How long is one without U.S. passport or green card

[Captain Oates 910]

Been in the country 7 weeks and waiting for my GC but researching what happens at naturalization time.. when I apply in 2 years and 6.5 months...

As I understand it, one goes for an interview and they ask about the benefits of the illegal armed overthrow of the lawful British colonial government in 1776 and the American invasion of England at Whitehaven on 23rd April 1778 where Britain's WMD's were spiked.

Then eventually there is the swearing in ceremony a few months later and they take one's GC at that time.

Do they give a travel document authorization of some description at that time ?

Do they issue a naturalization certificate at that time ?

How long before I get the documents to apply for a U.S. passport ?

I always fear not being able to travel as my mother is very old and I need to always be able to travel at a few hours notice

It's just me researching but the reply will help others who are closer to naturalization I am sure

alan

[timeasterday 0]

There is no sort of travel authorization issued at that time. You are given a certificate of naturalization, nothing else. At that point you are like any other US citizen without a passport. You have to go through the typical application process by applying in person at any designated passport acceptance location (see here: http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html).

No documents will be sent to you to apply for the passport - you need to do this in person. Your local post office is probably the best place to go. If you need one in a hurry they can expedite for extra $$.

Hope that helps!

[Captain Oates 910]

There is no sort of travel authorization issued at that time. You are given a certificate of naturalization, nothing else. At that point you are like any other US citizen without a passport. You have to go through the typical application process by applying in person at any designated passport acceptance location (see here: http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html).

No documents will be sent to you to apply for the passport - you need to do this in person. Your local post office is probably the best place to go. If you need one in a hurry they can expedite for extra $$.

Hope that helps!

That sounds good - so it's a straight swap at the ceremony - they take the green card and give you a certificate and there is no gap...

Phew - well I know it took my wife 3 weeks or so to renew her U.S> passport so a new one might take a little bit longer ?

With the expedited service I should only be unable to travel for a month or so ?

[JA Tam 7]

At the swearing in ceremony, the package that you receive will have the application for a US passport. In the case of a naturalized citizen when applying for a passport for the first time, you will need to apply in person.

Alan, I am going to scare you just a little bit, because this happened to me...I had to send my ORIGINAL naturalization certificate with the application so that I could be issued my passport. It is returned to you with the passport. I applied at the courthouse in Hollywood Florida. I believe if you go to a Passport office, then you can show them your certificate and not "surrender" it.

Since they have worked out the backlog, it shouldn't take too long to get your passport after being naturalized.

Best of luck to you.

[Captain Oates 910]

At the swearing in ceremony, the package that you receive will have the application for a US passport. In the case of a naturalized citizen when applying for a passport for the first time, you will need to apply in person.

Alan, I am going to scare you just a little bit, because this happened to me...I had to send my ORIGINAL naturalization certificate with the application so that I could be issued my passport. It is returned to you with the passport. I applied at the courthouse in Hollywood Florida. I believe if you go to a Passport office, then you can show them your certificate and not "surrender" it.

Since they have worked out the backlog, it shouldn't take too long to get your passport after being naturalized.

Best of luck to you.

Now THAT is wonderful info ! Knowing what I know now after 3 years of dealings with the various agencies, there is no way I am letting go of ANY ORIGINAL stuff - I would drive to Maine and pay a thousand dollars to avoid that !

great info - its 'in person' for me...

[timeasterday 0]

Yes, it should be a straight swap. In my wife's case, she gave up the green card at the end of the interview, but only because they were scheduling her in the afternoon oath ceremony. If you have a time gap from the interview to the ceremony, i suppose they let you keep the GC.

The expedited passport service used to be pretty quick - I got my first passport many years ago for a business trip and it only took 3 days. Now the expedited service is 3 weeks. Routine service is 4-6 weeks.

[Captain Oates 910]

Yes, it should be a straight swap. In my wife's case, she gave up the green card at the end of the interview, but only because they were scheduling her in the afternoon oath ceremony. If you have a time gap from the interview to the ceremony, i suppose they let you keep the GC.

The expedited passport service used to be pretty quick - I got my first passport many years ago for a business trip and it only took 3 days. Now the expedited service is 3 weeks. Routine service is 4-6 weeks.

My nearest passport office is Miami so if I have to appear in person then I guess I will have to drive that from Tampa...

I can do that....

[timeasterday 0]

At the swearing in ceremony, the package that you receive will have the application for a US passport.

I think this depends on the office. Here in Atlanta my wife only got the certificate at the oath ceremony. Some of my wife's friends have reported getting a passport application and voting registration application in other areas. No big deal - both are available online to download and print.

[Lansbury 19]

Hey they let you in then, welcome back to America.

Now don't forget at the naturalization interview to ask why the New England football team are called patriots and not the New England Rebels.

[sparkofcreation 0]

At the swearing in ceremony, the package that you receive will have the application for a US passport. In the case of a naturalized citizen when applying for a passport for the first time, you will need to apply in person.

Alan, I am going to scare you just a little bit, because this happened to me...I had to send my ORIGINAL naturalization certificate with the application so that I could be issued my passport. It is returned to you with the passport. I applied at the courthouse in Hollywood Florida. I believe if you go to a Passport office, then you can show them your certificate and not "surrender" it.

Since they have worked out the backlog, it shouldn't take too long to get your passport after being naturalized.

Best of luck to you.

Now THAT is wonderful info ! Knowing what I know now after 3 years of dealings with the various agencies, there is no way I am letting go of ANY ORIGINAL stuff - I would drive to Maine and pay a thousand dollars to avoid that !

great info - its 'in person' for me...

If you want to apply for every passport in person for the rest of your life, that's your right, but they have always returned my documents to me safely, and they do require original documents every time (when you renew they usually just require the original passport).

[Captain Oates 910]

Hey they let you in then, welcome back to America.

Now don't forget at the naturalization interview to ask why the New England football team are called patriots and not the New England Rebels.

Hey there !

got an infopass for next Monday in Tampa to start the fight for 'where is my green card'

It's one big fight

My bank in the isle of man (Bank of 'no underpants in a gale' Scotland) lost 61 500 USD coming into my account (bought at 2.065) - they sat on it a month denying they had it, then changed it back into GBP at 1.9 something (losing me 1400 GBP)

and sent it back to Barclays bank saying they had no idea which accounts to credit it to.

I have seen Barclays documentation which accompanied the transfer - it has my

FULL NAME

ACCOUNT NUMBER

Bank BRANCH ADDRESS

their BANK SORT CODE

their IBAN NUMBER

their SWIFT CODE

all are totally correct (even they confirm that) but they couldn't find my account and I am £1400 down

big fight with them now for compo

Why is life so hard ? he wailed ...

On the rebel thing - it always makes me laugh when the U.S. says 'are you coming to the U.S. to overthrow the lawful government by force ?' - jeez they invented all that stuff - no sense of irony - they think irony is like coppery or aluminumy

alan

[Lansbury 19]

Heck Alan you have to be about the unluckiest person on here.

The GC isn't so bad hopefully, you have the stamp in your passport and can go speak to people in person. The bank on the other hand trying to sort that out at a distance isn't going to be easy. best of luck sorting it all out.