N-400 February Filers 2018

[gc@gc 184]

7 minutes ago, shell20 said:

I think a lot of case status messages got transferred around the same time to Texas or Nebraska. The latest glitch is it seems to say your name was updated etc or your birth date or all, then you get a status up date, normally an approval soon after.  Although the one glitch I got just before I received my N400 interview was 30 text messages to my mobile to say we sent out your card, which they had done 2 months previously. and a few emails saying much the same. The 30 text messages went to my husbands phone at around 4am in the morning when I was away. He wasn't a "Happy Camper". 

 

hearing sth from uscis much better than nothing from them, right? having silence treatment isnt fun at all  i am looking forward to my 30+ text messages 

 

now you are proud of citizen of usa,  please register to vote and make your voice heard, in any elections: town, city, state and federal

 

 

[shell20 746]

50 minutes ago, marriedtomrg said:

Could someone update my timeline item to red? 

 

There were 73 petitioners (including myself) at our Naturalization Ceremony yesterday at the U.S. District Courthouse in Tallahassee, FL.  Check in was at the lobby at 1:30 p.m. and I had arrived earlier to try to get in line sooner but it was already snaking across the hallway lol  I was at a first desk where my N-445 was processed and I returned my green card (which I only had a whopping 1 week or so lol).  Went to the next line to verify that all the information printed on my Naturalization Certificate was correct and I signed it.

 

I inquired if phones were allowed and when I was told they were, I went out to my car and found my husband in the parking lot. lol  We walked back to the courthouse together to go through security.  We went up to the 3rd floor, where there was a holding area for everyone.  And then the petitioners were asked to make their way to the 5th floor, where the courtoom was.  We were each given a seat number during check in - mine turned out to be in the middle of the very front row, just a few feet away from the judge lol  They had all sorts of printed materials on our chairs, including a small American flag, our naturalization certificates, letters from our senators and a nice little certificate from our Congressman.

 

For those who could not be in the same room as us, there was an overflow room across the hall with large TV screens for them to view the proceedings.

 

The program started around 3, with welcome remarks, an invocation, and a short colors march.  The federal judge arrived and after a few remarks, a motion to approve our petitions for naturalization was presented and the judge approved it - along with requests for name changes.

 

Everyone was given the chance to say a little something about what citizenship/the event itself meant to them.  In the row where I sat, there was a lady who spoke and I just about broke down hearing her story...she had been in administrative processing for years and waited a long time to be approved.  There were also folks who had been living in Florida for some 12, 15, 30+ years before deciding to finally go through with citizenship.  Makes me even more grateful to have been able to complete this journey relatively fuss-free.  Tell you what though...many had mentioned how excited they are about being able to vote this year...at some point the judge did say this was our chance to have "the official right to complain." lol

 

The Daughters of the American Revolution were there to take pictures.  We had some of our own and I am sharing a couple with you all.

 

After the ceremony I was greeted by my family, co-workers old and new, my grocery store customers, and my friends.  Refreshments were served in that holding area on the third floor and folks from the Supervisor of Elections office were on hand to accept voter registration forms.  You can bet mine was one of them.  I can't wait to vote, either.

 

All in all an emotional day (and I managed to go through it without crying at all), but a truly happy one.

 

As my husband and I walked back to our cars, he asked me if I felt different.  My response was...well, before this day I already felt like an American - after all, I am working two jobs, we have a mortgage, student loans, car payments, credit card debt, two kids and two dogs.  I felt no different.  But I feel right at home.  If that makes any sense.

 

Can't thank the VJ community enough for their valuable insights and how generous you all have been to share your experiences for the benefit of new members.

 

Good luck with everyone still on this journey.

 

 

Congratulations!  Love the photos and thanks for sharing. Will share my experience early next week.

1 minute ago, gc@gc said:

 

hearing sth from uscis much better than nothing from them, right? having silence treatment isnt fun at all  i am looking forward to my 30+ text messages 

 

now you are proud of citizen of usa,  please register to vote and make your voice heard, in any elections: town, city, state and federal

 

 

Oh I already have, you fill the form in at the ceremony!

[shell20 746]

2 minutes ago, gc@gc said:

 

hearing sth from uscis much better than nothing from them, right? having silence treatment isnt fun at all  i am looking forward to my 30+ text messages 

 

now you are proud of citizen of usa,  please register to vote and make your voice heard, in any elections: town, city, state and federal

 

 

Going to have to send some gold dust or green dust to you or whatever works. Hope you hear this week.

[gc@gc 184]

31 minutes ago, shell20 said:

Going to have to send some gold dust or green dust to you or whatever works. Hope you hear this week.

