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thekfc

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  1. Like
    thekfc got a reaction from STO Overland in URGENT !!!!!! Please help !!!   
    Have you tried registering online/creating an account with  the NY Tax dept?
     
    https://www.tax.ny.gov/online/
     
    https://www.tax.ny.gov/pay/ipa/
     
    Once you registered you can get/print the required document as your payment plan should be in there.
  2. Like
    thekfc got a reaction from arken in URGENT !!!!!! Please help !!!   
    Have you tried registering online/creating an account with  the NY Tax dept?
     
    https://www.tax.ny.gov/online/
     
    https://www.tax.ny.gov/pay/ipa/
     
    Once you registered you can get/print the required document as your payment plan should be in there.
  3. Like
    thekfc got a reaction from Mike E in URGENT !!!!!! Please help !!!   
    Have you tried registering online/creating an account with  the NY Tax dept?
     
    https://www.tax.ny.gov/online/
     
    https://www.tax.ny.gov/pay/ipa/
     
    Once you registered you can get/print the required document as your payment plan should be in there.
  4. Like
    thekfc got a reaction from Family in URGENT !!!!!! Please help !!!   
    Have you tried registering online/creating an account with  the NY Tax dept?
     
    https://www.tax.ny.gov/online/
     
    https://www.tax.ny.gov/pay/ipa/
     
    Once you registered you can get/print the required document as your payment plan should be in there.
  5. Like
    thekfc reacted to inqztve in Oath experience at Richmond, Virginia   
    Finally had my Oath ceremony yesterday at Richmond, VA after about 15 months of filing the N-400. Although almost two months were lost in cancelling and rescheduling the interview due to snowstorm at Norfolk in January. The ceremony was at 9:30 am at the Richmond Federal Court. There were 74 candidates in this batch. There were another batch at 11:30. I don't know if there were more batches. I believe, the number was restricted in each batch because of size of the courtroom.
     
    Even though phones and cameras were not allowed in the building, it was an excellent process. The USCIS officers were very professional, friendly, and helpful and very well organized. For the 1st time, in all my interactions with USCIS, it was a very welcoming message from them. They started right on time. First, they checked everyone in and penitently answered any questions. Asked us to make sure the place in the Oath letter was the place where the ceremony was taking place and not people's home town. Anyone who had it filled otherwise, just needed to cross it out and fill in correctly. Same thing for other fields such as date etc. They also offered pens to anyone who needed it.  
     
    He asked people to line up in single row to check in based on last 3 digits of the USCIS # in 3 groups starting with, 000-300, and then 301-600 and 601-999. He asked during the check in if I was arrested, got married or divorced or traveled out of the country since the interview. He asked the same questions to everyone. Couple of people, said they had speeding citations. He only wanted to see the citations but didn't cause any issues to anyone. He also collected the green cards but didn't ask for the previous green cards or other USCIS issues documents etc. Couple of people said they lost their green cards. He had them fill up an additional form and that's about it. Overall no one was denied. He was as helpful as he could possibly be. Everyone was given a packet with usual material in it and hand-written number on the packet. 
     
    After the check in, everyone was instructed to sit in order of the number they were given. First 18 got to sit in the Jury chairs.  I was #19. Rest of us sat at bench on the left side of the isle and friends and family sat on the right side of the isle.  The officer then came over and verified the order and also asked us check with the person on our left and right to make sure everyone was sitting in the right order. At this time, he also asked us to make sure we verify the information on the certificate is correct once we receive it. He told us, any error spotted on the day could be corrected on the spot and for free of charge. He also informed us that we should sign the certificates once we verify everything is correct. We were also told to update the social security information in about 2 weeks to give enough time for Social Security Administration system sync with USCIS data. It may not take that long but I thought they were being on the safe side. He also gave us some information on how to apply for passport and voter registration etc.
     
    After that the assistant district attorney came and talked to each one of us to make sure she pronounced our names right when she called us to collect the certificates at the end. They didn't have to do that, but I was impressed how diligently she tried to learn the names of all 74 people in a short period of time but still talking to everyone individually. After that, we are told that the judge invited students from local girl's school to come and observe the ceremony and learn how everything works in a civil society. About 70 little girls came from the school and they sat on the floor in front of the judge's bench facing us. At this time, we were instructed to remove any hats and rise as the judge was entering the room. Once the judge took her seat, and announced the court is in session and we are instructed to have a seat.
     
