San Francisco Interview Experience - N-14

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Dani

Registered Users (C)
Hi Everybody,
Let me begin this post with a famous quote from the Godfather: "When I thought I was out... they pulled me back in."
Basically, yesterday I had my marriage-based N-400 interview at the San Francisco DO. My appointment was scheduled at 10:40 a.m., and my name was called at around 11:00...
The interviewing officer was super cool middle-eastern dude (officer Nazeer). The whole interview lasted for about 15 minutes. He went over my application, asked me about 2 trips I took in 2004 (both trips lasted for about 2 and 3 weeks), do I still live with my husband, do I still go to school, have I ever been a member of communist, Nazi, terrorist organization, etc...
Now, when he asked me about my current address, I said we moved, but I haven't filed AR-11 yet. He said it's Ok and made corrections on my application.
Then he asked me to read and answer 10 retarded civic questions. I nailed em all, of course :) The sentence he asked me to right was : "You cook well" :D
He didn't ask me for any documents I brought with me, just my passport, state ID and green card.
After that he gave me my N-652 where it said that I passed my history and English test... Also it said that I have to follow instructions on N-14 he also gave me.
Damn it, the N-14 paper states that I have to submit a proof of bona fide marriage. Credit card statements, checking account, savings statements for the past 3 months, rental agreements, and tax transcripts for the past 3 years. When I saw the list, I said I have it all with me, but the officer replied: "Don't give me anything now. What you can do is to take this envelop and put the evidence in there and give it to the receptionist in the waiting area, and she'll give it straight back to me... But I also advice you to take a few days to gather more staff and mail it to us because more is better than less..."
When I asked when to expect their reply the officer said "around 30-45 days after we receive supporting evidence".
Interesting thing, I have already sent all this crap when I mailed my N-400 application 6 months ago. I wonder what happened — did they loose it? And why he didn't want to look at that staff at the interview?
Damn it, I thought I'll be done already, but apparently I have to wait more. Hopefully they will not ask me to appear for another interview.
Thus, now I am collecting all the evidence again — utility bills, airline tickets showing me and my husband had trips together, joint bank accounts, rental agreement, same location/same date GYM memberships, photos of us together,etc...
Although everything went smooth it kind of pisses me off...
Anybody else got N-14?
 
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Yup, the civics test and the English tests are both brain-dead easy. It's the test of patience that's a pain.
 
Flydog said:
Yup, the civics test and the English tests are both brain-dead easy. It's the test of patience that's a pain.
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Very well said, Flydog. I wish I wouldn't take it all seriously, but there are a number of reasons why I cannot do so.
Anyways, my marriage is 100% legal (been happily married since Aug.2001), and if USCIS needs more evidence they will get it. Let them eat cake.
I just hope I'll be able to take oath before Summer 2007.
 
I dont understand why the IO will not look at the supporting documents during the interview and make a decision there. May be IO was lazy and did not want to do the work there!! I have my marriage based interview in Ohio on 01/12/07. Hopefully everything goes fine. I am taking many more documents than the ones listed in the checklist. I prefer to be on the safe side.
 
MJA said:
I dont understand why the IO will not look at the supporting documents during the interview and make a decision there. May be IO was lazy and did not want to do the work there!! I have my marriage based interview in Ohio on 01/12/07. Hopefully everything goes fine. I am taking many more documents than the ones listed in the checklist. I prefer to be on the safe side.
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Most likely because they have a large number of pre-scheduled candidates to interview during the day, and only 15-20 minutes each to get the job done. If they stop and make detailed investigation with every interviewee, they will fall far behind and those outside will get upset with all the extra waiting.
 
boatbod said:
Most likely because they have a large number of pre-scheduled candidates to interview during the day, and only 15-20 minutes each to get the job done. If they stop and make detailed investigation with every interviewee, they will fall far behind and those outside will get upset with all the extra waiting.
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That's what I think... That's the only logical explanation that comes to my mind...
Hopefully it's not a new policy or anything of that nature.
 
I think it also doesn't make sense to expect the officer to be able to examine the documents on the spot, what if some of the documents had been altered or forged. I think it's better they check those documents "off-line". Perhaps they contact the bank or the phone company or whomever to make sure the documents are truthful. This also has the benefit of not stopping or slowing down the interview times of people waiting. We tend to see this from our point of view, but we also have to understand their point of view of having to provide good service, but also making sure that a person who doesn't qualify gets an immigration benefit.
However, it is my understanding that officers sometimes ask for documents during interview and take them. Let's say tax papers, or traffic ticket court records. Things like that. I guess it all depends if the document is fundamental for the granting of the benefit that they can examine it during interview or off-line.

