meadowzephyr

Hi, I’m on the same boat. Did you ever receive the name change certificate?

Basically all of them except for a few that grant licenses to undocumented immigrants like Washington state or New York. Most others will require an SSN or a letter from SSA that you are not eligible to receive an SSN because reasons.

Say "lost receipt" or "no receipt number" or "InfoPass".
 
If you're still not able to get through, try chatting with Emma on the USCIS website instead and type "talk to representative".
 

Your information is wrong, they can file abroad the I-601A waiver to overcome the  10-year bar.
https://www.uscis.gov/family/family-of-us-citizens/provisional-unlawful-presence-waivers

Tell your friends to have the attorney write his guarantee that the parents can get a green card without leaving the US in the contract and if he fails to obtain it he will refund all his fees. 
Also ask very specifically what path the attorney is going to use for the parents to obtain the green card. Be prepared with questions such as the child is not a qualifying relative for the waiver.
 

There's a few (unusual) options which allow someone to adjust in US after an entry without inspection:
Asylum
Cancellation of removal
VAWA
T/U Visa
SIJ
Some other special immigrant categories that include too few people to bother listing them individually
Basically all immigrant categories if covered under 245(i)
Section 7 of Central Intelligence Act
Registry (living in US since Jan 1st, 1972)
 
Like, in this case, if the friend was born in US (or is otherwise a USC or LPR) Cancellation of Removal would be available if extremely difficult, Asylum similarly could be available if there's been a significant change (for the worse) in conditions in their country of origin. Like you'd need to tell me more about the plan and what the lawyer in question called it for me to give you more details as to how you do the particular avenue of relief.
 
I definitely disagree with the users who perpetuate the "you can't do s**t after EWI" meme, you generally can't or have to get an I-601A waiver to do consular processing but options if unusual and generally not applicable do exist.

Strength and blessings to you.

I expect it will be like any other biometrics appointment, photographs and fingerprints.
 
Good Luck!

Probably not. I asked about what documents I need in order to get married in the states (I will probably ask here instead) and all answers I got are about how it is illegal and how I should do the K1 visa, becaue that is the only correct thing to do (according to them). It is mildly frustrating, because I know I am right, yet I am getting lectured like a little kid. Anyways, I just wanted to make sure I am not crazy lol. Thank you and have a nice day.

Pros:
Right to vote Opportunity to hold public office Opportunity to most jobs in federal government that are denied to non-citizens Right to some jobs in state and local government that are denied to non-citizens A single $500 traffic offense can in theory be enough to deport an LPR. The USA has lots of laws and eventually everyone breaks one of them Opportunity to petition a K-1 fiance(e) Opportunity to petition certain relatives that LPRs cannot Higher preference category for certain other family petitions Two passports means when one isn't available (being renewed, waiting on a visa stamp, lost, stolen), the other can be used to travel. E.g. if US passport is not available, use the UK passport to enter Mexico or Canada by land, and fly from there. On the return, walk into the USA with photo copy of the naturalization cert, suffer an hour in secondary, and head home. REAL-ID renewals are simpler (assuming you believe the government won't keep kicking the REAL-ID mandate down the road). Personally I will avoid REAL-ID for as long as possible. Mortgage applications since the PATRIOT act are easier for citizens No requirement to carry proof of lawful presence within the USA. Handy if you find yourself in an internal CBP check point Flexibility to travel internationally without worrying about the 180 day rule, the one year rule, the 2 year rule, and 50% rule Your spouse appears to be a UK citizen, and so the visa waivers are pretty much the same. Still from time to time there are significant differences with specific countries of destination: visa fees, authorized stay, etc. Remember the year Turkey and the USA stopped issuing visas to each other's citizens? Didn't affect me as a Canadian citizen. OTOH while I was an LPR, for a time, Canada and the gulf states were having a diplomatic row, and I wasn't able to transit through them. Easy for citizens to get a 10 year visa for India It is somewhat easier for US citizens to draw social security while abroad than it is for LPRs  Some states deny Medicaid (not the same as Medicare for which LPRs qualify) LPRs do get discriminated against in the work place, by land lords, lenders, etc. In some cases this is illegal and in others it is a grey area. Being a citizen takes care of that Security clearances are easier Certain federal offices are denied to LPRs. As a worker with a green card I could not visit NSA offices and some national laboratories. USA airports are constantly tweaking the passport control lanes. Sometimes citizens and LPRs can use the same lanes, and sometimes they cannot. CBP officers actually hate LPRs, which surprised me when I read this admission:     Cons:
Must serve on juries. In 2020, I was on call for state and federal jury duty and being stranded for two weeks was a drag. And that was with Covid. It will be worse post-Covid. Passport fees basically double  Renouncing green card status is cheaper than renouncing US citizenship Some customer related job tasks at some employers require "US Citizens on US soil".  As one of the few US citizens where I work, I get stuck with software bug troubleshooting while the non-citizens get to work on cool stuff.  Presenting a green card upon returning to the USA is just easier than handing over a passport.  Non Issues / No difference
There is a myth that being a US citizen means you have to suddenly pay / file taxes on world wide income and thus that is a disadvantage relative to being an LPR. No, LPRs as US Persons are subject to the same rule LPRs, like citizens are subject to the same restrictions about traveling to Cuba FBAR/FATCA/FINCEN: same for both citizens and LPRs Global Entry: yes LPRs can get it  

