manty

Short answers are sufficient - you don't need to phrase your answers in the form of a complete sentence. You could if you wanted to, but it sounds weird. The woman who interviewed me accepted my short and to-the-point answers (e.g. "The Constitution", "Independence from Britain", "Slavery" etc.)

And I'm done! My US passport arrived today, so I now feel like the process is complete.

Good luck to everyone still waiting, and congrats again to those who have completed the process. It's odd, but when I started out, thinking about waiting for four, five, six months seemed almsot hopeless. Now that it's all finished, it seems to have flown by rather quickly.

I'm planning on staying around on this site - it gave me lots of helpful information and support, and the least I can do is offer some of the same to those also going through the process.

All done! I'm now a US citizen! Yay.

The ceremony was fairly uneventful, but exciting. First of all, arrive early. Don't do like I did and arrive promptly at the time stated on the interview form - the courtroom was packed and standing room only. Give yourself a good half hour to get a decent seat.

The USCIS rep explained the ceremony to all of us, then had us all check our names on the certificates and hand our permanent resident cards in (I'm glad to see the back of that thing). Then we were moved around and all of the relatives were put on one side of the courtroom and the new citizens were seated on the other side. The judge was a little late, but was polished and efficient, and had a few amusing comments thrown in. The USCIS rep administered the oath, then we sat and listened to the judge make a rather sweet speech - I think that was the best part of the ceremony, as he seemed really glad to be a part of the naturalization process, and very welcoming to us all. Then we said the pledge of allegiance (you might want to memorize this first - I had to read it), and then we all met the judge personally.

We all got a little flag from the Daughters of the American Revolution lady (which was kinda cool - my first flag and although it's a cheap little plastic thing, it's something that I'll treasure).

Overall, it was a pretty cool experience, and it didn't sink in immediately. It still hasn't sunk in to be honest - I'm a citizen, something I've been looking forward to for years and years and years, and the six months since applying has flown by. No more immigration issues, no more forms, no more nothing. It's a good feeling.

I'm applying for my passport on Tuesday, registering to vote next week and that's it - nothing else to do!

Thanks to everyone on this board, particularly those fellow November 08 filers, who supported each other through the whole process and shared information - this board was by far the most useful resource I had available.

Good luck to those still waiting!

Jsnearline, you were faced with the tough choice of moving from Colorado to DC - that's a distance that isn't commutable, and it's understandable that family came first in your case. But the OP is living separate and apart from his spouse because of a two hour drive. Doesn't that strike anybody as extremely odd?

I can vouch for Goran's description - it is spot on. I went through the same thing in March and it brought back memories.

Norfolk does seem to have a long interview-to-oath time. Mine was about two months (and my oath is tomorrow, so I'll be sure to post afterwards). I believe that's because they think it will be "convenient" for those of us living closer to the courthouse in Richmond to have our oath there instead of travelling to Norfolk again. Personally, I'd rather take the oath in the rather unceremonious setting of the waiting room of the Norfolk field office the same day instead of having such a long wait.

+++ for the advice about the drive. Make sure you plan on getting there a good hour before your appointment. The tunnel is a real ####### when there's traffic, and if there's an accident, you are sure to be screwed unless you have plenty of time to spare. It's not an area that has many alternative routes, and it's the tunnel or nothing. You have all been warned!

The office is in a light industrial area, and it's a bunch of warehouses and offices. I couldn't find anything of any real use in terms of a place to get a cup of coffee or a snack.

The interviewers were very nice to me also, and the whole process - once you get taken back to the interview rooms - is very quick. Like Goran says, they do go over your application and ask for clarification of a few things, but provided you can explain, you're good to go.

But yeah, the delay from interview to oath is a killer. I would have had an "application to oath" time of about 4 months had there not been such a delay in the oath. But still, the process is almost done so I shouldn't complain!

Hey Muslimlady 37. Perhaps you haven't heard, but there is a RECESSION going on right now. Some couples are forced to live and work apart from each other to make ends meet.

The OP says his wife was LAID OFF. It doesn't sound like her first choice was to move away from him.

Yes, of course there are instances where layoffs might force a temporary separation. But the OP has been living apart from his spouse for a year, and they don't even really need to. If the locations are two hours apart, then buying or renting a house in the middle of the two (and each having a 1 hour commute) is very reasonable. I'm not buying the "having to live apart for economic/career reasons" in the OP's case.