I hope you get your oath letter soon.

My 2 cents.
 
MJA said:
I dont understand why the IO will not look at the supporting documents during the interview and make a decision there. May be IO was lazy and did not want to do the work there!! I have my marriage based interview in Ohio on 01/12/07. Hopefully everything goes fine. I am taking many more documents than the ones listed in the checklist. I prefer to be on the safe side.
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That is a samrt thing to do. Always take more documents than asked for. Also make photocopies because sometimes they ask for copies and if you don't have them you have to mail them later, resulting in more delays.
 
I've asked this myself on this and other boards. I too was wondering why the hell they just don't look at the N-400 documentation I submitted? My interview is on Monday, and I've got more stuff I just photocopied today, along with all the other stuff I could find and have been collecting for over a month now.

I've heard some people get their stuff looked at right there, others who don't even get asked for anything and now this case where you have the information and they won't look at it and you have to send it to someone else.

I don't get it, but hopefully I won't get into that situation Monday, but probably will. I'll try and update mine from here and see if I get the same situation...
 
Case Update

Just to let everybody know, a little less than 2 weeks after submitting my evidence of bona fide marriage, I have received my Oath Notice...
Indeed, what a wounderful St. Valentine's Day it was :D
Basically, I submitted the evidence on Jan 29, and got my approval (dated Feb. 12) on Feb 14... Considering my other experiences with USCIS, that was pretty fast.
The Oath ceremony is on March 13 at the Masonic Center in San Francisco, @ 9 a.m.
Wow, I can't believe it's almost over!
 
Congrats Dani! Good to hear that you have received your oath letter. Almost there.....the next line we have to get in is the passport line :D I'm sure it won't be such a long wait :D
 
happigal said:
Congrats Dani! Good to hear that you have received your oath letter. Almost there.....the next line we have to get in is the passport line :D I'm sure it won't be such a long wait :D
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Thanks Happigal!
:D
 
Dani said:
Just to let everybody know, a little less than 2 weeks after submitting my evidence of bona fide marriage, I have received my Oath Notice...
Indeed, what a wounderful St. Valentine's Day it was :D
Basically, I submitted the evidence on Jan 29, and got my approval (dated Feb. 12) on Feb 14... Considering my other experiences with USCIS, that was pretty fast.
The Oath ceremony is on March 13 at the Masonic Center in San Francisco, @ 9 a.m.
Wow, I can't believe it's almost over!
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Congratulations! Dani.
I hope even my Oath comes in 2 weeks. I got a N-14 just for a simple $100speeding ticket I had got some 5 years back, for which I did not had the receipt, can you believe this? In fact if I would not mentioned it in the interview, I would have got my Oath the same day and everything would have been over. I had missed it in the application form. I made a decision to mention about my ticket in the interview only after reading it in one of the threads in this forum. Sometime too much information also is not good.

I hope it does not take months for the response.
 
I have been on the N-14 boat for 2 weeks since 4/17

vijay2001 said:
Congratulations! Dani.
I hope even my Oath comes in 2 weeks. I got a N-14 just for a simple $100speeding ticket I had got some 5 years back, for which I did not had the receipt, can you believe this? In fact if I would not mentioned it in the interview, I would have got my Oath the same day and everything would have been over. I had missed it in the application form. I made a decision to mention about my ticket in the interview only after reading it in one of the threads in this forum. Sometime too much information also is not good.

I hope it does not take months for the response.
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I have been on the same situation since April 17th when i was asked to submit the N-14 with additional information proving my relationship with my wife the last 3 months when my wife was with me at my interview.Can you please let me know through this thread if you hear back and receive your oath letter please. I send my N-14 letter back with the information asked for 2 hours latter the same day. USCIS San Francisco received it the next day. I am very worried they will leave my file somewhere where it does not belong and good luck with that. Were you interviewed in SF or somewhere else.
If in SF what was the name of your officer? My officer was Nazeer same as Dani.

PLease shoot a line when you can.
Thank you
Regards
Euripidi
 
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