    The assistant district attorney then filed the motion to the judge to grant the name change for people who requested it. The judge granted the motion and all 12 of them had their name change approved instantaneously.  They officer from the USCIS, then stood up and asked everyone to rise. He gave us the Oath of Allegiance. After that the judge gave her prepared remarks. It was very uplifting and seemed genuinely heartfelt. She said it was the favorite part of her job and how she loves to see the increasingly diverse faces of America. She even mentioned how the Virginia state legislature has become much more diverse in the last state election. After that we were asked to rise again, and she gave us the Pledge of Allegiance and declared us as new US citizen and congratulated us. There were big cheers and applause.
     
    It was time to collect the certificates. An Officer from USCIS stood on the right side of the open area near the judges' bench with certificates. Local volunteers stood next to him with little US flags to be handed out to everyone. The judge came down form her podium and stood in line with them. She said she wanted to greet every new citizen and their family members individually. The assistant district attorney began to call everyone by name in the order everyone was seated after the check in. As we walked in that order, family members joined us to walk to the judge first in line, who shook our hands and expressed her gratitude to us for giving her the opportunity to welcome us to the country as the new citizens. I was genuinely heartfelt. We then collected our certificates from the next person standing in line after the judge and the little US Flags from the volunteers standing next to him and walked back to our seats. Everyone waited respectfully till all 74 of us collected our certificates. I expected at least a little bit of chaos, but it was extremely well orchestrated ceremony. The judge then declared the session was over. On our way out, we were handed out Virginia voter registration form. And, suddenly the journey was over.
     
  6. Like
    thekfc reacted to topoftherock2013 in N-400 May 2017 Filers   
    I understand...I applied in May 2017 and it's been a long road since my initial K1 visa back in Feb 2013.
     
    I got my oath letter by the way, happy it came so that I can plan my travel around it! 
  7. Like
    thekfc reacted to Unlockable in What if you could pay to expedite N400 processing?   
    @geowrian already covered it but I was going to say the same thing. Passport is not immigration. Passports are done with US citizens or citizens from their specific country. When you are dealing with people coming from 190 plus countries in the world and each having their own customs that immigration has to be knowledgeable of, AND dealing with authorities for background checks in each of those countries.... it takes time for US immigration. 
     
    Naturalization is the last journey towards citizenship. Immigration looks at the totality of your eligibility. If you are naturalizing because of marriage, they are going to look at that marriage along with a person's domicile, tax filing history, and if they were law abiding citizens.
     
    Passports deal with a person's identity and legal background checks of a citizen of that one country. Passports doesn't give the same benefits as citizenship. A passport doesn't give a person the right to vote or apply for medicaid or social security benefits.
     
    Paying for expedite sounds like a good idea, but it is not gonna happen with immigration.
  8. Like
    thekfc reacted to Unlockable in What if you could pay to expedite N400 processing?   
    To answer your question, yes i would pay extra for "premium" service. Not thousands extra though. Maybe a couple hundred more than the original fee.
     
    HOWEVER...
     
    'Tis NOT gonna happen. Offering this would give an unfair advantage. There are people who struggle to come up with the current fees as they are now. also, the people involved with reviewing cases need the appropriate time to make sure all checks and balances are done. I know most are used to having other faster services offered but there is a reason all cases are handled with no special priority (unless reasons for expedite outline by USCIS) when dealing immigration. 
  9. Like
    thekfc reacted to MA NYC in N-400 May 2017 Filers   
    My journey came to an end today at the special Oath Ceremony at New York Historical Society.  59 countries 201 people were sworn in by Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.  We got a nice welcome package from New York Historical Society including free family membership and some small gifts (books, flags etc).  It took about 1.5 hours to check all participants in and we were sit at the specific seats with our names attached on the chairs.  Then, the USCIS deputy district director guided us with the process before the ceremony started at 11 a.m. with the presentation of colors by honor guard and so on.  We were called to get on the stage to receive our certificate one by one and the ceremony ended before noon.  Since this was not at the courthouse, we were allowed to have our phones and I took several pictures during the ceremony.  
     
    I thought I wouldn't be excited but the whole ceremony got into me.  I was smiled the whole time.  I wish all ceremonies would be done this way.  For those who are still waiting for your oath, good luck.  I hope you get the one one.  
     
    p.s. one note to guests.  I know that the whole families are excited that you will become US citizen but it is better not to bring small children to the ceremony if they can't sit and be quiet during the ceremony or you can stay outside of the auditorium with the kids once the ceremony starts.  The whole thing will take several hours.  It's not easy for kids to stay still.    
  10. Like
    thekfc reacted to Going through in Citizenship or Greencard Renewal   
    I was in your same boat not too long ago.
     
