afoyoswa

After my husband's successful interview on Sept. 16, we were shocked when the email arrived saying that his oath ceremony was scheduled for Sept. 24 (and incredulous that the notice would arrive quickly enough, but it did). I haven't had time to come back around and update for a while, but everything went smoothly (and fast! he was in and out in 15 minutes--he said there were about 13 other attendees, and they were moving groups in and out rapidly, no doubt trying to clear a backlog). It is so incredibly surreal to be DONE with this process, after 8+ years and so much anxiety and paperwork. I still plan to come back around to check on all of you, though!
 
The happy new American:

After my husband's successful interview on Sept. 16, we were shocked when the email arrived saying that his oath ceremony was scheduled for Sept. 24 (and incredulous that the notice would arrive quickly enough, but it did). I haven't had time to come back around and update for a while, but everything went smoothly (and fast! he was in and out in 15 minutes--he said there were about 13 other attendees, and they were moving groups in and out rapidly, no doubt trying to clear a backlog). It is so incredibly surreal to be DONE with this process, after 8+ years and so much anxiety and paperwork. I still plan to come back around to check on all of you, though!
 
The happy new American:

After my husband's successful interview on Sept. 16, we were shocked when the email arrived saying that his oath ceremony was scheduled for Sept. 24 (and incredulous that the notice would arrive quickly enough, but it did). I haven't had time to come back around and update for a while, but everything went smoothly (and fast! he was in and out in 15 minutes--he said there were about 13 other attendees, and they were moving groups in and out rapidly, no doubt trying to clear a backlog). It is so incredibly surreal to be DONE with this process, after 8+ years and so much anxiety and paperwork. I still plan to come back around to check on all of you, though!
 
The happy new American:

After my husband's successful interview on Sept. 16, we were shocked when the email arrived saying that his oath ceremony was scheduled for Sept. 24 (and incredulous that the notice would arrive quickly enough, but it did). I haven't had time to come back around and update for a while, but everything went smoothly (and fast! he was in and out in 15 minutes--he said there were about 13 other attendees, and they were moving groups in and out rapidly, no doubt trying to clear a backlog). It is so incredibly surreal to be DONE with this process, after 8+ years and so much anxiety and paperwork. I still plan to come back around to check on all of you, though!
 
The happy new American:

After my husband's successful interview on Sept. 16, we were shocked when the email arrived saying that his oath ceremony was scheduled for Sept. 24 (and incredulous that the notice would arrive quickly enough, but it did). I haven't had time to come back around and update for a while, but everything went smoothly (and fast! he was in and out in 15 minutes--he said there were about 13 other attendees, and they were moving groups in and out rapidly, no doubt trying to clear a backlog). It is so incredibly surreal to be DONE with this process, after 8+ years and so much anxiety and paperwork. I still plan to come back around to check on all of you, though!
 
The happy new American:

After my husband's successful interview on Sept. 16, we were shocked when the email arrived saying that his oath ceremony was scheduled for Sept. 24 (and incredulous that the notice would arrive quickly enough, but it did). I haven't had time to come back around and update for a while, but everything went smoothly (and fast! he was in and out in 15 minutes--he said there were about 13 other attendees, and they were moving groups in and out rapidly, no doubt trying to clear a backlog). It is so incredibly surreal to be DONE with this process, after 8+ years and so much anxiety and paperwork. I still plan to come back around to check on all of you, though!
 
The happy new American:

Also, I can't believe that the timeline graphic doesn't have a box for the oath ceremony! We are definitely not done in any real sense right now...

 
Update: okay, this is weird. I searched the receipt number on the case status website (vs. logging in) and it says this. So I guess we're good?
 
Oath Ceremony Notice Was Mailed
We scheduled your oath ceremony for Receipt Number IOEXXXXXXXXXX. We sent a notice with the date, time, and location of your oath ceremony to the address you gave us. Please follow the instructions in the notice. If you do not receive your notice by October 16, 2020, please go to www.uscis.gov/e-request to request a copy of the notice. If you move, go to www.uscis.gov/addresschange to give us your new mailing address.

Another update: Aaron's interview is scheduled for Sept. 16.

Another update: Aaron's interview is scheduled for Sept. 16.

Movement, FINALLY! I got a notification that action had been taken on the case, and when I logged in, there was a message saying that an interview had been scheduled, but nothing yet in the documents tab to say when: how long does this usually take to show up?
 
