moemac59

Just got an email for each of us that our passports have been sent. What a relief! It was completed very quickly but I spent each day worrying that there would be a problem processing with the kids and then worrying about the USCIS lady telling me I HAD TO get the NC for the kids before applying for passports. I'm glad that she was just trying to "up-sell" my USCIS experience so I would spend more money with them than necessary. HAHA.

Obviously this is for our NC progress but our group discussed this before so I wanted to share the update so everyone knows that the certificates for the kids were definitely not needed!

U.S. Passport Application Status

If you applied for both a U.S. Passport Book and a U.S. Passport Card on the same application, the newly issued documents, as well as your returned citizenship evidence, may be mailed to you in separate packages at different times. Therefore, it is possible to receive 3 separate mailings; one with your returned citizenship evidence, one with your newly issued passport book, and one with your newly issued passport card.

Your passport application locator number is XXXXXXXXX.

We have finished processing your passport, and it has been mailed to you using overnight delivery.

You should receive your passport on or about 04/30/2016.

Good to know. I had a run in last week with the same ahole cranky customs agent at the Whirlpool bridge using my NEXUS card. As I haven't had an opportunity to get my passport yet, I was using my naturalization certificate along with my NEXUS card as instructed by the NEXUS office there. Well this guy, Officer Frank, gave me such a hard time, lectured me about getting a passport and that I shouldn't be using my Naturalization certificate as proof of citizenship. This man is awful. He always, always gives me a hard time when I cross over.He also told me that I need to get a replacement NEXUS card as my citizenship status had changed. I informed him that I went into the NEXUS office the day of my oath ceremony to inform/show them that I was now an US citizen. He told me that I was wrong and that I needed this replacement card. Well I called the NEXUS office about this and they informed me that he was incorrect and that they have never heard this before and they would know since they take care of all NEXUS related items. They told me to speak to his supervisor the next time that I crossed over.

I also called in sick to work the next day, got an expedited enhanced driver's license and will be using it tonight in conjunction with my NEXUS card. Stay tuned!

I was placed inline for interview scheduling this morning. I received an e-mail update and my online case status was updated around 11:30am. I did not receive a text message, which is why it took a couple of hours for me to notice. My status now says that USCIS "started the interview scheduling process." Not sure if this is related to the online inquiry I made last week, but I'm inclined to say that it is.

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! CONGRATS!!! wooohooo!!! I'm so excited for you.

Hi all,

I'm not sure where to post this.. If it's been posted in the wrong place, I apologize!

I have a feeling that this has already been asked, however I was unable to search it on the forum.

I am a single Canadian Citizen and will be marrying my fiance, divorced American Citizen this coming July.

As this is my first marriage... I am not sure of the procedures and where to start.

- What kind of proof will be required to prove that myself and fiance are both free to Marry?

- What type of document is valid to prove that you're divorced?

- Are court documents considered as the divorce decree?

Your personal experience and expertise would be greatly appreciated

Thank you in advance for your time and thanks for stopping

Kelly

Have you even applied for you K1 visa yet? If you haven't, you really want to start researching and checking the guides here on VJ to see what the process entails.

All done with my ceremony yesterday! Getting both kids up at 5:30am was the hardest part as one of them doesn't normally get up for school until 7. But we got there just in time for 8:00am sign in and instructions. It was a nice ceremony but somehow a little less than I expected. I don't know why. Perhaps it was the judge lecturing us on the state of the country at this time and how we all needed to register to vote in order to make it better. There were no empty seats in the entire hall and we had a 5th grade class there to observe which was kinda neat. There were two other Canadians. I was fascinated by all of the people from such far away countries. Moving from Canada is nothing. it isn't like I fled from some awful place and now have such a great life. I didn't have to adapt or learn a language. I was just amazed by all of the people from all over the world who are here now after coming from so far and having to learn about a different culture, language, climate etc etc etc. Those are the interesting stories. Mine is boring! I was proud though that the kids actually stood up and said the oath with me. I didn't really tell them to, they just did and it made me proud!

I immediately went to apply for our passports so that will be the next mystery. I have two challenges to overcome and I hope I don't have a problem. One, is whether they take my naturalization certificate as enough proof for the kids and the other is whether my sole custody documents are satisfactory. We shall see!

