chitown

Big Congratulations to you ALL ... whooooo hooooo....seems like January 08 filer journey wrap up nicely the end is here for lucyrich, hotairguy, tunafish and definitely nscvet!!!

Wow!! Finally Los Angeles DO is moving big time and thus the flood of IL (interview letters) is amazing this weekend.... :D

I am so glad especially for you guys in LA... how frustating.... congrats also to FelizLA who has been waiting for almost a year for IL to arrive in LA DO.

CONGRATULATIONS ...

Fellow Jan08 filers... finally I can see the end of the tunnel of my journey.

Just came back and found the oath letter in my mail so I am really excited :D ...I will be taking the oath next wednesday ..

I would like to thank you all for your supports and sharing ...

Goodluck for everyone else and keep positive thinking

Hi guys and gals,

I was trying to look for answer to my question in FAQ but couldn't find it, that's why I am posting this question in this new thread. My mom had to leave USA for more than 6 months. She was eligible to apply for naturalization before leaving but, due to some urgency she had to leave and has to be away in the excess of 6 months. I need to know that, when she comes back would she have to be in the USA for another 5 years straight to be eligible to apply for citizenship? Now in this case, does USCIS takes off the entire 5 years that she lived here in USA or they would only take off the no. of days (those 6+ months time only) that she was away from the USA. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

matrix66,

I am assuming your mother has already been a PR (greencard holder) for 5 years and has been living/residing in US for 5 years as we are speaking now. So as long as your mom follows USCIS rules, USCIS will not take the past 5 years OFF from her current US residency. This means her past 5 years of maintaining US residency is NOT disrupted so don't worry.

Now for the upcoming long trips (greater than 6months), let me ask you first:

A: What are the chance your mom has to be staying out of US greater than 6months BUT still within 1 year?

or

B: What are the chance your mom has to be out of US MORE than 1 year BUT still Less than 2 years?

If your answer is

A: then it should be fine. Providing she maintains ties to US such as proof that your mom has mortgage or house or assets or bills (utility, credit card, etc.) in United States.

OR

B: then your mom need to file N470. This is to preserve your mom's residence and intended to prove that she is NOT abandoning her greencard in US. After your mom got N470, then she can travel. Otherwise, she would be considered as abandoning her GC and will be denied in her Citizenship application (N400).

Hope it helps

Life is good... Received my Interview Notice. and Interview on 8/19/08 at 1 PM at Atlanta DO.......

updating list with recent Interview dates....

UserName......... Sent................NOA1........ Biometrics..... Interview......... Oath

Katulututu..........04/28/08........05/09/08.......05/28/08.........07/24/08.........--/--/-- VSC(Baltimore)

Tony1967............04/29/08........05/06/08.......05/21/08.........07/16/08........--/--/-- TSC Jacksonville, Florida

omarchavez..........05/01/08........05/15/08.......05/30/08.........--/--/--.........--/--/-- VSC

Tushar..............05/02/08........05/16/08.......05/29/08.........08/19/08.........--/--/-- TSC(Atlanta)

kkate2000...........05/04/08........05/13/08.......05/28/08.........08/21/08.........--/--/-- TSC(Memphis)

BostonChick.........05/06/08........05/21/08.......06/06/08.........08/27/08.........--/--/-- VSC(Boston)

Jelly100............05/07/08........05/16/08.......05/29/08.........--/--/--.........--/--/-- CSC

coloradogirl........05/07/08........05/19/08.......05/30/08.........08/05/08.........--/--/-- NSC Denver

happy220............05/10/08........05/19/08.......05/31/08.........08/08/08.........--/--/-- CSC SF

maunzebaer..........05/12/08........05/27/08.......06/24/08.........--/--/--.........--/--/-- TSC(Atlanta)

robandlucy..........05/15/08........05/19/08.......06/14/08.........--/--/--.........--/--/-- VSC(Wash. DC)

smartie.............05/20/08........--/--/--.......06/20/08.........--/--/--.........--/--/-- TSC(Houston)

laura19angel........05/20/08........05/29/08.......06/13/08.........--/--/--.........--/--/-- NSC(Seattle)

lightpost...........05/27/08........06/10/08.......06/20/08.........--/--/--.........--/--/-- NSC(Chicago)

