My interview experience at SFO

O

oursignup

Registered Users (C)
Just came out of the USCIS office in downtown SFO...

My interview time was 7.55am, after 2 hour commute I arrived at the office at 7.20am and after the security screen was instructed to go to 2nd floor.

Took the elevator up and gave the interview letter to the reception. The lady there took the letter and asked me to sit in the "E" waiting area.

I took a quick bio break and was seated there in the hall. There were about 10 other people. I was waiting and 7.55am came and went past. A few others were being called to their alphabetic door via the intercom.

At about 8.10am my name was called and I promptly walked over and stood in front of the door marked "E". About couple of minutes latter a young asian officer opened the door and walked with me to him office.

There after I put down all the things that I was carrying (like coat and document folders), I was given the oath and I said "I do".

The officer then asked a) Passport b) Green Card c) ID. I provided all of them including my re-entry permit.

He them asked how I got my GC, and asked for my employer name who had applied for the GC. After which he looked at the passport and was cross checking the dates mentioned in the application with that in the passport.

He asked me if I had taken any other trips, to which I showed him the new N400 that I had printed out adding my 1 trip after filing for N400. The officer noted this info in the original application.

I then said, I also have the copy of N470. While I was taking it out from the folders the officer said he has the original on file and does not need my copy.

He then asked me the reason for the 2 long stays outside US, I told him about it he seemed satisfied. He then proceeded to the English and History tests. After the tests he said I passed them all with perfect score.

He then said he is going to print out my details like name and DOB for me to double check and sign. Which I did.

He then gave me a paper where my 2 long trips were mentioned and reason was asked. some thing like this

Reason of long trip 1 start date to end date?

Did you file N470?

Reason of long trip 2 start date to end date?

Did you file N470?
I wrote in my response in the provided area in the paper and signed it.

He then asked me to sign my passport photo which I had submitted with my application. After that he gave me N652 (Naturalization Interview results)
In this form "You passed the tests of English and History" was checked

and

B) A decision cannot yet be made about your application was checked.

When I asked him why a decision can't be made, he said that he needs to review it and and I will get a notice from them in 4 to 6 weeks.

Anyone had this happen? Please share your experience and results after that.
 
Why he asked your GC sponsor? Did you list it in your application? Can you share some details?
 
Oursignup - I am wondering if you can elaborate a little more on a few things.

First off, did the IO ask you follow up questions about the employer who sponsored you for the GC - how long you worked there after the GC, why you left etc.?

Secondly, I am wondering about the two trips that the IO seemed to be interested in: what was the duration of each? What reason did you give him for being out of the country? And why, I wonder, would he ask you to write your answers down?

If you don't mind me asking, were you close to the limits of continuos residency or physical presence? The reason I ask is that I have quite a few trips of a very low duration outside the US (longest is 8 days). I can't quite remember the disctinct reason for all of them, other than they were "personal" in nature - mainly weekend getaways in Mexico, or taking family members over the border, or buying ceramics and gifts and stuff. Nothing special, but I don't know that I can really assign a reason to each one of them, if asked. That's what worries me a little bit - this and the fact that the IO "continued" your application. What more do you think he needs to "review" in order to give you an answer?
 
asfasf said:
Why he asked your GC sponsor? Did you list it in your application? Can you share some details?
Click to expand...
Yes, in the N400 application Part 6.B you have to list all of your employers during the last five years. The IO did not have any other followup questions related to that. I did not switch immedietly after GC.

yummyk said:
Oursignup - I am wondering if you can elaborate a little more on a few things.

First off, did the IO ask you follow up questions about the employer who sponsored you for the GC - how long you worked there after the GC, why you left etc.?
Click to expand...
The IO did not have any other followup questions related to that. I did not switch immedietly after GC.

yummyk said:
Secondly, I am wondering about the two trips that the IO seemed to be interested in: what was the duration of each? What reason did you give him for being out of the country? And why, I wonder, would he ask you to write your answers down?
Click to expand...

My first trip was 247 days
My second trip was 578 days

Even though I have filed my N470 which covers my entire stay outside US while I am employed by the same US company (who had sponsored my N470). My reasons were medical related and I had all of my medical records. He was not interested in seeing them.

The fact that he asked me to write it down was the intriguig to me as well. I would like to hear from the rest of folks here :)

yummyk said:
If you don't mind me asking, were you close to the limits of continuos residency or physical presence? The reason I ask is that I have quite a few trips of a very low duration outside the US (longest is 8 days). I can't quite remember the disctinct reason for all of them, other than they were "personal" in nature - mainly weekend getaways in Mexico, or taking family members over the border, or buying ceramics and gifts and stuff. Nothing special, but I don't know that I can really assign a reason to each one of them, if asked. That's what worries me a little bit - this and the fact that the IO "continued" your application. What more do you think he needs to "review" in order to give you an answer?
Click to expand...

If I were you, I wouldn't worry about the small trips.



suresh_colo said:
How "long" were those 2 stays outside the US? Were they both longer than 6 months each?
Click to expand...

Yes, they were:
My first trip was 247 days
My second trip was 578 days
 
Oursignup - thanks a lot for the follow up responses to the questions. I think the question about your sponsoring employer was perhaps just a standard question. Obviously the IO knew the answer since he / she had access to your entire file.

In terms of your trips, I have never heard of anybody being asked to fill in a separate form during the interview. However, if I may speculate, it may have something to do with the duration of both of them. They were both quite lengthy, both over six months, and the second one was about 19 months, which is quite long. I suspect that the IO just wants to make sure that everything is OK with the trips before approving you for naturalization. Since you filed the N-470s appropriately, then you should be fine. Hope everything works out for you, and I will be looking forward to reading your good news here when you receive confirmation in the mail!
 
The officer probably needs to run this by his supervisor. Looking at your exnteded stays outside the US, your file probably needs a supervisor's adjudication. All N-400s are adjudicated by two officers, some require more experienced officers and/or supervisors.

oursignup said:
Anyone had this happen? Please share your experience and results after that.
Click to expand...
 
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