Congrats Ms. Hogan,

I updated my information at NEXUS on Thursday. Crossed back and forth from Canada to the US with only my NEXUS card and Nat's Certificate and had absolutely no issue crossing.

Congrats!

Thanks!! It was a great day yesterday. 25 Countries and 48 people getting their citizenship. I was the only Canadian there. So glad that this is finally done.

Congrats!

Thanks!! It was a great day yesterday. 25 Countries and 48 people getting their citizenship. I was the only Canadian there. So glad that this is finally done.

New US Citizen here..woohoo. Jimmy please update my status to red

Heading to NEXUS in Niagara right now to update card

Coming up this week for Dec2015ers...

We have the following interviews scheduled:

Monday:

Tuesday: nessky, Pete's Dragon

Wednesday: sazzy

Thursday:

Friday:

We have the following naturalization ceremonies scheduled:

Monday: jucuellar

Tuesday:

Wednesday:

Thursday: moemac59

Friday: Ms Hogan

Good luck!

Thanks Jimmy! I cannot believe that this is actually going to be happening. I am in Canada for work right now and cannot believe that when I head home on Wednesday evening, it will be the last time that I will be entering the US as legal permanent resident. So excited!! Good Luck to all of those that have their interviews this week...almost there!! Ms.Hogan, have you gone back to Canada since your interview? If so, have you driven over with NEXUS? I am just providing a supplemental sheet providing my dates of travel back and forth with that N455 that has to be presented before the oath ceremony. Hoping that I don't have any issues with this as Toronto is easier to drive from Buffalo then flying in and out.

As I am hiring an attorney (I know that everyone is all about saving money - so am I, haha. But my fiance's mom is insistent that she will pay for us.)

The attorney stated that I should withdraw my K1 petition.

I don't know if it's due to me being so burnt out, but I honestly have no idea how to begin this process.

I attempted to browse the forums and came up with little. (I -have- to be looking in the wrong places, haha.)

From what I have found on the forums, I came up with answers in regards to that the petitioner needs to write a letter, asking to withdraw from the K1 petition.

Does he NEED to provide a reason behind this?

IF someone can give me an idea as to how we go about writing this letter, this would be immensely helpful.

I also read somewhere that it needs to be notarized?

Also, in our panic due to the mystery of my living situation my fiance (the petitioner) had called NCSC (It think that's what it's called) and asked for the K1 petition to be expedited, prior to finding out about AOS option. They informed him he would receive an email if it is to be declined or approved in 4-5 business days.

Can he just call in again and cancel the expedition?

I feel like we've messed up and I'm so worried about everything. :l

i used Jill Apa for my N400 application. She's with Barclay Damon in Buffalo. She was great and wasn't too expensive.

Oath ceremony done and over with. I am officially a US Citizen! Thank you VJ and best of luck to all fellow December 2015 N-400 filers!

Woot Congrats!!!

Got my oath letter today. April 15th at 8am it says! 8 am good grief!

Oh lordy!! 8 am geeze louise but at least you are almost done. Day after mine.

So I called in about an hour ago to see if my oath date was available even though the system only said that I was in line for oath scheduling. I got off the phone and not five minutes later I got a status change text. I called back in. No luck finding out the date but was told that the letter was mailed on the 29th. I just hope they don't do what Jimmy has me freaked out about which is schedule me for THIS Friday!!! Very unlikely of course but I'm still a bit paranoid!

Let's see what we get but either way, the notice has been issued!

I would pyscho call like a crazy ex until the IO told me what the date is....but then again I am super pushy and b*&%*y when I have to be.

... stalker...

LOL now whose the stalker!!

I will taking my oath ceremony on the 14th of April and I just wanted to take the time to say thank you to everyone on VJ who answered all of my questions during this long immigration when I had them. I love this site!!

I cannot believe that this is it. That this journey is almost over and that I am about to become an American citizen. It seems like a lifetime ago that my spouse and I are were sending off my K1 application.

Hard to believe that the only paperwork that I will ever have to fill out again for any type of immigration document will be for the US State Department for my US Passport Appllication!! Woo yeah woo yeah! SO SO HAPPY TO FINALLY BE DONE!

Thanks fellow VJ'ers! It's been a blast

Yeah, I agree with this.

