sweet01

Well ladies and gentlemen, I am officially done on my journey! I had my oath ceremony today at Faneuil Hall in Boston. It's a great historic building in the heart of Boston that really added to the excitement of the event! There were lines going around the building and through the busy market square which generated a lot of interest from passing tourists.  Many were very happy for us all.  Luckily the weather held out.  If you have your ceremony at this venue and the weather looks at all bad BRING AN UMBRELLA.  I don't think there is ANYWHERE for people to queue, like we had to today, if it's raining or snowing.  There were just too many people.
 
However it was basically coordinated like a visit to the DMV (but at least the DMV has some signs) only in a nicer building! There were people there of every age, race, all walks of life.  We got to the venue 35 minutes earlier than the time stated on the letter (12.05pm).  There were 2 long lines, one for folks with pink letters and green letters, and one for folks with white letters.  Not sure at all why there were different letters sent out or what they represented.  Many people brought more than one guest (despite the notice on the letter) and didn't have a problem getting in.  The building is NOT ALL WHEELCHAIR friendly so that caused a lot of chaos for elderly and disabled guests and oath takers getting up some of the steps.  The local police/security tried to help organize but I think some end of line ushers might have helped.  Many people were in the wrong lines and couldn't hear any details being called out once lines took a turn around the corner.
 
Guests were called in FIRST and sent upstairs.  Then white letters were called and went upstairs.  Then the green and pink line.  I was a pink letter so that is when I got in.  When I came in my bag was not searched at all, but Pat later told me as my guest he was made to throw out a coffee cup (but later saw a lot of people eating and drinking in the gallery area).  I sat down to the right side.  There were 12 seats on a row, with 12 rows on each side, both packed - and then more seats on either side at the edges facing in.  We were then called a row at a time to hand in our greencards (which literally just got thrown into a ziploc bag all mixed up) and given a little official USCIS flag.  We kept our oath date letter, which they had stamped with I-1551 SUSPENDED or something like, and wrong a number on it. Then we sat down and waited for the rest of the oath takers to do the same.  There were at least 2 lines so both sides of the room were processed at the same time.  Occasionally official officers would make announcements reminding people they needed to fill out the back of the letters and sign/date.  Or if they forgot/lost their greencard to go see a person to the left of the stage.  Then more officials reminded folks that if they were not wearing a hat/covering their head for religious reasons to take them off.  Lots of people didn't pay attention so they said it again.  Then we had a few reminders for guests in the front row of the gallery to not stand up and to be mindful of the people around them for pictures etc.  Also lots of reminders for people to not put strollers or bags in certain places because the building is historic and we should be respectful etc.
 
Regarding dress code I say this bit because I know some have asked about what to wear - my husband and I did dress up a bit (him in a blazer but me more business casual) - but there were a lot of people who did not follow the guidance/recommendation - and not just guests.  If you are stressing about what to wear, as long as you show up clean and wearing clothes, I think you're good!  Given that there are people from all walks of life there, you're going to see people dressed a little differently, some might be more formal, some might be less formal.  I did not see any flip flops or obvious blue denim (examples of what not to wear on the invitation letter) - but I saw black jeans etc. and sandals bordering on flip flops... but no one was turned away.  People have their own idea of smart/respectful and that's fine.
 
The officers called a handful of names specifically (presumably because they needed to double check things or make sure they were there etc). This happened a few times.
 
Young children (guests) were very veeeeery restless. Finally at about 1.30pm the officers announced the judge was coming in!  We all were asked to rise and in she came, with some officials and the county sheriff too. Court was declared in session!
 
The USCIS officer started with an announcement saying that of the 388 people there 55 wanted a name change.  The judge said sure why not (except in official judge speak ha!) and then the officer said 388 people wanted to be come citizens.  Motion carried/sure why not.  Then had us all rise and raise our right hand.  Then the officer of the court made us all say the oath, and added in our own names at the same time as everyone else. 
 
Then the judge started talking, and then (maybe this was a joke cos they do a lot of these) suddenly remembered that we were stills tanding and told us to sit down... everyone chuckled.  Then she gave a great speech about how far we'd all come and what we were bringing to the nation and the state, how we were enriching our lives and the lives of everyone around us... and the adversities we'd faced.  She recognized a lot of reasons why we had come to the US, and the jobs that we had, calling out doctors and scientists as well as hotel workers and service industry professionals, who are just as important. She encouraged us to stand for local office, help in campaigns etc... do all the things that make democracy work.
 
