N-400 October 2023 Filers

[Japm 65]

Oath ceremony scheduled for June 25. It's going to be at a theater. Is that normal even if I did a name change?

[Japm 65]

On 5/21/2024 at 10:54 AM, Japm said:

Oath ceremony scheduled for June 25. It's going to be at a theater. Is that normal even if I did a name change?

 

Does anybody know if this is normal?

 

Or does an oath with name change have to be in court or something?

[BlackPearl9 21]

1 hour ago, Japm said:

 

Does anybody know if this is normal?

 

Or does an oath with name change have to be in court or something?

 They do name changes  naturalization outside of courts here all the time, both my sisters were held in a hall venue.

[Japm 65]

On 5/28/2024 at 12:26 PM, BlackPearl9 said:

 They do name changes  naturalization outside of courts here all the time, both my sisters were held in a hall venue.

 

Thank you! I'm assuming it's okay to take our spouse? I don't see anywhere where I can ask

[lpricaurte 0]

On 5/14/2024 at 5:11 PM, gogogo786 said:

 

Almost 7 months since filing date, still waiting for the interview to be scheduled. According to live agent as of yesterday the case is still at NBC, which means it hasn't been forwarded to the field office yet for scheduling. No option but to wait I guess. Deep sigh. 🤷‍♂️

How were you finally able to reach a live agent? 

[Ricky+Vanessa 43]

3 hours ago, Japm said:

 

Thank you! I'm assuming it's okay to take our spouse? I don't see anywhere where I can ask

 

Mine was same day at the office but, yes, family and friends were there for others (I attended my interview on my own).  They sat at the back.  I attended my daughter's ceremony which was about 2 weeks after mine.

[stillbaffled 25]

Hello All!

After some great nail biting, being I had not properly filed my 2022 taxes (which I did the next day and got a big refund), my interview decision from April 30th in SF was pending. a few weeks ago, (I forget the date), I checked my online account and saw that I was accepted as a US citizen and to come to the oath ceremony on June 14th. This Friday!!! I burst into tears when I saw the document on their site. 

I'll do a search for others that went through in downtown San Francisco, however I do have a few questions, in case anyone here can help:

!. It's at the USCIS building at 444 Washington, and I was wondering how many guests can we invite, and do they have to be there half hour earlier to sign some paperwork? (I think I saw that somewhere.) I've invited 3, but would like to ask 2 more.
2. I only have my current green card to hand over, although it was asked in the invitation latter to bring anything and everything that we still have in our possession. Being I live on a boat, I don't tend to keep much. Will they be satisfied with just my invitation letter, the sheet filled in that was in that envelope and my current green card?

Congrats to everyone that has gone through this, It's a BIG deal!

{I applied October 30th, had my interview April 30, and then finally my oath ceremony is June 14.}

[OldUser 6,660]

2 hours ago, stillbaffled said:

Hello All!

After some great nail biting, being I had not properly filed my 2022 taxes (which I did the next day and got a big refund), my interview decision from April 30th in SF was pending. a few weeks ago, (I forget the date), I checked my online account and saw that I was accepted as a US citizen and to come to the oath ceremony on June 14th. This Friday!!! I burst into tears when I saw the document on their site. 

I'll do a search for others that went through in downtown San Francisco, however I do have a few questions, in case anyone here can help:

!. It's at the USCIS building at 444 Washington, and I was wondering how many guests can we invite, and do they have to be there half hour earlier to sign some paperwork? (I think I saw that somewhere.) I've invited 3, but would like to ask 2 more.
2. I only have my current green card to hand over, although it was asked in the invitation latter to bring anything and everything that we still have in our possession. Being I live on a boat, I don't tend to keep much. Will they be satisfied with just my invitation letter, the sheet filled in that was in that envelope and my current green card?

Congrats to everyone that has gone through this, It's a BIG deal!

{I applied October 30th, had my interview April 30, and then finally my oath ceremony is June 14.}

Unlikely, but you may be asked to sign an affidavit your GC and other docs were not sold / transfered to someone else / misused. What did you do with EAD, GC, other docs? Did you destroy them / toss them?

