FP done. Appointment was for 2pm. Security asked if I had appointment and asked to see ID. Once inside - filled a form about biographical information. I was called immediately inside. I was asked for FP notice and Greencard. Took fingreprints and photo. My FP notice was stamped and returned to me along with my GC. Also got a booklet and CD for new naturalization test. I was out at 2:11pm.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
Seattle DO - N-400 timeline
- Thread starter slr
- Start date
Yep, yep - They had a nice Canon Powershots mounted on the table next to FP machine. Later I was asked if I like the picture also.
Oh btw - It's been only 5 days (including weekend) and I have already received email from USCIS saying my case is transferred to the local office for testing & interview. Signature updated. My 5th year anniversary is on 15th of September 2010. I am hoping my interview will be scheduled at or soon after.
Oh btw - It's been only 5 days (including weekend) and I have already received email from USCIS saying my case is transferred to the local office for testing & interview. Signature updated. My 5th year anniversary is on 15th of September 2010. I am hoping my interview will be scheduled at or soon after.
N-400 Seattle
Hi! I am new here and I've read most of the post threads here regarding N-400 process. Just thought I'd share my status here. I've been trying to find people from Seattle area and get an idea about their experiences and have read the whole post. Glad to have found this forum. I am also a member of VJ website(Visa journey) which also quite the same as this website but have not seen that many member from Seattle area.
CITIZENSHIP
07/28/2010 Application sent
07/29/2010 Your item was delivered at 10:20 AM on July 29, 2010 in LINCOLN, NE 68508 to INS EXPRESS . The item was signed for by M WILES.
08/06/2010 Cashed check
08/08/2010 NOA in the mail
08/19/2010 Biometrics received in the mail
09/10/2010 Biometrics scheduled appointment(walk-in 30 August 2010-biometrics done)
10/14/2010 Interview schedule
Hi! I am new here and I've read most of the post threads here regarding N-400 process. Just thought I'd share my status here. I've been trying to find people from Seattle area and get an idea about their experiences and have read the whole post. Glad to have found this forum. I am also a member of VJ website(Visa journey) which also quite the same as this website but have not seen that many member from Seattle area.
CITIZENSHIP
07/28/2010 Application sent
07/29/2010 Your item was delivered at 10:20 AM on July 29, 2010 in LINCOLN, NE 68508 to INS EXPRESS . The item was signed for by M WILES.
08/06/2010 Cashed check
08/08/2010 NOA in the mail
08/19/2010 Biometrics received in the mail
09/10/2010 Biometrics scheduled appointment(walk-in 30 August 2010-biometrics done)
10/14/2010 Interview schedule
Seattle USCIS DO Naturalization interview and Oath experience
My citizenship journey is over. I am a naturalized US citizen as of 09/23. Things that I learned from this forum gave me confidence to complete the journey. I must detail my experience for the benefit of the posterity.
Seattle USCIS DO naturalization interview experience
My interview was scheduled for 7:30am. I live almost 45 mins away from Tukwila, so I decided to check-in at a hotel the night before to avoid morning commute. I slept lightly and woke up at 5:00am. Went over all 100 standard questions for history and civics test. Since I had been driving around for a month while listening to USCIS's Q&A CD, I was already well prepared. I reached USCIS office at 7:15am. Paid whopping $7.00 parking fee. I had made sure that I would carry enough cash for parking.
Lobby was almost empty. Got through security/x-ray. There are three lines in front of the counter. Since there was no-one in the line, I went directly to the counter. I was greeted by a friendly lady who took my interview letter and scanned the barcode. Then she asked me to go to second floor using stairs right behind me and wished me luck for the interview.
Waiting hall is divided in two parts on either side of the stairs. There were few people already waiting. Applicants had also brought their friends/spouses with them. Everybody was silent. Waiting area on the right has doors marked clearly that only officials are allowed through them. I had waited less than 2 minutes when one of the doors opened. A male immigration officer stepped out and called my name. I thought wow! this office was super efficient. Because it was only 7:25am. I was led through the halls to his office.
