My interview experience
desi_2004,
Here is my interview experience in dallas DO.
I reached the DO about an hour early than my scheduled interview time and tried to get in. I was stopped at the entrance and was told to return 30 mints before my scheduled interview time. This was mentioned in the interview letter and they do follow it strictly. At the entrance to the bldg, i was asked if i was carrying a cell phone (Had kept it in the car as i know they do not allow them into the DO bldg), asked to go thru the metal detector and my interview letter was stamped for time of entry and was asked to deposit it into a mail slot where all interview letters are to be deposited. I did this and waited to be called for the interview. There were about 20 other folks waiting to be called for naturalization interview.
At exactly my scheduled interview time, my name was called (you need to pay attention as they may not pronounce your name as you normally would
) and was taken into the adjudicators office. There was absolutely no small talk and the officer was all business. This was little un-nervering as i was already a little nervous. As soon as we entered his office, i was asked to raise my right hand, take oath to tell the truth and nothing but the truth and then asked to take a seat. I was carring a big file folder, i got out my copy of application form i had sent.
Before the adjudicator began, i told him, i have a few typo's and need to correct them. He said he will get to it. I was asked for my Passport,GC,driver's license and Social security card. I was fortunately carring my SS card so take note to carry it. He made sure my name was the same in all of them and made note on the fom that name verified against all 4 id's. Then he went over all of the questions in the form and verified my answers. when it came to number of trips outside US, i told him i have had trips after the application was submitted. He asked me to make corrections on the form, but i had printed revelent pages of the n-400 form updating this information and so he just pulled out those pages from my form and added the new pages to the form. He verified all the dates against the entry stamps in my passport. I had put yellow stickys to on pages where he can find those entry stamps so that was quick. On the question of have i ever been arrested/cited, i told him i have had traffic tickets. (I had answered this question as NO). He said i should have answered yes and asked me to to tell approximate dates for traffic citations. I told him i was advised by the help line (USCIS toll free number) to answer the way i did about traffic tickets. He said that is fine and minor traffic tickets have no bearing on my application. He updated my application form and changed my answer from NO to YES and wrote down the approximate years of traffic citations. He went over all the answers in my application and at the end asked me if i was ready to take the complete oath of alligence, to which i replied yes. He filled out the last setion in the form where he noted the number of changes made to the form and the number of enclosures. As he was doing this asked me 6 history/civics quistions straight out of the standard 100. As i answered first 6 correctly, he did not ask me any more. Gave me the sheet on which the 6 question were printed, on which there was a simple sentence written in english. I read that sentence and then was asked to write a simple sentence, which i did. When this was happening, he looked up and updated some information on the computer (i could not see what he was looking or updating) and then said everything looks fine and congratulated me that i have passed the history/civics test. He printed out a sheet of paper which stated this fact and that i had come for the interview. At this point i asked him if i have been recommended by him for Naturalization. He said yes and i then requested for a earliest date. I have been give march 3 week as date of Naturalization. That's it. It took about 20 mints for the interview. So interview was no big deal. BTW i was carring a whole bunch of documentation and was ready for any question. Things i carried were
1. Letter for Selective service commision stating that i do not have to register.
2. Certified copy from Dept of public safety about my driving record being clean.
3. All documentation pertaining to my traffic tickets+court orders+defensive driving completion certificates.
4. To prove my residency in dallas county, utility bills, phone bills, lease papers, pay stubs all for past 2 years.
5. Transcripts from IRS which prove i have paid taxes for last 5 years. I also has left the actual tax returns for all 5 years in my car, just in case. Cannot be overprepared
6. Date of birth certificate
7. Copy of the application form i had submitted.
8. 2 photograps (full face) as they has changed from 3/4 face which is what i had submitted with my application. I was not asked for these new pictures so will use them for my passport
Hope this helps. It is easy for me to say now, after the interview, not to worry, the interview is a breeze. Actually the night before the interview i had not slept a minute and was tossing and turning for the big day.
Good luck to you and your wife.
Umesh