N-400 JANUARY 2012 FILERS

[Last Stand 1]

That sounds like a good idea, but it could also be kind of awkward... But I'm down to do it.

We can meet up before the ceremony around 11.45 a the gate ....

By the way are you going to park in the (expensive) LACC West Hall parking?

[Raul y Karla 3]

We can meet up before the ceremony around 11.45 a the gate ....

By the way are you going to park in the (expensive) LACC West Hall parking?

That's a good idea, and maybe we can start a new topic and post the pics there.

I havent really thought about where I'm going to park, but probably I will park there, depending on how busy the surrounding areas look.

[cwaf 1]

it has been a while since I supplied an update, but it was because of vacation. I have not updated our timeline but my wife had her oath ceremony on May 24th! another new US citizen! We left for a vacation to Ukraine the very next day and just returned late Monday night. However, complications ensued with the travels. Since we left the day after the ceremony, we did not have a USA passport for her so her ticket was in her Ukrainian name--like her previous travels. However, instead of having a green card we carried her naturalization certificate since it proves she is a US citizen. We had no trouble until our return trip. We left Ukraine just fine but Warsaw, Poland refused to let my wife board the plane for our connection to Chicago. The reason: not a valid travel document. They told me that I could travel on without her. After 20 hours of being in the cold airport (she was not allowed to leave the airport because she did not have a visa for Poland--required for "Ukrainian citizens".) and MULTIPLE phone calls with the US Embassy in Warsaw, we were allowed to leave Poland. I will spare you the gory details. At Chicago, we had a secondary conversation at the border but it was minor and easy. Hindsight has taught me that we should have not traveled until the US passport was in hand, or have gone on vacation before the oath ceremony! Let our pain be a lesson for anyone considering travel like we did. But we are home now and will apply for her passport at leisure now.

[UMUC 3]

I received the yellow letter last weekend..pre interview letter...how long is it gonna take to receive actual letter from USCIS? The letter was from NBC and was dated 6/6/2012.

Edited June 13, 2012 by UMUC

[Ree 9]

The reason: not a valid travel document.

Sorry to hear about your story, but unfortunately they were right. Neither american birth certificate nor american naturalization certificate are valid travel documents. If a US citizen wants to travel by air, he/she must have a passport.

[cwaf 1]

Sorry to hear about your story, but unfortunately they were right. Neither american birth certificate nor american naturalization certificate are valid travel documents. If a US citizen wants to travel by air, he/she must have a passport.

Yeah, I tend to agree with that information. However, I am going back after the airline for reimbursement of my additional expenses for new tickets because I view this as an error on their part. If the document really was not a valid travel document, they should never have let us leave the US and we could have worked on a resolution while still here. There may still have been some additional expenses to change flights, but the flexibility of when we traveled would have been much greater. I feel there were multiple places where the airlines failed that just perpetuated the problem. We shall see.

[DeathStrike 9]

Finally .... got my oath scheduled. Donot know the date yet - need to wait for the letter. Just got the email, no text though

other updates:

My dad's oath is tomorrow 6/15, he was offered 4/27 oath but he requested one after 6/13 and 6/15 it is. Orlando office has oath ceremonies every friday from what I heard. Mom is scheduled for re-interview on July 09 at 730am after she failed her speaking part (passed the civic and writing part). They both were initially interviewed on 4/24.

[Ruffie 22]

Yeah, I tend to agree with that information. However, I am going back after the airline for reimbursement of my additional expenses for new tickets because I view this as an error on their part. If the document really was not a valid travel document, they should never have let us leave the US and we could have worked on a resolution while still here. There may still have been some additional expenses to change flights, but the flexibility of when we traveled would have been much greater. I feel there were multiple places where the airlines failed that just perpetuated the problem. We shall see.

You're gonna fail with that attempt and here's why: Airline personnel checking you in are NOT responsible for ensuring you have valid papers to RETURN to your origin. Their only concern is if you have valid papers to your DESTINATION. I'll assume your wife had a Ukrainian passport? So from the airline's part, she was good to go - to Ukraine. If you can come back to the US is not the airline's concern until you try to check in for that very flight and then it is still your problem because it is the passengers responsibility to make sure they have proper documents for the country they're going to.

