N-400 Seattle (Part 2)

[LoveAndLight2045 18]

11 hours ago, Jujuy said:

Hi Some_one,

I have a question regarding your situation (I asked this to Bashar, who had a situation similar to yours).

Did they take away your green card after the interview, or did you go home with your green card as you didn't do the oath ceremony?
 

I read that people are asked for their green card when they go "downstairs" for the ceremony, so I want to know what happened in your situation.
I hope everything went well on your ceremony on 9/9 
Thank you! 

For my interview they asked me how fast I needed to travel out of the country. If I had said right away, they would have let me with my green card and schedule the path after I’m back in the country. They only take your green card literally when you enter the door of the oath ceremony room. 
 

Hope this helps!

[SnjvSea 9]

11 hours ago, Jujuy said:

Hi Some_one,

I have a question regarding your situation (I asked this to Bashar, who had a situation similar to yours).

Did they take away your green card after the interview, or did you go home with your green card as you didn't do the oath ceremony?
 

I read that people are asked for their green card when they go "downstairs" for the ceremony, so I want to know what happened in your situation.
I hope everything went well on your ceremony on 9/9 
Thank you! 

Hi Jujuy,

 

The Green card is not taken away from you until they have the Naturalization certificate ready to be handed over to you. Which is right before the oath ceremony. If, for any reason, after the interview, the oath ceremony cannot be done on the same day and needs to be scheduled for later, then you will carry the Green card with you and bring it back when the oath ceremony is scheduled.

 

Thanks

[nekojita 38]

Had my n400 interview at Seattle office today and I’m now a citizen!

 

Overall was smooth, although at first the interviewer thought I applied for my n400 too early and was suspicious because I filed the first day I was eligible. Minor hiccup.

 

Helpful details for others that I hadn’t really seen posted:

 

- parking is $8 and you need your license plate number (don’t need to put receipt on dash, but need to show parking attendant when you exit)

 

- can bring friends etc to oath ceremony (and others put to the interview waiting lobby)

 

- oath ceremonies happen ~20 minutes so no need to wait hours and hours. Can also register to vote after ceremony in back of room (lady has forms and pens). Recommend dressing up a little and taking lots of pics.

 

- to study I just listened to YouTube videos of the 100 questions / answers while I worked out and had it down within a few days.

 

- after you become a citizen recommend: 

> going to the DMV in burien and get an enhanced drivers license (took ~15 mins and just need naturalization cert, Social Security Card, current drivers license and two recent bulls with your name / address like electricity or water)

> scheduling in person passport appointment (can book weeks ahead and can fill-out/print online)

> visit Social Security office 10+ days after becoming citizen to update status of SSN (can’t make appointment ahead of time as too simple of a procedure per reps on phone)

> I would also register for NEXUS as its only $50 and you get global entry thrown in (best to do once you get US passport)

 

 

[Gaps0214 67]

1 hour ago, nekojita said:

Had my n400 interview at Seattle office today and I’m now a citizen!

 

Overall was smooth, although at first the interviewer thought I applied for my n400 too early and was suspicious because I filed the first day I was eligible. Minor hiccup.

 

Helpful details for others that I hadn’t really seen posted:

 

- parking is $8 and you need your license plate number (don’t need to put receipt on dash, but need to show parking attendant when you exit)

 

- can bring friends etc to oath ceremony (and others put to the interview waiting lobby)

 

- oath ceremonies happen ~20 minutes so no need to wait hours and hours. Can also register to vote after ceremony in back of room (lady has forms and pens). Recommend dressing up a little and taking lots of pics.

 

- to study I just listened to YouTube videos of the 100 questions / answers while I worked out and had it down within a few days.

 

- after you become a citizen recommend: 

> going to the DMV in burien and get an enhanced drivers license (took ~15 mins and just need naturalization cert, Social Security Card, current drivers license and two recent bulls with your name / address like electricity or water)

> scheduling in person passport appointment (can book weeks ahead and can fill-out/print online)

> visit Social Security office 10+ days after becoming citizen to update status of SSN (can’t make appointment ahead of time as too simple of a procedure per reps on phone)

> I would also register for NEXUS as its only $50 and you get global entry thrown in (best to do once you get US passport)

 

 

Congratulations,

 

Did the DOL licensing office in Burien really ask for billing statements to be presented? Or was that voluntary on your part? I have been a driver's license holder for 7 years, with a Burien address for the last 5 years, I always thought the billing statements are used as proof of residency for first time applications for driver's license.

