N-400 interview experience at Houston. The dates are the same for myself and my wife.
Green Card stamping - 4/30/2001
Application Date - Feb 2, 06
Receipt Date/priority date - Feb 6, 06
Fingerprinting - Mar 21, 06
Interview - May 1, 06
Oath Ceremony scheduled - June 21, 06
Appointment was at 9:20am. Went in 25 min prior. Note - they do NOT allow cell phones/cameras/recording devices inside! Leave them in your car or at your home!!
Need to follow a 'blue' line all the way to an 'unmanned' counter. You are asked to drop-off/place your interview notice letter in a tray which is cleared every few minutes. There were about 20-25 persons sitting in front of the counter so we thought we were in for a long wait! Since we were about 25 minutes early to the counter - just had to wait anyway!
There was a big closed door besides the counter and we observed that the USCIS officers were coming out to call-out a name and then escort that person inside. Usually the interviewees were going in/out in 10-15 minutes. Exactly at 9:20am a lady officer came out and called for 3/4 female interviewees at the same time and instead taking them through the whole group went in a different direction. My wife was in this group. Later we learnt that all were taken to the officer's own office room (instead of a regular interview chamber)!
I was waiting alone for another 10-15 minutes and then an office came out and called out my name! Again, instead of taking me through the big door; he started to take me in a different direction. While we were walking together, he introduced himself in a very polite and professional manner and asked if I had to wait to long! A very pleasant surprise indeed...
Then we walked via an access-controlled door (officer had to use his badge to get in). This was a regular office area with various officers’ cabins. In some cabins I could see some other persons being interviewed.
Soon we arrived at the officer’s cabin - his name plate was displayed outside. He went in first and stood behind his chair. There were 2 chairs for visitors. I also kept standing behind on of the chair. He then asked me to raise my right hand and put me under oath.
As we sat down, he asked me to show my green card, drivers license and passport. Then he gave me an exam paper (for English & civics). First he asked me to sign the exam paper with pencil and provided the same. He then walked out telling me to write a sentence in the space provided "I drive a blue car to work". The civics questions were at the top of this sheet. It was a mix of multiple choice and 'fill in blanks' type of questions. One is supposed to circle the correct answer. There were a total of 10 questions.
The officer returned in a couple of minutes, this time with my "A#" file. By this time I had already finished answering the questions so I kept looking at the officer and the officer kept looking at the file! He browsed through the file for a long time (giving me some anxious moments!). At one time he put a 'sticky' on one page in the file and kept browsing. The file contained all the documentation that was submitted for my green card process. Also present were the application and photos submitted for N-400!
After he was done going thru the file, the officer examined my answer sheet. Everything was correct. He marked the paper with a red ball-point pen as 10/10 and 'Passed' and signed.
Then he started going thru my N-400 application. First he picked up my green card and verified the name on the application as being the same. He asked me if I wish to change my name and I said no. He then flipped thru the second page - nothing of importance was there for him.
He then asked me as to what I do. I had written 'Software Engineer'. He asked to elaborate that a little. He seemed satisfied at my answer. At this time he was looking at my employment history page. No questions here too.
Later he turned to the 'trips taken outside US' page and asked if these were the only trips I took - I replied in affirmative, on that he wanted to know if any of the trips was more than 6 months. Again the answer was 'no'.
Later he turned to the marriage/spouse/kids questions - which were pretty straight forward to answer.
He did not ask me anything regarding the “list of associations” of which I was a member.
Then he turned to the 'Moral character' questions and asked me if I was ever arrested/went to jail. Did I ever support an illegal alien or activity? Was I ever involved in drugs or terrorist activities? Answers to all were an obvious "NO-NO-NO'. He did ask me the tax filing question - I replied that I have filed & paid all my taxes on time.
Lastly he asked the Oath/allegiance questions - am I ready to take oath? Will I bear arms on behalf of US etc...?
He seemed satisfied with my answers and then he asked me to sign the last page (full signature in cursive) and print my name. He then signed himself and told me that he is going to 'approve' my application. I thanked him for the same! He did not allow me to use my own pen - had to use the provided stationery!!
