Columbus OH - N-400 Timeline

Oath Scheduled

Both me and my wife got our Oath Ceremony letters yesterday (11/25/09). Our Oath is scheduled for Dec. 16th (Wednesday) at the US District Court in downtown Columbus at 8:30am.

Nice Thanksgiving present and hopefully our US Passports will be a nice Christmas present or maybe a New Year present. We plan on applying right away after the Oath.
 
syrny said:
Can't they find the next available slot for oath in the system and print the oath letter on the spot? You are not asking him to put you ahead of others. Sometimes we have to wonder whether they are thinking properly?

From the date they send you oath letter, you should prepare to expect it willl be a month time for your oath date. I doubt you get Dec 15th date. Schedule infopass again if you didn't receive oath letter in one or two weeks.

If you want to prepare for emergency travel before you become citizen, better option is (as Columbus is under NY Indian embassy jurisdiction), either you can drive or fly to embassy to apply for new passport in morning and get it on same day. Check the web site. You can mail, but it takes time.

The moment you take oath, you are American and not Indian and you cannot use Indian passport. You must get US passport and Indian visa.

1) Once you know the oath date, call the automated system and schedule earliest morning appointment the next day (depends how soon you want US passport). You can schedule at any one of the passport agencies. But you have to drive or fly for the appointment. If you give the application in morning, before afternoon you will get US passport.

2) Next step is to get Indian visa. OCI visa is best option, but it will take 3 months. My suggestion is apply for visitor visa (costs $170 for 10 year multi entry visa) and then or at same time apply for OCI visa. You have to goto NY Indian visa outsourcing agency and schedule morning appointment. You can get visitor visa on same day. This way you will be ready to travel within two days of becoming US citizen.

Otherwise, if you mail the applications, it can be a month to get both US passport and Indian visa (for OCI visa, add another 2 motnhs). This choice is uneasy one, as you cannot travel within a day notice. Also all your original documents get struck in mail or at embassy. Though rare, then there is fear of losing original documents in the mail.

If you go personally, you have to bear travel expenses and lose two working days (depend on method of travel).

The quickest way to prepare for travel is, get passport appointment in one of the agencies in or near to NY city (example New York, Philadelphia, Norwalk, Boston), get the US passport by afternoon, stay the night nearby, and next day morning goto Indian visa outsourcing agency in New York at 57th street and
1st Avenue (Indian embassy outsourced to private agency for visa applications), submit the application, collect the visitor visa by evening. If you get passport by afternoon, you can also give visa application same day instead of next day morning. They accept applications before 4PM, but you collect visa next day evening only.

This is quickest method and within two days, you get both passport and visa and ready to travel.

Make sure you have all filled applications and necessary documents and you have appoinments. Check websites.
Click to expand...


Thanks for your detailed reply. I still haven't received the oath letter. Will take an INFOPASS.
 
My husband's interview is Monday in Columbus and he is beginning to stress out--mainly as the interview is before 10 a.m. and he is not a morning person at all. He has been in the US continuously and married to me (a USC) for nearly 20 years. No crimes, not even a speeding ticket in 20+ years. He has studied the civics test and is scoring 100%. He will not need to take English test given 20+ years in states and over age 50 (he's British anyway, so English is a non-issue). He is assigned to Examiner #1, so if anyone on the board had the same, anything you can share would be much appreciated. Two additional notes: 1) I will be with him. 2) He is planning to "affirm" and request omission of "so help me God." All the documentation that we've reviewed indicates that this should not be a problem. Thanks.
 
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rashmi_rau
Registered User

Thanks for your detailed reply. I still haven't received the oath letter. Will take an INFOPASS.

My time line is:
6/29/09-N400 mailed
6/30/09-N400 received.
07/02/09-checks cashed
07/23/09-Biometrics scheduled (finger prints)-done
07/31/09 -Interview scheduled for 09/11/09
08/17/09-interview descheduled.
11/12/09-Interview rescheduled (done)

I have had at least 3 INFOPASS visits to find out what happened to my N400 application and why was it descheduled. My first and the second INFOPASS visits were totally hopeless and non-informative. I took firm stand and insisted on my application status. After that only I got rescheduled for an interview. I have no idea why they descheduled my interview. Unfortunately, I got the same person with whom I had interaction to find out my application status, came to interview me.
To make long story short, you need to make INFOPASS visit and insist for an oath letter. I guess they can print out the Oath schedule letter then and there itself.
There are two dates available for the Oath ceremony in December.
Good luck to you.
 