I was sworn in and then asked to take a seat. First the officer went over my eligibility to file for N-400 and said that I have completed all necessary requirements (continuous residency, physical presence etc). Then he went over my N-400 application rather quickly, but made sure he asked me all "YES/NO" questions while looking straight into my eye. He was very courteous and said "very good" once I finished with all the answers. There were no corrections in my applications after I had filed for N-400. During the question "Have you been arrested/cited", he paused. Quickly I presented him the original court docket and said that this was a speeding ticket. He said, "Ah .. thanks". He just kept the YL and court disposition aside. Then he asked me if I had studied for history and civics test. I said yes. He asked me 6 questions quickly.
1. What are two major political parties in the US?
2. What is the political party of the president?
3. There were 13 original colonies, name 3.
4. Name one state that borders Mexico.
5. Don't remember
6. Don't remember
Then he asked me to write "What do we pay congress?" and asked me to read "We pay taxes".
He gave a piece of paper and asked me to answer all questions NO. I guess this was because I was gonna take the oath the same day. He gave me results of the interview and said I have passed. He asked if I would have any problem if I became a USC at 12:00pm today. I said "(heck), NO". He printed an oath letter and asked if I had any more questions. I said "No". He said congratulations and walked with me to the door. I was so ecstatic as I walked in to the waiting hall. I am sure everyone was trying to read my poker face. It was 7:35am when I got out of his office. Just 10 mins of interview, ain't that great?
Seattle DO Oath ceremony
There were 98 people from 30 different countries scheduled to take oath. All guests were asked to go inside the auditorium and take their seats in the back. Everyone else who was about to become a US citizen was given a yellow envelope with a letter from the president, copy of constitution and US flag. We had to surrender our greencard at the door and take our pre-assigned seat number. Everyone sat patiently waiting for the director to start the ceremony. Guests were allowed to walk all around and take pictures. For some reason the director couldn't make it but his assistant administered the oath. Then they played videos on becoming american citizen and a message from Barack Obama.
After which each new US citizen was called on the stage and given naturalization certificate. It took in all 1.5 hours for the whole affair. We were allowed to take pictures in the ceremony hall or on second floor waiting area.
Overall my experience with Seattle DO was a pleasant one. Good luck to everyone who else is waiting.
My citizenship journey is over. I am a naturalized US citizen as of 09/23. Things that I learned from this forum gave me confidence to complete the journey. I must detail my experience for the benefit of the posterity.
Seattle USCIS DO naturalization interview experience
My interview was scheduled for 7:30am. I live almost 45 mins away from Tukwila, so I decided to check-in at a hotel the night before to avoid morning commute. I slept lightly and woke up at 5:00am. Went over all 100 standard questions for history and civics test. Since I had been driving around for a month while listening to USCIS's Q&A CD, I was already well prepared. I reached USCIS office at 7:15am. Paid whopping $7.00 parking fee. I had made sure that I would carry enough cash for parking.
Lobby was almost empty. Got through security/x-ray. There are three lines in front of the counter. Since there was no-one in the line, I went directly to the counter. I was greeted by a friendly lady who took my interview letter and scanned the barcode. Then she asked me to go to second floor using stairs right behind me and wished me luck for the interview.
Waiting hall is divided in two parts on either side of the stairs. There were few people already waiting. Applicants had also brought their friends/spouses with them. Everybody was silent. Waiting area on the right has doors marked clearly that only officials are allowed through them. I had waited less than 2 minutes when one of the doors opened. A male immigration officer stepped out and called my name. I thought wow! this office was super efficient. Because it was only 7:25am. I was led through the halls to his office.
I was sworn in and then asked to take a seat. First the officer went over my eligibility to file for N-400 and said that I have completed all necessary requirements (continuous residency, physical presence etc). Then he went over my N-400 application rather quickly, but made sure he asked me all "YES/NO" questions while looking straight into my eye. He was very courteous and said "very good" once I finished with all the answers. There were no corrections in my applications after I had filed for N-400. During the question "Have you been arrested/cited", he paused. Quickly I presented him the original court docket and said that this was a speeding ticket. He said, "Ah .. thanks". He just kept the YL and court disposition aside. Then he asked me if I had studied for history and civics test. I said yes. He asked me 6 questions quickly.