The OP seems to be living apart from his spouse for convenience reasons. If I was responsible for adjudicating the OP's case, I would find it very difficult to believe that the forced separation for an entire year because one spouse had to commute a couple of hours per day was a valid exception to the rule. That's commutable, particularly when considering that if they split the difference in distance, it would be a typical daily commute for millions of Americans.

Plus the fact that no jobs in the same city could be found in an entire year - there is no exception from the requirement that spouses live together for "being picky about employment". One spouse might just have to put his or her career on hold and suck it up for a while.

Things aren't really adding up. Something else is going on here.

I completed my interview this morning. It was uneventful - a little bit of an anticlimax, to be honest!

I arrived 20 minutes early, and the waiting room had five or six couples there. They all seemed to be waiting for their interviews - studying the test questions etc. I waited while each was called up before me. Their interviews appeared to last about 15 minutes, and no spouses were allowed.

Word to the wise - don't try and "smuggle" a cell phone in. I turned mine onto silent mode because I wanted to check email while I was waiting. The security guard asked me whether I had any electronic devices on me. I said no. Then he asked me to step through the metal detector, and sure enough, beep beep beep. I put my hand in my pocket and pulled out the phone and pretended that I "forgot" it was there, but it was obvious that I was lying. Made me feel like a #######.

My name was called. I went back to the interview room with a very friendly official. Lots of small talk. Then she put me under oath and we went very quickly through the usual questions, confirming the things on my application. No issues whatsoever. She joked about my "criminal record", which consisted of everything I could think of - ancient speeding tickets, parking tickets etc. There is no harm in overdisclosing!

She examined my passport to confirm a few dates of entry to the US, just to confirm that I really hadn't been out for more than 6 months at a time.

Then she asked me the test questions and stopped after I got 6 correct. There were a good mix of questions about the constitution (about 2), some history (perhaps 2) and some general US things. I don't remember which questions they asked, but I do recall that they weren't from any particular category (like all about the constitution or something).

The reading and writing test was simple. For anyone who has even an elementary grasp of English, it's very simple.

And that was it. I signed my photos and she told me that I had passed. There was never any time in the entire process where I felt she was looking for fraud, but perhaps that's because I've been in the US for over a decade and have been married to a US citizen for longer than that - I guess the fraudulent applications come from those people who filed 90 days before the 3 year marriage anniversary and who are doing everything they can to get through the process as quickly as possible. If I wanted to commit fraud, I guess I would have done it ten years ago.

I was truly hoping for a same-day oath, but she handed me a form that said I was going to an oath ceremony on the 22nd of May. Yay, but that's almost 2 months away and I had really expected this to be over within the next couple of weeks at the latest. Oh well.

I'm still happy to be all-but-done, and now it's a case of staying on the right side of the law until the 22nd!

Glad there's more than one of us around too!

To me, the most annoying aspect is that it's queue jumping. The vast majority of us patiently wait until the proper time to file, and it's maddening to read posts from people who want to skip ahead and slow our applications down. The effects of one queue jumper are minimal, but if lots of people start queue jumping, then the effects are no longer negligible. Early filers who slip through the cracks (if there are any) make the process slower for the people who file in a timely manner.

And the pinnacle of rudeness is to ask the very people standing in the queue whether they can help you queue jump. The OP might as well have gone to a line at a busy grocery store and said to each person, "I know you've been waiting, but I'm more important. Can you help me jump in front of you?"

I know what the rules are ok... I looking for some who actually submitted ealier and was denied.. and obviously none of you who replied had this happen to you.. SO all of you are just making an assumption.

But I'm going with your all you advices and not Fedex'n her application until the day before the 90th day. Hopefully the center processes it right away and don't hold it for 15 days until the get the frist NOA out.

Thanks

If you know the rules, then follow them and stop asking stupid questions.

What else do you want to know? Whether you actually have to be married, or can you just be girlfriend and boyfriend for three years? Or can you file your N-400 based on the fact that you've owned a dog that was born in the US for the past three years? I mean, I'm sure that nobody here has tried to bend those rules either, but common sense tells us that the outcome wouldn't be good.

Something sounds odd here. While many people post and ask what happens if they file a couple of days early because of a miscalculation in their dates, you're actually trying to play the system and deliberately file incredibly early. Here’s what I think is going on – your wife has committed some form of crime and she’s trying to get through this process as quick as possible because if she is arrested prior to becoming a citizen, she’ll be denied citizenship and will end up being deported. You seem just a little too keen on getting through the process as quickly as possible, and typically there’s a reason for people wanting to do that. And typically, that reason is to make sure that something they’ve done won’t have immigration-related consequences.

