sciencenerd

August 23, 2016

Thank you so much - that was ridiculously helpful!

August 22, 2016

My wife changed her name as part of the US naturalization process and has a name change certificate issued by the US federal court. To get a new Canadian passport in the new name, you have to change your birth certificate to the new name first. My wife was born in BC and apparently they don't recognize foreign name changes so she would have to start the name change process there. In order to get your name changed in BC (and it seems other provinces), you have to be a resident there for at least 90 days, but we live in the states. So, there is no way to change her name on the birth certificate and therefore no way to change her name in her Canadian passport.

We are still within the time period where she can renew her Canadian passport in her old name and are thinking we might just do that so she has a Canadian passport. After her passport has been expired for one year (very soon), she'll need valid ID proving her identity, but all of her valid ID is in her new name (driver's license, US passport, etc.). It seems like then she'll be in a situation where she won't be able to get a Canadian passport at all - in her old name (no ID) or her new name (not on birth certificate). We're not sure if there is an issue with her getting a passport in a name that is not hers anymore, though. It seems like if BC doesn't recognize the name change, then she still has her old name in Canada. Notably, though, other provinces do recognize foreign name changes (at least Ontario does). It seems like it might be problematic to have two valid passports (US/Canada) in two different names

Has anyone else here done the name change during naturalization? Were you able to get a Canadian passport in that name?

August 22, 2016

I was forwarded a news article about new travel requirements stating that Canadians with dual citizenship will be required to use a Canadian passport to enter Canada (https://ca.news.yahoo.com/dual-citizens-need-a-canadian-passport-to-enter-153209276.html). I've tried to research this further and still have some questions. (http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/dual-canadian-citizens.asp?_ga=1.235690049.1778253806.1471877381)

First, everything mentions that this is specifically by air - does that mean Canadians can still enter Canada using a US passport if they drive?

Even by air, it says the reason is because Canadian citizens are not permitted to use the electronic screening system meant for foreign travelers. However, US citizens are exempted from using the electronic screening system, so it doesn't seem like it should affect dual US/Canadian citizens (as opposed to other countries where traveling on their foreign passport would require them to use the electronic screening system).

We opted to let my wife's Canadian passport expire and never got one for our kid (though we did get a certificate of citizenship) so we only had to deal with one set of passports. We'd really prefer to not have to deal with Canadian passports just because of the cost and hassle. My wife had her first name changed during the naturalization process and apparently we would also have to go through the whole process of changing her name on her birth certificate prior to even getting her a Canadian passport. We haven't bothered to do that because everywhere else accepts a copy of her birth certificate accompanied by a copy of her name change certificate. Getting two Canadian passports, a new birth certificate with name change, passport photos, etc. would be getting us close to $500 in fees.

We recognize that a Canadian passport gives the right to enter Canada in a way that an American passport does not, but we're not really worried about that (that'll obviously change if we ever choose to move to Canada, but visiting for a week here and there is never a problem). We just don't want to break any laws or misrepresent anything - we've always said my wife and kid are dual citizens when asked by Canadian immigration and then hand over their American passports. It's never been an issue.

I'm obviously looking for a way around this, but want to make sure I'm not deluding myself. If anyone has any experience or knows some resources with more detailed information, I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you!

July 24, 2013

USCIS website says that I have been scheduled for an interview on July 23rd and will receive date and address in the mail. How long does it typically take to receive a notice ? I tried calling the number listed online but they are as useless as ever. TY

It took us 5 days I think between when we got the notice my wife had been scheduled and when we got the notice in the mail. I know your process has been drawn out a whole lot, but try as best you can to be patient - at this point, you have a scheduled interview and the info is on its way. It sucks for it to take a long time, but years from now, the extra couple months it took for you to be a citizen will seem like nothing. Not trying to be dismissive, but trying to help keep it in perspective. I know how badly we wanted to be finished with USCIS and it felt like we were taking longer than so many people! Good luck! It'll happen!

Dr. A ♥ O · July 21, 2013

My wife had her oath ceremony this week in Portland, OR and I was asked to share some details for folks who are in the citizenship process in Portland. Since she got her name changed, the ceremony had to be a judicial ceremony rather than the regular one. In Portland, judicial oath ceremonies take place once a month (it seems the 3rd Thursday of the month at 8:30 is standard) at the federal courthouse downtown. This will have way more detail than most people will care about, but I hope it's helpful for folks in Portland who will have a judicial ceremony.

We arrived around 8:00 and went through security. We took the elevator up to the top floor and there were already several other people waiting for it. There are floor to ceiling windows so lots of people were checking out the view cause you could see lots of downtown and the West Hills. At exactly 8:30, they opened the doors to the courtroom and everyone went in. At first, everyone (the soon-to-be citizens and their friends/family) had to sit in the benches and there wasn't enough room for everybody. The MC then went to the front to tell everyone there would be enough room once they called everyone up.

