mixxin

Sorry, this thread applies to Portland filers. Local office protocols and timelines are surely different in Boston.

It's evident that applications and interviews aren't handled chronologically. Curious if they put a priority on those applying via the 3-year vs 5-year rule. Perhaps it takes longer for the background check if you've traveled outside the US during the process? Brainstorming while I impatiently wait lol.

Hi, I got there around 8am.  If they are on top of it, I hope they address the bottlenecks from last week. Good luck!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! Soon Mixxin, Malico and I will join you as citizens! I hope the ceremony is as short as yours but I think it will be longer since it is in the big auditorium - will let you know! 

Yes. 😊

Guys @mixxin @Vikingoutwest Oath just got done 40 people attended the naturalizations from different countries.  It took only 1 hour. Good luck on Friday. I wish we can all get together and celebrate our finally done journey with the immigration.. 😊😊☺️

Yeah! You got the same date and place as me and mixxin! That's awesome 😎 it's cool to know that some of us will reach a milestone together irl, after sharing some of the journey on here😃 congratulations and see you on the 6th🤗

Yes, that's the address on my letter. 

Awesome, @Vikingoutwest! Same time as well.  I will undoubtedly see you there!

I did as well! I am scheduled for 2/6/20.

Yay!!!! Congrats!!! ☺️☺️☺️☺️
Congrats!!!! We are almost done in our immigration journey!!! 😊😊😊

Just had my combo interview in Portland OR today 1/16/2020. See timeline and interview report below. (also post in combo interview forum)
I-751
8/27/2018 Sent out application
9/24/2018 Cashed in Chicago
10/30/2018 Received NOA (18 mo extension) case number WAC, California Service Center
3/26/2019 Biometrics
6/11/2019 Case transferred to Potomac (only transfer I had)
N-400
9/22/2019 File N-400 online
10/17/2019 Biometrics
12/12/2019 Received Interview notice in mail (It never shows up in USCIS system btw)
The notice indicates it will be a combo interview & I MUST bring my spouse
1/16/2020 Interview@ 8:30am for both I751 and N-400 
Interview Report
I went in 15 mins early with husband, my interview is 8:30am and was called into the office @9:15am, the officer was super nice and professional. First he asked my name/DOB/Wedding Date/Address, the i-751 part he only asked if me and my husband have been in marital relationship for 3 years, then he approved my i-751 (he didn’t ask for any evidences tho I had them with me).
Additional evidence I brought in: (Ended up didn’t use any of them)
Most recent joint bank statement
Most recent Auto insurance and home insurance
Most recent Tax Transcript
Most recent Photos
 
He then moved on to N-400 question.
Questions asked:
1-      What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress? the Senate and House (of Representatives)
2-      What is one responsibility that is only for United States citizens? serve on a jury
3-      Name one right only for United States citizens. vote in a federal election
4-      How many U.S. Senators are there? 100
5-      What did Susan B. Anthony do? fought for women’s rights
6-      What is the highest court in the United States? the Supreme Court
Reading: When in Columbus Day?
Writing: Columbus Day is in October.
 
After that he announced I passed the test and then asked a series of yes/no question, asked me to check if my information shown on the screen is correct as it will be on my Certificate of Naturalization.
At the end of the interview he passed me a paper indicated that my passed the test and am recommended to approve, he also explained that the oath ceremony is only on Mon-Wed so unfortunately I can’t have oath ceremony on the same day.
He then shook my hand and walked us out, the whole thing took about 15mins.
 
I will update when I receive any information about oath ceremony. Thanks everyone here and hope my report can be useful for fellow Portlanders.
 

Hi all! Happy New Years! Just wanted to tell you that I had my oath ceremony on December 31st at 1:30 PM. We had 52 new citizens from 28 countries. Hope everyone who is still waiting gets a notice of further progress soon! 

I think my estimates showed up about a week ago - they definitely weren't there all along. Yep, it is the main page of the same site as we received documents on - and mine also says "we will mail you a letter..." 

I don't see an estimated completion time on my profile as was previously shown prior to the interview. Just says 'We will mail you a letter when we schedule your naturalization ceremony.'  Did the estimated wait time reappear for you guys recently or has it been there? I am using the new USCIS site.

Congrats! You're so lucky to have the oath on the same day. I am assuming your interview was done before 11:30am?

Nothing here yet either. I'll definitely post when I do. Can't wait to get this over with and move forward.

Thanks! Being scheduled on the same day would be great!

Had my interview this morning. Got called about 45 min after my scheduled time. Officer only asked for my appointment letter and green card. I submitted all the pertinent docs and some additional evidence online so that could have helped speed things up. Applied via the 3-year marriage rule.  Interview was fast and easy.  Civics questions, bio confirmation and yes/no questions from the application. Upon completion, officer gave me the form which had a checkmark on 'Congratulations, your application has been approved.' Officer said that since it was 11:35a , I missed the cut-off for same-day Oath by 5min I asked if there was any way to squeeze me in and he said sorry that's the policy. Status changed online a couple hours later on the old site to 'We placed you in line for your oath ceremony'. New site has not been updated yet. The stressful part is over. Now it's just a waiting game!