The officer had to fill in many other details on the first page of my N-400 application on the file and he put a 'stamp of approval' on there with the date 5/1/06. Then he took out my photographs that were submitted along with and asked me to sign on the photos (full signature cursive). He had to apply some coating with an eraser like thing that made it easy to sign - no need to have a separate pen!
Then he asked me to put away my green card/drivers license/passport.
Note that he did NOT see/refer to my passport NOR did he ask for ANY other document(s)!!
He printed out the N-652 letter and wrote my A# on it and checked the 'your application is approved......' He then told me that my oath ceremony will be on June 21st and wrote that date on my N-652. He just orally told me the venue and that a letter with full details/timings will be arriving in mail.
He then escorted me via a different route - this time he carried my file and en route he kept that file in another officers cabin (she just asked him to put it on a certain stack).
This time we came OUT of that BIG door. I thanked him again and shook hands before leaving - I was very relieved!!
By this time my wife had already returned from her interview. Her application was approved too!!
Her interview went on similar lines except that she was interviewed by a Hispanic lady officer who was very friendly according to my wife! She was given a civics test where all the questions were 'fill-in-the-blanks' type and she was asked to write two sentences in English (both from the standard list). She too was asked questions on very similar lines but the only difference being that she was asked to show her tax returns. We had taken all our 8 years tax returns (5 years printouts and 3 years IRS transcripts). The officer was impressed and no more documents were requested!!
My wife too was given the same date (June 21st) for Oath Ceremony and we suspect that everyone that gets approved within a certain period gets called for the same ceremony. This seems more credible 'cause we saw 2-3 other people attending the interview with us who were also present for the fingerprinting earlier!
Anyway everything went smoothly and we are waiting eagerly for June 21!!
All the best to all other folks who are yet to go thru their N-400 process.
I wish to thank all other contributing members on this forum! Their detailed answers to my numerous queries really put me to ease and I could get thru my N-400 with no attorney assistance and yet came out successfully!!!
Green Card stamping - 4/30/2001
Application Date - Feb 2, 06
Receipt Date/priority date - Feb 6, 06
Fingerprinting - Mar 21, 06
Interview - May 1, 06
Oath Ceremony scheduled - June 21, 06
Appointment was at 9:20am. Went in 25 min prior. Note - they do NOT allow cell phones/cameras/recording devices inside! Leave them in your car or at your home!!
Need to follow a 'blue' line all the way to an 'unmanned' counter. You are asked to drop-off/place your interview notice letter in a tray which is cleared every few minutes. There were about 20-25 persons sitting in front of the counter so we thought we were in for a long wait! Since we were about 25 minutes early to the counter - just had to wait anyway!
There was a big closed door besides the counter and we observed that the USCIS officers were coming out to call-out a name and then escort that person inside. Usually the interviewees were going in/out in 10-15 minutes. Exactly at 9:20am a lady officer came out and called for 3/4 female interviewees at the same time and instead taking them through the whole group went in a different direction. My wife was in this group. Later we learnt that all were taken to the officer's own office room (instead of a regular interview chamber)!
I was waiting alone for another 10-15 minutes and then an office came out and called out my name! Again, instead of taking me through the big door; he started to take me in a different direction. While we were walking together, he introduced himself in a very polite and professional manner and asked if I had to wait to long! A very pleasant surprise indeed...
Then we walked via an access-controlled door (officer had to use his badge to get in). This was a regular office area with various officers’ cabins. In some cabins I could see some other persons being interviewed.
Soon we arrived at the officer’s cabin - his name plate was displayed outside. He went in first and stood behind his chair. There were 2 chairs for visitors. I also kept standing behind on of the chair. He then asked me to raise my right hand and put me under oath.
As we sat down, he asked me to show my green card, drivers license and passport. Then he gave me an exam paper (for English & civics). First he asked me to sign the exam paper with pencil and provided the same. He then walked out telling me to write a sentence in the space provided "I drive a blue car to work". The civics questions were at the top of this sheet. It was a mix of multiple choice and 'fill in blanks' type of questions. One is supposed to circle the correct answer. There were a total of 10 questions.
