VivaBaños

While he has many good days, there are times when he gets annoyed with U.S. culture and misses home.

Exactly the same in our case.

Hi Norah! My husband is the new citizen Haven't gotten the passport yet but hopefully soon! I think he has been feeling different and is even excited to vote I'm excited that we get to vote together now.

Glad you're still around VivaBañoa Have fun on your trip! It's good to know the certificate comes later or I might have panicked when I didn't see it with the passport. It was a hard thing giving it up a few hours after getting it I think updating status with SSA means that when an employer looks up an SSN they can see you are a citizen. I would also suspect that if SSA doesn't know you were a citizen then they wouldn't know you qualify for SS when the time comes. At least now when you pay into the system you in theory will have something to show for it.

Yes the passport came with a little paper that said to expect the certificate in a different mailing and if you ordered the passport card to likely expect that in a third mailing.

Super exciting!!!

Vivabanos, if you're still reading - did you get your passport yet?

Has anyone gone down to their SSA office to update their status?

If I'm still reading?! Of course I am. I like watching all the good news for folks continue to come in!

Yes, we got the passport--we expedited for what was then an upcoming trip (actually it's today!). The passport arrived quickly and the naturalization certificate a few days later. We're still waiting on the passport card. We opted to pay the extra $ to always have proof of citizenship in the wallet. Unfortunately the passport card has not arrived and it's been well over a week since we received the passport.

We've not gone to SSA yet...I looked at the form online but haven't moved much beyond that. What's been the experience with this step?

And if it's been explained somewhere in a different thread forgive me for repeating the question, but why is it even necessary to make this change with the SSA? We're going to do it, just to have every box checked off, but I'm not clear on what difference it makes, if any at all.

The LA ceremony sounds gigantic.

We had 62 new citizens from 30 or so countries at our ceremony last week...

Everyone else is saying what I came here to say: this is completely normal. It's hard--for both of you--but it is normal.

Are there any community centers nearby where he might be able to coach or volunteer coach a basketball team? This would probably help his confidence a lot and build his own circle of contacts. He may not earn any money for this but it would offer him a sense of control. He's here not able to work in what he did in Ecuador and is feeling really frustrated. And he has no life or independence here, something he enjoyed up until he moved here. And it's frustrating for an independent person to suddenly be dependent upon someone else, even a spouse, to handle everything.

My husband took lots of English classes in the two cities where we've lived and really believes this helped him--not just with English but learning to stand on his own feet here, without me leading the way.

He also volunteered in a position related to his professional background, and this ultimately led to full-time work.

Plus, I see that you're in WI. I think that things will look up now that winter is behind you--more time to be out and about, street festivals, etc to enjoy together.

Good luck!

I agree--nice to see so many folks getting good news.

And one day after our naturalization ceremony I met someone who'd just sent in paperwork for the K-1 visa.

Start reading VJ was just one of many pieces of advice I gave her!

Our oath ceremony was today! We are done-done-done!

We went straight over to file for the passport today.

Thank you all who have offered tips and encouraging words.

We've learned so much through VJ and appreciate the virtual support everyone has offered.

Now, someone please turn our info RED for citizen!!

Best of luck to those still patiently awaiting news!

Thanks to everyone who keeps track of that list. I know I'd mess it up, the formatting, or dates or something, so I appreciate those of you who help the rest of us keep up with everyone's mileposts.

Congrats!

And we're scheduled for the oath ceremony Friday May 18th!

Email and a text just arrived saying we're in line for the oath ceremony.

This is so odd. We were expecting an RFE.

Hooray!

Congrats to everyone moving forward.

We're still waiting for the RFE...I'm hoping something arrives in the mail soon. No update online and no texts...

Well our experience in Hartford was certainly not pleasant today. My husband was called in after the 1.5 hour wait. We'd noticed that all of the USCIS folks who were calling people back there appeared to be one person who was in a really bad mood. And guess who it was who called my husband back for the interview? No smile or handshake to welcome him like all the others were doing with interviewees. She just pointed him back to room for the interview. Apparently from the swearing in to the end of the interview she was cold. And then afterward she tried to give me attitude when I inquired about document he was given. Her bitterness was palpable. Moving forward...

He passed the Civics and English tests without any problem. All of the personal information questions about us were fine as well. But the officer then began asking him specific dates of our trips to Ecuador (none of which were for more than a couple of weeks, nothing anywhere close to the max limit outside the US). She asked for the specific dates that he and I went together and for those trips that he traveled alone. Unfortunately my husband is terrible at remembering dates and we'd not practiced this when preparing for the exam. So he said that he couldn't remember exactly. She asked for the exact amount of time we'd lived at our previous address and for the address and phone number we used there (this was four years ago!). He said to me afterward that he was nervous and all of that info had completely slipped his mind. We had all of the evidence that we were requested to bring in the interview letter.

