Philadelphia PA - N-400 Timeline

Hello PHL_PD-Jan05,

One of my friends, who attended interview on Sep 16 also mentioned about the same. He said that he had to write N400 form and give it to the interview officer.

He is also waiting for oath letter. So you are not alone. Hopefully, you get your oath form soon.

Good Luck,
Sayam
 
Interview day problems...

Sayam said:
Hello PHL_PD-Jan05,

One of my friends, who attended interview on Sep 16 also mentioned about the same. He said that he had to write N400 form and give it to the interview officer.

He is also waiting for oath letter. So you are not alone. Hopefully, you get your oath form soon.

Good Luck,
Sayam
Click to expand...

Thanks Sayam...
From the way the Interview Officer talked, I guess we weren't even supposed to proceed with the interview as our files weren't in the office. This explains (may be??) some of the postings I see on this forum who got "Interview cancellation" letters week or two before their scheduled dates. I guess USCIS wait for their files to show-up before they reschedule...

So for those who has not interviewed yet: Make sure you have the copy of your N400 along with other documents...

Good luck to everyone!

Best.

PD: Jan 05, 2007
FP: few weeks later
Loooong Name Check Process...
ID: Sep 19, 2008
OD:still waiting
 
what documents are needed for oath ceremony?

Hey guys,
Any idea what documents are needed for oath ceremony???????
The oah letter notice says among the papers required,''Any immigration documents you may have''like what??????
Please help???????
my oath ceremony will be on the 6th,I will keep you updated.
thank you
Jaydende
 
Jaydende said:
Hey guys,
Any idea what documents are needed for oath ceremony???????
The oah letter notice says among the papers required,''Any immigration documents you may have''like what??????
Please help???????
my oath ceremony will be on the 6th,I will keep you updated.
thank you
Jaydende
Click to expand...


These you will return to USCIS at the ceremony:
Green Card (even old expired ones)
Employment card (if any)
Any notices or documents USCIS gave to you.


But take the notice, your Driver Lic or State ID for identification.

I think you have to check Yes or No on the Notice also.

Will be looking forward to you post.

Oh aslo i called the Court in Wilmington....my name was not on the list....so i am kinda relaxed that the letter did not get lost.
I guess they will mail it later this month..
 
Philly interview experience

All,

Here's my interview experience at the Philadelphia DO. It matches what most other have reported. Nothing unusual, no surprises.

Reported at USCIS building about 30 min before the scheduled time. They make you go through airport-like security. Carry-on items get scanned, you need to remove your coat and so on. No need to remove shoes, though.

I got sent to the 6th floor. Presented my interview letter to the woman at the window who kept it, and told me to take a seat in the waiting area. After about 15 minutes, a youngish guy - maybe in his mid 30s - called my name and asked me to follow him. Once at his desk he made me swear that I would tell the truth. He asked me if I wanted to change my name. I said 'No'. He quickly went through items on the form and asked me my address, whether I was married or not and how many times, and where I worked. Then came the Yes/No part which was fast. Asked me the civics/history questions. Made me sign the N-400 form and photographs. I was told to write my full name in cursive on the photos.

He then congratulated me, and handed me form N-652 that had two boxes checked signifying that I had passed the civics/history test and 'appeared to meet' all requirements for naturalization. He told me to expect the oath letter in about 3 - 4 weeks. I asked him if he could schedule me for an oath, but he said I should wait for a letter in the mail. Based on what others have reported, I can only surmise that he had to send my case to a senior officer for a final decision and hence could not schedule an oath for me right there. That's fine by me. I'll wait. Like I have any other choice ;)

I had 9 trips outside the US in the last 5 years, and the total of all those days was about 180. The single longest trip was of about 3 weeks.

My case seems to have take about 1- 2 months longer than my Philly contemporaries, and I assume it could have been due to a name check. Just a guess.

Documents asked for: GC and passport. I just can't seem to remember if he asked me for my driver's license. My IL was taken at the registration desk.
I had taken tax transcripts, marriage and birth certs, letter from employer etc. But I did not even have to take them out of the folder.

Observations: The IO was very professional, very thorough and very fast. I was done in 10 min. There was absolutely *no* time and *no* opportunity for any small talk that many other applicants seem to engage in. In fact, from what I saw and from what I could gather from chatting with a few others present there is that all the IOs seemed to be working hard to process as many people as possible in the shortest possible time. There was an air of urgency and speed in that office. Excellent sign.