 

just filed n-400 earlier this month, finished biometrics last week, i guess i have to wait patiently for several months till end of this year, or early next year.  wont be able to participate midterm election  

[CTgal18 157]

I am officially a US citizen!!! 🇺🇸❤️

[shell20 746]

11 minutes ago, gc@gc said:

 

just filed n-400 earlier this month, finished biometrics last week, i guess i have to wait patiently for several months till end of this year, or early next year.  wont be able to participate midterm election  

You never know, mine took around 5 months from start to finish. Hope you hear before rather than later. 

4 minutes ago, CTgal18 said:

I am officially a US citizen!!! 🇺🇸❤️

Congratulations from a fellow US citizen. Enjoy your day. 

[mr.turtle 27]

2 hours ago, shell20 said:

Oh dear!   Are you changing your name? Only ask as I thought mine would be in a court house and it wasn't it was at the USCIS. Apparently, they use the court house for name changes or so the USCIS officer told me when interviewing me for my N400.  Sorry you're waiting so long.

Yes, I am doing a name change. I believe regular ceremonies are more frequent just not court ceremonies. Most of souther Illinois is rural so I can see why.

Congratulations to everyone who became a citizen I am very proud of all of you congratulations 

[somia 17]

1 hour ago, shell20 said:

You never know, mine took around 5 months from start to finish. Hope you hear before rather than later. 

Congratulations from a fellow US citizen. Enjoy your day. 

mine 5months is already over still just on fp and no other status yet!!!!

1 hour ago, CTgal18 said:

I am officially a US citizen!!! 🇺🇸❤️

congrasssss

[somia 17]

2 hours ago, shell20 said:

Congratulations!  Love the photos and thanks for sharing. Will share my experience early next week.

Oh I already have, you fill the form in at the ceremony!

congrasssss

[somia 17]

2 hours ago, gc@gc said:

 

hearing sth from uscis much better than nothing from them, right? having silence treatment isnt fun at all  i am looking forward to my 30+ text messages 

 

now you are proud of citizen of usa,  please register to vote and make your voice heard, in any elections: town, city, state and federal

 

 

is anyone experiance erroe on online case status error ? i just checked it since yesterday keep saying that sorry can't provide ur case status pls call 1800.........

[CTgal18 157]

I had my naturalization certificate for all of one hour before I handed it to the post office for my passport application. Now I feel naked with no green card and no certificate. 

[Sukie 1,454]

HALLELUJAH!!!!  Julie passed her citizenship test this morning!  Perhaps it was a record, too - she was in there for 29 minutes flat!  And, she got her Naturalization Ceremony scheduled today, as well!  She walked away with a sheet of paper saying her Naturalization Ceremony is on August 17th!

 

Here were her questions:

 

1.  When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?

2.  Who is the Governor of New York?

3.  What are the first 10 Amendments to the Constitution called?

4.  What is the name of the Speaker of the House now?

5.  Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?

6.  Name one of the two longest rivers in the US.

 

She cannot remember exactly the read/write part - but it had something to do with Abraham Lincoln.

 

If someone could update our line on the spreadsheet, I would appreciate it!

 

THANK YOU to the WHOLE group of February filers!!!!  You have been a tremendous help and wonderful company!

 

Sukie in NY

 

 

[Sukie 1,454]

12 minutes ago, CTgal18 said:

I had my naturalization certificate for all of one hour before I handed it to the post office for my passport application. Now I feel naked with no green card and no certificate. 

We have an app called Genius Scan on our iPad mini - we plan on taking a photograph of that certificate before we give it to the Passport Agency.  You have to submit the original PLUS a copy, right?  Did you go to Staples and get a copy made?

 

Sukie in NY

[CTgal18 157]

12 minutes ago, Sukie said:

We have an app called Genius Scan on our iPad mini - we plan on taking a photograph of that certificate before we give it to the Passport Agency.  You have to submit the original PLUS a copy, right?  Did you go to Staples and get a copy made?

 

Sukie in NY

Funny thing, I tried to submit a copy along with the original because I swore that’s what the instructions said and the nice lady at the post office said I only needed to send the original so I kept the copy for myself. I used FedEx Office to print out the passport application I had filled out online last night because I don’t have a printer currently and while I was there, I made a copy of my license and the certificate. Since I had everything pre-done before I got to the post office, I was in and out in 10 minutes. The lady at the post office saw that my certificate was dated today and congratulated me. It’s been a really nice experience today. 

[Anabless 68]

Congratulations to all of you guys! @CTgal18@marriedtomrg@shell20@Sukie