Markip1

@telso I never said "a tourist's activity will be reported each night." I suggested ideas that I think can help reduce overstays. What are your thoughts on that because noone seems to be adding anything other than piece my points apart. 
 
And to add to your post, people without legal status doesn't just involve EWI but also legal entries that overstay. I have neighbors who take their kids to school for free (free bus ride + meals) as well as get some Texas chip or whatever Healthcare they got. They claim they don't work. So, everything for free. And they're overstays. They came on B-2. 
 
Again, my thoughts are that this can help deter overstays. I don't see it being a hindrance. This year, the notorious and corrupt Kenyan government has raised rates for tourism 3X the previous rate but the country is still full. I'm just waiting for them to tax us for Oxygen. As you can see, people come and leave with these measures in place. Or would you rather we arrest all overstays and fly them out/ put them in prison? 
 
P:S: As case study, read what Europe is doing to Honduras as of July this year. And there's one more Latin American country which has been now slapped with restrictions because of it's citizens abusing European system. I forgot. Will remember it soon.
 
Additionally, those who have $$ eg those Disney goers, rarely overstay. Have you seen any of those rich Chinese overtstaying after giving birth or going to Disney? They have other places they're going to next month. So, yes, those with clear intentions will come and leave. My measure was to help curb those who "suddenly changed their mind after passing CBP and decided to divorce their partners back home the next day."

Two years ago when I actually wanted to go to Japan and Schengen countries. I ended up not going, not because of the requirements but because the cost was going to be expensive. That's why when I mentioned that line, I used "IIRC." Haven't looked at it since.
I actually do travel often, probably every 2 months. Or less sometimes. 
 
Countries out there are taking stringent measures to make sure things are done right...OR atleast they're trying. 
 
Wanted to go to El Salvador and remote there for a while. That was 1 month ago. Took that out as the cost to apply for what I wanted was close to $1k and other stuff. Of course I wasn't going to overstay. What I mean is, countries are taking steps. I doubt there are USC overstays in El Salvador 

@Timona international visitors are estimated to bring USA 279 billion dollars by 2027.
 
https://www.commerce.gov/news/fact-sheets/2022/06/fact-sheet-2022-national-travel-and-tourism-strategy
 
In 2022, it's estimated that foreign visitors brought $135.2 billions into US economy.
 
These numbers are comparable to some countries' GDPs.
 

Not all ideas are pristine. We start somewhere and figure it as we go.
 
How much money do tourists bring to US? I don't think it's that great. Most stay with family and friends anyway to cut costs as US is expensive AND I'm 100% sure that 70% of the tourist come to vist family and friends  and it's the family and friends that they travel with across the states. I don't see all of them going to Disney parks. So, I don't see US losing money. Additionally, majority of people who come on B-2 refuse to leave. So, it's not like they're touring and splashing money. As much as you say this idea is ridiculous, people who actually come to tour will come to tour and spend. This will not deter them. They're genuine people. Isn't this pretty much the reason why we have visa interviews?? To try and weed non-genuine people? Otherwise, everyone will be here in US. So, look at this as an extension of that. 
 
Ankle monitors? I don't see it as such. They're countries which require you to actually register and give address of where you'll be staying e.g Kenya, Colombia. People still visit those places. I visit those places.  It's peak tourism season in Kenya right now. Flights are full & expensive yet they have these measures. When I visit such countries, I put that information, do my touring and leave. Tourism is booming. So, again, if you're a genuine tourist, this isn't a problem. This is a problem to those who suddenly fell in love and don't want leave. 
 
Lastly, I think it's costing US more money to actually provide social services to overstays. So, NO, US is actually on the negative end.
 
So @OldUser, what's your idea in tackling overtays?
 
P.S: IIRC, Japan actually requires tourist to register with a touring company before being allowed into the country. The touring company makes sure you do your touring and leave. So, these measures are there. I have not seen USC complain about them in Japan and other countries. Why can't we enact such here. 

The government should come up with a website of which NIV recipients HAVE to require 2 guarantors in the US that guarantees that they will not (1) abuse their NIVs (2) leave at the end of their stay period. These guarantors have to be USC or GC holders ONLY. 
 
Now, as a guarantor, before signing, you have to know the ramifications. If you're a GC holder and sign for someone, your GC life is on trial, and any future benefits such as ROC or N400 can be blocked/ denied because your folks abused their chances (IOs at field offices are able to see if the person you guaranteed left/ abused their NIV). If a USC, a fine of up to $30K.
 
The idea for guarantors will help the government as it'll make sure that these individuals leave and if they fail to leave, their guarantors report so that they're deported and as such, don't have negative effects on guarantors. Individuals leaving on timely manner so as not to affect guarantors life in US will help curb down overstays for NIVs.
 
So, this is how it works eg B-2. 
 
