US Immigration from Philippines

You spend so much time researching. You read everything you can. You spend months preparing. Yet there is almost always another hurdle to cross. My wife's birth certificate is listed as late registration which is very common in the Philippines. You are born out in a province, a lot of times at your home. If your lucky maybe some sort of midwife assisting. Then the next time you can travel to the nearest LCR you go and register the birth. Well because of this (I don't know if this has always been the case) they require EXTRA documentation. No where in any of the information that I have seen so far is this listed (unless I missed something. They did not keep her passport which means she will need to go back. Her medical will expire 8/8 and I am still trying to be able to go there to get her and the children if I can get the magical mystery visa and exemption. Yet I can't even buy tickets for any of us until I know we have the visa.

Hello everyone. Im posting this to share my experience and as reference for others

First i was scheduled today 6/7/21 at 9:15am (in San Bernardino, California)

9:05am- went inside the uscis building (they wouldnt allow you in earlier than 15mins from your appointment time);

9:10am- reception check in (i wish i brought my phone with me inside i thought it wasnt allowed but everyone has their phone with them)

9:40am- i was finally called for my interview

• Officer, asked for my passport (if i had one he said), driver s license and green card
• Started with reading test , today is columbus day
• Followed by writing test, Columbus day is in October
• Then the civic test;

1. 2 rights in the declaration of independence
2. Number of voting members of house of representatives
3. 2 parts of congress
4. what does the judicial branch do
5. who is the chief justice
6. 1 war fought in the 1900s
7. trick question; he asked if i voted before i said no then asked again if i already registered to vote and again i said no

• Review of what is in your n400form

1. asked for my first name, last name, middle name, then my ssn
2. asked where i live, who i live with; (i had to give my other child s birth certificate since she wasn t included in the application initially)
3. Asked if i was working, he then asked a follow up question of what i have been doing for the past 5 years since i just started working recently
4. asked what and where my spouse is working
5. Asked if this is my only marriage, and then if this is my spouse s only marriage

• No other additional documents needed
• Final questions, where the standard if you were in a terrorist org, committed genocide, if convicted, if evaded tax etc
• he said he will approved my application and to proceed downstairs for my certificate

10:00am - proceeded to the oath ceremony room on the ground floor to fill up form that said nothing change from the time of interview to the oath taking ceremony (questions on the form where the same as the final questions above); they will give your oath taking packet (basically some pamphlets about citizenship and passport, small flag and copy of oath of allegiance)

10:15am - Oath taking; Got my Certificate of Naturalization

documents i brought with me for the interview are;

Original documents:

• Marriage Certificate
• CRBA and Birth Certificate of my children
• Spouse s Certificate of Naturalization and passport
• My passport; green card ( both my 10 yr green card and my 2 yr expired green card from when i was in a cr1 visa)

Copies of documents:

• copy of green card
• copy of the original documents above
• tax transcripts (4 years including 2020)
• car insurance
• mortgage; previous rental lease
• life insurance
• utility bills
• Joint credit card statements
• copy of passport pages with entry and exit stamps (if you went outside the us), visa page

note: they didn t ask me anything but i brought everything just in case. That office used to not conduct same day oath taking but probably due to covid they do now, Which is more convenient for everyone.

Good luck everyone!! Thank you to everyone here for guiding me through my immigration process by posting their experiences. And now to pay it forward, i hope i might help someone who wanted an updated interview experience.

Hello- any approved expedite here and still waiting for IL? Since when your case is ready?

TIA

I m planning to file my citizenship. Since I m not going outside United States anytime soon I m not renewing my passport. My Philippine passport will be expired on September 2021...

Anybody had their interviews, do they require your valid passport ?

What should we do if our K1 NOA2 is stuck at NVC due to COVID and we pass our NOA2 4 month validity? There must be lots of people in the same situation. Is the Philippine embassy in Manila automatically extending the validity of the K1 NOA2s? I see that a person can ask for an extension from the embassy once the NOA2 is at the embassy, but what if one's NOA2 is stuck at NVC? We have our DS-160 filed. Really confused about the next step. Please help.