She called out all 69 nations represented in alphabetical order and had us stand up when our nation was called.  She prefaced saying we were free to give a WOOOP/cheer etc when ours came.. but warned us whatever we did the Brazilians would probably out cheer us!  She was right!  Brazil was probably the loudest, closely followed by Haiti.  Mine was one of the last (UK) so me (and my husband up in the gallery) made sure to give it our best. Many people standing were the only ones of their original country there, both others clapped and applauded for them. I'm pretty sure he did a Rick Flair impression! I will admit that when they called my name I got a little teary and had a stupid grin on my face for the rest of the time.  The girl next to me was from Vietnam so I also gave her a cheer too!
 
Then a daughter of two folks nationalizing today gave the pledge of allegiance.  Then the county sheriff gave a (slightly less rousing but still) very nice and warm friendly speech, also reminding us of his immigrant heritage and how in Massachusetts we have such a great mix of nationalities and heritage.  Then he reminded us of this celebration that was being thrown down the road that we were all invited too (but I didn't go) and to follow the balloons after.  Then the judge closed out court, we all stood up and they left.  Then they had the guests leave.  The way they handled that, for a split second I thought MAYBE the officer was going to give us some special American secrets, like in those National Treasure movies... but alas not.  There was no hidden treasure etc.
 
Once the guests had almost all gone, they rejiggled the set up in front of the stage, so 2 tables became 8 stations. The number they wrote on your letter corresponded to the table to collect your certificate and large envelope with some information inside about passport etc, a card sleeve for the certificate. Again, they called rows up one at a time, working from the front to the back.  Once you got your packet you could leave.  Some lines went quicker than others, so folks from rows behind me ended up leaving a bit quicker because the guys at table 6 and 7 were lightening fast!  When my turn came I grabbed my stuff, checked that my details were correct (they were - and the picture they took at my biometrics were indeed TERRIBLE) and I said my goodbyes to the folks who had been sitting around me.  When I got out side everyone was crowding around the door cheering for friends and family as they came out, that was a really nice touch.
 
A friend came to meet my husband and they both cheered for me and then we went to lunch and went home!  While the ceremony was relatively short, the form checking and handing over documents probably made the whole duration about 3 - 3 1/2 hours. 
 
I am a May 2017 N-400 filer, but have been registered on this forum since I first came to the US in 2009.  Thank you everyone on this forum for your support and guidance through this process and my original AOS! I hope my write up today is helpful for those of you in Boston.
 
For those of you still waiting.  Hang in there!  You are getting closer every day to closing this chapter of your life and starting a new one...  Even if it doesn't always feel like it.

What visa type are you?  Your profile and timeline are blank
 
You did not print out a current deposit slip to take to BPI to pay the visa fee?   You used a sample from somewhere??     You are going to need to contact the embassy.
 
http://www.ustraveldocs.com/ph/pmisdepositslip.htm?amount=265&country=philippines
 
Also, do take note that it can be up to 24 hrs after paying the visa fee (and yes I know what it states on the website),  also note that weekends don't count.

regardless if she has income or not, your wife will always be the primary sponsor. even if she has $0 income
 
she is the petitioner, therefore, she is the one to file the i864 for each parent. you are her co sponsor since you are her household member you will fill out the i864A for each parent
 
your wife fills the i864, you fill out the i864A
 
one set per parent, meaning 2 i864 and 2 i864A
 
 

Like the above poster stated- health insurance, car insurance, life insurance. Joint credit card statements and joint banking statements-bring statements from the time the account was opened. State ID’s showing you both live at same address. Travel documents with both your names on it. My husband and I don’t have a lease/mortgage/joint bills to submit and we were fine- approved without interview. 

I agree. We’ve tried to use a lawyer too during my previous K1 process and it turned out that he put the incorrect info on my form ( the amount to put on the check) which led to return the packet I have. When I  found this site I did everything since then - from AOS, ROC and N400. 
Pros of not having a lawyer is it will save you tons of money and time believe me especially if your case is pretty straightforward. All your resources can be found on this site. Best of luck! 

We used a lawyer to file the I-130 before we found this site, and on top of being expensive ($1000 for only the I-130 portion of the case), all it did was delay our case.
 
They ask you to fill in their form with all of your information so that they can transpose it to the actual government forms.  This cost us about 4 weeks' of a delay to get our case submitted, when we could have filled in the info one time on the actual form and sent it in right away.
 
If you're thinking it will save you the time to fill in the forms, you still have to spend just as much time providing them the details, along with all of your evidence anyway, so might as well do it on your own for free.

I appreciate all the responses, positive and negative.  A few points:
 
 - yes, my MIL has a "bucket list" of becoming an American citizen. It's a dream of hers, really, whether there is any practical reason or not.  She's only been here 5 years, and her husband died 2 years ago from cancer, so she's just been living with us since then.  She's a very simple, plain old lady, no formal education, very meek and timid and scared of just about everything here. 
 
