Dress Code for the Interview?

marballe

Registered Users (C)
Having my interview on Thursday. Just curious, is there any dress code for the interview? Are jeans and sneakers acceptable?
 
Having my interview on Thursday. Just curious, is there any dress code for the interview? Are jeans and sneakers acceptable?

Dude,
what are you 12... Dress up like a professional .. That's the least you could do to show any interest in becoming a U.S. citizen.
 
Dude,
what are you 12... Dress up like a professional .. That's the least you could do to show any interest in becoming a U.S. citizen.

Hey dude,

First of all, I am not 12 and I just want to know how formal is the attire. And you know what, you actually provided no help at all.

Jeans and sneakers are just my way of seeing how informal can I go. Okay? If I go to a regular/business job interview, I will wear business attire (suit); if I go to an engineer job interview, I will wear less formal with just dress pants and button down shirt; if I go to work, I will just go with khaki pants and polo; and if I go to school, jeans/shorts and sneakers will get me by.

On a side note, from PEOPLE WHO HAVE REAL PAST EXPERIENCE said (though, some are kind of old; that's why I want to get some recent first hand comments):
"USCIS officers normally are in uniform. Show your respect for the Officer, dress up in your best cloth for the interview."
"You should dress as if it is a very serious job interview (that is an interview for job like bank managers, IT director etc not like a job interview for cashier in a supermarket)"
"I have seen people in jeans as well as suites."
"I must have gone to the US consulate 6 times by now in past 10 yrs. With the exception of 1s time I went for F1 (which did not go well) I have always been in Jeans and T-Shirt."
"When I arrived at my interview, I felt like an idiot. I was the ONLY one wearing shirt/tie/long pants. There were roughly 70 other people waiting for N400 naturalisation interviews. Most were dresses casually, as if they're at the local shopping mall."

p.s. I think I will just go with either jeans+polo+sneakers or dress pants+polo+dress shoes - unless someone with real experience think this is a terrible idea.
 
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Hey dude,

First of all, I am not 12 and I just want to know how formal is the attire. And you know what, you actually provided no help at all.

Jeans and sneakers are just my way of seeing how informal can I go. Okay? If I go to a regular/business job interview, I will wear business attire (suit); if I go to an engineer job interview, I will wear less formal with just dress pants and button down shirt; if I go to work, I will just go with khaki pants and polo; and if I go to school, jeans/shorts and sneakers will get me by.

On a side note, from PEOPLE WHO HAVE REAL PAST EXPERIENCE said (though, some are kind of old; that's why I want to get some recent first hand comments):
"USCIS officers normally are in uniform. Show your respect for the Officer, dress up in your best cloth for the interview."
"You should dress as if it is a very serious job interview (that is an interview for job like bank managers, IT director etc not like a job interview for cashier in a supermarket)"
"I have seen people in jeans as well as suites."
"I must have gone to the US consulate 6 times by now in past 10 yrs. With the exception of 1s time I went for F1 (which did not go well) I have always been in Jeans and T-Shirt."
"When I arrived at my interview, I felt like an idiot. I was the ONLY one wearing shirt/tie/long pants. There were roughly 70 other people waiting for N400 naturalisation interviews. Most were dresses casually, as if they're at the local shopping mall."

p.s. I think I will just go with either jeans+polo+sneakers or dress pants+polo+dress shoes - unless someone with real experience think this is a terrible idea.
i can't tell you what to wear to an immigration interview. you may not have all the clothing that i'd list here, go through your closet, pick up any clothing and go... make sure it looks formal... jeans make anyone look like a college kid. when you have 2 applicants one wearing jeans and one wearing business attire, who'd have better chances of getting the job... answer is common sense... make a decision for yourself 'cause as i mentioned earlier, you may not have the best armani suit in your closet ... wear what you think is the best for yourself

p.s. i am already a citizen, just my timeline is different... a little late as you can say
 
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How solid is your case? Is it straightforward and rock solid with no room for subjectivity -- you're applying with the 5 year rule, with no long or frequent trips abroad and no arrests or convictions for anything, and the basis of your green card is also rock solid (i.e. not a situation where you got it based on marriage and now you're divorced, or your GC was employment based and you left the employer within a few months after GC approval)? If it's that solid, wear whatever you want as long it won't get you kicked out of the building and it's not offensive. They'll be forced to approve you even if you're dressed too casually.

But if there is any negative or complicating factor for which the interviewer's discretion will get involved, make sure to dress very well so the interviewer doesn't form a negative impression of you and have their discretionary decisions influenced by that negative impression.
 
Ordinarily, business casual is appropriate. However, if you interview at an office that does same day oath and are offered that opportunity, what memory do you want for the big day?

You've established that you are not a kid and have indicated that you have interviewed for an engineer job (a professional), so, represent yourself at your best. Some officers will be offended by a slovenly dressed "professional" taking it as a sign of disrespect to the ocaission. The officer will have a pretty good shapshot of the applicant in their A-file. The person wearing jeans may be an agricultural worker that never went past the 4th grade in their third world home country who snuck across the border years ago and legalized and has continued to work in a meager job until they qualified for an english language exception.

