hotairguy

You do need to update your status with social security. We submitted last week and already received a new card, same number but doesn't have the extra comments on the card about work auth.

Um...you're entitled to go to social security and get a card that doesn't have the "valid with DHS work authorization" comment the moment you get your PR card. We did. My wife's card looks just like my card. So why would we need to go to the social security office after she becomes a citizen?

At the ceremony, they told all the new citizens that SS needed to be updated. SS reps were at the stadium to process this on-site.

What if my immigration status or citizenship changed?

If your immigration status changed or you became a U.S. citizen, you should tell Social Security so your records can be updated. To get your immigration status or citizenship corrected, you need to show documents that prove your new status or citizenship. Only certain documents can be accepted as proof of citizenship for new and replacement cards. These include your U.S. passport, a Certificate of Naturalization or a Certificate of Citizenship. If you are not a U.S. citizen, Social Security will ask to see your current immigration documents.

http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/10002.html#immigration

Marilyn and Peter.

Hello

Sorry I haven't paid much attention to the previous posts, so maybe this has been answered before.

I am soon to have my citizenship interview. I am planning to apply for a US passport. I wonder what documents I need for that and where can I apply? Post office?

Also I read that I need to go to the Social Security and have my status changed from permanent resident to citizen. What docs do I need for that?

Thanks

Heartbeat

you dont need to go anywhere to change your ss# info. its all automatic and you need to be a usa citizen to vote.

We just went through the process last week.

You do need to update your status with social security. We submitted last week and already received a new card, same number but doesn't have the extra comments on the card about work auth.

You can fill out the passport application and take to the post office (check with the office for passport hours). You will need a state issued ID (license), two passport pictures and you will need to submit your naturalization certificate (original) with the application so I would make copies before you go. Plus of course your checkbook.

Marilyn and Peter

Thanks to all,

We just applied for the US passport this Saturday and once that arrives, we will have to travel to San Franciso to appear at the Philippine embassy to apply for a new RP passport and duel citizenship. So immigration related items are not all behind us but at least the USCIS is.

Thanks again, Marilyn and Peter.

The N-400 application will force the 751 to be addressed together. When you have the interview for the N-400, both applications will be covered.

Marilyn and Peter.

Well today was Marilyn’s oath ceremony, it was held in an outdoor soccer stadium in Commerce City, Colorado. We were informed that it was the second largest ceremony ever held in Denver, 1254 folks from 112 countries. Also in attendance was the head of the Denver USCIS, the mayor of Commerce City, CO and staffers from Senator Allard’s and Senator Salazar’s office who made a short speech.

The lines to enter the “Dick’s Sporting Goods†stadium seem to last forever, applicants went in one gate while all others used alternate gates. I waited in line with Marilyn until she got all the way to the front. An USCIS employee was walking up and down the line, shouting out that if your questionnaire wasn’t filled out by the time you reached the gate, you would be sent to the rear of the line. All I could think of was that when this day was over, I will never worry about what the USCIS was shouting.

Once people were seated, the ceremony was completed within 1 ½ hours and the certificates was issued as people were leaving the rows of seats. This process was pretty organized and seemed to go well. At this point, they also mentioned that the new citizens could submit the updated social security application, passport applications and voter registration on the other side of the stadium. We filled out the social security form but when we saw the size of the line to submit, we decided to just visit the Colorado Springs office.

So this is the end of the line for us. We now no longer need to submit redundant piles of paperwork, pay through the nose for application after application and deal with perhaps the most disorganized of any federal agency I have ever had the misfortune of dealing with. All the while, placing my and my family’s life on hold while we wait, much to long for each petition to find its way through the USCIS bureaucracy.

NOW I CAN TRULY SAY, WE ARE DONE! I have been here since February of 2004 and really owe quite a bit to the guides and advise I received along the way. I will become a VJ retiree’, an alumni, a graduate. So long and good luck to all those just starting out, in the middle of the process or can see that light at the end of the tunnel.

Take care and happy trails, Marilyn and Peter.

Hello all,

Another update

1/05/08 - N-400 sent to NSC

1/10/08 - NSC cashes check

1/16/08 - Received NOA1 for N-400. Notice (NOA1) states we should expect to be notified within 450 days. Glad that fee increase gave us the results the USCIS promised!

