NinaG

Hi,
 
We just got back home from the interview. I've been APPROVED!!! 😃
 
My husband and I waited for an hour until we were called. We stayed together throughout the whole interview.
 
The first part focused on the I-751. Even though my instructions for the interview mentioned nothing about the I-751, I brought some more supporting evidence just in case. I had the feeling it was going to be a combo interview. I had requested it when I filed the N-400 but never got any confirmation whether that had been granted or not. The officer asked for more evidence for the I-751, so I gave it to him – I brought a copy of our current lease, utility bills, and tax transcripts. He asked how we met and where had we lived before we moved to Salt Lake City. This part was short, smooth, and pleasant, and it involved both my husband and me. The officer approved the I-751, and the system now says that my new green card is being produced. I wonder if that's true considering that my oath should take place in 1-2 months at the latest, and my conditional green card was extended up until late January 2020 when I filed to remove conditions in July 2018.
 
The second part focused on the N-400, and my husband had to stay quiet. I answered some questions that I had already dealt with when I filled in the form and confirmed my name change and personal/contact data. I pledged allegiance and signed on a tablet to verify that all the information was correct. I was asked to read "What do we have to pay to the government," and I had to write "We pay taxes." Then, I was asked six civics questions and answered all of them correctly:
 
What do we call the first ten amendments to the Constitution? – The Bill of Rights How many U.S. Senators are there? – One hundred (100) Name one branch or part of the government: The Congress There are four amendments to the Constitution about who can vote. Describe one of them: Citizens eighteen (18) and older (can vote). The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the U.S. Constitution. Name one of the writers: (James) Madison. Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived? – Native Americans  
After handing me the N-652 with the approved result, the officer gave me some tips on how to get my SSN and state ID updated after the ceremony, as well as requesting a passport and registering to vote ☺️
 
As of now, the system says that my case was submitted for quality review based on an approval recommendation. I look forward to the naturalization ceremony and the oath. I'll keep you posted when I have more information!
 
I want to thank everybody here for sharing their stories and their advice 🤗
 

First of all Congrats to all of you that just had your interviews! Second, 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!!!!!! 😄 

@Vikingoutwest, I'm scheduled for Oath ceremony 10/25/19 . Please update with thanks 😀😀😀😀

Update: Interview went well! I arrived 40 minutes early and was out within an hour!
 
There was no problem with me being laid off last week. I provided him with the separation letter and he quickly looked. He said I will receive a letter with the details for the oath ceremony!
 
For those in Boston: if your interview is in Lawrence, I parked at the hospital - free parking! 
 
Thanks for all the support!

N400 Interview Experience at Philadelphia USCIS' Field Office October 9, 2019 @ 10am
 
 
So my situation is not strange to every original filer on this group. I had earlier on intended to withdraw my N400 application at the interview due to bitter marriage confusion that I thought would've led to an immediate divorce. Well, two (2) days before my interview, I made the decision not to withdraw based on advise from people like you, immediate relatives, and two (2) lawyers. 

had my interview in Philadelphia today (filed late March, 3 years rule). 
I arrived 3 hours early before my interview to avoid any unforeseen circumstances. I played it rather safe than sorry because of traffic, mechanical breakdown, traffic stop, etc. I didn't check in until it was time.  Check in was super easy and then the wait started. There are three doors out of which the officers will come and call your number. Mine was number 1. The receptionist will let you know which door or/section is yours when you checked in. Please be informed that even though you arrived early, they will not call you in until it's your time.

I waited for about 20 minutes after I checked in before my number was called. The officer, an African American woman in her 50s came out, called my name and walked me through the door that leads to her office.
 
NOTE: I took every single document related to my immigration history. Always play it safe.
 
She placed me under oath, and then requested my diver's license, green card, and passport. She took my picture and my fingerprints. 
First up was the test.
 
My six questions were:

1. Who is the father of our country?
2. If the President can no longer serve, who becomes President?
3. Name one branch of the government?
4. There are how many justices on the supreme Court?
5. Who veto bills?
6. We vote US senator for how many years?
The 'read' sentence was ' Who was the first president of the United States?'
The 'write' sentence was ' Washington was our first president.
 
Then we went through the application, asked me to state my full name, date of birth, whether I'm working, my wife's name,  and she made some corrections for me (for example I put in that my wife was married '1' time, which obviously she was married before. It should've been 2 times and not 1. (This was honest  misunderstanding of that question) She also asked me for the full name of wife's prior spouse, if we have any kids. She asked me whether my traffic citation was paid. She asked if I'm still married and living with my spouse. She didn't ask me when I became permanent resident, what date I got married, what date I started work or how long I been there. She didn't ask me for any dates on my application with the exception of my date of birth.
 
NOTE: I memorized all the dates on my application.
 
She then went to the 'YES' and 'NO' questions and asked every single question. As others have said, they go through all questions again. 
At the end I had to sign for the changes she made and then sign for the oath. 
 
For some reason, she couldn't find my tax returns' documents, marriage certificate, divorce decree, and our son's birth certificate on her system. I told her I did upload all of them, but she insisted she can't find it. I kindly ask her to check to (Upload additional evidence tab)... and yes behold it was right there. I took deep breath of relieve. She looked at the supporting documents I had uploaded. She didn't ask for any of the originals that I brought (wife's's passport or naturalization cert or anything).
Then she took the piece of paper with the boxes and marked  'passed civic and history and recommending my application for approval'.
 
My officer was super really really nice, friendly, professional, and interactive. She made me feel at ease; even though I was 10% nervous and 90% anxious which is normal for this process. We talked about the weather, how she was feeling hungry and planned on going for lunch right after her next interview. 
 
FUN FACT:
The officer who interviewed me for my N400 is the best friend to the lady who interviewed us during our Adjustment of Status interview but has since retired. 
 