1. What are two major political parties in the US?
2. What is the political party of the president?
3. There were 13 original colonies, name 3.
4. Name one state that borders Mexico.
5. Don't remember
6. Don't remember
Then he asked me to write "What do we pay congress?" and asked me to read "We pay taxes".
He gave a piece of paper and asked me to answer all questions NO. I guess this was because I was gonna take the oath the same day. He gave me results of the interview and said I have passed. He asked if I would have any problem if I became a USC at 12:00pm today. I said "(heck), NO". He printed an oath letter and asked if I had any more questions. I said "No". He said congratulations and walked with me to the door. I was so ecstatic as I walked in to the waiting hall. I am sure everyone was trying to read my poker face. It was 7:35am when I got out of his office. Just 10 mins of interview, ain't that great?
Seattle DO Oath ceremony
There were 98 people from 30 different countries scheduled to take oath. All guests were asked to go inside the auditorium and take their seats in the back. Everyone else who was about to become a US citizen was given a yellow envelope with a letter from the president, copy of constitution and US flag. We had to surrender our greencard at the door and take our pre-assigned seat number. Everyone sat patiently waiting for the director to start the ceremony. Guests were allowed to walk all around and take pictures. For some reason the director couldn't make it but his assistant administered the oath. Then they played videos on becoming american citizen and a message from Barack Obama.
After which each new US citizen was called on the stage and given naturalization certificate. It took in all 1.5 hours for the whole affair. We were allowed to take pictures in the ceremony hall or on second floor waiting area.
Overall my experience with Seattle DO was a pleasant one. Good luck to everyone who else is waiting.
Al Southner
Registered Users (C)
Seadull,
Congratulations!! Enjoy our new status, run for US Congress in 2 years.
Congratulations!! Enjoy our new status, run for US Congress in 2 years.
Seadull,
Congratulations!! Enjoy our new status, run for US Congress in 2 years.
Al - Is there a do-it-yourself guide to running for Congress? ;-)
I want to thank you for your help, sense of humor and unabashed rhetoric. You keep this forum alive. Also thanks to Jackolantern, TripleCitizen, TheRealCanadian, Bobsmyth, madh4 and others for their help.
VivaLasVegas
Volunteer Moderator
Does anyone know if Seattle still does same day oath?
Does anyone know if Seattle still does same day oath?
I believe Seattle still have a same day interview/oath, if your interview is scheduled before 11am. You can always verify with other folks.
My Journey to the Citizenship is finally over. As today, I am now a NATURALIZED U.S. CITIZEN. I was scheduled for 7:35 am Interview and was called at 7:36am. The USCIS Officer was friendly, sworn me in and started the interview after checking my eligibility for a naturalization. I was worried about my past since I was denied in 2001 when I first applied for a citizenship. He went out with my file for few minutes, came back and told me to sign few papers with my full name. He then told that he was going to approve my application since I passed a Good Moral Character. He asked me if I can come back at 12pm for the Oath Ceremony. I said: “YES YES”. So, I took the Oath of Allegiance and I am now US citizen.
There were 88 people from 31 different countries who were scheduled to take the oath today.
In general, my experience with Seattle DO was a satisfying one.
Good luck to everyone else who has been waiting.
End of my journey....
There were 88 people from 31 different countries who were scheduled to take the oath today.
In general, my experience with Seattle DO was a satisfying one.
Good luck to everyone else who has been waiting.
End of my journey....
Here is my experience of same day interview and oath in Seattle.
Interview
My interview was at 9:00 but I left early (6:30) since I live 30 miles away and traffic is a nightmare around there. I was lucky to bypass two bad crashes because I was listening to the radio and got to a Starbucks near there for breakfast.
I arrived at the Seattle USCIS office at 8:20. Parking is US$7.00 and they only accept cash. The place was mostly empty though and I got through security and check in quickly. They scanned my left and right index fingers and took a photo. They asked for the interview letter, my greencard and an ID. I was told to go to the second floor.
Second floor was mostly empty. There are two areas with rows of seats and I went to the one where there were people. Officers would sometime show up and call someone. I noticed though that sometimes officers from that side of the building would call names as well but they would always go after someone if no one answered.
There was a white board where it said “interviews 10 minutes” and I assumed that was how late they were. Next someone came and changed it to 20 minutes. No idea what was that since I was called at exactly 9:00am.
