Dress Code & Children

[bigdog 376]

I would liken this to a job interview. Do you want what you applied for or not!!

[Anh map 2,098]

Humour me on this, because I would really love to know.

Has anyone EVER been denied Citizenship because of what they wore to the interview?

I say wear what makes you feel comfortable. If that's jeans, then jeans it is.

It's very unlikely. But why wouldn't a person want to dress and act appropriately? How someone presents themselves does have an impact on how any meeting/interview/interaction will play out.

[Cathi 5,755]

Humour me on this, because I would really love to know.

Has anyone EVER been denied Citizenship because of what they wore to the interview?

I say wear what makes you feel comfortable. If that's jeans, then jeans it is.

this is an interview for citizenship, not for flipping burgers at Mcdonalds...just sayin'

[bigdog 376]

<br />It's very unlikely.  But why wouldn't a person want to dress and act appropriately?   How someone presents themselves does have an impact on how any meeting/interview/interaction will play out.<br />

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I agree, put yourself in the IO's shoes, you have to make a decision. Who do you want in America? Someone who values our country, wants to succeed in America or can't bother to get or be prepared for a new life. My wife wore a nice red dress in China and at AOS we dressed similar, after spending all the time, money and effort make the best impression you can.

[N M 96]

It's very unlikely. But why wouldn't a person want to dress and act appropriately? How someone presents themselves does have an impact on how any meeting/interview/interaction will play out.

See, the thing is. That's nonsense.

I've spent 15 years of my career as a government investigator (both in the UK and the U.S.) - trying to establish who is telling the truth, and who isn't, and what the facts of any given situation are. I've interviewed hundreds of people in that time and never once has someone's choice of clothing been a factor in my decision making process. This may surprise people, but we are focused on the facts and evidence before us. Not what someone is wearing. It's utterly irrelevant to anyone but the most incompetent government official.

Someone else likened the citizenship interview to a job interview. Not it isn't! At a job interview, you are competing against others for one position. Where is the competition here? You either have something against you that will preclude you from citizenship or you don't.

[sasaqlain 24]

See, the thing is. That's nonsense.

I've spent 15 years of my career as a government investigator (both in the UK and the U.S.) - trying to establish who is telling the truth, and who isn't, and what the facts of any given situation are. I've interviewed hundreds of people in that time and never once has someone's choice of clothing been a factor in my decision making process. This may surprise people, but we are focused on the facts and evidence before us. Not what someone is wearing. It's utterly irrelevant to anyone but the most incompetent government official.

Someone else likened the citizenship interview to a job interview. Not it isn't! At a job interview, you are competing against others for one position. Where is the competition here? You either have something against you that will preclude you from citizenship or you don't.

[bt1 42]

Humour me on this, because I would really love to know.

Has anyone EVER been denied Citizenship because of what they wore to the interview?

I say wear what makes you feel comfortable. If that's jeans, then jeans it is.

I wore nice jeans, elegant blouse and shoes and voila, got my citizenship!!!

[Karee 4,190]

My wife had her oath ceremony this morning. Have to say it was kind of annoying with all the kids raising hell.

[arvinb 17]

See, the thing is. That's nonsense.

I've spent 15 years of my career as a government investigator (both in the UK and the U.S.) - trying to establish who is telling the truth, and who isn't, and what the facts of any given situation are. I've interviewed hundreds of people in that time and never once has someone's choice of clothing been a factor in my decision making process. This may surprise people, but we are focused on the facts and evidence before us. Not what someone is wearing. It's utterly irrelevant to anyone but the most incompetent government official.

Someone else likened the citizenship interview to a job interview. Not it isn't! At a job interview, you are competing against others for one position. Where is the competition here? You either have something against you that will preclude you from citizenship or you don't.

I agree with this for the most part because for example I wore a dress shirt, untucked, and nice jeans to the interview, and got out of there nice and easy. That said, as we've seen so far USCIS officers can be fickle about certain details, and the lack of official rules dealing with certain situations make them unpredictable enough for people want to minimize the guesswork.

Will your choice of clothing change the officer's decision? Probably not, and even less so consciously. But everyone is bound by unconscious biases that are sometimes hard to dispense even when your job is to be objective. I say wear what you want that makes you comfortable (since your demeanor and answers are most important), and shows the best, genuine side of you to the interview officer. And hey, if your suit is ratty or doesn't fit, you may have been better off coming in with some nicely fitting sweatshirt and jeans, if it means you feel confident and comfortable.