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rilian

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Posts posted by rilian

    N-400 December filers

    in US Citizenship General Discussion

    Posted

    1. Call USCIS: 1-800-375-5283

    2. Press Options 1-2-3 in the phone tree

    3. Tell the first operator you reached that you applied for citizenship more than 30 days ago and have not received a notice yet. Don't tell them anything else about your case process

    4. The operator will then transfer you to an immigration officer who can look up your case and tell you if an oath date has been set yet or not.

    Still waiting for my oath letter here. It has been a month since my interview, and the IO told me I'd receive the letter within a month. Does anyone know what number to call and what combination of keys to press to speak to a live person who knows what's going on? :)

    N-400 December filers

    in US Citizenship General Discussion

    Posted

    FINALLY! Congrats! I commend your patience!

    Hello everyone, I finally received the interview letter yesterday for June 22nd :dance:

    Thanks All for the support :thumbs:

    Name..............SentDate....NOA1.......Biodate....Interview...Oath.... Center..LocalOffice.....CheckCashed

    shadow_dog........12/01/08....12/05/08...12/31/08...04/13/09....05/20/09...NBC....Chicago.........??/??/??

    samsbs............12/01/08....12/23/08...01/14/09...03/20/09....05/05/09...CSC....San_Francisco...12/24/08

    broma25...........12/01/08....12/15/08...01/03/09...04/10/09....04/24/09...VSC....Philadelphia....12/12/08

    farah2005.........12/01/08....12/12/08...04/13/09. .06/19/09....xx/xx/xx...TSC....oakland park,FL..12/09/08

    so2008............12/02/08....12/16/08...01/03/09...xx/xx/xx....xx/xx/xx...TSC....Tampa...........12/15/08

    maimai............12/02/08....12/08/08...12/31/08...03/18/09....04/24/09...CSC....Phoenix.........12/12/08

    sheepnfish........12/03/08....12/29/08...02/12/09...04/09/09....xx/xx/xx...VSC....St_Albans.......????????

    maz...............12/03/08....12/13/08...12/30/08...04/09/09....04/21/09...NBC....Chicago.........12/11/08

    Cargo.............12/06/08....12/22/08...01/20/09...04/06/09....05/21/09...CSC....San_Jose........12/23/08

    Poppinslp.........12/10/08....12/22/08...01/23/09...04/06/09....04/29/09...TSC....Fort Lauderdale.12/23/08

    blessings2us......12/10/08....12/22/08...01/21/09...03/12/09....03/16/09...NBC....Portland........12/22/08

    Stella08..........12/10/08....12/19/08...01/13/09...03/17/09....04/24/09...NBC....Washington,DC...12/22/08

    ChinaBabe.........12/12/08....12/23/08...01/14/09...04/27/09....04/30/09...TSC....Atlanta,GA......12/24/08

    Coquette..........12/12/08....12/30/09...01/30/09...04/28/09....xx/xx/xx...VSC....Norfolk, VA.....01/08/09

    Nigerla...........12/13/08....12/23/08...01/07/09...05/13/09....xx/xx/xx...VSC....NYC.............12/22/08

    rilian............12/16/08....01/09/09...01/27/09...03/20/09....05/05/09...CSC....San_Francisco...01/08/09

    Jackjack..........12/17/08....12/27/08...01/14/09...03/12/09....03/17/09...VSC....Boston..........12/26/08

    ptrober...........12/17/08....12/31/08...01/22/09...03/10/09....04/16/09...NSC....Cincinnati......01/05/09

    radacos...........12/17/08....12/30/08...02/23/09...05/05/09....xx/xx/xx...NSC....Seattle.........12/31/08

    alwayswin.........12/18/08....12/31/08...01/23/09...04/15/09....06/17/09...VSC....Buffalo,NY......01/02/09

    Debra&John........12/18/08....12/31/08...01/22/09...04/30/09....05/07/09...NSC....Seattle.........01/06/09