The building is big and I went through a maze until the officer’s office. She asked me to stand and answer her question. Here I was prepared to say “I do” based on the video USCIS has online but it was a yes/no question about telling the truth. I said yes.
She then went quickly to the form and asked me the basic questions. She asked about my wife and I told her she would do it next year. After the questions about personal data she started asking the questions on the form.
However, she was not asking the questions exactly like they were in the form. Basically she asked for the same information but in a different way. I was almost caught off guard when she started a series of questions where I kept saying “no” (section “A” questions). I had answered “no” for all questions in there. But she asked me question 4 “Do you pay taxes?” and I almost said no. I hesitated a little bit, smiled and said yes – of course I pay taxes. (question 4 says: have you ever failed to file a required Federal, State, or Local tax return).
Next, the dreaded question 16 on section D. I had answered “no” – never been arrested but I told here I had traffic tickets, all of them less than 500 dollars. She said that was okay and my answer was also okay.
After that things went pretty quickly. She gave me a sheet of paper and I read the first line- something about George Washington, I forgot what exactly it was. In another sheet of paper I had to write “Washington was the first president”.
Once we finished the form she asked me if I knew exactly what the oath of allegiance was and if I was willing to take it. I said yes. She then specifically said some parts of it – allegiance for the US and not for my country of origin; serve the military if needed; etc. I also said yes. She asked me to sign on the form and on the left side of the photograph. Note that she asked me to write my signature, not print my name. I liked that because I can use my signature in the naturalization certificate and passport.
On to the civics questions – not in this particular order:
21. The house of representatives has how many voting members
27. What month do we vote for president
37. What does the judicial branch do
40. Who is the Chief Justice of the United States Now?
69. Who is the father of our country
78. Name one war fought by the United States in 1900.
Finally, she told me she was recommending my application for approval and asked if I wanted to take the oath today. I was hoping to get same day oath at 1:15pm and said yes. She congratulated me and I was led back to the waiting room. It was 9:15 am.
ETA: While I was waiting I noticed a group of people - two women and a man that was obviously a lawyer. I overheard that the application had been initially denied. They had a bunch of documents and were reading laws, waivers, etc. People from USCIS were also coming there sometimes to chat. I felt bad for her and at the same time got concerned if something like that could happen to me or my wife. I also saw a little girl (maybe 3?) running around and saying "America", cute. Also saw hear at oath - they said that if you become a citizen children automatically become citizens as well but if they have more than 14 (and less than 18) they have to do the oath as well. All my kids were citizens already so they didn't have to do it.
Waiting for Oath
I had four hours to do something and I was over dressed (remember, hoping to get same day oath). Naturally I decided to go to CostCo (it is close by and far away from home). I had lunch there and went back to the previously mentioned Startbucks to wait.
Oath
I drove back to the parking lot at 12:30. I had to pay the parking fee again (I knew that). I went through security again but this time they didn’t tell me to check in. They asked me to go to the same place I was in the morning to wait.
Unlike early in the morning the place was packed. For a while I thought that everyone was there for Oath but officers were still calling people for interviews. I was close to the stairs and paying attention to what was happening. At this moment I filled in the form saying that nothing had happened between my interview and oath – I did not get a divorce, didn’t commit a crime (including traffic violations), didn’t leave the country, etc. The form specifically said to use black ink. I had one pen and two pencils with me (based on what to take to the interview sticky thread – but there was no mention in that thread of the color of the pen). Luckily the pen was black. Suddenly people around me were asking to borrow it.
Nothing happened at 1:15 but at 1:30 I heard a faint voice from downstairs that sounded like it was telling us to go downstairs and queue in two lines. Some of us went there reluctantly (we weren’t sure that we heard it correctly) but that was exactly what he had said.
This was next to the stairs near the entrance to an auditorium. They asked family and friends to go ahead and seat while the processed us. I gave my greencard and the form and I was assigned a numbered seat.
We got a big white envelope. Inside there was a voter’s guide, a copy of the oath of allegiance, star spangled banner and pledge of allegiance. A letter from the president was inside a yellow envelope. A folder congratulating us for becoming US citizens. There was also a big white cardboard-like sheet which I assumed was to store the certificate after we got it.
