GP&LG

Well, IT FINALLY HAPPENED FOR YOU!!!!  CONGRATUATIONS on citizenship and the baby!!!!  Appreciate all your efforts here!

Sorry I have been scarce lately as so many things have been going on with me. I found out I'm pregnant and my "morning sickness" has been terrible so sitting behind a laptop was not on my to-do list  
FYI - I also unlocked the spreadsheet so happy editing!!!
 
I attended my interview yesterday and was approved! I arrived at 8:55am as my appointment was at 9:10am. There was a small line with social distancing outside the main entrance of the building. The officer looked through the door and motioned at each person to step up when the doorway was cleared. I was finally checked in at 9:11am and then had to sit in the main waiting area which had limited seating based on them blocking off 4 chairs with caution tape in each row. There were only 8 of us waiting. 
After sitting for 2-3 mins, an officer came and called numbers. A lady who arrived after I did ended up getting called before me. It was a short wait as I was called after 5 mins.
I was led down a hallway by a very friendly official where we then got to his office and I was sworn in before sitting down, then the civics portion began.
He asked:
1. What are 2 parts of Congress?
2. What is the supreme law of the land?
3. What was Benjamin Franklin famous for?
4. Why does the flag have 13 stripes?
5. Why does the flag have 50 stars?
6. What did Martin Luther King Jr. do?
 
Question to read off tablet - WHEN IS FLAG DAY?
Answer to write on the tablet - Flag Day is on June 14.
 
We then talked about my application, went through the yes and no portion, then he asked about my life in Trinidad, places I've lived, worked, etc. He really made the entire process feel so at ease and he eats Trini food so he started talking about that and I was very surprised that he knew about a lot of our dishes  
At the end of the interview he checked off items on a paper, told me that I passed and he was recommending my approval and then said that they are no longer scheduling persons for future oath ceremonies (which made me nervous) but then he followed up by explaining that oath ceremonies are being done on the same day as the interview once the candidate passes! He thanked me for swapping recipes lol and then he led me to the main ceremony room to await another officer who would be bringing out the certs.
In that room was the same 8 persons from earlier and then a young woman came in with our certs and explained to review it carefully for any errors that could be fixed then and there because once we step outside of the building and see an error, then we would have to pay the same fee to get the cert replaced. She said once everything was accurate we could leave or stay and have pictures taken in the room. Only 3 of us stayed back to take pics because that was a memorable day to NOT take at least 1 photo! 📸
I left at 10:40am so not bad for the time spent there.
 

  
 
 
 
 

Hi everyone!
I shared my timeline earlier, but here's the summary: 
- Applied on Nov 23 2019
- Original interview was scheduled for March 24, 2020
- Rescheduled interview date - Oct 5, 2020
 
Interview experience:
I was very nervous ( just the way I am), but the Officer I had made the whole process feel like a nice conversation. He was very welcoming and kind. I'm so relieved it's done !
The officer walked me into his office, his desk was behind a plastic shield. We had masks on the whole time except for when my picture was taken. He started with the civics, I answered first 6 questions. There was a small stumble on the question about one right of the US citizens. My answer was "to vote", but he wanted to hear "in federal elections" since apparently some states allow PRs to vote on particular matters. ( Take a note of that!)
He then continued going over my personal info, we added my new work place, he corrected some parts of the application I made a mistake in. Then yes and no questions. 
I then reviewed the additions and signed. 
He recommended my application for approval and said to call if I don't hear back in a few weeks. He said the oath is scheduled by another department, so he doesn't have info on that, but he hoped I will get the ceremony in time to be able to vote. 
 
That's it  He stressed that I'm not a US citizen yet, but said I should go celebrate with my husband.
 
Hope I get the final approval soon.
 
Let me know if you have any questions. I know how stressful it can be, will be happy to share anything I know.
 

Hi Everyone,
 
Just checked my USCIS account and my interview has finally been rescheduled. My new date is November 5. Chicago office. Its official now that I won't be able to vote - I'm super bummed about that, but happy to finally get this long overdue interview over with.
 

Hi Everyone,
 
Just checked my USCIS account and my interview has finally been rescheduled. My new date is November 5. Chicago office. Its official now that I won't be able to vote - I'm super bummed about that, but happy to finally get this long overdue interview over with.
 

Hi Everyone,
 
Applied for N-400 in mid-December 2019. Moved VERY quickly initially and had my interview scheduled for April 2020. Interview got cancelled due to COVID. Just checked my account and have received new interview date! it is November 5. Unfortunately will not be able to vote which is very upsetting to me....but at least I have a date now.

Hi Everyone,
 
Applied for N-400 in mid-December 2019. Moved VERY quickly initially and had my interview scheduled for April 2020. Interview got cancelled due to COVID. Just checked my account and have received new interview date! it is November 5. Unfortunately will not be able to vote which is very upsetting to me....but at least I have a date now.