You already have a visa. You then go on this government website (cannot be done 48 hours within flight. HAS to be done between 96-48 hours before flight to US) and only fill EXACT name and email address for a guarantor. The guarantor (USC/ GC) gets notified, and they click the link. The link opens and has disclaimers that I just mentioned above i.e you guarantee that the person won't violate NIV. At this point, you have your FIRST opinion to decline or accept. You decline, that's it, BUT asks for a reason why. You put your reason and decline. You accept, it proceeds to below. 
 
In the link, guarantors only put their SSN and all their other information is prefilled. You update other stuff eg marital status, address etc, basically things that may have changed. At this point, this is your LAST chance to decline. There's a decline button and proceed button. You decline, put a reason, end it. You proceed, you move to the next step. 
 
In this step, the form gets submitted and a PDF is available for you to download and print or emailed for the same reason. We're going to a notary next. 
 
So, you take the PDF, which has your scannable barcode as well as the confirmation number to a notary. The notary will take a picture of: (1) your face (2) proof of eligibility for guarantor - GC, PP Bio Page, USC BC (3) Address - DL/ ID (4) Signed and notarized PDF...To note, steps 1-4 above by the notary can only be done in real time i.e you cannot upload pre-taken pictures. So, how will the notary do it? They scan your barcode on the PDF that you brought and it opens up on their phone. They have 4 places to fill. They click the first, their camera is enabled and they take your face picture. It gets uploaded and gets a green ✅️. Notary then clicks second place and camera opens again and takes picture of say, your DL and uploads. Repeats the process till their 4 steps are done then they click SUBMIT on their end. 
 
Why real time upload? To avoid fraud where someone will steal their relatives information and pay a scrupulous notary to upload. 
 
I think this process will help curb down overtays on B-2, student visa etc. But more so B-2 & those that come and marry as soon as they pass the back of CBP. 
 
As a guarantor you have to know violation of NIV eg AOS because someone met someone and fell in love right away and knew they couldn't live apart etc shenanigans. Yes marry, but go home.
 
So, no guarantors, no entry. And for each entry, you have to fill that guarantor form aagain. So, yes, obtaining a B-2 at embassy is the first step BUT getting a guarantor prior to flight is the second step. 
 
I think when the government does this, those relatives encouraging people to come and overstay will stop. As also those relatives that harbor or provide roof to overstays.

Nobody would ever sign up for this and nobody would come on B1/B2 with super rare exceptions. Tourism and business would have huge losses.
US would become North Korea.
 
Why not just make all visitors wear GPS bracelets so ICE could locate them at any time? I hope you understand how ridiculos this is.
 

Having colitis does not prevent someone from traveling, let alone not meeting someone for over 10 years. There are medications that treat colitis very successfully. It's a fact. My son has colitis and there has never been a time in his 26 years of life that colitis ever prevented him from traveling, and we travel VERY often (at least 3 or 4 times a year), including internationally. We just traveled to Europe this summer for an entire month and we just came back from Bermuda less than a week ago, he had zero issues that taking his meds couldn't handle. Not only does he travel all of the time, he's an athlete who's played soccer since childhood, including high school and college, he skis, hikes, rock climbs, runs marathons, races cars, scuba dives and has his pilot's license, I could go on and on and on. All while living with colitis. Is he on a special diet to control his colitis? Absolutely. Does having colitis sometimes interfere with things? Sure, but never enough to put his life on hold for any extended amount of time, let alone for an entire decade.

You are looking for excuses and grasping at straws. Even IF it was a disease that prevents travel (it doesn't), why on Earth would you ever expect to get approved after having not seen your fiancé for an entire decade? No lawyer is ever going to get around that fact. Any lawyer from Catholic Charities is free of charge and most likely knows little, if anything about immigration. Any immigration attorney would have told you straight up that you had no chance.

What would be the benefit or reason to not take the vaccinations when it is offered if you fully intend to do so later in the process?

Received the certificate of naturalization back via USPS on 5/15. Envelope was unbent but the certificate inside was still less than pristine. Let's just say that they don't exactly treat it carefully!

I wouldn't dismiss the option of getting a U.S. passport quickly, if same day oath is offered to you. The expedited processing that doesn't involve urgent travel is unpredictable (could take 3 weeks, or could take 8 weeks), but the expedited processing when you have travel within 14 days is completely different and is known to be reliable. I would not dismiss this option at all. So, based on that, I personally wouldn't turn down doing the same day oath ceremony. 

Once you are a US citizen you will need to use a US passport to leave and enter the United States. I believe you can request a super-expedited passport if you have travel plans booked and confirmed in the very near future, but I don't know how long that takes or what the costs involved are. More information available here: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/get-fast.html
 
I applied recently for the normal expedited passport, and that process looked like this:
 
Passport application received 3/28/23 - passport approved and shipped 4/12/2023. 15 days. I believe that is very much the outlier though as I was told it would be 7 weeks plus.