Congrats Crazely! Here is my experience (I posted this just now in the April filers thread also:
 
I will outline my experience at the interview yesterday below - it will be a long one - you can skip to the end:-)
 
My husband and I arrived at the Portland field office at 12.10 yesterday (a half hour before my appointment at 12.40), and get checked through security. I had to give the guard my appointment letter and ID and then put all my stuff (bags, overcoat, random things from my pockets, and my shoes) in bins and go through a metal detector. Pick up all the stuff again, then go check in at the front desk. The front desk took my appointment letter and my green card, checked it against a list on their computer, and then they took my picture, and scan my left and right index fingers. Then they gave me the letter back, with a numbered ticket attached to it, and we were told to go upstairs to the second floor and wait to be called. 
The waiting room is apparently shared for both people waiting to be interviewed, and people waiting for infopass...the only sign posted anywhere there said "for infopass, wait here for your name to be called" - so I was worried I went to the wrong place somehow, but figured out after a bit that officers were coming out from a different hallway and calling people by name to go with them for interviews.
I waited until about 1.10, and was finally called by a friendly female officer. She showed me back to her office, asked me to remain standing and had me swear to tell the truth. After I sat down, she goes "before we even start this, I have to ask you to outline how you obtained this green card". See, I have had a total of two cards. My first one was conditional, and from 2006. In 2007, my husband and I moved back to Denmark for a while. We thought (as it says in the rules) that if you do not apply to remove conditions, and retain your card while living overseas, you automatically lose your residency and will have to reapply if you want to return to the US. In 2009, we returned to the US and reapplied. At first, it got denied - on the grounds that I had residency already! We had to appeal and tell them their own rules about us having abandoned residency in 2007, the appeal was granted and I got my permanent green card in 2010. Now, the officer was telling me this might be a problem, and that they had to make sure my status was adjusted correctly in 2010. I have her the whole timeline and showed proof, and she said we will get back to this, let's do the test. The questions were:
1. What is one promise you make when you become a US citizen?
I said: to defend the Constitution and follow the laws of the US. She looked puzzled, so I added: and to serve in the military if needed. Then she was happy.
2. How many amendments does the Constitution have?
3. If both the President and the Vice President can no longer serve, who becomes President?
4. What movement tried to end racial discrimination?
5. What is the name of the Vice President of the US now?
6. There were 13 original states, name three?
I then had to read: Where is the White House located?
And write: The White House is in Washington, D.C. 
Then she asked some questions from the N400. I can't remember them all, but some were full legal name, prior marriages for both my husband and I (none), if my parents were citizens, current address, any kids, any travels in the last 5 years, if I had been a prostitute, involved with torture, in the military, or if I was in the communist party. Then if I was willing to take the oath and support the Constitution (of course). Then my name and original country and birth date etc popped up on the tablet and I had to sign it was correct. Then I had to sign that I was willing to take the oath. After that she hands me the N652 (interview results), and two boxes are checked.
1. You passed the English test and the U.S. history and government test
2. A decision cannot be made yet about your application.
In my head I was freaking out, but I tried to not show that and calmly just asked her what this meant? She told me that she had to confirm with a senior officer that my status was adjusted correctly in the past, but that she would fight for me (her words 0.o) and push for my approval. She took some copies of my IDs and said that they would contact me by mail.
So, I left the interview pretty deflated and kinda sad. 
5 hours later I got a notification from the case tracker app that I had been put in line to be scheduled for the Oath Ceremony. I was not sure at that point if that meant I was approved for sure now, so I kept checking the uscis account - and finally this morning that account read:
"We approved your application. Your final step to becoming a citizen is to attend your naturalization ceremony. We will mail you a letter when we schedule your naturalization ceremony."
 
APPROVED!!!!!! 😄 

I passed the test and the Interview. It took about 20 minutes. 
 
questions asked: 
what is the law of the land?
who is the father of our country?
who is the first president of the united states?
how many amendments does the constitution have?
who is the chief justice of the united states? 
 
reading: 
Wen do we vote for a president.
writing:
We vote for a president in November. 
 
They didn't asked any documents. 

My status changed to:
We schedule your Oath Ceremony. 

That's a long wait for Portland.
 
@Vikingoutwest and @Crazely good luck tomorrow. Keep us informed.

Congratulations Mixxin!!!
 

Thanks! Hope you're next! My interview is on 12/4.

Got my notification this morning that my interview has been scheduled! Will share the interview date when it's available.
Looks like Portland is moving again, which is good news for others as well.  FYI, submitted on 5/19, did my bio on 6/5 (walked in 9 days prior to my actual date)