Big pro: (as previously mentioned)
 
freedom to travel / live in another country without worrying about maintaining the greencard. That's the primary reason why my husband went all the way with US citizenship. We want to live in Nicaragua one day. Being able to come and go to the US without having to apply for a tourist visa AND ever having to deal with US immigrations and their ever increasing wait times and fees is freeing!

The new name that you choose will be shown on your Certificate of Naturalization. In addition, you should receive a separate piece of paper that indicates you had a legal name change and you will be able to use the separate paper as proof of your new name.
 
According to Nolo law

Hello Everyone!
 
My sincere gratitude for all the help that you offered in these months leading up to my husband's Citizenship interview. Our journey has come to an end! March 16th was my husband's interview. Here's a little about our experience: If you are scheduled for the Fairfax office, there is free parking in front of the building. But it is limited, so you must arrive early. My husband went to the entrance 15 minutes before his interview as instructed in the letter.
 
He said that he was let in and passed through security. Here is the interesting thing: you are not only allowed to have your cellphone, but it is the way you will be called for the interview. My husband turned his off and the IO had to walk downstairs to get him. Oops. 
 
He said that she was EXTREMELY friendly. She made him feel at ease.
 
She started right away with the civic questions. From what he could remember they were:
 
Who is the father of our country? Name one Native American tribe. Name one branch of the federal government. What is one freedom guaranteed in the Bill of Rights?  
He couldn't remember the others. But he got them all right.
 
She told him to write on an iPad. "Everyone wants to vote."  I can't remember what the reading question was.
 
She asked him about our last trip and got excited when he said Mexico. She's heard a lot about Tulum. 😄 She asked  about his current address, employment, job, what I do and where I work and she asked him about his history paying taxes. She didn't ask for our tax transcripts although we had them ready. She asked him about a traffic citation that he had and was pleased that he brought the original paperwork and fine payment receipt. So bring any paperwork. This makes a good impression. You all were right, she did not ask for my birth certificate at all. After that she asked the final oath questions (he had a modified oath), and cleared up some things on the form, then she congratulated him! We were over the moon when he told me the good news. I was waiting in the car. hahaha
 
Another thing to note Washington DC folks--the ceremony was the next day! So, it may be a good idea to take off two days from work instead of just one. We were very happy about this. We just booked another night at our hotel and called my husband's job. They were thrilled and happily gave him the day off. Today was the super quick oath ceremony. The officials apologized for a more subdued ceremony and congratulated each new citizen. And then we were on our way! 
 
It's absolutely surreal that his journey from K1 visa holder to citizen is over just like that! This site has been an immense help! Thank you to each one of you for help, answers and reviews. We could not have done it so affordably without you. For those still waiting, I wish you the best. You're at the final stretch. I'm happy to answer any questions. 
 
A peaceful journey to all!
 
 
 
 

Hello Everyone!
 
My sincere gratitude for all the help that you offered in these months leading up to my husband's Citizenship interview. Our journey has come to an end! March 16th was my husband's interview. Here's a little about our experience: If you are scheduled for the Fairfax office, there is free parking in front of the building. But it is limited, so you must arrive early. My husband went to the entrance 15 minutes before his interview as instructed in the letter.
 
