happydoctor

I wanted to follow up re my interview in Chicago last week Monday.
 
It was the easiest interview since I started this Journey in 2018. 
 
I arrive 10 mins early - waited about 15-20 mins before I was called in - the Officer advised a trainee would be joining us, as she was new. 
He swore me in,  and asked me to be seated.  Asked for my passport, DL and Greencard.  Checked my fingerprints  Confirmed my name, DOB and address.   
He the began the Civics test - Questions were:
Who lived in the US before the colonists (i laughed as i'm British - he did too, as did the trainee) What was the main reason for the Civil War Who are the 2 main political parties  Why did the natives fight the British  Why does the flag have 50 stars  When must men register for selective service  After questions - asked me to read a sentence on the iPad
Write a sentence on the iPad
 
He then went through my application.
At the end he asked me if i was familiar the Oath of Allegiance, i said yes, but not verbatim. He said that is fine, and if im OK with it, he would like to recommend me to become a citizen if i am willing to sign today. of course, i said YES! He had me sign a few things, and then gave me a print out confirming that I had passed all of the tests, and he was recommending me for neutralization.
 
I didn't open my folder at all! - didn't check my tax submission, ask for photos etc. 
 
Today I received an alert that my ceremony has been schedule for may 15! 
 
Question - How may people can I bring? It doesn't say it on the letter

There's many reasons, but mainly there are certain benefits that are different for citizens vs permanent residents I think 

Don't worry about that, it's messy when everyone does it. But that's all they provide. 

Don’t sweat it.
 
i had mine 2 Fridays ago and I just drew in the pad with my finger. It wasn’t pretty but they just want to make sure you can write correctly and spell sentences.
 
Dont worry it isn’t a penmanship test

I plan also to bring my birth certificate and for kids also  ( if you have any) , social security number ; traffic tickets ( paid or dismissed). Marriage certificate for sure . Not sure about VAWA 🤔 probably not, I guess they have it already.
 
Good luck with your interview! 

Hello guys
 
I had my oath ceremony today at the Courthouse here in Miami, FL.
Exactly 15 days after my Interview. It was beautiful! 
 
 

Yes you need to go to a Social Security office and let them know you are a citizen. Secondly any Trusted Traveler Programs? I have Global Entry, let them know you're a citizen, update your passport with them. 

Nah i brought a binder with tax transcripts etc and didn't bother to look at anything I brought. She did ask the question do you owe any taxes and of course I said no

Submitted date 1/23/2024
Interview Sceduled 3/14/2024
Interview date 04/19/2024
 
Well had my interview first thing this am in Houston. Time was 7am but arrived 15 mins before and checked in, did biometrics etc after that. Got called maybe 10 minutes later or so by the IO. She was very very very nice. Did civics test and got all 6 first try, very easy questions. Then the yes no and we chatted a bit. Asked my wife's name, kids name where I live etc. It was very easy going and we joked and laughed a bit about somethings. Approved on the spot.
 
Waiting for Oath to be scheduled. I informed her that I have traveled plans at the end of May and she said no big deal just reschedule your Oath, they make it easy to do this. 
 
Overall, 10/10 experience with the office and this officer.

If your only tickets were for parking violations (that is, things like staying too long at a parking meter or parking your car in a red zone), you don't even need to mention these on Form N-400. But for any violation where you were behind the wheel, or your motor was running, your best bet is to mention it.

Source: https://www.gardnerandmendoza.com/traffic-tickets-immigration/

You can change answers / make corrections at the interview. Just bring the errata sheet and evidence. I'm not 100% sure they count as citations, but disclosing won't hurt 99.9%

Yes - just the typical "did you ever?" yes/no. I wasn't asked to define anything.

Nope - I just got asked 2-3 of the questions verbally.

They do not!

Thank you so much ! It’s very helpful.

I use the Lawfully app for this reason. As soon as I get an interview, I will be notified via the app. 

You should receive the notice about about 3-4 weeks prior to your interview.
 
If you filed N-400 online, I would strongly recommend checking the "Documents" tab regularly if your mail is not being delivered as expected. All notices pertinent to your case are posted there the moment they are generated. You should expect to see the paper copy about 1-2 weeks after a notice is posted online to your account.
 
You can print the online copy and use it at your interview, in case you find that your interview notice was somehow not delivered at all.

Good luck with your interview tomorrow!

When did you get the actual letter about the interview ( how many days / weeks before the interview)?  Our postman doesn’t really do a good job recently, and I worry about getting the letter in time .

I just took the oath today. I wore a knee-length, bright blue button front dress with a matching belt, and 1-in black pumps. Most people in the room were dressed about the same, generally somewhere between business casual to business formal.

I believe you need the transcripts from the IRS, fairly fast to request them online.

Obtain your Tax Return Transcript, it's a couple of pages. Do not upload the return itself. 
 
More info here: https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript

No it's not mandatory with initial submission, but it proves good moral chatacter and may speed up approval.

You can upload the last five years of your tax transcripts. I did it with the original application, but you can upload evidence now. Would’ve been better if you uploaded it to begin with but it doesn’t really matter.
 
Also the timelines on the USCIS website are not any indication of the processing times of your case. 
 
in case you haven’t noticed, everyone’s increased by a few months, that’s because everyone gets the same timeline and it is a useless measure of when you’re going to hear back about an interview 

I finally got approved, no RFE and no interview!  🥳

I was about to go to sleep on the night of Feb 17th and checked my email to find a case status update from USCIS: 
"Application Type: I751, PETITION TO REMOVE CONDITIONS ON RESIDENCE
Your Case Status: Card/ Document Production. On February 17, 2021, we ordered your new card for Receipt Number....."

Needless to say it took a while to fall asleep after that! The next day my status changed again to
"Your Case Status: Post Decision Activity.
On February 18, 2021, we approved your Form I751, PETITION TO REMOVE CONDITIONS ON RESIDENCE"

And then yesterday to:
"Your Case Status: Card/ Document Production.
On February 22, 2021, we mailed your new card..."

So, it's in the mail and I couldn't be more relieved! Have faith -- they're comin'!

You’re welcome, and congrats.