Before going to sleep, I put my file containing my immigration related documents on the table by the front door. I then set my alarm for 5AM and planned to leave the next morning for Norfolk by 6AM at the latest as my interview was scheduled for 8AM.
I wake up and it’s nice and bright outside. I look at my clock and its 7:35AM. I run to the bathroom, wash my face, put my contacts on, got dressed and grabbed the file on the way out. Once in the car I called the USCIS number but it was still too early. I called back at 8AM had to wait 30 minutes for a CS representative. I explained my unfortunate situation and asked if she could patch me through to the Norfolk office. She said no and that it was up to the local office to decide whether or not they would see me.
I pull into the parking lot at around 9:15 but there was no parking. I had to drive around the building and parked in a no parking zone along with several other people. I ran to the door and the security guard came out. He asked me how my day was and I told him my story. He laughed and let me in and the other guard made a joking comment about me “hauling-ass” all the way from Richmond. This guard told me to put my interview letter in the box marked citizenship. There was probably a stack of over 50 in there.
At 9:50 a Chinese officer (judging by his name) came out and butchered my name. (He probably butchered every other word he spoke too!) I walked back with him into his little cubicle and he administered the oath. He went down the application asking me questions about my full name, date of birth, address, marriage and child status, employment history, and my overseas trips.
He had me write my name in cursive on a piece of paper and then had me copy it on my pictures, and a few other sheets of paper. He asked me to write the sentence “some people work harder than others” in cursive and 5 questions from a list about U.S. history. I was then asked for my proof of selective registration and I showed him my registration card. He had me copy the number and date of registration on the application form.
Then he went back to my trips and asked me about my extended stay aboard a few years back. I’m applying under the 4+1 rule. I told him that my parents had divorced and for my junior and senior years, I attended school while living in Bangladesh with my father. He took a quick look at my passports and didn’t even bother to see my re-entry permit related to my extended stay. I signed the application in front of him and also initialed a document with my name, address, A-number and date of birth.
He then explained that a decision could not be made at this time for two reasons:
1) Name-check was still pending as of 05/24/2005. He said another request will be sent to the FBI within a week. While he showed me a document with the name-check status, I saw 07/30/2004 written on the top of the page. Before I could read the surrounding information he took the file back. I guess that is that date my name-check request was submitted to the FBI.
2) He gave me a questionnaire to explain the circumstances of my extended trip. All the questions relate to employment and taxes. He told me to write “not applicable” and to attach a notarized statement explaining that I was attending school while I was away. I told him that I still had official copies of my high school transcript and he said that I should mail in a copy along with the statement.
Before leaving I explained to him that I would be moving back home as I recently graduated from college and that my district office would change to Arlington. He said that he would mail future correspondence to my home address but would make arrangements for me to take the oath in Richmond under the Norfolk offices’ jurisdiction. He told me to mail him a reminder note along with my notarized statement.
After that, he walked me out off the office and I was on the road by 10:40. All I can do now is hope that my name check clears soon.
One think I noticed while I waited was that people complained about approvals not being granted. I assume that this is related to the name-check delay.
I wake up and it’s nice and bright outside. I look at my clock and its 7:35AM. I run to the bathroom, wash my face, put my contacts on, got dressed and grabbed the file on the way out. Once in the car I called the USCIS number but it was still too early. I called back at 8AM had to wait 30 minutes for a CS representative. I explained my unfortunate situation and asked if she could patch me through to the Norfolk office. She said no and that it was up to the local office to decide whether or not they would see me.
I pull into the parking lot at around 9:15 but there was no parking. I had to drive around the building and parked in a no parking zone along with several other people. I ran to the door and the security guard came out. He asked me how my day was and I told him my story. He laughed and let me in and the other guard made a joking comment about me “hauling-ass” all the way from Richmond. This guard told me to put my interview letter in the box marked citizenship. There was probably a stack of over 50 in there.
At 9:50 a Chinese officer (judging by his name) came out and butchered my name. (He probably butchered every other word he spoke too!) I walked back with him into his little cubicle and he administered the oath. He went down the application asking me questions about my full name, date of birth, address, marriage and child status, employment history, and my overseas trips.
He had me write my name in cursive on a piece of paper and then had me copy it on my pictures, and a few other sheets of paper. He asked me to write the sentence “some people work harder than others” in cursive and 5 questions from a list about U.S. history. I was then asked for my proof of selective registration and I showed him my registration card. He had me copy the number and date of registration on the application form.
Then he went back to my trips and asked me about my extended stay aboard a few years back. I’m applying under the 4+1 rule. I told him that my parents had divorced and for my junior and senior years, I attended school while living in Bangladesh with my father. He took a quick look at my passports and didn’t even bother to see my re-entry permit related to my extended stay. I signed the application in front of him and also initialed a document with my name, address, A-number and date of birth.
He then explained that a decision could not be made at this time for two reasons:
1) Name-check was still pending as of 05/24/2005. He said another request will be sent to the FBI within a week. While he showed me a document with the name-check status, I saw 07/30/2004 written on the top of the page. Before I could read the surrounding information he took the file back. I guess that is that date my name-check request was submitted to the FBI.
2) He gave me a questionnaire to explain the circumstances of my extended trip. All the questions relate to employment and taxes. He told me to write “not applicable” and to attach a notarized statement explaining that I was attending school while I was away. I told him that I still had official copies of my high school transcript and he said that I should mail in a copy along with the statement.
Before leaving I explained to him that I would be moving back home as I recently graduated from college and that my district office would change to Arlington. He said that he would mail future correspondence to my home address but would make arrangements for me to take the oath in Richmond under the Norfolk offices’ jurisdiction. He told me to mail him a reminder note along with my notarized statement.
After that, he walked me out off the office and I was on the road by 10:40. All I can do now is hope that my name check clears soon.
One think I noticed while I waited was that people complained about approvals not being granted. I assume that this is related to the name-check delay.