Once you are a US citizen you will need to use a US passport to leave and enter the United States. I believe you can request a super-expedited passport if you have travel plans booked and confirmed in the very near future, but I don't know how long that takes or what the costs involved are. More information available here: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/get-fast.html
 
I applied recently for the normal expedited passport, and that process looked like this:
 
Passport application received 3/28/23 - passport approved and shipped 4/12/2023. 15 days. I believe that is very much the outlier though as I was told it would be 7 weeks plus.

Once you are a US citizen you will need to use a US passport to leave and enter the United States. I believe you can request a super-expedited passport if you have travel plans booked and confirmed in the very near future, but I don't know how long that takes or what the costs involved are. More information available here: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/get-fast.html
 
I applied recently for the normal expedited passport, and that process looked like this:
 
Passport application received 3/28/23 - passport approved and shipped 4/12/2023. 15 days. I believe that is very much the outlier though as I was told it would be 7 weeks plus.

Once you are a US citizen you will need to use a US passport to leave and enter the United States. I believe you can request a super-expedited passport if you have travel plans booked and confirmed in the very near future, but I don't know how long that takes or what the costs involved are. More information available here: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/get-fast.html
 
I applied recently for the normal expedited passport, and that process looked like this:
 
Passport application received 3/28/23 - passport approved and shipped 4/12/2023. 15 days. I believe that is very much the outlier though as I was told it would be 7 weeks plus.

I normally use Obamacare for that very reason.

Tracking number sorted itself out overnight. Passport is scheduled for delivery today. 
 
Passport application received 3/28/23 - passport approved and shipped 4/12/2023. 15 days, not the seven to nine weeks expedited timeline advised.

Tracking number sorted itself out overnight. Passport is scheduled for delivery today. 
 
Passport application received 3/28/23 - passport approved and shipped 4/12/2023. 15 days, not the seven to nine weeks expedited timeline advised.

So, I'm a citizen! I attended my ceremony yesterday at Federal Plaza (Brooklyn office - Floor 8 ). It was a 10am start and we were out of the building by around 11:30am. Big shout out to the security staff at the front of the building, who were as ever sparkling in their insolent effrontery and rudeness. I assume it must be in their training that if someone doesn't speak English too well, screaming what you are trying to say to them louder and louder directly in their face will help them to understand what you mean. Never having to deal with these goons again was a large motivation for applying for citizenship to be honest, and I am glad to see the back of them.
 
The ceremony experience was all very straightforward, and somewhat anti-climactic to be honest. The ceremony was basically conducted in a waiting room. If you've been to the USCIS office at Federal Plaza before and waited in a hall with a ticket in your hand watching the TV screens to announce your number, then it's basically that room. There were no videos to watch, no speeches were given, no anthem was played, there wasn't even a US flag in sight. I felt overdressed in trousers, shirt and tie, as most people were dressed very casually. There were probably between 50 and 75 other people there, and interestingly it appeared that they were doing same day interview/oath ceremonies for some people in attendance, although they were taken to another room for their oath and were not involved in our ceremony beyond having their documents checked in the main room.
 
The process went something like this:
Everyone had line up to have their form checked, confirm a few questions about anything that had occurred since their interview, and hand in their Green Card (they also took my EAD/AP card but they didn't seem to bothered about those). They then had you check your naturalization certificate for any errors. If there was an error they would correct it on the spot at no cost for you, but if you left without requesting the change then you were on the hook for the full cost of a replacement at a later date. They took the certificate back once I had confirmed all the details, and they handed me two envelopes - one was a welcome letter from the President, the other contained information about what to do next as a US Citizen, a passport application form, and a copy of the constitution. They also gave me a small American flag. After you had been up to the window to do the above you were told to sit back down again. It took a while to check everyone in, but we were allowed to use phones or read a book so the time passed pretty quickly. Once everyone was checked in, an officer stood at the front, read the oath for us to recite, then told us to sit back down again. Officer said she had information available if we wanted it about applying for jobs at USCIS now that we were citizens, which got a few wry laughs from the crowd. She then called us up one by one to the window to collect our certificates and we were free to go. If anyone has any questions about the day feel free to ask. Before the event, I was mainly curious about what people would wear, and if they would allow family in to see the ceremony, and the answers to those questions were 1) wear pretty much whatever you like and 2) yes, my wife was allowed in no questions asked at all. I was also interested in the actual process of the ceremony, but now I realize there was very little to wonder about. It was all very straightforward and easy to navigate, but it had all the excitement and romance of the easiest trip to the DMV you've ever had. I'm over the moon to be at the end of this process, and can now fully embrace life in the US, but it would have been nice to have experienced a little bit of pageantry and occasion while taking the final step. That might just be the British person in me talking though. We love a drawn out ceremony.
 
