trandy

11 minutes ago, So_hopeful said:

Thank you for the great tips @trandy. Are you able to apply for your passport at the ceremony location?

cool

No the passport thing is totally separate. You have to book an appointment via USPS, find a location, take all your paperwork, fill in a form online. It's slightly complicated but not too bad.

Oath Ceremony survival guide:

Ok, had  my oath ceremony last week and here's a few thoughts on how the day went just to make things that bit smoother...

- I had my notification the day before, I'm not sure if it's different for those who get their's in the mail, but there's this form you have to fill in to take into the ceremony. So if you don't have a form asking some basic questions like 'have you punched anyone or stolen anything since your interview' then ask for that at the counter and fill it in.

- On the form, you may be tempted to write 'Tacoma, WA'. Don't, instead write 'Seattle, WA'. I made that mistake and I think a few others did.

- At my ceremony there were people from 52 countries totaling about 110 immigrants plus one or two from their family or friends. Just a fun fact. Apparently that was one of their bigger crowds.

- You don't get to sit with your friends/family. They sit at the back, you sit at the front. But, my tip is to have your person/s sit near the edge of their isle with a spare seat next to them. You'll be bored out of your mind if you're up early and have to wait it out. Which brings me to my next point...

- If you sit on the first row of seats, you'll be up first. What does 'be up' mean? well you have to take the form you just filled in (and your greencard) and, along with all the other applicants, get in a line and hand it in to someone on the stage. Then you hand over your greencard, check that the info on your naturalization certificate is up to date/current and grab a little info pack before sitting back down.

- If you sit on the far side of the theater on the first row, you'll be the first person up! (assuming they don't switch it up for each ceremony). 

- Like I say, if you're up early/first, you'll be sat for an hour with no one to talk to and it's fiercely boring. So take water, make sure you're phone is fully charged (mine wasn't!) and see if you can sneak back to sit with your fam.

- After that you all get to say your oath/pledge/anthem etc. (don't worry, almost no one, including the officers on stage, sang along. I was worried about having to sing 😛 )

- You'll be asked to memorize the last 3 digits of your Alien number because that's how they'll assign you your certificate at the end. And because you'll no longer have your greencard, you won't be able to check it.

- At the end you'll be split into about 4 groups to claim your certificate e.g. AR numbers 000-200 go over there, 201-400 go over there etc.
- Then you can take your pic on the stage, next to the flag and and all that jazz.
- You  can't leave until you wear a red headband, smoke a cigar and do an air-guitar solo while eating a quadruple cheeseburger. Just kidding.

Good luck!

Ok, I have the strangest news. I got my oath ceremony notification... by phone!

So confused. I had my interview Jan 13th 2020 and didn't bring any tax info so was waiting on the officer to send out a request form. I didn't heard back so sent it in anyway. Then after many phone calls to USCIS they just said you'll have to wait 90 days, some said I'd have to wait until I was outside the 'normal' processing time, so 20 months. I tried going it to the Tukwila center to ask to speak to someone, no deal, I tried to call to make an infopass appointment, no deal. So while I'm waiting to get a notification, at best, saying that my case has been approved  and to wait (up to) 3 months for the oath ceremony, I just get a phone call asking if I wanted to do it tomorrow. Tomorrow!

Literally the only thing I can think of is that I did send a letter to Patty Murray. But only about a week had elapsed. But surely it's too conspicuous to get a phone call asking to do the oath the following day. That's really odd.

12 hours ago, GermanG said:

I am planning to write a second letter to US Senator Cantwell and my US congressman.

I don't know how to do it but I am also planning to write a letter to Seattle Times and one of federal judges that block the travel ban.  I hope I am not the only one moving.

I was thinking of doing the same thing actually. I feel like people need to get together. Hit me up if you need to add a voice and maybe we could think about getting a small group together.

Update for those who don't pass their interview:

- Had my Interview Jan 13th 2020

- Didn't have tax info with me, was told I'd get a request for more info that would take 10 days

- 43 days of total radio silence later I call up USCIS for the 5th time.

- You have until 90 days from your interview before they can prompt your local office into action. So we'll see about that.

- I already sent a letter to my Senator last week so waiting on that too.