5/8/08 - FINALLY received biometrics notice for 5/20/08. The USCIS website still does not acknowledge our service center number though and I cannot track any touches or updates. We have also found out that we cannot use the 800 number because it asks for our service center number and since it isn't registered, it hangs up on us.

5/20/08 - Biometrics completed at Denver. In and out in 15 minutes.

6/6/08 - Received interview letter today for Friday, July 11, 2008 @ 10:30am in Denver.

7/11/08 - Marilyn has her interview. Lasts for 17 minutes and she passes with flying colors. 10 for 10 on the questions.

8/5/08 - Received oath ceremony in the mail, appointment is Wednesday August 20th @ 9:15am (Almost done with you USCIS!)

If you haven't already, try kayak.com

If it is XP, you could try a system restore depending on how it was set up.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/h...ew_03may19.mspx

I think VJ was created sometime in 2003...

Anyone still here from 2003?

oldest member.......

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showuser=1

I believe Steve was the founder of VJ. He was a Lockheed employee from Florida who went through the process and started this site mainly to post the Guides and Visa FAQ's. He had a blow up with the most obnoxious and slimy lawyer that used to contribute a little material and reply as his signature was a solicitation for business. Man I really disliked him, MDull or something like that. He turned over VJ to someone named Ewok when he felt the stress of running this site was hurting his marriage and here we are.

Marilyn and Peter since early 2004 and almost done with this immigration mess.

If the problem is weather related, they don't have to do anything.

When I joined VJ, there were folks from the Texas Service Center waiting years. It was so bad that they formed a protest march outside in the TSC hoping for news coverage to embarrass the Immigration Service (INS back then).

All depends on your local USCIS office. You can look here also.

http://www.visajourney.com/timeline/citlis...p5=&op6=All

Thanks for the references. I read the I-131 and N-470 instructions. The N-470 is not applicable. The I-131 talks about planning to "be outside" the US for over 1 year. This leads to a clarifying question:

If a permanent resident alien of the US lives outside of US, and makes trips back to the US at least annually, will the USCIS consider the person to have "been outside" for over 1 year? Or is it enough to maintain US permanent resident alien status to return every year, and file US resident tax returns?

To hotairguy, who commented:

>If you decide to move and your husband gives up his desire to have his primary residence in the U.S., then he will lose status as he should!

First of all, my spouse has no desire to give up permanent resident alien status in the US; otherwise why would I be asking all of these question? Yes, I did see that the words you used are "give up desire to have primary residence in the US". Immigrations law does not deal with "primary residence", and neither do my questions.

Second, please withhold the moral judgments "will lose status as he should". Governments and immigration laws are not moral, they are legal. I am interested in fully understanding legal rights and obligations. I am a moral person and desire to obey those laws to the fullest benefit they permit me and my spouse.

Japanese citizens can naturalize as US citizens without losing their Japanese citizenship. It does bring complexities, as does all dual national status. We looked in to it a few years ago (before the current situation of planning to live outside of the US arose), so we need to look in to it again.

To everyone, thanks for your continuing and very valuable assistance!

Ok, next time I will just answer your question with what you want to hear, would that make you happy? Jeez, people are so sensitive around here!

Why not file for Citizenship? Japanese citizens might be able to hold Dual citizenship if your spouse is worried about giving up her Japanese citizenship.

That was exactly my thought. They can't take away her citizenship...(the US citizenship). I don't know about Japan? Look into it!

I have thought of that. And I do have friends in comparable relationships (one US citizen spouse, the other Japanese citizen + US Green Card holder spouse) who have done just that. My spouse hasn't wanted to do it, mostly out of fear of 1) extra work, and 2) any possibility of messing up Japanese citizenship and an investment in Japanese social welfare / retirement benefits.

I am comfortable that all of those could be avoided. I should point out that the nuisance of possibly losing the Green Card is probably larger than nuisance of going through the US naturalization process and handling the Japanese dual citizenship question.

In case I can't convince my spouse to go that route, any advice on my original question, about how to reduce the possibility of the US authorities deciding that my spouse has abandoned US residence?

Thanks

If you decide to move and your husband gives up his desire to have his primary residence in the U.S., then he will lose status as he should! If you decide later to move back to the US, then you will need to go through the entire process all over again. If you do plan to come back and think it may be a possibility, then you need to file for naturalization now! No tricks about this, just apply for what you desire.