The rest of the day was lovely though, my wife and I had lunch, and then wandered around Manhattan in the sleet and snow. Our wedding day was beset by awful weather so it felt like completing the circle for the naturalization day to bring more of the same. I think it'll take a few days to sink in that we are done with all the admin and fees and intrusion, but already it feels great to know that life here will now be much more straightforward, and that I can now become fully involved in all the rights and responsibilities that come with being a citizen.
 
Thanks to anyone who has offered help and guidance over the years, it's genuinely appreciated. Good luck all.

So, I'm a citizen! I attended my ceremony yesterday at Federal Plaza (Brooklyn office - Floor 8 ). It was a 10am start and we were out of the building by around 11:30am. Big shout out to the security staff at the front of the building, who were as ever sparkling in their insolent effrontery and rudeness. I assume it must be in their training that if someone doesn't speak English too well, screaming what you are trying to say to them louder and louder directly in their face will help them to understand what you mean. Never having to deal with these goons again was a large motivation for applying for citizenship to be honest, and I am glad to see the back of them.
 
The ceremony experience was all very straightforward, and somewhat anti-climactic to be honest. The ceremony was basically conducted in a waiting room. If you've been to the USCIS office at Federal Plaza before and waited in a hall with a ticket in your hand watching the TV screens to announce your number, then it's basically that room. There were no videos to watch, no speeches were given, no anthem was played, there wasn't even a US flag in sight. I felt overdressed in trousers, shirt and tie, as most people were dressed very casually. There were probably between 50 and 75 other people there, and interestingly it appeared that they were doing same day interview/oath ceremonies for some people in attendance, although they were taken to another room for their oath and were not involved in our ceremony beyond having their documents checked in the main room.
 
The process went something like this:
Everyone had line up to have their form checked, confirm a few questions about anything that had occurred since their interview, and hand in their Green Card (they also took my EAD/AP card but they didn't seem to bothered about those). They then had you check your naturalization certificate for any errors. If there was an error they would correct it on the spot at no cost for you, but if you left without requesting the change then you were on the hook for the full cost of a replacement at a later date. They took the certificate back once I had confirmed all the details, and they handed me two envelopes - one was a welcome letter from the President, the other contained information about what to do next as a US Citizen, a passport application form, and a copy of the constitution. They also gave me a small American flag. After you had been up to the window to do the above you were told to sit back down again. It took a while to check everyone in, but we were allowed to use phones or read a book so the time passed pretty quickly. Once everyone was checked in, an officer stood at the front, read the oath for us to recite, then told us to sit back down again. Officer said she had information available if we wanted it about applying for jobs at USCIS now that we were citizens, which got a few wry laughs from the crowd. She then called us up one by one to the window to collect our certificates and we were free to go. If anyone has any questions about the day feel free to ask. Before the event, I was mainly curious about what people would wear, and if they would allow family in to see the ceremony, and the answers to those questions were 1) wear pretty much whatever you like and 2) yes, my wife was allowed in no questions asked at all. I was also interested in the actual process of the ceremony, but now I realize there was very little to wonder about. It was all very straightforward and easy to navigate, but it had all the excitement and romance of the easiest trip to the DMV you've ever had. I'm over the moon to be at the end of this process, and can now fully embrace life in the US, but it would have been nice to have experienced a little bit of pageantry and occasion while taking the final step. That might just be the British person in me talking though. We love a drawn out ceremony.
 
The rest of the day was lovely though, my wife and I had lunch, and then wandered around Manhattan in the sleet and snow. Our wedding day was beset by awful weather so it felt like completing the circle for the naturalization day to bring more of the same. I think it'll take a few days to sink in that we are done with all the admin and fees and intrusion, but already it feels great to know that life here will now be much more straightforward, and that I can now become fully involved in all the rights and responsibilities that come with being a citizen.
 
Thanks to anyone who has offered help and guidance over the years, it's genuinely appreciated. Good luck all.

So, I'm a citizen! I attended my ceremony yesterday at Federal Plaza (Brooklyn office - Floor 8 ). It was a 10am start and we were out of the building by around 11:30am. Big shout out to the security staff at the front of the building, who were as ever sparkling in their insolent effrontery and rudeness. I assume it must be in their training that if someone doesn't speak English too well, screaming what you are trying to say to them louder and louder directly in their face will help them to understand what you mean. Never having to deal with these goons again was a large motivation for applying for citizenship to be honest, and I am glad to see the back of them.
 
The ceremony experience was all very straightforward, and somewhat anti-climactic to be honest. The ceremony was basically conducted in a waiting room. If you've been to the USCIS office at Federal Plaza before and waited in a hall with a ticket in your hand watching the TV screens to announce your number, then it's basically that room. There were no videos to watch, no speeches were given, no anthem was played, there wasn't even a US flag in sight. I felt overdressed in trousers, shirt and tie, as most people were dressed very casually. There were probably between 50 and 75 other people there, and interestingly it appeared that they were doing same day interview/oath ceremonies for some people in attendance, although they were taken to another room for their oath and were not involved in our ceremony beyond having their documents checked in the main room.
 