USCIS has definitely sped up a lot, and they should be given credit for this. I do realize that there may still be room for improvement, but they are certainly working very hard.

If your case is straightforward, then you should not be concerned. Just be yourself.

THANKS a million to all the posters who shared their experiences on here. This forum ROCKS.

THANKS to Mr. Rajiv Khanna who has been kind enough to allow us the benefit of using this board. It is a terrific source of knowledge and I hope it stays that way.

All the best to those who are waiting!

Timeline:
PD: mid-April 2008
FP: mid-May 2008
IL: mid-Sept 2008
ID: 11/3/2008
Oath: Waiting
 
realnewbie said:
All,

Here's my interview experience at the Philadelphia DO. It matches what most other have reported. Nothing unusual, no surprises.

Reported at USCIS building about 30 min before the scheduled time. They make you go through airport-like security. Carry-on items get scanned, you need to remove your coat and so on. No need to remove shoes, though.

I got sent to the 6th floor. Presented my interview letter to the woman at the window who kept it, and told me to take a seat in the waiting area. After about 15 minutes, a youngish guy - maybe in his mid 30s - called my name and asked me to follow him. Once at his desk he made me swear that I would tell the truth. He asked me if I wanted to change my name. I said 'No'. He quickly went through items on the form and asked me my address, whether I was married or not and how many times, and where I worked. Then came the Yes/No part which was fast. Asked me the civics/history questions. Made me sign the N-400 form and photographs. I was told to write my full name in cursive on the photos.

He then congratulated me, and handed me form N-652 that had two boxes checked signifying that I had passed the civics/history test and 'appeared to meet' all requirements for naturalization. He told me to expect the oath letter in about 3 - 4 weeks. I asked him if he could schedule me for an oath, but he said I should wait for a letter in the mail. Based on what others have reported, I can only surmise that he had to send my case to a senior officer for a final decision and hence could not schedule an oath for me right there. That's fine by me. I'll wait. Like I have any other choice ;)

I had 9 trips outside the US in the last 5 years, and the total of all those days was about 180. The single longest trip was of about 3 weeks.

My case seems to have take about 1- 2 months longer than my Philly contemporaries, and I assume it could have been due to a name check. Just a guess.

Documents asked for: GC and passport. I just can't seem to remember if he asked me for my driver's license. My IL was taken at the registration desk.
I had taken tax transcripts, marriage and birth certs, letter from employer etc. But I did not even have to take them out of the folder.

Observations: The IO was very professional, very thorough and very fast. I was done in 10 min. There was absolutely *no* time and *no* opportunity for any small talk that many other applicants seem to engage in. In fact, from what I saw and from what I could gather from chatting with a few others present there is that all the IOs seemed to be working hard to process as many people as possible in the shortest possible time. There was an air of urgency and speed in that office. Excellent sign.

USCIS has definitely sped up a lot, and they should be given credit for this. I do realize that there may still be room for improvement, but they are certainly working very hard.

If your case is straightforward, then you should not be concerned. Just be yourself.

THANKS a million to all the posters who shared their experiences on here. This forum ROCKS.

THANKS to Mr. Rajiv Khanna who has been kind enough to allow us the benefit of using this board. It is a terrific source of knowledge and I hope it stays that way.

All the best to those who are waiting!

Timeline:
PD: mid-April 2008
FP: mid-May 2008
IL: mid-Sept 2008
ID: 11/3/2008
Oath: Waiting
Click to expand...

realnewbie.....

I strongly agree with you. You discription is very vivide and direct to how the Philly Do is moving.
I had my Interview on the 8th of October... same 3weeks + wait .

Well Congratulations....
 
Ucheojo1,
Thanks a bunch for the information!I just wanted to double-check(I still have everything packed from the interview ,looks like I am going to take the whole file with me).
You did your part: you did an infopass and inquired ,you called the court,now just relax,it will definitely come.The IO told me to expect it after 3 -6 weeks after interview,so I was intending to do sth if I didn't get it after 6 weeks.Our interview dates were too close to the point that i was thinking we will have the same oath dates ,but who knows how they schedule that?
Anyway,hang in there ,you'll get it soon.
I am ready for the oath ceremony on thursday,I'll let you know about how it goes on thursday night .
Realnewbie,
Congratulations on your interview!
 