    DoxATL............12/23/08....12/29/08...04/30/09...06/22/09....xx/xx/xx...TSC....Atlanta.........01/06/09

    skoopie...........12/24/08....12/29/08...01/24/09...04/21/09....04/21/09...VSC....Newark,NJ.......01/06/09

    den_y2005.........12/24/08....01/05/09...xx/xx/xx...04/27/09....xx/xx/xx...CSC....Santa_Ana.......01/05/09

    edandying.........12/27/08....01/07/09...01/29/09...04/20/09....xx/xx/xx...NSC....Chicago.........01/08/09

    jamieswith........12/29/08....01/02/09...xx/xx/xx...04/06/09....04/22/09...TSC....Houston.........01/06/09

    Kunjal27..........12/29/08....01/02/09...01/30/09...04/28/09....04/28/09...TSC....Atlanta.........01/06/09

    Aizi..............12/29/08....01/05/09...02/03/09...04/23/09....04/23/09...VSC....Newark,NJ.......01/12/09

    N-400 December filers

    in US Citizenship General Discussion

    Posted

    Hey, sorry I didn't recap my oath ceremony yesterday. I had somewhat of a long day!

    The ceremony was at the Paramount theater in Oakland, which was incredibly beautiful. I had never been inside before. The art deco interior was very well preserved and gorgeous. I'm glad the ceremony took place here instead of the usual Masonic Auditorium in San Francisco (which is just a few blocks a way from where I live).

    Unlike arduous high school graduation, the ceremony was quickly paced, humorous, and poignant for many. The best part was the emcee who was funny and very entertaining. I was blown away when he delivered a substantial congratulatory message to the audience in several languages: including Mandarin, Tagalog, Russian, French, Spanish, Hindi. I think I'm missing two or others, there were so many! To my ear, he sounded fluent in all, and the audience seemed very impressed.

    There were a few cheesy short video presentations. Representatives from the passport, election, and social security agencies also spoke.

    The only major snafu I had was me leaving my green card at home! I was worried they'd turn me away, but I was able to do the ceremony anyway. Instead of my naturalization certificate, I was handed an appointment notice to go back to San Francisco to turn in my green card and pick up my certificate. I was able to do this a few hours after the ceremony.

    Since I wasn't able to file my passport application at the ceremony, I went to the post office to file my application. There was a problem with my photo, so I'll be filing it tomorrow.

    I also went to the Social Security office to update my citizenship status. I wanted to do this, before sending my certificate off with my passport application. Since I had just gotten my certificate the same day, they weren't able to verify my certificate because it wasn't in their system yet, so I have to call back Friday to see if its been updated. My advice would be to wait a little while to update your social security information.

    That's about it!

    Congrats to samsbs also!

    N-400 December filers

    in US Citizenship General Discussion

    Posted · Edited by rilian

    thanks stella. really glad this is gonna be over so soon!!!

    By the way, if you need passport photos for the passport application during the oath ceremony. Just take them yourself, format them for free on epassportphoto.com, then upload it to walgreens to get printed in less than an hour. I took mine yesterday and got them back from walgreens in about 40 minutes. Best of all I paid 42 cents for 12 passport photos!

    radacos, good luck for your interview this week!!! :thumbs::thumbs::thumbs:

    rilian and samsbs, congratulations on your upcoming oath ceremonies!!! :dance::star:

    N-400 December filers

    in US Citizenship General Discussion

    Posted

    Wow, what a deal! I live pretty close to bart in san francisco, so i'll just be barting over. Maybe, we'll see each other there!

    We got a room at the Hampton Inn right on San Francisco Bay in Oakland for the 4th of May. Too long of drive for just one day (400 miles). Mariya works for Hampton Inns so we got the room for $31. Our ceremony is at 9:15 on the fifth of May in the Paramount Theater.

    Congrats to everyone on their oath dates. Just think we will be all done with USCIS. What will we do to fill the void. PARTY?