The process went something like this:
Everyone had line up to have their form checked, confirm a few questions about anything that had occurred since their interview, and hand in their Green Card (they also took my EAD/AP card but they didn't seem to bothered about those). They then had you check your naturalization certificate for any errors. If there was an error they would correct it on the spot at no cost for you, but if you left without requesting the change then you were on the hook for the full cost of a replacement at a later date. They took the certificate back once I had confirmed all the details, and they handed me two envelopes - one was a welcome letter from the President, the other contained information about what to do next as a US Citizen, a passport application form, and a copy of the constitution. They also gave me a small American flag. After you had been up to the window to do the above you were told to sit back down again. It took a while to check everyone in, but we were allowed to use phones or read a book so the time passed pretty quickly. Once everyone was checked in, an officer stood at the front, read the oath for us to recite, then told us to sit back down again. Officer said she had information available if we wanted it about applying for jobs at USCIS now that we were citizens, which got a few wry laughs from the crowd. She then called us up one by one to the window to collect our certificates and we were free to go. If anyone has any questions about the day feel free to ask. Before the event, I was mainly curious about what people would wear, and if they would allow family in to see the ceremony, and the answers to those questions were 1) wear pretty much whatever you like and 2) yes, my wife was allowed in no questions asked at all. I was also interested in the actual process of the ceremony, but now I realize there was very little to wonder about. It was all very straightforward and easy to navigate, but it had all the excitement and romance of the easiest trip to the DMV you've ever had. I'm over the moon to be at the end of this process, and can now fully embrace life in the US, but it would have been nice to have experienced a little bit of pageantry and occasion while taking the final step. That might just be the British person in me talking though. We love a drawn out ceremony.
 
The rest of the day was lovely though, my wife and I had lunch, and then wandered around Manhattan in the sleet and snow. Our wedding day was beset by awful weather so it felt like completing the circle for the naturalization day to bring more of the same. I think it'll take a few days to sink in that we are done with all the admin and fees and intrusion, but already it feels great to know that life here will now be much more straightforward, and that I can now become fully involved in all the rights and responsibilities that come with being a citizen.
 
Thanks to anyone who has offered help and guidance over the years, it's genuinely appreciated. Good luck all.

So, I'm a citizen! I attended my ceremony yesterday at Federal Plaza (Brooklyn office - Floor 8 ). It was a 10am start and we were out of the building by around 11:30am. Big shout out to the security staff at the front of the building, who were as ever sparkling in their insolent effrontery and rudeness. I assume it must be in their training that if someone doesn't speak English too well, screaming what you are trying to say to them louder and louder directly in their face will help them to understand what you mean. Never having to deal with these goons again was a large motivation for applying for citizenship to be honest, and I am glad to see the back of them.
 
The ceremony experience was all very straightforward, and somewhat anti-climactic to be honest. The ceremony was basically conducted in a waiting room. If you've been to the USCIS office at Federal Plaza before and waited in a hall with a ticket in your hand watching the TV screens to announce your number, then it's basically that room. There were no videos to watch, no speeches were given, no anthem was played, there wasn't even a US flag in sight. I felt overdressed in trousers, shirt and tie, as most people were dressed very casually. There were probably between 50 and 75 other people there, and interestingly it appeared that they were doing same day interview/oath ceremonies for some people in attendance, although they were taken to another room for their oath and were not involved in our ceremony beyond having their documents checked in the main room.
 
The process went something like this:
Everyone had line up to have their form checked, confirm a few questions about anything that had occurred since their interview, and hand in their Green Card (they also took my EAD/AP card but they didn't seem to bothered about those). They then had you check your naturalization certificate for any errors. If there was an error they would correct it on the spot at no cost for you, but if you left without requesting the change then you were on the hook for the full cost of a replacement at a later date. They took the certificate back once I had confirmed all the details, and they handed me two envelopes - one was a welcome letter from the President, the other contained information about what to do next as a US Citizen, a passport application form, and a copy of the constitution. They also gave me a small American flag. After you had been up to the window to do the above you were told to sit back down again. It took a while to check everyone in, but we were allowed to use phones or read a book so the time passed pretty quickly. Once everyone was checked in, an officer stood at the front, read the oath for us to recite, then told us to sit back down again. Officer said she had information available if we wanted it about applying for jobs at USCIS now that we were citizens, which got a few wry laughs from the crowd. She then called us up one by one to the window to collect our certificates and we were free to go. If anyone has any questions about the day feel free to ask. Before the event, I was mainly curious about what people would wear, and if they would allow family in to see the ceremony, and the answers to those questions were 1) wear pretty much whatever you like and 2) yes, my wife was allowed in no questions asked at all. I was also interested in the actual process of the ceremony, but now I realize there was very little to wonder about. It was all very straightforward and easy to navigate, but it had all the excitement and romance of the easiest trip to the DMV you've ever had. I'm over the moon to be at the end of this process, and can now fully embrace life in the US, but it would have been nice to have experienced a little bit of pageantry and occasion while taking the final step. That might just be the British person in me talking though. We love a drawn out ceremony.
 