[stillbaffled 25]

1 hour ago, OldUser said:

Unlikely, but you may be asked to sign an affidavit your GC and other docs were not sold / transfered to someone else / misused. What did you do with EAD, GC, other docs? Did you destroy them / toss them?

I have my current green card, but I think that's all I can find. I had those other cards (work authorization, etc.) back in 2008. They've been long ago destroyed.  

[Laure&Colin 558]

21 hours ago, stillbaffled said:

!. It's at the USCIS building at 444 Washington, and I was wondering how many guests can we invite, and do they have to be there half hour earlier to sign some paperwork? (I think I saw that somewhere.) I've invited 3, but would like to ask 2 more.
2. I only have my current green card to hand over, although it was asked in the invitation latter to bring anything and everything that we still have in our possession. Being I live on a boat, I don't tend to keep much. Will they be satisfied with just my invitation letter, the sheet filled in that was in that envelope and my current green card?

 

1- I had my oath at the San Francisco field office on May 14. The majority of people were taking their oath right after their interview, like I did. I don't think I saw any guests. I will say that it was very quick, it felt rushed and performative, not like a meaningful ceremony at all. Hopefully you'll have a different experience, but I would not expect something very formal or emotional. My husband wanted to come but since it was the same day as the interview he couldn't, and honestly he didn't miss anything. There is a flag on the side where you can take photos afterwards.

2- yes that's fine, I only brought my current green card, I had destroyed the previous one. Nobody asked for it.

[stillbaffled 25]

On 6/12/2024 at 1:58 PM, Laure&Colin said:

 

1- I had my oath at the San Francisco field office on May 14. The majority of people were taking their oath right after their interview, like I did. I don't think I saw any guests. I will say that it was very quick, it felt rushed and performative, not like a meaningful ceremony at all. Hopefully you'll have a different experience, but I would not expect something very formal or emotional. My husband wanted to come but since it was the same day as the interview he couldn't, and honestly he didn't miss anything. There is a flag on the side where you can take photos afterwards.

2- yes that's fine, I only brought my current green card, I had destroyed the previous one. Nobody asked for it.

Hello there you are I was looking for you!
I cannot say how much I am disappointed. 
No cannons firing, no parade, no fireworks? !!!  😂
If only those that plan these ceremonies actually did a ceremony with pomp and such, and even a short lecture of the merits of becoming an American citizen.
Oh well, of course there will be mini celebrations with friends to come, however, on the day, in that moment....I guess it just becomes a blip in time.
Thank you for letting me know. I uninvited the few friends that I had asked to come. It's just so much trouble during rush hour and in that location to come for a few minutes. I'll see them all later, 

Thank you so much for your local info. 🙏❤️
9am tomorrow cannot come soon enough. 
(I got my passport photos in hand - they're horrible 😂 - and a voter registration form filled out.)

[Laure&Colin 558]

2 hours ago, stillbaffled said:

Hello there you are I was looking for you!
I cannot say how much I am disappointed. 
No cannons firing, no parade, no fireworks? !!!  😂
If only those that plan these ceremonies actually did a ceremony with pomp and such, and even a short lecture of the merits of becoming an American citizen.
Oh well, of course there will be mini celebrations with friends to come, however, on the day, in that moment....I guess it just becomes a blip in time.
Thank you for letting me know. I uninvited the few friends that I had asked to come. It's just so much trouble during rush hour and in that location to come for a few minutes. I'll see them all later, 

Thank you so much for your local info. 🙏❤️
9am tomorrow cannot come soon enough. 
(I got my passport photos in hand - they're horrible 😂 - and a voter registration form filled out.)

 

There is a video message from President Biden and that's the only moment when I felt emotional. The rest was not memorable at all. Maybe you'll have another person officiating and they'll make it more ceremonial? I hope so, mine was a USCIS supervisor and she spoke so fast that we had trouble repeating the oath. Also, there was a cockroach 😆

But in the end what matters is that you'll be done with the process! Also, you can register to vote online once you're naturalized. I think I did it the next day, and I received confirmation in the mail about 10 days later.