    N-400 December filers

    in US Citizenship General Discussion

    Posted

    Adding my oath date:

    Name..............SentDate....NOA1.......Biodate....Interview...Oath.... Center..LocalOffice.....CheckCashed

    shadow_dog........12/01/08....12/05/08...12/31/08...04/13/09....xx/xx/xx...NBC....Chicago.........??/??/??

    samsbs............12/01/08....12/23/08...01/14/09...03/20/09....xx/xx/xx...CSC....San_Francisco...12/24/08

    broma25...........12/01/08....12/15/08...01/03/09...04/10/09....xx/xx/xx...VSC....Philadelphia....12/12/08

    farah2005.........12/01/08....12/12/08...04/13/09. .xx/xx/xx....xx/xx/xx...TSC....Miami...........12/09/08

    so2008............12/02/08....12/16/08...01/03/09...xx/xx/xx....xx/xx/xx...TSC....Tampa...........12/15/08

    maimai............12/02/08....12/08/08...12/31/08...03/18/09....04/24/09...CSC....Phoenix.........12/12/08

    sheepnfish........12/03/08....12/29/08...02/12/09...04/09/09....xx/xx/xx...VSC....St_Albans.......????????

    maz...............12/03/08....12/13/08...12/30/08...04/09/09....04/21/09...NBC....Chicago.........12/11/08

    Cargo.............12/06/08....12/22/08...01/20/09...04/06/09....xx/xx/xx...CSC....San_Jose........12/23/08

    Poppinslp.........12/10/08....12/22/08...01/23/09...04/06/09....xx/xx/xx...TSC....Fort Lauderdale.12/23/08

    blessings2us......12/10/08....12/22/08...01/21/09...03/12/09....03/16/09...NBC....Portland........12/22/08

    Stella08..........12/10/08....12/19/08...01/13/09...03/17/09....04/24/09...NBC....Washington,DC...12/22/08

    ChinaBabe.........12/12/08....12/23/08...01/14/09...04/27/09....xx/xx/xx...TSC....Atlanta,GA......12/24/08

    Coquette..........12/12/08....12/30/09...01/30/09...04/28/09....xx/xx/xx...VSC....Norfolk, VA.....01/08/09

    Nigerla...........12/13/08....12/23/08...01/07/09...04/07/09....xx/xx/xx...VSC....NYC.............12/22/08

    rilian............12/16/08....01/09/09...01/27/09...03/20/09....05/05/09...CSC....San_Francisco...01/08/09

    Jackjack..........12/17/08....12/27/08...01/14/09...03/12/09....03/17/09...VSC....Boston..........12/26/08

    ptrober...........12/17/08....12/31/08...01/22/09...03/10/09....04/16/09...NSC....Cincinnati......01/05/09

    radacos...........12/17/08....12/30/08...02/23/09...05/05/09....xx/xx/xx...NSC....Seattle.........12/31/08

    alwayswin.........12/18/08....12/31/08...01/23/09...04/15/09....xx/xx/xx...VSC....Buffalo,NY......01/02/09

    Debra&John........12/18/08....12/31/08...01/22/09...04/30/09....xx/xx/xx...NSC....Seattle.........01/06/09

    DoxATL............12/23/08....12/29/08...xx/xx/xx...xx/xx/xx....xx/xx/xx...TSC....Atlanta.........01/06/09

    skoopie...........12/24/08....12/29/08...01/24/09...04/21/09....xx/xx/xx...VSC....Newark,NJ.......01/06/09

    den_y2005.........12/24/08....01/05/09...xx/xx/xx...04/27/09....xx/xx/xx...CSC....Santa_Ana.......01/05/09

    edandying.........12/27/08....01/07/09...01/29/09...04/20/09....xx/xx/xx...NSC....Chicago.........01/08/09

    jamieswith........12/29/08....01/02/09...xx/xx/xx...04/06/09....04/22/09...TSC....Houston.........01/06/09

    Kunjal27..........12/29/08....01/02/09...01/30/09...04/28/09....xx/xx/xx...TSC....Atlanta.........01/06/09

    Aizi..............12/29/08....01/05/09...02/03/09...04/23/09....xx/xx/xx...VSC....Newark,NJ.......01/12/09

    N-400 December filers

    in US Citizenship General Discussion

    Posted

    Obsessively, I called USCIS again this morning to see if an oath date had been scheduled for me. Not yet! :-(. My interview was on the March 20th, and my case was put on the waiting list on April 6th. The person I talked to this morning said I should receive something very soon. The next ceremony for San Francisco is on April 15th. Looks like I'll probably miss that one, and be scheduled for the the following on May 5th.