We're DONE! Lucy is a US Citizen!

Prelude: Our two year old daughter chose last night to get her first real stomach virus. She was vomiting from 9:00pm until 4:00am. She's fine now, thanks. We called the doctor's office, and the nurse said a stomach virus had been going around a lot, gave a list of things to watch out for, but said that it would probably have to run its course. It did, and she bounced back well today, but we were all a bit bleary-eyed during the ceremony from lack of sleep. Our daughter stayed home with her aunt during the ceremony.

The ceremony was held at the San Francisco Masonic Center. There were 1451 new citizens naturalized at the ceremony, representing 103 countries. Ours was the afternoon ceremony, the second ceremony of the day there, with an approximately equal number of new citizens sworn in during the morning ceremony earlier that day.

It was sometimes humorous and sometimes moving. The man doing the officiating was a USCIS official. Among other things, he said something to the effect of "The US becomes a better place due to your contributions to our country. Thank you for becoming US Citizens", but he said it in six different languages. English, Spanish, Mandarin, Russian, French, and Tagalog. I can vouch that his English and Spanish pronunciation were excellent, and others around me were amazed at his abilities in their native tongues.

A couple of practical notes, which may or may not apply to those of you going through your ceremonies soon in San Francisco. You can invite as many friends, family, and guests as you like, but they must sit up in the balcony. All the new citizens sit on the floor. Applicants are assigned a seating section, and they fill the sections from the front to back, so you don't get to choose where you sit. If you arrive early, the applicant gets to sit up near the front of the section, and the guests get their choice of anywhere in the balcony.

They gave a passport application at the interview awhile back, along with an envelope and basic instructions. They'd accept the passport applications immediately after the ceremony. What they didn't tell us until today is that 1) The fees have changed, so you've got to write out a different check during the ceremony. 2) The passport form is unique and different, so they couldn't accept a downloaded DS-11 on that day, nor could you use the form they gave at the interview if you wanted to apply for a passport later, and 3) Despite what the instructions said, they weren't accepting applications for passport cards, only passport books. The crowds handing in passport applications were enormous, probably at least 1000 of the 1451 applicants were submitting their applications that day. Lucy's going to apply for her passport tomorrow morning.

Similarly, voter registration lines were long and crazy, and we figure there's no huge rush to register. She'll register by mail well in advance of the next election.

Yes, congrats. We should be posting the same very soon and can finally put the USCIS in the rearview mirror for good!

Marilyn and Peter.

Hi Cal.

The interview is yours and I don't believe spouses are even allowed. I was just there Friday and no one asked me to come in with Marilyn or even bothered to look if I was in the room.

Marilyn and Peter.

when did you apply for citizenship? do you mind filling in your timeline, please? i'm curious about denver processing times. thank you!

cal - good luck! let us know how it went!

Here you go;

1/05/08 - N-400 sent to NSC

1/10/08 - NSC cashes check

1/16/08 - Received NOA1 for N-400. Notice (NOA1) states we should expect to be notified within 450 days. Glad that fee increase gave us the results the USCIS promised!

5/8/08 - FINALLY received biometrics notice for 5/20/08. The USCIS website still does not acknowledge our service center number though and I cannot track any touches or updates. We have also found out that we cannot use the 800 number because it asks for our service center number and since it isn't registered, it hangs up on us.

5/20/08 - Biometrics completed at Denver. In and out in 15 minutes.

6/6/08 - Received interview letter today for Friday, July 11, 2008 @ 10:30am in Denver.

7/11/08 - Marilyn has her interview. Lasts for 17 minutes and she passes with flying colors. 10 for 10 on the questions.

Marilyn and Peter.

Well im all done. YAY!!! Passed the interview just fine. The immigration officer was very nice. She started off with the civics questions...which was good as that was what I was the most worried about. She had me write a sentence and read out a couple. Then she just went over the application to make sure all the info was correct and current. She asked me the questions about ...have you ever been arrested etc etc as she looked through. I showed her a couple of original documents that had already been submitted...like my daughters birth certificate. And then it was pretty much over. Took about 15-20 mins all up. Very easy.

I did tell her I have a couple of trips booked in the next 2 months, and she wrote down the dates and told me they would try and slot me in for the August 20 Oath ceremony.

Good luck to everyone with interviews coming up.