I had my oath ceremony today. I took about 50 mins to get in and about 20 in the ceremony. There were 3 groups of people, each group had about 12 people. The officer talked a little bit about voting, passports and SSN, we did the oath and then he handed the certificates. Thanks Visajourney for all the help. I will register to vote tonight

Hi Everyone,
 
Its been a while since I posted as I was having log-in issues but I've been following the updates. @Amadia thanks so much for your hard work on the spreadsheet.
Just wanted to give you all a quick update. Chicago filer here (under 3 yrs rule, no pending I-751).  Schedule for interview for April 16 which was then cancelled on April 1 due to Covid. I have yet to be rescheduled. Called USCIS last week and they said Chicago has not rescheduled anything yet....so I am stuck in limbo with many of you. 
Just wanted to say hi and hope you are all doing well and hanging in there

Hi Everyone,
 
Its been a while since I posted as I was having log-in issues but I've been following the updates. @Amadia thanks so much for your hard work on the spreadsheet.
Just wanted to give you all a quick update. Chicago filer here (under 3 yrs rule, no pending I-751).  Schedule for interview for April 16 which was then cancelled on April 1 due to Covid. I have yet to be rescheduled. Called USCIS last week and they said Chicago has not rescheduled anything yet....so I am stuck in limbo with many of you. 
Just wanted to say hi and hope you are all doing well and hanging in there

Interview Was Scheduled
On August 12, 2020, we scheduled an interview for your Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, Receipt Number XXXXXXXXXXX. We will mail you an interview notice. Please follow any instructions in the notice. If you move, go to www.uscis.gov/addresschange to give us your new mailing address.
 
Nice to receive this as today is our wedding anniversary.  Anybody know how long it takes to receive the notice online? 
 
 
 

Hi Ka&J,
 
My n400 interview scheduled for April 16 has been cancelled (Chicago office). I received an email from USCIS on March 18 that they had already cancelled my interview and they will "mail a new interview notice when normal operations resume" 
Currently the offices are closed until April 1, however, everything will likely need to be rescheduled even if they open back up as planned (which I doubt). 
 
If you haven't received an email, I would try to call USCIS to see if your interview is still scheduled or cancelled. Perhaps it is an office to office basis. 
 
Good luck everyone and please stay healthy!

My interview was scheduled to be on 24th March..it is cancelled and I received a notice saying I’ll be rescheduled..
trying to stay positive and hope they manage to squeeze us in before people who were scheduled after us..

Hi Ka&J,
 
My n400 interview scheduled for April 16 has been cancelled (Chicago office). I received an email from USCIS on March 18 that they had already cancelled my interview and they will "mail a new interview notice when normal operations resume" 
Currently the offices are closed until April 1, however, everything will likely need to be rescheduled even if they open back up as planned (which I doubt). 
 
If you haven't received an email, I would try to call USCIS to see if your interview is still scheduled or cancelled. Perhaps it is an office to office basis. 
 
Good luck everyone and please stay healthy!

Hi Everyone!
Chicago filer here and I just received my interview date. Spreadsheet has been updated, but here is the snapshot:
Online submission: December 21
Biometrics: January 15
Interview notice: March 2
Interview scheduled: April 16
 
When I initially applied, the completion date was Oct 2020. After biometrics it changed to Sept 2020. About 2 weeks ago it went to August 2020. I was not expecting this so quickly so I better start studying those questions! lol

Hi Everyone!
Chicago filer here and I just received my interview date. Spreadsheet has been updated, but here is the snapshot:
Online submission: December 21
Biometrics: January 15
Interview notice: March 2
Interview scheduled: April 16
 
When I initially applied, the completion date was Oct 2020. After biometrics it changed to Sept 2020. About 2 weeks ago it went to August 2020. I was not expecting this so quickly so I better start studying those questions! lol

Hi Everyone!
Chicago filer here and I just received my interview date. Spreadsheet has been updated, but here is the snapshot:
Online submission: December 21
Biometrics: January 15
Interview notice: March 2
Interview scheduled: April 16
 
When I initially applied, the completion date was Oct 2020. After biometrics it changed to Sept 2020. About 2 weeks ago it went to August 2020. I was not expecting this so quickly so I better start studying those questions! lol

Hi Everyone!
Chicago filer here and I just received my interview date. Spreadsheet has been updated, but here is the snapshot:
Online submission: December 21
Biometrics: January 15
Interview notice: March 2
Interview scheduled: April 16
 
When I initially applied, the completion date was Oct 2020. After biometrics it changed to Sept 2020. About 2 weeks ago it went to August 2020. I was not expecting this so quickly so I better start studying those questions! lol

Hi Everyone!
Chicago filer here and I just received my interview date. Spreadsheet has been updated, but here is the snapshot:
Online submission: December 21
Biometrics: January 15
Interview notice: March 2
Interview scheduled: April 16
 
When I initially applied, the completion date was Oct 2020. After biometrics it changed to Sept 2020. About 2 weeks ago it went to August 2020. I was not expecting this so quickly so I better start studying those questions! lol

Thank you SOOOOO much Amadia - that helps me immensely!! Getting to work on this now! Thank you! have a great day! 