The rest of the day was lovely though, my wife and I had lunch, and then wandered around Manhattan in the sleet and snow. Our wedding day was beset by awful weather so it felt like completing the circle for the naturalization day to bring more of the same. I think it'll take a few days to sink in that we are done with all the admin and fees and intrusion, but already it feels great to know that life here will now be much more straightforward, and that I can now become fully involved in all the rights and responsibilities that come with being a citizen.
 
Thanks to anyone who has offered help and guidance over the years, it's genuinely appreciated. Good luck all.
 
 

So, I'm a citizen! I attended my ceremony yesterday at Federal Plaza (Brooklyn office - Floor 8 ). It was a 10am start and we were out of the building by around 11:30am. Big shout out to the security staff at the front of the building, who were as ever sparkling in their insolent effrontery and rudeness. I assume it must be in their training that if someone doesn't speak English too well, screaming what you are trying to say to them louder and louder directly in their face will help them to understand what you mean. Never having to deal with these goons again was a large motivation for applying for citizenship to be honest, and I am glad to see the back of them.
 
The ceremony experience was all very straightforward, and somewhat anti-climactic to be honest. The ceremony was basically conducted in a waiting room. If you've been to the USCIS office at Federal Plaza before and waited in a hall with a ticket in your hand watching the TV screens to announce your number, then it's basically that room. There were no videos to watch, no speeches were given, no anthem was played, there wasn't even a US flag in sight. I felt overdressed in trousers, shirt and tie, as most people were dressed very casually. There were probably between 50 and 75 other people there, and interestingly it appeared that they were doing same day interview/oath ceremonies for some people in attendance, although they were taken to another room for their oath and were not involved in our ceremony beyond having their documents checked in the main room.
 
The process went something like this:
Everyone had line up to have their form checked, confirm a few questions about anything that had occurred since their interview, and hand in their Green Card (they also took my EAD/AP card but they didn't seem to bothered about those). They then had you check your naturalization certificate for any errors. If there was an error they would correct it on the spot at no cost for you, but if you left without requesting the change then you were on the hook for the full cost of a replacement at a later date. They took the certificate back once I had confirmed all the details, and they handed me two envelopes - one was a welcome letter from the President, the other contained information about what to do next as a US Citizen, a passport application form, and a copy of the constitution. They also gave me a small American flag. After you had been up to the window to do the above you were told to sit back down again. It took a while to check everyone in, but we were allowed to use phones or read a book so the time passed pretty quickly. Once everyone was checked in, an officer stood at the front, read the oath for us to recite, then told us to sit back down again. Officer said she had information available if we wanted it about applying for jobs at USCIS now that we were citizens, which got a few wry laughs from the crowd. She then called us up one by one to the window to collect our certificates and we were free to go. If anyone has any questions about the day feel free to ask. Before the event, I was mainly curious about what people would wear, and if they would allow family in to see the ceremony, and the answers to those questions were 1) wear pretty much whatever you like and 2) yes, my wife was allowed in no questions asked at all. I was also interested in the actual process of the ceremony, but now I realize there was very little to wonder about. It was all very straightforward and easy to navigate, but it had all the excitement and romance of the easiest trip to the DMV you've ever had. I'm over the moon to be at the end of this process, and can now fully embrace life in the US, but it would have been nice to have experienced a little bit of pageantry and occasion while taking the final step. That might just be the British person in me talking though. We love a drawn out ceremony.
 
The rest of the day was lovely though, my wife and I had lunch, and then wandered around Manhattan in the sleet and snow. Our wedding day was beset by awful weather so it felt like completing the circle for the naturalization day to bring more of the same. I think it'll take a few days to sink in that we are done with all the admin and fees and intrusion, but already it feels great to know that life here will now be much more straightforward, and that I can now become fully involved in all the rights and responsibilities that come with being a citizen.
 
Thanks to anyone who has offered help and guidance over the years, it's genuinely appreciated. Good luck all.

So, I'm a citizen! I attended my ceremony yesterday at Federal Plaza (Brooklyn office - Floor 8 ). It was a 10am start and we were out of the building by around 11:30am. Big shout out to the security staff at the front of the building, who were as ever sparkling in their insolent effrontery and rudeness. I assume it must be in their training that if someone doesn't speak English too well, screaming what you are trying to say to them louder and louder directly in their face will help them to understand what you mean. Never having to deal with these goons again was a large motivation for applying for citizenship to be honest, and I am glad to see the back of them.
 
