Help! Problems with the replacement of Natz Cert

[Anahit]

My daughter became a US citizen in 2003. She got married after that and in December, 2003 she filed N-565 to replace her certificate because of her last name change. The check was cashed but she did not hear from CIS for a long time. She wrote a letter to them, she called them. She was told to wait.
A few days ago she got a denial letter from CIS on the base of not appearing for the interview. They never received any letters for the interview, which was supposedly scheduled for February, 2004. She called the CIS and was told that she should reapply
We want to go to Armenia this summer. My daughter and her husband want to join us. Refiling N-565 could take another year.
She sent her original certificate without making a copy (that wasn't smart at all), otherwise maybe she could apply for the passport with her maiden name.
The instructions on N-565 say "we will return the original documents when they are no longer required", but I don't know how, when?
What is the fastest way to fix things. We have only 3 months. Going to DO? Congressman?

 

[fitness99]

My daughter became a US citizen in 2003. She got married after that and in December, 2003 she filed N-565 to replace her certificate because of her last name change. The check was cashed but she did not hear from CIS for a long time. She wrote a letter to them, she called them. She was told to wait.
A few days ago she got a denial letter from CIS on the base of not appearing for the interview. They never received any letters for the interview, which the CIS supposedly sent to her on December, 2004. She called the CIS and was told that she should reapply
We want to go to Armenia this summer. My daughter and her husband want to join us. Refiling N-565 could take another year.
She sent her original certificate without making a copy (that wasn't smart at all), otherwise maybe she could apply for the passport with her maiden name.
The instructions on N-565 say "we will return the original documents when they are no longer required", but I don't know how, when?
What is the fastest way to fix things. We have only 3 months. Going to DO? Congressman?

A name change in the U.S Passport would suffice (If she wants to change her last name based on marriage). Why is she trying to change the name on the Naturalization certificate?

 

[Anahit]

A name change in the U.S Passport would suffice. Why is she trying to change the name on the Naturalization certificate?

You mean she could have used her Naturalization Certificate to apply for a passport with her new last name?

 

[fitness99]

You mean she could have used her Naturalization Certificate to apply for a passport with her new last name?

That is correct...the process
* Get naturalization certificate after the ceremony
* Apply for U.S passport
* Amend the passport application with last name change based on marriage
(a certified copy of the marriage certificate needs to be included)

 

[Rahul Kumar]

You mean she could have used her Naturalization Certificate to apply for a passport with her new last name?

Absolutely! Submit a marriage certificate and a name change request and your passport will be updated. The name on the natz certificate is the name that was on effect on day of natz. why go and change it ? not a smart thing to do!

How can u send the Natz certificate to anyone without a passport. Now you are left with no proof of Natz!!

 

[Rahul Kumar]

Go to your congressman immediately to retreive your original Cert of Natz from CIS.

 

[Anahit]

That is correct...the process
* Get naturalization certificate after the ceremony
* Apply for U.S passport
* Amend the passport application with last name change based on marriage
(a certified copy of the marriage certificate needs to be included)

Thank you so much. You made my day.
Now I need to get her certificate back from CIS.
Does she need to change her certificate at all?

Thanks again,
Anahit

 

[Rahul Kumar]

Advisory

It takes over a year to replace a Cert of Natz but one business day to get a US Passport.

Lockup the Natz cert safely somewhere and use the passport only for any proof of Natz!

 

[fitness99]

Thank you so much. You made my day.
Now I need to get her certificate back from CIS.
Does she need to change her certificate at all?

Thanks again,
Anahit

Anahit - You are very welcome!

Absolutely no need to change the name on the naturalization certificate

First thing - get the certificate back from CIS and make a backup copy pronto!
Second thing - Apply for passport
U.S Passport information - http://www.travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html

How to change your name in the U.S passport - http://www.travel.state.gov/passport/fri/amend/amend_851.html

Note that the U.S passport can serve as proof of U.S citizenship. Do not risk carrying the original naturalization certificate when travelling. May I also advice that you save a copy of the passport / certificate in a safe place.

 

[Anahit]

Absolutely! Submit a marriage certificate and a name change request and your passport will be updated. The name on the natz certificate is the name that was on effect on day of natz. why go and change it ? not a smart thing to do!

How can u send the Natz certificate to anyone without a passport. Now you are left with no proof of Natz!!

The reason I did not want her to apply for the passport at the time was because she was going to get married in a few months and change her last name. I did not know she could use that cert to apply for her passport with the new last name.
In the instructions for N-565 it reads:
"You may apply for a replacement:
If your name has been changed by marriage or by court order after the document was issued and you seek a document in the new name."
I JUST NOTICED - IT SAYS "MAY". That means it is up to you. My mistake.

 

[Anahit]

Go to your congressman immediately to retreive your original Cert of Natz from CIS.

Rahul,
The CIS should send the original documents back. But I'll follow you advice since I just don't trust them.

