GhostRider
Registered Users (C)
(My apologies for the long post)
So I just got back from my interview in Hartford CT. My appt. was scheduled for 9am, I got there at 8:45 and was called in at 9:02. Came out of the interview around 9:25am
The following is a rundown of events...
I walked in, the IO asked me to remain standing, while he swore me.
First came the civics exam and he asked the following questions (which I've answered all correctly):
- Who is the Speaker of the House
- What is the longest river in the United States
- Who is the president
- When was the constitution adopted
- How long do we elect the president for
There may have been another question or two, but I forgot what they were.
Next he had me read two sentences, which were questions:
- When is Columbus Day celebrated?
- another question, which I forgot what it was
And for the writing exam, he had me write: 'Columbus is in October'
He started by going over some of the general info (name, residency, martial status, etc.). When I told him my name (first and last name), he asked if I had any middle names to which I replied 'no'. He then proceeded to ask me how come there was a middle name in my foreign birth certificate... I told him this was not my middle name but rather my father's first name. I'm not sure why the certificate was designed that way, but the headings in it read: Newborn's First Name | Father's Name | Last Name.... He was referring to my father's name as my middle name I tried to explain him that that was my father's name, to which he agreed, but then said that that's how I'm registered in the system, my father's name was my middle name... 
I was really puzzled as my passport, GC, and every other doucment I supplied along with my N-400 had my first and last name only. I never had any middle names.
Then he proceeded:
IO: "Would you like to legally change your name?"
Me: "No"
IO: "So you want to keep your middle name?"
Me (puzzled): "humm... No... I don't have a middle name anywhere"
IO: "You do here (referring to my birth certificate), so do you want keep it or remove it...."
Me (not sure what to say): "OK, I guess I'll 'change' it..."
Next thing:
IO: "Are you filing based on 3 yrs. marriage or 5 yrs. residency?"
Me: "3 yrs."
IO: "Are you sure you want to do it based on 3 years?"
Me: "I guess it doesn't really matter, but I'd like to do it based on my marriage"
IO: "Do you have a reason NOT to do it based on 5 yrs.? (perhaps implying I was trying to avoid the longer statuary period for good moral character)...
Me (thinking in my head): "No, I don't have a any reasons, I just came to this country because of my wife and got my GC because I married her so I figured I should be finling under the 3yr option..."
IO: "OK, but you need to know that if you want to apply based on 3yrs. marriage, you will need to provide additional documentation..."
Me (puzzled again - thinking that everything should be in there along with my application (marriage certificate, utility bills, tax returns, our daughter's birth certificate, mortgage statement, my wife's U.S. passport, a copy of her naturalization certificate, etc.). I don't understand what the problem was).
At that point, I didn't know what else to say so I gave in (didn't want to piss him off right from the get go....), so I agreed to the 5 yr. application (probably a mistake in retrospect - more on that in a few lines...), but I didn't really care at that point. I just wanted to be over with it.
Next he started going over the application quite loosely and quickly (compared to what I've read here of other interviewers), he was making notes along the way on the application in red marker, and crossing off different questions.
Then we got to the good moral character part, which I was dreading the most. I was arrested back in March of 2003 (you can get a quick rundown of it here).
IO: "Have you ever committed a crime for which you were not arrested?
Me: "No"
IO: "Have you ever been arrested?"
Me: "Yes"
IO: "When was that?"
Me: "March of 2003"
IO: "I see that you were charged with a weapon in m/v, what happened"?
Me: gave him a quick rundown of the story (baseball bat in the car and self defense matter during a road rage incident). The bat was never used nor swung - I just pulled it out of the trunk to deter the other vehicle's passenger who was threatening my wife. When he saw the bat, he left her alone and approached me at which point I put the bat back in the car.
IO: "What was the outcome of the arrest?"
Me: "Dismissed"
IO: "And what happened in court?"
Me: "The case was dismissed"
IO: "Were you on probation? Served any time? Paid any penalties?"
Me: "No, nothing"
IO: "Any other arrests?"
Me: "No, just simple traffic citations"
He didn't appear to care much about traffic citations, and went back to my file's stack of paperwork to review the certified court dispositions I mailed along with the application (showed dismissal).
The rest of the process went 'OK' , he had me signed both pictures, review my 'change of name' application and sign it, and finally had me sign the N-400.
Finally, when the moment of truth came, he said that I will receive an anwer by mail as he will need to have his supervior review this case. I didn't really understand why as the arrest charges were dismissed, and the whole incident took place almost 6 and half years ago, which is outside the statuary periods for bother 3 and 5 years... No plea guilty was entered, and no probation or anything of that sort took place. The case was simply got thrown out of the window by the DA. I don't understnad why I could not have been approved right there on the spot...
I asked him how long it would take to receive an answer and he said 'roughly 2 weeks'.
Now I'm absolutely terrified of the outcome. 
The IO appeared to be in his early 30s if it matters...