 
What were my tips.
1. I maintained eye contact and smile throughout the interview
2. I was truthful
3. I only answered questions that were asked (I didn't volunteer answers or talk too much)
4. I prepared very well ( studied the civics and history and memorized all the answers.
5. I reviewed my N400 application and knew my responses
 
Each case is unique and different. Don't read too much into people's negative interview experiences and conclude that yours will be the same as theirs. Be yourself, be positive, keep the 'WHY IF' out of your mind. Be respectful, professional, truthful and honest. Sometimes the little things that we intend to hide doesn't matter or wouldn't affect USCIS' decision about your case. 
 
However, this journey is not over yet but my anxiety has dropped to 10%. Good luck to everyone and be blessed.

I can't  believe it! it has finally  happened. 😭

Hello, 
 
It is my great pleasure to announce I have become a citizen of the United States of America. The ceremony was awesome. There were 175 new citizens from 55 different countries. There was the Oath of Allegiance and a short video clip from Donald Trump, welcoming the new citizens. After the ceremony, we were handed over our certificates. We were supposed to check them to make sure the info was correct and then sign them. At the end, I registered to vote as well. All in all, it felt surreal.
 
Wish you all the best
God bless you, God bless America. 

Hi everyone, 
I made it! Got approved for citizenship today. 
When I went in, the officer told me to stay standing and raise my hand to swear that I would tell the truth. 
Afterwards, I presented my green cards and passports.
Then we started off with the tests. 
 
English test: 
Reading - Read from tablet
Writing - Wrote down what the officer said on the tablet.
 
Civics test:
1. Who vetos Bills?
2. If both the President and the Vice President can no longer serve, who becomes the president?
3. How many U.S Senators are there?
4. Who is the Chief Justice of United States now?
5. There are four amendments to the Constitution about who can vote. Describe one of them.
6. Name two national U.S holidays
 
Interview regarding my N-400:
1. Confirmed my address and phone number
2. Confirm my husband lives with me - Officer saw my husband at the waiting room
3. Asked briefly about my overseas trips
4. Asked what I did for work
5. Asked about my speeding ticket
6. Standard "Yes" or "No" questions
 
After I passed, the officer asked if I had any trips coming up. And schedule my Oath Ceremony on Sept 26  (Couldn't update the form for some reason). I was out of there under 20 minutes - it took a while longer since the officer's printer didn't work. 
 
Good luck to everyone, and I want to thank you all for the help and support through this process! 

@NinaG wow , that’s a lot of people!!  We were 42 people , total! 27 different nationalities!! 
 
Congratulations!  glad this journey is over  . I will be following up with the rest of our ground fellas. 
Good luck to all of you !! 

Congratulations on becoming a citizen!!! And thank you for telling us about your experience 😄 Wow, that is interesting that they held your ceremony at a stadium. What a cool way to end your journey:-D Thank you for the good luck

Thank you so much!
I applied under the 3-year rule, and I’ve already had my 10-yr gc approved (since last August). He didn’t ask to see my spouse, however he found it a bit strange that my husband was at home while I was there. In my head, I didn’t think him waiting for me would’ve been relevant at all, but I guess to him my husband may have come off a little “uninterested”. Just after we cleared that up, he asked to see the supporting documents- I did submit most of them when I first applied, however in the interview notice I was asked to bring all those docs to the interview with me, so I did. On top of all of those, I had a few more recent energy bills & bank statements, and he took a quick look at all of them and was satisfied. He even said that the previous couple he had interviewed had not been as prepared as me evidence-wise, so I guess it’s better to be safe than sorry. I brought this heavy folder with several compartments and hundreds of papers in it. I may have over prepared, but I’m glad I did it. 😄

I got a text message last night that my N-400 just got updated.
 
I can't not access to the old website uscis.gov, they come back as error for case status and locked my account.
 
Then I signed in to the new website my.uscis.gov , it show that THEY SCHEDULE MY INTERVIEW 😁
 
Now waiting for a letter coming for the exact date so I can tell my husband fly back home for our interview.
 
 

My oath day is Aug 29 at a baseball stadium. We'll watch a game later, the letter said.

In my case, he only quickly went through my application. I was asked my husband's DOB, our date of marriage, my travel dates outside the US in the last three years. Other questions are yes/no question in which he read from my application and asked if that's correct. 

Hello everyone, so update from me. Not as exciting as @JBoogie876 but I was approved on the spot as well. The whole thing was nice and easy enough, nothing different from other interviews. Now I just wait for the letter to inform me about my oath date.

YAAAAAAAAAAY! Congratulations NinaG! I hope you get your oath date soon - almost there! Glad to hear your interview went well:-D

Hello everyone, so update from me. Not as exciting as @JBoogie876 but I was approved on the spot as well. The whole thing was nice and easy enough, nothing different from other interviews. Now I just wait for the letter to inform me about my oath date.

Okay, they approved my I751 and N400 today and it says my oath will schedule and card is being produced

That's where I got it. And my interview is scheduled for July 11.

That's where I got it. And my interview is scheduled for July 11.

The scheduled my interview, still waiting for the date.

Thank you for replying. I applied under the 5 year rule, and I'm trying to figure out if there is any correlation between fast interview dates and which rule people applied under. It doesn't seem to be the case - I guess it probably has more to do with which office you are assigned to. I bet you will see your date in a couple/few days 🙂

Yay! Congratulations! That was fast 😄 Did you apply under the 5 year rule or 3 year rule? Have a great rest of your day, and please post when you know the date too:-D

The scheduled my interview, still waiting for the date.

Got my biometrics done today. Super simple. In and out in 10 minutes (I was number 3 in line). My case now is updated, my processing time now is down to 5 months from 6 months earlier.