    N-400 December filers

    in US Citizenship General Discussion

    Posted

    I called again today to see if maybe they scheduled the oath. Looks like I'm still on the waiting list to be scheduled. The immigration officer told me that I'll receive an oath letter within three to six months! Sounded like a stock answer though. I'm hoping an oath letter will arrive some time next week.

    N-400 December filers

    in US Citizenship General Discussion

    Posted

    So I got a little anxious (even though it's been just a couple of weeks since my interview) and called USCIS to find out if my oath date had been set. I reached an immigration officer who told me another immigration office just put in a request for my oath date this morning! Woohoo!

    He said he did not have the exact date yet, because they are waiting for the scheduler to respond to the request. I believe he said that I would receive a letter in the next 30 days. I suspect it will be much sooner than that, any day now, and that he was overestimating to be safe.

    The officer was pretty helpful and nice.

    Here's what I did to find out my detailed case status:

    1. Call USCIS: 1-800-375-5283

    2. Press Options 1-2-3 in the phone tree

    3. Tell the first operator you reached that you applied for citizenship more than 30 days ago and have not received a notice yet. Don't tell them anything else about your case process

    4. The operator will then transfer you to an immigration officer who can look up your case and tell you if an oath date has been set yet or not.

    N-400 December filers

    in US Citizenship General Discussion

    Posted

    Congratulations stella!

    Yippie, I received my oath letter!!! :dance::dance::dance:

    April 24th will be the big day (I hope, I just opened a new thread with a question :unsure: )

    Name..............SentDate....NOA1.......Biodate....Interview...Oath.... Center..LocalOffice.....CheckCashed

    samsbs............12/01/08....12/23/08...01/14/09...03/20/09....xx/xx/xx...CSC....San_Francisco...12/24/08

    broma25...........12/01/08....12/15/08...01/03/09...04/10/09....xx/xx/xx...VSC....Philadelphia....12/12/08

    farah2005.........12/01/08....12/12/08...04/13/09. .xx/xx/xx....xx/xx/xx...TSC....Miami...........12/09/08

    so2008............12/02/08....12/16/08...01/03/09...04/01/09....xx/xx/xx...TSC....Tampa...........12/15/08

    maimai............12/02/08....12/08/08...12/31/08...03/18/09....xx/xx/xx...CSC....Phoenix.........12/12/08

    sheepnfish........12/03/08....12/29/08...02/12/09...04/09/09....xx/xx/xx...VSC....St_Albans.......????????

    maz...............12/03/08....12/13/08...12/30/08...04/09/09....xx/xx/xx...NBC....Chicago.........12/11/08

    Cargo.............12/06/08....12/22/08...01/20/09...04/06/09....xx/xx/xx...CSC....San_Jose........12/23/08

    Poppinslp.........12/10/08....12/22/08...01/23/09...04/06/09....xx/xx/xx...TSC....Fort Lauderdale.12/23/08

    blessings2us......12/10/08....12/22/08...01/21/09...03/12/09....03/16/09...NBC....Portland........12/22/08

    Stella08..........12/10/08....12/19/08...01/13/09...03/17/09....04/24/09...NBC....Washington,DC...12/22/08

    ChinaBabe.........12/12/08....12/23/08...01/14/09...04/27/09....xx/xx/xx...TSC....Atlanta,GA......12/24/08

    Coquette..........12/12/08....12/30/09...01/30/09...04/28/09....xx/xx/xx...VSC....Norfolk, VA.....01/08/09

    Nigerla...........12/13/08....12/23/08...01/07/09...04/07/09....xx/xx/xx...VSC....NYC.............12/22/08

    rilian............12/16/08....01/09/09...01/27/09...03/20/09....xx/xx/xx...CSC....San_Francisco...01/08/09

