San Jose, CA Field Office

[cococandy 12]

Hi All,

 

I had a combo interview this Monday afternoon at 2:00pm and the officer approved both of my cases. My original interview date was 01/25/2019, but when my husband and I have been waiting for 40 mins and got our number called, the officer asked us to go to the window and told us they had to cancel my interview because they still have my I751 pending. I believe the local office didn't have my I751 file on hand at that time. After almost 3 months, they scheduled this Monday for combo interview. I received two letters (I751+N400 separated) with same date but different time slots. I751 is 2:00pm and N400 is 3:00pm. On Monday, we passed security check at 1:20pm and waited in the waiting area for 40 mins. At around 2:05pm, a nice and kind female officer called my number and led us to her office. She asked us if we have more evidence to show her. I gave her our 2017, 2018 tax return, trip tickets, photos and car loan paper. We just had some chit-chat and she asked what does my mom and dad do something like that. She asked my husband how he got his citizenship. The questions are pretty simple. Then she said she's going to approve my I751 and move forward to my N400 test. She didn't ask my husband to wait outside. So my husband just waited next to me. I passed 6 questions very quickly and she asked me to read a sentence on IPAD: Who can vote? Then she asked me to write down: Citizens can vote. I got all correct. Then, she went over some yes and no questions. After that, she said congratulations to me and passed me the paper saying recommended for approval. I'm currently waiting for my oath to be scheduled. Good luck to everyone!

[nikha 18]

52 minutes ago, cococandy said:

Hi All,

 

I had a combo interview this Monday afternoon at 2:00pm and the officer approved both of my cases. My original interview date was 01/25/2019, but when my husband and I have been waiting for 40 mins and got our number called, the officer asked us to go to the window and told us they had to cancel my interview because they still have my I751 pending. I believe the local office didn't have my I751 file on hand at that time. After almost 3 months, they scheduled this Monday for combo interview. I received two letters (I751+N400 separated) with same date but different time slots. I751 is 2:00pm and N400 is 3:00pm. On Monday, we passed security check at 1:20pm and waited in the waiting area for 40 mins. At around 2:05pm, a nice and kind female officer called my number and led us to her office. She asked us if we have more evidence to show her. I gave her our 2017, 2018 tax return, trip tickets, photos and car loan paper. We just had some chit-chat and she asked what does my mom and dad do something like that. She asked my husband how he got his citizenship. The questions are pretty simple. Then she said she's going to approve my I751 and move forward to my N400 test. She didn't ask my husband to wait outside. So my husband just waited next to me. I passed 6 questions very quickly and she asked me to read a sentence on IPAD: Who can vote? Then she asked me to write down: Citizens can vote. I got all correct. Then, she went over some yes and no questions. After that, she said congratulations to me and passed me the paper saying recommended for approval. I'm currently waiting for my oath to be scheduled. Good luck to everyone!

Awesome Congratz @cococandy

 

Please keep us posted on your oath date

Edited April 17, 2019 by nikha

[nikha 18]

@AM Any word about your combo interview ?

[BatmanFlow 481]

My interview got scheduled for May 24. 

 

Any tips on studying would be greatly appreciated 

 

thanks! 

Taran

[Lemon23 400]

2 hours ago, BatmanFlow said:

My interview got scheduled for May 24. 

 

Any tips on studying would be greatly appreciated 

 

thanks! 

Taran

here you go:

 

 

[toravir 3]

My oath ceremony today at Campbell went thusly:

 

Ceremony time was at 8:30am, i reached there at 8:20. Decent amount of parking was available - may be because this is the first batch... later batches it may be hard - since ppl. from earlier batches may be hanging around to celebrate etc.

 

There were two queues - one super long one for oath takers and another for guests. Guest seating is limited they kept warning that guests may be denied entrance. At 8:40? they opened the doors and started letting ppl. in - it took a while for me to get to the door. people came late than 8:30 as well since queue behind was quite handful too.

 

At door entrance they check whether you have filled the back of the interview letter - and then they gave me a package - and told me to go to section 4 - i think they sort ppl. by last name - not sure.

