AffableAndy

I had my naturalization ceremony on Wednesday. It was a really nice ceremony, great judge speaking and I liked that they registered you to vote and let you update your SS card there. Contrary to the other poster, the league of women voters was speaking to everybody (including myself, a male) and they were very helpful to anyone having trouble.
 
Just some tips:
- Bring a pen to fill out the citizenship and SS forms. Keep your phone on you as the SS form has to be filled both in paper and online.
- There are parking lots nearby that are much cheaper than the river center one if you walk 3-5 minutes!
- After the ceremony, take some cheesy photos and celebrate with your family. If you wait about 20 minutes, the mad rush for social security dies down and it becomes reasonably easy to navigate.
 
Anyway, it is nice to be a citizen - I also applied under the three year rule. Gathering the required evidence was fairly easy. I think some people at the ceremony applied as late as December of 2023 so they are moving quite quickly.
 
All the best to everyone still going through the process!

So at my oath ceremony in Minneapolis, SSA officials were actually at the ceremony, and they had us update our records during the ceremony online and then turn the paper forms in. So I actually updated mine on the day of my oath ceremony (along with a significant number of the other ~1000ish people there), and got my updated, restriction free SS card in the mail about two weeks later.
 
YMMV obviously, but I'd probably just go.

So at my oath ceremony in Minneapolis, SSA officials were actually at the ceremony, and they had us update our records during the ceremony online and then turn the paper forms in. So I actually updated mine on the day of my oath ceremony (along with a significant number of the other ~1000ish people there), and got my updated, restriction free SS card in the mail about two weeks later.
 
YMMV obviously, but I'd probably just go.

NVM. My journey has ended today
N400 and I-751 combo interview and oath-ceremony same day! 

Congratulations!
 
In Minneapolis, the social security people were at the oath ceremony and we filled out the paperwork and submitted our there itself. We had to file online and in paper.
 
I got a new, unrestricted card about two weeks after naturalization. No need to wait ten days!

Congratulations!
 
In Minneapolis, the social security people were at the oath ceremony and we filled out the paperwork and submitted our there itself. We had to file online and in paper.
 
I got a new, unrestricted card about two weeks after naturalization. No need to wait ten days!

Congratulations!
 
In Minneapolis, the social security people were at the oath ceremony and we filled out the paperwork and submitted our there itself. We had to file online and in paper.
 
I got a new, unrestricted card about two weeks after naturalization. No need to wait ten days!

Thank you so much for your input! It’s so helpful! My officer didn’t mention any estimate for the oath ceremony notice. I guess I have to be patient. 
 
I assume I will have oath ceremony around fall as North Dakota schedules one per quarter.
 
congratulations to you too! 
 

I had my interview in Minneapolis on March 10th, and I got an approval notice on April 19th. The Minneapolis office doesn't approve anyone on the spot as far as I can tell - they wait for your physical A-file to reach them for review before approval. 
 
After my interview the officer told me it could take up to six weeks or so before approval, just FYI.
 
Congratulations on passing the interview!

I had my naturalization ceremony on Wednesday. It was a really nice ceremony, great judge speaking and I liked that they registered you to vote and let you update your SS card there. Contrary to the other poster, the league of women voters was speaking to everybody (including myself, a male) and they were very helpful to anyone having trouble.
 
Just some tips:
- Bring a pen to fill out the citizenship and SS forms. Keep your phone on you as the SS form has to be filled both in paper and online.
- There are parking lots nearby that are much cheaper than the river center one if you walk 3-5 minutes!
- After the ceremony, take some cheesy photos and celebrate with your family. If you wait about 20 minutes, the mad rush for social security dies down and it becomes reasonably easy to navigate.
 
Anyway, it is nice to be a citizen - I also applied under the three year rule. Gathering the required evidence was fairly easy. I think some people at the ceremony applied as late as December of 2023 so they are moving quite quickly.
 
All the best to everyone still going through the process!

I had my naturalization ceremony on Wednesday. It was a really nice ceremony, great judge speaking and I liked that they registered you to vote and let you update your SS card there. Contrary to the other poster, the league of women voters was speaking to everybody (including myself, a male) and they were very helpful to anyone having trouble.
 
Just some tips:
- Bring a pen to fill out the citizenship and SS forms. Keep your phone on you as the SS form has to be filled both in paper and online.
- There are parking lots nearby that are much cheaper than the river center one if you walk 3-5 minutes!
- After the ceremony, take some cheesy photos and celebrate with your family. If you wait about 20 minutes, the mad rush for social security dies down and it becomes reasonably easy to navigate.
 
Anyway, it is nice to be a citizen - I also applied under the three year rule. Gathering the required evidence was fairly easy. I think some people at the ceremony applied as late as December of 2023 so they are moving quite quickly.
 
All the best to everyone still going through the process!

