Well, I finally got sworn in today and became a citizen.
I filed a WOM in March of this year after waiting for 18 months for the name check, 60 days was over in the end of May and we were supposed to have a preliminary meeting with the judge in two weeks. All of a sudden things started hapenning, I was called for the update fingerpting appointment last week, and then I had a N400 appointment at the local USBCIS office today, just a quick formality. Then they just told me to go and have a breakfast while the file goes back for verification and come back in an hour to pick up the oath letter. Instead, the officer call me on my cell phone about an hour later, and told me to come a little later and I would be sworn in right there in the office.
By lunch time I was a happy US citizen with a certificate, letter from Bush (personally written just for me, of course) and a little American flag (made in China, I'm sure).
My time line:
N-400 filed - February 2004
1st FP - March 2004
Interview - August 2004 (passed, sent for a name check due to name change)
WOM filed March 2006
60-days over - May 2006
2nd FP - June 14, 2006
Re-Interview and Citizenship oath - TODAY!
Feels good and relieved. Looking back, two things:
(1) I should have filed a WOM a year ago, as soon as 121st day after the interview passed, I should be filing, instead of waiting.
(2) Even if an attorney files your paperwork, make sure to check everything before it goes out. Once it's in the system, any mistakes or ommissions will cost you dearly. In my case, my attorney forgot to include one of the name variations into my N400, that's where all crap started from.
Today is the time for a lot of Stoli's and Margaritas. Tomorrow, it's time to start it all over again - we are now applying for my wife's Green Card. Here we go again )
I filed a WOM in March of this year after waiting for 18 months for the name check, 60 days was over in the end of May and we were supposed to have a preliminary meeting with the judge in two weeks. All of a sudden things started hapenning, I was called for the update fingerpting appointment last week, and then I had a N400 appointment at the local USBCIS office today, just a quick formality. Then they just told me to go and have a breakfast while the file goes back for verification and come back in an hour to pick up the oath letter. Instead, the officer call me on my cell phone about an hour later, and told me to come a little later and I would be sworn in right there in the office.
By lunch time I was a happy US citizen with a certificate, letter from Bush (personally written just for me, of course) and a little American flag (made in China, I'm sure).
My time line:
N-400 filed - February 2004
1st FP - March 2004
Interview - August 2004 (passed, sent for a name check due to name change)
WOM filed March 2006
60-days over - May 2006
2nd FP - June 14, 2006
Re-Interview and Citizenship oath - TODAY!
Feels good and relieved. Looking back, two things:
(1) I should have filed a WOM a year ago, as soon as 121st day after the interview passed, I should be filing, instead of waiting.
(2) Even if an attorney files your paperwork, make sure to check everything before it goes out. Once it's in the system, any mistakes or ommissions will cost you dearly. In my case, my attorney forgot to include one of the name variations into my N400, that's where all crap started from.
Today is the time for a lot of Stoli's and Margaritas. Tomorrow, it's time to start it all over again - we are now applying for my wife's Green Card. Here we go again )
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