 

I will second your recommendation for NEXUS membership, but note that the application period can take more than 12 months, first time applications require a F2F appearance interview, and I believe their interview schedules are booked until July 2023 in the Blaine,WA outpost. I know this because we just got our NEXUS memberships approved last July and my spouse almost didn't make the appointment if not for the accommodation of the Canadian side officers who told us their backlog is really long.

 

Where did you book your passport appointment? 

 

Will appreciate you writing back if you can.

 

Cheers,

G&A

[nekojita 38]

7 hours ago, Gaps0214 said:

Congratulations,

 

Did the DOL licensing office in Burien really ask for billing statements to be presented? Or was that voluntary on your part? I have been a driver's license holder for 7 years, with a Burien address for the last 5 years, I always thought the billing statements are used as proof of residency for first time applications for driver's license.

 

I will second your recommendation for NEXUS membership, but note that the application period can take more than 12 months, first time applications require a F2F appearance interview, and I believe their interview schedules are booked until July 2023 in the Blaine,WA outpost. I know this because we just got our NEXUS memberships approved last July and my spouse almost didn't make the appointment if not for the accommodation of the Canadian side officers who told us their backlog is really long.

 

Where did you book your passport appointment? 

 

Will appreciate you writing back if you can.

 

Cheers,

G&A

Yes, for the enhanced driver’s license the requirements are a bit more stringent and they did request two pieces of residential address proof.

 

Booked my passport appointment for Tacoma using online website, but there are other offices around like in Seattle.

[Jujuy 8]

21 hours ago, SnjvSea said:

Hi Jujuy,

 

The Green card is not taken away from you until they have the Naturalization certificate ready to be handed over to you. Which is right before the oath ceremony. If, for any reason, after the interview, the oath ceremony cannot be done on the same day and needs to be scheduled for later, then you will carry the Green card with you and bring it back when the oath ceremony is scheduled.

 

Thanks

Thanks for this answer! It really helps to know that as I have a trip days after the interview, and I wanted to make sure I can still be part of it!  

[Jujuy 8]

21 hours ago, LoveAndLight2045 said:

For my interview they asked me how fast I needed to travel out of the country. If I had said right away, they would have let me with my green card and schedule the path after I’m back in the country. They only take your green card literally when you enter the door of the oath ceremony room. 
 

Hope this helps!

Thank you  

[Mv125 14]

On 6/1/2022 at 5:46 AM, A1982 said:

Congratulations. 

 

So it looks like we have contrarian data points about the odds of a same-day oath for a 2.10 PM interview in Seattle. I'll just wait and see I guess. I've booked a USPS appointment for a new passport 3 business days after the interview just in case.

 

Are you allowed to take your telephone in btw?

Did you end up getting a same-day interview?

[forthecookies 4]

I just pulled up our tracking sheet today to see how things are going and I noticed that several rows (including mine) seem to have been deleted? Any idea what happened?

[Jujuy 8]

So today I had my interview. Here is my experience. My case is marriage based.

I arrived at 11:45 am, parked the car ($8) and went to the building.

I went with my wife and my 2 daughters (2 years old, and 6 months old). We all went through the metal detector and waited in line to check in for my appointment (12:10 pm). The line was a bit long, and it took time. Finally at 12:15, I asked the 3 people ahead of me to let me go first as I was already late. They were really polite and let me go before them and I checked in. There a lady asked me for the notice of interview and my driver license.

We went upstairs to the waiting room and there were a lot of people waiting there. An officer said in loud voice that everybody should have their passport, green card and drivers license ready before being called.

 

An officer called me at 1:05 pm. My interview was in-person with the officer who called me. The questions I was asked were the following:

What is one right or freedom from the First Amendment?

How many U.S. Senators are there?

Who is the father of our country?

What is the capital of your state?

What happened at the Constitutional Convention?

What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?

 

Then they asked me to read on a tablet the sentence, "The father of our country is George Washington." And they asked me to write, "We have 100 senators."

 

Then we went through different questions like, "How long have you been married? Do you have children? Do you still work at the same place you stated before? etc."
 

The officer told me that I passed the interview, but they will let me know when to return for the oath ceremony as today there were no more available spots... That was really disappointing as we finished the interview at around 1:30 pm, but people were in line to go to the room where the ceremony is held. And people that were called after me were heading to the line.

