*FishF00D*

Yes I paid for expedited shipping etc. My naturalization certificate also arrived today, 1 week after the passport.

Application status changed to "Shipped" today! "The U.S. Department of State has shipped your passport book on 09/05/2023. You should receive your passport on or around 09/08/2023" Almost exactly 4 weeks from filing at the post office to passport being approved and shipped. 🥳

Passport application submitted at post office: 8 / 9 Passport status changed to "In Process" and money order cashed: 8 / 15 Record locator starts with 10

I had my interview at Cranbury today and can vouch for everything you said, I had basically the same experience! The space was beautiful -- I will mention that the interview rooms currently have glass walls (floor to ceiling) and are fully visible from the waiting room, so we were able to see IO's prepping and going over files while we waited. Kindof weird for the lack of privacy, but it also meant that we had a view of the lake while waiting and during the interview itself, which was serene! I had a similar experience through security and check in as well. The lawyer I hired to attend with me was on laughing/joking/friendly terms with every clerk/manager/security guard who wasn't a new hire, as the majority of staff at this office were transferred from Newark and they'd all known eachother for decades. All the staff who've been transferred from Newark are apparently thrilled to be at Cranbury, so the vibe is very pleasant. Waited about a half hour past my scheduled interview time before being called in. I was sworn in, took the reading/writing/civics test, and we went over my N400. IO confirmed my name/birthday/address, and my height "because that's what we'll be putting in your certificate" which made it obvious that the decision about my approval had been made before I even stepped into the room. Did not ask for originals of any supporting documents, tax returns, or anything else -- interview itself was under 10 mins for sure! IO took my GC and reminded me that I'll need to apply for/receive a passport before I can travel outside of the country again. I was handed the "Congrats you passed the interview!" paper and told to wait back in the waiting room until the next oath ceremony. Ultimately a small ceremony was held after about an hour. I was in and out of the building in under 3 hours with Natz Certificate in hand!

.........Naturalization Approved! IO did not ask any questions about previous marriage; he was a brand new hire at the Cranbury office and seemed to have made his decision about whether I'd be approved or not (in my favor) before we even began. I was sworn in, took the reading/writing/civics test, and we went over my N400 (confirmed my name/birthday/address, and my height "because that's what we'll be putting in your certificate"). He did confirm that I was divorced, but didn't ask any further questions about my ex or the relationship. Got on to the "eligibility questions" (ie. Have never been involved in genocide or terrorism; am in support of the constitution of the Unites States, etc.) Did not ask for originals of any supporting documents, tax returns, or anything else. Ultimately lawyer wasn't really necessary in the room for my case since it seemed that the decision was made before meeting the IO. Lawyer did have a lot of intel about the Cranbury office and inner workings of USCIS, though! He was on laughing/joking/friendly terms with every clerk/manager/security guard who wasn't a new hire, as the majority of staff at this office were transferred from Newark and they'd all known eachother for decades. This meant that having him by my side at least made the check-in process very pleasant -- which lightened the mood and evaporated my stress lol. No regrets in hiring the lawyer, really nice guy who clearly has good relationships with USCIS staff and knowing I was in good hands JIC was worth it. Time to celebrate!

For what it's worth he told me this after I agreed to hire him, so it wasn't a selling feature lol. All the better then if my case is that easy! 😅 Will report back!

Following up, I have decided to hire an attorney and we went over the details of my case yesterday in preparation for my interview that's scheduled for tomorrow. He said that it's incredibly rare for ROC based on a divorce waiver to have been granted without interview (my case), and also confirmed that USCIS likes to take the N400 as an opportunity to review the GC application - so his perspective is that based on both factors it's more likely that they'll address the divorce than not. Whether that means they simply ask to confirm, "Why did you get divorced?" vs. press for details I don't know -- but I'll be happy to have someone in the room with me either way!

The big day is coming up and I've been given conflicting advice about whether or not I should bring lawyer to my Naturalization interview. My case: • I'm a Canadian who entered on K1 visa, married promptly, and received my 2yr GC without issue. • My USC spouse became abusive/unfaithful/an addict. We divorced: I applied for ROC with a divorce waiver and was granted my 10yr GC without an interview. • I applied for naturalization under the 5yr rule. Many people on this site have been vocal that USCIS will go through your "entire immigration history" to make a decision on Naturalization, and given the way my USC marriage went I'm dreading the idea of having the IO dredge up/pick apart the details of my failed relationship. With this in mind, some have suggested I bring a lawyer so that the IO won't ask any off-color questions, etc. Others have said that since I applied under the 5yr rule that the details of my former marriage aren't necessarily relevant -- and that especially since I was given a 10yr GC without an interview, I already gave USCIS enough evidence to prove without a doubt in their mind that what happened-happened and won't need to get into it again. The details of my failed marriage are heavy - it was exceptionally traumatic, and needing to make a decision about this is causing me a lot of grief - so I may as well open it up to public discourse. ^^^ All of that said (and to benefit others considering legal assistance) what are good reasons to hire a lawyer to accompany you to the interview? Weigh in!