 - I talked with a local immigration attorney who knows the officers at this location.  He said most of them were nice, but some of them weren't, and this particular woman "was the worst of them, very, very bad."  Apparently she has a reputation.  When my MIL came to her, she didn't smile, say "how are you," nothing. Just waved at her to follow her and strode to her office.  I did NOT go to the office with them.
 
 - Once in the office, not a word was said. She just pointed at a  chair, sat behind her desk, grabbed a piece of paper (apparently with civics questions on it) and started throwing questions at my MIL so fast she didn't even have time to answer some of them.  No greeting, no "small talk," no oath, nothing. The woman (and I can testify to this) talked VERY fast, and with a hispanic accent. She didn't even look up at my MIL when she asked the questions.  She had an angry facial expression during the entire interview.  On one occasion, my MIL asked politely, "can you repeated, please?" and the officer displayed an angry, frustrated expression. My MIL didn't try that again.  It was pointless, anyway; this woman was utterly IMPOSSIBLE for her to understand.
 
Some people seem to think that just because you "know English," you should be able to jabber like a TV sports announcer. 
 
When she finished, the officer simply stood up, walked to the door and held it open, said "2nd interview" and motioned for my MIL to leave.
 
 - My MIL *CAN* pass all three tests, and answer the N400 questions.  That wasn't the issue.  The issue was that she was not ABLE to take and pass the tests because of the officer's behavior.  If she had JUST been a LITTLE more polite and a little more patient, my MIL would have passed with flying colors.
 
And again, a major issue here is her age.  It is virtually impossible for an 80 year old woman to learn to read, write and speak English from scratch, no matter what she does.
 
- FWIW, having a translator present is an option only if they've lived here 15 years.  My MIL won't even be alive 10 years from now.
 
Talking to an immigration attorney Monday who has a reputation for being aggressive and being a fighter when it comes to dealing with the U.S. government.  Hopefully he will be able to contribute something.
 
Thanks again for your comments.

This is just simply sad.  Just because someone has a "strong" accent should mean nothing.  If you work as an officer for immigration, I would think that you would hear every accent, from every country every single day.  It does not matter if she is 80, 60, 20 or has an accent.  There is absolutely no reason whatsoever that any employee working for OUR country should ever be rude or make anyone feel less of a person because they are an immigrant.  This is a huge issue all across USCIS and it really needs to be addressed.  And for anyone to make a comment why she is trying to become a citizen at 80 is just another rude comment and only puts you in the same place as the rude embarrassment of an officer who treats people like this day in and day out. 
 
Does anyone have any idea what this woman or anyone else going to citizenship interviews have gone through in their life?  Just as any human being who has a bucket list, maybe as an 80 year old, her bucket list is to die a US citizen?  Instead of bashing her that she doesn't know perfect English, maybe you should complain to the top officials who have made it possible to live in our country an entire lifetime and not have to learn one word of ENGLISH because it is the "law" that everywhere you go, every label you read is translated in English.  My parents came to this country over 55 years ago and were forced to lean English because NOTHING was translated.  
 
She will be okay, she has a good support system between yourself and your wife.  And if having to fork out more money just so someone isn't rude to you, then so be it.  But it does suck, because I am an American and it shames me to know that these are the people that represent my country.  Blessings to your MIL.

Wow, I'm sorry for your experience and just dumbfounded by some of the responds here.
 
My husband's grandmother is also Russian and she moved to America when she was 70+ to be with her kids, so obviously it's a huge challenge for her to learn English. Like your MIL, she studied really hard for the exam. Luckily, she passed the exam. I think it all depends on the officer because from my experience at our field office (I'm in the middle of ROC and also went through AOS), everyone is very nice. I hope her next interview goes much better. Good luck. 

It was her decision to immigrate to US, therefore, start learning English immediately, it’s a English speaking country.
 
Of course, always blame the officer when something doesn’t go your way, he’s there to do his job not to teach your mother english. And stop constantly pointing a finger at the officer, like he’s wrong and your mother in law is innocent.
 
People that immigrate, still keep speaking their language and don’t wanna learn English, yet they wanna be USC. 
 

Thank you for giving words of encouragement and actual helpful advice.  I cannot believe she was treated like this. I would like be to see these people with the negative comments go to Russia and pass the citizenship test there and speak fluent Russian at an interview. Not gonna happen. Good for her for trying so hard to become a citizen. It’s amazing how judgmental so many people are and these are ones who spouses are immigrants. 

Your going to need proof you met in person atleast twice two years before your petition submission and those two years have to be contiguous (example-filed petition July 1 2018, you would have to have met twice in person between July 2016 and July 2018. 
 