He said it was their favorite thing to do at the courthouse and they were happy to have all of us there. He said we were all free to take photos and video and for family/friends to feel free to step outside in the hall if your baby was crying or you needed to take a call. They then had some people talk about the importance of voting and went through exactly how to fill out the voter registration form. Then he started calling people one by one and they went to the front desk and turned in their green card and the naturalization letter (with all the questions on the back) before taking a seat. They were given a packet with lots of new citizen materials. Most people filled out the voter registration form while they were in their seat (but they had to wait to check off the "I am a US Citizen" part until after the ceremony). This part took quite a while since there were about 55 people to get through. Note that there was one family where both parents were becoming citizens and their daughter (about 4 years old) had to stay back and sit on the benches without her parents the whole time. She did great, but if you have a kid, definitely make sure you bring another adult to hang out with them during the ceremony. There was also one person who was asked to reschedule because she spoke no English and could not understand the questions on the back of the naturalization letter. We felt so bad for her!

Once all of the soon-to-be citizens were seated, a couple speakers from local groups said a few words congratulating everyone and encouraging them to get involved locally. Then the judge came in and welcomed everyone. They had each person stand and say their name and their country of origin. After that they did the oath followed by the pledge of allegiance (they had one of the new citizens volunteer to lead that). Then there was someone there to sing the Star Spangled Banner. There was a paper with the words to all three (oath, pledge, song) in the packets, but they neglected to tell anyone and people were definitely winging it. The judge spoke for a couple minutes about how the ceremony was especially meaningful to him as his grandfathers on both sides were immigrants. He said some things about everyone being citizens of America now but that didn't mean they had to give up the rich language and traditions that they came from. After that they gave everyone their naturalization certificate and name change documentation.

That was pretty much it. We were out of there about 10:15 or so. Feel free to get in touch if you have any questions I didn't answer in this.

Dr. A ♥ O · July 18, 2013

Finally! My wife is officially an American! It was a nice ceremony at the courthouse and it was really cool to see so many people from every corner of the world. We went to the social security office right afterwards to update her name and citizenship status. So relieved that all the years of dealing with USCIS are over!

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N-400: February 2013 Applicants

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USCIS Dallas/Lewisville, Texas Lockbox

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TENZY...............|02/01/13|--/--/--|02/08/13|03/05/13|03/07/13|04/19/13|05/23/13|06/06/13|Queens, NY

FINDMELUCKY.........|02/02/13|02/05/13|02/07/13|02/15/13|03/25/13|05/09/13|06/13/13|06/25/13|Atlanta,GA

MRS D...............|02/02/13|02/07/13|02/13/13|03/01/13|03/05/13|04/10/13|05/09/13|--/--/--|Dallas, TX

CYCLING_GIRL........|02/02/13|02/08/13|02/11/13|02/20/13|03/29/13|04/04/13|05/03/13|07/08/13|Norfolk, VA (EB 2/15/13)

KAYLIE..............|02/02/13|--/--/--|02/20/13|03/04/13|03/22/13|04/20/13|05/23/13|--/--/--|Newark, NJ

AMBASEL.............|02/04/13|02/05/13|02/05/13|02/14/13|--/--/--|04/18/13|05/21/13|--/--/--|New York, NY

CORINAN.............|02/05/13|02/14/13|02/13/13|02/26/13|04/05/13|--/--/--|05/14/13|06/20/13|San Juan, PR

DND2009.............|02/06/13|02/12/13|02/11/13|02/26/13|04/05/13|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|New York, NY

JOSHUE .............|02/06/13|02/14/13|02/13/13|02/27/13|04/08/13|04/15/13|05/21/13|06/04/13|Brooklyn, NY

LAILUMINADA33.......|02/06/13|02/14/13|02/13/13|03/04/13|03/08/13|03/23/13|04/24/13|05/15/13|Brooklyn, NY

QUEUEDUP............|02/06/13|02/13/13|02/13/13|02/21/13|02/26/13|04/24/13|05/31/13|07/02/13|New York, NY (EB 02/21/13)

GHANAMADE88.........|02/07/13|--/--/--|02/08/13|02/25/13|03/02/13|--/--/--|04/18/13|06/12/13|Boston, MA

AJ911 ..............|02/07/13|02/13/13|02/12/13|03/06/13|03/08/13|05/03/13|06/12/13|--/--/--|Orlando, FL

ATHENA JUNEs husband|02/08/13|02/19/13|02/20/13|03/04/13|03/12/13|03/22/13|04/24/13|06/12/13|Boston, MA

ASIFH...............|02/09/13|02/14/13|02/14/13|02/21/13|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|Washington D.C. (EB)

FORUMSUB............|02/11/13|02/15/13|02/21/13|02/25/13|04/08/13|04/15/13|06/03/13|--/--/--|San Antonio, TX

