cardia

Hey folks, just a heads up for those that use USPS Informed Delivery: when you get around to applying for your U.S. passport, and they mail your naturalization certificate back, it might not show up on your Informed Delivery as it may get delivered in a large envelope. They didn't tri-fold my certificate, as they might other documentation (i.e. my child's U.S. birth certificate did show up on Informed Delivery, as that one was tri-folded and placed in a standard envelope).

I just wanted to let y'all know here because I know I was a bit anxious waiting for my naturalization certificate to come back and was watching Informed Delivery like a hawk. Didn't want to pay another fee to USCIS to get it replaced, lol!

On 4/29/2024 at 9:31 AM, Brit_C said:

Question - How may people can I bring? It doesn't say it on the letter

I brought two guests. Many seemed to bring somewhere between 1-5. I think unfortunately the answer is going to be location-dependent, as some offices may have smaller or larger venues. At mine, many of the seats were occupied, maybe around 75% at 1-5 guests per applicant.

1 hour ago, happydoctor said:

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 .

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.

On 3/31/2024 at 10:50 AM, Rhythmlicious said:

Did anyone take the oath yet? My interview is this week and since it's at 3 pm, I assume I won't have same day oath ceremony if all goes well. 

 

I'm just debating what to wear. I've seen a stunning floor length, gala style red dress that I personally think would be very appropriate, but maybe I'm expecting way too much lol.

 

What is everyone else planning to wear?

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.

3 hours ago, Dags said:

Just an update! 
 

Went for my interview today and my spouse was with me in waiting area. It wasn’t a combo interview, the officer just did citizenship interview. She only asked if it was my husband in waiting area when going thru details on my application.

 

all passed. Oath scheduled for April 3.

Congratulations! My oath is scheduled for April 3 too. Glad that it seems like your husband was allowed in the waiting room. Mine was not, but my interview was very brief and my husband was aghast at having paid the extortionate fee for 2-hr parking in Downtown San Diego when I didn't even take that long. 😂

What a relief that we're done! Have a wonderful week.

8 minutes ago, OldUser said:

That's great thank you for the update. Yes, most of the times IO would not ask for proof, but it does happen to small percentage of cases. It's good to be prepared.

Agreed, you never know with USCIS and the IO you'll get. Thanks again for your help at the time I originally posted!

Coming back here to report that the IO did not ask to see any proof at all of my husband's U.S. citizenship. I suppose the scan of his passport that I sent in with my application worked just fine!

Oath ceremony notice popped up on my account this morning - April 3! In two weeks I'll become a citizen. Summarizing my timeline below at the San Diego FO:

01 Jan 2024 - Filed N-400

01 Jan 2024 - Biometrics were reused (online notice)

05 Feb 2024 - Interview was scheduled (online notice)

15 Mar 2024 - Interview; recommended for approval and sent to quality review, and in line for oath ceremony

19 Mar 2024 - Oath ceremony was scheduled (online notice)

03 Apr 2024 - Oath ceremony

All the best to everyone still pending, and wishing you all a speedy and painless way to your naturalization.

On 3/12/2024 at 12:20 AM, minivatreni said:

The uscis officer will go through your application with you and reaffirm the name change. 
 

I would ask them at that time if you’re unsure if you want to change your name or not 

That makes sense. Thanks! 2 days to go.

Interview is this Friday! I'm so nervous; I feel like my heart could drop out of my chest at any moment. I'm also reconsidering the name change I wrote in my application. Anyone know when it might be a good time to ask during the interview how long it might delay the oath ceremony?

2 minutes ago, Dags said:

Yea still pending I-751. My interview letter says only to bring proof of his citizenship. Where would he be waiting since I don’t think anyone else but you is allow inside?

Not an expert on it but for those with pending ROC, I’ve seen reports saying that their spouse waited in the waiting room or outside the office. IO can have them come in.

With the pending ROC, yup, I would definitely bring your spouse and just have him as close by as possible. Hopefully your office allows him to wait in the waiting room.

I'll be having my interview in a week. My interview is not a combo interview as I've already had my I-751/ROC approved more than a year ago, so my husband will not be coming in with me. The letter I received doesn't indicate that he needs to come, though it does say that I need to bring proof of his citizenship.

I've seen a few recent experiences at my local office that suggest he will not be able to wait for me in the waiting room. Going to see if he can on the day of, but if not, he'll be hanging around nearby the office. He would have done so anyway for support, but also just in case they somehow need to see him.

Commenting again on this thread as I review the civics questions before I head off to bed: this is so strange, to be at the finish line after all these years. I attended high school here in America and reviewing these questions made me revisit my memories of U.S. history class, and that feels like eons ago. It feels like I've come full circle, lol!

30 minutes ago, minivatreni said:

Seems like you’re more prepared than most people and have everything you need. Don’t forget your drivers license as well. Is it a combo interview? 

Thanks for the reassurance. I know, it is likely overkill, but I'm reminded of the time where we were ill-advised to not submit any evidence with our AOS by the lawyer that we'd hired. By sheer luck we didn't get RFE'd before our interview was scheduled, and the IO was quick to commend us for our preparation when he saw that I had come with probably a literal ton of evidence. To help ward off the anxiety I'm doing the same thing with naturalization!

