Postponing Oath Ceremony

O

onemorestep

New Member
I received my notice for oath ceremony but cannot attend the ceremony as I have a previously scheduled trip outside the US at that time.

How do I postpone the oath ceremony?

When will I get re-scheduled for the ceremony?

I hope it will be the next ceremony date but am worried that it may be postponed by several months or my file will be lost in the CIS system

Should I reschedule or cancel my travel plans (may not be possible to do that)?

Info on my case is below:

California Service Center (I live in LA County)

10/18/2006 - Mailed form to USCIS
10/20/2006 - Receipt date on I-797C, Notice of Action receipt (Priority Date)
10/27/2006 - I-797C, Notice of Action receipt notice date
10/31/2006 - Fingerprint Notice Date
11/08/2006 - Fingerprinting
03/09/2007 - Interview (Santa Ana, CA) – passed
3/27/2007 - Notice of Naturalization Oath Ceremony (notice date)
4/26/2007 - Oath Ceremony scheduled (LA Convention Center) - cannot attend
 
Make your plan based on a simple logic. What's more important? Attending the oath ceremony or going on the trip?

If, at all possible, You should attend the ceremony. Giving USCIS any more chance to screw up your applicationon is a bad, bad idea.
 
Postponing/rescheduling anything USCIS related can have the undesirable effect of knocking your case off the fasttrack. Depending on your location, you can expect a 2 month delay if you ask to reschedule your oath.

I recommend you seriously consider modifying your travel plans.
 
And, given that's it's the USCIS, those 2 months can stretch into many, many months. In general, it is a very good idea to never give the USCIS an excuse to move your application out of the "fast track"
 
I rescheduled mine without a problem

Well, if you have to reschedule, then you have to. I was in a similar situation to yours. I could not attend my oath ceremony, so I mistakenly mailed back the oath appointment letter to the "California Service Center" instead of the District Office as I should have done. After hearing back nothing for 2 weeks, I went to the Phoenix District Office (on an Infopass appt) with a copy of my oath appointment letter and the lady there was very helpful. She checked my record on a computer and found that there was no record of a reschedule. So she took my appointment copy and said that she'll send it in the same day for a reschedule. A week after that I got a reschedule notice in the mail, and my oath was rescheduled for a week after the original oath date. I had read threads like these on this forum saying that if one reschedules then it may take months for a new date, but my experience was very good. Just take an infopass appointment and go talk to the officer.
 
Sounds like it was lucky you went for an Infopass - if you hadn't done that you'd probably still be waiting!
 
Since you are in LA

I suggest you don't reschedule.

For small places (like Albany, NY) there is not a great
demand on the USCIS services. But large places like LA
with huge immigrant populations ...

Also, remember, you are not a citizen until you get
sworn in so there are lots of potential adverse situations.
If your wife wants to apply for a job that requires US
citizenship, you get a DUI, a job requires security clearance
etc.
 
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