That's why we're going to hold off.

Thank-you.

Adequate Canadian, nice to see another person in Western NY besides myself. Welcome to the site. I am in Medina which is close to Lake Ontario. About 45 mins north of Buffalo.

My interview was this morning. I won't share the details about traffic and the parking garage being closed when I got there and having to park far away and walk and my state of panic!!

But mine went very well. Passed. She said she would schedule me for the April 15th oath date which is great. She said she could probably get me in April 1st BUT then I would have had a problem getting my kids back from Canada after Spring break!

Interestingly, she told me I would need to do the N-600 for the kids. I was convinced I was just going to be applying for their passports and skipping this but she said that the passport applications are going to need the N-600 as their proof. I'm not entirely convinced but I don't want to take chances so definitely need to confirm this.

I asked her about traveling and she said that the kids can still travel using their green cards even after I give mine up at the oath ceremony. It will be a little bit of a worry for me until we're all using the same documentation!

Anyhow... I guess now I wait to get confirmation that my oath ceremony is actually on the 15th but I'm so relieved to be done with this part!

YAY congrats Ms.Hogan. I was thinking about you all day yesterday. Work is insane for me right now and my boss was not going to approve my requested vacation day for my oath ceremony. I flipped out.. He asked me if I could postpone this ceremony to a later date. I said no. I am working on a project deadline but will be looking for a new job immediately after this project is completed.

You and I have our oath ceremonies within a day of each other. Since I have to be back in Canada the day after for work, I am going to go to the DMV immediately after my oath ceremony to get an enhanced license for the time being and will also head to NEXUS to update my info. I will have to apply for a passport at a later date.

Congrats to everyone on their new citizenship. I just got my letter in the mail and my oath ceremony is in Rochester and not in Buffalo. Oh well cie last vie. Good look to everyone who hasaid interviews this week.

Ummmm I'm not sure how to take that? lol

I've been busy with events and sick kids this week. And it's ONLY TUESDAY!!!

I don't think I would have thought about taking my NEXUS card. Yikes! I'm glad you brought it up.

Now i'm worrying about something new!

I'm anxious to know how your stuff all goes... including your passport. When are you going to do that?

I will be applying for my US passport the day after the oath ceremony and trying to get it expedited. I am going to stop at the Whirlpool Bridge (NEXUS ONLY) in Niagara Falls right after my oath ceremony with my naturalization certificate so they can update my information in the system and I can also make a copy of it. This way everything will be current in their system. If I don't receive my US passport by the time I have to go to Canada to work, then I will just have to use Whirlpool on the way back for entry into the US even though Lewiston/Queenston is closer.

Just make a copy of your NEXUS card for the interview and maybe after your interview when the IO tells you that you are approved, you can ask the IO about my N-455 question (traveling between the interview and oath ceremony using Nexus and how to present that travel info before the ceremony since passports are not stamped)

When I asked the IO if he wanted a copy of all my travel dates that were added after the application was filed, he said no that they already have that information in their system.

I have a binder with a hard copy printout of the evidence I sent in for initial CR1, all the evidence I sent in for ROC and updated information since that time which was collected over the past year. So photos printed out same as initially. I have all of our car and home insurance that show both our names, tax return transcripts, some bills that have both our names, documents that show our joint business ownership. The first page of our bank statements since 2013 when I was able to be added to my husband's account.

I have the original versions of divorce certificates, birth certificates etc.

I'm not taking any chances. It is all sorted in a binder and ready to go. It has been there for a while and I've just added the bank statement updates each month when they're available.

I know I have more than needed but i'm not willing to risk missing anything they might want to see!

lol I did the exact same thing. Brought my huge binder with me and the IO didn't want to see anything in that binder. The only thing that he wanted to see was my passport, GC and drivers license. He didn't even want to see my NEXUS card.

That being said, my USCIS file that the IO had was HUGE...probably about 40"-50" thick.

They've gotta know (especially in Buffalo) that you aren't going to get stamps in your passport. The ONLY stamps I ever received in my passport in all my life was when I had work permit to work in the U.S. or when I did my POE and updated 551.

I'm curious about this too as I'll have travel between my interview and oath for sure!

Ah Ms. Hogan, I've been wondering where you have been the last couple of days.