Urgently need to travel home before a certain deadline or I'll have to just abandon my citizenship.

Anyone else thought of protesting? I feel that the amount of people who can't travel home for extended periods of time, while loved ones are dying, is verging on a human rights issue.

I have a question for everyone. Is this delay causing interruptions in your lives?

Like for me I had planned to move back home as my mother is old and needs assistance (recently had a fall and broke her ankle in two places, she's 76 and has osteoporosis). My US wife has lost bother her parents and basically we only have her left so want to spend time with her. So it's kind of a humanitarian issue.

I sympathize with everyone's delay. Here's my story so far. I feel like I'm literally the only one who's experienced this...

- Filed Nov 2018. Interview Jan 13th 2020.

- Passed the interview but was asked for tax info which I didn't have on me. 

- Was told I'd receive a 'request for info' document N-14 in 10 days.

- After 20 days of not receiving said document I mailed in my tax info anyway.

- After 30 days from interview of not hearing anything I called USCIS who said basically I'm stuck BACK in the 'typical processing times' endless journey of death before I can officially call up and ask for help.

But what's messed up is, my wife and I are planning on moving back home to the UK and have been for quite some time.

She's been away so long that her visa had expired and we had to go through arduous lengths to have it reactivated. When it gets reactivated, they give you a window of time to go back. So it's now a race against the clock. Will I get my citizenship in time?

Apparently some people are just handed the N-14 at the interview! 

I can't even ask for advice on the forums coz no one has heard of this.

Just wondering if anyone who's had their citizenship interview been told that they need more documentation before they can proceed?

Usually via the N-14 document. 

And if so, how long the process took?

1 minute ago, Dantrolene said:

Thanks for the details. I hope you hear back from them very soon. Did they ask you anything about taxes for the 2019? Because I didn't file yet. Is it better to file before my interview is end of Feb? Or it doesn't matter since the deadline is April 15th for filing.

they ask if you owed taxes, not if you'd filed yet. Seeing as you're not even obliged to file until April, you're gold.

10 hours ago, Dantrolene said:

Sorry to hear about what happened. So do you owe taxes for previous years or they were talking about this year ?  Because most of us didn't file for taxes for 2019 yet, as we are still waiting for W2 forms/document in the mail. 

 

Can you clarify what they meant exactly by owing taxes ? And payment plan?

 

As for ceremony, some people say it will take around 2 to 3 wks to be scheduled. You are almost there. 

So I owe Taxes for the year of 2018 and yeah, haven't filed yet for 2019. They wanted proof I was actively paying it off, so a payment plan from the IRS. When you set up a direct debit with them, they send you a confirmation payment plan in the mail. So I have that but the annoying thing is, I have to wait for the folks at USCIS to send me some kind of form that will request that I send them more information in order to complete my citizenship. And like I say, the guy said it would take ten days and it's coming up to three weeks now with no sign. Of course THEN I have to wait for them to receive and process the proof of payment plan. And schedule the ceremony. Annoying thing is, I really need to spend some time back home for many good reasons and I've been delaying it for so long because of this whole draw-out process. 

I hope you're right about being almost there! cheers for the reply.

I had my interview on 13th Jan and what's frustrating is, when I filled my N400 73 years ago (slight exaggeration, I actually filed in my past life) I didn't owe any taxes, but since then I have been paying taxes via an installment plan.

They actually require you to present evidence of this as part of your citizenship, which I had no knowledge of. So I passed all the tests, just needed to give them another piece of paper showing my tax payments. The officer said that he would action the request for more information via a special form, (who's name/number I forget) and I can expect it in the mail in ten days. So seventeen days later I call up USCIS who has no record of anything being sent.

What I'm looking for is someone with knowledge of what I can expect now. It feels like I'm stuck and they could easily just lose track of me in what is, for Seattle filers, an absolute ocean of immigration backlog. 

Can someone please help. I had my interview on 13th Jan and at the interview, they completely blind-sided me with: do you owe taxes? I'm like, sure. Do you have any evidence you're of a payment plan with you today? I'm like, of course not.