Second the passport stamps mean less if you don’t have pictures, you could have been in the same town as beneficiary or for any other reason for all the USCIS knows.
 
Simple chat logs show dialog between the both of you.
 
You might be correct in all you say and honest but the USCIS doesn’t work on the honor/honesty system. 
 
My my opinion you need these basics:
 
proof of meeting twice in person within two years of petition submission 
pictures of the two of you together 
passport stamps
hotel itinerary 
airfare itinerary 
a few mundane chat logs from some valid source 
 
Good luck
 
 

Hi sjs87,
 
I just had my citizenship interview last August 31 and got approved. I brought all the original copies of what I submitted during the N400 process including our son’s birth certificate and marriage certificate, plus of course, interview letter and green card. The IO didn’t ask any of the certificates at all just my gc and that’s it. But I really feel at peace if I bring every paperwork I have just in case the IO ask for it I’m prepared  Best of luck! You can do it. 

Thank You so Much For your quick Response 

Hi everyone, Just updating my timeline. Just received notice online that I'll be having my interview on 08/31/2018. The letter was made last 07/25/2018. Congratulations to those who are now US Citizens! So happy for you guys! Regards to everyone. We can do this! 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Congratulations dassy004  

Hi everyone, Just updating my timeline. Just received notice online that I'll be having my interview on 08/31/2018. The letter was made last 07/25/2018. Congratulations to those who are now US Citizens! So happy for you guys! Regards to everyone. We can do this! N-400: April 2018 Applicants ================================== Dallas/Lewisville, Texas Lockbox ================================== UserName.........|GC-Date.|Sent.|Cashd|NOA..|Fprints.|In Line.|Int ltr.|Intrvw..|Oath....|Field Office.....|NBC/IOE EML13............|--/--/--|04/05|--/--|04/09|05/01/18|--/--/--|07/17/18|08/21/18|--/--/--|Latham, NY.......|IOE ================================ USCIS Phoenix, Arizona Lockbox ================================ UserName.........|GC-Date.|Sent.|Cashd|NOA..|Fprints.|In Line.|Int ltr.|Intrvw..|Oath....|Field Office.....|NBC/IOE Aprilfiler.......|06/11/11|04/05|04/12|04/11|04/19/18|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|Los Angeles, CA..|IOE blue_angel_29....|09/02/09|04/11|04/13|04/17|05/09/18|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|Denver, CO.......|IOE TMDM.............|07/10/15|04/13|--/--|--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|Los Angeles, CA..|IOE Florist..........|07/15/15|04/17|04/23|04/23|05/14/18|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|Santa Ana, CA....|IOE DR_509...........|07/24/12|04/23|05/01|04/30|05/22/18|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|Denver, CO.......|IOE ================================== USCIS Chicago, Illinois Lockbox ================================== UserName.........|GC-Date.|Sent.|Cashd|NOA..|Fprints.|In Line.|Int ltr.|Intrvw..|Oath....|Field Office.....|NBC/IOE .................|--/--/--|--/--|--/--|--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|.................|....... ================================== USCIS Online Filing ================================== UserName.........|GC-Date.|Sent.|Cashd|NOA..|Fprints.|In Line.|Int ltr.|Intrvw..|Oath....|Field Office.....|NBC/IOE rla_ ............|00/00/05|03/31|04/03|04/06|04/23/18|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|Newark, NJ ......|IOE Makena...........|04/02/13|04/01|04/01|04/01|04/25/18|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|Dallas, TX.......|IOE Pavirotti........|05/27/15|04/01|04/01|04/01|04/26/18|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|Orlando, FL......|IOE ivyanddan........|12/17/13|04/01|04/02|04/07|04/26/18|--/--/--|05/30/18|07/12/18|08/08/18|Albuquerque, NM..|IOE Cincyman.........|06/10/15|04/02|04/02|04/02|04/27/18|--/--/--|05/14/18|06/21/18|07/20/18|Cincinnati, OH...|IOE Ivy..............|03/17/15|04/02|04/02|04/02|04/10/18|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|San Antonio, TX..|IOE Debwa............|11/23/11|04/03|04/03|04/03|04/24/18|--/--/--|06/04/18|07/13/18|08/21/18|Indianapolis, IN.|IOE Nenton...........|12/01/15|04/03|04/03|04/06|05/17/18|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|Oakland, CA......|IOE Miguel&Polina....|06/27/13|04/04|04/04|04/04|04/26/18|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|Orlando, FL......|IOE rolling_ftw......