    Jackjack..........12/17/08....12/27/08...01/14/09...03/12/09....03/17/09...VSC....Boston..........12/26/08

    ptrober...........12/17/08....12/31/08...01/22/09...03/10/09....xx/xx/xx...NSC....Cincinnati......01/05/09

    radacos...........12/17/08....12/30/08...02/23/09...xx/xx/xx....xx/xx/xx...NSC....Seattle.........12/31/08

    alwayswin.........12/18/08....12/31/08...01/23/09...04/15/09....xx/xx/xx...VSC....Buffalo,NY......01/02/09

    Debra&John........12/18/08....12/31/08...01/22/09...04/30/09....xx/xx/xx...NSC....Seattle.........01/06/09

    DoxATL............12/23/08....12/29/08...xx/xx/xx...xx/xx/xx....xx/xx/xx...TSC....Atlanta.........01/06/09

    skoopie...........12/24/08....12/29/08...01/24/09...04/21/09....xx/xx/xx...VSC....Newark,NJ.......01/06/09

    den_y2005.........12/24/08....01/05/09...xx/xx/xx...04/27/09....xx/xx/xx...CSC....Santa_Ana.......01/05/09

    edandying.........12/27/08....01/07/09...01/29/09...04/20/09....xx/xx/xx...NSC....Chicago.........01/08/09

    jamieswith........12/29/08....01/02/09...xx/xx/xx...04/06/09....xx/xx/xx...TSC....Houston.........01/06/09

    Kunjal27..........12/29/08....01/02/09...01/30/09...04/28/09....xx/xx/xx...TSC....Atlanta.........01/06/09

    Aizi..............12/29/08....01/05/09...02/03/09...04/23/09....xx/xx/xx...VSC....Newark,NJ.......01/12/09

    N-400 December filers

    in US Citizenship General Discussion

    Posted

    rilian

    Thanks for that info. We have not received anything yet.

    Do you know a good place to park and maybe ride bart to the Paramount. We are coming in from the north. We will have to get a motel and stay the night before the ceremony. My wife works for Hampton Inns and we are trying to get her boss to get us a room at the Hampton by the Oakland airport. He can get it for $29 with employee discount.

    Maybe the letter will come today. Usually the letter seems to come on Saturday.

    Hey samsbs, if you end up staying near the airport, then there is a shuttle from airport to bart. After you get on Bart, it'll be a fairly short ride to the theater. Probably about 15 minutes. Many Bart stations also have parking lots which has pretty cheap parking for the day. The area of the Paramount theater is also not very busy on the weekends, but since there will be a lot of oath takers, parking might be hard.

    N-400 December filers

    in US Citizenship General Discussion

    Posted

    Here are the upcoming oath ceremonies for San Francisco applicants:

    Wednesday, April 15 @ 10:00 am

    Tuesday, May 5 @ 10:00 am

    Wednesday, May 20 @ 10:00 am

    Wednesday, June 3 @ 10:00 am

    Wednesday, June 17 @ 10:00 am

    There was a ceremony yesterday, and I fantasized a miracle would happen and that I would get an oath letter for that one, but no luck. Now I'm hoping for April 15th. But I think it will end up being May 5th.

    N-400 December filers

    in US Citizenship General Discussion

    Posted

    rilian,

    First of all congratulations on being approved!!! :dance:

    Why did you have to get pictures taken? Didn't you send any in with your application?

    Hey Stella, I didn't send any pictures with my application, I don't remember seeing that as a requirement on the N400 form I used. (Although, I do remember looking at older forms, and seeing pictures as a requirement). The interview letter also didn't ask for them. I had assumed that my picture would be taken at my biometrics appointment, but when I went to get my fingerprints done, they said it wasn't necessary.

    N-400 December filers

    in US Citizenship General Discussion

    Posted

    Hey everyone, I just got back from my citizenship interview a little while ago and wanted to recap my experience for you. I'll try to be as detailed as possible, so that you have a better idea of what to expect:

    My appointment was at 1:20 in the San Francisco office and arrive at about 1:00. I was to meet my boyfriend in front of the building so we could go in together, but my phone died. So we weren't able synchronize and thus missed each other. There was no line to get into the building, but I saw a pair of people outside studying for the civics test.