Cheers to my wife and little ones who accompanied me and waited for almost 2 hours just to hear there was no oath ceremony today. 

Looking forward to the Notice of Naturalization Oath Ceremony.

[Gaps0214 67]

19 minutes ago, Jujuy said:

So today I had my interview. Here is my experience. My case is marriage based.

I arrived at 11:45 am, parked the car ($8) and went to the building.

I went with my wife and my 2 daughters (2 years old, and 6 months old). We all went through the metal detector and waited in line to check in for my appointment (12:10 pm). The line was a bit long, and it took time. Finally at 12:15, I asked the 3 people ahead of me to let me go first as I was already late. They were really polite and let me go before them and I checked in. There a lady asked me for the notice of interview and my driver license.

We went upstairs to the waiting room and there were a lot of people waiting there. An officer said in loud voice that everybody should have their passport, green card and drivers license ready before being called.

 

An officer called me at 1:05 pm. My interview was in-person with the officer who called me. The questions I was asked were the following:

What is one right or freedom from the First Amendment?

How many U.S. Senators are there?

Who is the father of our country?

What is the capital of your state?

What happened at the Constitutional Convention?

What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?

 

Then they asked me to read on a tablet the sentence, "The father of our country is George Washington." And they asked me to write, "We have 100 senators."

 

Then we went through different questions like, "How long have you been married? Do you have children? Do you still work at the same place you stated before? etc."
 

The officer told me that I passed the interview, but they will let me know when to return for the oath ceremony as today there were no more available spots... That was really disappointing as we finished the interview at around 1:30 pm, but people were in line to go to the room where the ceremony is held. And people that were called after me were heading to the line.

Cheers to my wife and little ones who accompanied me and waited for almost 2 hours just to hear there was no oath ceremony today. 

Looking forward to the Notice of Naturalization Oath Ceremony.

Congratulations! You are there, just a matter of time.

 

Cheers,

G&A

[SHMG 12]

54 minutes ago, Jujuy said:

So today I had my interview. Here is my experience. My case is marriage based.

I arrived at 11:45 am, parked the car ($8) and went to the building.

I went with my wife and my 2 daughters (2 years old, and 6 months old). We all went through the metal detector and waited in line to check in for my appointment (12:10 pm). The line was a bit long, and it took time. Finally at 12:15, I asked the 3 people ahead of me to let me go first as I was already late. They were really polite and let me go before them and I checked in. There a lady asked me for the notice of interview and my driver license.

We went upstairs to the waiting room and there were a lot of people waiting there. An officer said in loud voice that everybody should have their passport, green card and drivers license ready before being called.

 

An officer called me at 1:05 pm. My interview was in-person with the officer who called me. The questions I was asked were the following:

What is one right or freedom from the First Amendment?

How many U.S. Senators are there?

Who is the father of our country?

What is the capital of your state?

What happened at the Constitutional Convention?

What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?

 

Then they asked me to read on a tablet the sentence, "The father of our country is George Washington." And they asked me to write, "We have 100 senators."

 

Then we went through different questions like, "How long have you been married? Do you have children? Do you still work at the same place you stated before? etc."
 

The officer told me that I passed the interview, but they will let me know when to return for the oath ceremony as today there were no more available spots... That was really disappointing as we finished the interview at around 1:30 pm, but people were in line to go to the room where the ceremony is held. And people that were called after me were heading to the line.

Cheers to my wife and little ones who accompanied me and waited for almost 2 hours just to hear there was no oath ceremony today. 

Looking forward to the Notice of Naturalization Oath Ceremony.

Congratulations. Did they call your wife in for the interview?

[Jujuy 8]

16 hours ago, Gaps0214 said:

Congratulations! You are there, just a matter of time.

 

Cheers,

G&A

Thank you!

16 hours ago, SHMG said:

Congratulations. Did they call your wife in for the interview?

Thank you. No, she went with me and the girls in order to be present at the ceremony.

[forthecookies 4]

What's the current consensus on cutoff time for a same day oath? My spouse and I got scheduled for next month with 1:30PM and 2:10PM slots, and both of us had biometrics reused when we submitted applications.

[SHMG 12]

1 hour ago, Jujuy said:

Thank you!

Thank you. No, she went with me and the girls in order to be present at the ceremony.

Congrats ones again