Caroline

Congrats Cal,

Marilyn is leaving today for a few weeks and the officer noted this and mentioned we might make the Aug ceremony. Maybe we will see you there.

Marilyn and Peter.

Hi Cal.

The interview is yours and I don't believe spouses are even allowed. I was just there Friday and no one asked me to come in with Marilyn or even bothered to look if I was in the room.

Marilyn and Peter.

Updated ...

1/05/08 - N-400 sent to NSC

1/10/08 - NSC cashes check

1/16/08 - Received NOA1 for N-400. Notice (NOA1) states we should expect to be notified within 450 days. Glad that fee increase gave us the results the USCIS promised!

5/8/08 - FINALLY received biometrics notice for 5/20/08. The USCIS website still does not acknowledge our service center number though and I cannot track any touches or updates. We have also found out that we cannot use the 800 number because it asks for our service center number and since it isn't registered, it hangs up on us.

5/20/08 - Biometrics completed at Denver. In and out in 15 minutes.

6/6/08 - Received interview letter today for Friday, July 11, 2008 @ 10:30am in Denver.

7/11/08 - Marilyn has her interview. Lasts for 17 minutes and she passes with flying colors. 10 for 10 on the questions.

So now we wait for the oath letter, we expect to attend sometime in Aug or Sept and can finally forget about the USCIS (good riddance).

Marilyn and Peter. (Colorado Springs, CO) Denver ASC

Glad everything went well. Congrats. My interview is on Monday. Let me know if you have any tips! Did you bring more passport photos to your interview?

- Caroline

No advise except to know all of the possible questions and listen for them to ask you several times if you have ever told anyone, you are a citizen, if you have ever voted, etc. I brought originals and copies of everything asked for and they never looked at a single piece of paper. We brought extra pictures besides the ones we sent in the N-400 but didn't need them. Very quick and painless, you should be just fine. Take care Cal and good luck.

Marilyn and Peter.

Updated ...

1/05/08 - N-400 sent to NSC

1/10/08 - NSC cashes check

1/16/08 - Received NOA1 for N-400. Notice (NOA1) states we should expect to be notified within 450 days. Glad that fee increase gave us the results the USCIS promised!

5/8/08 - FINALLY received biometrics notice for 5/20/08. The USCIS website still does not acknowledge our service center number though and I cannot track any touches or updates. We have also found out that we cannot use the 800 number because it asks for our service center number and since it isn't registered, it hangs up on us.

5/20/08 - Biometrics completed at Denver. In and out in 15 minutes.

6/6/08 - Received interview letter today for Friday, July 11, 2008 @ 10:30am in Denver.

7/11/08 - Marilyn has her interview. Lasts for 17 minutes and she passes with flying colors. 10 for 10 on the questions.

So now we wait for the oath letter, we expect to attend sometime in Aug or Sept and can finally forget about the USCIS (good riddance).

Marilyn and Peter. (Colorado Springs, CO) Denver ASC

Raleigh, NC has been voted the best place in the US to live. Nuff said.

Marilyn and Peter.

We had the same situation. When we filed for removal of conditions in late Dec 2006, we had our fingerprints taken shortly afterwards around Jan 2007. We then filed the N-400 in Early Jan 08 and never received another biometrics notice till May 08. I talked to an USCIS employee and she mentioned that she thought that biometrics were valid for 15 months, which kind of matches our timeline. So if we happened to get through the N-400 process, start to finish before the 15 months lapsed since our 751 biometrics, we may not have needed the additional biometrics for the N-400. The USCIS seems to always collect the fee.

Marilyn and Peter.

1/05/08 - N-400 sent to NSC

1/10/08 - NSC cashes check

1/16/08 - Received NOA1 for N-400. Notice (NOA1) states we should expect to be notified within 450 days. Glad that fee increase gave us the results the USCIS promised!

5/8/08 - FINALLY received biometrics notice for 5/20/08. The USCIS website still does not acknowledge our service center number though and I cannot track any touches or updates. We have also found out that we cannot use the 800 number because it asks for our service center number and since it isn't registered, it hangs up on us.

5/20/08 - Biometrics completed at Denver. In and out in 15 minutes.

6/6/08 - Received interview letter today for Friday, July 11, 2008 @ 10:30am in Denver.

Updated ...