|--/--/--|04/05|--/--|04/06|04/16/18|--/--/--|07/03/18|08/07/18|--/--/--|Raleigh, NC......|IOE New Brighton.....|11/04/14|04/07|04/07|04/07|04/30/18|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|San Diego, CA....|IOE Lynn n Sam.......|05/29/15|04/09|04/09|04/09|04/19/18|07/06/18|07/13/18|08/14/18|--/--/--|Pittsburgh, PA...|IOE Santos12.........|07/08/15|04/09|04/09|04/09|05/01/18|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|Newark, NJ.......|IOE California Life..|--/--/--|04/11|04/11|04/12|04/25/18|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|Sacramento, CA...|IOE Geinrikh.........|05/27/16|04/11|04/12|04/12|05/03/18|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|Sacramento, CA...|IOE Chloraflora......|--/--/--|--/--|--/--|04/13|05/04/18|--/--/--|--/--/--|06/21/18|09/11/18|Saint Albans, VT.|IOE Cam54 ...........|07/09/15|04/12|04/13|04/13|05/04/18|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|Los Angeles, CA..|IOE viruso...........|07/12/13|04/12|04/12|04/12|04/19/18|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|Philadelphia, PA.|IOE Rockioz..........|06/21/07|04/13|04/13|04/13|04/23/18|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|Queens, NY.......|IOE aaakortee........|--/--/--|04/14|04/14|04/14|04/25/18|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|San Ferna Val, CA|IOE DesiCan..........|01/13/15|04/16|04/16|04/16|05/07/18|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|Dallas, TX.......|IOE OceanBorn........|07/16/13|04/17|04/17|04/17|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|Seattle, WA......|IOE HusbandandWife...|07/15/15|04/17|04/17|04/17|05/04/18|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|Los Angeles, CA..|IOE alexjaco.........|07/16/15|04/17|04/17|04/17|05/09/18|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|Tampa, FL........|IOE 88abc1234........|01/26/12|04/18|04/18|04|21|05/08/18|--/--/--|05/11/18|06/18/18|--/--/--|Pittsburgh, PA...|IOE Elle&Kev.........|07/12/15|04/19|04/19|04/19|05/04/18|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|Las Vegas, NV....|IOE Asiavik..........|10/23/08|04/19|04/19|04/21|05/11/18|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|Dallas, TX.......|IOE JadeyHexed.......|--/--/--|04/20|--/--|--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|08/21/18|--/--/--|Tampa, FL........|IOE thilimaa.........|05/07/15|04/20|04/20|04/20|04/25/18|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|San Jose, CA.....|IOE bluestrudels.....|04/14/15|04/20|04/20|04/20|05/11/18|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|New York, NY.....|IOE earl-andrew......|04/25/15|04/21|04/21|04/21|04/11/18|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|New York, NY.....|IOE Solidus..........|07/22/15|04/23|04/23|04/23|05/04/18|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|Saint Paul, MN...|IOE sudo.............|06/11/11|04/23|04/23|04/23|05/16/18|--/--/--|05/21/18|06/27/18|--/--/--|Kansas City, MO..|IOE COCO.............|07/22/15|04/23|04/23|04/23|05/04/18|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|San Jose, CA.....|IOE Bjl73............|07/17/15|04/24|04/24|04/23|05/16/18|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|St. Louis, MO....|IOE Andrii...........|07/23/14|04/25|04/25|04/25|05/17/18|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|Mount Laurel, NJ.|IOE DandelionSF......|01/14/08|04/25|04/25|04/28|05/15/18|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|San Francisco, CA|IOE sweet01..........|06/02/15|04/27|04/27|04/27|05/21/18|--/--/--|07/25/18|08/31/18|--/--/--|Boston, MA.......|IOE travelfairy......|02/12/13|04/29|04/29|04/29|05/21/18|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|Minneapolis, MN..|IOE mtempelaar.......|05/20/15|04/29|04/29|04/29|05/21/18|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|Charlotte, NC....|IOE Katherine_D......|07/28/15|04/29|04/29|04/29|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|Santa Ana, CA....|IOE UserName.........|GC-Date.|Sent.|Cashd|NOA..|Fprints.|In Line.|Int ltr.|Intrvw..|Oath....|Field Office.....|NBC/IOE  
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Congratulations Cincyman  

Yay! We have two people with scheduled interviews so far!

That’s right. Actually the money is coming from us through the fees we’ve paid.
I’m sorry to hear that. At least all is well and you’ll get your correct card in about two weeks.
You can take the 2-year gc if you still have it for your biometrics.
 
My 10-year hadn’t arrived yet and I did my biometrics for the N400 with the expired green card. They didn’t say anything or even asked to see the extension letter.