Any input would be greatly appreciated.
So I just got back from my interview in Hartford CT. My appt. was scheduled for 9am, I got there at 8:45 and was called in at 9:02. Came out of the interview around 9:25am
The following is a rundown of events...
I walked in, the IO asked me to remain standing, while he swore me.
First came the civics exam and he asked the following questions (which I've answered all correctly):
- Who is the Speaker of the House
- What is the longest river in the United States
- Who is the president
- When was the constitution adopted
- How long do we elect the president for
There may have been another question or two, but I forgot what they were.
Next he had me read two sentences, which were questions:
- When is Columbus Day celebrated?
- another question, which I forgot what it was
And for the writing exam, he had me write: 'Columbus is in October'
He started by going over some of the general info (name, residency, martial status, etc.). When I told him my name (first and last name), he asked if I had any middle names to which I replied 'no'. He then proceeded to ask me how come there was a middle name in my foreign birth certificate... I told him this was not my middle name but rather my father's first name. I'm not sure why the certificate was designed that way, but the headings in it read: Newborn's First Name | Father's Name | Last Name.... He was referring to my father's name as my middle name
I tried to explain him that that was my father's name, to which he agreed, but then said that that's how I'm registered in the system, my father's name was my middle name... I was really puzzled as my passport, GC, and every other doucment I supplied along with my N-400 had my first and last name only. I never had any middle names.Then he proceeded:
IO: "Would you like to legally change your name?"
Me: "No"
IO: "So you want to keep your middle name?"
Me (puzzled): "humm... No... I don't have a middle name anywhere"
IO: "You do here (referring to my birth certificate), so do you want keep it or remove it...."
Me (not sure what to say): "OK, I guess I'll 'change' it..."
Next thing:
IO: "Are you filing based on 3 yrs. marriage or 5 yrs. residency?"
Me: "3 yrs."
IO: "Are you sure you want to do it based on 3 years?"
Me: "I guess it doesn't really matter, but I'd like to do it based on my marriage"
IO: "Do you have a reason NOT to do it based on 5 yrs.? (perhaps implying I was trying to avoid the longer statuary period for good moral character)...
Me (thinking in my head): "No, I don't have a any reasons, I just came to this country because of my wife and got my GC because I married her so I figured I should be finling under the 3yr option..."
IO: "OK, but you need to know that if you want to apply based on 3yrs. marriage, you will need to provide additional documentation..."
Me (puzzled again - thinking that everything should be in there along with my application (marriage certificate, utility bills, tax returns, our daughter's birth certificate, mortgage statement, my wife's U.S. passport, a copy of her naturalization certificate, etc.). I don't understand what the problem was).
At that point, I didn't know what else to say so I gave in (didn't want to piss him off right from the get go....), so I agreed to the 5 yr. application (probably a mistake in retrospect - more on that in a few lines...), but I didn't really care at that point. I just wanted to be over with it.
Next he started going over the application quite loosely and quickly (compared to what I've read here of other interviewers), he was making notes along the way on the application in red marker, and crossing off different questions.
Then we got to the good moral character part, which I was dreading the most. I was arrested back in March of 2003 (you can get a quick rundown of it here).
IO: "Have you ever committed a crime for which you were not arrested?
Me: "No"
IO: "Have you ever been arrested?"
Me: "Yes"
IO: "When was that?"
Me: "March of 2003"
IO: "I see that you were charged with a weapon in m/v, what happened"?
Me: gave him a quick rundown of the story (baseball bat in the car and self defense matter during a road rage incident). The bat was never used nor swung - I just pulled it out of the trunk to deter the other vehicle's passenger who was threatening my wife. When he saw the bat, he left her alone and approached me at which point I put the bat back in the car.
IO: "What was the outcome of the arrest?"
Me: "Dismissed"
IO: "And what happened in court?"
Me: "The case was dismissed"
IO: "Were you on probation? Served any time? Paid any penalties?"
Me: "No, nothing"
IO: "Any other arrests?"
Me: "No, just simple traffic citations"
He didn't appear to care much about traffic citations, and went back to my file's stack of paperwork to review the certified court dispositions I mailed along with the application (showed dismissal).
The rest of the process went 'OK'
, he had me signed both pictures, review my 'change of name' application and sign it, and finally had me sign the N-400.Finally, when the moment of truth came, he said that I will receive an anwer by mail as he will need to have his supervior review this case. I didn't really understand why as the arrest charges were dismissed, and the whole incident took place almost 6 and half years ago, which is outside the statuary periods for bother 3 and 5 years... No plea guilty was entered, and no probation or anything of that sort took place. The case was simply got thrown out of the window by the DA. I don't understnad why I could not have been approved right there on the spot...
I asked him how long it would take to receive an answer and he said 'roughly 2 weeks'.
Now I'm absolutely terrified of the outcome.
The IO appeared to be in his early 30s if it matters... Any input would be greatly appreciated.
