After Naturalization

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

I ordered my passport at 9:00 on the day after my naturalization, picked it up at 11:50, and went to the SSA office and updated my status at 3:00 the same day. I was done with everything less than 20 hours after becoming a US citizen. There's no need to wait for any of this; on the contrary, any hour spent with nothing but the Certificate to prove that you are not am illegal alien (remember: no Green Card anymore) is an hour risking that something may happen to the irreplaceable Certificate.

Edited November 16, 2012 by Brother Hesekiel

[Wilerao59 10]

I ordered my passport at 9:00 on the day after my naturalization, picked it up at 11:50, and went to the SSA office and updated my status at 3:00 the same day. I was done with everything less than 20 hours after becoming a US citizen. There's no need to wait for any of this; on the contrary, any hour spent with nothing but the Certificate to prove that you are not am illegal alien (remember: no Green Card anymore) is an hour risking that something may happen to the irreplaceable Certificate.

I honestly don't know what is all this fuzz about rushing in doing all this things all of sudden after becoming a US citizen. I believe OP asked what s/he should do first than asking making rush in doing so. My wife was an illegal alien for 17 years before she obtained her LPR thru me and now she soon to be a US Citizen. I don't think she would be thinking of applying for the US Passport and doing all these updates on the same day by scaring of not leaving even a day without green card or fear of losing her naturalization certificate. I myself updated status with SSA after 5 months later of becoming a US Citizen and applied for the US passport almost 8 months later especially I didn't want to pay unnecessary extra fees in expediting the passport when I had no plan whatsoever to travel outside the US, and believe me I didn't lose ANYTHING by doing nothing for so many months after becoming a US Citizen. I guess-different strokes for different folks.

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

I honestly don't know what is all this fuzz about rushing in doing all this things all of sudden after becoming a US citizen. I believe OP asked what s/he should do first than asking making rush in doing so. My wife was an illegal alien for 17 years before she obtained her LPR thru me and now she soon to be a US Citizen. I don't think she would be thinking of applying for the US Passport and doing all these updates on the same day by scaring of not leaving even a day without green card or fear of losing her naturalization certificate. I myself updated status with SSA after 5 months later of becoming a US Citizen and applied for the US passport almost 8 months later especially I didn't want to pay unnecessary extra fees in expediting the passport when I had no plan whatsoever to travel outside the US, and believe me I didn't lose ANYTHING by doing nothing for so many months after becoming a US Citizen. I guess-different strokes for different folks.

Guess so.

But you are not alone. I get at least 1 inquiry a month from a guy or gal who did the same, can't "find" their Certificate of Naturalization, and is shocked to learn that a replacement not only costs $345 but takes anywhere from 12 to 21 months to get during which time they can't renew their driver's license, can't work, can't travel to the sick parent. It's like knowing that you can't get pregnant when you get raped, as the body won't allow it. Therefore, it's impossible that anything can happen to YOUR Certificate of Naturalization, especially since bad weather Sandy-style only happens to the East Cost and the southern states, wild fires only to those states that have trees, and earthquakes only to California. What can possibly go wrong?

[NickD 203]

Wife's first comment when getting into the car after her oath ceremony, "if anything happens to my mom, I can't leave"? This is certainly a let down after becoming a US citizen.

For us same day service requires an appointment at the nearest DOS service center, then you also need a plane ticket where that flight is within two weeks. Then of all places to locate that service center, is in no parking zone downtown Chicago. Surely they could find a spot at O' Hare with plenty of parking. And it has taken us an extra four hours just to drive from O'Hare to downtown Chicago. Those last 30 miles are miserable.

Was too late for us to apply for her US passport after that long drive back from St. Paul so took care of that the next morning, did pay for expedient service, something like an extra 30 bucks, took eleven days before it came in. Nothing happened to her mom in those 11 days, but was tense for her. Two years later, my stepdaughter received her US citizenship, was told to apply for SS first as the DOS checks that, but to wait an extra seven days for processing. Thought computer data transfer was at the speed of light.

When we finally did visit her mom about six months later, she let her foreign passport expire, only to learn her home country would not let her in since her place of birth was listed in her US passport was in her home country. After about a half hour of reasoning, finally let her in because the only way she could do that was to renew her home country ID, re-establish her citizenship, none of this dual naturalization ####### like the DOS states. You don't get a passport from any country unless you are a valid citizen of that county.

So her reward for becoming a US citizen is maintaining not one, but two passports now, stepdaughter is in the same boat.

But one advantage is she doesn't have to carry her green card anymore, law says you must carry that green card wherever you go. Taken literally, if she gets up at night to use the restroom, should carry her green card with her.

To renew her foreign passport, only good for five years, has to show up in person at here nearest consulate with only three in the entire USA. Nearest one to us is in no-parking zone downtown Chicago. Can't win.

[Wilerao59 10]

It's like knowing that you can't get pregnant when you get raped, as the body won't allow it.

Arguments and justification with all kinds of reasonable rationals could also be spelled out to support the position of other sides than yours, but I rather leave it to the fact that I already stated earlier that different strokes for different folks. Need to say anymore??