Oops I saw it. Pls disregard my previous post

Mine still shows the same status. Actually it’s showing that the case was approved after the card was produced which is strange. I already received the approval letter in the mail. Maybe the status won’t change online and I’ll just get the card in the mail in a few days? Who knows. Thank you for sharing.
 

No worries! Welcome to the forum!

https://www.uscis.gov/files/form/attachments.pdf
 
The first two pages of the link above outlines everything that needs to be included while filing N-400. Just submit what documents apply to you and your situation. When you file online, it’ll ask you to upload specific documents based on your answers (for ex: if you say you’ve been arrested, it will ask you to upload court records).  Also, you don’t have to complete and submit the application in one sitting so you can go back to it if you’re missing a document at the moment. I believe once you start it, you have 30 days to submit. Otherwise you’ll have to start the application all over again. You pay at the end once you submit the application, so it’s not like you’ll be charged multiple times if you have to restart because you didn’t finish in 30 days. 

I wanted to document my N-400 journey in detail. Many members find reassurance in reading the experiences of others, and I hope this helps. I got my green card through my employer and applied based on 5 years of permanent residency. Some of this information is specific to Houston, but most of it will be of use to all applicants. I hope this serves as a useful "sample timeline" for others. So here you go; everything that happened from the moment I sent the application to the moment I picked up my naturalization certificate.
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Timeline
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16-Dec-2015 Early-filing eligibility date
17-Dec-2015 Day 1 N-400 mailed to Lewisville, TX
18-Dec-2015 Day 2 Application delivered (FedEx confirmation)
23-Dec-2015 Day 7 Check cashed
23-Dec-2015 Day 7 Application received (e-notification)
28-Dec-2015 Day 12 Receipt notice (NOA) received
04-Jan-2016 Day 19 Biometrics notice received (for 13-Jan-2016)
13-Jan-2016 Day 28 Biometrics completed
26-Apr-2016 Day 132 In-line for interview (e-notification)
03-May-2016 Day 139 Interview scheduled (e-notification)
06-May-2016 Day 142 Interview letter received (for 07-Jun-2016)
07-Jun-2016 Day 174 Interview completed (recommended for approval)
09-Jun-2016 Day 176 In-line for oath (e-notification)
10-Jun-2016 Day 177 Oath scheduled (e-notification)
13-Jun-2016 Day 180 Oath letter received (for 22-Jun-2016)
22-Jun-2016 Day 189 Oath ceremony
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Application
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16-Dec-2015
I became eligible to file my application; 90 days before the 5th anniversary of the "resident since" date on my green card. Note: the early filing calculator on the USCIS website took into consideration that 2016 is a leap year.
17-Dec-2015 - Day 1
I mailed my application to the Lewisville, TX lockbox (sent to the street address, not the P. O. Box). I included the N-400 form, the G-1145 form, two passport photos with my name and A-number written on the back, a copy of the front and back of my green card, and a personal check for $680 with my A-number written on it. I used FedEx; for $7.50, they guaranteed next-day delivery, although I'm sure it was only that cheap because it's only a 3 hour drive.
18-Dec-2015 - Day 2
My application was delivered to USCIS in Lewisville, TX according to the tracking tool on the FedEx website.
23-Dec-2015 - Day 7
Morning: my bank account showed that USCIS cashed my check.
Afternoon: I received a text message and e-mail notifying me that my application had been accepted. The text message said that my case had been received and it provided me with my case number (starting with NBC*). The email contained the same information, but also informed me that the application had been routed to the National Benefits Center and said that I should expect my NOA in the mail within 7-10 days. I used my case number to set up an account on the USCIS website and to turn on text message and email alerts for the next stages of my application.
28-Dec-2015 - Day 12
I received my receipt notice (I-797C Notice of Action) with a notice date of 22-Dec-2015. The NOA states that I'll be scheduled to appear for an interview "upon receipt of all required Record Checks".
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Biometrics
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04-Jan-2016 - Day 19
I received my biometrics letter with an appointment date of 13-Jan-2016. The letter was sent from the National Benefits Center in Lee's Summit, MO and is dated 26-Dec-2015.
13-Jan-2016 - Day 28
My biometrics appointment was scheduled for 2:00 pm at the Southwest Houston Application Support Center (11777 S State Highway 6), which is actually in the city of Sugar Land, just southwest of Houston. I arrived at 1:40 - note that parking is no concern at all since this ASC shares a parking lot with a Kroger and several other stores. I left my phone in the car, because I was asked to do so on every other visit. When I walked in, the security guard told me to turn off my cellphone if I had one (even though there was a sign that said no cellphones). They may have relaxed the rules, since on previous visits I was told to leave my phone in the car. He checked my letter, asked to see my green card, and gave me the "Learn About the United States" packet and a form to fill out. The form asked for my biographical information as well as any other names I have used in the past. When I was done, I handed the security guard the form and followed another gentleman to do my biometrics. There were two people ahead of me when I walked in and they were done by this time. He then asked me to sit down for the photo, which he had to retake because I didn't lean all the way up against the wall the first time. I then had to sign my name on an electronic reader and I could see my signature, photo, and fingerprints on the screen. I filled out an evaluation card and was given my biometrics letter (now stamped and dated). I walked out at 1:55.