Two additional notes: 1) I will be with him. 2) He is planning to "affirm" and request omission of "so help me God." All the documentation that we've reviewed indicates that this should not be a problem. Thanks.[/QUOTE]

Since no one responded to my earlier post, I wanted to provide a quick update. Once the interviewer realized that my husband had been in the U.S. continuously for nearly 24 years, all was pretty light-hearted and she read off the standard questions at rapid-fire speed. The six civics/history questions were super easy--ones that he knew the answers to before reading the test booklet. The interview took all of 10 minutes. Affirming and name change (shortened his first name) were not a problem.

The really scary part was getting there, as central Ohio got its first snow of the year this morning. We were delayed by a really bad accident—off road collision with a tree due to ice on the road. We got to the USCIS office 10 minutes late, but due to the traffic delays, they were running 45 minutes behind schedule. The person ahead of us was an hour late for his appointment. Thus, if one is running late, especially if the delay is beyond one's control, the staff appeared accommodating.

The citizenship office does have a security check. Immediately after getting off the elevator, everyone has to empty pockets, open all cases, and the guard uses a hand wand to check the individual.

After years of paranoid anxiety about his status (as the green card laws have changed dramatically since he got his in 1986), we were literally giddy on the way home.

TIMELINE
5 Year Based N-400
GC Date: August 22, 1986
FO: Columbus, OH
*****************
09/16/2009 (Day 1): N-400 Mailed to Phoenix, AZ (Priority Mail with Delivery Confirmation)
09/18/2009 (Day 3): N-400 Delivered @ Phoenix, AZ
09/25/2009 (Day 9): Check Cleared
09/26/2009 (Day 10): NOA Received (Receipt Date/Notice Date/Priority Date: 09/22/2009)
10/5/2009 (Day 19): FP Notice Received
10/20/2009 (Day 34): FP Done (Appointment: 10/20/2009)
11/3/2009 (Day 48): Status changes to "This case has been sent for a standard interview."
11/5/2009 (Day 50): Interview Letter Received
12/7/2009 (Day 82): Interview Completed
 
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Interview

My interview is scheduled for Dec 10 and MSR had mentioned that there are 2 Oath ceremony dates in Dec for Columbus. From One of the threads I came to know that one date is Dec 16th. Does anybody know what the other date is? It will be helpful for me to request the Immigration officer to print an Oath ceremony letter on the same day and I could complete my Citizeship process by Dec of this year.

Thanks
 
My interview is done. I was asked about speeding tickets and the receipts showing the payment for speeding tickets. Oath ceremony dates for Dec are full so the IO said I will be scheduled for Jan.
 
wifeofim20 said:
Two additional notes: 1) I will be with him. 2) He is planning to "affirm" and request omission of "so help me God." All the documentation that we've reviewed indicates that this should not be a problem. Thanks

Since no one responded to my earlier post, I wanted to provide a quick update. Once the interviewer realized that my husband had been in the U.S. continuously for nearly 24 years, all was pretty light-hearted and she read off the standard questions at rapid-fire speed. The six civics/history questions were super easy--ones that he knew the answers to before reading the test booklet. The interview took all of 10 minutes. Affirming and name change (shortened his first name) were not a problem.

The really scary part was getting there, as central Ohio got its first snow of the year this morning. We were delayed by a really bad accident—off road collision with a tree due to ice on the road. We got to the USCIS office 10 minutes late, but due to the traffic delays, they were running 45 minutes behind schedule. The person ahead of us was an hour late for his appointment. Thus, if one is running late, especially if the delay is beyond one's control, the staff appeared accommodating.

The citizenship office does have a security check. Immediately after getting off the elevator, everyone has to empty pockets, open all cases, and the guard uses a hand wand to check the individual.

After years of paranoid anxiety about his status (as the green card laws have changed dramatically since he got his in 1986), we were literally giddy on the way home.

TIMELINE
5 Year Based N-400
GC Date: August 22, 1986
FO: Columbus, OH
*****************
09/16/2009 (Day 1): N-400 Mailed to Phoenix, AZ (Priority Mail with Delivery Confirmation)
09/18/2009 (Day 3): N-400 Delivered @ Phoenix, AZ
09/25/2009 (Day 9): Check Cleared
09/26/2009 (Day 10): NOA Received (Receipt Date/Notice Date/Priority Date: 09/22/2009)
10/5/2009 (Day 19): FP Notice Received
10/20/2009 (Day 34): FP Done (Appointment: 10/20/2009)
11/3/2009 (Day 48): Status changes to "This case has been sent for a standard interview."
11/5/2009 (Day 50): Interview Letter Received
12/7/2009 (Day 82): Interview Completed
.
Click to expand...

Glad all went well. Congrats.
 
msr_ said:
rashmi_rau
Registered User

Thanks for your detailed reply. I still haven't received the oath letter. Will take an INFOPASS.

