sciencenerd

1) Yes, this entire issue only applies by air.
2) OP- if you and your family are holders of American passports- then YOU ARE TOTALLY EXEMPT FROM THIS ENTIRE PROBLEM, even if you intend to enter Canada by air. You DO NOT need to bother getting Canadian passports. This is because American passport holders are exempt from the eTA requirement, which is what this issue is about. In fact, for most people reading this board, the issue is entirely irrelevant, because most have either Canadian or American passports at any one time. I am in the minority in that I have a passport from a third country, so I let my Canadian passport expire even though I am still an LPR and don't yet qualify for a US Passport. Because of this, I have researched this new policy rather extensively to figure out my options (since, like you, I'd rather not deal with the incredible hassle of getting a Canadian passport) and I can assure you that you can breathe easy, you can continue using your US Passport by air and by land without a problem!
Actually, I am quite shocked by the lack of information- and even misleading information- in that article from Yahoo. Besides failing to mention that American passport holders are exempt from this change- which should be of major interest to their audience, since by their own numbers a large percentage of dual Canadians are also Americans!- they totally fail to explain the nature of the policy change. It's not like the Canadian government decided to make a new law that Canadian citizens must now enter Canada with a Canadian passport. Since many countries DO have a law like that (e.g., the US), it would be very easy for someone to come to that conclusion, but that is false. What happened was that Canada has enacted a new requirement for those foreign visitors travelling into Canada with passports from countries whose citizen do not need a visa to visit Canada. Instead of simply showing up at the border with a passport from such a country, these visitors are now required to obtain what's called an electronic Travel Authorization. For most people entering with foreign passports, this new requirement is no big deal- it costs only $7 and takes but a few minutes. However, embedded into the new pre-screen is a law that says that Canadian citizens are NOT allowed to get an eTA- since this violates a Canadian's right to enter Canada without such pre-screening. So, those Canadians who have been entering just on foreign passports will no longer be able to do so. Americans are exempt from eTA altogether, so it's not an issue for dual Canadian/Americans. The point is, though, that the dual Canadian citizen simply caught up in the mess, I think completely unintentionally. This new policy was in no way meant to prevent dual Canadians from entering on their foreign passports, it was merely an unintended consequence.
It is important to point out, though, that the CBSA CANNOT, under any circumstances, deny a Canadian citizen entry into Canada. This is actually stated in the Constitution. So, if you travel with a foreign passport and a Canadian birth certificate, for example, you CANNOT be refused entry, even if you don't have an eTA. The problem is- and this is clear even when reading the CIC website- is that the airlines may not let you on the plane to begin with, since they may (erroneously) think that a birth certificate isn't valid proof of citizenship to enter Canada, and so all travelers need either a Canadian passport or an eTA. The Canadian government is aware of this problem, which is why they are saying- in the pages linked to in the OP- that Canadians should prepare themselves and get a passport, to avoid being caught unawares and denied boarding. While this is nice of them to look out for this group of people who got caught up accidentally in this mess, a far better way to handle it would have been to make the airlines aware that Canadian citizens are not allowed to get an eTA, and that they are good to go if they have other proof of Canadian citizenship on them, such as a birth certificate or certificate of citizenship. They didn't do this, and now there is a big mess.
My advice to anyone in this situation- if you don't want to go through the hassle, time, and expense of getting a Canadian passport- is to contact the airline you're flying, explain the situation, and see what their regulations are. They may very well be okay with it- though if not, best to leave yourself time to get a Canadian passport if you have to fly into Canada by air.
But again- most here will have a U.S. Passport so totally not an issue.

Canada, the European Union, Australia, and New Zealand (plus many others I'm sure) take in huge amounts of asylum seekers. It's not just the U.S. that is so generous to take care of disadvantaged people from other parts of the world.