The ceremony experience was all very straightforward, and somewhat anti-climactic to be honest. The ceremony was basically conducted in a waiting room. If you've been to the USCIS office at Federal Plaza before and waited in a hall with a ticket in your hand watching the TV screens to announce your number, then it's basically that room. There were no videos to watch, no speeches were given, no anthem was played, there wasn't even a US flag in sight. I felt overdressed in trousers, shirt and tie, as most people were dressed very casually. There were probably between 50 and 75 other people there, and interestingly it appeared that they were doing same day interview/oath ceremonies for some people in attendance, although they were taken to another room for their oath and were not involved in our ceremony beyond having their documents checked in the main room.
 
The process went something like this:
Everyone had line up to have their form checked, confirm a few questions about anything that had occurred since their interview, and hand in their Green Card (they also took my EAD/AP card but they didn't seem to bothered about those). They then had you check your naturalization certificate for any errors. If there was an error they would correct it on the spot at no cost for you, but if you left without requesting the change then you were on the hook for the full cost of a replacement at a later date. They took the certificate back once I had confirmed all the details, and they handed me two envelopes - one was a welcome letter from the President, the other contained information about what to do next as a US Citizen, a passport application form, and a copy of the constitution. They also gave me a small American flag. After you had been up to the window to do the above you were told to sit back down again. It took a while to check everyone in, but we were allowed to use phones or read a book so the time passed pretty quickly. Once everyone was checked in, an officer stood at the front, read the oath for us to recite, then told us to sit back down again. Officer said she had information available if we wanted it about applying for jobs at USCIS now that we were citizens, which got a few wry laughs from the crowd. She then called us up one by one to the window to collect our certificates and we were free to go. If anyone has any questions about the day feel free to ask. Before the event, I was mainly curious about what people would wear, and if they would allow family in to see the ceremony, and the answers to those questions were 1) wear pretty much whatever you like and 2) yes, my wife was allowed in no questions asked at all. I was also interested in the actual process of the ceremony, but now I realize there was very little to wonder about. It was all very straightforward and easy to navigate, but it had all the excitement and romance of the easiest trip to the DMV you've ever had. I'm over the moon to be at the end of this process, and can now fully embrace life in the US, but it would have been nice to have experienced a little bit of pageantry and occasion while taking the final step. That might just be the British person in me talking though. We love a drawn out ceremony.
 
The rest of the day was lovely though, my wife and I had lunch, and then wandered around Manhattan in the sleet and snow. Our wedding day was beset by awful weather so it felt like completing the circle for the naturalization day to bring more of the same. I think it'll take a few days to sink in that we are done with all the admin and fees and intrusion, but already it feels great to know that life here will now be much more straightforward, and that I can now become fully involved in all the rights and responsibilities that come with being a citizen.
 
Thanks to anyone who has offered help and guidance over the years, it's genuinely appreciated. Good luck all.
 
 

So, I'm a citizen! I attended my ceremony yesterday at Federal Plaza (Brooklyn office - Floor 8 ). It was a 10am start and we were out of the building by around 11:30am. Big shout out to the security staff at the front of the building, who were as ever sparkling in their insolent effrontery and rudeness. I assume it must be in their training that if someone doesn't speak English too well, screaming what you are trying to say to them louder and louder directly in their face will help them to understand what you mean. Never having to deal with these goons again was a large motivation for applying for citizenship to be honest, and I am glad to see the back of them.
 
The ceremony experience was all very straightforward, and somewhat anti-climactic to be honest. The ceremony was basically conducted in a waiting room. If you've been to the USCIS office at Federal Plaza before and waited in a hall with a ticket in your hand watching the TV screens to announce your number, then it's basically that room. There were no videos to watch, no speeches were given, no anthem was played, there wasn't even a US flag in sight. I felt overdressed in trousers, shirt and tie, as most people were dressed very casually. There were probably between 50 and 75 other people there, and interestingly it appeared that they were doing same day interview/oath ceremonies for some people in attendance, although they were taken to another room for their oath and were not involved in our ceremony beyond having their documents checked in the main room.
 