231 days since submission. Months since there was an estimated timeline.
 
Now I'll start reading back to find out what we need to know for this: stuff to bring? What to expect? I haven't seen anyone else in this thread who's in Boston, but maybe there's someone in the wider N-400 group.
 
Whoo hooo!

Nothing at all happening here. As recently as last month, the online portal was listing an estimated case completion date of May, but noted, "We are taking longer than expected to process your case." Now the estimated case completion date is gone, there's just the longer-than-expected note, and it's almost July.

Hello! My husband and I just submitted his N-400 online. It seemed way too easy. We had planned to apply in 2016 but got sidetracked by kid #2. He is now eligible under the 5-year rule, which does make it a whole ton easier! I'm so glad to discover we dodged a bullet with the fee increase.
 
The online form was still the 3/31/19 one.
Eeek. On paper I would have labeled everything, but there were no instructions to include anything but the document itself, and I gave them generic names (file1, file2, etc.). I would hope that when an online submission gets printed/transmitted, the applicant's information gets attached to it, but this is USCIS, after all. Hope it will be okay.

I haven't been here in forever. Trying to remember the most basic things, like how to update my signature. Will try to add info to the spreadsheet shortly! Nice to see so many in this thread and be in this boat together. 👍

Hello! My husband and I just submitted his N-400 online. It seemed way too easy. We had planned to apply in 2016 but got sidetracked by kid #2. He is now eligible under the 5-year rule, which does make it a whole ton easier! I'm so glad to discover we dodged a bullet with the fee increase.
 
The online form was still the 3/31/19 one.
Eeek. On paper I would have labeled everything, but there were no instructions to include anything but the document itself, and I gave them generic names (file1, file2, etc.). I would hope that when an online submission gets printed/transmitted, the applicant's information gets attached to it, but this is USCIS, after all. Hope it will be okay.

I haven't been here in forever. Trying to remember the most basic things, like how to update my signature. Will try to add info to the spreadsheet shortly! Nice to see so many in this thread and be in this boat together. 👍

"Short" is completely relative, and some people might consider 4 years to be "a very short amount of time." Also, lengths of time are not directly comparable between one relationship and another, given the impact of age, geographical distance, honesty, maturity, quality/amount of communication, and many other factors. So, I'm not sure it makes a lot of sense to compare VJers in this way, especially since it's not clear what you hope to accomplish with this thread. (It kinda seems like you're hinting that 4 years is somehow superior to "a very short amount of time"?)

"Short" is completely relative, and some people might consider 4 years to be "a very short amount of time." Also, lengths of time are not directly comparable between one relationship and another, given the impact of age, geographical distance, honesty, maturity, quality/amount of communication, and many other factors. So, I'm not sure it makes a lot of sense to compare VJers in this way, especially since it's not clear what you hope to accomplish with this thread. (It kinda seems like you're hinting that 4 years is somehow superior to "a very short amount of time"?)

I've been on Verizon for eons and have always been happy with the coverage (if not the prices). Looking at options for my fiancé once he makes it to this side of the pond, though, I see that MetroPCS has some really affordable no-commitment plans. They're so affordable that I'm tempted to switch myself (once my contract runs out in 2082, that is).
Can anyone who has a phone with them weigh in on the signal quality or lack thereof, particularly once you get out of the heavily populated urban centers? We'll both be spending most of our time in Boston, which (judging from MetroPCS's coverage map) seems to have excellent coverage. But if coverage is spotty outside the northeast corridor/FL/CA, then it would probably make more sense for me to keep my Verizon access so that at least one of us will have signal when we travel.
Anyone?

"Short" is completely relative, and some people might consider 4 years to be "a very short amount of time." Also, lengths of time are not directly comparable between one relationship and another, given the impact of age, geographical distance, honesty, maturity, quality/amount of communication, and many other factors. So, I'm not sure it makes a lot of sense to compare VJers in this way, especially since it's not clear what you hope to accomplish with this thread. (It kinda seems like you're hinting that 4 years is somehow superior to "a very short amount of time"?)

"Short" is completely relative, and some people might consider 4 years to be "a very short amount of time." Also, lengths of time are not directly comparable between one relationship and another, given the impact of age, geographical distance, honesty, maturity, quality/amount of communication, and many other factors. So, I'm not sure it makes a lot of sense to compare VJers in this way, especially since it's not clear what you hope to accomplish with this thread. (It kinda seems like you're hinting that 4 years is somehow superior to "a very short amount of time"?)