He said that he was let in and passed through security. Here is the interesting thing: you are not only allowed to have your cellphone, but it is the way you will be called for the interview. My husband turned his off and the IO had to walk downstairs to get him. Oops. 
 
He said that she was EXTREMELY friendly. She made him feel at ease.
 
She started right away with the civic questions. From what he could remember they were:
 
Who is the father of our country? Name one Native American tribe. Name one branch of the federal government. What is one freedom guaranteed in the Bill of Rights?  
He couldn't remember the others. But he got them all right.
 
She told him to write on an iPad. "Everyone wants to vote."  I can't remember what the reading question was.
 
She asked him about our last trip and got excited when he said Mexico. She's heard a lot about Tulum. 😄 She asked  about his current address, employment, job, what I do and where I work and she asked him about his history paying taxes. She didn't ask for our tax transcripts although we had them ready. She asked him about a traffic citation that he had and was pleased that he brought the original paperwork and fine payment receipt. So bring any paperwork. This makes a good impression. You all were right, she did not ask for my birth certificate at all. After that she asked the final oath questions (he had a modified oath), and cleared up some things on the form, then she congratulated him! We were over the moon when he told me the good news. I was waiting in the car. hahaha
 
Another thing to note Washington DC folks--the ceremony was the next day! So, it may be a good idea to take off two days from work instead of just one. We were very happy about this. We just booked another night at our hotel and called my husband's job. They were thrilled and happily gave him the day off. Today was the super quick oath ceremony. The officials apologized for a more subdued ceremony and congratulated each new citizen. And then we were on our way! 
 
It's absolutely surreal that his journey from K1 visa holder to citizen is over just like that! This site has been an immense help! Thank you to each one of you for help, answers and reviews. We could not have done it so affordably without you. For those still waiting, I wish you the best. You're at the final stretch. I'm happy to answer any questions. 
 
A peaceful journey to all!
 
 
 
 

Congratulations 🎉🎈🍾🎊! You must be relieved because of the BC being a non issue.
 
Mind telling us about the modified oath if you are comfortable?
did that increase your processing times by additional scrutiny ?
 
 

@meadowzephyr Congratulations! It does indeed feels a bit surreal to finally be done with everything immigration related. It's a great feeling but I'm a bit crazy so I'll probably miss it too as it's been such a big part of my life for several years now.

Thanks for this detailed review! Did they go over section 12 question by question or did they just summarize and skip around?

Then your passport is the best option right now ( unless someone else has a better idea ). Wouldn’t hurt to start the process to get the BC  and you can maybe supplement your passport with the BC retrieval details e.g fees paid, order received email.
 
 

Since he's filing under the 5 year rule he's filing based on 5 years as an LPR, he's not filing based on his marriage to you. So chances are they won't care one bit to see anything that has to do with you other than possibly the marriage certificate, but even that is probably low chance. 
 
I filed under the 3 year rule and brought my USC husband's birth certificate AND passport, I was never asked for any of it. I wasn't asked for the marriage certificate either. All she wanted to see were things only specific to me other than the latest tax return that me and hubby filed jointly. She asked for my greencard, driver's license and passports. That's it.

I carried my wife’s original BC but wasn’t asked to display at the interview. How long do you have? You can request the county for the BC. It took 2 weeks for it to come in the mail. 
 
I am not sure about carrying your passport. If the IO is satisfied with the country of birth on the passport, then it should suffice. If he is adamant on the BC then it could be a sticky matter. Did you submit a copy with the application?

They go through the whole form to make sure none of the answers have changed. For me they changed my USC husband's marriage info, I filed online and there was a glitch saying he's been married once when in fact he's been married twice (this was not in part 12). And then they also had to check the boxes regarding any involvement with the nazis back in the 30s and 40s, as the online form skips those questions if you're not the right age. 
 
So make sure you look closely at your snapshot before going to the interview so you can tell them about any potential corrections. There was another glitch for people who filed under the 5 year rule and who weren't married, yet the snapshot had the married box checked. Important to have stuff like that corrected at the interview.

I skimmed through my application and the first 12 pointer was a question to the effect:
Do you have a mental impairment that avoids you to understand English language ?
 
I was like that’s mean. I am typing on my phone and some words might not have come out right but, damn that’s a rough comment. LOL!

Then I looked at part 12 and it made sense
Yes if I remember correctly all those questions were asked one by one and at question 23, ( have you been arrested , citied ....) his tone became stern. I calmly replied yes, I have had some traffic moving violations which are all paid off.
 