The process went something like this:
Everyone had line up to have their form checked, confirm a few questions about anything that had occurred since their interview, and hand in their Green Card (they also took my EAD/AP card but they didn't seem to bothered about those). They then had you check your naturalization certificate for any errors. If there was an error they would correct it on the spot at no cost for you, but if you left without requesting the change then you were on the hook for the full cost of a replacement at a later date. They took the certificate back once I had confirmed all the details, and they handed me two envelopes - one was a welcome letter from the President, the other contained information about what to do next as a US Citizen, a passport application form, and a copy of the constitution. They also gave me a small American flag. After you had been up to the window to do the above you were told to sit back down again. It took a while to check everyone in, but we were allowed to use phones or read a book so the time passed pretty quickly. Once everyone was checked in, an officer stood at the front, read the oath for us to recite, then told us to sit back down again. Officer said she had information available if we wanted it about applying for jobs at USCIS now that we were citizens, which got a few wry laughs from the crowd. She then called us up one by one to the window to collect our certificates and we were free to go. If anyone has any questions about the day feel free to ask. Before the event, I was mainly curious about what people would wear, and if they would allow family in to see the ceremony, and the answers to those questions were 1) wear pretty much whatever you like and 2) yes, my wife was allowed in no questions asked at all. I was also interested in the actual process of the ceremony, but now I realize there was very little to wonder about. It was all very straightforward and easy to navigate, but it had all the excitement and romance of the easiest trip to the DMV you've ever had. I'm over the moon to be at the end of this process, and can now fully embrace life in the US, but it would have been nice to have experienced a little bit of pageantry and occasion while taking the final step. That might just be the British person in me talking though. We love a drawn out ceremony.
 
The rest of the day was lovely though, my wife and I had lunch, and then wandered around Manhattan in the sleet and snow. Our wedding day was beset by awful weather so it felt like completing the circle for the naturalization day to bring more of the same. I think it'll take a few days to sink in that we are done with all the admin and fees and intrusion, but already it feels great to know that life here will now be much more straightforward, and that I can now become fully involved in all the rights and responsibilities that come with being a citizen.
 
Thanks to anyone who has offered help and guidance over the years, it's genuinely appreciated. Good luck all.

I had my oath ceremony at the Federal courthouse in Central Islip, NY on Friday, 3/10 (just over four months from my initial online application), which was scheduled for 9am.
 
Arrived into the spacious parking lot at 8:20am, and was allowed into the courthouse. Virtually no one on line to pass through security, so it took less than 3 minutes, though you not only have to turn off your phone, you also need to surrender your phone for them to hold onto until you exit later on with a claim ticket (I say ticket but it was actually a small block of wood with a number on it).
 
Led upstairs into one of the courtrooms, and they seated the oath takers in the order which they arrived into the courtroom. Each chair had two letter-sized envelopes...one letter from the President, and another packet with the oath printed and voting information. Families had to wait downstairs, until the actual oath was taken. Most of the folks were dressed professionally...most were business casual, about 5-6 men in full suits and ties (I wore a full suit and button up shirt but no tie), with a handful of people very casual in jeans and sweaters and sneakers. 
 
My own rough count showed around 120 applicants or so, and around 9am, they started lining up folks by one clerk (around 10 folks at a time), and taking everyone's green card and asking them some basic questions on the oath ceremony letter (have you traveled outside of the US, have you had any trouble with the police, etc.). Then they had you get into two separate lines with two different clerks to check the actual naturalization certificate for errors, made you sign in, and it was also where they handed you the certified name change form. The process was organized, if a bit slow. With approximately 120 applicants to process this way, it took almost 2 hours to get through. Surprisingly, about 7-8 people were no-shows, for whatever reason. 
 
Finally, about 15 minutes before 11am, the families were allowed into the courtroom, the judge was finally called, and he administered the oath and made a very short speech. This lasted not more than 5 minutes, and that was that. The judge left, and no videos were shown or anything. And then the clerks called out each name one-by-one, and you were handed your naturalization certificate, at which point you could leave.
 
Walking out of the courthouse, it was exactly around 11am, so I was there for two hours total, with the vast majority of that time just waiting. Without a phone or anything else to do, you just sit and wait (and count, lol) and people watch. I'd suggest taking some reading material if you get bored easily. 
 
I had made a passport appointment for my local USPS office at 1pm, so the timing worked out perfectly. At the courthouse itself, there was no place to apply for a passport, though inside the courtroom, they were registering people to vote. That concludes my citizenship journey, and again, I was surprised at the speed of the entire process. All that's left to do is wait for my passport (expedited), and I'll be done done. Thanks all for your experiences and advice. Below is my updated and final timeline:
 
Online application: 11/4/2022
Biometrics reuse notice: 11/9/2022
Interview scheduled notice: 12/23/2022 (Interview on 1/31/2023 in Holtsville, NY)
Interview: 1/31/2023 in Holtsville, NY (Long Island) office
Approved: We recommended approval; submitted for quality review: 1/31/2023 (status updated immediately after interview)
Oath Ceremony Will Be Scheduled: 1/31/2023
Oath Ceremony Has Been Scheduled Notice: 2/8/2023
Oath Ceremony Scheduled at Central Islip: 3/10/2023
Oath Ceremony Took Place & Received Naturalization Certificate at Central Islip Federal Courthouse: 3/10/2023