NoInterviewDate
Registered Users (C)
Here is an update on my citizenship application and process so far. I am no longer known as NoInterviewDate!!!
My timeline is listed below for anyone who is interested, or who has experienced delays in the process.
I just got back from my interview. It's finally over. Well the hard part anyway. My appointment was at 8:00 am so we left nice and early to try and avoid the 'rush to' DC traffic. It wasn't as bad as expected. We got straight there in much less time than I expected.
My husband came along with me as we had read on this and other websites that the Fairfax office does same day oaths, so I was half expecting the whole day to be taken up after the interview waiting around for oath times and to come back home as a US citizen.
But as per everything else I have expected, it went in a different direction. But that's ok. If it wasn't for my Garmin, I too would probably have gone in a different direction. I am notorious for getting lost. So things not going as planned seems to be normal for me.
We got there early enough to stop at McD's for a cup of coffee and once we sat down my husbands phone rang constantly with business calls. Whilst he was chatting away about electrical stuff I was running through the civics interview questions in my head.
Yesterday I had the answers to all 100 questions down pat. Today I was getting them all mixed up in my head. The more I thought about it, the more I confused myself. Sheer nerves were to blame. After the palaver I have had in getting this far it was anyone's guess as to how the interview would go.
I had filed a complaint with the ombudsman because my file was apparently everywhere but where it was meant to be and my case was about 5 months outside of usual processing times for this area. I thought that whoever would be interviewing me and/or had their hands on my file would have my file marked with a big red X as a trouble maker.
I had visions of being called by the IO who I had first spoken to at an infopass appointment. She was a big brusque scary person and barely let me speak 2 words before she had told me to 'come back in a month or so'.
I was convinced, knowing my luck, that was who I would get.
We reached the office just before the doors opened. There was already a queue there. It was nice to be actually going into the building for the interview this time. I always envied those others who were going to floor 2 for their interviews on my prior visits and I was just going to try and find out information that they never had anyway.
I was under the impression that this office did a 'first come, first served' calling of names for the interview. But it wasn't like that at all. People that arrived after us were called in before me. The longer I sat there the more nervous I became, with all sorts of things running through my head....what if I couldn't remember anything and supposing my file was still missing.
Not that I am a worrier you understand...Who me?.......
Pretty soon a gentleman came in and called my name. He was friendly and told me he was Officer R....... as we walked back to his office.
As soon as we got to his office he asked me to raise my right hand and to swear that I promised to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. I said no way. Not really
I had taken everything with me that I had sent with my original application. It wasn't that much. I had filed based on the length of time I had been a PR. The letter said to bring originals of everything. So along with those I had my green card, 2 passports, and my drivers license.
The officer went through my file asking basic questions like are you still at the same address. All very basic stuff. As he was talking he was checking things off in my file, which incidentally was very thin. I was wondering why it took from my fingerprinting in February, until August to get an interview date. I still believe my file fell through the cracks, or it was hiding under someone's donut on a desk somewhere, and then when I filed the complaint it miraculously appeared from heaven nows where.
Anyway, I digress.
As the officer was going through my file he asked for my GC, PP and DL and looked at them briefly.
He asked me to say "It's a sunny day today".
Then he handed me a folded over piece of paper and asked me to write " These things go very well together".
Then he asked me the civics questions.
1: How many stars are there on our flag?
2: Who is Martin Luther King Jr?
3. Who is the main writer of the declaration of Independence?
4: Who is the current President of the United States?
5: Who meets at the Capitol?
6: What is one of the benefits of becoming a US citizen.
That was it. He handed me a piece of paper saying I had passed everything and stamped my folder Approved. It was so easy and an amazing feeling. I was quite excited, and that coming from someone who said they would never go for citizenship! Take it from me, you feel totally different.
I then expected him to say come back at ....whatever time, for the swearing in. As he was finalizing some paperwork I was reading the sheet of paper he had given to me saying I had passed the tests. I noticed it said "final approval' something. So I asked him does that mean it still has to go somewhere else for final approval.
He said don't worry, you've got it, that's nothing. Then he told me to wait a minute and he came back shortly thereafter with an oath ceremony letter for September 8th.
I asked him if they did same day oaths at that office. He said yes they do, but I would enjoy this one much more as it was a special one. He said he didn't have any say in the oath letter, but he knew I would like this one much better. I was to appear at the Alexandria court house @ 4.30pm on the Tuesday after Labor Day.
Then he said he would walk me back to the room, because he was going to collect his next interviewee.
That was it. Done!! I went in about 8:10 am or thereabouts and was out by 8.30 with my oath letter.
WOOOHOOOO.
To anyone who read any of my posts about how frustrating it all was when others who filed after me obtained their citizenship in 5 months, if you are in the same boat, please try not to stress. It does all work out in the end. And it's worth it. I sort of wonder what I am going to do now I don't have that to study for and stress about!
Thank you to everyone who posts their timelines and interview experiences. I have spent hours going through those posts. .
I am looking forward to 4 weeks time when I am sworn in.
Good luck All!!
Vermont, initial application sent.
District Office: Fairfax, Virginia.
N-400 Application mailed: September 5 2008
I-797C NOA: Priority date September 10 2008
Fingerprint Letter: October 7 2008
FP appointment: mid October 2008.
Infopass appointment: February 6 2009
Yellow Letter: February 9 2009
1-800 Helpline (!?) March 16 2009
Infopass appointment: April 17th 2009
Letter to senator: May 4 2009
Service Request: May 26 2009
Email from helpline: June 2, stating my case needed additional review and to wait another 6 months.
Complaint filed with Ombudsman: June 12th 2009
Letter from Ombudsmans office: June 22 2009
Intervew Letter from USCIS: June 23 2009.