 
Thank you thank you! Best of luck at your’s!

Hi All,
My journey ended last week.
Timelines:
Application based on 3 year rule.
 
5/28/2020 - application received notice.
12/11/2020 - biometrics reuse notice.
12/21/2020 - interview notice
02/04/2021 - physical interview
03/11/2021 - oath ceremony 
 
Interview was straightforward. IO did mention, I was lucky as the day before all systems were down and all the interviews for that day had to be rescheduled.
 
6 questions boom.
1 reading
1 writing.
 
Went over the application. Asked me if anything had changed. I said my physical address ( bought a new house)  new work company and weight gain due to Corona. He chuckled.

Any crimes ? He asked this sternly with an audible change in his voice. I said yes, moving violation tickets promptly paid off. He asked me for documentation.
I said it is still in the mail from the DMV and haven’t received my drivers record yet due to slow postal services holiday season, Corona et al. I mentioned, if I hadn’t paid off the tickets, then, there would’ve been warrants issued for me which would have been caught in the background check. IO was satisfied with my answer.
 
IO collected recent documents which proved marriage in good faith.
1) Mortgage + title in our names.
2) Insurances (health + auto )
3) rental accommodation leases showing our names
 
Printed out the naturalization interview result with tick marks on both English + US  history AND congrats you have been recommended for approval check boxes.
 
I was in and out in 40 minutes right from security check to approval. Actual interview was 25 minutes tops.
 
I was extra careful about the time between post interview and oath ceremony so as not to gather any tickets. Bit of a lead foot. Not into drugs/alcohol/weapons/major/minor crimes so that was easy.
 
Reached the oath ceremony 1/2 hour before. They collected just the 10 year card and the questionnaire of if anything changed post interview. There were around 40 people. Strictly no hugging, kissing, pictures within the building. You can celebrate outside the building.
Again 40 minutes from security check to receiving naturalization certificate. Actual ceremony 17 minutes.
 
Best of luck to all who are waiting.
I might not respond to questions if any rightaway, but, eventually whenever I get to it, I will. This is a great community with tonnes of resources and guidance.
 
Sincere thank you to all contributors!
 

 
 
 
 

I used the flashcards - just type "uscis civics test flashcards" in google, and click the first link. I flipped through these twice - 2 days before and the night before my interview, and was good to go. But I am also in med school so tests like these don't faze me - mnemonics, mental roadmaps, and other memory tricks is the best way to approach this test in my opinion.

Ladies and gentlemen of May 2020 N400 filers, my journey has come to an American end. Last Thursday I attended my interview in Charlotte, NC and took the oath on the same day (Charlotte does both on same day). The day was not without some last minute adventure from there being a medical emergency when we got there and were asked to wait outside for 45 minutes while the ambulance and fire truck showed up. The only thing I could think about was I hope the person is ok and God please don't let them cancel interviews for today. It was ok and we were allowed to enter.
 
Upon entering we were led to a room with multiple interview stations. Each station had a glass with the officer behind it. We were interviewed within earshot of each other. The officer asked me to raise my right hand swear I'd tell the truth. From there I was asked 6 civics questions which I got correct and at that point the civics portion ended. I was then asked to write on an iPad "The President lives in the White House". Then I was asked to read in English "The President lives in the White House" I passed that too.
 
From there I was walked to another desk in the room to an iPad with a camera facing me. On the iPad was an officer who was on his computer reviewing my file. Had a bit of a scare when he asked if I brought my birth certificate. I had not because the letter did not ask us to bring it. For some reason he could not find it in his file and started to say we could not move forward without it. I became super sad. I had come all this way only to be tripped up by that. Fortunately he found it and we moved on. MORAL OF THE STORY: TAKE EVERY DOCUMENT YOU THINK MIGHT BE IMPORTANT. He then proceeded to ask me all the questions on the form: name, addresses, work places, then all the yes no questions. After that he casually said I had been approved and my certificate would be printed. WOOOO HOOOO!!!!
 
From there the certificate was printed and me and the group of people at my appointment took our oath after handing in our green card (yes they take it back). We took pictures and were given voter registration forms and left. And I've been an American since. Thanks to everyone in this group for all the moral support over the months. I'll stick around and answer any questions others have. You guys are so close!!