So long story short he says I can't get my citizenship etc. (although I got the slip of paper saying I've passed and have been recommended for citizenship) and he'll mail out a request for more info. Should be with me in ten days. Today is day twelve and I call up to inquire. They have no record of having sent anything out. On top of that she said it can take 90 days to schedule the oath ceremony. 

From what I'd read about these interviews, I expected that I'd have been a citizen on 13th, what's the deal with taking 90 days!? and any ideas about how long it can take for A) this request for information form to be sent out but also B) well how long will I THEN have to wait?? it feels to me like, once you're out of that linear queue of ... interview date... ceremony... etc. then you're in limbo and I'm gonna guess that I could be delay for any amount of time feasible.

2 hours ago, FreyandRyan said:

Transglobal. I’m using them currently and they partnership with US delivery services (DHL, FedEx,UPS)

Cool, I'll check those out. Say, do you know if you applied for ToR thingy? (transfer of residence) and if that excludes you from paying import duties when moving back home?

I'm not sure it belongs in the UK forums because I'll be shipping via a US company. 

Will be moving back to the UK for a while and not having too much luck finding cheap shipping via sea.

It's kind of tricky to search because results keep coming up for general shipping (like fedex) or domestic shipping or shipping for businesses. Everything except sea freight for personal affects. 

Just need a small ish part of a shipping container.

Just had my interview yesterday. Annoyingly, while I passed, they couldn't schedule me for the oath ceremony because I owe taxes (for which I've been paying off every month) but did not bring any evidence of my payment plan! I had ZERO idea that was necessary to get citizenship. Completely ridiculous if you ask me. I didn't even owe taxes when I applied. FYI I filed in November 2018.

So on the one in a million chance someone else has this problem - bring your payment plan to the interview.

Also, I was under the impression that you pretty much walk from the interview into the oath ceremony, but I don't think this is the case, I think they schedule it. But I have no idea how long that takes? days, weeks, months?

Hey guys, quick question, let me know if this is the right/wrong place to ask. I have my interview date for mid Jan and I'm just curious as to what happens after? Like, how long from the interview until I'm a citizen with a passport? are there steps to take after the interview?

thanks!

Update: got through, appointment is for Jan 13th. Which is crazy because the last time I checked it was forecast to be completed in May. It's still forecast for March, so not sure if that means the full process extends to beyond January for some reason.

But yeah, great news!

2 minutes ago, Seattle_ite said:

If you're so eager to know the date, just call USCIS and ask them what the date, time, and location of your interview is. They'll tell you over the phone. I told them I am traveling and need to know the date to adjust my plans and they told me the details over the phone.

oh right, I might just do that if I can figure out how to get through.  

2 hours ago, cherry03 said:

Congrats! Mine showed up 2-3 days after the status change.

cool man. And what is your interview date in relation to the date you were told you had the interview?

I too just got my appointment notification after a 13 month wait! likely ahead of schedule.

Question! Seeing as it takes a few days to show up in the documents, and at the risk of sounding impatient, what is the sort of time frame I can expect between this notification and the interview date?

My case just jumped from Jan 2020 ETA to May 2020. That's estimated case completion time.

But then it says Estimated wait time: 10 months.

Getting so tired of this. Any idea which ETA is correct?

Just want to bump this as I'm sure no one saw it over the weekend.

So I filed in November last year and ETA for citizenship is Jan 2020. I've been unemployed and struggling a lot since I lost my job last year. I live in Seattle Washington and an incredible dream-job opportunity has come up in Vancouver BC.

I gather that I can't 'abandon my residence in the US' during the long wait time, but I asked a lawyer online about the prospect of commuting to Vancouver while still living in the US. He said that sounded like a great idea.

Is there anything else I'm missing? Anything that might come up in the interview about employment? would they object if I was commuting to Canada for about 6-8 months prior to the interview?

15 hours ago, Going through said:

Does your online status reflect that you're inline for interview scheduling, or is it still giving the biometrics update?

It just says 'we reviewed your biometrics' and once per month I get an email saying something like 'your case hasn't updated since December 2018'.

It won't be THAT inaccurate. I'm filing in Seattle which is notoriously long but predictably so.

So I'm guessing around the new year I'll get an appointment letter if the typical time is a month before.