MN timeline for naturalization and passport application
For those who're following Minnesota processing times:
N400 Priority Date: June 20, 2005
FP: August 13, 2005
Interview: November 29, 2005
Was a breeze. In and out in about 40 minutes. I was asked 3 or 4 questions - who are the senators from MN? who is the governor? who is the President of the US? - all from the 100-question list. Very polite. I was asked if I had new photos with me as I had submitted photos as per the old guidelines (three-quarter face with one ear showing). I gave him the new photos (I'd received a letter earlier asking me to bring them). That was it. (My wife's experience was similar.)
The oath ceremony invite took a little longer as we could not be accomodated in the December ceremony. Since we were planning a trip abroad in early March 2006 we were concerned about completing everything on time (including applying for and getting our US passports), we wrote the USCIS local office (where we had been interviewed) in January 2006 asking for information about the oath ceremony. We received a letter promptly giving us the date.
N445 - Formal Notice of Naturalization oath Ceremony (dated January 17, 2006).
Naturalization Oath Ceremony: February 15, 2006 (Minneapolis)
We were asked to report at 8:30 am. When reached at 8:00 am there were about 500+ people ahead of us in the line. I thought some of the officials managing the line could have been more polite. Some of the attendees had issues and questions and had trouble expressing themselves clearly in English. I overheard an official asking, "How did you pass your interview?" Beyond that point - from the time we actually checked in - everyone was very warm and welcoming. My wife and I were assigned separate seats initially. It was very easy to get that changed so that we could sit together. The ceremony began at 11:00 am when everyone was checked in and seated. (We had to surrender our green cards.) It was over by 11:45. We walked out with the other 1240 brand new citizens (from 200 countries), naturalization certificates in hand. We were unable to stick around to shake hands with the judge as we had to rush out to turn our passport applications in (remember the trip abroad?).
Applied for expedited passport on Feb 15, 2006. First time passports have to be applied for in person.
Received US passport (from Seattle passport agency) on February 26, 2006 (in 11 days!!)
Fast and painless processing experiences to all of you.
For those who're following Minnesota processing times:
N400 Priority Date: June 20, 2005
FP: August 13, 2005
Interview: November 29, 2005
Was a breeze. In and out in about 40 minutes. I was asked 3 or 4 questions - who are the senators from MN? who is the governor? who is the President of the US? - all from the 100-question list. Very polite. I was asked if I had new photos with me as I had submitted photos as per the old guidelines (three-quarter face with one ear showing). I gave him the new photos (I'd received a letter earlier asking me to bring them). That was it. (My wife's experience was similar.)
The oath ceremony invite took a little longer as we could not be accomodated in the December ceremony. Since we were planning a trip abroad in early March 2006 we were concerned about completing everything on time (including applying for and getting our US passports), we wrote the USCIS local office (where we had been interviewed) in January 2006 asking for information about the oath ceremony. We received a letter promptly giving us the date.
N445 - Formal Notice of Naturalization oath Ceremony (dated January 17, 2006).
Naturalization Oath Ceremony: February 15, 2006 (Minneapolis)
We were asked to report at 8:30 am. When reached at 8:00 am there were about 500+ people ahead of us in the line. I thought some of the officials managing the line could have been more polite. Some of the attendees had issues and questions and had trouble expressing themselves clearly in English. I overheard an official asking, "How did you pass your interview?" Beyond that point - from the time we actually checked in - everyone was very warm and welcoming. My wife and I were assigned separate seats initially. It was very easy to get that changed so that we could sit together. The ceremony began at 11:00 am when everyone was checked in and seated. (We had to surrender our green cards.) It was over by 11:45. We walked out with the other 1240 brand new citizens (from 200 countries), naturalization certificates in hand. We were unable to stick around to shake hands with the judge as we had to rush out to turn our passport applications in (remember the trip abroad?).
Applied for expedited passport on Feb 15, 2006. First time passports have to be applied for in person.
Received US passport (from Seattle passport agency) on February 26, 2006 (in 11 days!!)
Fast and painless processing experiences to all of you.