(Oh, and if you bothered to search the internet - use the terms "N-400" and "early" - you'll find countless tales of people's applications being denied for early filing of even a day or two.)

the reason i asked because i mailed my n400 91 days before ...so i guess i will be fine...

I'm consistently amazed that this is even an issue. Do applicants get so excited about applying that they really can't wait until the correct time to file, and are willing to risk the entire process over a single day?

How hard can it be to file on a date when you are absolutely sure that you are within the 90 day window? I know that sometimes it's hard to figure out whether it's 91 days or 89 days or whatever because of the fact that some months have 30 days and some have 31 days, but if that's the case, what harm is there in waiting an additional couple of days until you are sure that you're within the 90 day window?

I know what the rules are. Looking for a second opinion.

Exactly what are you looking for a second opinion on? Whether 105 is the same as 90? It's not as if you're asking for an interpretation of an obscure, unsettled area of immigration law. You're asking a first grade math question with a "right" and "wrong" answer. Opinions have nothing to do with this.

One week to go before my interview. Is it normal to be pantwettingly excited?

Again peaches ignore people who have nothing important to say....We have perfect people and people who like to point out fault. And yes Manty when your perfect you can point as many fingers as you want, hence my quote from the Bible.

By "important", you clearly mean "nice". I think those urging Peaches to address this issue with extreme caution (rather than "oh, you'll be just fine!") are pointing out something rather important, even if it isn't what Peaches wants to hear.

And as someone who is so fond of quoting the Bible, perhaps you should re-read the parts that discourage dishonesty, lying and stealing, as they are all applicable to Peaches' tax fraud. I don't see you quoting those sections to her, though.

Manty read the whole thread....she's amending her returns....

And peaches don't worry about these people giving you #######. Apparently they are all perfect and have never made a mistakes. =) Good luck and tell us how everything goes.

I did read the whole thread, thank you very much. Amended returns will make the whole affair look even more shady, particularly as it'll be very clear that the only motivation she had for filing amendments was the citizenship interview rather than a strong moral compass. Hardly the result of crushing guilt, and rather self-serving, don't you think?

And since when did someone have to be perfect in order to comment on someone else's faults? I've made many mistakes in my life, including some deliberate "mistakes" like the one Peaches made, but that doesn't stop me calling a situation like I see it. She committed tax fraud - successfully, too! - until she wanted to become a citizen of the nation whose tax laws she systematically sought to avoid.

Or, putting it another way, why would Peaches want to become a citizen under the very government she has deliberately deceived and cheated for the past three years?

Again, the story doesn't add up.

That said, I wish Peaches no harm in this process. I don't hope her chances of citizenship are dashed. I don't hope she gets caught. I don't hope she gets fined or jailed. If she wants to become a citizen, then I hope she succeeds.

I'm just a touch bothered by the fact that she is playing the "I'm just a simple foreign girl and I didn't know better - ooops!" card and everyone here is falling for it.

I'd feel far better if she posted something like the following: "Hey guys, I've got an immigration problem. I know it was wrong, but I filed as head of household for the past two years and as single one year, but I'm married. I've got my naturalization interview soon and I want to know how I should proceed. Any ideas?"

. . . And if the officer asks for it, I will tell him that the accountant advised . . .

Peaches - do you actually have an accountant? I ask because the way I read your original post, it sounds like you and your husband knew that you were both illegally filng as head of household, but now that you risk being caught, you've concocted a made-up excuse to get off the hook.

Perhaps you do have an actual, real-life accountant. But something tells me that you filed your tax returns with no assistance from an accountant, and now you're planning to try and lie to cover your tracks.

Or perhaps I'm too cynical.

The thing is, I work closely with accountants. There's only one way 99% of accountants would tell you to file as head of household, and that is if he or she didn't know that someone else in your family was filing as head of household. And that would only happen if you deliberately used separate accountants for yourself and your husband in order to deceive the accountant. (Most professionals - lawyers, accountants etc. - have spent many years and many tens of thousands of dollars on their educations, and they don't risk throwing it all away to save a client a few grand. That's why I doubt any qualified accountant would advise you to break the law.)

Hmmmm. There's just too much "wrong" with your story. The least likely possibility is that it was a legitimate mistake. It sounds like you've known your filing status for many years, and it sounds like it's not a "surprise discovery" that you've only just realized two days ago by accident. And your English seems too good to blame this on a simple misunderstanding or not knowing what "head of household" or "single" meant. And it's not a rare occurrence either - it's a common means of defrauding the government that I'm sure many government tax and immigration inspectors are very familiar with (yup, not everyone who works for the federal government is stupid).

