Citizenship Interview before 5 years of GC

Thanks all for your replies and help. Highly appreciated!!

Do these state department agencies issue passports within a day or two? If so, I will definitely call and make an appointment with the Dallas agency asap for the 18th (soon after oath) and I can get the flight changed by a day or two but have to be in the UK on the 24th.

So far the info I found on processing times for the state dept agencies were like 2-3 weeks even for expedited cases: http://www.travel.state.gov/passport/get/processing/processing_1740.html (of course these are for mailing applicants. not walk-ins).

I'm yet to however, find the procedure, waiting times etc. for walk-in applicants. However, there are lots of 3rd party companies that promise to get passports within 1-2 business days and of course they all seem to have hefty charges associated with their services. If I can avoid them and get the passport directly from the state department within 1-2 business days it would be ideal.

-Nipster
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Many folks have gotten their passports themselves in 1-2 day. Head over to the Dallas board for feedback about passports. If your oath ceremony is in the morning, make the same day appointment for the 18th. And also make one for the 21st 8 am. I am sure you will have your passport by the 23rd to travel that night to uk. Don't go to any agencies.. Do it yourself. Please come back to tell us about your experiences as it may help others.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I would try an INFOPASS first - and request EARLIER OATH DATE. With airline ticket in your hand - ASK TO TALK TO THE IO SUPERVISOR. It is within their discretion, and since you have a good case to expedite - you may even get your citizenship a couple weeks before your travel date...

What's the worst thing that can happen? They will tell you NO - come on the original Oath date.. In that case - you will feel good that you have exhausted all your options and simply reschedule your oath date for later.
 
Jackolantern mentioned:
"I've never heard of them giving anybody an earlier oath than what was originally scheduled" so I wasn't planning on pursuing that path. If any others also think this might be a good idea please let me know. By the way, wouldn't requesting to speak to a supervisor get them mad? :)

Don't these places have oath ceremonies only like once a month or so? If so, I may have no option but to wait although after you mentioned this option, I now have regrets about cancelling the previous infopass appointment.

Anyway, my current passport is still not back from the UK consulate. Even if it comes now that I have to go to the oath ceremony on the 18th I will not be able to use it for travel because I've heard we have to surrender the GC during the oaths ceremony.
 
I scheduled an infopass for this morning (15th of Dec) and they moved my Oaths Ceremony for this afternoon in Irving, TX, soon after which I will be driving to the Passport office located in downtown Dallas, TX.

Thank you so much for your advice!

I will definitely return back and let you know how the process goes.

-Nipster
 
Folks

I am in the same situation as Nipster - meaning my interview is scheduled couple weeks before the 5-yr anniversary. I too have an international trip coming up in May. So completing the oath ASAE (eligible) will go a long way.

If I do the interview as scheduled (two weeks before the 5-yr anniversary), oath might not happen until about a month after the 5-yr period (late Feb - early March in my case). So the question is:

Should I (Can I) reschedule the interview to a date immediately after the 5-yr mark and hope for a same day oath? Can I verify beforehand if same day oath is available at my DO?

Any input is appreciated.
 
nsc030104 said:
Folks

I am in the same situation as Nipster - meaning my interview is scheduled couple weeks before the 5-yr anniversary. I too have an international trip coming up in May. So completing the oath ASAE (eligible) will go a long way.

If I do the interview as scheduled (two weeks before the 5-yr anniversary), oath might not happen until about a month after the 5-yr period (late Feb - early March in my case). So the question is:

Should I (Can I) reschedule the interview to a date immediately after the 5-yr mark and hope for a same day oath? Can I verify beforehand if same day oath is available at my DO?

Any input is appreciated.
Click to expand...

I think you have plenty of time until May. I am not sure what Nipster said during Infopass, but the urgency of travel might have helped. If you start discussing oath dates in January for a travel in May, they will just note it down as a comment, but unlikely to be more supportive.

Checking the DENVER thread will tell you if the same day oath is available.
 
sanjoseaug20 said:
I think you have plenty of time until May. I am not sure what Nipster said during Infopass, but the urgency of travel might have helped. If you start discussing oath dates in January for a travel in May, they will just note it down as a comment, but unlikely to be more supportive.

Checking the DENVER thread will tell you if the same day oath is available.
Click to expand...
Taken in the right spirit. I am just trying to evaluate options to avoid a last minute scramble. And yes, I have asked this question in the Denver thread as well.

I have an Infopass for 12/17. Trying to get some feedback/suggestions before going there.
 
nsc030104 said:
Taken in the right spirit. I am just trying to evaluate options to avoid a last minute scramble. And yes, I have asked this question in the Denver thread as well.

