Can friends and relatives attend oath ceremonies?

[Jules67 0]

I will be taking the naturalization oath on March 18 in Lowell, MA. Does anyone know if relatives and friends can attend? If yes, how many can come? Thanks for your help.

[ziia 9]

I will be taking the naturalization oath on March 18 in Lowell, MA. Does anyone know if relatives and friends can attend? If yes, how many can come? Thanks for your help.

Yes they can. I didn't hear of a limit of friends and family you can bring with so my guess is that you can bring as many as you want just not too many:) I wouldn't bring more than 3-4(max) people with me because the room will be too crowded. I brought 3 persons with me. Most people I saw there brought 1-2 guests.

Edited February 28, 2010 by ziia

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Hopefully someone from Lowell will respond for that particular venue, but I do know in Atlanta that the ceremonies are very large and the room not so large so there is not a lot of room for visitors and guests. Yes, they are allowed and my husband attended my ceremony. We had 200 people taking oaths that day and there were about another 150 to 200 people there as guests. The majority of the guests had to stand around the perimeters of the room several people deep as there were no seats available for them.

During the ceremony you will not be seated with your spouse and she will be processed before the ceremony separately as well. Guests and visitors end up waiting in a different area (it might be in the same room or on a different floor) until it is time for the ceremony to start. This is to expedite all of the paperwork that still needs to be done just before the ceremony (verifying there are no changes, checking certificates for errors, etc.). All of those taking the oaths are seated together with guests and family members sitting or standing separately from them. So, it is probably a good idea to keep your guest list to a minimum for the actual ceremony and if you want to celebrate afterwards that would be a good time for larger numbers of family and guests to show up.

Congratulations!

Edited February 28, 2010 by Kathryn41

[ziia 9]

Also, I forgot to mention...if you have small children, leave them home with a sitter or a family member, don't take them with you at the ceremony! This advice is for everybody who reads this and plans to attend the Oath in the future. A guy brought in his kid there and the judge got very upset(and so did the rest of us) and kicked him and his kid out of the courtroom right away when the child started crying or making noises. The judge also commented upon that as he found that children have no business attending such event. Please take note on this.

Edited February 28, 2010 by ziia

[raymaga 25]

I agree with Kathryn about taking children to the oath ceremony.

At my oath ceremony, there were several babies and children that were very disruptive and it made it difficult to hear what the speaker was saying.

Small children will be bored because there is a lot of waiting and just sitting, so it's best to leave them at home with a sitter and let everyone enjoy the oath ceremony.

[ziia 9]

I agree with Kathryn about taking children to the oath ceremony.

At my oath ceremony, there were several babies and children that were very disruptive and it made it difficult to hear what the speaker was saying.

Small children will be bored because there is a lot of waiting and just sitting, so it's best to leave them at home with a sitter and let everyone enjoy the oath ceremony.

I really liked my judge. I mean the judge that conducted the ceremony i attended to. When I saw that kid starting to make noises, I thought: "oh great!"(ironically) but before I got to finish my thought the judge stared straight at him and gave him the worst look i've ever seen on a man's face and asked him to step out(not even to calm his kid down but to actually get out of his courtroom). He got really upset on that guy but then continued the ceremony with a serene look on his face. I loved it:). Everybody loves children, but not in there.

Edited February 28, 2010 by ziia

[antda 13]

Sorry to butt-in on this thread...but....

To the OP-Yes, you are allowed to bring your family and friends to the oath ceremony! And by all means, bring them along with you! But bear in mind that they might have to wait awhile, they might not all be seated, and that you might be limited to the amount of guests that you can bring. Nevertheless, I believe that a special occasion such as this should be celebrated, with the ones that you love and care about....

As for children/babies at the oath ceremony....

As much as I like children and don't mind them being in public, I understand that others might not agree with me about this issue. So I understand it from that point of view, as well.

It's a personal decision as to whether or not one brings their children to the oath ceremony or not. It helps that the children are there with him to celebrate such a joyous family occasion. I do think that this is an important event and feel that it is important for family members to attend. And just because a child is there, that doesn't mean that they should be excluded from such. True, they might not remember the event and/or might cause a fuss there. But the one who is being naturalized will remember the event, and with their child them not being there, it wouldn't be the same experience for their family. How would one feel if their child was excluded from every other family and/or special event?

So if you or any of your guests have children, by all means, I encourage you to bring them along too. Just make sure they are well-behaved and under control, and you should be ok there. I brought my then 3month old son to my oath ceremony (though it was a priavte oath ceremony, for various other reasons), and I wouldn't have it any other way! He's part of my family, and why should he be excluded?...