VABEAR..............|02/12/13|02/15/13|02/15/13|03/15/13|03/19/13|03/24/13|04/24/13|06/19/13|Norfolk, VA

JOAN >3 BOB.........|02/13/13|02/14/13|02/19/13|03/06/13|--/--/--|--/--/--|05/07/13|05/14/13|Charleston, SC

FIGHTER_ALWAYS......|02/14/13|02/22/13|03/01/13|03/13/13|04/08/13|04/16/13|05/21/13|06/26/13|Houston, TX (moved from Ithaca, NY)

CHOCOCHIBI..........|02/15/13|02/25/13|02/26/13|03/11/13|03/21/13|03/27/13|04/30/13|05/24/13|Memphis, TN

PETUNKA.............|02/19/13|02/26/13|03/02/13|03/12/13|03/13/13|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|New York, NY (EB 03/05/13)

MOON1982............|02/21/13|02/28/13|02/27/13|03/19/13|04/22/13|04/27/13|06/05/13|06/24/13|Tampa, FL

QQQUAKER............|02/23/13|03/04/13|03/01/13|03/12/13|03/28/13|04/11/13|07/16/13|--/--/--|Tampa, FL

ARUN+CATIE..........|02/25/13|03/01/13|03/08/13|03/21/13|03/25/13|04/18/13|05/22/13|06/06/13|Tampa, FL

AIRFORCE............|02/26/13|02/27/13|02/26/13|03/18/13|03/20/13|04/01/13|05/09/13|--/--/--|Dallas, TX

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USCIS Phoenix, Arizona Lockbox

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AUTUMNAL............|02/01/13|02/04/13|02/06/13|02/27/13|--/--/--|04/01/13|05/15/13|06/03/13|Detroit, MI

STEVIEG2123.........|02/04/13|02/08/13|02/07/13|03/07/13|--/--/--|04/05/13|05/10/13|05/24/13|Phoenix, AZ

SCIENCENERD.........|02/04/13|02/11/13|02/08/13|03/05/13|04/04/13|05/13/13|06/18/13|07/18/13|Portland, OR

HEDI................|02/06/13|02/13/13|02/12/13|03/11/13|03/27/13|03/30/13|05/06/13|05/15/13|San Diego, CA

MONY88..............|02/06/13|02/11/13|02/14/13|03/07/13|04/08/13|04/20/13|05/23/13|07/19/13|Chicago, IL

MUM2LGANDC..........|02/14/13|02/25/13|02/22/13|03/18/13|03/20/13|03/25/13|04/30/13|07/15/13|Omaha, NE

MARKIEBOY...........|02/15/13|02/22/13|02/21/13|03/19/13|04/18/13|04/22/13|05/28/13|05/28/13|Seattle, WA

ROSELINDA...........|02/16/13|02/20/13|02/22/13|03/15/13|03/19/13|03/22/13|04/23/13|05/16/13|Indianapolis, IN

NIGERIAORBUST.......|02/16/13|02/25/13|02/22/13|03/13/13|04/01/13|04/25/13|05/29/13|06/18/13|San Bernardino, CA

SPYGAME.............|02/19/13|02/26/13|02/21/13|03/06/13|04/22/13|05/08/13|06/04/13|06/26/13|Los Angeles, CA (EB)

CHICAGOMAMMY........|02/20/13|02/27/13|02/26/13|03/25/13|--/--/--|--/--/--|06/10/13|--/--/--|Chicago, IL

SAIF9171............|02/22/13|03/01/13|02/28/13|03/27/13|03/29/13|05/06/13|06/11/13|07/02/13|Chicago, IL

CALYPSO.............|02/25/13|02/??/13|02/28/13|03/13/13|03/15/13|05/04/13|06/03/13|06/26/13|Los Angeles, CA (EB)

YEYI02..............|02/25/13|03/04/13|03/06/13|03/28/13|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|Seattle, WA

YULECHKA42..........|02/25/13|03/04/13|03/01/13|03/28/13|04/22/13|04/25/13|05/28/13|06/19/13|San Jose, CA

MI.PI...............|02/25/13|03/04/13|03/18/13|04/09/13|04/12/13|05/18/13|06/19/13|07/01/13|Detroit, MI

THAKROZ.............|02/28/13|03/07/13|03/06/13|03/27/13|06/27/13|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|Denver, CO

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USCIS Lincoln, Nebraska Lockbox (Filing Under 319b, 328, or 329 of the INA)

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ECG19...............|02/02/13|02/08/13|02/15/13|03/19/13|03/21/13|--/--/--|03/27/13|03/27/13|Sacramento, CA

INKY................|02/04/13|02/08/13|02/13/13|03/08/13|03/12/13|03/16/13|04/16/13|04/16/13|Omaha, NE

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July 1, 2013

Adding oath ceremony!