An employment-based immigrant who immigrated because of well paying professional position who shows up under-dressed is a slap in the face and may be slapped right back.

Show respect and expect respect. Act to insult and expect an insult in return.


I remember a guy that used to hide A-files in the drop ceiling in his office. One day the ceiling collapsed, he was fired (possibly prosecuted) but hey, things happen.
 
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...so the interviewer doesn't form a negative impression of you and have their discretionary decisions influenced by that negative impression.

Although controllable, attire is just one aspect of appearance that an IO may build an impression on. One can't change their race and culture if they build a negative impression for a bigot IO.
 
Although controllable, attire is just one aspect of appearance that an IO may build an impression on. One can't change their race and culture if they build a negative impression for a bigot IO.

Why side-track the discussion with that? This thread is about attire, and you know I'm talking about impressions based on attire. There are hundreds of other reasons why the IO may have a negative impression of an applicant, anything from bigotry to the IO having indigestion or a fight with their spouse, but those are irrelevant to this thread.
 

Nice. Never seen lmgtfy before. lol.

How solid is your case? Is it straightforward and rock solid with no room for subjectivity -- you're applying with the 5 year rule, with no long or frequent trips abroad and no arrests or convictions for anything, and the basis of your green card is also rock solid (i.e. not a situation where you got it based on marriage and now you're divorced, or your GC was employment based and you left the employer within a few months after GC approval)? If it's that solid, wear whatever you want as long it won't get you kicked out of the building and it's not offensive. They'll be forced to approve you even if you're dressed too casually.

But if there is any negative or complicating factor for which the interviewer's discretion will get involved, make sure to dress very well so the interviewer doesn't form a negative impression of you and have their discretionary decisions influenced by that negative impression.

I have no arrest, no ticket, no nothing. Current college grad student in a good school. Paying taxes and everything else. Applying under 5-year rule, but it has been 6.5 years since I became PR. I think my case is pretty straight forward.

Ordinarily, business casual is appropriate. However, if you interview at an office that does same day oath and are offered that opportunity, what memory do you want for the big day?

You've established that you are not a kid and have indicated that you have interviewed for an engineer job (a professional), so, represent yourself at your best. Some officers will be offended by a slovenly dressed "professional" taking it as a sign of disrespect to the ocaission. The officer will have a pretty good shapshot of the applicant in their A-file. The person wearing jeans may be an agricultural worker that never went past the 4th grade in their third world home country who snuck across the border years ago and legalized and has continued to work in a meager job until they qualified for an english language exception.

An employment-based immigrant who immigrated because of well paying professional position who shows up under-dressed is a slap in the face and may be slapped right back.

Show respect and expect respect. Act to insult and expect an insult in return.

I remember a guy that used to hide A-files in the drop ceiling in his office. One day the ceiling collapsed, he was fired (possibly prosecuted) but hey, things happen.

True, I guess I will dress up a bit. Though, I don't think SF does same day oath.

Thanks everyone putting in positive contributions :)
 
This thread is about attire, and you know I'm talking about impressions based on attire.
My point is that impressions based on attire are subjective, just like any other visual characteristics. It will do little good to dress "very well" if the same IO has already built a negative impression based on the candidate's racial appearance. Dressing "very well" suggests wearing a suit and tie to the interview- a little overkill IMO.

Even an applicant with a rock solid case who shows up at an interview without professional attire can be subjected to an IO's "discretionary powers" by having the case unnecessarily delayed.

When it comes down to it, one can't go wrong with business casual.
 
Having my interview on Thursday. Just curious, is there any dress code for the interview? Are jeans and sneakers acceptable?


Across the North East, nakedness and sneakers bones well for all future Americans!!!......:) The rule of thumb is this, if you were going for an informational interview with a company that you really like to work for, would you wear jeans and sneakers? Business casual doesn't strike me as complicated for all to grasp, does it?
 
Having my interview on Thursday. Just curious, is there any dress code for the interview? Are jeans and sneakers acceptable?
I had my interview today at the Phoenix office. Since it says "interview" I did wear a nicer shirt than usual. But I just wore jeans and my Tevas as usual. Frankly I don't think anyone cares as long as you are not offensively dressed like torn jeans/vulgar Ts etc. There were a couple of dozen other ppl waiting for their interview and most of them were either dressed like me or worse except a couple of uncomfortable looking business suits.
As for the interview it was a bit of a letdown (a positive one!). I was expecting it to be a bit more intense but it was more like a friendly chat with the officer. After the short testing part he was more interested in talking about what kind of work I do, how auto insurance companies suck (midway he attended a phone call from his insurance agent) and also offered to suggest some good restaurants in the area if I was planning to have lunch after the interview.

Bottom line is if your case has no red flags at all the interview is pretty much a non-event and your jeans+polo+sneakers will not be an issue.
 
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