Atlanta -N400 Processing

[bloomfield 1]

Well according to this, it is not bad. July they were at December and by end of August they are at Feb 2014, so it seems to be rolling..

[Roddick2013 8]

My N400 interview in the Atlanta Office:

My interview was scheduled today at 3pm (yep, that late), I live like one hour away, so I decided to go early in case I had heavy traffic. I arrived at 2:00 pm. The first thing that I had to deal with, was to find a spot on the parking lot, everything was full, so I went across the street, where there is a hotel. I parked over there, but I was a little far from the office (not to far). I stayed there for 20 minutes, reviewing my things, until I decided to drive to the building again, luckily one guy was living and I had I good spot for the car. It was 2:25 by then, and I decided to go in. The first thing that I was asked was to show an I.D, and I did that, I showed my green card, then I went through the metal detector (I had to take off my watch, my belt, my cell, and my jacket). After that, on the left there is a sign saying to “check in”. It was 2:30, and that hall was 60% full (not a big room), It looked like those places where you apply for driver’s licenses, when you see people waiting to be called and like 10 windows with IO behind it, waiting for you, I think that floor is for people with infopass appointment, because when I checked in, the lady ahead of me on the line had one of those letter. When it was my turn I show my interview appointment. The first thing that person did was to highlight my name in a paper that she had next to her, then she gave me back my interview letter and a little piece of paper with a number on it, she told me to go to the second floor, wait until my number is called and told me also good luck, I said thanks.

I took the elevator to the second floor, and when it opened, there is a big salon, almost full, so I sit on the first chair available in the middle of the salon, but next to the aisle. When I sit I was completely lost, because, I didn’t see any screen on the walls calling for the numbers of the applicants, I was like that, 5 minutes in the dark, I was wondering if that was the correct room, until one person said number 125, and I said ok I’m in the right place, but the bad thing is, that my number was 148 at that time it was 2:40 pm, and I said to myself, they are too far behind. My first concern was to be re-scheduled, I was saying omg, maybe they are going to tell me to comeback another day. I took a big breath and I started studying the civics. One thing that I saw was that in front of everybody there was another room where they were conducting an oath ceremony. It was like 3:15 until a person from that room said, the families of the persons that are going to take the oath could go to that room, when that happened the room where I was waiting was 25% empty, most of those people were friends and family members. At 4pm the doors from the oath ceremony opened and everybody was happy looking their certificates, my guess is that ceremony started at 2 or 2:30 pm.

As for me, It was 4:30 already. A lady was calling people with the oat ceremonies letters, and I could hear that they were having the next oath on Friday 17 at 1pm. At that time we were like 15 people left, until my number was called (after 1 hour and 30 minutes later). The IO asked me to show him my interview letter and told me to go to the 3^rd floor, that I have to sit in that lobby and wait for him, and is going to take like 5 minutes, I said Ok, and again my thoughts were why to the 3er floor now?. So I took the elevator, I went to the 3 floor and there was another big salon, like the other one on the second floor, but with only 3 person waiting over there. So I sit and I waited for that IO for about 10 minutes. He called my number again and we salute to each other again, he made go to his office, and the first thing he said was to apologize because of the time, I said no problem, and he made me swear. I did, and we sit…..

The first thing he told me was to show him my green card, my driver’s license, and my passport, he took all of them and put them aside of him, he only look my license for 3 seconds. He started asking me if this was my second application, I said yes, he asked me why I withdrawal the first one, and I told him that I had a divorce, and my application was pending and wasn’t good anymore, he asked me why did I divorce, and I told him because my wife was “mean” all the time, and he said ok.. He asked me when did I get married? and for how long? , and I answered those questions correctly. He started looking in the other folder behind his back the I-751 application to Remove Conditions on Residence (I was surprised why he was looking for that old application, until he found it and he said ok, is here, he asked me if my wife was a US citizen and I said yes, After that introduction about me and my ex wife we went to the application.

I had to tell him about my job, that I wasn’t working for them anymore, so I told him my new job, I told him the address and the phone number, I had that info on my cell thanks god, so he said, take your time , and I was able to find it, he used a red pen the whole time, checking any answer that I was telling him, we went through all the application with no problem, including the “have you ever”… and the “do you”…, after all that he show me my 2 pictures and made me signed them, also he show me another letter with my first name, last name, date of birth, and country of origin if it was correct, I read that paper, and was all correct. After that he made me sign the last page of the application that everything was true, I signed it, and put my name.

When we finished to review the application, he said now it’s time for the civic test. He asked me 6 questions, and I answered them good all of them, he made me read a sentence, and to write something on the same page, I passed that too. So after all that he show me the “infamous” letter saying that “there is not decision yet” , he said that he has to check my application, but not the n400, but the I-751, and he pointed all my paperwork since I became a permanent resident ( was very big). He said that he is going to do it tomorrow, and I have to wait 2 or 3 weeks. That IO was polite and very professional. When I left the buiding I felt a little sad at that time, I don’t know, but I have hope that everything is going to be ok. The interview took like 30 minutes. What do you think guys????

Any comments o questions?

Edited October 10, 2014 by Roddick2013

[MissAL 0]

Did the IO take your green card and passport ?

[Roddick2013 8]

Yes, After I swear, and before we start the interview, he asked me to show him my driver's license, my passport and my green card, and he kept all that next to him the whole time during the interview, he only looked my driver's license for only 3 seconds.

[MissAL 0]

Did the IO return your GC with you after the interview or not? As far as I know after the Interview they will keep your GC if the interview went well! Maybe can somebody correct me if I'm wrong!

[n400atlanta 0]

They only take your green card if they are going to schedule you for the same day oath. if the oath is at a different day then they will take the green card on the day of the oath. They take away the green card when you are no longer a permanent resident infact replacing it with your certificate of naturalization

[MissAL 0]

Ohh ok I was told wrong! That's good to know ! I was so worried about that because I have upcoming trip nxt year to the Philippines and I know after the interview it will take weeks before the oath taking, atleast if I have my GC with me if my oath ceremony takes forever I still have my GC to leave the country and enter the US

[JimmyHou 611]

Ohh ok I was told wrong! That's good to know ! I was so worried about that because I have upcoming trip nxt year to the Philippines and I know after the interview it will take weeks before the oath taking, atleast if I have my GC with me if my oath ceremony takes forever I still have my GC to leave the country and enter the US

You are free to travel with your green card and original passport after the interview and before the oath.

[MissAL 0]

You are free to travel with your green card and original passport after the interview and before the oath.

[MissAL 0]

Thank you very much,thats good to know!

[sajeed636 2]

Hi hope everything is fine with you all . Just an update on my case , My online status is still under initial review , But I just check my mail box and Yellow letter was waiting for me .YL is dated OCT 07.

[bloomfield 1]

c'mon its time now Atlanta... Start sending out those interview dates for March and the rest of months.... Stop playing..

[Roddick2013 8]

I was at work, it was 6:30 pm eastern time, and I received an email from USCIS, and that was it!!!!....I've been scheduled for oath ceremony, my interview was exactly a week ago (no decision made at that time), I'm so happy, I should be receiving my oath letter in 2 or 3 days.

[MissAL 0]

Congratulations ,I'm happy for you! We are still waiting for our interview!!!

[Roddick2013 8]

Thanks. you'll pass your interview, good luck.