She gave him a form saying that she'd mail us an N-14 form. I assume that the form will request evidence of our having filed taxes for 2011. Even though that was not a requested doc in our interview letter, she requested to see that and we hadn't taken a copy of the submitted tax docs with us this morning. I'm wondering what else might be requested...

First Friday of the Month: Hartford

Second Friday: New haven

Third Friday: Bridgeport.

Based on your interview date, my guess is your oath will be on 5/4 in Hartford. When you show up they already have your letter printed but as Darren and Crissy was saying I suppose you can try to ask for another day.

good luck

Thanks for the info JustWatching and Darren and Crissy. Congrats to you both for being one step closer!

Maybe I will see you in Bridgeport? - my ceremony is at 12:30

I read somewhere that CT has several different cities for the oath (on a rotation), but that they all take place on Fridays. I assume most folks want to do the swearing-in as quickly as possible, but I foresee that we wouldn't be able to miss work on a Friday for a few weeks post-interview. Does Hartford let you choose (ask to postpone the oath) or do they just tell you when to show up, no choice in the matter?

Congrats to everyone moving further along in this process.

Darren and Crissy, how did it go in Hartford? We'll be heading up there next week and are anxious to know more details.

Thanks!

Hi guys,

I would like to thank all of you for your support, and advice. I passed my interview and was recommended for Approval. My interview appointment time was 9:00am, and I got to the DO at 8:48am. Checked in and waited till I was called by my IO at 10:51am. Older white gentleman, who was very pleasant and he even apologized for the long waiting time.

Interview took about 15 minutes and he asked the following questions:

1- How many years do we elect a US Representative for?

2- What is the "rule of law?"

3- What ocean is on the West Coast of the US?

4- What is the name of the national anthem?

5- What do the 13 stripes on the flag represent?

Funny guy, he cracks a joke: "You cheated, you actually studied!" Interview took 15 minutes and he congratulated me, and asked me if I've been pleased with their service so far (USCIS).

And that was a wrap. Handed me my N-652, so I guess at this point, I will just wait in line for my Oath.

Thanks once again guys! You guys rock!

Congrats!

And our interview has been scheduled for April 17th @9am in Hartford!

I am a USC NOW!! Just came back from oath ceremony!! Can somebody PLZ Update ME. (Make it RED PLZZZZZZZ)

Congrats Moony!

Fantastic news!

My appointment was 12PM on 3/26 and I showed up today (3/15) at 9AM and just handed my letter to the security guard . He picked up that I was early but I said I was going to be in Texas that week and I didn't have time to reschedule since my interview is 4/9. There was no problem - the office was quiet so I was in and out in 10 mins.

Port Chester, NY is a very good field office, they didn't complain last time I had my bio done there in Jan 2011 for ROC. I got my dates mixed up and turned up a day late.

Yes it is...I wish we could do the interview there instead of driving all of those hours to the capital!

I planned a holiday in TX for late March (hoping my appointment was early April - which it is!). Today I get a bio appointment for late March while I am on vacation!!

Let's hope I can get an early bio!!!

We may be in a somewhat similar case...We've done bio, but have had a trip planned for quite some time to take 3 days out-of-town. And now I'm worried that our interview date is going to fall on one of those three days. The only three days on the whole calendar to have plans...and watch the interview date fall on one of them!

My fingers are crossed that we won't need to, but I am wondering if anyone has had to reschedule the interview? Has anyone read about a situation like this in another thread?

And we're scheduled for an interview!

Speaking Spanish will only improve your chances, and likely your relationship too.

Out of curiosity, did others (family and friends) attend the wedding? Lots of other questions, but I'll start with that one for now.

There are certainly a lot of factors that go into what occurs at an interview in Guayaquil. Some of those factors you have control over. Try to tighten those up (evidence, records, any things that might look bad from the Consulate's perspective) from before the time you send off your I-130 until the interview.

Suerte!

You're in Hartford too right? And only a day or two behind me so I am crossing my fingers for you that you get something this week!

Yes, waiting to get in on the action at Hartford. I was wondering when things would pick up the pace there. I'm happy to see other Hartford folks get notices--that gives me more hope!

I want in on some of this curious pattern of posting on VJ and then hearing news! Maybe this post will do it??