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Interview
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18-Apr-2016 - Day 124
I have not heard anything from USCIS since my biometrics appointment, which was 3 months ago. The status check page on the USCIS website won't let me submit an online "Case Status Inquiry" because my application is still within normal processing times. However, those are predicted times for the whole process, and not just for the stage I'm in. It's too early to bother calling or making an Infopass appointment. So on the recommendation of a fellow December 2015 filer who was in the same position, I filed an "Notice Not Received" online inquiry. Since I haven't received the Inline for Interview notice, I thought this made sense.
26-Apr-2016 - Day 132
I was placed inline for interview scheduling. I received an e-mail update and my online case status was updated around 11:00am. The text message arrived two days later. My status now says that USCIS "started the interview scheduling process." No idea if this is related to the online inquiry.
03-May-2016 - Day 139
My interview was scheduled. I got a text message and an email and my online status was updated to indicate that USCIS would send me an interview letter in the mail.
06-May-2016 - Day 142
I received the interview letter in the mail. My interview is scheduled for 07-Jun-2016 at the new USCIS office on Gears Road in north Houston.
07-Jun-2016 - Day 174
I had my interview this morning and I was recommended for approval.
My appointment was for 8:30 at the new USCIS office at 810 Gears Road in north Houston. I walked into the building at 8:10, went through a security checkpoint, and turned in my interview letter at the front desk. There was no line at check-in, and I was asked to wait in one of two waiting areas in a large open room. One waiting area was for naturalization interviews and the other was for Infopass appointments. Every now and then, a number would be called, and someone in the Infopass area would be told to go to one of the windows around the room. The naturalization interviewees were called by name and told to go to a door where an officer was waiting. I waited for about an hour (so about 40 minutes after my appointment time) before my name was called. My interviewer met me at the door, introduced herself, and chatted while we walked back to her office. By any measure, she was friendly, but by USCIS standards, she was positively bubbly. When we got to her office, she asked me to sit down and give her my green card, passport, and drivers license. She then asked me to stand so she could place me under oath.
We started with the testing portion of the interview. She asked me the following six questions:
- What group of people was taken to America and sold as slaves?
- How many amendments does the Constitution have?
- What territory did the United States buy from France in 1803?
- What is the name of the Vice President of the United States now?
- Why did the colonists fight the British?
- What is the highest court in the United States?
She then said, This is going to be very elementary for you and moved to the language test.
She asked me to read: What country is north of the United States?
She asked me to write: Canada is north of the United States
We went through the application page by page. She went over my legal name and had some questions as to what my birth name was (I had a translated copy of my birth certificate with me and she took this). We went over all the biographic information and she double-checked my name change request. I told her at the start that I had another trip to add to my list (taken after the application was sent). I had printed this correction out for her and she took the new sheet and added it to my application. Going through the rest of the application, she specifically asked whether my parents were US citizens, whether I was currently a member of any organizations other than those listed, whether I had any citations within the last 5 years other than those listed (she didnt seem to care about the older ones), and whether I had ever been in the military. When we got to the question about selective service, she asked me how old I was (I'm over 31) and she said, "So this doesn't apply to you," and moved on. Other than those specific questions, she seemed to be picking yes/no questions at random (or maybe just the ones she was interested in asking); she didnt ask all of them. She did not ask me for any additional documentation and she didn't look at my passport beyond a quick glance at the name. She asked me if I understood the oath and then asked me to sign my application in two places.
After that, she printed out three sheets of paper. The first two were for the name change and were identical. She asked me to sign both with my current name and reminded me that my name would not legally change until the ceremony. The third sheet of paper had my biographic information on it and was stapled to a small ziplock bag with my photos in it (thats how I had attached the photos to the application). She asked me to check the information, but I looked at it and said, My name is not Maria and Im not from El Salvador; she had attached the photos to the wrong piece of paper. She laughed, corrected this and gave me the right paper to check. She did not ask me to sign my photographs; this seems to be common for name change applicants.
At this point she told me that everything looked good and she gave me the N-652 form stating that I had passed the English and civics tests and that my application was recommended for approval. She said that I should get an oath letter in the mail and that it was important to show up at the time indicated on the letter because it takes hours to get everyone checked in. She said that they were not having people wait for letters today (which I took to mean that they sometimes do on other days). She said that I would mostly likely be scheduled for the June 22nd ceremony, but that if not, then I would be scheduled for the July 27th ceremony.