Philly interview was a breeze... lasted about 10 minutes or so. We were late by half-an-hour, but nevertheless they called us five minutes after we signed in on 6th floor. Apparently, they are having oath ceremonies in the same building every Thursday now, and court (judicial) ceremonies once in a month. My wife is changing her name, so she will be waiting for a court ceremony, myself will be sworn next Thursday - 11/13. Good luck to everybody still waiting, there's a good sign that Philly DO is improving their act and timing...
 
Jaydende said:
Ucheojo1,
Thanks a bunch for the information!I just wanted to double-check(I still have everything packed from the interview ,looks like I am going to take the whole file with me).
You did your part: you did an infopass and inquired ,you called the court,now just relax,it will definitely come.The IO told me to expect it after 3 -6 weeks after interview,so I was intending to do sth if I didn't get it after 6 weeks.Our interview dates were too close to the point that i was thinking we will have the same oath dates ,but who knows how they schedule that?
Anyway,hang in there ,you'll get it soon.
I am ready for the oath ceremony on thursday,I'll let you know about how it goes on thursday night .
Realnewbie,
Congratulations on your interview!
Click to expand...


Hey Jaydende

How was the Oath Ceremony
 
Oath ceremony experience in Wilmington court house

Hi ucheojo1,
I checked in before 9:00 ,and as usual ,we went through the screening process at the entrance.I had to leave my cell phone there and was given a number to get it back on my way out.I was instructed to go to the third floor where the oath ceremony usually takes place.The room was crowded,I asked one of the clerks whether I have to sign in ,he said just 'have a seat'.Few minutes later, the clerk told us to go to the 2nd floor where the ceremony will take place.After everybody was seated,a young lady introduced herself as an immigration examiner who's gonna start the processing,she started calling people and asked to bring the oath letter and the GC ,that was the only documents she asked for.while she was processing people,she was asking mainly 2 questions:have you been out of USA after the interview?
Do you have any trouble with the police?
Then ,she asked to go to the other line to review your citizenship certificate
and to sign it.After that we were waiting ,and she mentioned that 3 people didn't show up and they were waiting to see if they might come.
we were 70 to become new citizens ,3 were absent.
After oath,the judge gave a speech,we salute the flag,2 people volunteered to say sth,we heard ''the star spangled banner'',then the judge started handing the citizenship certificate to each person and congratulating him.
the whole process took about 2 hours and 45 mins.
It was a great experience !!!!!!!!!!!!and I am glad it is over!
All the very best to all of those who are still waiting ,and it is worth it!
Thanks everybody for every idea,for every word,for every posted experience
It helps a lot in this process .And many thanks to the founder of this forum,I found it awesome,interesting and valuable,so keep up the good work everybody!
PS : I guess people who asked for a name change were called at the very beginning,and were given forms to fill out.
-There was 1 lady who had the oath notice and they didn't find her cc,so she was ordered to do everything we did,but has to come to the following ceremony which I believe is held every first thursday of the month to get her citizenship certificate.
Thank you

Ucheojo,if you have any questions,I'll be checking to see when you'll be getting your Ol! Good luck!
 
Congratulations!! It amazes me how the oath process varies greatly between DOs. My oath ceremony took 20 minutes, and I've heard of oaths taking up to 3 hrs!
 
Jaydende said:
Hi ucheojo1,
I checked in before 9:00 ,and as usual ,we went through the screening process at the entrance.I had to leave my cell phone there and was given a number to get it back on my way out.I was instructed to go to the third floor where the oath ceremony usually takes place.The room was crowded,I asked one of the clerks whether I have to sign in ,he said just 'have a seat'.Few minutes later, the clerk told us to go to the 2nd floor where the ceremony will take place.After everybody was seated,a young lady introduced herself as an immigration examiner who's gonna start the processing,she started calling people and asked to bring the oath letter and the GC ,that was the only documents she asked for.while she was processing people,she was asking mainly 2 questions:have you been out of USA after the interview?
Do you have any trouble with the police?
Then ,she asked to go to the other line to review your citizenship certificate
and to sign it.After that we were waiting ,and she mentioned that 3 people didn't show up and they were waiting to see if they might come.
we were 70 to become new citizens ,3 were absent.
After oath,the judge gave a speech,we salute the flag,2 people volunteered to say sth,we heard ''the star spangled banner'',then the judge started handing the citizenship certificate to each person and congratulating him.
the whole process took about 2 hours and 45 mins.
It was a great experience !!!!!!!!!!!!and I am glad it is over!
All the very best to all of those who are still waiting ,and it is worth it!
Thanks everybody for every idea,for every word,for every posted experience
It helps a lot in this process .And many thanks to the founder of this forum,I found it awesome,interesting and valuable,so keep up the good work everybody!
PS : I guess people who asked for a name change were called at the very beginning,and were given forms to fill out.
-There was 1 lady who had the oath notice and they didn't find her cc,so she was ordered to do everything we did,but has to come to the following ceremony which I believe is held every first thursday of the month to get her citizenship certificate.
Thank you