    You can apply for citizenship and pay that fee only.
     
    If you schedule an infopass appointment *before* your green card expires, you can get a stamp in your passport that will serve as proof of your LPR status while your N400 is pending.   The stamp is free.  If you wait until *after* your green card expires to get the stamp, they will tell you to renew your green card instead and pay the fee.
     
    It is common for one's green card to expire while the N400 is pending....you then don't need to renew the green card unless your N400 is denied in the end.  An expired green card does not mean that your LPR status expires----just the physical proof is expired (the card).
  11. Like
    thekfc reacted to juliava in N-400 Filers @ New York City, Queens and Long Island Field Offices   
    Congrats, Lela! Great news! Today I passed the interview as well at Newark office, and then I had the oath ceremony! Finally I am a US citizen!
     
  12. Like
    thekfc reacted to Lelita in N-400 Filers @ New York City, Queens and Long Island Field Offices   
    Hi guys
    had my interview today at 26 federal plaza 7th fl
    everything went well and was recommended for approval at the spot!
    the lady asked me for photos and transcripts
    green card, passports and state ID!
    good luck to everyone!
  13. Like
    thekfc reacted to MA NYC in N-400 May 2017 Filers   
    I had my interview today at 26 Federal Plaza in NY.  I went there 30 mins as recommended and my check-in was completed in 15 mins.  I waited for an hour before being called and took about 15-20 mins to complete the interview.
     
    6 questions: longest river, when was the declaration of the independence, the Speaker of the House, how long is the term for the president.  I forgot the other 2.  The interviewer spoke very fast and proceeded to next questions quickly.
    Writing/reading: Lincoln was president during the Civil War and Lincoln was the President of the United States.
     
    A few questions were asked from my application such as my marriage status, my work and my trips.  Then, I was asked if I support the Constitution, willing to fight for the country, if I have never been arrested or claimed to be a citizen etc.
     
    The interviewer congratulated me that I passed the test and asked me to wait for the letter for the Oath.  I got a paper with the mark that I passed the test (questions, writing and reading) and my application has been recommended for approval.  He mentioned to me that it was easy and I spoke English well.  
     
    I hope I will receive the date for the Oath soon.  I just want to get it done.  
     
    Good luck to all.
  14. Like
    thekfc reacted to La Isla Bonita in N-400 May 2017 Filers   
    Guys my interview was finally done this morning.  Past days and weeks was so stressful and finally i made it and  USCIS Form-N-652  is showing “Congratulations! Your application is recommended for approval. At this time, it appears, that you have established your eligibility for naturalization. If final approval is granted, you will be notified when and where to report for the oath ceremony.
     
    Here’s the story of my journey today:
     
    Set alarm for 5:45am. Interview time is 10:30am
    Left the house at 7am.  Traffic was so bad going to Atlanta USCIS office. Arrived at the parking lot at 8:30am.  Walk towards the building and have to wait to be called by the guard to put all personal belongings on a tray for check up through xray machine like in the airport. Went to a window and showed my appointment letter. She told us to go to the second floor and check in there at 10:05 am since my interview scheduled was 10:30.  It was a long ordeal waiting in that cold room.So i just observed some people who were called ahead of me. Their are some applicants who took forever inside to be interviewed and their are some who was just quick and came out with a smiling face.  Funny i saw one USCIS officer who looked tough and i told myself, hope she will not be the one to interview me.   But, she was indeed my interviewer when i was finally called at 10:40am.
     
    She guided me towards her office and told me to remained standing and raised my right hand to take an oath.
     
    After that she told me to sit down, and asked me to hand to her my passport, Green Card, Drivers License and SSN card.  She asked if i have another id. I told her thats all ID i got because at work we dont have an ID but an employee number to used to clock in.  
     
    Then she set aside all the documents she asked and took a pic of me. Did finger printing again. I dont know why. She said lets do your biometric again.
     
    After that she handed me a paper to signed.
     
    Then she asked me if i bring a new bank statement of me and my husband.  Oh gee! I thought about that last night but just ignored it.  I told her, I dont have any but I have a new phone bill and insurance of our car both under our name. She took that and attached it together to my folders. Oh Thanks God, she did not asked for more.
     