The officer returned in a couple of minutes, this time with my "A#" file. By this time I had already finished answering the questions so I kept looking at the officer and the officer kept looking at the file! He browsed through the file for a long time (giving me some anxious moments!). At one time he put a 'sticky' on one page in the file and kept browsing. The file contained all the documentation that was submitted for my green card process. Also present were the application and photos submitted for N-400!
After he was done going thru the file, the officer examined my answer sheet. Everything was correct. He marked the paper with a red ball-point pen as 10/10 and 'Passed' and signed.
Then he started going thru my N-400 application. First he picked up my green card and verified the name on the application as being the same. He asked me if I wish to change my name and I said no. He then flipped thru the second page - nothing of importance was there for him.
He then asked me as to what I do. I had written 'Software Engineer'. He asked to elaborate that a little. He seemed satisfied at my answer. At this time he was looking at my employment history page. No questions here too.
Later he turned to the 'trips taken outside US' page and asked if these were the only trips I took - I replied in affirmative, on that he wanted to know if any of the trips was more than 6 months. Again the answer was 'no'.
Later he turned to the marriage/spouse/kids questions - which were pretty straight forward to answer.
He did not ask me anything regarding the “list of associations” of which I was a member.
Then he turned to the 'Moral character' questions and asked me if I was ever arrested/went to jail. Did I ever support an illegal alien or activity? Was I ever involved in drugs or terrorist activities? Answers to all were an obvious "NO-NO-NO'. He did ask me the tax filing question - I replied that I have filed & paid all my taxes on time.
Lastly he asked the Oath/allegiance questions - am I ready to take oath? Will I bear arms on behalf of US etc...?
He seemed satisfied with my answers and then he asked me to sign the last page (full signature in cursive) and print my name. He then signed himself and told me that he is going to 'approve' my application. I thanked him for the same! He did not allow me to use my own pen - had to use the provided stationery!!
The officer had to fill in many other details on the first page of my N-400 application on the file and he put a 'stamp of approval' on there with the date 5/1/06. Then he took out my photographs that were submitted along with and asked me to sign on the photos (full signature cursive). He had to apply some coating with an eraser like thing that made it easy to sign - no need to have a separate pen!
Then he asked me to put away my green card/drivers license/passport.
Note that he did NOT see/refer to my passport NOR did he ask for ANY other document(s)!!
He printed out the N-652 letter and wrote my A# on it and checked the 'your application is approved......' He then told me that my oath ceremony will be on June 21st and wrote that date on my N-652. He just orally told me the venue and that a letter with full details/timings will be arriving in mail.
He then escorted me via a different route - this time he carried my file and en route he kept that file in another officers cabin (she just asked him to put it on a certain stack).
This time we came OUT of that BIG door. I thanked him again and shook hands before leaving - I was very relieved!!
By this time my wife had already returned from her interview. Her application was approved too!!
Her interview went on similar lines except that she was interviewed by a Hispanic lady officer who was very friendly according to my wife! She was given a civics test where all the questions were 'fill-in-the-blanks' type and she was asked to write two sentences in English (both from the standard list). She too was asked questions on very similar lines but the only difference being that she was asked to show her tax returns. We had taken all our 8 years tax returns (5 years printouts and 3 years IRS transcripts). The officer was impressed and no more documents were requested!!
My wife too was given the same date (June 21st) for Oath Ceremony and we suspect that everyone that gets approved within a certain period gets called for the same ceremony. This seems more credible 'cause we saw 2-3 other people attending the interview with us who were also present for the fingerprinting earlier!
Anyway everything went smoothly and we are waiting eagerly for June 21!!
All the best to all other folks who are yet to go thru their N-400 process.
I wish to thank all other contributing members on this forum! Their detailed answers to my numerous queries really put me to ease and I could get thru my N-400 with no attorney assistance and yet came out successfully!!!