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
======================================
UserName............|Sent....|ChkCashd|NOA.....|Fprints.|InLine..|Int Ltr.|Intview.|Oath....|FieldOffice
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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UserName............|Sent....|ChkCashd|NOA.....|Fprints.|InLine..|Int Ltr.|Intview.|Oath....|FieldOffice
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
===========================================================================
USCIS Lincoln, Nebraska Lockbox (Filing Under 319b, 328, or 329 of the INA)
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UserName............|Sent....|ChkCashd|NOA.....|Fprints.|InLine..|Int Ltr.|Intview.|Oath....|FieldOffice
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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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.

First thing I did was went out and drink till I can't feel feelings anymore.

The big five tasks I had identified to do, once I'd gotten my Naturalization Certificate, were:
Notify my employer (in case I had to do an updated I-9). Notify the DMV. Update my SSA records. Register to vote. Order my passport and passport card. This in addition to some minor incidentals like get photocopies of the NatzCert, passport photos for the passport application, etc. It turns out they no longer put a stamp on the NatzCert saying it's illegal to photocopy. So I made several full sized copies for backup and also (on the advice of one of my wife's relatives who did this with a federal firearms authorization) made a little laminated miniature wallet-sized copy, just for kicks. (It's so cute, like a widdle bittie baby NatzCert. But I digress.)
Between my interview (March 28th) and oath ceremony (June 15th) I called my employer's HR department. They looked into it and said that no, they difinitely don't need a redone I-9 or any formal notification of a shift from PR status to citizenship status. I also called the DMV and found out that, in Utah at least, they don't need immediate notification of a change from PR status to citizenship status, though they will need to see proof of legal status/citizenship when I go to renew my DL in the next few years.
My oath was on a Wednesday. On the following Monday, I went to register to vote. The next day, even though it was fewer than the 10 days after that USCIS recommend, I went to the SSA office and updated my SSA records. They needed to see the NatzCert, obviously (so do this before you order the passport) but had no problems whatsoever, and I got my new SS card (exactly the same as the older unqualified SS card I got with my two-year GC) within a week. So don't worry too much about the "10 days" rule you hear.
That left only ordering my passport and passport and card, which I'd left to last because there literally now wasn't anything else left to do with my NatzCert. I sent it off a week ago tomorrow. I think it was Thursday or Friday before my application showed on the tracking page on travel.state.gov/passport. The acceptance agent at City Hall that I handed the application to (I'd have gone to a Passport Agency except my nearest one is in Denver and I don't have proof of imminent travel plans anyways) said they're currently seeing passports come back in 3-6 weeks. So we'll see how long that takes.
TL:DR The three things you list are the big ones to do after citizenship. Do the passport last so that that way, if G-d forbid your NatzCert disappears on the way to or back from the State Department, you've used the NatzCert for everything else you can possibly use it for.
My understanding on name changes is that you update the primary identity documents - SS card and state-issued DL - first, and then you can use that combination for everything else (magazine subscriptions, car/health insurance, employer, bank, conceal-carry permits or other state-level docs, etc). That was what I'd figured out for my USC wife after we got married. For a new citizen it should be mostly the same - I assume that USCIS updates their own contact records for you with your new name based on the N-400 and NatzCert. I'd hope so, anyways!

Seriously?
This is a great thing to have happened. Same sex couple should have been allowed this right this entire time.

I am not going to touch the "illegals" argument because it has NOTHING to do with your case. The truth is that you were poorly prepared for the ROC through your own fault. People make mistakes and unfortunately, yours is a terrible one. I don't think anyone here is being particularly harsh on you. And USCIS is surely not making you jump through any hoops. Honestly, it looks like they gave you 1 hoop and you said "No thanks, I prefer tennis". They have specific requirements which, for whatever reason, you chose to ignore. The sheer number of forms you had to fill out and documents you had to secure for the initial AOS should have at least prompted you and especially your foreign spouse to at least quickly review the I-751 form and its requirements much earlier that you apparently did.
Just take responsibility for your mistake and try your best to move forward, gathering as much evidence as you can. In terms of the bank statements, you should show months of withdrawals and deposits (some people only printed a cover sheet with both names which is NO EVIDENCE of use of mixed funds at all). I really would like to see your case progress positively.