    Next she handed me a paper to write a sentence.  Then the second paper there are sentences for you to read.
     
    After that, she went through all the pages of the application form and asked questions whats in there. She will be signing the papers as she go along and doing works on the computer too.
     
    Finally she asked me the civic questions.
     
            * What is the Supreme Law of the Land?
            * How many amendments does the constitution have?
            *Who is in charge of the executive branch?
            *What is the name of the Vice President?
            *Who is the chief justice Of the United States?
            *What group of people was taken to America and sold as slaves?
     
     
    Guys, there are ready questions already printed on that paper which is intended for each diiferent individuals or applicants.  As she was reading the questions, she was checking it too and writing something after every answers you gave.
     
    After that, she handed me the Form N-652 and told me to wait on the mail for the letter of Oath Taking schedule. She also said, to bring the green card and what is stated on the letter.  
     
    She congratulated me and led me to the exit door.
     
     

     
     
    I told my husband i need a good lunch and a drink.  Imagine guys I took a sleeping pill last night and went to bed at 9pm.  I had so many weird dreams.  LOL! Even in my dreams, I was holding the citizenship book and was memorizing.
     
    @Waitinggame16  Im so happy you finally going to your interview soon.  Just be prepared for all the documents to bring. Bring current Bills.  
     
    To all those waiting for the big day,  goodluck to all of you.
  15. Like
    thekfc got a reaction from YashMin in N-400 Filers @ New York City, Queens and Long Island Field Offices   
    Congratulations @YashMin.
     
    We waited a week before sending out our passport application due to the fact that we had no time that day & well as wanting to make a copy of the certificate before sending it out.
    When we finally went to send out the application at the Bronx General Post Office, luckily there was a worker who was checking completed passport application of people who was waiting in line. She was taking people off the line (application was filled out in blue & not black - so had to redo, people don't have right documents, etc,). It took us just a few minutes as most of the people ahead of us were taken off the line and my wife application was pre-printed (filled online & printed).
  16. Like
    thekfc reacted to YashMin in N-400 Filers @ New York City, Queens and Long Island Field Offices   
    Happy to announce that I attended my oath ceremony,and am now officially a citizen!
     
    My oath ceremony letter said to arrive at 8:30am on Friday to Cadman Plaza in Brooklyn, New York. My wife and I arrived right at 8:30, since I read online in advance, that the first half hour or even more is just checking in. They sat everyone in a given row in the courthouse on a first come first serve basis, so later when they handed out the naturalization certificate, the early folks got to leave slightly earlier as well.
     
    Next steps, the officers were dealing with certain individual cases (name changes, other issues/problems). The process was not too bad, but I do think it could be much more efficient if they had someone deal with a given person's issue while the rest of the officers processes the masses. But instead, a lot of time was spent with everyone just waiting for the officers to deal with one person. Oh well, it was still all pretty quick, so not complaining too much. That person actually ended up being sent back to have their oath rescheduled, because he lived in the Bronx and not in Brooklyn, so they couldn't process him there.
     
    I also knew not to hold expectations too high on the court letting our friends and family partake in the actual ceremony part. But, luckily and because we were a group of 150 (vs up to 250), they decided to let everyone in. So my wife did get to witness. The judge was really nice and had a great speech. My wife and I were out of the building by 11am.
     
    After getting the certificate, we went one building over to the post office, which accepts passport applications. They only had one person dealing with the influx of people, and even though I was 10th person in line, it still took about 1.5 hours (interestingly, the last 5 cases took 15 minutes, but the first 5 were complicated for whatever reason).
     
    Thank you again everyone here for sharing your stories and helping shed light on an otherwise black box of a process. Good luck to everyone still waiting!
  17. Like
    thekfc got a reaction from NikeS in N-400 Filers @ New York City, Queens and Long Island Field Offices   
    My wife had her oath ceremony on Friday, January 19th. 
     
    This is for 500 Pearl Street in Manhattan. 
     
    It is a complete different experience than what @Going through experienced back in October in Brooklyn. 
     
    My wife's oath letter stated 10am so we left home about 8am but due to subway delays we got there about 9:30, it usually takes me 30 minutes from home to work which is one subway stop less. So it is a good idea to give yourself cushion time if traveling by the subway.
     