Thank you,
Anahit

 

[Anahit]

We called the 800 number and talked to the immigration officer about the case. According to her, if we go to DO we could reopen the case to get a new certificate and they would give the original certificate back to us right there.
And then she asked me why we sent the original one with the application. I said - "because N-565 requires the original CIS document with the copy of the marriage certificate". I even read the paragraph from the instructions of N-565. She told me that those are old instructions and that we should of sent the copy of the certificate. I doubt that because the instructions show the current fee, which means they are up to date.
Anyhow, I made an Infopass appnt. We'll see what happens in DO, and then we'll go from there.

 

[Anahit]

My daughter and I just came back from the Los Angeles District Office. I can not describe how frustrated we are.
I scheduled the appnt for 6:15. I was thinking I could get to work by 9:30. Silly me... We were there for almost 5 hours...
On the first floor they gave us the green paper to fill out the information about our visit. Then we had to wait till 7 o'clock until the door was open to go to the 6th floor. In Room 6024 my daughter's green paper was the 4th paper in the queue of papers to be processed. We patiently waited for more than 2 hours, but they wouldn't call her name. So, I asked someone at the window to check what was going on. He asked for her green card. I said 'she is a citizen, she does not have a green card'. Then he checked in the computer by her A-number, and he said 'she lost the original certificate and now she wants to get a copy of her certificate?' I said 'No, why would you say that?' He said 'because you filed N-565'. I said 'That does not mean she lost it. She wanted to replace her certificate based on her name change as she got married. Now we need to get her original certificate back.' He couldn't tell me anything. Then my daughter asked another person about her request. And again: 'Do you have your green card with you?' I guess, these people were not used to seeing citizens in that office. Without listening what are you there for they ask you about your green card. She went in to check if anyone was working on our request. She came out with nothing - No one was working on it: they lost the green paper that we gave them when we just went in. She said someone will take care of us soon. "Soon" someone called my daughter in.
Here is what happened inside.
The immigration officer, or whoever she was that called my daughter in, was surprised hearing about her N-565 being denied. She couldn't find any information about it in the file. Fortunately, my daughter had the denial letter with her, otherwise she wouldn't believe her.
Anyhow, my daughter said that she wanted her original certificate back. The officer said that 'they can't give the original certificate back to her because someone punched a hole on it when putting the papers together, so they need to print a new one for her, and they would need new pictures. My daughter had her new pictures with her (she got 2 extra pictures when getting photos for her passport), so the officer said they can get the new certificate done in an hour.
They did give us a new certificate in an hour (she has been waiting for it for 1,5 years). They even changed her last name on the new certificate, which did not really matter.
It is not as pretty as the first one. Her name is just typed with small letters on the certificate. But, who cares...
I am so fed up with the way they work in this office! I wish I had time to file a complain. Maybe I will...

 

[fitness99]

My daughter and I just came back from the Los Angeles District Office. I can not describe how frustrated we are.
I scheduled the appnt for 6:15. I was thinking I could get to work by 9:30. Silly me... We were there for almost 5 hours...
On the first floor they gave us the green paper to fill out the information about our visit. Then we had to wait till 7 o'clock until the door was open to go to the 6th floor. In Room 6024 my daughter's green paper was the 4th paper in the queue of papers to be processed. We patiently waited for more than 2 hours, but they wouldn't call her name. So, I asked someone at the window to check what was going on. He asked for her green card. I said 'she is a citizen, she does not have a green card'. Then he checked in the computer by her A-number, and he said 'she lost the original certificate and now she wants to get a copy of her certificate?' I said 'No, why would you say that?' He said 'because you filed N-565'. I said 'That does not mean she lost it. She wanted to replace her certificate based on her name change as she got married. Now we need to get her original certificate back.' He couldn't tell me anything. Then my daughter asked another person about her request. And again: 'Do you have your green card with you?' I guess, these people were not used to seeing citizens in that office. Without listening what are you there for they ask you about your green card. She went in to check if anyone was working on our request. She came out with nothing - No one was working on it: they lost the green paper that we gave them when we just went in. She said someone will take care of us soon. "Soon" someone called my daughter in.
Here is what happened inside.
The immigration officer, or whoever she was that called my daughter in, was surprised hearing about her N-565 being denied. She couldn't find any information about it in the file. Fortunately, my daughter had the denial letter with her, otherwise she wouldn't believe her.
Anyhow, my daughter said that she wanted her original certificate back. The officer said that 'they can't give the original certificate back to her because someone punched a hole on it when putting the papers together, so they need to print a new one for her, and they would need new pictures. My daughter had her new pictures with her (she got 2 extra pictures when getting photos for her passport), so the officer said they can get the new certificate done in an hour.
They did give us a new certificate in an hour (she has been waiting for it for 1,5 years). They even changed her last name on the new certificate, which did not really matter.
It is not as pretty as the first one. Her name is just typed with small letters on the certificate. But, who cares...
I am so fed up with the way they work in this office! I wish I had time to file a complain. Maybe I will...

Anahit - It is good to hear everything worked out at the end. Now, just have her apply for the passport, and save the certificate in a safe place.

 

[Anahit]

Anahit - It is good to hear everything worked out at the end. Now, just have her apply for the passport, and save the certificate in a safe place.

We did it in the post office right after we got the certificate.
Thanks!