All posts violating the TOS have been removed, along with those quoting them. Administrative action has been taken.
We have a number of same sex couples on VJ. Please be mindful of what you post. Thank you.

Actually it has already begun - and it is a beautiful thing. Love is love.
http://thinkprogress.org/immigration/2013/06/26/2220411/doma-immigration-judge-stops-deportation/?mobile=nc

There is always an assumption that if we do not allow Gay marriage that Gay men will marry lesbian women and live happily ever after and be fruitful and multiply. Nonsense. They will still be gay and lesbian.
No one is going to "turn gay" because of this ruling. I am pretty happy sleeping naked with a hot woman, even though gay marriage or civil union here has been legal since before I met my wife. Who'da thunk it?
My main concern "Big Dog" is that when you speak of welfare, you sound just like "MR. Big Dog" I get you two RWNJs confused all the time. Is the "big dog" thing a right wing code for something?

WHAT!!!!!!!!!????
That sounds just like Heterosexual couples!

Cheating is not marriage. Having sex with other people, if both of you agree (or participate) is not cheating. My response would be "define cheating"
The constitution is not intended to be amended to strip people of rights.

Fortunately, the bible does not amount to our LAW. Please. follow the bible if you choose. Leave me out of it.

Exactly. Just as I said. No barriers to same sex couples other than those that exist for opposite sex couples. Well, some same sex couples will not be able to marry overseas in the foreign partner's country if that country doesn't perform same sex marriages. Aside from that, it's a level playing field now. And that is a big win for equal rights.

For folks that really do want to know how this ruling will related to immigration rights, here's a FAQ: http://immigrationequality.org/2013/06/the-end-of-doma-what-your-family-needs-to-know/. I'm so excited for the families that will be able to stay together in the US because of this ruling. It's an awesome day for same-sex binational couples.

It means that married same sex couples are entitled to the same immigration benefits as marries opposite sex couples. And one does not even have to live in a same sex marriage state. You can marry overseas in a same sex marriage country and then file for immigration benefits for your spouse. You should be able to do that even if you are a Texas or Louisiana or Alabama resident.
Beauty of it is that you do not depend on your state of residence to recognize your marriage - only the federal government needs to honor it. With DOMA gone and the court ruling that the federal government must extend the same benefits to married same sex couples as married opposite sex couples, I'd be interested to see on what basis they would reject that application.
Of course, if you live in a backward state and your same sex SO lives in a backward country, then you're still up ####### creek without a paddle. Or maybe not. You should still be able to peition on a K1 and then marry in one of the 21st centuiry states within the prescribed period post entry.

DOMA has been ruled unconstitutional! My Australian spouse can now begin the process of getting an IR-1/CR-1! Now we can update our timeline!
The I-130 will be filed on June 27, 2013.
I am so thankful!
Sukie

On Homepage, there is "Today's Popular Immigration Discussions".
Can you NOT include "Games While You Wait" threads? That's not immigration related topics!

Yay! My wife passed her interview and test today!! They said her oath ceremony should be in the third week of July, but we'll find out for sure when we get the scheduling letter in the mail. Note that she could have had a same day ceremony, but is changing her name so has to wait for the next judicial ceremony (they happen monthly in Portland).
We got to the waiting room about 20 minutes early and were there for 50 minutes before she was called. We had our toddler with us, which honestly was pretty difficult, but the IO saw her and she called for "mama" as my wife was being led back, which I think did provide some evidence of our ongoing marriage. They went over the N400 application and she took the marriage documents my wife brought (2012 tax transcript, joint checking account statements, medical/dental/auto insurance). The IO was apparently very friendly and informal and they talked about being moms.
The questions she was asked for the civics test:
1. What is the capital of your state?
2. What is the supreme law of the land?
3. What is an amendment?
4. What do we show loyalty to when we say the pledge of allegiance?
5. When was the Constitution written?
and 1 more, obviously, but my wife couldn't remember it. They did the English reading and writing portion (Where is the White House? The White House is in Washington, D.C.). Then the IO told my wife she passed and was recommended for approval! The IO was very happy for her.
All in all, pretty awesome.

