Political Asylee citizenship interview experience?

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floyd

Registered Users (C)
If you are a past asylee who has faced citizenship interview, can you share your experience?

Does the IO ask questions:
1. about the political asylum?
2. visit to COP
3. anything else related to the asylum?
4. any other advice/suggestions?

(I am also cross-posting to the US Citizenship forum)

Thanks in advance
 
Here is my interview experience

I got up at 5 am, got ready and left house at 6:45. I reached at Newark Office at 7:30 and people were in line to get in. I had appointment at 8 and when I submitted my application it was 7:45. Now waiting game was started. Around 9:20 I heard my name and I ran to the door. Interviewer was a white nice looking lady, asked me to follow her. My heart started beating little faster. As soon as we reached her office she asked me to raise right hand for oath. After oath she asked me to sit down and I started praying in my head. She asked for Passport and GC. Than she started asking me about my birth date, last visit out of usa. While I was answering her I was trying to understand her face and I figured that she defiantly was not Monday morning person . She had no expressions on her face and she looked little tired too. Anyway, at this time I started feeling little nervous I did tell her that I am feeling little nervous and she said that is fine. Than she started the test and asked me to read following sentence

How many senators do we have? After my right answer she asked me to write and I wrote "We have 100 hundred senators" and after looking at my answer she told me " no I want you to write One hundred, so I did in second line. After this she started with history and civic questions which I answered correctly
1) What is the name of the National anthem?
2) What major event happened on September 11, 2001?
3) What is freedom of Religion?
4) What ocean is on the West Coast of the US?
5) Name one war fought by the United States in the 1800s.
6) What is the rule of law?
7) What is freedom of religion?

After this test she speeded up and went thru my application and asking me mostly yes or no questions. I think she was going thru these questions because that was part of the interview. Also instead of asking me questions she was telling me like "ok you live at this address since 20xx, you still work at same place since 20xx" etc

My application was on 3 years, she didn't ask me to see any originals. She never asked me how I have received my GC. With application I had sent our tax transcripts from last 3 years, copy of spouse's Naturalization Cert., utility bill, mortgage statement etc.

She went thru my entire application so quickly (I guess she wanted to get rid of me as quickly as possible ) and asked me to sign some papers. After that she gave me the paper which said I have passed the test and she congratulated me handed me the oath letter and asked me to wait about an hour for your name to be called. At this moment I was so surprised and I couldn't believe that I made it. By nature I am very funny person and I was holding my self not to say anything for all the time but in the end I couldn’t and I asked her can I jump now and she finally laughed .

I came out of her office and sat down on the chair front of the windows so I don't miss my name. Around 11:20 a lady called me at window and asked me to look at the information on the certificate. Oath started at around 11:40 and finished at 12:30.
There were no questions regarding asylum or how I got my GC. Also no question regarding visiting COP. I never visited anyway. It was normal citizenship interview like other GC holders
 
floyd said:
If you are a past asylee who has faced citizenship interview, can you share your experience?

Does the IO ask questions:
1. about the political asylum?
2. visit to COP
3. anything else related to the asylum?
4. any other advice/suggestions?

(I am also cross-posting to the US Citizenship forum)

Thanks in advance
Click to expand...

I am a past asylee and just passed my interview and successfully completed my citizenship itenairary...

I renewed my NP and went to COP once after I got my GC.
The IO never mentioned, asked about, questioned me, or even brought up the assylum case. I will expand later my interview account in another post later.

Every case is different. My country's condition has tremendously improved since the time I applied for political asylum (if you insist, it is Algeria).

Also, it depends on your timeline as far as when you applied for asylum versus when you renewed your NP and visited COP.

FYI, here is my timeline:

Previously on Student Visa
August, 1998: Applied for asylum
January 2001: Interviewed
May 2001: Case approved
Sept. 2002: Applied for GC
Dec. 2005: GC in hand
March, 2006: Renewed NP
June, 2006: Traveled to COP
Dec 2009: US Citizen!!!
 
Even though my citizenship application was marriage-based, asylum issue was mentioned during the interview. The officer told me that the decision could not be made immediately because my A-file (about three feet thick and I am kidding you not!) had to be examined. The office made an excellent job - I received my oath letter two days later in the mail.
 
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