Edited June 16, 2012 by Ruffie

[Marynev 0]

it has been a while since I supplied an update, but it was because of vacation. I have not updated our timeline but my wife had her oath ceremony on May 24th! another new US citizen! We left for a vacation to Ukraine the very next day and just returned late Monday night. However, complications ensued with the travels. Since we left the day after the ceremony, we did not have a USA passport for her so her ticket was in her Ukrainian name--like her previous travels. However, instead of having a green card we carried her naturalization certificate since it proves she is a US citizen. We had no trouble until our return trip. We left Ukraine just fine but Warsaw, Poland refused to let my wife board the plane for our connection to Chicago. The reason: not a valid travel document. They told me that I could travel on without her. After 20 hours of being in the cold airport (she was not allowed to leave the airport because she did not have a visa for Poland--required for "Ukrainian citizens".) and MULTIPLE phone calls with the US Embassy in Warsaw, we were allowed to leave Poland. I will spare you the gory details. At Chicago, we had a secondary conversation at the border but it was minor and easy. Hindsight has taught me that we should have not traveled until the US passport was in hand, or have gone on vacation before the oath ceremony! Let our pain be a lesson for anyone considering travel like we did. But we are home now and will apply for her passport at leisure now.

That sounded stressful! I just submitted a letter to have my oath ceremony extended as we have a planned trip to Canada three weeks after the ceremony. I was going to chance it and sumbit my passport application assuming the gov't would have a quick turn around, but government processing is something with which we are all too familiar! I'm glad I did though, especially after reading your post. I don't know how I would explain my extended Canadian vacation to my employer while stranded at an airport!

Glad you made it back though!

[Ree 9]

I feel there were multiple places where the airlines failed that just perpetuated the problem. We shall see.

I wonder how that happened that they let you to leave Ukraine without a travel document. It is hard to believe that nobody during all those multiple check-in points in Borispol questioned how your wife was going to enter the US. They shouldn't have let your wife to board the first plane in Borispol.

[ManuFred 10]

I wonder how that happened that they let you to leave Ukraine without a travel document. It is hard to believe that nobody during all those multiple check-in points in Borispol questioned how your wife was going to enter the US. They shouldn't have let your wife to board the first plane in Borispol.

That's simply not how it works. The airline has the responsibily to verify your papers for the flights you're checkin' in for. Initially she was checked in for a flight from the US to Ukraine for which she had a valid passport. You could also reason the otherway around. Would she have liked it, if she would have been denied on the flight to Ukraine?? Don't think so.

The airline had no right to deny her on that flight as it comes to paperwork.

[Ree 9]

The airline had no right to deny her on that flight as it comes to paperwork.

So you mean that the airline has no rights to check paperwork of a passenger to make sure that a passenger can be legally admitted to the country where he or she is heading?

Also, I was talking about all other check points in Borispol, not just the airline one. Probably now they don't care about the passengers visas, but I still remember how a few years ago they questioned me about my AP because they didn't believe it was a proper travel document to enter the US.

[BethandBilly 86]

The airline probably were given a Ukrainian passport and that was all they required, the airline does not know if the traveller is now a US Citizen, therefore they have done their job with checking that the traveller has a travel document. The traveller is at fault here, it is their responsibility to ensure they have the correct travel documents, which obviously they didn't. Cannot blame the airline for this mistake. The day we become US Citizens we are given a passport application form in our packets and told we must use the US Passport to get in and out of US, why didn't the traveller do that? I did my interview and Oath same day, the next day I went to the passport office and got a US Passport, it cost $195 to expedite it, but at least I followed the rules and travelled with my American passport. Sorry no sympathy.

Edited June 18, 2012 by BethandBilly

[USA82 4]

Had an interview and it was easy. I passed. Oath is schedule for July 3rd.

[ManuFred 10]

So you mean that the airline has no rights to check paperwork of a passenger to make sure that a passenger can be legally admitted to the country where he or she is heading?

Also, I was talking about all other check points in Borispol, not just the airline one. Probably now they don't care about the passengers visas, but I still remember how a few years ago they questioned me about my AP because they didn't believe it was a proper travel document to enter the US.

No, that is not what I meant. In fact, the airlines are obligated to check the paperwork you're gonna be using for entering your destination (which was Ukraine in this case). My point was that if paperwork is verified to be correct, it cannot be the reason for denying you a flight. The airline personel might however ask you to show proof you were legally present in the US which was established with the CON. It is not valid for travelling but it does establish legal presence in the US.

How you get back to the US is not the airlines bussiness at departure from the US. It is your responsibility you'll have a valid US entry permit on the way back to the US. CWAF ans his wife were in fact lucky they were able to travel without her passport. According the rules, she should have been denied boarding the flight to the US.