Finally!

[FrankD18 3]

After applying for citizenship early January 2016, followed by biometrics mid February 2016, and then nothing at all until June 2017 (yes, 2017!) when my interview was scheduled, despite a very straightforward application, I became a US citizen Thursday last week! Awesome ceremony and a great speech by the judge presiding over it.

[KULtoATL 1,551]

Congratulations!

[HK12 273]

Congratulations!!! What a long wait, but all's well that ends well, right? Were you stuck in their background checks for that long? Just curious, since I have been stuck for 7.5 months since my biometrics now.

 

[FrankD18 3]

2 minutes ago, HK12 said:

Congratulations!!! What a long wait, but all's well that ends well, right? Were you stuck in their background checks for that long? Just curious, since I have been stuck for 7.5 months since my biometrics now.

 

Honestly, I have no idea. I started calling from late August 2016, and was given various answers, most of them being along the lines of it's normal, be patient. I asked to be bumped to tier 2 several times also to no avail. At no stage was their any indication that background check was an issue. Besides, in my job, I've had to have several of these and it was never an issue. Other folks applied after I did where I live (somewhat small city), it was processed at the same center, and they were citizens within 6 months. So, really no idea what the hold is.

What the hold was :-) 

[Going through 5,671]

Congrats!  I hope to be in your shoes next month or so  

Can you give a little bit more detail about how the interview and oath ceremony was?

[FrankD18 3]

1 hour ago, Going through said:

Congrats!  I hope to be in your shoes next month or so  

Can you give a little bit more detail about how the interview and oath ceremony was?

 

Sure. 

 

The interview was pretty chill. The USCIS officer was very friendly and acknowledged that my processing time was surprisingly long and she couldn't see why. 

We chatted for 15min or so. She asked me a bunch of questions about my recent travels, if anything had changed in my application recently etc. Then the 'test' started.

The English test basically was 'read this sentence' and 'write this sentence'. I thought it was funny since we had been chatting for 15min or so. 

Then she asked me 6 questions from the 100. Since I answered all of them there was no need to ask 10. I was given a paper saying that it was all good (I forgot the phrasing exactly, but it's along the lines of you're approved). 

A couple of days later my status changed on the USCIS site saying that a letter would be sent with time and day for the oath ceremony. It still took over 2 months between the interview and the oath.

 

The oath took about 3hrs. I arrived with 38 other applicants. The first 1h30 was in a room where they called us one by one to check if anything pertaining to travel abroad, marital status, criminal record etc has changed since the interview. I had travel abroad for a few days so I brought my passport as proof (the oath letter tells you what to bring for the ceremony). It was merely a whole bunch of waiting, and an officer telling us how we would proceed. Then we went to the courtroom where friends and family were, and the ceremony itself lasted an hour or so. 

Couple of speeches (from the judge, various organizations in town, an invited speaker) then the oath, then the pledge of allegiance. And I was able to register to vote immediately after that.

 

[Going through 5,671]

28 minutes ago, FrankD18 said:

 

Sure. 

 

The interview was pretty chill. The USCIS officer was very friendly and acknowledged that my processing time was surprisingly long and she couldn't see why. 

We chatted for 15min or so. She asked me a bunch of questions about my recent travels, if anything had changed in my application recently etc. Then the 'test' started.

The English test basically was 'read this sentence' and 'write this sentence'. I thought it was funny since we had been chatting for 15min or so. 

Then she asked me 6 questions from the 100. Since I answered all of them there was no need to ask 10. I was given a paper saying that it was all good (I forgot the phrasing exactly, but it's along the lines of you're approved). 

A couple of days later my status changed on the USCIS site saying that a letter would be sent with time and day for the oath ceremony. It still took over 2 months between the interview and the oath.

 

The oath took about 3hrs. I arrived with 38 other applicants. The first 1h30 was in a room where they called us one by one to check if anything pertaining to travel abroad, marital status, criminal record etc has changed since the interview. I had travel abroad for a few days so I brought my passport as proof (the oath letter tells you what to bring for the ceremony). It was merely a whole bunch of waiting, and an officer telling us how we would proceed. Then we went to the courtroom where friends and family were, and the ceremony itself lasted an hour or so. 

Couple of speeches (from the judge, various organizations in town, an invited speaker) then the oath, then the pledge of allegiance. And I was able to register to vote immediately after that.

 

Wow---2 months inbetween interview and oath---that's unusually long to wait for that, isn't it?

[FrankD18 3]

48 minutes ago, Going through said:

Wow---2 months inbetween interview and oath---that's unusually long to wait for that, isn't it?

Well, it was 16 months between the biometrics and the interview, so that was on par with the rest I suppose ;-)

[Taki 8]

Congratulations, you must feel very happy!  I thought my wait was long (applied on July 31, 2016 and naturalized on July 19th, 2017) but you beat me by more than six months

[abum 324]

Congratulations!

Wow, it took them that long to process your application eh? Jan 2016 up to NOW! 1 year 8 months.. 

[gypsyqueen 103]

@FrankD18 Congratulations!

[marcusa 31]

1 year and 8 months long after Biometrics ? seriously ? 

 

can you disclose which state you are living and which field office was processing your application ?  

Have you tried to contact senators or first lady for assistance ?

 

was it possible that you and many other applications were buried under the desk because of the Presidential election by the end of 2016. It was chaos during the transition of different US government, especially Trump administration was not friendly at all on immigration policy.

 

 

[FrankD18 3]

7 minutes ago, marcusa said:

1 year and 8 months long after Biometrics ? seriously ? 

 

can you disclose which state you are living and which field office was processing your application ?  

Have you tried to contact senators or first lady for assistance ?

 

was it possible that you and many other applications were buried under the desk because of the Presidential election by the end of 2016. It was chaos during the transition of different US government, especially Trump administration was not friendly at all on immigration policy.

 

 

It was in Florida. I did contact one of our senators, and that's when things actually picked up. It's possible, but I know a couple of folks who applied in April 2016, in the same city, and got citizenship in time to vote. 

[Going through 5,671]

After such a long wait, did you feel like taking all of your USCIS paperwork from over the years and having a huge bonfire in your backyard after your oath?  lol

 

 

[marcusa 31]

1 hour ago, FrankD18 said:

It was in Florida. I did contact one of our senators, and that's when things actually picked up. It's possible, but I know a couple of folks who applied in April 2016, in the same city, and got citizenship in time to vote. 

Florida has a huge amount of immigration needs. Their field offices are supposed to work more efficiently.

 

Do you have the feeling that if your mother country was a matter affecting your background things ? i know some original countries are not on their favorite list,which might cause the processing "extremely " delayed.  

 

The canadian guy next door has interview at NYC with a month after fingerprint....what?! unbelievable.....！