I have an Infopass for 12/17. Trying to get some feedback/suggestions before going there.
Click to expand...

Given that you have taken infopass, my suggestion would be to not think about oath, but focus only on pushing the interview to the right date. If interview can be confirmed to be just after 5 year anniversary, handling oath will be much much simpler.
 
I had my infopass at 6AM today and I showed my e-ticket for travel to London on the 20th of December and told the officer that I will not be able to make my trip if I have the Oath ceremony on the 18th of December so she said she will need to talk to her supervisor and for me to come back in an hour. When I went back in an hour she changed the date/time on the Oath Invitation Letter to be today (15th of December) at 1:30 pm and I'm now a US Citizen :)

Then, I took the citizenship certificate and drove as fast as I could to the passport office in Dallas but only managed to get there exactly at 3pm when all the processing agents had left their respective counters so the security guards told me to come back tomorrow morning, so I will go there again tomorrow morning hoping to get the passport the same day.

Thanks for all your assistance....I did some searches on my previous queries and found entries going back to as early as 2002 and would like to thank immigration.com and its users for their continuous support over the years. I will however keep coming back to answer some questions others may have as a token of my appreciation.

Good luck to you all !!!!!!!!

-Nipster
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Congrats nipster. Hope you have fun time in the uk. Do tell us if you get your passport in a day.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Dropped off the citizenship certificate, DS-11 form, two photos and $160 at 8AM today after scheduling an appointment by calling 1-877-487-2778 at the Dallas passport office located in:
Earle Cabell Federal Building
1100 Commerce St, Suite 1120
Dallas, TX 75242

and just received the passport the same day at 2 pm.

Thanks all and Best Regards -Nipster
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Congrats Nipster! See it wasn't hard after all.

Did you schedule your appointment for passport the day before or you did before you took your Oath?
 
Nipster said:
Dropped off the citizenship certificate, DS-11 form, two photos and $160 at 8AM today after scheduling an appointment by calling 1-877-487-2778 at the Dallas passport office located in:
Earle Cabell Federal Building
1100 Commerce St, Suite 1120
Dallas, TX 75242

and just received the passport the same day at 2 pm.

Thanks all and Best Regards -Nipster
Click to expand...
Congrats, Nipster..

Is the $180 for Book+Card+Expedition fee?

Enjoy your stay in UK.
 
sanjoseaug20 said:
Given that you have taken infopass, my suggestion would be to not think about oath, but focus only on pushing the interview to the right date. If interview can be confirmed to be just after 5 year anniversary, handling oath will be much much simpler.
Click to expand...
Met the immigration official (Infopass) today.

According to the official I met:

  • The decision to conduct oath before 5-years is discretionary and differs case-to-case.
  • The officer can allow oath before 5-years depending on various factors.
  • Option of same day oath is offered to everyone who clears the interview in Denver.
  • Rescheduling interview date pushes it out to some day between 1 to 2 months.
Since I thought that might delay my process further, I thanked the official and left.

I will be attending the interview as scheduled. If same day oath is not offered (for whatever reason), I will wait for it and handle it if and when it gets too late.
 
wantmycgnow:
I scheduled 4 different appointments by calling that phone number for 4 different times since I didn't know when I will be getting the oath (18th or 15th of Dec) and didn't know what times the oath ceremony would end so I randomly picked appointments for couple of different times. They didn't give me a hard time because of that. Dallas office is relatively new and not too many folks know about it so really there weren't too many people there and the staff didn't look that busy at all.

nsc030104:
$160 was for the passport book + expediting fee.
(I think the passport card is only good for travelling to mexico/canada if I'm not mistaken so didn't see too much value in getting that)
 
Nipster said:
$160 was for the passport book + expediting fee.
(I think the passport card is only good for travelling to mexico/canada if I'm not mistaken so didn't see too much value in getting that)
Click to expand...
Yes.. it is only for Mexico/Canada.. that too only by road. I think it is more for people in Buffalo/Seattle/Corpus Christi etc who drive frequently to neighboring countries that doesn't care to stamp your passports..
 
OK.. so.. heard from the horse's mouth that oath cannot take place before 5 years as PR.

Cleared my interview today and the officer first scheduled me for oath in the afternoon. But within minutes, she called me and said that cannot happen as I have not completed five years. But they rescheduled me to the first day after the 5-yr anniversary and gave me the letter right away. I don't know if they were being nice to me because of the error.

I am now convinced officer has no discretion in giving oath before 5 years; immigration law just prohibits it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top