Interview Date: August 10 2009 @ 8am.
Oath Date: September 8 2009
My timeline is listed below for anyone who is interested, or who has experienced delays in the process.
I just got back from my interview. It's finally over. Well the hard part anyway. My appointment was at 8:00 am so we left nice and early to try and avoid the 'rush to' DC traffic. It wasn't as bad as expected. We got straight there in much less time than I expected.
My husband came along with me as we had read on this and other websites that the Fairfax office does same day oaths, so I was half expecting the whole day to be taken up after the interview waiting around for oath times and to come back home as a US citizen.
But as per everything else I have expected, it went in a different direction. But that's ok. If it wasn't for my Garmin, I too would probably have gone in a different direction. I am notorious for getting lost. So things not going as planned seems to be normal for me.
We got there early enough to stop at McD's for a cup of coffee and once we sat down my husbands phone rang constantly with business calls. Whilst he was chatting away about electrical stuff I was running through the civics interview questions in my head.
Yesterday I had the answers to all 100 questions down pat. Today I was getting them all mixed up in my head. The more I thought about it, the more I confused myself. Sheer nerves were to blame. After the palaver I have had in getting this far it was anyone's guess as to how the interview would go.
I had filed a complaint with the ombudsman because my file was apparently everywhere but where it was meant to be and my case was about 5 months outside of usual processing times for this area. I thought that whoever would be interviewing me and/or had their hands on my file would have my file marked with a big red X as a trouble maker.
I had visions of being called by the IO who I had first spoken to at an infopass appointment. She was a big brusque scary person and barely let me speak 2 words before she had told me to 'come back in a month or so'.
I was convinced, knowing my luck, that was who I would get.
We reached the office just before the doors opened. There was already a queue there. It was nice to be actually going into the building for the interview this time. I always envied those others who were going to floor 2 for their interviews on my prior visits and I was just going to try and find out information that they never had anyway.
I was under the impression that this office did a 'first come, first served' calling of names for the interview. But it wasn't like that at all. People that arrived after us were called in before me. The longer I sat there the more nervous I became, with all sorts of things running through my head....what if I couldn't remember anything and supposing my file was still missing.
Not that I am a worrier you understand...Who me?.......
Pretty soon a gentleman came in and called my name. He was friendly and told me he was Officer R....... as we walked back to his office.
As soon as we got to his office he asked me to raise my right hand and to swear that I promised to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. I said no way. Not really
I had taken everything with me that I had sent with my original application. It wasn't that much. I had filed based on the length of time I had been a PR. The letter said to bring originals of everything. So along with those I had my green card, 2 passports, and my drivers license.
The officer went through my file asking basic questions like are you still at the same address. All very basic stuff. As he was talking he was checking things off in my file, which incidentally was very thin. I was wondering why it took from my fingerprinting in February, until August to get an interview date. I still believe my file fell through the cracks, or it was hiding under someone's donut on a desk somewhere, and then when I filed the complaint it miraculously appeared from heaven nows where.
Anyway, I digress.
As the officer was going through my file he asked for my GC, PP and DL and looked at them briefly.
He asked me to say "It's a sunny day today".
Then he handed me a folded over piece of paper and asked me to write " These things go very well together".
Then he asked me the civics questions.
1: How many stars are there on our flag?
2: Who is Martin Luther King Jr?
3. Who is the main writer of the declaration of Independence?
4: Who is the current President of the United States?
5: Who meets at the Capitol?
6: What is one of the benefits of becoming a US citizen.
That was it. He handed me a piece of paper saying I had passed everything and stamped my folder Approved. It was so easy and an amazing feeling. I was quite excited, and that coming from someone who said they would never go for citizenship! Take it from me, you feel totally different.
I then expected him to say come back at ....whatever time, for the swearing in. As he was finalizing some paperwork I was reading the sheet of paper he had given to me saying I had passed the tests. I noticed it said "final approval' something. So I asked him does that mean it still has to go somewhere else for final approval.
He said don't worry, you've got it, that's nothing. Then he told me to wait a minute and he came back shortly thereafter with an oath ceremony letter for September 8th.
I asked him if they did same day oaths at that office. He said yes they do, but I would enjoy this one much more as it was a special one. He said he didn't have any say in the oath letter, but he knew I would like this one much better. I was to appear at the Alexandria court house @ 4.30pm on the Tuesday after Labor Day.
Then he said he would walk me back to the room, because he was going to collect his next interviewee.
That was it. Done!! I went in about 8:10 am or thereabouts and was out by 8.30 with my oath letter.
WOOOHOOOO.
To anyone who read any of my posts about how frustrating it all was when others who filed after me obtained their citizenship in 5 months, if you are in the same boat, please try not to stress. It does all work out in the end. And it's worth it. I sort of wonder what I am going to do now I don't have that to study for and stress about!
Thank you to everyone who posts their timelines and interview experiences. I have spent hours going through those posts. .
I am looking forward to 4 weeks time when I am sworn in.
Good luck All!!
Vermont, initial application sent.
District Office: Fairfax, Virginia.
N-400 Application mailed: September 5 2008
I-797C NOA: Priority date September 10 2008
Fingerprint Letter: October 7 2008
FP appointment: mid October 2008.
Infopass appointment: February 6 2009
Yellow Letter: February 9 2009
1-800 Helpline (!?) March 16 2009
Infopass appointment: April 17th 2009
Letter to senator: May 4 2009
Service Request: May 26 2009
Email from helpline: June 2, stating my case needed additional review and to wait another 6 months.
Complaint filed with Ombudsman: June 12th 2009
Letter from Ombudsmans office: June 22 2009
Intervew Letter from USCIS: June 23 2009.
Interview Date: August 10 2009 @ 8am.
Oath Date: September 8 2009