After everybody was processed the ceremony started. They first explained how the ceremony was going to be step by step. It started with a photo montage of people becoming US citizens. I can’t remember the order exactly but I think they asked us to stand up and sing the star spangled banner. People emotions were high and we could see a few crying. They asked everybody to seat and we watched a message from the president.
Then the officer that was presenting said that 79 people were becoming citizens from 37 nations. They would start calling by nation and people should stand up when they hear theirs. Nobody should sit again until the oath was made at which point – he said – next time you seat you all will be US citizens.
They started calling the nations names in what looked like alphabetical order. However, they missed mine. I was a little bit concerned here but at some point we were in the letter ‘T’ and more than half of the people were still seated. They can’t be all from Zimbabwe. They started again (I heard “Canada”) and they went through this semi-alphabetical order till everybody was up. There were 8 from the Philippines, the largest group.
Another officer showed up and did the oath with us. We all clapped and they asked us to seat down. Again, very emotional – a lot of the people were crying. They started calling us per rows (based on the numbering) and giving the certificate while family and friends could take pictures of the moment. After shaking hands with the officer they would also give us a booklet about being a citizen and a form to register to vote. I asked the person behind me to take a picture since my family is current abroad.
We were told to be very careful with the certificate. First we should check for any errors and we could fix them for free today. If we noticed something wrong and come back tomorrow they would charge us US$344. Also, if we lose or damage it we will also have to pay US$344. I wonder if I have to send it with the passport application now.
They asked us to sit again. At this point they told us that they were closing the ceremony (I think we did the pledge of allegiance after that) and they let anyone to go on the stage and take pictures. After that I went back to the car, send a message to my wife and left. I was finally an American citizen.
Next step is applying for passport. I went back home and I have the paperwork done for tomorrow.
The Seattle’s USCIS Office
I only have great things to say about this office. I did both my greencard and naturalization there. I was treated very well every time I was there. People were always friendly and it felt good to be there. I don’t know if I was lucky and everyone I interacted was nice or it is just like that – but my wife also did her greencard there and she had a similar experience.
ETA: Passport. I had scheduled an appointment for the Seattle agency about two weeks ago (they only schedule 14 days in advance). When I got home I did the paperwork - passport form - and a copy of my driver's license front and back in the same page. I also copied and scanned my naturalization certificate. I stapled a picture I had to the form.
I was there 7:30am next day (the 19th) and parked nearby. Almost no one was there at this time so I found parking on the street (paid parking).
In the building I went through security. Unlike USCIS it was like airport security and I had to take off my belt and shoes. I went up to the 6th floor. It wasn't open yet. You can't be there more than 15 min earlier (my appointment was at 8:00).
They opened the doors at 7:45 and I was the first one. A guy was pre processing the paperwork and gave me a ticket. But I was immediately called to a window so I didn't even get to sit down. They got my credit card, checked everything and asked if I wanted to pick it up or if it should be sent by mail. I said mail but I was worried with the certificate (they keep it) and, as I said before, it costs US$344. So I said I was going to pick it up. I signed the form, the credit card payment and she told me it would be ready on Monday after 11:00am. I'll pick it up next Friday, I think. I was out at 8:00am.
Interview
My interview was at 9:00 but I left early (6:30) since I live 30 miles away and traffic is a nightmare around there. I was lucky to bypass two bad crashes because I was listening to the radio and got to a Starbucks near there for breakfast.
I arrived at the Seattle USCIS office at 8:20. Parking is US$7.00 and they only accept cash. The place was mostly empty though and I got through security and check in quickly. They scanned my left and right index fingers and took a photo. They asked for the interview letter, my greencard and an ID. I was told to go to the second floor.
Second floor was mostly empty. There are two areas with rows of seats and I went to the one where there were people. Officers would sometime show up and call someone. I noticed though that sometimes officers from that side of the building would call names as well but they would always go after someone if no one answered.
There was a white board where it said “interviews 10 minutes” and I assumed that was how late they were. Next someone came and changed it to 20 minutes. No idea what was that since I was called at exactly 9:00am.