Ucheojo,if you have any questions,I'll be checking to see when you'll be getting your Ol! Good luck!
Click to expand...

Congratulations.... you got double good news this week. (election and USCIS)

You said 3 people were absent. Did they call their names?

I hope I was not one of the three? (lol)

I called the court last week and the lady told me my name was not on the list...i hope i can take her word to the bank.

Anyway youknow the next step.

* Passport
* update yor status @ social security Admin
* Update your Status with your Job.

I will keep you posted
 
Bobsmyth said:
Congratulations!! It amazes me how the oath process varies greatly between DOs. My oath ceremony took 20 minutes, and I've heard of oaths taking up to 3 hrs!
Click to expand...

Mine took about 5 hours, which is a standard procedure for all NYC oaths held at the Brooklyn Courthouse.
 
5 hrs?? wow..and to think that they had mega ceremonies in Miami in Los Angeles that naturalize 8000 applicants at once in under 3 hrs..makes you wonder where the inefficiencies are.

I was reading on the USCIS website that their goal for 2009 is to adjudicate N-400 applications in 5 months. Quite a loft goal considering that some DOs still have posted processing times of over 12 months.

The thing that concerns me is that eventually they will start cutting back staff since current resources do not warrant the number of new applications coming in. Once the backlog in done, I predict they will slowly cut back staff without notice to the public. Let's see how the next administration decides to deals with the agency.
 
Oath ceremony in DE - ucheojo1 have you heard?

N-400 received 7/1/2008
Interview in Philly 10/8/2008
Passed the interview, asked about being sworn in the same day, so that I could register to vote, but was told I had to wait for DE office.

Still waiting, and it has been about a month since I had my interview, it does not seem like it would have to take this long. As I am not leaving the country for a while, I am fine, but would like to put it all behind me.


ucheojo1, have you received your letter yet? It seems like we interviewed on the same day, so we should be sworn in at the same ceremony.
 
Question about your wife's timeline

albertr said:
Philly interview was a breeze... lasted about 10 minutes or so. We were late by half-an-hour, but nevertheless they called us five minutes after we signed in on 6th floor. Apparently, they are having oath ceremonies in the same building every Thursday now, and court (judicial) ceremonies once in a month. My wife is changing her name, so she will be waiting for a court ceremony, myself will be sworn next Thursday - 11/13. Good luck to everybody still waiting, there's a good sign that Philly DO is improving their act and timing...
Click to expand...

Albert, I also changed my name during interview and passed the interview. I was told the same thing that the court ceremony is once a month and will be notified soon. How long did it take for your wife? It has been over a week since the interview and anxiously waiting for the letter for the oath. Please let me know.

Sincerely
 
waiting4oath said:
Albert, I also changed my name during interview and passed the interview. I was told the same thing that the court ceremony is once a month and will be notified soon. How long did it take for your wife? It has been over a week since the interview and anxiously waiting for the letter for the oath. Please let me know.

Sincerely
Click to expand...

waiting4oath, I replied on your PM.
 
molof said:
N-400 received 7/1/2008
Interview in Philly 10/8/2008
Passed the interview, asked about being sworn in the same day, so that I could register to vote, but was told I had to wait for DE office.

Still waiting, and it has been about a month since I had my interview, it does not seem like it would have to take this long. As I am not leaving the country for a while, I am fine, but would like to put it all behind me.


ucheojo1, have you received your letter yet? It seems like we interviewed on the same day, so we should be sworn in at the same ceremony.
Click to expand...

yeh we had interview same day.

Still waiting for the Oath letter.

What did they tell you? Officer Sampler or stampler said 3 to 6 weeks.
 
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