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. 👍

Hope the above answers help.

I surmise you already know the approximate processing times for the N-400 for  Chicago, but just in case you don't I will post them for you.  A caveat, the processing times for Chicago are valid as of one month ago.   Approximately 50% of the applications are processed within 7.5 months or 228 days. An additional 40% are processed within 15 months.  The remaining 10% take longer than 15 months. 
Here is the link which is updated every 2 months
https://egov.uscis.gov/processing-times/
 
USCIS is trying to speed up the processing of the N-400 applications.
 
The next update should be around January 22...
 
Best of luck to you....
 

Who cares! It’s not a race as long as you get it in and will get to the last step of this journey and get done with USCIS that’s all that matters. It’s all fine

New moral (Good Moral Character, GMC) guidelines issued by USCIS with many examples as to what constitutes a GMC failure.  I guess one needs to behave for the full 3 or 5 years, depending on application type, not just during the Xmas season.  I think some of us  might need  to join a monastery in order not to get into trouble :-)
Btw, the last one, violating a US embargo, could be an innocent trip to Cuba where you spend dollars on hotels and restaurants that are probably owned by the communist state.  Bank Fraud could be as innocent as exaggerating on a loan application.  Not filing or not paying of taxes (if anyone owes taxes, best to workout a payment plan before the interview).  
 
 
USCIS Expands Guidance Related to Naturalization Requirement of Good Moral Character 12/13/2019 WASHINGTON— Today, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services expanded its policy guidance regarding unlawful acts that may prevent an applicant from meeting the good moral character (GMC) requirement for naturalization. The commission of, or conviction or imprisonment for, an unlawful act, during the statutory period for naturalization, may render an applicant ineligible for naturalization should the act be found to adversely reflect on moral character.  
Previously, the USCIS Policy Manual did not include extensive information on unlawful acts. This update to the Policy Manual provides additional examples of unlawful acts and instructions to ensure USCIS adjudicators make uniform and fair determinations, and further identifies unlawful acts that may affect GMC based on judicial precedent. This update does not change the impact of an unlawful act on USCIS’ analysis of whether an applicant can demonstrate GMC. Adjudicators in the field receive extensive training to apply the law on GMC and unlawful acts regulation. They are aware of which unlawful acts could bar an applicant from naturalization and are not limited by the examples listed in the Policy Manual. 
On Dec. 10, USCIS issued separate policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual about how two or more convictions for driving under the influence or post-sentencing changes to criminal sentencing might affect GMC determinations.
“In the Immigration and Nationality Act, Congress determined that good moral character is a requirement for naturalization,” said USCIS Deputy Director Mark Koumans. “USCIS is committed to faithfully administering our nation’s lawful immigration system, and this update helps to ensure that our agency’s adjudicators make uniform and fair decisions concerning the consideration of unlawful acts on good moral character when determining eligibility for U.S. citizenship.” 
Under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), an applicant for naturalization must establish GMC. Although the INA does not directly define GMC, it does describe certain acts that bar establishing GMC of an applicant. Examples of unlawful acts recognized by case law as barring GMC include, but are not limited to, the following: 
bail jumping; bank fraud; conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance; failure to file or pay taxes; false claim to U.S. citizenship; falsification of records; forgery uttering; insurance fraud; obstruction of justice; sexual assault; Social Security fraud; unlawful harassment; unlawful registration to vote; unlawful voting; and violation of a U.S. embargo. In general, applicants must show they have been, and continue to be, people of GMC during the statutory period before filing for naturalization and up until they take the Oath of Allegiance. The statutory period is generally five years for permanent residents of the United States, three years for applicants married to a U.S. citizen, and one year for certain applicants applying on the basis of qualifying U.S. military service.
USCIS officers must continue to perform a case-by-case analysis to determine whether an act is unlawful and adversely reflects on an applicant's good moral character. They must also determine whether there are extenuating circumstances. An extenuating circumstance must pertain to the unlawful act and must precede or be contemporaneous with the commission of the unlawful act. Training for adjudicators will be updated to reflect this expanded guidance.
For more information on USCIS and its programs, please visit uscis.gov or follow us on Twitter (@uscis), Instagram (/uscis), YouTube (/uscis), Facebook (/uscis), and LinkedIn (/uscis).