The building is big and I went through a maze until the officer’s office. She asked me to stand and answer her question. Here I was prepared to say “I do” based on the video USCIS has online but it was a yes/no question about telling the truth. I said yes.
She then went quickly to the form and asked me the basic questions. She asked about my wife and I told her she would do it next year. After the questions about personal data she started asking the questions on the form.
However, she was not asking the questions exactly like they were in the form. Basically she asked for the same information but in a different way. I was almost caught off guard when she started a series of questions where I kept saying “no” (section “A” questions). I had answered “no” for all questions in there. But she asked me question 4 “Do you pay taxes?” and I almost said no. I hesitated a little bit, smiled and said yes – of course I pay taxes. (question 4 says: have you ever failed to file a required Federal, State, or Local tax return).
Next, the dreaded question 16 on section D. I had answered “no” – never been arrested but I told here I had traffic tickets, all of them less than 500 dollars. She said that was okay and my answer was also okay.
After that things went pretty quickly. She gave me a sheet of paper and I read the first line- something about George Washington, I forgot what exactly it was. In another sheet of paper I had to write “Washington was the first president”.
Once we finished the form she asked me if I knew exactly what the oath of allegiance was and if I was willing to take it. I said yes. She then specifically said some parts of it – allegiance for the US and not for my country of origin; serve the military if needed; etc. I also said yes. She asked me to sign on the form and on the left side of the photograph. Note that she asked me to write my signature, not print my name. I liked that because I can use my signature in the naturalization certificate and passport.
On to the civics questions – not in this particular order:
21. The house of representatives has how many voting members
27. What month do we vote for president
37. What does the judicial branch do
40. Who is the Chief Justice of the United States Now?
69. Who is the father of our country
78. Name one war fought by the United States in 1900.
Finally, she told me she was recommending my application for approval and asked if I wanted to take the oath today. I was hoping to get same day oath at 1:15pm and said yes. She congratulated me and I was led back to the waiting room. It was 9:15 am.
ETA: While I was waiting I noticed a group of people - two women and a man that was obviously a lawyer. I overheard that the application had been initially denied. They had a bunch of documents and were reading laws, waivers, etc. People from USCIS were also coming there sometimes to chat. I felt bad for her and at the same time got concerned if something like that could happen to me or my wife. I also saw a little girl (maybe 3?) running around and saying "America", cute. Also saw hear at oath - they said that if you become a citizen children automatically become citizens as well but if they have more than 14 (and less than 18) they have to do the oath as well. All my kids were citizens already so they didn't have to do it.
Waiting for Oath
I had four hours to do something and I was over dressed (remember, hoping to get same day oath). Naturally I decided to go to CostCo (it is close by and far away from home). I had lunch there and went back to the previously mentioned Startbucks to wait.
Oath
I drove back to the parking lot at 12:30. I had to pay the parking fee again (I knew that). I went through security again but this time they didn’t tell me to check in. They asked me to go to the same place I was in the morning to wait.
Unlike early in the morning the place was packed. For a while I thought that everyone was there for Oath but officers were still calling people for interviews. I was close to the stairs and paying attention to what was happening. At this moment I filled in the form saying that nothing had happened between my interview and oath – I did not get a divorce, didn’t commit a crime (including traffic violations), didn’t leave the country, etc. The form specifically said to use black ink. I had one pen and two pencils with me (based on what to take to the interview sticky thread – but there was no mention in that thread of the color of the pen). Luckily the pen was black. Suddenly people around me were asking to borrow it.
Nothing happened at 1:15 but at 1:30 I heard a faint voice from downstairs that sounded like it was telling us to go downstairs and queue in two lines. Some of us went there reluctantly (we weren’t sure that we heard it correctly) but that was exactly what he had said.
This was next to the stairs near the entrance to an auditorium. They asked family and friends to go ahead and seat while the processed us. I gave my greencard and the form and I was assigned a numbered seat.
We got a big white envelope. Inside there was a voter’s guide, a copy of the oath of allegiance, star spangled banner and pledge of allegiance. A letter from the president was inside a yellow envelope. A folder congratulating us for becoming US citizens. There was also a big white cardboard-like sheet which I assumed was to store the certificate after we got it.