This post appears lengthy but the actual interview with the IO took only less than 10 minutes, from the time he called my name until he told me I passed and was all set to leave.
Parking 334 E Temple St. - flat rate $8 My husband and I drove from Marina del Rey. There was heavy traffic in the last seven miles of the 110 Freeway. Security The interview schedule was at 9:45 am on 300 N Los Angeles St. We were on the security screening line for about eight minutes. When it was our turn, my husband placed his stuff on the tray but the guard noticed his sharp keychain and said that he wasn't allowed to take the particular accessory design inside the building. I made my husband memorize my interview room number and told him to meet me there. He left the building and looked for a spot to hide his keychain someplace else. I got inside the building at 8:33 am. The Long Wait I greeted the guard outside Room 8509 and he asked for my interview letter. I handed it to him and he pointed the waiting room. It was packed because most of those who were getting interviewed invited one to three family members with them. After more than an hour of sitting there, I asked the couple beside me what time their interview was. I know they were already there before we arrived. The man said his wife was scheduled at 9:45 am. Several minutes past 11 o'clock, an IO called the wife and two minutes later, my IO showed up at 11:22 am. My husband and I waited for nearly two hours! He would occasionally walk around and talk to the funny guard outside the waiting room. My husband found out the guard was born in the Philippines and he was quite entertaining. Inside Suite 8509 The IO introduced himself and told me that the lady beside him will be with us during the interview for her training but she won't be asking me questions. She's only there to observe. The three of us walked towards his office while he was holding my N-400 form. He asked if: - the name on the form is accurate and whether I intend to keep or change it - I'm still living in the same address on the file and how long I've resided there. I said yes, four months. He requested to see my passport, 10-year permanent resident card, and state ID. He made copies of those and told me to place my stuff on the table inside his room. I saw on his table a very thick file which most likely contained everything we sent starting from the I-129F. After making copies of my IDs, the IO and the lady joined me inside the room and he led the oath. We all sat and he told me my test was about to begin. What is one promise you make when you become a United States citizen? Where is the Statue of Liberty? Who is the Governor of California? Who was the First President? What movement tried to end racial discrimination? Name two national US holidays. I got the first six correct. He gave me a paper and pointed at the portion to read aloud, "Who lives in the White House?" and handed me another paper and a pen then told me to write, "The President lives in the White House." He went back to holding my N-400 form and asked: Is your name spelled correctly here? How long have you lived in your current address? - I answered four months. He then chuckled and commented, "Oh, I've already asked you that!" It made me think that the IO asked a few questions repeatedly to check if my answers were consistent. Did you bring any evidence that you are still married to your husband, such as joint bank account statements? I named some documents and he kept saying, "We already have that on your file." I told him that they only got our 2009, 2010, and 2011 tax transcripts so I bought one for 2012. I handed the 2012 tax transcripts to him. I also gave him our: - joint bank account statements from 2010 to present, reflecting all four addresses we have lived in (one for every quarter) The IO said to the lady being trained that she should look at the statements and check for changes on the balances and if there's activity, then that's a good sign. Now I'm glad I didn't redact the details of the bank statements. I would normally redact those using thick, black ink, to conceal the balances and actual account numbers. - current lease agreement (I submitted two lease agreements for previous addresses during our ROC) He didn't have a copy of our current lease. - renter's insurance policy He verified if all the details I've written on my form are accurate such as my previous addresses and employment history. I'm currrently unemployed so he asked, "How do you support yourself?" I told him the truth: my husband and I agreed that it's better if only one of us would experience work-related stress. He smiled and asked what my husband's job is. I said he's a senior software engineer. The IO nodded. More questions: Have you made trips outside the country? Yes, three times. When was the last one? In May 2012 when my husband and I visited the Philippines for the first time since I arrived in the US. He asked about my marital history and my husband's. This is both our first marriage (and hopefully the only one ever). He also asked if we are currently separated or filing for divorce. Of course not! Do you have children? Not yet. For part 10 of the N-400 form, he didn't read to me every single yes or no question. He simply picked the first two or three questions from each portion and then skipped the rest. He then gave me a paper with my name, country of birth, and address to check if everything is correct and made me sign it together with parts 13 and 14 of my N-400 form. The IO went outside the room with the lady and made copies of our joint bank statements, current lease agreement, 2012 tax transcript, and renter's insurance policy. When he came back, he said that I passed my interview and congratulated me. He handed me Form N-652, Naturalization Interview Results (it has a line that says I should take the letter to the oath ceremony). The IO told me to expect my oath letter in the mail "in a couple of months." Hopefully that was only the standard answer and my oath ceremony gets scheduled sooner! I thanked him and the lady a few times over and left. The Finale The guard saw me and said that the IO who interviewed me was the kindest person there is in the interview suite. I agree. The IO asked me very easy questions and although he wanted to see more documents, he always spoke softly without a hint of intimidation or condescension. The guard gave me advice in Filipino, "Tell your husband you didn't pass and that you have to come back in August to redo the interview." I exclaimed, "Hindi ako marunong magsinungaling!" (I don't know how lie to my husband!) The guard laughed. I returned to the waiting room and my husband was very surprised to see me. He thought the interview would run at least 30 minutes. Nevertheless, I got a hug and a kiss from him in front of strangers who tried to congratulate me. We then walked to Little Tokyo in Downtown Los Angeles and had some unagi roll, salmon, and beef noodles for lunch. Acknowledgement Special appreciation to my husband and also to the N-400 February 2013 Filers. Thank you so much!