Sure, it is easy to say that one should hire a sitter for the day. But some people can't make such arrangements. Or some people choose to have their children there with them, regardless, for sentimental reasons. Children are members of society, and should not be discriminated against, just because of those who don't like children.

If the USCIS is adamant about children being in the ceremony, then don't have ceremonies at all, where one is allowed to bring their family and friends.

Or better yet, (I'm joking here)....Provide babysitting services....$675 paid in the application fee...I'm sure one can throw in a sitter or two..lol......

To that judge mentioned in another post....

You don't yell at kids and/or their parents like that! And you don't kick a person out of a ceremony just because they have a child.

I'm sorry..I think the judge went way out of line here....

If the child is being distuptive, then kindly ask the parent to take the child out, and then come back in when the child is behaved.

The person who is being naturalized paid for that privillege to be naturalized, and not to be yelled at!

Hmm..I wonder if that guy ever did get naturalized? If not...He should ask for a refund...And file a complaint against the judge

Nevertheless, good luck to Jules67 with your oath ceremony coming up! Congratulations! Good luck!

And yes, do post about your oath ceremony experience on VJ too!

Ant

Edited February 28, 2010 by Ant+D+BabyA

[ziia 9]

Sorry to butt-in on this thread...but....

To the OP-Yes, you are allowed to bring your family and friends to the oath ceremony! And by all means, bring them along with you! But bear in mind that they might have to wait awhile, they might not all be seated, and that you might be limited to the amount of guests that you can bring. Nevertheless, I believe that a special occasion such as this should be celebrated, with the ones that you love and care about....

As for children/babies at the oath ceremony....

As much as I like children and don't mind them being in public, I understand that others might not agree with me about this issue. So I understand it from that point of view, as well.

It's a personal decision as to whether or not one brings their children to the oath ceremony or not. It helps that the children are there with him to celebrate such a joyous family occasion. I do think that this is an important event and feel that it is important for family members to attend. And just because a child is there, that doesn't mean that they should be excluded from such. True, they might not remember the event and/or might cause a fuss there. But the one who is being naturalized will remember the event, and with their child them not being there, it wouldn't be the same experience for their family. How would one feel if their child was excluded from every other family and/or special event?

So if you or any of your guests have children, by all means, I encourage you to bring them along too. Just make sure they are well-behaved and under control, and you should be ok there. I brought my then 3month old son to my oath ceremony (though it was a priavte oath ceremony, for various other reasons), and I wouldn't have it any other way! He's part of my family, and why should he be excluded?...

Sure, it is easy to say that one should hire a sitter for the day. But some people can't make such arrangements. Or some people choose to have their children there with them, regardless, for sentimental reasons. Children are members of society, and should not be discriminated against, just because of those who don't like children.

If the USCIS is adamant about children being in the ceremony, then don't have ceremonies at all, where one is allowed to bring their family and friends.

Or better yet, (I'm joking here)....Provide babysitting services....$675 paid in the application fee...I'm sure one can throw in a sitter or two..lol......

To that judge mentioned in another post....

You don't yell at kids and/or their parents like that! And you don't kick a person out of a ceremony just because they have a child.

I'm sorry..I think the judge went way out of line here....

If the child is being distuptive, then kindly ask the parent to take the child out, and then come back in when the child is behaved.

The person who is being naturalized paid for that privillege to be naturalized, and not to be yelled at!

Hmm..I wonder if that guy ever did get naturalized? If not...He should ask for a refund...And file a complaint against the judge

Nevertheless, good luck to Jules67 with your oath ceremony coming up! Congratulations! Good luck!

And yes, do post about your oath ceremony experience on VJ too!

Ant

Hi Ant.

I understand where you are coming from, still I respectfully disagree with you. First, I want to mention that the judge was not out of line. He didn't scream at anyone but gave that guy a bad look and invited that person to step out of the courtroom. The man with the kid was not the guy who was taking the Oath but a guest of someone. They decided to bring their child with them which is fine if that kid would have been quiet. That kid started talking and moaning and then crying. His voice resonated over the judge's and everybody turned their eyes from the judge to the man with the kid. The judge looked at the man a few times before telling him to step out, kind of saying to him non verbally to try to keep the kid quiet while he was speaking to us about the privilege of becoming an American citizen and serving the country. If that kid would have kept quiet or his dad would have calmed him down, no one would have had any problem with him being there.