Agreed! RiverCentre ramp event parking rate was $15, other ramps nearby charge less, street parking meters charge $2.25/hr, or there's even free street parking within a 1/2 mile on Exchange Street or just off West 7th Street where I parked (SW of the RiverCentre).
 
Other logistically notes from 5/10 ceremony: the notice said to arrive at 1:45pm for the check-in process. I arrived a little earlier but arriving at 1:45 gave you enough time to check in and be seated before the ceremony started at 2pm. Arrive earlier if your family wants a better seat or just want a little more time to settle in. The ceremony was about 45 minutes long (2-2:45pm) with the opportunity to register to vote & take care of social security paperwork afterwards. 1,000 people were naturalized. They read out the birth countries represented (I think there were 95 different countries) and how many from each country.
 
After the oath and as the ceremony ends, staff is ready to hand out naturalization certificates and new citizen info packets to you directly. Even though seating is not assigned, they know who is sitting in which row. They must use some kind of facial recognition technology to identify where everyone is sitting during the ceremony. It's a little unnerving to know they know exactly where you're sitting! But it definitely makes handing out naturalization certificates more efficient.

Hey! We were at the same ceremony!
 
So each row was numbered, and they told us not to swap seats. They took our appointment forms and arranged the certificates in the same order. Pretty low tech but it was very impressive!
 
Congratulations! Now to go apply for a passport…

I had my naturalization ceremony on Wednesday. It was a really nice ceremony, great judge speaking and I liked that they registered you to vote and let you update your SS card there. Contrary to the other poster, the league of women voters was speaking to everybody (including myself, a male) and they were very helpful to anyone having trouble.
 
Just some tips:
- Bring a pen to fill out the citizenship and SS forms. Keep your phone on you as the SS form has to be filled both in paper and online.
- There are parking lots nearby that are much cheaper than the river center one if you walk 3-5 minutes!
- After the ceremony, take some cheesy photos and celebrate with your family. If you wait about 20 minutes, the mad rush for social security dies down and it becomes reasonably easy to navigate.
 
Anyway, it is nice to be a citizen - I also applied under the three year rule. Gathering the required evidence was fairly easy. I think some people at the ceremony applied as late as December of 2023 so they are moving quite quickly.
 
All the best to everyone still going through the process!

I had my naturalization ceremony on Wednesday. It was a really nice ceremony, great judge speaking and I liked that they registered you to vote and let you update your SS card there. Contrary to the other poster, the league of women voters was speaking to everybody (including myself, a male) and they were very helpful to anyone having trouble.
 
Just some tips:
- Bring a pen to fill out the citizenship and SS forms. Keep your phone on you as the SS form has to be filled both in paper and online.
- There are parking lots nearby that are much cheaper than the river center one if you walk 3-5 minutes!
- After the ceremony, take some cheesy photos and celebrate with your family. If you wait about 20 minutes, the mad rush for social security dies down and it becomes reasonably easy to navigate.
 
Anyway, it is nice to be a citizen - I also applied under the three year rule. Gathering the required evidence was fairly easy. I think some people at the ceremony applied as late as December of 2023 so they are moving quite quickly.
 
All the best to everyone still going through the process!

My case was approved this morning, and oath ceremony is scheduled for early May!

I had my oath ceremony on 4/11 at the St. Paul River Center. Similar to @elmers experience, there were around 1000 people. The oath ceremony letter said to arrive at 12.45pm but the ceremony started at 2pm. Guests were allowed but seating is limited, so I suggest to arrive early so your guests can get a good spot. You cannot sit with your guests (they have seats at the back) and you get seated in specific rows that aids with distribution of certificates after the ceremony. The ceremony lasted for about 45 min.
 
One nice thing is that give you a SSN form to fill out & submit to SSA officials after the ceremony to get your SSN citizenship status updated. This saves you a trip to the local SSA office. The submission of the form is a bit chaotic but still worth waiting after the ceremony. 

Congratulations!! 

My case was approved this morning, and oath ceremony is scheduled for early May!

I got my 48 month extension after I got my 10 year card. I think they are automatically sent out, but obviously approval doesn't cancel the process!

I got my 48 month extension after I got my 10 year card. I think they are automatically sent out, but obviously approval doesn't cancel the process!

I had my N400 interview already prior to my I-751 approval. It cuts down the waiting time.
 
Also, a lot of people notice that their I-751 has no action taken until you file for citizenship. Then your files have to be reviewed.

Congratulations on the approval and card!

So I got my approval notice on Monday and new card in the mail on Tuesday.
 
Yesterday I got a 48 month extension letter, dated *after* my approval notice. Got to love USCIS! 😜

So I got my approval notice on Monday and new card in the mail on Tuesday.
 
Yesterday I got a 48 month extension letter, dated *after* my approval notice. Got to love USCIS! 😜