Question for those who applied for the passport book and card separately

Jackolantern said:
But I think some of them are just buffoons who like to bully naturalized citizens, as they feel most naturalized citizens (especially recently naturalized) are less secure in their citizenship than born citizens, and are more likely to accept the abuse because of already tolerating such abuse for years as visa holders and permanent residents. So they may ask questions which are unnecessary or even illegal, but they get away with it because the individuals they harass are not willing to take a stand against them.
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Interesting perspective, but in my 22 years as a non-immigrant visa and GC holder, I have never been treated badly or even like an outsider. Most officers welcome me "back home" when I come back, and customs barely gives me another thought. It will be interesting to see if this changes because I am a newly naturalized citizen. My guess is no, because it all comes down to the individual's attitude and demeanor when they address the officers at the airport. Human nature and instinct will always play a role regardless of non-immigrant or citizen.
 
Dedo said:
Interesting perspective, but in my 22 years as a non-immigrant visa and GC holder, I have never been treated badly or even like an outsider.
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That was also true for me when I had a tourist visa, student visa, and H1B visa ... but from my very first trip with a green card they started going into interrogation mode. I wonder if things will change when I enter with a US passport.
 
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Jackolantern said:
They may legitimately ask questions to help verify that you're the genuine owner of the passport. If they ask where you've been or how long you've been gone they can cross-check that against what they see in the system; if you had stolen the passport you're less likely to know those details (of course, if you borrowed the passport you could have obtained that information from the passport holder, so it's definitely not foolproof).

But I think some of them are just buffoons who like to bully naturalized citizens, as they feel most naturalized citizens (especially recently naturalized) are less secure in their citizenship than born citizens, and are more likely to accept the abuse because of already tolerating such abuse for years as visa holders and permanent residents. So they may ask questions which are unnecessary or even illegal, but they get away with it because the individuals they harass are not willing to take a stand against them.
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Thanks, and that is an interesting perspective. In my days on H1-B, I have hardly been questioned from what I can remember. Most of the times I just walked in without any questioning. That's why I was surprised with this. Also I flew from Frankfurt, Toronto to US. My immigration clearance was at Toronto if that makes any difference. Came along with wife, kids who are US born citizens.

No worries though, just wanted to share the experience :)
 
GCBy2010 said:
Tazmania - The reason I applied for card is - it is very handy to carry. Wherever proof of citizenship is required (like driver license, I-9 verification etc), I don't need to carry my passport (which I can store securely and use only for travel).
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Be careful of carrying the card around on a day-to-day basis if you're concerned about privacy or identity theft. The card has a long-range RFID chip, enabling it to be read from 30 feet away without your knowledge. If you don't want that to happen, wrap it in some foil or use one of the wallets designed to block the signal.

The passport book also has RFID, but it is a short-range chip designed only to be read a few inches away.
 
Jackolantern said:
Be careful of carrying the card around on a day-to-day basis if you're concerned about privacy or identity theft. The card has a long-range RFID chip, enabling it to be read from 30 feet away without your knowledge. If you don't want that to happen, wrap it in some foil or use one of the wallets designed to block the signal.

The passport book also has RFID, but it is a short-range chip designed only to be read a few inches away.
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Interesting. I dont plan to carry mine anywhere unless travelling.
 
I received my passport (expedited) on Monday, but I still haven't seen my Naturalization Certificate. Was it supposed to arrive before my passport or should I wait a little longer for it?
 
It appears that the naturalization certificate usually arrives a bit later than the passport. They send the passport via priority mail, but the certificate is sent via regular first class mail.
 
Hi there Jacko! just learned about your citizenship, congratulations! :) I'm starting my process in a matter of days!
 
Jackolantern said:
It appears that the naturalization certificate usually arrives a bit later than the passport. They send the passport via priority mail, but the certificate is sent via regular first class mail.
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Thank you. Got my certificate today. Was sent via Priority.
 
komaro said:
Thank you. Got my certificate today. Was sent via Priority.
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They must have sent it via Priority Mail because you paid for expedited service. I didn't pay for expedited, and my certificate arrived via regular mail after the passport arrived in a Priority Mail envelope.
 
My Certificate arrived yesterday "first class mail". Just a day after the Passport was received. Still expecting the Citizenship card.
 
It would be nice if the USPS officer could just see your naturalization certificate, and verify with the USCIS' record that you are a citizen, so you wouldn't have to mail your nice, new certificate. Or, that a photocopy would do, and the passport agency could verify with USCIS' that you are a citizen. Or, that a high-res. scan would do.

It's a valuable document, since it costs $345, and up to one year, to replace, if needed.

Question for those of you receiving your certificate back after your passport, was it mailed unfolded in a full-size envelope, or was it folded into a smaller one?
 
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