This is it for me. No more USCIS, I'm done. Became a US Citizen today and the next step is to get my passport. Thank you all for answering my questions when I couldn't understand something with my naturalization application.
My timeline (Interview was at Newark, NJ) Marriage base N-400:
My Case Timeline
Category: Naturalization (Application for Naturalization)
Total Days: 330 days
N-400
Start: Jan 10, 2021
Decision: Dec 06, 2021
@National Benefits Center
Jan 10, 2021 / N-400 / Submission to USCIS
Feb 12, 2021 / N-400 / Biometrics, i.e. fingerprint and photo
Oct 19, 2021 / N-400 / Interview
Dec 06, 2021 / N-400 / Decision (Approval)
Oath ceremony same day.
My appointment was at 11am. I have arrived at the building around 10:45am (I've parked my car at the parking lot behind the building, $21 for the all-day parking) and the security check was very quick (airport style metal detector check). The security guard at the elevators told me that my appointment so on the 15th floor (Naturalization department). On the 15th floor, checked in with another security guard next to the elevators, then again at the window in the waiting are (I was only asked for my Notice with the appointment info), after that I was told to sit down and wait. I waited from 11am until 2pm for my interview. The interviewers are coming out of 3 different location (left door, back of the hallways, and some are just using PA system to call people to the door number 3). Really hard to go and pee because they can call you at any time. There were Oath Ceremonies happening when they had around 30 people approved for Naturalization. I was called for the interview around 2pm and the IO was smiling when I got to the door. Asked me how I'm doing. After I got into his office he swore me in and the interview started.
IO asked me for my green card and my passport as well as my driver's license. Out of nowhere he asked if my wife and I have kids, I have answered no we don't. He then said what else do you have, so I told him we have a dog, his response was what else do you have, I didn't understand the question so I said that's all. IO then said to me "I'm trying to establish your marriage to your wife, what else do you have?" So I said we own cars together, we rent an apartment so I do have lease, we have credit card accounts, we have bank accounts, we have life insurance, we had medical insurance. That's when he asked me why we don't have it anymore, and I just told him that it was expensive to pay whole amount out of pocket while being self-employed. He look at me with weirdness, and I just continued saying that I'm thinking about a business and my wife believe in natural remedies over medicating us both (which is true). Within seconds his switch and went with all the exam question:
Who is your senator?
Who is the Vice President now?
What was MLK Jr. fighting for?
Why do we have 13 stripes on the flag?
Name one longest river in US?
Who was Ben Franklin?
After answering all the questions, I notice a question on the iPad infront of me with a question "Who elects Congress?" and I was told to read that question to the IO. Then he told me to write "The people elect Congress."
Right after he asked me few questions from the application such as:
How long have you been married?
Was your wife born in US?
What date did your wife become a US citizen?
Questions from Yes/No (I actually froze at open question got 2 sec "Have you ever been arrested?" After those 2 sec I have answered NO, but IO asked me "why did you pause before I answered?". I just simple explained that I wanted to understand the question, because I have been cited by the police but not arrested. He accepted my explanation and we moved on.
After maybe 2 min of Yes/No questions he made me sign things on the pad and gave me a paper with more Yes/No questions, told me to mark everything No, put my address and sign the paper. Then he gave me a paper with my information asked if it's all correct and 10 sec later he said that I passed and congratulated me for passing, told me to get my stuff and wait in the waiting room for the oath. I just said Thank you, grab my stuff and left to wait for the oath in the waiting room. 15min into waiting and a guy came out to the middle of the room and started calling names of people who were told to go to the room down the hallway for the oath ceremony. My name got called and I went into the room where the Oath Ceremony was going to take place. Nice lady greeted us and told people to move down the row and sit down in the chair and wait. After everyone who was called was there she congratulated all of us and started explaining what to do after we get out naturalization certificate. She also mention to people who have kids who are under age of 18 and have green cards that they are automatically a US citizens and to apply for their passport while applying for your own. Oath took place, people took pictures, and left to celebrate with their families. That's all she wrote for me. I'm done.
Side note: You can bring your family members to the waiting room but they won't be able to attend your Oath with you, although they can coming after the oath to take pictures.
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4:17 pm December 14, 2021
