SpidersWeb

Hi everyone,
 
I have a PR card and I understand that I can stay abroad for a maximum of 6 months without the absence affecting naturalization timeline.
 
I left the US late August last year and so I should travel back in late February the latest. While the primary reason for returning back home was a health concern, the terrible COVID-19 situation in the US also affected my decision. However, my intention was always to come back within 6 months as my health improves. Now, the COVID-19 situation isn't any better and it's making me question what I should do. Then the coup attempt happened and I wonder if I should be worried about the potential for civil war.
 
Am I insane if I return to the US at this point? Should I willingly postpone my naturalization? 
 
I have a job offer waiting for me but I haven't signed anything, yet. They would like me to start as soon as possible.

Finally received my SS and PR cards last Friday! 🎉

I wrote about my exit interview questions earlier but to my experience at the POE:
 
I waited 2 hours(!) just for passport control. After fingerprinting I was escorted to secondary where the whole process including waiting time was around 15-20 min. They didn't ask anything except to confirm the address where I want the PR card to be sent. They also didn't need the 7.5 cm pile of documents. I basically got my I-551 stamp and I was good to go. Now I'm eagerly waiting for my SSN and PR card.

I wrote about my exit interview questions earlier but to my experience at the POE:
 
I waited 2 hours(!) just for passport control. After fingerprinting I was escorted to secondary where the whole process including waiting time was around 15-20 min. They didn't ask anything except to confirm the address where I want the PR card to be sent. They also didn't need the 7.5 cm pile of documents. I basically got my I-551 stamp and I was good to go. Now I'm eagerly waiting for my SSN and PR card.

That's the plan. Hopefully they can give some kind of official document as well because I need to apply for an apartment before Thanksgiving!
Orlando (MCO) actually.

Had my interview yesterday, Approved..
 
I was asked mainly about my work for the company, what we did, how did I get that job, why me?. Just relax and answer everything truthfully.

If you have umlauts like Ä in your name and would prefer it transliterated as A instead of AE:
 
USCIS says you need to write a letter to your service center to have it changed for your permanent residency card.
 
I will believe it when I see the change 😛

Does anyone have experience with umlauts and the Green Card?
 
In DS-260 I converted the Ä's in my last name into A's, and used Ä's where the name was asked to be typed in native alphabet. However, my interview letter was generated with Ä's converted into AE. My passport biographic data page has this AE form in the machine readable code section, so I wasn't surprised. But I'm wondering, will my GC be issued with AE's (awkward) or A's (preferred)? Should I address this at the exit interview?

😂😂 Congratulations and All the best!  
Finally! Congrats 

Congrats and Best of Luck
Congrats

Thanks everyone!
 
I was asked to pick up my passport instead of having it delivered. I was curious as to why but I thought at least I can get it sooner rather than later.
 
Imagine my surprise when they handed me a stack of documents 7 cm high, weighing 3.3 kg. I couldn't help but laugh when I was walking back to my car 🙈 
 
The consulate was not allowed to say what to do with them but my recruiter told me to bring those documents to the border in my carry-on 😅

I finally got my exit interview date,27th November...
So excited.....

Congrats.

Congratulations!! 🎉🎉

Congrats.

An hour or so after I wrote this the CEAC status changed to Issued 🎉

Congrats!

My visit to the embassy lasted a total of about 40 min but it's hard to tell how much time the actual interview took because I wasn't allowed to bring my watch and there was no clock on the wall either. Also, I was actually alone in the waiting area for about half of the time I was there, and it was so quiet, haha.
 
First, I gave all of my original documents to someone and a while later I was called back to speak with the consular officer. All of the questions were related to my education, work experience or professional license.
 
"To what capacity will you be working with x?"
"Where did you go to school?"
"What degree do you have?"
"Where did you take the licensing exam?"
"Have you worked in the US before?"
"How many years of work experience do you have?"
"Where will you be working?"
 
Unfortunately the panel physician failed to deliver my medical examination results in a week's time, so I'll be in administrative processing until the results are ready and until I can bring the results from the doctor to the embassy. I was hoping the results would be ready today but they haven't called me, yet. If not today, next Monday is the earliest I can manage with regards to work schedule. That kind of upset me but regardless of this I've agreed to travel mid-November, so it's not an issue in that sense.

My visit to the embassy lasted a total of about 40 min but it's hard to tell how much time the actual interview took because I wasn't allowed to bring my watch and there was no clock on the wall either. Also, I was actually alone in the waiting area for about half of the time I was there, and it was so quiet, haha.
 
First, I gave all of my original documents to someone and a while later I was called back to speak with the consular officer. All of the questions were related to my education, work experience or professional license.
 
"To what capacity will you be working with x?"
"Where did you go to school?"
"What degree do you have?"
"Where did you take the licensing exam?"
"Have you worked in the US before?"
"How many years of work experience do you have?"
"Where will you be working?"
 
Unfortunately the panel physician failed to deliver my medical examination results in a week's time, so I'll be in administrative processing until the results are ready and until I can bring the results from the doctor to the embassy. I was hoping the results would be ready today but they haven't called me, yet. If not today, next Monday is the earliest I can manage with regards to work schedule. That kind of upset me but regardless of this I've agreed to travel mid-November, so it's not an issue in that sense.

I had my medical exam today. The price tag for everything was a whopping $610 (after government subsidies worth $18). I hope I can pick up the sealed envelope before my interview next Monday.
 
I also had a job interview through my recruiter, so now I know my placement in the US. The interview was so different from what I'm used to, and I felt surprisingly nervous about doing it in English (professional terms). I'm just glad they were impressed with what I have to offer.

Now keeping my fingers crossed for that immigrant visa next week!

At that time and even at the moment it still reads "At NVC". I still haven't been scheduled for the interview.

Yes, already booked the tickets to September 28th. The employer is waiting and so am I 

All employment-based visas require mailing the physical documents. Electronic processing via PIVOT is available only for family immigrants and only in certain embassies.
 
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/the-immigrant-visa-process/collect-and-submit-forms-and-documents-to-the-nvc/step-6-submit-documents-to-the-nvc.html

Since I revealed my intention to my coworkers, I've been asked why ad nauseam. Europeans like Americans and America itself but they hate the politics and that's why they can't begin to understand my decision. I do get anxious about the politics as well and watching the Handmaid's Tale doesn't help  

Anyway, I try to keep my answers to a minimum because it has started to feel like such an intimate topic that I don't want to have to explain to everyone.
 
In all of this negativity, however, I was inspired by Francis Maxwell's comments in this YouTube video below. I believe the country can become even better than it is right now.
 
 
 
And like you said, we'll always have the option to return. I hope all of us will find what we're looking for 

Also, it's a case complete for me on 7/19. That's 8 days after DS-260 and civil documents were submitted on 7/11.