Cax&JL..............05/27/08........06/09/08.......06/19/08.........--/--/--.........--/--/-- CSC

aka.acer............05/27/08........06/07/08.......06/20/08.........--/--/--.........--/--/-- CSC

flames9.............05/30/08........06/03/08.......06/26/08.........--/--/--.........--/--/-- VSC(Wash. DC)

mrsbarnett..........05/30/08........06/05/08.......--/--/--.........--/--/--.........--/--/-- NSC(Chicago)

lvcouple............05/27/08........06/06/08.......06/25/08.........--/--/--.........--/--/-- VSC(Las Vegas)

Good for you Tushar !! Atlanta DO is very famous of being FAST ... enjoy the moment

Well, we are done with USCIS. My husband took his oath on the 4th of July, and I must say it was amazingly special. Here's the rundown - We had to be at the US District Courthouse here in Tallahassee, where the judge gave the oath to everyone - only 20 were being naturalized, with 17 going on to a Celebrate America celebration at our park. The other three were elderly or sick, and they were unable to manage the 100 degree heat. One ironic thing - the USCIS representative was actually the same man who did our AOS interview 3 years ago.

We then went by police motorcade to the park here in town. They stopped traffic for us - which made us feel terribly important. They then took my husband and all the others up on stage, where they had the Color Guard and the court's bailiff call court to order - just imagine "All Rise - Hear Ye, Hear Ye - the US District Court is now in session, with the Honorable Judge Sherrill presiding". Quite wild to hear at a park. The magistrate judge asked all the candidates to state their name and country of origin. The US Attorney General made the motion that they be presented as candidates for naturalization - it was moved. Then they were given the oath and said the Pledge of Allegiance. A tenor from Florida State University sang God Bless America and then court was dismissed. All in all, it was a wonderfully solemn and heartfelt ceremony.

I did one thing for my husband, I had a flag flown over the US Capitol building in DC - he was very moved by this gesture. The flag came with a signed certificate. If you are interested in doing something like this, you can contact your US Representative. Also, my aunt and uncle gave my husband my grandfather's US flag that had been draped over his casket, he served in the US Coast Guard during WWII. My husband was so proud to receive not one, but two flags. All in all, it was an amazing day.

I have to say that we are blessed to have completed this journey and I am grateful to all of the people on these boards who have made it fun along the way.

Staashi Congratulations!!! I am very happy for you, your husband and your whole family !!! So touched with your effort to get your grandfather's flag...

Now officialy your husband is a proud USC

Yay!!! My husband Tom passed. He got called in and asked if I could come in, but the woman said no. She was really nice he said, and he was only in there for ten minutes. She didn't look at a single piece of paper I prepared ahead of time, nor the extra photos Tom got done the other day (we'll save those for his passport application). All she looked at was his greencard and passport. And she asked if he's been out of the country since the application, so she updated that (we went to Canada for a weekend). She said Happy Anniversary to him (it was Thursday), and then began the test basically.

These were his six questions:

1. What is the capitol of Ohio.

2. What is the min. voting age.

3. What was the 49th state added.

4. What colors are the stripes on our flag.

5. In what year was the constitution written.

And he can't remember the 6th, maybe the one about the white house or something.

Glad to be done with this. She said the oath ceremony would probably be within 3 months. I need to get on the ball and get the flag flown over the white house and we will have a party for him whatever weekend is closest to his ceremony. Today we went out to lunch after.

Thanks everyone.

Tammi congrats to you and your husband!! What a relief !!

Now just count down waiting for Oath.... enjoy the moment

Yipeeeee! I got my oath Ceremony letter yesterday - it'll be

25 July at 9.30am Oklahoma City Courthouse.

The end is actually in sight!!!!

Good luck to all still waiting - surely I must be that last of the July 2007 people?

The Oath Ceremony will be one day short of a year from I posted my N400!

Congratulations annatenna.... at last the final count down to oath ceremony

Just back from the Loop to the green western suburbs... My journey is officially OVER... I'm a US citizen after a fast and painless ceremony :dance: :dance: :dance: :dance:

Congratulations Bertrand!!!

Too bad I am not as lucky as you are... looking at your timeline in Chicago DO, you are really Fast and Smooth

Part II:

User Name SC/DO PD FP IL ID OL OD

cmartyn VSC/Hartford 1/30/2008 3/15/2008

rohi73 :D VSC/Newark 2/4/08 2/28/08 4/19/08 6/23/08 6/23/08 6/23/08

amaka :D TSC/Dallas NA 3/5/08 4/11/08 6/6/08 NA 6/11/08

cobi100 CSC/LasVegas 2/10/08 3/5/08

We got an oath notice today! July 15 is the date!