Not a combo interview, they waived me at ROC. Good call on the DL, I usually have mine in my wallet but I think I will move it into my folder to have it for quick access.

On 2/5/2024 at 8:57 PM, cardia said:

Logged in today to find an update: my interview has been scheduled for mid-March. Filed Jan 1, so this is shockingly fast.

Hey, everyone! A little over two weeks to go until my interview and I'm nervous. Filing under the 3-year marriage rule, could someone give me feedback on the packet I'm bringing to the interview?

• Green cards: 2-yr, 10-yr; EAD/AP card
• My Philippine passports that I used to enter; corresponding I-94
• Spouse's U.S. passport
• Birth certificate: mine, spouse, and our child's
• Marriage certificate
• 4 years of IRS tax return transcripts
• Leases for our current and past 3 years of residences, affidavit for 1 year of residence together at spouse's parent's home
  • Renter's insurance for our current home
  • Electric, water, and Internet bills for the past year at our current residence (should I be bringing 3 years' worth? I can't even find them anymore as they are closed accounts for our previous residences 😬)
• Beneficiary pages for our brokerage accounts, spouse's life insurance
• Pages stating current status for joint health insurance
• Bank statements dating to the start of our marriage, about 5.5 years worth (should I bring less of this? 😅)
• Joint car title

10 minutes ago, OldUser said:

Too bad that he never obtained a certificate of naturalization. This comes up a lot. It's not late to apply for the future.

 

For now, bring all the supporting documentation, including US passport and copy of mother's naturalization certificate. Do not volunteer it at the interview. If you can proof his citizenship by using passport, he should use it. If asked about naturalization certificate, present all evidence you have, explain the situation and perhaps show a copy of filed application for certificate. 

 

This is not a legal advice.

Thank you, this is what I was thinking when I noticed that specific line. Unfortunate that I did not do any additional digging past the initial list of evidence for the application, as I remember wondering if it'd present an issue that we only had his U.S. passport as proof of citizenship. Crossing my fingers that it does not come up at all at time of interview.

Did some searching on the forum but was unable to find a clear answer. I was scheduled for the interview and the notice mentioned, as an applicant applying on the basis of my marriage to a U.S. citizen, that I needed to bring "your spouse's birth or naturalization certificate or certificate of citizenship":

My spouse naturalized as minor, through his mother's naturalization. He has never obtained a certificate of citizenship, though his mother has one. He does have a valid U.S. passport, and has had one since he became a citizen. My question is: is that passport sufficient enough to fulfill their requirements, or do we really have to obtain a naturalization certificate for him? Obtaining the certificate could take up to a year, and my interview is next month.

Thanks all. Appreciate all and any responses.

Happy New Year, all! I am very delayed in applying for citizenship, considering that I became eligible a little over a year ago, but I finally got it done yesterday and am relieved to get it out of the way. We included as evidence:

• Joint bank account statements from the beginning of our marriage until present (~6 years)
• Birth certificate of our child
• Documentation showing beneficiaries for our life insurance, retirement and brokerage accounts; shared health insurance plan with our child; and renter's insurance for our current home
• Leases for all our residences in the time we've been married
• IRS return transcripts from the past three years
• Plus the necessary required documents: photo of front and back of green card, IRS return transcripts, proof of spouse's US citizenship

Got the NOA and the biometrics reuse notice very soon after filing, so we're now just sitting back and waiting for paper copies to arrive in the mailbox. Processing time for our location (San Diego, CA) is estimated 7 months for 5-year rule applicants (I am not; I am applying under the 3-year rule) at time of filing.

1 hour ago, Mike E said:

Congrat @cardia.

 

Have you planned out your first camping trip since being approved?

 

As in camping outside your mail box waiting for your USPS carrier on the day the card is due? 😂

Way ahead of you - my tent is pitched by the mailbox already! 😂

4 minutes ago, Mike E said:

It does seem like someone found the dilithium crystals and fixed   the warp drive. I was certain we’d be doing a combo interview. 

Thank goodness for whoever did end up fixing the drive! I was also starting to feel like we'd end up doing an interview. Were it not for our newborn, we'd have filed N-400 earlier, but now we're targeting Halloween too (or whenever our baby learns how to sleep properly, which may be never).

16 minutes ago, Mike E said:

Case was approved today. 
 

lawfully says card  went into production October 13, 2022

 

Card should go to our lawyer. 
 

WAC / California service center. 

Congratulations! Seems like WAC is staying on top of things and finally getting around to October 2021 cases. Can’t believe it’s been a year now.

Just now, OldUser said:

@Elena & Craig field office is irrelevant in this case. The application was processed solely at the Service Center. Field office is only involved if interview is needed or N-400 filed with N-751 pending.

 

^^ people can correct me on this, it's only my understanding.

This is how I understand it too, especially as all of my e-requests have been addressed by WAC/California Service Center. As I recall, my e-requests or inquiries during AOS were answered by my local field office after my case was ready to be scheduled for an interview.