After everybody was processed the ceremony started. They first explained how the ceremony was going to be step by step. It started with a photo montage of people becoming US citizens. I can’t remember the order exactly but I think they asked us to stand up and sing the star spangled banner. People emotions were high and we could see a few crying. They asked everybody to seat and we watched a message from the president.
Then the officer that was presenting said that 79 people were becoming citizens from 37 nations. They would start calling by nation and people should stand up when they hear theirs. Nobody should sit again until the oath was made at which point – he said – next time you seat you all will be US citizens.
They started calling the nations names in what looked like alphabetical order. However, they missed mine. I was a little bit concerned here but at some point we were in the letter ‘T’ and more than half of the people were still seated. They can’t be all from Zimbabwe. They started again (I heard “Canada”) and they went through this semi-alphabetical order till everybody was up. There were 8 from the Philippines, the largest group.
Another officer showed up and did the oath with us. We all clapped and they asked us to seat down. Again, very emotional – a lot of the people were crying. They started calling us per rows (based on the numbering) and giving the certificate while family and friends could take pictures of the moment. After shaking hands with the officer they would also give us a booklet about being a citizen and a form to register to vote. I asked the person behind me to take a picture since my family is current abroad.
We were told to be very careful with the certificate. First we should check for any errors and we could fix them for free today. If we noticed something wrong and come back tomorrow they would charge us US$344. Also, if we lose or damage it we will also have to pay US$344. I wonder if I have to send it with the passport application now.
They asked us to sit again. At this point they told us that they were closing the ceremony (I think we did the pledge of allegiance after that) and they let anyone to go on the stage and take pictures. After that I went back to the car, send a message to my wife and left. I was finally an American citizen.
Next step is applying for passport. I went back home and I have the paperwork done for tomorrow.
The Seattle’s USCIS Office
I only have great things to say about this office. I did both my greencard and naturalization there. I was treated very well every time I was there. People were always friendly and it felt good to be there. I don’t know if I was lucky and everyone I interacted was nice or it is just like that – but my wife also did her greencard there and she had a similar experience.
ETA: Passport. I had scheduled an appointment for the Seattle agency about two weeks ago (they only schedule 14 days in advance). When I got home I did the paperwork - passport form - and a copy of my driver's license front and back in the same page. I also copied and scanned my naturalization certificate. I stapled a picture I had to the form.
I was there 7:30am next day (the 19th) and parked nearby. Almost no one was there at this time so I found parking on the street (paid parking).
In the building I went through security. Unlike USCIS it was like airport security and I had to take off my belt and shoes. I went up to the 6th floor. It wasn't open yet. You can't be there more than 15 min earlier (my appointment was at 8:00).
They opened the doors at 7:45 and I was the first one. A guy was pre processing the paperwork and gave me a ticket. But I was immediately called to a window so I didn't even get to sit down. They got my credit card, checked everything and asked if I wanted to pick it up or if it should be sent by mail. I said mail but I was worried with the certificate (they keep it) and, as I said before, it costs US$344. So I said I was going to pick it up. I signed the form, the credit card payment and she told me it would be ready on Monday after 11:00am. I'll pick it up next Friday, I think. I was out at 8:00am.
Last edited by a moderator:
My wife and I have our citizenship interviews scheduled for this coming Tuesday (10/11/2016) at 7:00 AM @ Seattle office. I have read that only Monday interview dates allow for same day oaths? Is that still true or can we expect to be called for our oaths later in the afternoon if we pass our interviews? Does anyone have any recent same day interview/oath experience at the Seattle office?
I'll answer my own question - my wife and I went for our interviews yesterday which went well and we did attend a same day oath ceremony at the Seattle office yesterday - we are finally US citizens. Here is my experience:
Our interviews were scheduled for 7:00 AM, we entered the building around 6:50 AM, there was only one person ahead of us. We were told to go and sit in the waiting/sitting area upstairs and by 7:10 AM there were around 10 people including us in the waiting area. My wife was the first one to be called at 7:15 AM, then the person ahead of us was called in next around 7:20 AM followed by other people in line, randomly every 5 - 10 minutes. My wife was out after 10 minutes and said everything went well, the interviewing officer was very pleasant and did not ask to see any documents. She did go through the entire N-400 application but did not stress on anything in particular. After the interview and test, she was told that she was approving her application for citizenship and pending the outcome of my interview, she could schedule my wife for a same day oath ceremony.
