Pittsburgh Naturalization Experience.

B

barker

Registered Users (C)
For those of you applying under the Pittsburgh District office, here is my Naturalization experience.

Starting with my time line.

PD: End of December 2002 (Applied under the 5 year rule)
FP: Middle of Feb 2003
Interview: End of July 2003
Security/FBI name check delays kicked in
Oath Letter recd: 1st week of December 2003
Oath Date: 19th of December2003
Since I was out of the country visiting my parents, had my friend checking the mailbox return the notice with a letter that I hade emailed to reschedule the oath.
New Oath letter received End of December 2003
Oath Date 16th January 2004

Arrived at the Federal courthouse around 8:30 am. Immigration officers came in at around 9:15 am and started collecting the permanent resident cards along with the oath letters by seat rows. Mine took a little bit longer since I had married the weekend before so I showed them the duplicate certified copy of my completed marriage license and gave them a copy to keep. This is required as per the questions on the back of the oath letter. After that we went over and signed our Naturalization certificate and then went back to our seats.
The immigration officers were extremely professional and polite and so were the people from the organizations that had sponsored the Naturalization ceremony.
Following the oath ceremony we were handed the Naturalization certificates along with a message from President Bush. There was also a reception at the hotel nearby but we skipped that.

Went downstairs to the Grant Street Post office and made two copies of my Naturalization certificate. I believe it is legal to copy it for lawful reasons e.g. when it is necessary to turn a copy with the I-130.

Went across the street to the Federal bldg (INS district office) and turned in my wife’s adjustment of status package (She is currently on H1-b).
Immigration officer there swore me in for the affidavit of support form (I-864) and then they called my wife in a bit for her employment authorization card which she received about 5 minutes later. They also handed me a letter to take to the ASC for fingerprinting.

Then we went a few blocks down on Penn Ave to the ASC and had my wife fingerprinted.

Finally back on to Grant Street to the county courthouse and applied for a US passport there.
All this done before 1:30 in the afternoon. Only glitch in the whole process was that the weather in Pittsburgh was about 10 degrees Fahrenheit (sunny though) that day. So other than putting up with my wife’s complaining :) about the cold while walking a few blocks, everything worked like clockwork.

I wish you all great luck and thank your for all your contributions.
 
Thats impressive. Didnt know they issued EADs at the time the application is filed - but thats good news. Congratulations..
 
Hi barker,
What were the questions to be answered on the back of the oath letter? Can you recall and reproduce here for benifit of others?
 
barker

congrats of finishing the process...

i also had interview in july 2003, and i am still waiting for oath letter..i have a question... did u recieve ur oath letter via registered mail for which it had to be signed to recieve? OR regular mail....

thanx
 
Thanks folks.

EAD is issued same day depending on the policy of the District office. Some like Pittsburgh will do it in about 1/2 hour but I know of other districts to take upto 30 days. You can go to USCIS website and check under local filing procedures.

As far as the questions on the back of the oath letter are concerned there were 7. Those questions only apply to the time frame between the interview and the oath ceremony. The three that I can remember are the following. (Cannot guarantee accuracy)

1) Have you traveled outside the country
2) Have you been married, divorced or widowed. If yes bring proper documentation..etc
3) Have you been arrested...etc including traffic violations.

There were was another that asked if the applicant has joined the communist party etc.

Sorry, but that is all I can remember.


The notice to appear at the oath ceremony was delivered by regular first class mail in both instances.
 
Barker,

I know you had interview in July, 2003 and was told that everything was fine except FBI Name check. Have you got your citizenship ?

Thanks



Originally posted by barker
Thanks folks.

EAD is issued same day depending on the policy of the District office. Some like Pittsburgh will do it in about 1/2 hour but I know of other districts to take upto 30 days. You can go to USCIS website and check under local filing procedures.

As far as the questions on the back of the oath letter are concerned there were 7. Those questions only apply to the time frame between the interview and the oath ceremony. The three that I can remember are the following. (Cannot guarantee accuracy)

1) Have you traveled outside the country
2) Have you been married, divorced or widowed. If yes bring proper documentation..etc
3) Have you been arrested...etc including traffic violations.

There were was another that asked if the applicant has joined the communist party etc.

Sorry, but that is all I can remember.


The notice to appear at the oath ceremony was delivered by regular first class mail in both instances.
Click to expand...
 
AngryWait

Yes I was Naturalized as a US citizen as detailed in the initial post on this thread.
 
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