There have been many successful petitions and, if your documentation is in order, you should be fine. The main thing is that the state you get married in has to recognize your marriage as an opposite-sex marriage (California does). I know of 5 different marriage petitions involving a transgender spouse in the last 4 years and all were easily approved with no delays at all. The case I'm aware of that was delayed (significantly) was more like 8 years ago and a lot changed in the years since that. If you have any questions, I highly recommend contacting someone at Immigration Equality (www.immigrationequality.org) - they are very experienced and knowledgeable and have lawyers available to answer questions for free. Good luck and congrats!

There have been many successful petitions and, if your documentation is in order, you should be fine. The main thing is that the state you get married in has to recognize your marriage as an opposite-sex marriage (California does). I know of 5 different marriage petitions involving a transgender spouse in the last 4 years and all were easily approved with no delays at all. The case I'm aware of that was delayed (significantly) was more like 8 years ago and a lot changed in the years since that. If you have any questions, I highly recommend contacting someone at Immigration Equality (www.immigrationequality.org) - they are very experienced and knowledgeable and have lawyers available to answer questions for free. Good luck and congrats!

You are wrong in every way. First, there is no "need" to file the N-600. It's a good idea but not a requirement. A person can be a US citizen without a US passport or N-600.
Second, the child is a US citizen so there is no problem with "claiming to be a US citizen."
The child AUTOMATICLY gets US citizenship when he meets the 4 requirements of the Child Citizenship Acr. NO PAPERWORK IS REQIRED to prove his status. However, it's a good idea to get proof in the form of a US passport or N-600. Neither pieces of paper is required to prove US citizenship.
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Follow your link. Did you read the automatic citizenship rule for a foreign born child under age 18 who is an LPR residing with a US citizen parent? I suspect not. Google "Child Citizenship Act" also.

If you did try to enter without a US passport, CBP still have to let you in. They won't revoke your citizenship for it. But it will be a big hassle and they'll probably fine you.