The interview took about 30 minutes.
She walked me out to the waiting room and told me she would call me when she was done making copies of my passports (2), green card, and drivers license. I waited for about 5 minutes before she called me back to the door, handed me my documents, and told me to have a nice day.
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Oath Ceremony
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09-Jun-2016 - Day 176
I was placed inline for oath ceremony scheduling. I got a text message and an email and my online status was updated.
10-Jun-2016 - Day 177
My oath ceremony was scheduled and the letter was mailed. I got a text message and an email and my online status was updated.
13-Jun-2016 - Day 180
I received my oath ceremony letter in the mail. It says to take my green card and oath letter to the ceremony and has a number of yes/no questions on the back that need to be filled out on the day of the ceremony. The questions are all related to whether or not anything has changed since the interview. The ceremony is scheduled for 7:00am on 22-Jun-2016.
22-Jun-2016 - Day 189
Today was the big day; my naturalization ceremony. A guest and I arrived at the M. O. Campbell Educational Center in north Houston at 7:15, a little later than indicated on the oath letter. It was raining heavily when we got there and some people were soaked by the time they made it across the large parking lot to the entrance; luckily I had two umbrellas. At the entrance guests were ushered inside so they could wait in the auditorium while applicants waited outside in a covered area. Our oath letters had numbers on them (from 0 to 9) and these corresponded to the check-in table that you were supposed to go to. After about 20 minutes I was inside the building and 10 minutes after that I was at the front of the line for my table. I turned in my oath letter and green card and was given my certificate to check. I was then given a purple piece of paper and told that we would be dismissed by color (colors corresponded to order of arrival, so those who get there earlier get to leave earlier). I met my guest and we sat together on the second tier of the auditorium (the lower tier was already mostly full). This was at around 8:00 am. As I walked in, I was given a packet containing an American flag, a welcome letter from President Obama, and a copy of the Constitution and Declaration of Independence. There were a few announcements made about the colored pieces of paper, but mostly people just took photos and talked and waited. Around 9:00 am the doors were closed and ceremony began with a brief speech by the USCIS director. At this point she asked any applicants who had requested a modified oath to see her and shortly after that, she introduced the judge. The U.S. And Texas flags were brought in and a young lady sang the national anthem. The judge opened the formal court session and made some very kind remarks urging people to relax, take as many photos as they wanted, and not worry about their kids making noise; he said that it was a formal court session, it was a day to celebrate. He also said that he'd stick around afterwards and pose for photos with anyone who was interested. The USCIS director indicated that of the 2089 people scheduled for the oath, 2020 were present and asked the judge to "continue the applications" of those not present, whatever that means. The judge then introduced several members of the armed forces who were being naturalized and asked them to stand and be recognized. He then asked all applicants to stand and he read the entire oath of citizenship at once, after which he said, "If that is your oath, please say, 'I will'" and everyone said "I will." The judge then congratulated us as "his fellow Americans". Before we sat down, we recited the pledge of allegiance. The judge said a few more words about the importance of voting, but kept it brief. That was it; simple, but very enjoyable. There were no additional songs and no video from the president as I've read about at other ceremonies. The judge closed the session and dismissed us shortly before 10:00 am. USCIS officials called out the first color to be dismissed and I heard them call green, orange, pink, yellow, and red before they called purple about 30 minutes after the ceremony ended. When I left, the judge was still posing for photos with over 100 people still in line, so he was going to be there for a while. I went back to table 9 and gave them my purple paper (which they'd written my A-number on). They gave me my certificate and congratulated me. Attached to my certificate was a name change order signed by the judge. Also, unlike almost all the other applicants, the photo on my certificate was the one I had submitted with my application and not the one taken at biometrics. Based on what I've read this is common for those who change their names. The photo was glued on and embossed, not scanned and printed. We left the building at roughly 10:45 and walked out into a hot, humid, sunny Houston morning.
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U.S. Citizen
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And with that, 16 years after I moved to the U.S., I'm happy to call myself an Egyptian, an immigrant, and an American. People differ on what it means to be an immigrant; should one assimilate completely, or should one hold on to their heritage as tightly as possible? As with most things, the best answer is probably somewhere in the middle. Over 200 years ago, Thomas Paine, an immigrant, revolutionary, abolitionist, and founding father, said it better than I ever could, "Independence is my happiness, and I view things as they are, without regard to place or person; my country is the world, and my religion is to do good."