We've been on vacation (in Mexico) for the past ten days, so I'm not sure when the notice actually would have arrived in our mailbox. Examining the envelope, there's no postmark, but the Pitney Bowes stamp says that the postage was prepared on the 17th, so we probably just missed getting it before vacation.

An interesting side note: Upon completion of the interview, we got a sheet that said Lucy passed the test. But there was a box on that form that said "your application has been recommended for approval", and another which said "at this time, a decision cannot be made on your application". The "a decision cannot be made" box was checked, which had me worried just a little bit.

Apparently, either there was a minor issue which they figured out on their own, or else it's just the standard way the San Francisco office works. I don't know why they checked that box instead of "your application is recommended for approval", but it doesn't really matter much at this point.

We're just a little disappointed to not get a July 4th ceremony, but we'll happily settle for July 15th. This way, we'll get to take advantage of all the post-July-fourth sales on patriotic party items.

Congratulations Lucyrich !!!

Here is the updates for Jan08 filer tracker as AWESOME Ending Journey News from Lucyrich and Bertrand:

PartI:

User Name SC/DO PD FP IL ID OL OD

bertrand :D NSC/Chicago 12/19/2008 1/24/2008 2/25/2008 5/28/2008 6/23/08 7/1/08

kiwis NSC/Portland 12/26/2007 1/26/2008 4/30/08 6/11/08

hotairguy NSC/Denver 1/5/2008 5/20/2008 6/6/08 7/6/08

nscvet CSC/Los Angeles 1/11/2008 2/7/2008

jilanik CSC/Las Vegas 1/14/2008 2/7/2008 6/21/08 8/20/08

jennybrigitta CSC/San Diego 1/16/2008 2/7/2008 4/27/2008 6/17/2008

tunafish NSC/Detroit 1/17/2008 2/15/2008 5/16/08 7/2/08

chitown08 NSC/Chicago 1/17/2008 2/15/2008 4/15/2008 6/27/2008

patricks FairfaxVA 1/21/2008 2/22/2008

lucyrich :D CSC/SF Bay Area 1/23/2008 2/19/2008 3/27/2008 5/30/2008

staashi :D TSC/Jacksonville 1/28/2008 3/18/2008 4/2/2008 5/6/2008 6/19/08 7/4/08

Hello all

It took me 9 hours but finally I am a citizen.

The officer who had my case did not go to work, so they assigned it to somebody else, very easy interview (7 minutes).

She was very fiendly and nice, went tought the form very fast and asked me the 10 questions (can't remember them all).

She talked a little about something she knew about my home town. I wrote "Today I am going to the store".

My husband was with me and she said he should take me to celebrate tonight

I was in the ceremony with the last group of the day, they gave me the naturalization certificate and forms to get the passport and to get registered to vote.

Ives Damian.... 5/13/8

Joannak......... 5/15/8

Pathmover...... 5/20/8

Balad.............. 6/3/8

Miri................ 6/12/8

Vogue............ 6/18/8

Danutuke........ 6/26/8

Lady_k........... 6/26/8

Satura........... 7/22/8

hellokittymm.... 7/24/8

Den_grain ....... soon

Lady_K Congratulations!!! You are a proud USC now

January2008 filer thread update as awesome news from rohi73, bertrand, and jilanik.