I do realize that people with children have a different way of thinking but with all do respect I think you are making too much out of having your kid there with you. Yes, they won't remember the event if they are too young and if the parents really want their kid there with them they can have him/her wait outside with the nanny and then, at the end they can still take pictures together and have wonderful memories. The Citizenship Oath is an event for the people who are there to TAKE THAT OATH, not for their families and friends. Respect has to be shown to the judge and to those people and selfishness and self importance has to be left at the door of that courtroom. The Citizenship Ceremony in itself it is NOT for one person but for ALL the people there, for you, for me and for other 200 or so persons. This only happens ONCE in a lifetime and everyone there has the right and has to have the privilege to HEAR what the judge has to say and not a baby talking or crying.

You don't know me and you don't know the judge and plus you weren't at my Oath ceremony so you don't know what happened and what it was like. I am telling you the judge was not out of line and no one there believed so, except probably the people who brought the baby. Also, i don't believe that telling people to leave their toddlers home is out of line or disrespectful or makes me or anyone else a baby hater. Not at all. It is a matter of respect for the event in itself, for the US courtroom, for the judge and for the rest of the people there.

You are entitled to your opinion and I respect that. Still encouraging people to bring their kids is NOT an advice you should give the people here. Thx for understanding...maybe:)

Edited February 28, 2010 by ziia

[ziia 9]

Plus, I want you to remember that not just one family out of 200 people attending are the only ones with kids. Many people have children and out of those many have the judgment to leave them home that day. Imagine what it would be like if 50 people that are attending the Citizenship oath would bring in their kids with them. Some have one kid, some have 2 or 3 and some have none and actually want to hear what's being said and not show up all dressed up to something that appears a daycare center. I'm not hitting with a rock, i'm just saying that you should consider this as well.

Edited February 28, 2010 by ziia

[Kathryn41 3,205]

It was actualy ziia who mentioned leaving children at home, and for this particular ceremony I would agree. There are times and places where children are welcome and there are times and places where children are happier if they are not present. The citizenship ceremony is one of those.

Babes in arms are one thing, if they are quiet, sleeping, and well-behaved with the caveat that once they start to fidget or fuss or make a disruption, then the parent quietly leaves the room and takes the little one away so as not to interrupt the ceremony. Having your young children there at the ceremony has more to do with your needs and interests than theirs - they are probably bored out of their little skulls if they even know what is going on, and would be perfectly happy sitting outside in the waiting room with a bunch of toys to keep them occupied instead.

I have been at weddings where young children were racing up and down the aisles while the bride and groom were trying to exchange vows and their parent was racing after them and trying to make the children sit still and they would start screaming and kicking and yelling. It destroyed a special moment for the bride and groom and for those who are there to attend the ceremony. It would definitely have destroyed the solemnity of the oath ceremony if it had happened there as well. It really is a matter of respect for the occasion.

There were no young children at my oath ceremony - but there certainly were a lot of people of an age to have young children. It was a solemn occasion. In the row behind me was a family with two children around 10 or 12 years old. They were quietly asking questions about what was going to happen and their parents were answering them. It was enjoyable to listen to the exchange. This was perfectly fine because they were respectful and quiet and paying attention during the actual ceremony. They were aware of the importance of the event and able to conduct themselves accordingly.

There were young children in the waiting room during my citizenship interview and yes, they were being disruptive as well. Finally the guard asked the father (the mother was doing her interview) to take the children somewhere else. Up until then it had been difficult even to hear the names being called over top of the children's antics. The children were bored. You can't blame them for that. These are adult events and not child-friendly. It really isn't a very considerate thing to do for a child to force them to sit and be quiet/bored while a whole bunch of words are being said by a whole bunch of strangers and it is not considerate of others who are also present.

Edited February 28, 2010 by Kathryn41

[antda 13]

Ziia-I understand where you are coming from too, and by all means, you have every right to say what you have to say here. True, I was not at your ceremony, and I realize that in your situation you felt that your ceremony was not as expected with this happening. Nevertheless, just because one child is disrputive, doesn't mean that all children are this way.

Just make sure the children are well behaved and under control, then all should go well there.

And with that, I ENCOURAGE everyone to bring their families and friends to their oath ceremony, regardless, as...

"This only happens once in a lifetime"...and one should be able to bring their loved ones to celebrate with them at all parts of the ceremony.

If the ceremony was only about the people taking the oath, then why are family, friends, and others invited?

So by having it in a group ceremony, the USCIS is encouraging everyone that is is a family event and that "all are invited"!....

If it is only about the oath takers, then they should forget about the group ceremony and just say "no one else is invited, only oath takers".....

By inviting all guests, then they know that oath takers will bring their children, or whoever else...And those people may cause disruptions.....

Lol..The USCIS as the host assumes responsibility there....

Then assume that there are irresponsible people too...

And assume that there even more people who are responsible too...