    The courthouse address is 500 Pearl Street. However, the main Pearl Street entrance is reserved for employees only. The visitor's entrance is around the corner @ the north side of the building on Worth Street. Columbus Park/Playground (Chinatown) is across the street. Fyi, Columbus Park is located in what was part of the Five Points district and was portrayed in the movie "Gangs of New York" directed by Martin Scorsese.
     
    There is an airport style security screening - you empty your pocket and put all belonging as well as your coat in a bin. There was a long line to enter, three of the 4 long rows were filled with people. There are 4 scanners so the line was moving. The gentleman directing people was giving instructions to everyone to turn off their cell and check it in as electronic devices are not allowed inside. We had to hand in both our cell phones and smart watches. 
     
    The area to turn in your devices is located right after you pass the scanners but before you enter the main area. You hand in your devices and you are given a round metal chip with a number written on it.
     
    The main jury room is right there as you enter, just a couple of feet from the devices check-in area and it is huge.
    There was a long line of people. There was a sign at the entrance instructing people on how to fill the back of the oath ceremony notice. There was also an immigration officer who was walking the line checking everyone's letter. Some people dated the letter with a day or two prior but he changed the date to the current date. So make sure you date your oath letter with the date of your oath ceremony. 
     
    The oath check-in area was divided in three. There was a main line where you first go to turn in your green card and there were two people at that desk. They asked you "have anything change since your interview".  You were handed a big white envelope which contains a hard folder to hold your certificate, a two-side card with the "pledges", info on voting & serving on a jury and a passport application. 
     
    You were then directed to either a line on the left of the room or one on the right. That is where you check your certificate to ensure that it is correct and sign it. There were 2 officers stationed at each desk (so 6 officers total). My wife was sent to the line on the right as well as most of the other oath takers. Not sure what the line on the left was for. 
     
    I stayed on both line with her the entire time, the immigration office even made a joke saying "oh you here with her for moral support".  The officers would tell everyone "you are here because you requested a name change", the show the person he name change certificate & tell them "this is your previous name & this is the name you are changing it to, is this correct?", then he would instruct them to verify the certificate is correct. 
     
    There were a few errors with some of the oath takers certificate but they were mainly with signatures. Some people actually had their name printed on their picture instead of a signature. You are suppose to print your name on the back of the picture & sign the front, but it looks like interviewers had some applicants do the reverse, including my wife (the interviewer did as my wife for pics at the interview). The officers at the oath ceremony had them resign the certificate on the stamped part.  
     
    It was a long process, they started check-in in people way before 10am but didn't finish until a few minutes before 12 -the ceremony was suppose to start at 11:30am. There was a 5-10 minute wait as the officers cleared out their area and packed up.
     
    Then we were all told to rise and the judge entered. If I recall correctly, it was judge Katherine Forrest and she gave a beautiful and aspiring speech. I have watched a few speeches on youtube and hers was wonderful.
     
    The guest were told to sit while the applicants were  instructed to remain standing and they took the "Oath of Allegiance". Then we all stand, face the flag and say the "Pledge of Allegiance". 
     
    The judge repeatedly said that it was a long day and she didn't want to keep us any longer.
     
    There was no guest speaker nor was there a video/speech by the president.
     
    There was no acknowledge of the countries represented nor was there an announcement of the number of new citizens.
    There were about a dozen no-show, an immigration officer was  calling out names for them to come forward and only 1 person came forward.
     
    The new citizens names were not called by alphabetical order or the likes. I think that was due to time restraint (not having enough time to organize them).
     
    They did call about a dozen people first as they stated that these people had appointments back at Federal Plaza. We were seated in the 6th row from the front so we heard part of the conversation; they instructed some to go to Duane Reade and take passport pictures & other to bring the documents they had with them and what room to go to at Federal Plaza. These people did take the oath and were handed the certificate so not sure what the reasons were.
     
    The immigration officers were very professional, there was one officer who would come over and help translate.
    The place was filled with some people standing in the back. I tried counting how many seats in the room by counting the rows but got lost at 272 seats, so it was a very large group taking the oath. 
     
    Also to note, that some guest(s) did sit together with their spouse/family member. I did sit in the front with my wife, there was no instruction on where to sit or not to sit. The only instruction was not to sit in the first front row on either side.
     
    I wanted to stay and ask the immigrant  officers how many new citizens & number of countries represented but we were pressed for time.  My wife was one of the early people who was called to pick up her certificate AND we had to go pick up our son from school which dismiss at 2:20pm. We didn't make prior arrangements as we didn't think that it would take that long, someone we know took their oath the week prior and was done by & out of the building by 12pm.
     
