march filers timeline for TEXAS

[ChrisR 0]

LIFE is GOOD!!!

Got my interview letter dated 05/15/2008 on 05/21/2008.

Interview is 06/06/2008 @ 1030 in San Antonio, wish me luck!

Chris

Time line:

03/14/2008: Mailed N-400 to Texas Service Center

03/18/2008: Texas Service Center received my application (per the USPS return receipt)

03/18/2008: Priority Date

03/18/2008: Check Deposit Date

03/19/2008: Check Cleared by my Bank

03/26/2008: I-797C- Notice of Action mailed - "You should expect to be notified within 210 days of this notice"

03/26/2008: I-797C- Notice of Action mailed - Biometrics Appointment scheduled

04/15/2008: Biometrics Appointment @ 0900 CST in San Antonio

04/15/2008: FBI sent fingerprinting results back to USCIS

05/15/2008: I-797C- Notice of Action - Interview scheduled (mailed 05/19/2008, received it 05/21/2008, noticed that on

05/20/2008: my case status on USCIS website gave a "Case Status Retrieval Failed" error

06/06/2008: Interview

XX/XX/2008: I-797C- Notice of Action - Oath Ceremony scheduled

XX/XX/2008: Oath

[Balad 0]

:jest: CONGRATS!!!!!

[ChrisR 0]

:jest: CONGRATS!!!!!

Thanks!

Good luck to you too!

Chris

[sam75 0]

March filers,

Who schedules and send the interview letter, Texas service center or the local office?

I filed in april and got my biometric done as well as cleared by FBI. Expecting the interview letter in a month time-frame.

[ChrisR 0]

March filers,

Who schedules and send the interview letter, Texas service center or the local office?

I filed in april and got my biometric done as well as cleared by FBI. Expecting the interview letter in a month time-frame.

It is my understanding that the case stays with the service center until the fingerprints and name check have cleared, then it gets sent to the local office (thus the case status disappearing for some people if USCIS actually updates their system) and they actually schedule the interview.

Chris

[ChrisR 0]

Had my interview on 06/06 in San Antonio and the interviewed recommended my application be APPROVED!!!

Though the details below look like it was a long interview, it took all of 20 minutes, including 5 minutes to go up to the interviewer's office and back down.

Here are the details I remember, if you're interested...

• I arrived at the office 30 minutes before my scheduled interview time (the letter said not to go there any earlier than that). The guard at the entrance took my interview letter (it was never returned to me, so be sure to make a copy if you want to keep as copy as memorabilia)
• My name was called by a female Latino interviewer 5 minutes before my scheduled time.
• We went up to her office. Judging by the title on her office door, she seems to be "the big boss" and I was wondering if I might be in trouble (I figured maybe she'd be more thorough that a "normal" officer).
• She asked to see my green card and drivers license.
• She seemed to have the complete file on me, including all the paperwork from when I got my green card 13 years ago. She asked me if it was correct that I received my green card through the visa lottery and how I originally came to the U.S. Once I verified the information and answered her questing, she told me I was lucky.
• At that point another women entered, it turned out that that woman was being trained to interview people (I found out later that she interviewed people before, but that it had been 9 years since she did) and as the officer went through the interview process with me, she pointed things out to the trainee.
• She officer started going down my application, verified the address and asked to see my passport.
• I told her that the "leaving the U.S." dates for travel on my application were approximate (Germany doesn't stamp their passport when you entry, so the only dates I knew for sure were the return dates to the U.S. when U.S. Immigration stamped my passport, she said that was fine.
• She asked about my last trip outside the U.S.
• She asked about me being married and how long, as well as my honeymoon (my application was based on five years of permanent residency, not marriage).
• She asked about my place of employment and what I did there. I answered a questionand told her I had a "Letter of Employment" from my employer if she wanted it. She told me she have to have one, but if I had one, she would take it.
• Then we got to the section about ever having been cited/detained/arrested. I told her I had actually forgotten to put a ticket for low tire thread on there. She told me that as long as the tickets weren't for DUI or reckless driving, it didn't really matter and she wrote something across the three tickets I had filled in on the form (probably to that affect). She explained to her trainee that some people put tickets because the question asks if they ever were cited and that since a ticket is a citation they put it. She said some people didn't put tickets down and that was find too (if it wasn't for DUI or reckless driving). I mentioned that that subject causes a lot of discussions on immigration boards and that people put the tickets for the reason she mentioned, but also because the question reads if you have ever been detained and technically when a police officer pulls you over, you are detained. The officer looked at me funny and then her trainee told her I was right since you can't just leave while the police officer has you pulled over. After this little chat, the conversation went from a serious interview to more of a chat.
• She asked me my father's name and checked a copy of the birth certificate they had on file from when I originally got my green card.
• She asked to see my selective service registration letter (apparently that's a big deal, because she told the trainee that if someone doesn't have that, they have to check on the computer to see if someone shows registered or not).
• She went through the all the "moral" questions in the end of the form and made me answer them as well as asking me each line of the Oath to see if I supported it.
• She made me sign the N-400 as well both of my pictures and another paper (looked like a Naturalization certificate) in ink
• She asked me to answer 10 civics questions (verbally), the "old" test, straight out of the "Learn About the United States" booklet you can pick up when you get fingerprinted (or get from USCIS' website as a booklet or flash cards):

