Scooter McGee

Good grief. But many congratulations!

Time line will depend somewhat on your field office. For me (Indianapolis) it was pretty fast: filed N-400 (five-year rule) on May 31st 2023, had the naturalization interview on July 31st, with the oath ceremony coming up on September 28th. So four months total including oath ceremony. I don't really have any advice - the process is fairly straightforward. I filed online, and made sure to triple-check responses before sending. Continually study / practice the civics questions until answers come naturally, although these should not be a hurdle. Good luck!

Personally, I'm going to go "suited and booted". The invitation to the naturalization ceremony states that it is "a solemn and meaningful event, [and] USCIS asks that you dress in proper attire to respect the dignity of this event." I think that gives a clue; and I want to dress in a manner that befits the significance and importance of the occasion, and is respectful to the ceremony, the surroundings and my fellow new citizens. Shorts or jeans never crossed my mind; and I cannot for one second fathom the couple who showed up basically in beachwear.

Thanks!

If requesting a modification to the oath (in this case just dropping the "so help me God" part, or affirming, so no documentation needed), must that be done at the N-400 interview, or can it be requested at the ceremony check-in, or in writing or by phone prior? Thanks!

I was in pretty much the same position. Nine years since my Green Card application; but when applying for N-400 also received a quick notification that biometrics would be re-used. Neither were biometrics collected at my N-400 interview in July. You should be good to go.

As others have stated, I can confirm from my interview one week ago that it's the 2008 version.