    We were out of the building with certificate in hand by about 12:50pm, we were there for a little over 3 hours. There were some people there longer - they were already there when we arrive & still there when we left.
     
     While leaving there were some people taking picture in-front the main entrance with their certificate, I even took a few pics for someone who wanted family pics.
  18. Like
    thekfc reacted to Brother Hesekiel in Apply at 3y or 5y? (+ Conscientious objection)   
    There is NO extra stuff to send in when naturalizing early. NONE.

    You can object, make this as lengthy and painful as you want. Object, write to the President, protest in the streets. I personally would just zip it and go with the flow.
    I have one question for you though: if you are with your husband at home, and an intruder puts a gun at your husband's head and is ready to blow his brains all over your dinner table, would you beat him with a vase over the head or would you rather move out of the room to avoid the messyness of it?
    Same thing.
  19. Like
    thekfc got a reaction from Matmat in N-400 Filers @ New York City, Queens and Long Island Field Offices   
    My wife had her oath ceremony on Friday, January 19th. 
     
    This is for 500 Pearl Street in Manhattan. 
     
    It is a complete different experience than what @Going through experienced back in October in Brooklyn. 
     
    My wife's oath letter stated 10am so we left home about 8am but due to subway delays we got there about 9:30, it usually takes me 30 minutes from home to work which is one subway stop less. So it is a good idea to give yourself cushion time if traveling by the subway.
     
    The courthouse address is 500 Pearl Street. However, the main Pearl Street entrance is reserved for employees only. The visitor's entrance is around the corner @ the north side of the building on Worth Street. Columbus Park/Playground (Chinatown) is across the street. Fyi, Columbus Park is located in what was part of the Five Points district and was portrayed in the movie "Gangs of New York" directed by Martin Scorsese.
     
    There is an airport style security screening - you empty your pocket and put all belonging as well as your coat in a bin. There was a long line to enter, three of the 4 long rows were filled with people. There are 4 scanners so the line was moving. The gentleman directing people was giving instructions to everyone to turn off their cell and check it in as electronic devices are not allowed inside. We had to hand in both our cell phones and smart watches. 
     
    The area to turn in your devices is located right after you pass the scanners but before you enter the main area. You hand in your devices and you are given a round metal chip with a number written on it.
     
    The main jury room is right there as you enter, just a couple of feet from the devices check-in area and it is huge.
    There was a long line of people. There was a sign at the entrance instructing people on how to fill the back of the oath ceremony notice. There was also an immigration officer who was walking the line checking everyone's letter. Some people dated the letter with a day or two prior but he changed the date to the current date. So make sure you date your oath letter with the date of your oath ceremony. 
     
    The oath check-in area was divided in three. There was a main line where you first go to turn in your green card and there were two people at that desk. They asked you "have anything change since your interview".  You were handed a big white envelope which contains a hard folder to hold your certificate, a two-side card with the "pledges", info on voting & serving on a jury and a passport application. 
     
    You were then directed to either a line on the left of the room or one on the right. That is where you check your certificate to ensure that it is correct and sign it. There were 2 officers stationed at each desk (so 6 officers total). My wife was sent to the line on the right as well as most of the other oath takers. Not sure what the line on the left was for. 
     
    I stayed on both line with her the entire time, the immigration office even made a joke saying "oh you here with her for moral support".  The officers would tell everyone "you are here because you requested a name change", the show the person he name change certificate & tell them "this is your previous name & this is the name you are changing it to, is this correct?", then he would instruct them to verify the certificate is correct. 
     
    There were a few errors with some of the oath takers certificate but they were mainly with signatures. Some people actually had their name printed on their picture instead of a signature. You are suppose to print your name on the back of the picture & sign the front, but it looks like interviewers had some applicants do the reverse, including my wife (the interviewer did as my wife for pics at the interview). The officers at the oath ceremony had them resign the certificate on the stamped part.  
     
    It was a long process, they started check-in in people way before 10am but didn't finish until a few minutes before 12 -the ceremony was suppose to start at 11:30am. There was a 5-10 minute wait as the officers cleared out their area and packed up.
     
    Then we were all told to rise and the judge entered. If I recall correctly, it was judge Katherine Forrest and she gave a beautiful and aspiring speech. I have watched a few speeches on youtube and hers was wonderful.
     