And to top it all off, you're now going to blame this on your "accountant"? The inspector will likely want to speak to this accountant (if there is one - if not, you're screwed), and the accountant, who in all likelihood isn't going to take a fall for a client and lose his or her license, will dig out the file and provide documentation of your deception.

Listen. I'm sorry you're in this situation. Perhaps the inspector will overlook it or miss it, but I doubt it. What you have done is a rather serious crime - it's not the moral or legal equivalent of a speeding ticket.

Your choice is simple: either move forward with citizenship and risk getting caught, or withdraw your application and you'll probably be safe from the IRS. If the inspector notices the "mistake" on your application, I doubt he or she will turn you over to the IRS, but it will definately be a huge black mark against you in terms of acquiring citizenship. If you withdraw, you'll perhaps never become a citizen.

What's worse, fraud is a crime of moral turpitude. It has very serious consequences for immigration purposes.

what is one thing that you dislike about your husband?

What did you say?

(Oh, congrats too! That's great news! Please let us know how the oath ceremony goes!)

I am (reasonably) excited about becoming a US citizen, but I'd trade a 6-month delay (even more) for my football team winning the European Champions League this year

I would NOT cancel a vacation with my wife for an oath that I can take a few weeks later, hopefully it won't happen, but still...

Points taken. Perhaps I'm kinda really excited because it will mean I'll finally be able to apply for a particular job I've been wanting to do for a long time (police officer - gotta be a citizen where I live). For other people, I guess that becoming a citizen isn't that big of a deal because it really won't change their daily lives too much.

I'm still not inclined to reschedule any immigration appointments. Lord knows when the appointment will be rescheduled for - could be a few weeks, could be 6 months, or could be at an even more inconvenient time than the current one.

Requested to be rescheduled due to personal reasons.

It's unfortunate that you're having to jump through some hoops you've already jumed through, but I'm obviously not the only person here who is thinking "what possible personal reason caused you to reschedule your oath date?"

It clearly wasn't an emergency, unforeseen conflict that couldn't be avoided (e.g. sudden illness).

I'm guessing that it involved you being out of the country, because I doubt there's one other person on this entire board that would miss an oath appointment for anything less than that. Actually, most of us would purposely fly back into the US for the oath ceremony if we happened to be abroad. The oath ceremony is the simplest step of the naturalization process, and represents the absolute last time we have to deal with anything immigration-related whatsoever. It's a huge deal, and it requires virtually no effort. It's a major life change, but all you needed to do was show up. It's so important that there's literally nothing that should take precedence, other than the imminent demise of a close family member.

Not trying to bust on you, but dude, what were you thinking? That was one bad decision!

But when i checked the copy of my application form I-485, i signed the thing about selective service. Do you think i will be able to recover my number?

Easy way to check whether you registered or not: go to www.sss.gov. Click on "Check a registration", then enter your surname, SSN and date of birth. You will instantly be given your registration info (date and number). If nothing comes up, you didn't register. I hope you get good news!

I imagine you will be asked about it. Unfortunately, it doesn't sound like you have much in the way of excuses. You sound like you knew about selective service, but made a decision not to register. I'm not sure a misunderstanding of the law is a good reason to not register. Who knows.

over his ribs (ouch) . . . about 8" tall by 8" wide.

Dang! That sounds really painful, but really cool.

So no takers..?

I was thinking of getting a small flag from my home country done, along with a small US flag. Then again, maybe not.

Has anyone either celebrated their new US citizenship with a tattoo, or had something tattooed to remind themselves of where they were originally from?

Did anyone else just submit the bare minimum supporting documentation with their N400? I submitted mortgage statements showing my name and my spouse's name as paying the mortgage, and I think that was it.

I have a giant folder of all kinds of info now - tax transscripts since 2000, deed to house in both our names, etc. I'll take this with me to the interview, just in case.

Has anyone had issues with submitting the bare minimum supporting documentation and then being denied because of a lack of documentation?

Starting to get worried now...

Hi all,

Thought you might like to know that I had my interview today at the Fairfax office, and they allowed me to do my oath on the same day. I guess the other posters were just unlucky and there just weren't enough spots open on that particular day. My immigration officer (who was really really nice) said they fill up very quickly in the morning, so I guess applicants who have later-in-the-day interviews have a lower chance of getting a same day oath.

Hope this is of some help.

That makes perfect sense. If you don't mind me asking, what time was your interview scheduled for? Mine is 9:30 in Norfolk, and I'm hoping that might be early enough for a same-day ceremony.