They want to invite abd be welcoming everyone....And one should feel welcomed into the country as a US Citizen and with their loved ones...

You welcome me, you welcome my family too! After all...Children are future citizens of the country too!

My point is: Keep the ceremony open and welcome to all, or to none at all.....

And parents...please be responsible with your children.....

Ant

Hi Ant.

I understand where you are coming from, still I respectfully disagree with you. First, I want to mention that the judge was not out of line. He didn't scream at anyone but gave that guy a bad look and invited that person to step out of the courtroom. The man with the kid was not the guy who was taking the Oath but a guest of someone. They decided to bring their child with them which is fine if that kid would have been quiet. That kid started talking and moaning and then crying. His voice resonated over the judge's and everybody turned their eyes from the judge to the man with the kid. The judge looked at the man a few times before telling him to step out, kind of saying to him non verbally to try to keep the kid quiet while he was speaking to us about the privilege of becoming an American citizen and serving the country. If that kid would have kept quiet or his dad would have calmed him down, no one would have had any problem with him being there.

I do realize that people with children have a different way of thinking but with all do respect I think you are making too much out of having your kid there with you. Yes, they won't remember the event if they are too young and if the parents really want their kid there with them they can have him/her wait outside with the nanny and then, at the end they can still take pictures together and have wonderful memories. The Citizenship Oath is an event for the people who are there to TAKE THAT OATH, not for their families and friends. Respect has to be shown to the judge and to those people and selfishness and self importance has to be left at the door of that courtroom. The Citizenship Ceremony in itself it is NOT for one person but for ALL the people there, for you, for me and for other 200 or so persons. This only happens ONCE in a lifetime and everyone there has the right and has to have the privilege to HEAR what the judge has to say and not a baby talking or crying.

You don't know me and you don't know the judge and plus you weren't at my Oath ceremony so you don't know what happened and what it was like. I am telling you the judge was not out of line and no one there believed so, except probably the people who brought the baby. Also, i don't believe that telling people to leave their toddlers home is out of line or disrespectful or makes me or anyone else a baby hater. Not at all. It is a matter of respect for the event in itself, for the US courtroom, for the judge and for the rest of the people there.

You are entitled to your opinion and I respect that. Still encouraging people to bring their kids is NOT an advice you should give the people here. Thx for understanding...maybe:)

Plus, I want you to remember that not just one family out of 200 people attending are the only ones with kids. Many people have children and out of those many have the judgment to leave them home that day. Imagine what it would be like if 50 people that are attending the Citizenship oath would bring in their kids with them. Some have one kid, some have 2 or 3 and some have none and actually want to hear what's being said and not show up all dressed up to something that appears a daycare center. I'm not hitting with a rock, i'm just saying that you should consider this as well.

[antda 13]

Kathryn41-I agree too, that in some instances children are seen in a positive light, and in other situations children are seen negatively. Lol..Children can be unpredictable at times and can have short attention spans. Nevertheless, it is good to hear that in your oath ceremony, that the children that attended there were very well behaved and learned a lot from such a ceremony. Yet in contrast, in Ziia's ceremony the child was not well behaved and when you Kathryn were waiting for your citizenship interview the children were not well behaved there either. So it all depends, really. And on that note, parents should take more responsibility when taking children to these types of events. For example, taking children out of the room right away when they misbehave. As well, the USCIS should take some responsibility in defining as to who one can take to such a ceremony. If they want children there, then clearly state that they can be there, as long as they are well behaved or they will have to be removed out of the room. If they don't want children there, then state such beforehand. If it is a matter of respect, then state such, and define why that is the case. And until that is stated...I assume it is a "family and friends event, free for all, all are welcomed, especially well-behaved children"!

Ant

It was actualy ziia who mentioned leaving children at home, and for this particular ceremony I would agree. There are times and places where children are welcome and there are times and places where children are happier if they are not present. The citizenship ceremony is one of those.

Babes in arms are one thing, if they are quiet, sleeping, and well-behaved with the caveat that once they start to fidget or fuss or make a disruption, then the parent quietly leaves the room and takes the little one away so as not to interrupt the ceremony. Having your young children there at the ceremony has more to do with your needs and interests than theirs - they are probably bored out of their little skulls if they even know what is going on, and would be perfectly happy sitting outside in the waiting room with a bunch of toys to keep them occupied instead.

I have been at weddings where young children were racing up and down the aisles while the bride and groom were trying to exchange vows and their parent was racing after them and trying to make the children sit still and they would start screaming and kicking and yelling. It destroyed a special moment for the bride and groom and for those who are there to attend the ceremony. It would definitely have destroyed the solemnity of the oath ceremony if it had happened there as well. It really is a matter of respect for the occasion.