1/05/08 - N-400 sent to NSC

1/10/08 - NSC cashes check

1/16/08 - Received NOA1 for N-400. Notice (NOA1) states we should expect to be notified within 450 days. Glad that fee increase gave us the results the USCIS promised!

Updated ...

1/05/08 - N-400 sent to NSC

1/10/08 - NSC cashes check

1/16/08 - Received NOA1 for N-400. Notice (NOA1) states we should expect to be notified within 450 days. Glad that fee increase gave us the results the USCIS promised!

5/8/08 - FINALLY received biometrics notice for 5/20/08. The USCIS website still does not acknowledge our service center number though and I cannot track any touches or updates. We have also found out that we cannot use the 800 number because it asks for our service center number and since it isn't registered, it hangs up on us.

Updated ...

1/05/08 - N-400 sent to NSC

1/10/08 - NSC cashes check

1/16/08 - Received NOA1 for N-400. Notice (NOA1) states we should expect to be notified within 450 days. Glad that fee increase gave us the results the USCIS promised!

5/8/08 - FINALLY received biometrics notice for 5/20/08. The USCIS website still does not acknowledge our service center number though and I cannot track any touches or updates. We have also found out that we cannot use the 800 number because it asks for our service center number and since it isn't registered, it hangs up on us.

5/20/08 - Biometrics completed at Denver. In and out in 15 minutes.

Updated ...

1/05/08 - N-400 sent to NSC

1/10/08 - NSC cashes check

1/16/08 - Received NOA1 for N-400. Notice (NOA1) states we should expect to be notified within 450 days. Glad that fee increase gave us the results the USCIS promised!

5/8/08 - FINALLY received biometrics notice for 5/20/08. The USCIS website still does not acknowledge our service center number though and I cannot track any touches or updates. We have also found out that we cannot use the 800 number because it asks for our service center number and since it isn't registered, it hangs up on us.

5/20/08 - Biometrics completed at Denver. In and out in 15 minutes.

6/6/08 - Received interview letter today for Friday, July 11, 2008 @ 10:30am in Denver.

Updated ...

1/05/08 - N-400 sent to NSC

1/10/08 - NSC cashes check

1/16/08 - Received NOA1 for N-400. Notice (NOA1) states we should expect to be notified within 450 days. Glad that fee increase gave us the results the USCIS promised!

Updated ...

1/05/08 - N-400 sent to NSC

1/10/08 - NSC cashes check

1/16/08 - Received NOA1 for N-400. Notice (NOA1) states we should expect to be notified within 450 days. Glad that fee increase gave us the results the USCIS promised!

5/8/08 - FINALLY received biometrics notice for 5/20/08. The USCIS website still does not acknowledge our service center number though and I cannot track any touches or updates. We have also found out that we cannot use the 800 number because it asks for our service center number and since it isn't registered, it hangs up on us.

Updated ...

1/05/08 - N-400 sent to NSC

1/10/08 - NSC cashes check

1/16/08 - Received NOA1 for N-400. Notice (NOA1) states we should expect to be notified within 450 days. Glad that fee increase gave us the results the USCIS promised!

5/8/08 - FINALLY received biometrics notice for 5/20/08. The USCIS website still does not acknowledge our service center number though and I cannot track any touches or updates. We have also found out that we cannot use the 800 number because it asks for our service center number and since it isn't registered, it hangs up on us.

5/20/08 - Biometrics completed at Denver. In and out in 15 minutes.

Congrats. I will be happy when we are all through the immigration process and not worry about NOA's, interviews, etc.

Marilyn and Peter.

Updated ...

1/05/08 - N-400 sent to NSC

1/10/08 - NSC cashes check

1/16/08 - Received NOA1 for N-400. Notice (NOA1) states we should expect to be notified within 450 days. Glad that fee increase gave us the results the USCIS promised!

Updated ...

1/05/08 - N-400 sent to NSC

1/10/08 - NSC cashes check

1/16/08 - Received NOA1 for N-400. Notice (NOA1) states we should expect to be notified within 450 days. Glad that fee increase gave us the results the USCIS promised!

5/8/08 - FINALLY received biometrics notice for 5/20/08. The USCIS website still does not acknowledge our service center number though and I cannot track any touches or updates. We have also found out that we cannot use the 800 number because it asks for our service center number and since it isn't registered, it hangs up on us.