My time line is:
6/29/09-N400 mailed
6/30/09-N400 received.
07/02/09-checks cashed
07/23/09-Biometrics scheduled (finger prints)-done
07/31/09 -Interview scheduled for 09/11/09
08/17/09-interview descheduled.
11/12/09-Interview rescheduled (done)

I have had at least 3 INFOPASS visits to find out what happened to my N400 application and why was it descheduled. My first and the second INFOPASS visits were totally hopeless and non-informative. I took firm stand and insisted on my application status. After that only I got rescheduled for an interview. I have no idea why they descheduled my interview. Unfortunately, I got the same person with whom I had interaction to find out my application status, came to interview me.
To make long story short, you need to make INFOPASS visit and insist for an oath letter. I guess they can print out the Oath schedule letter then and there itself.
There are two dates available for the Oath ceremony in December.
Good luck to you.
Click to expand...

Work is preventing me from making an INFOPASS. At this point I'll just wait for them. May be will call them when free. All the other queues seem extremely fast. Is Columbus DO understaffed?
 
During my husband’s interview, he said that he wanted to affirm and requested omission of "so help me God" in the oath. The interviewer said that he could indicate that on the oath letter. Well, we received the oath letter today, and there is nothing on there about affirming.

Does anyone have any experience with affirming rather than taking the standard oath? He would just like some idea of how this will be handled. Specifically, he does not want to show up for the oath, only to find out that affirming will be a problem.

Thanks,

KJD

TIMELINE
5 Year Based N-400
GC Date: August 22, 1986
FO: Columbus, OH
*****************
09/16/2009 (Day 1): N-400 Mailed to Phoenix, AZ (Priority Mail with Delivery Confirmation)
09/18/2009 (Day 3): N-400 Delivered @ Phoenix, AZ
09/25/2009 (Day 9): Check Cleared
09/26/2009 (Day 10): NOA Received (Receipt Date/Notice Date/Priority Date: 09/22/2009)
10/5/2009 (Day 19): FP Notice Received
10/20/2009 (Day 34): FP Done (Appointment: 10/20/2009)
11/3/2009 (Day 48): Status changes to "This case has been sent for a standard interview."
11/5/2009 (Day 50): Interview Letter Received
12/7/2009 (Day 82): Interview Completed
12/17/2009 (Day 92): Oath Letter Received
1/14/2009 (Day 119): Oath Scheduled
 
wifeofim20 said:
During my husband’s interview, he said that he wanted to affirm and requested omission of "so help me God" in the oath. The interviewer said that he could indicate that on the oath letter. Well, we received the oath letter today, and there is nothing on there about affirming.

Does anyone have any experience with affirming rather than taking the standard oath? He would just like some idea of how this will be handled. Specifically, he does not want to show up for the oath, only to find out that affirming will be a problem.

Thanks,

KJD
Click to expand...

During the cermony all who asked for modified oath will be asked to gather around an officer for a briefing. The officer basically says you wouldn't be required to say out the particular phrase/sentence. And you go back to your seats. No big deal. This was in Houston. Don't know how they handle it in Columbus.
 
Oath Letter Received

Finally, the Oath letter arrives! Ceremony at District Court House, Columbus downtown on Jan 14, 2010. San Kranthi! Good Revolution!!!

TIMELINE
5 Year Based N-400
GC Date: Oct 27, 2004
FO: Columbus, OH
*****************
07/31/2009 (Day 1): N-400 Mailed to Phoenix, AZ (Priority Mail with Delivery Confirmation)
08/03/2009 (Day 4): N-400 Delivered @ Phoenix, AZ
08/06/2009 (Day 7): Check Cleared
08/08/2009 (Day 9): NOA Received (Receipt Date/Notice Date/Priority Date: 08/03/2009)
08/17/2009 (Day 18): FP Notice Received
08/19/2009 (Day 20): FP Done (Walk-in, Original Appointment: 08/25/2009)
09/01/2009 (Day 33): Status changes to "This case has been sent for a standard interview."
09/02/2009 (Day 34): Interview Letter Received
10/09/2009 (Day 72): Interview Done & Passed
12/17/2009 (Day 140): Oath Letter Arrives
01/14/2010 (Day 168): Oath Date
 
July31,

Thanks for the info. That sounds like a reasonable way of handling the request for a modified oath, so hopefully the setup will be comparable here. We came across a bit of a horror story in Georgia (online article called: "New Citizen Affirms Right to Take 'Godless' Oath"), but that was a same day oath, and apparently the staff there appeared not to have a great deal of experience dealing with such requests.

KJD
 
Rashmi Rau,

Congrats on finally getting the oath letter! My husband is also scheduled for January 14th.

Cheers,

KJD
 
How long does it take to receive the oath ceremony letter after interview. My interview was done on dec 10 and I have not heard anything after that?
 
msmm said:
How long does it take to receive the oath ceremony letter after interview. My interview was done on dec 10 and I have not heard anything after that?
Click to expand...

