol..It will all be over before I know it though..less than 24 hours away..oh my!!

What a long process for everyone, indeed! Goodbye USCIS forever!

Wow, you are doing just as good as what our Senator Feingold's office did for us, three days. So you make that trip again tomorrow, how long is your drive?

I did get some nice photos of my wife at her oath ceremony, ironically, she doesn't want to look at them, just as soon as forget the whole process, it was long.

Thanks for reading my stories about the interview! Hope that it helped you all out too...

Stay tuned for more updates and more stories on vj this week regarding my oath tomorrow (Nov. 23...)

Good luck with the rest of your journeys too!

Ant (Interview Passed, Oath Tomorrow....Yikes!)

Edited November 22, 2009 by Ant+D+A