User Name SC/DO PD FP IL ID OL OD

bertrand :D NSC/Chicago 12/19/2008 1/24/2008 2/25/2008 5/28/2008 6/23/08 7/1/08

kiwis NSC/Portland 12/26/2007 1/26/2008 4/30/08 6/11/08

hotairguy NSC/Denver 1/5/2008 5/20/2008 6/6/08 7/6/08

nscvet CSC/Los Angeles 1/11/2008 2/7/2008

jilanik CSC/Las Vegas 1/14/2008 2/7/2008 6/21/08 8/20/08

jennybrigitta CSC/San Diego 1/16/2008 2/7/2008 4/27/2008 6/17/2008

tunafish NSC/Detroit 1/17/2008 2/15/2008 5/16/08 7/2/08

chitown08 NSC/Chicago 1/17/2008 2/15/2008 4/15/2008 6/27/2008

patricks FairfaxVA 1/21/2008 2/22/2008

lucyrich CSC/SF Bay Area 1/23/2008 2/19/2008 3/27/2008 5/30/2008

staashi :D TSC/Jacksonville 1/28/2008 3/18/2008 4/2/2008 5/6/2008 6/19/08 7/4/08

cmartyn VSC/Hartford 1/30/2008 3/15/2008

rohi73 :D VSC/Newark 2/4/08 2/28/08 4/19/08 6/23/08 6/23/08 6/23/08

amaka :D TSC/Dallas NA 3/5/08 4/11/08 6/6/08 NA 6/11/08

cobi100 CSC/LasVegas 2/10/08 3/5/08

Thank you LadyK and jilanik, yes I will update your info on the posting below. Anyway here is my experience of the interview today:

My friends and fellow N400 journey travellers… the dreaded day finally arrive and go… a bit relieved after seeing the checked ‘x’ on the option a: saying “Congratulation… you are recommended for final approval….” on the N652

The waiting time is quite long as expected-- it is said on the paper (interview letter) so I wait for almost 2 hours and there are a lot of people… no joking… After the IO called me then I was sworn.

Right away asked me to write one sentence and read one sentence. Then asked 6 exam questions:

-where does President live?

-what colors are our flag?

-what is the name of the ship which brought the pilgrims?

-what is Constitution?

-what is Preamble?

-when does President inaugurated?

After that went over all the questions in N400, including all the Yes/No questions and then asked for greencard, driver license and passport. It was pretty quick about 20-25minutes and then I was handed over the N652 letter. Without even asking, the officer said I would wait for Oath Letter in 2-3weeks…..

Right now I am crossing fingers since I saw so many Chicago applicants are waiting so I am not sure about that 2-3weeks….

Thank you all for your support 

PartII:

Smiley Legend:

means one big step closer receiving Interview Letter and Interview Date scheduled

:D means a huge relief after passing Interview and receiving Oath Letter

:D means finally getting to the end of N400 journey finishing Oath ceremony/ becoming USC/ getting passport done

... keep the drums rollin' for Jan08 filers as we are approaching almost the end of June (marking the 5th/6th month of this jurney)...

January2008 filer thread update as awesome news from rohi73, bertrand, staashi and amaka.

Part I:

User Name SC/DO PD FP IL ID

bertrand NSC/Chicago 12/19/2008 1/24/2008 2/25/2008 5/28/2008 6/23/08 7/1/08

kiwis NSC/Portland 12/26/2007 1/26/2008 4/30/08 6/11/08

hotairguy NSC/Denver 1/5/2008 5/20/2008 6/6/08 7/6/08

nscvet CSC/Los Angeles 1/11/2008 2/7/2008

jilanik CSC/Las Vegas 1/14/2008 2/7/2008

jennybrigitta CSC/San Diego 1/16/2008 2/7/2008 4/27/2008 6/17/2008

tunafish NSC/Detroit 1/17/2008 2/15/2008 5/16/08 7/2/08

chitown08 NSC/Chicago 1/17/2008 2/15/2008 4/15/2008 6/27/2008

patricks FairfaxVA 1/21/2008 2/22/2008

lucyrich CSC/SF Bay Area 1/23/2008 2/19/2008 3/27/2008 5/30/2008

staashi :D TSC/Jacksonville 1/28/2008 3/18/2008 4/2/2008 5/6/2008 6/19/08 7/4/08

cmartyn VSC/Hartford 1/30/2008 3/15/2008

rohi73 :D VSC/Newark 2/4/08 2/28/08 4/19/08 6/23/08 6/23/08 6/23/08

amaka :D TSC/Dallas NA 3/5/08 4/11/08 6/6/08 NA 6/11/08

cobi100 CSC/LasVegas 2/10/08 3/5/08

If I'm not mistaken, for Newark NJ DO the interview and oath are in the same day. I read it somewhere that they conducted oath 3 times a day. My husband told me that there were around 30 people in the room for the oath.

Congratulation rohi73!!! You can get it done in one day both interview and oath

Thank you for posting it and your data has been added to the January2008 thread

Hello All,

I have citizenship interview tomorrow at Chicago office. My I-751 is still pending. I am going by myself since during the Info pass they told me that my husband can not be present with me during the interview. Wish me good luck.