There were no young children at my oath ceremony - but there certainly were a lot of people of an age to have young children. It was a solemn occasion. In the row behind me was a family with two children around 10 or 12 years old. They were quietly asking questions about what was going to happen and their parents were answering them. It was enjoyable to listen to the exchange. This was perfectly fine because they were respectful and quiet and paying attention during the actual ceremony. They were aware of the importance of the event and able to conduct themselves accordingly.

There were young children in the waiting room during my citizenship interview and yes, they were being disruptive as well. Finally the guard asked the father (the mother was doing her interview) to take the children somewhere else. Up until then it had been difficult even to hear the names being called over top of the children's antics. The children were bored. You can't blame them for that. These are adult events and not child-friendly. It really isn't a very considerate thing to do for a child to force them to sit and be quiet/bored while a whole bunch of words are being said by a whole bunch of strangers and it is not considerate of others who are also present.

Edited February 28, 2010 by Ant+D+BabyA

[Kanyiri 0]

I have a lot to say, but I'll just stick with I believe children should be allowed at the ceremony if family is allowed.

And I also don't believe that children running in the aisles would ruin any wedding. If it is a religious ceremony, the whole point of a marriage is to join together to raise a family, i.e., children.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

I have a lot to say, but I'll just stick with I believe children should be allowed at the ceremony if family is allowed.

And I also don't believe that children running in the aisles would ruin any wedding. If it is a religious ceremony, the whole point of a marriage is to join together to raise a family, i.e., children.

Actually, the bride and groom involved in this would disagree. The bride erupted into tears because the children ruined the solemnity of what was to be her special day. Everyone felt awful, including the mother of the two kids - but the damage had been done.

I would also disagree with the general statement that Marriage is a religious ceremony and that the whole point of marriage is to join together to raise a family, ie children. If that is the case then my husband and I have no right to be married - both of us are beyond child-bearing years - and we weren't married in a religious ceremony - we were married in a civil ceremony. We married because we love each and wanted to spend our lives together, not for religion and not for children.

However, the topic here is about bringing guests to the citizenship ceremony. My original post is that find out the size of the facility where the ceremony is taking place. Where my ceremony was there was barely room for the guests who were present - and they had to stand several rows deep during the ceremony. With 200 people taking an oath in a room that is designed for 300 people, cramming any more in was not only very uncomfortable, it would be dangerous. The oath ceremony is first and foremost for the people taking the oath as new citizens. Family and friends are welcome but if there are too many people to attend, the oath takers are the ones who will be allowed to remain in the room while the rest wait outside for the ceremony to finish.

[antda 13]

I have a lot to say, but I'll just stick with I believe children should be allowed at the ceremony if family is allowed.

Karnyiri-I agree!..... If family is allowed, and children are part of the family...Then they should be able to attend....(unless otherwise stated)...

However, the topic here is about bringing guests to the citizenship ceremony. My original post is that find out the size of the facility where the ceremony is taking place. Where my ceremony was there was barely room for the guests who were present - and they had to stand several rows deep during the ceremony. With 200 people taking an oath in a room that is designed for 300 people, cramming any more in was not only very uncomfortable, it would be dangerous. The oath ceremony is first and foremost for the people taking the oath as new citizens. Family and friends are welcome but if there are too many people to attend, the oath takers are the ones who will be allowed to remain in the room while the rest wait outside for the ceremony to finish.

Kathryn41-In the case of overfilling the room, such as the case in your ceremony..The USCIS is to blame here...They know how many people were taking the oath. And they said that the oath takers can bring guests....So let's just say at the bear minimum that each oath taker brings one guest..Then the number of people in the room would double in the amount of peple there...And yes, that would be a concern, especially for safety reasons....A simple solution would be to limit the amount of guests that one can bring...But as long as this is not stated...Then one can bring as many people as they want.....Same goes for who one can bring to the ceremony...As long as they don't say specifically who can attend....then...all are welcome...even children.....Again, the USCIS needs to take more pro-active steps here, if they want the ceremony to go more smoothly, especially in such a large gathering with so many people....

An oath ceremony letter on.."What you should expect and who to bring to the ceremony...." would be of help here from the USCIS!

As for the off-topic marriage debate...everyone gets married for different reasons and gets married in different ways....Some have kids, some don't..Some have pets, some don't....Some get married religiously, some don't...Whatever....There is no wrong or right answer to that one...Lol...As as the couple is in love with each other and as long as it's not immigration fraud reasons...Then so be it...

Ant

Edited March 1, 2010 by Ant+D+BabyA