    The guest were told to sit while the applicants were  instructed to remain standing and they took the "Oath of Allegiance". Then we all stand, face the flag and say the "Pledge of Allegiance". 
     
    The judge repeatedly said that it was a long day and she didn't want to keep us any longer.
     
    There was no guest speaker nor was there a video/speech by the president.
     
    There was no acknowledge of the countries represented nor was there an announcement of the number of new citizens.
    There were about a dozen no-show, an immigration officer was  calling out names for them to come forward and only 1 person came forward.
     
    The new citizens names were not called by alphabetical order or the likes. I think that was due to time restraint (not having enough time to organize them).
     
    They did call about a dozen people first as they stated that these people had appointments back at Federal Plaza. We were seated in the 6th row from the front so we heard part of the conversation; they instructed some to go to Duane Reade and take passport pictures & other to bring the documents they had with them and what room to go to at Federal Plaza. These people did take the oath and were handed the certificate so not sure what the reasons were.
     
    The immigration officers were very professional, there was one officer who would come over and help translate.
    The place was filled with some people standing in the back. I tried counting how many seats in the room by counting the rows but got lost at 272 seats, so it was a very large group taking the oath. 
     
    Also to note, that some guest(s) did sit together with their spouse/family member. I did sit in the front with my wife, there was no instruction on where to sit or not to sit. The only instruction was not to sit in the first front row on either side.
     
    I wanted to stay and ask the immigrant  officers how many new citizens & number of countries represented but we were pressed for time.  My wife was one of the early people who was called to pick up her certificate AND we had to go pick up our son from school which dismiss at 2:20pm. We didn't make prior arrangements as we didn't think that it would take that long, someone we know took their oath the week prior and was done by & out of the building by 12pm.
     
    We were out of the building with certificate in hand by about 12:50pm, we were there for a little over 3 hours. There were some people there longer - they were already there when we arrive & still there when we left.
     
     While leaving there were some people taking picture in-front the main entrance with their certificate, I even took a few pics for someone who wanted family pics.
  20. Thanks
    thekfc got a reaction from Happytobe in Will Fed Gov shutdown stop our oath ceremony (next week)   
    USCIS will not shut down.
    Fee based agency (USCIS) as well as agencies that don't require annual appropriations (SS, Medicare & the likes) will continue to operate. The court system (for judicial ceremonies) will continue to operate as they will spend the money collected thru fees & fines to operate until the funds runs out.
     
    There may be a slowdown to USCIS processing as some of the agencies that support them may have a slowdown (as these agencies may divert some of their resources elsewhere). Passport processing will continue but there may be a slowdown - if a passport processing center is located in a federal building that shutdown then that processing site may shutdown too. Also overseas offices that provide visas to foreigners may shut down like they did during the 2013 shutdown.
  21. Like
    thekfc reacted to Tranquillity in N-400 Filers @ New York City, Queens and Long Island Field Offices   
    Had my oath ceremony this morning at the US District Court on Pearl St in New York. It was a good experience. I arrived at about 9:55am (for a 10am time on the oath letter) and there were about 20 people in line for security. Phones and watches were exchanged for tokens and put in lockers, no cameras or smartphones allowed inside the courthouse, but people were taking photos outside the courthouse afterwards. Joined a long line of people waiting to relinquish their green cards and check their certificates of citizenship before the ceremony began. There were probably about 100 people taking the oath, and a lot of friends and family present. The ceremony itself happened quickly, and the oath was first. The microphone wasn't on for the pledge so only people at the front of the room heard that part. There was no singing of the national anthem, and no video of Donald Trump, about which nobody seemed concerned. The judge then gave a rather excellently written and well delivered speech about the significance of the occasion, and how as new Americans we have the same rights as everyone else here, how immigrants are America's backbone, America is still a land of opportunity today, and so on. Then names were called for us to go up to the front individually to collect our certificates. The staff were cordial and polite, and the whole thing was quite pleasant, despite a lot of standing in line and waiting. I was out of the building, certificate in hand, at 12pm.
     
    Thanks everyone for the information and support on this forum! It has been invaluable.
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    Instructions for adding/updating yourself (or assisting others) to this list: 1. DO NOT DELETE THESE INSTRUCTIONS. 2. Please use your VJ name to avoid confusion.  3. Please make sure you are using Rich Text Editor as your message setting. 4. Copy this whole section including instructions and paste it to your typing field. 5. Make changes and Reply. 6. Red Font = "I'm A United States Citizen"!
     
