Garden City
My experience:
Interview : 1st week of February,2003 ,Garden city, morning.
You may enter the INS office 1 & half an hour beofre. I entered before the scheduled time.
There is a waiting room on the first floor (you may enter the INS ofice with your friend). After entering 1st floor you should give your Interview letter to the receptionist .
After 15/16 minutes one lady called the names who have to make a line . We stand like 20/21 people on a line in 1st floor. Then she told us to follow her . We follow her and we went to the 2nd floor. At 2nd floor there is another waiting room where many INS officer called the names of the applicants & told to follow them.
One male officer called my name & I went with him to a room where he told that before sitting down I should raise my hand & I have to tell that what I will say all are truth.
Then I sat down. (Note that the Officer was totally UNFRIENDLY)
-Officer aked me to give him my passport and green card. I gave .
-He was asking after filing my N-400, did I travel outside the USA?
then he was checking the staps of passport.
-He was checking the N-400 application & asked the information which I print on the N-400 application & took my signature on every page of N-400 form.
- He asked me that am I married. I said YES. Then he asked me for marriage certificate. I gave it to him.
(note> in this point, the law says "if you are applying for citizenship as a spouse of US citizen, only then you will be asked for marriage certificate." On my "Notice for Interview" letter INS did not mention that I have to show my marriage certificate beacause I came in the USA (alone) with immigrant visa. SO I do not need to show my marriage certificate, BUT officer asked me about that.)
-Officer bring a sheet of paper with 10 US history questions. He asked me every question & luckyly I answer correctly all of the 10 questions.
-Officer told me to read a paragraph(5/6 lines) loudly. I read it smoothly.
-He asked me to write 2 english sentences. I wrote.
-Then officer told me that "You have passed the Natuaralization interview"
-Then he gave me the "receipt" which has marked 2 lines.
1) You have passed the US history & English test.
2) A decission can not be made at this time
- When I got this , I asked the officer "Why there is no decission??". He answered that it is for "security check" .
Then I asked "how long does it take to get oath letter?
She answered " at least 6 months".
Then I told him "thank you" & he showed me how to exit. from this room.
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My advice to you all for Citizenship interview:
1) If you are married , you must take your marriage certificate with you regardless of what they say on the notice letter.
2) Take your 5 years federal tax files from IRS office, not what you have from your CPA.
Go to any IRS office with your photocopy of "INS interview appoinment letter" & asked for "IRS letter 1722" for 5 years . IRS will give you those copies for free. Don't forget to get IRS STAMP on your "IRS letter 1722" each year.
3) At interview , keep one copy of each original document . Because Officer will ask you if you have any copy?
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Not all officers are same. So hopefully you will get FRIENDLY officer.
Good luck..........