Please share if anyone had similar experience......

My timeline

I-751 filed Jan.31, 2007 Nebraska

Biometrics done March 11, 2007

Nothing since then.........................

N-400 filed March 4th 2008

Biometrics few weeks later

Interview- June 26

Thanks

Danutuke

GoodLuck for your Interview tomorrow Danutuke...

I am also a Chicago DO filer like yourself; my PD is 1/17 and my interview is one day after yours 6/27.

Please update us how many weeks the Immigration Officer told to wait for Oath Letter.

I am compiling some data for Chicago filers also for other Chicago applicants in another forum and seems like Chicago is not that fast as expected.

GoodLuck and TIA

Hi all!

My husband is finally a US citizen!! He had his interview and oath today at DO Newark, NJ. He reached there at around 9:15am for his 9:40am appointment. He waited for 2 hours before the officer called him for the interview. The officer asked him 10 questions and he didn't get one question According to him most of the questions asked were on people's name..eg name of Senator..etc etc ). The officer then asked for his copy of tax returns and marriage certificate. (Luckily for him, he had all the copies with him since we thought it's better to have everything just in case). Anyway he finished his interview at around 11.30 and waited for about 2 more hours for the oath. I'm glad he finished everything in one day because our next step is to file for my green card!

So wish me luck for my AOS application! I'm sending it tomorrow!!!

Thanks everyone and Good Luck!

Congrats rohi for your husband's ending journey of becoming a proud USC .... Wow that's nice that you can get Oath at the same day you finish your Interview....Newark DO is very efficient

GoodLuck to you for your journey in applying your greencard... hope all goes smooth as well

UPDATE

I received my oath letter today. Oath ceremony July 1, 2008 in Chicago!

Finally Bertrand ... I am so happy for you...

with that said , it means Chicago DO is moving finally ... slowly is better than not moving at all / stagnate.

So the IO was keeping the promise indeed you got your Oath Letter in a little over 3 weeks.

Congratulation in ending your journey in July 1st!!!

Got the notice today for my interview, scheduled for August 20th.

That is great news, congrats! I'm in Vegas too so hopefully this means I'll be getting my letter soon

Cobi100 in LasVegas,

You should get your Interview Letter soon just like jilanik... I just saw another Las Vegas filer got theirs too in another forum ...

Got the notice today for my interview, scheduled for August 20th.

Congrats jilanik

and thank you for sharing.... 2 months hopefully goes by fast....

Hello... more than three weeks now since my interview and no oath letter yet... they told me at the interview I should get it within 2-3 weeks

Hi Bertrand,

I hear you my friend... it must be so many applicants for Chicago waiting for oath ... I am guessing a bottleneck for the summer backlog...

From another forum I saw one filer promised in 2-3 weeks like yours but the OL finally arrived after 5-6 weeks (famy122).. that's double what the IO told him/her.

Also another Chicago filer got Interview done even before yours, and until now he/she has been waiting for more than 7weeks and still waiting his/her OL (samrat_999)...

.. it makes me anxious too since I am not even done yet with the interview.....

My father took and passed the citizenship test about 2 years ago, and he is now still waiting for the notice for the oral ceremony. He has asked the local Congressman sending letters twice already, every time the USCIS answered with the same result: It's still within the "normal" process time frame, they are still working on it? Working on what?? I really don't understand now.

Can someone please help me on it? What should he do now? Any method to speed up the process?

Hi Mugenpower,

Don't wait any longer. You should get a lawyer for your father ASAP and file WOM (Writ of Mandamus).

I had interview on June 3rd. Office in Houston had the A\C broken, so it was terribly hot. As I wrote earlier I was 38+ weeks pregnant and was scheduled for induction the very same day due to diabetes. I had to go off insulin, so this added nausea to my misery. Sweet IO lady pulled me out the queue and interviewed me though there was a bunch of people in front of me. Interview was easy an I got my oath letter today for July 2nd

Cheers to you Balad!! What a day must be to you! I am very happy to you and your family and definiteley one of your gift for passing Interview is your next day delivery... ...your son the bundle of joy ...

Congrats for finally ending your long journey

Good Luck Chitown!

Thank you Vougue ...

Got my oath notice today for July 16th!

Whohoooo.... CONGRATULATION Joannak!! Time to celebrate... finally the end of your journey has arrived