    Legend: 
    GC-Date: The 'Resident Since' Date located on your first green card.
    Sent: Date N-400 was mailed to USCIS.
    Cashd: Date your check was cashed / credit card was charged by USCIS.
    NOA: Receipt Notice Date Printed on your official I-797 notification.
    Fprints:  Date assigned for fingerprinting (Bio-metrics). If you do your biometrics via walk-in prior to your scheduled appointment, please enter the date in bold blue.
    In Line: Date you received e-notification about the start of your interview scheduling.
    Int Ltr: Date you received the official letter in the mail regarding interview.
    Interview: Date of your interview.
    Oath: Date Oath taken.
    Field Office: Your local USCIS office where you will have the N-400 interview.
  22. Thanks
    thekfc got a reaction from Dinosaur2013 in N-400 Filers @ New York City, Queens and Long Island Field Offices   
    You do need to bring with you proof of your spouse U.S. Citizenship (US Passport, Birth Certificate, etc,.), as well as the other documents the letter asked for.
     
    However, every interviewing officer is different, they may or may not ask for them. 
     
    I would bring whatever copies you have and if they asked, had it over & explain the situation to them.
     
    When my wife had her interview she brought a binder (which included an exact copy of her N-400 application which had a copy of my passport, drivers licence & all supporting documents separated by tabs), she also had the physical documents of my passport & drivers license with her. 
     
    The officer didn't ask her for my physical documents.
     
    The officer did ask her who was that with you and she replied my husband & son (we were with her in the waiting room).
     
    Also to note, although she have been a permanent resident for more that 5 years - she filed based on marriage.
     
  23. Like
    thekfc reacted to Tranquillity in N-400 Filers @ New York City, Queens and Long Island Field Offices   
    It’s good news! My oath is now this Friday 1/12.
     
    It was hard to get an InfoPass, and in the end checking daily at midnight was the only way I nabbed one, but it was well worth it. I waited only a little over an hour. The officer who looked at my case was very helpful. At first I thought all was lost because she said oath ceremonies in NY are on a 3-6 month wait, and I just would have to wait, but she said she would speak to a supervisor as soon as she got a chance - and she did! Less than an hour after I left the building, I got a call from an unknown number. I didn’t pick up because I screen my calls, but she left a voicemail saying she’d found an oath and would call again in 10 mins to check the date was good. She did, I picked up - and now just an hour later, I have the physical oath letter in my hand and am elated to be taking my oath on Friday morning at Pearl St.
     
    It seems what happened in my case was either my file got delayed in transfer, or was incorrectly marked as “decision pending” in the computer system. I suspected something was up because immediately after my case went into “approved” status on the site, it went back to “you attended your interview.” Apparently it really was approved, but maybe got stuck somewhere in processing.
     
    The squeaky wheel gets the grease!
  24. Like
    thekfc reacted to anu19 in N-400 Filers @ New York City, Queens and Long Island Field Offices   
    Dear VJ Members,
    Just wanted to say a big giant THANK YOU .I passed my interview today.
    Oath is scheduled for Dec 20 at 8.30 am at Cadman Plaza.
  25. Like
    thekfc reacted to floridadave in N-400 - March 2017 Filers   
    Color us red!!!
     
    The wife had her oath ceremony today and I attended as a guest.  Conducted at the Tampa FO just north of Tampa International Airport.  Very organized, professional, and solemn ceremony.   About 50 took the oath and too bad as two did not make it to the ceremony.
    Quickly the ceremony proceeded as follows:
    1.       Voting information presentation given by a voting registration employee.
    2.        Video Presentation of Faces of America.
    3.       National Anthem
    4.       Presentation of candidates who stood when their country of origin was called.
    5.       While standing, administration of the Oath of Allegiance by the field office director.
    6.       Short speech by an officer about the responsibilities of citizenship.
    7.       Short video by POTUS.
    8.       Music video presentation of America the Beautiful.  Very moving.  Almost brought me to tears.
    9.       Pledge of Allegiance by all in attendance.
    10.   Naturalization certificates handed out by row by FO director and another officer.  The director and other officer stood at the end of each row and as the new citizen exited their row they handed their certificate.  Photos of the presentation was allowed and everyone was politely patient.
    Before leaving my newly naturalized wife registered to vote and I took advantage of the chance to change my party affiliation on the spot.
     
    We then left for a celebratory meal at a local Chinese restaurant.  That’s it.  Passport journey next!
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