I guess I will just have to take my current dates of travel with me as well as a copy of my NEXUS card. I will let you know how it goes and what happens after the oath ceremony. The only stamps that I have in my passport are from activation of my K1 visa as well as being paroled back in with the AP card while the AOS application was pending

Jimmy,

I have a question for you about the N-445 that has to be filled out before the oath ceremony. I will be traveling back and forth to Canada (Toronto) via car for work until the 14th of April when I have my ceremony. I know that there is a question about travel since the interview on the N-445 form that has to be answered. Since I use my NEXUS card for entry into CAN/US, there will be no stamp any where on my passport. I have all my entry/departure dates that were provided during my interview. Can I add this as an amendment to that paperwork to present with the N-445?

Other posts that I have seen about travel after the interview mention stamps in the passport.

You can park on the American side near the Hardrock Cafe. There is a pedestrian bridge there that you can walk over. It's pretty cool and it has a great view of the falls.

I just checked my online status and it has been updated to state that the oath ceremony letter has been sent out...sorry for everyone that are still waiting

This is what I found:

"Young Offenders

You may have been convicted of an offense during your youth. Generally, if you were convicted of an offense when you were under eighteen years old, you will likely be admissible and can enter Canada.

Offenses committed when you were under eighteen years old are equivalent to offenses under the Youth Criminal Justice Act in Canada.

You can not be prevented from entering Canada for foreign offenses equivalent to an offense under the Canadian Youth Criminal Justice Act."

Hope that helps.

Twocastles not trying to stalk you but I noticed that we both had our Naturalization interview on the same date at the Buffalo Field Office. I called USCIS yesterday and the officer that I spoke to told me that I would be doing the April 14th oath ceremony in Buffalo at 1pm. I haven't seen an update on line yet nor have I gotten anything in the mail.

The only reason that I posted here was to ask if you could pm to let me know if you get the same oath date and also when your letter arrives in the mail.

Thanks for the reply! I can fully understand that. When I moved Danielle here and we crossed with her K1, we were there for over an hour. A good chunk was just waiting in line, which was kind of frustrating because there was a NEXUS line where whoever got in line could pretty much cut in front of whoever was waiting in the other. The first person showing up wasn't bad, but when it got to be 3, 4, 5 in a row... yeah. Then once we got inside, nobody knew what to do with a K1 Visa. One officer actually said "I haven't seen one of these in years", and eventually there were 4 officers huddled around all the packet, passport, etc.Then a 5th officer had to walk up with a little booklet telling them step by step what to do. Meanwhile during this portion, they would just randomly ask us "when are you guys getting married?" over and over, minutes apart, which was weird. Nobody was really mean of anything, it was just a little concerning how that went down and how it took 5 people and a booklet to figure it out, so I guess that's where some of my concern comes from in traveling with Danielle and her AP. Makes me fear that when we try to cross back, they will not know what to do or be like "This is no good, turn around".

So you mention that you had to state your AOS was pending. Should that be another document we bring with us, like the NOA2 or whatever for our AOS, to kind of show that? I feel like we should be getting contacted anytime soon for that regardless, because looking at the current processing times for the Milwaukee Service Center, as of 01/31/2016, they were processing applications from August 1st, 2015. We filed ours within the first week of September 2015 (so a month later), and it's mid-March (so a month and a half after there "as of" date), so if it's a linear correlation, we should be hearing anytime, but I assume that's not the case. We've just been in "Fingerprint Fee Was Received" status since OCtober when we did the biometrics.

You are most welcome. Yes bring the NOA with you. This will show USCIS that you have a current AOS application which is being adjudicated. They shouldn't decline entry back into the US with the AP but if you have concerns about this then maybe just call that particular border crossing to get information or ask if they are familiar with the AP card and how to process someone coming back into the US with it. It can't hurt and this way you can also get an officer name so if you do have an issue coming back into the US, you can say "Well I spoke to officer so and so on the phone on such and such date and he/she informed me that....etc. etc. etc.

Hope that this helps. Yeah it sucks when the POE agents don't know what they are doing. I work in Canada and come home on Friday nights and always end up with the same tool CPB agent who asks a 1000 questions and always likes to go through my car as well as the cars in front and behind me. Hoping that this won't be an issue once I take my US Citizenship Oath in a month.