 

Once inside the hall - just before assigning me a seat, they took my GC and the interview letter. They called out each of the countries ppl. are coming from.. quite a list - 57 countries. Shortly oath was administered, pledge of allegiance to the flag, and then for the ppl. who are applying the passport - pledge that they have told the truth in their application.

 

Passport officer will tell details of how to apply for passport - just in case - the acceptable form of payment is check/money order only - payable to 'US Department of State'.

 

Then two videos were played - one by the president and another 'America the beautiful'. And vote of thanks. And while the guests are leaving, they hand out the certificate of naturalization - check everything looks good on it - if not go and get it corrected.

 

I headed out of the theatre and to the hall to apply for passport - while standing in the queue - filled out voter registration.  If you have pre-printed the passport application - u can ask them to 'stamp it' to indicate that the application was submitted at the oath ceremony and hten u put four items into a grey package:

1. passport application (two separate pages is preferred - i had printed it back2back - it was accepted anyways)

2. naturalization certificate (u have to give it up so soon) - they will return it by mail before/after your passport

3. One passport photograph

4. Check for the requested service -express etc..

 

it was quite chaotic - so no-one checked the application or anything. I paid $281.xx asking for expedited service - there is another way to speed up the passport application process by going to the passport office and showing proof of impending travel etc..

 

There was no SSN ppl here - so have to do that later - after i get the passport/certification back.

 

Walked out all done by ~9:55am. If i wasn't applying for passport - could have gotten out at ~9:30

 

Good luck you all !

[nikha 18]

Congratz. I got done with my Oath ceremony at the same time. Have slightly different experience since I had to rush to Passport Agency in SF for expedited service. Will post my experience in details soon

[toravir 3]

3 hours ago, nikha said:

Congratz. I got done with my Oath ceremony at the same time. Have slightly different experience since I had to rush to Passport Agency in SF for expedited service. Will post my experience in details soon

nice congrats !!

I just realized that i hadn't signed the certificate of naturalization.. not sure if that is a blocking thing for issuing the passport. they asked it to be signed in black - i had only blue and once i got into the passport application room, forgot to do this in all that mela..

Edited April 19, 2019 by toravir

[geff44 30]

On 4/16/2019 at 11:02 AM, gomez02 said:

Hi,

 

I am from the same local USCIS office. I would like to ask if your I-751 was transferred to the National Benefits Center prior to your N-400 interview date. Mine was transferred in Dec 2018 and I received a notice about the transfer this time not like the one they did in Feb/Mar that year about transferring to local USCIS office but no notice.

 

 I am scheduled for an interview at the end of this month for my N-400 and when I sent in an inquiry if it was going to be a combo interview, they said that the IO will be the one to decide on it. They said the same thing when I called. So now Im thinking that they might reshedule my interview as well because of my pending I-751.

 

Any thoughts?

 

On 4/17/2019 at 2:44 PM, cococandy said:

Hi All,

 

I had a combo interview this Monday afternoon at 2:00pm and the officer approved both of my cases. My original interview date was 01/25/2019, but when my husband and I have been waiting for 40 mins and got our number called, the officer asked us to go to the window and told us they had to cancel my interview because they still have my I751 pending. I believe the local office didn't have my I751 file on hand at that time. After almost 3 months, they scheduled this Monday for combo interview. I received two letters (I751+N400 separated) with same date but different time slots. I751 is 2:00pm and N400 is 3:00pm. On Monday, we passed security check at 1:20pm and waited in the waiting area for 40 mins. At around 2:05pm, a nice and kind female officer called my number and led us to her office. She asked us if we have more evidence to show her. I gave her our 2017, 2018 tax return, trip tickets, photos and car loan paper. We just had some chit-chat and she asked what does my mom and dad do something like that. She asked my husband how he got his citizenship. The questions are pretty simple. Then she said she's going to approve my I751 and move forward to my N400 test. She didn't ask my husband to wait outside. So my husband just waited next to me. I passed 6 questions very quickly and she asked me to read a sentence on IPAD: Who can vote? Then she asked me to write down: Citizens can vote. I got all correct. Then, she went over some yes and no questions. After that, she said congratulations to me and passed me the paper saying recommended for approval. I'm currently waiting for my oath to be scheduled. Good luck to everyone!

Congrats !