Don't go by mine. Mine took close to 100 days!

TIMELINE
5 Year Based N-400
GC Date: Oct 27, 2004
FO: Columbus, OH
*****************
07/31/2009 (Day 1): N-400 Mailed to Phoenix, AZ (Priority Mail with Delivery Confirmation)
08/03/2009 (Day 4): N-400 Delivered @ Phoenix, AZ
08/06/2009 (Day 7): Check Cleared
08/08/2009 (Day 9): NOA Received (Receipt Date/Notice Date/Priority Date: 08/03/2009)
08/17/2009 (Day 18): FP Notice Received
08/19/2009 (Day 20): FP Done (Walk-in, Original Appointment: 08/25/2009)
09/01/2009 (Day 33): Status changes to "This case has been sent for a standard interview."
09/02/2009 (Day 34): Interview Letter Received
10/09/2009 (Day 72): Interview Done & Passed
12/17/2009 (Day 140): Oath Letter Arrives
01/14/2010 (Day 168): Oath Date
 
My husband was naturalized on January 14th. With respect to the Columbus oath ceremony, the term "semi-organized chaos" comes to mind. I don't know if our experience is typical, but there was limited room for guests. During the initial period, when the apparently stressed out USCIS coordinator attempted to get all the candidates seated, guests were initially told to go to the cafeteria. Here are a few tips: 1) Have your completed letter and green card together. You will need to submit both, so I had paper clipped the green card to the letter and put them together in an envelope, which my husband put in his suit pocket. 2) Have this ready when you enter the room. The USCIS coordinator was using the last three digits of a candidate's alien number to seat everyone. 3) Each seat is numbered, and it is also important that you remember your seat number. It got pretty chaotic, as there were several older people who obviously had little command of English. Eventually, the USCIS coordinator realized that it would help if she put a few of the people who obviously spoke the same language together. In the meanwhile, she repeated the instructions numerous times and there was a lot of yelling across the room as people assisted each other.

After everyone was seated and letters/green cards were reviewed and collected, there was a 15-minute break. Since there wasn't room for guests, my husband recommended that I leave, as I could at least get in some reading while watching the parking meter. He said that they eventually went to the courtroom where there was room for only 12 guests (who sat in the jury seats). Other guests had to stand outside, so they crowded into the doorway. The candidates sat on the bench. Be forewarned--this got rather painful for slim folks like my husband who have little padding. He and the guy beside him were definitely suffering. Eventually the judge came in. There were 45 candidates from 23 countries, and each stood, addressed the judge, "Good Afternoon, Your Honor," and then stated their name and country. Then, an official read the oath and all the candidates raised their right hand and said, "I do." Everyone seemed a bit surprised that that was it, but apparently, it was. Yes, it was strange, but somehow this experience seemed thoroughly "normal" for central Ohio. I am from another state, and believe me, both my husband and I have always been struck by how this part of Ohio is both kind of laid-back and quirky, and this definitely applies to how bureaucratic functions are handled.

BTW, here is a caution for those of you who changed your name. Your first stop should be the social security administration (SSA) office. DO NOT change your driver's license BEFORE making the change with SSA. The SSA will want to see your driver's license with the OLD name. Finally, the USCIS pushes completion of the Voter Registration form. As my husband tried to explain to the people who didn't have a clue, you can take this home and fill it out. Yes, you will then need to pay the price of a stamp to send it in, but one is not REQUIRED to register to vote at this time (or at other time for that matter).

We're just relieved it's all over. Although our experience was about as smooth going as it could get, just going through the process was very stressful. The USCIS information could be a lot clearer. Of course, it would have also helped a lot if Columbus had a same day oath. Oh well, I am again thankful that this board was available. It was incredibly helpful.

KJD

TIMELINE
5 Year Based N-400
GC Date: August 22, 1986
FO: Columbus, OH
*****************
09/16/2009 (Day 1): N-400 Mailed to Phoenix, AZ (Priority Mail with Delivery Confirmation)
09/18/2009 (Day 3): N-400 Delivered @ Phoenix, AZ
09/25/2009 (Day 9): Check Cleared
09/26/2009 (Day 10): NOA Received (Receipt Date/Notice Date/Priority Date: 09/22/2009)
10/5/2009 (Day 19): FP Notice Received
10/20/2009 (Day 34): FP Done (Appointment: 10/20/2009)
11/3/2009 (Day 48): Status changes to "This case has been sent for a standard interview."
11/5/2009 (Day 50): Interview Letter Received
12/7/2009 (Day 82): Interview Completed
12/17/2009 (Day 92): Oath Letter Received
1/14/2010 (Day 119): Oath and Received Naturalization Certificate
 
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