"Short" is completely relative, and some people might consider 4 years to be "a very short amount of time." Also, lengths of time are not directly comparable between one relationship and another, given the impact of age, geographical distance, honesty, maturity, quality/amount of communication, and many other factors. So, I'm not sure it makes a lot of sense to compare VJers in this way, especially since it's not clear what you hope to accomplish with this thread. (It kinda seems like you're hinting that 4 years is somehow superior to "a very short amount of time"?)

Hmm, the link got messed up: here's the photo again.

Hmm, the link got messed up: here's the photo again.

You had already expressed your opinion once, and that was enough. There is room in this thread for all kinds of different viewpoints, and yours is what is important to you but it is not the final word on the subject. I'm surprised you've gotten this far on VisaJourney and in life without being able to realize that it takes all kinds to make a world. Please calm down and stop judging people for making different decisions than you would make. Thanks!
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I'm meeting next week with the photography company I want to use! They'll show me portfolios for different people they have available, and I'll get to pick one. Wish Aaron could be here to go to the meeting with me, but one of my bridesmaids is going, so that will be fun. Are any of you registering for gifts, and if so, is the international spouse participating somehow?

"Short" is completely relative, and some people might consider 4 years to be "a very short amount of time." Also, lengths of time are not directly comparable between one relationship and another, given the impact of age, geographical distance, honesty, maturity, quality/amount of communication, and many other factors. So, I'm not sure it makes a lot of sense to compare VJers in this way, especially since it's not clear what you hope to accomplish with this thread. (It kinda seems like you're hinting that 4 years is somehow superior to "a very short amount of time"?)

"Short" is completely relative, and some people might consider 4 years to be "a very short amount of time." Also, lengths of time are not directly comparable between one relationship and another, given the impact of age, geographical distance, honesty, maturity, quality/amount of communication, and many other factors. So, I'm not sure it makes a lot of sense to compare VJers in this way, especially since it's not clear what you hope to accomplish with this thread. (It kinda seems like you're hinting that 4 years is somehow superior to "a very short amount of time"?)

Hi everyone! Long time no see. Not much has been happening, immigration-wise, so I keep forgetting to check in! (And whoa, the site looks different!) A few weeks ago, I suddenly got a bunch of USCIS alerts on my phone and got all excited, only to find out that they were confirmation notices that we'd changed our address. Well, duh!
In non-immigration land, though, (almost) everything is great, except that we've been trying (to no avail) to get Aaron added to my primary checking account since he arrived. It's an online account through Capital One 360 (formerly ING Direct). We had no problem getting a joint account at BoA pretty much the day after he arrived, but CO360 just will not budge. Part of it is probably his lack of a credit history, which I haven't been as conscientious about addressing as I should have and he doesn't really understand the importance of. We applied for some sort of newcomers card for him a few days ago, and hopefully he'll get approved for that and we can start the ball rolling. The CO360 account is just too convenient for us in so many ways that it doesn't make sense to switch banks, so they had better come around at some point.
In other news, though....
...he got a job! He's in school, primarily, until he can boost his education level enough to be competitive for jobs in this area, but we wanted something stable and part-time with regular daytime hours, and my friend/ex-coworker mentioned an opening at her (my former) company. He applied, got an interview, and got the job: the first job he ever applied for in the U.S. I'm so amazed and proud. He's been there a week so far, and if all goes well it will take him through school and provide a giant boost to the family income. Which couldn't have come at a better time, because...
...we bought a condo! Somehow, we managed to keep the wedding affordable enough that we had enough left for a down payment once the dust settled. The new place is gorgeous, in a much more appealing neighborhood, twice the size of the apartment we were renting before (and with extra storage space, a shared porch/yard, and our own parking space, to boot), and the monthly cost to us is the SAME. Best of all, it has 3 bedrooms! One for us, one for guests, and an extra one. Which couldn't have come at a better time, because...
...we're having a baby! I'm due around Thanksgiving.
What a year! And to think that last year at this time, I was sitting on the edge of my seat convinced that the NOA2 would never come and Aaron would never get over here and even if he did, how did I know that we'd get along well and be able to make a life work together. And somehow, pretty much everything fell into place <knock on wood>. Happy, happy, happy.