[stillbaffled 25]

On 6/13/2024 at 5:45 PM, Laure&Colin said:

 

There is a video message from President Biden and that's the only moment when I felt emotional. The rest was not memorable at all. Maybe you'll have another person officiating and they'll make it more ceremonial? I hope so, mine was a USCIS supervisor and she spoke so fast that we had trouble repeating the oath. Also, there was a cockroach 😆

But in the end what matters is that you'll be done with the process! Also, you can register to vote online once you're naturalized. I think I did it the next day, and I received confirmation in the mail about 10 days later.

For anyone interested in reading about my experience:

Ohmygosh was it a most unceremonious and terrible experience to start. Well, pretty much the entire thing. (It was on Friday June 14)
I went to the San Francisco immigration building. (444 Washington)
Got there at 8:20 for our 9am call.
I went with my partner.
We started chatting with the person behind us in line who was immigrating from Lebanon. He had a most horrific story, but was so happy to finally be getting his citizenship. It was so festive in the line outside. I wore my three fabric leis (red, white, and blue), and felt really happy.
The line started to move, and when we got to the door (we were just a few people behind the start of the line), the security guard shooed my partner away, "NO GUESTS!" I just about lost it.
"But I checked and guests ARE allowed."
"NO GUESTS."
"But but but...this is a CEREMONY!"
"Miss, step aside."
"I will NOT step aside, and he's coming in!"
Well, I had to go in by myself, and my sweetheart said he'd go to a café nearby and wait.
I burst into tears inside in that line to give up our green cards, hand in our paper, and get our certificate. I had imploded. The room not only had that awful, and even worse than DMV vibe, but each person I passed told me the same thing. "I don't know about guests." "Whatever the security guard said outside." etc.

As I went through the motions, tears rolling down my face, the lovely man next to me that I had been talking to, finally noticed that other guests WERE being allowed in from the side door on Sansome, and that I should run up to that desk right there in front to the side and ask for my partner to be allowed in as well. So I did, and there was a form to fill out and i asked for it (it was right there on the desk, a short form), and the stern woman sitting said it was too late, and the nice woman standing said to text him to come.
I did, and when he arrived at that door, that security guard needed that form, that they would not give me. And so on. So Kafka-esque! Finally a young man ran to the back and brought him in. They held up the ceremony through all this madness, and when he came in, I left my front seat and went way to the back to sit together. 
The pleasant woman talking to us from the podium had her mask on, no microphones, and we could barely hear her, especially through the swearing in part. I just a started laughing. 
Laughter is my stress reliever.
Then there was that video welcoming us from President Biden.
I asked about where to start my [assport application and register to vote, and they pretty much gave us no info except "Go to the post office".
They certainly were not prepared for much.
A few photos taken by the podium holding my certificate and out we went. 

I'm just coming down off that headache and neck tension I've had since Friday morning. 

So I've been chasing around to find out about getting my passport ASAP as my mother is in Montreal and in hospice. To find out I was RIGHT there around the corner from the agency is a smack in the head, as we left, got back on the ferry to the boat where we live in SFBA, and then drove back to the Sierras where we are building a house. And now i find out I have to make my way back to downtown SF to apply for am urgent passport to be allowed to leave and re-enter the country. I feel so trapped at the moment.
Land of the free? I'm beside myself with grief and disappointment.
I'll get through this, and I am better today than yesterday, but wow!

I did go to our local social security office yesterday and that was quick and simply to change my immigration status.  Phew!

/rant


 

[Ricky+Vanessa 43]

The only part I'm going to comment on is the Passport.  Maybe someone should have been able to tell you where to go but maybe you also could have researched that beforehand?

 

Anyway, congratulations.  The passport process was pretty quick for me and I only expedited one part (that was the processing and not the delivery) so I'm hoping that yours comes through super fast and you are able to travel to see your mother.  Best of luck.

[stillbaffled 25]

1 hour ago, Ricky+Vanessa said:

The only part I'm going to comment on is the Passport.  Maybe someone should have been able to tell you where to go but maybe you also could have researched that beforehand?

 

Anyway, congratulations.  The passport process was pretty quick for me and I only expedited one part (that was the processing and not the delivery) so I'm hoping that yours comes through super fast and you are able to travel to see your mother.  Best of luck.

Thank you so much. 🙏
I've made an appointment for Monday in SF at the agency and fingers crossed I can get it pretty quick.