    At 1:10, I went inside and went through the security screening process. Afterward, I went up to second floor reception area and waited in line; one or two people were in front of me. I checked in with the receptionist and was told to sit down in my assigned section of the waiting room. The reception/waiting area was much nicer and cleaner than I expected; not a run-down government type of room. The room had sections labeled by letters of the alphabet. A,B,C,D, etc. Each section had its own door to the interview rooms.

    I waited about 20-30 minutes before being called in by my immigration officer. Her office was like a regular business office with a desk, a computer, and various knick knacks. For some reason, I imagined it would look more like an interrogation room: small, sparse, with a bright light from the ceiling.

    The interview began with me standing and swearing in. After that, she asked for my passport. I only had a refugee travel document so she took that. She also asked for my Selective Service Notification card, which I gave to her.

    Next, she went over each line of my application with me. I made a typo with my birthdate, which she corrected with a red pen. The only part of the application that was an issue was my country of origin which I listed as "Kampuchea". The country is now called "Cambodia", but on my green card it was printed as "Kampuchea", so that's what I used on my N400. The immigration officer wasn't sure what to do, so she left to consult with someone. Then she came back and asked me what I would prefer on my citizenship certificate. There was still a bit of confusion still, but in the end "Cambodia" will be printed on my certificate.

    During the review, she also asked me about the organizations I belonged to in the past. I had listed a few organizations including the Boy Scouts of America, Sierra Club, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. She asked which ones I was still active in, and noted those on the app.

    Next, she asked if I had a photocopy of my green card and two photos. My interview letter did not request those materials, so I didn't bring them. She said I can take care of those after the interview.

    Next was the test. The questions were (I forgot the order):

    1. What does the President's Cabinet do?

    2. What did the Declaration of Independence do?

    3. How many justices are on the Supreme Court?

    4. We elect a U.S. Senator for how many years?

    5. If both the President and the Vice President can no longer serve, who becomes President?

    6. Name one branch or part of the government

    Then, I was asked to read "What is the capital of the United States?" and then write "Washington is the capital"

    I passed the tests, and then got instructions for my photos and photocopies (she gave me a fast pass to get back into building). She then gave me my Interview Results form which basically says I will be recommended for approval and that I passed my tests.

    After the interview, I went to take my photos across the street. The photo place had a photocopier so I had them make a copy of my green card. Then I took my photos and photocopy back to the immigration office and dropped it off with the immigration officer.

    The whole process from getting in the door and getting out took about an hour.

    N-400 December filers

    in US Citizenship General Discussion

    Posted · Edited by rilian

    no touches on mine since Dec 18. We will be all done before they ever update us.

    rillian: Do you think they will do the oath the same day as the interview. We do not want to make that trip again. It is a two day trip for us. Did you find a place to park. There are two parking garages within two blocks.

    768 Sansome St/Calif parking

    475 Sansome st.

    We made hotel reservations for the 19th. It is easier than trying to drive into SF during rush hours. Our appointment is 9:30 AM

    Unfortunately, I don't think they do the oath on the same day. :-(. From what I've read in the forums they do the oath at a theater such as the Masonic auditorium in San Francisco or the Paramount theater in Oakland. I'm assuming there are only a few oath ceremonies each month, where they swear in a whole bunch of people at once.

    On immigration.com, one user passed the interview on 12/4/08 and was giving an oath date of 1/21/09 at the Paramount theater in Oakland.

    The immigration office is about a 30 minute walk for me, so I'll be walking from home or cabbing from work, which is a little farther away.

    My appointment is at 1:20pm, so it looks like I'll miss you guys.

    Hotel & Parking San Francisco N-400

    in US Citizenship General Discussion

    Posted

    I live in San Francisco. If you want a really cheap room, you might consider looking at private rooms in the various hostels around downtown. Many of them have their own private bathrooms, linen service, and free wi-fi. So it's just like a hotel room, but at a lower rate. Private rooms run about $50 to $80 dollars a night.

    Parking and traffic downtown in the morning is a little annoying, so you might cab it to the immigration office instead.

    http://www.hihostels.com/dba/hostels-HI---...n-060009.en.htm

    Hope that helps.

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