[Frdk 1]

18 hours ago, toravir said:

My oath ceremony today at Campbell went thusly:

 

Ceremony time was at 8:30am, i reached there at 8:20. Decent amount of parking was available - may be because this is the first batch... later batches it may be hard - since ppl. from earlier batches may be hanging around to celebrate etc.

 

There were two queues - one super long one for oath takers and another for guests. Guest seating is limited they kept warning that guests may be denied entrance. At 8:40? they opened the doors and started letting ppl. in - it took a while for me to get to the door. people came late than 8:30 as well since queue behind was quite handful too.

 

At door entrance they check whether you have filled the back of the interview letter - and then they gave me a package - and told me to go to section 4 - i think they sort ppl. by last name - not sure.

 

Once inside the hall - just before assigning me a seat, they took my GC and the interview letter. They called out each of the countries ppl. are coming from.. quite a list - 57 countries. Shortly oath was administered, pledge of allegiance to the flag, and then for the ppl. who are applying the passport - pledge that they have told the truth in their application.

 

Passport officer will tell details of how to apply for passport - just in case - the acceptable form of payment is check/money order only - payable to 'US Department of State'.

 

Then two videos were played - one by the president and another 'America the beautiful'. And vote of thanks. And while the guests are leaving, they hand out the certificate of naturalization - check everything looks good on it - if not go and get it corrected.

 

I headed out of the theatre and to the hall to apply for passport - while standing in the queue - filled out voter registration.  If you have pre-printed the passport application - u can ask them to 'stamp it' to indicate that the application was submitted at the oath ceremony and hten u put four items into a grey package:

1. passport application (two separate pages is preferred - i had printed it back2back - it was accepted anyways)

2. naturalization certificate (u have to give it up so soon) - they will return it by mail before/after your passport

3. One passport photograph

4. Check for the requested service -express etc..

 

it was quite chaotic - so no-one checked the application or anything. I paid $281.xx asking for expedited service - there is another way to speed up the passport application process by going to the passport office and showing proof of impending travel etc..

 

There was no SSN ppl here - so have to do that later - after i get the passport/certification back.

 

Walked out all done by ~9:55am. If i wasn't applying for passport - could have gotten out at ~9:30

 

Good luck you all !

I was in the 2nd group, 10.30am. Arrived around 945am just as the first group were leaving so managed to get good close parking.  My experience pretty much mirrored yours, so don't really have anything to add.

 

I went ahead and applied for the expedited passport, but it cost 221 (did not apply for the card). When I mentioned that I may be moving I was advised I can use any mailing address I wanted , so used my parents permanent out of state address which they said was fine. I got paranoid about giving up my certificate so soon and wondered what happens if it gets lost in the mail. Was told that if that hapoens would need to apply for replacement certificate  (costs $560!!), but once that is done you send the receipt to the passport agency and they would reimburse the cost of the replacement. I guess I'll relax once I have everything in hand-passport and certificate.

Once again thanks to this forum for all its help. Best wishes to everyone else still going through the process.

[cococandy 12]

On 4/17/2019 at 3:36 PM, nikha said:

Awesome Congratz @cococandy

 

Please keep us posted on your oath date

My oath ceremony is Thursday, May 23, 2019 at 08:30AM.

[nikha 18]

16 minutes ago, cococandy said:

My oath ceremony is Thursday, May 23, 2019 at 08:30AM.

Thank you. I will have the sheet updated !

[cococandy 12]

3 hours ago, nikha said:

Thank you. I will have the sheet updated !

Thanks nikha~

[Stop 1]

@gomez02  and JT how did your interviews go?  Hope all went well.

 

@Prads any word on your interview date?  Has anyone received an interview date in June?

 

Thanks to those who previously posted about their interviews.  Very helpful. 

[gomez02 9]

5 hours ago, Top said:

@gomez02  and JT how did your interviews go?  Hope all went well.

 

@Prads any word on your interview date?  Has anyone received an interview date in June?

 

Thanks to those who previously posted about their interviews.  Very helpful. 

We did the combo interview today in San Jose and everything went great. I am now waiting for my Oath Notice in the mail. 😊 I will post about my interview later today. Thank you! 😊