  -Where is the White House Located? (Washington, D.C.)

  -Who wrote the "Star Spangled Banner?" (Francis Scott Key)

  -What are the names of the two Senators from my State? (for Texas, Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Coryn - I had to think for about 20 seconds to come up with last name of Senator Coryn)

  -What is the supreme law of the United States (The Constitution)

  -Who is the Chief justice of the Supreme Court? (John G. Roberts, Jr.)

  -In what month is the new President inaugurated? (January)

  -What is the legislative branch of our government? (Congress)

  -Name the amendments that guarantee or address voting rights. (15th, 19th, 24th, 26th)

  -What did the Emancipation Proclamation do? (It freed the Slaves)

  -How many Supreme Court Justices are there? (9)

• She asked me to read the first question of the civics test (which she had printed out)
• She asked me to write "They live in the United States."
• She congratulated me and told me she was going to approve my application.
• She handed me a form "N-562 Naturalization Interview Results) stating the above
• She congratulated me again and told me that if final approval is granted, I should get a letter with an Oath date within 90 days
• She reminded me that I was not a U.S. Citizen until after the Oath date
• When we went back downstairs in the elevator, both ladies were very happy that the interview didn't take long because now they were ahead of schedule and the trainee would be able to interview the next person and take her time

Just waiting for the Oath letter now...

Good luck to everyone else with your interviews!

Chris

Time line:

03/14/2008: Mailed N-400 to Texas Service Center

03/18/2008: Texas Service Center received my application (per the USPS return receipt)

03/18/2008: Priority Date

03/18/2008: Check Deposit Date

03/19/2008: Check Cleared by my Bank

03/26/2008: I-797C- Notice of Action mailed - "You should expect to be notified within 210 days of this notice"

03/26/2008: I-797C- Notice of Action mailed - Biometrics Appointment scheduled

04/15/2008: Biometrics Appointment @ 0900 CST in San Antonio

04/15/2008: FBI sent fingerprinting results back to USCIS

05/15/2008: I-797C- Notice of Action - Interview scheduled (mailed 05/19/2008, received it 05/21/2008, noticed that on

05/20/2008: my case status on USCIS website gave a "Case Status Retrieval Failed" error

06/06/2008: Interview - Interviewer recommends my application be APPROVED!!!

XX/XX/2008: I-797C- Notice of Action - Oath Ceremony scheduled

XX/XX/2008: Oath

[sam75 0]

Congrates for passing the Interview. The rest of the journey should be a smooth one.

Edited June 8, 2008 by sam75

[ChrisR 0]

Received my Oath letter today.

The Oath ceremony is July 23 in San Antonio.

I was hoping for one in Austin, but for the citizenship, I'll take one more trip down to San Antone...

Unless something dramatic happens, this completes my journey, here is my full timeline.

I have to say that I have been impressed with the speed and courtesy of USCIS.

Good luck to everyone who is still going through the process!

Chris

Time line:

03/14/2008: Mailed N-400 to Texas Service Center

03/18/2008: Texas Service Center received my application (per the USPS return receipt)

03/18/2008: Priority Date

03/18/2008: Check Deposit Date

03/19/2008: Check Cleared by my Bank

03/26/2008: I-797C- Notice of Action mailed - "You should expect to be notified within 210 days of this notice"

03/26/2008: I-797C- Notice of Action mailed - Biometrics Appointment scheduled

04/15/2008: Biometrics Appointment @ 0900 CST in San Antonio

04/15/2008: FBI sent fingerprinting results back to USCIS

05/15/2008: I-797C- Notice of Action - Interview scheduled (mailed 05/19/2008, received it 05/21/2008, noticed that on

05/20/2008: My case status on USCIS website gave a "Case Status Retrieval Failed" error

06/06/2008: Interview - Interviewer recommends my application be APPROVED!!!

06/26/2008: N-445- Notice of Naturalization Oath Ceremony mailed

07/23/2008: Oath in San Antonio

[Balad 0]

Had my oath today