I was called at 8:00 AM, an hour after waiting for my turn and a very pleasant lady officer walked me to her office. She repeatedly apologized for the long wait before starting with the N-400 application. She went line by line, confirming both my spouse's and my details followed by our children's date of births. She wanted to know where I worked and what I did. We had a little chat, talked about Seattle and Washington in general. Then when the portion detailing time spent out of the US came, she wanted me to explain that in more detail. This is a suggestion that will be helpful for anyone/everyone who has traveled more than a few times and has a some entries in that portion of the application: Since I had about 7 travel entries that were longer than 24 hours, outside of the US, during the 5 years prior to submitting my application, and 5 entries since submission of the application, I knew this portion would be receiving more scrutiny during the interview. I had also forgotten to mention one trip on my application and even although some entries were just over night trips by road to Vancouver, they had to be documented. For this purpose, based on advice from a colleague I created a spreadsheet that looked very similar to what's on the application with the same column names but added 2 more columns titled Notes 1 and Notes 2. Here I listed each trip, very much like what was on the application but provided a bit more details in the Notes column. The first column listed which city I visited (eg. Canada - Vancouver) and the second Notes column was only for trips that involved a flight (i.e. if my passport was stamped). I made color copies of all pages of my passport that had departure/arrival stamps on them and attached them under this spreadsheet cover page. The Notes 2 column would say which page of the passport to look for those stamps. This might seem like overkill for a lot of folks but my case was very different than most others. I did not want the officer to look at my passports and the various trips and not being able to co-relate them, to end up suggesting that she would not be able to make a decision and would need more time for this. The spreadsheet was indeed very helpful, she seemed delighted that everything was documented, and cross-checked some of the entries with actual stamps in the 2 passports (I had showed her my 4 previous expired passports also that I had numbered). She then asked some questions about the particular cities I had visited and listed and my purpose for the visits and I replied back with whether I was visiting for work, eg. a wedding or just sight-seeing with the family. I think with everything in front of her, my visits appeared more transparent and she moved on to the remaining portion of the application.
On the questions regarding Arrest or convictions, I told her I was unsure about listing 2 traffic tickets I had received, the last one in 2003. Fortunately I had copies of my Defensive Driving completion courses I had taken back then when we lived in Dallas, TX along with a Texas Drivers License record I purchased online that showed only one ticket entry and that it had been cleared with a defensive driving course. She made copies of both documents and thanked me again for letting her know about the citations although they had occurred almost 13 years ago. We then went through the last 2 pages of the application with the Yes and No answers. Finally she said she would take the English and Civics test:
1. Please write "We pay taxes".
2. Read "The government is for the people"
Answer these questions:
3. What is freedom of religion?
4. How many senators are there?
5. Ocean on the east coast of the United States?
6. One state that borders Canada?
7. When was the declaration of Independence?
8. When does one have to register for Selective Service?
She asked what had brought me to America and why did I want to get naturalized. Answer: I'd been living here for 18 years and this was now home. After this she said she would be recommending my application for approval but would need confirmation from her supervisor. She walked me back out to the waiting area and said she'd let me know in a few minutes of the final decision. My interview lasted about 30 minutes. After a few minutes, the officer who had interviewed my wife came out and gave her a letter stating she had passed her interview and that she come for the 1:15 PM oath. About 10 minutes later my interviewing officer came out, called my name, congratulated me saying my case was approved and gave me a similar letter for the 1:15 PM oath.
We were back at the USCIS building around 12:00 PM for the Oath and were led straight back up to the waiting area. At 1:15 PM, 3 officers showed up and asked the crowd of approx. 60-70 folks whether all of us were here for the oath ceremony? All friends and family were asked to go downstairs and wait in the auditorium. The remaining 52 oath applicants were asked to form lines and given oath ceremony packets with seat numbers written on them. Our green cards were taken from us and placed in a plastic bag. We were all instructed to then proceed downstairs into the auditorium to our designated seats. The Oath ceremony lasted about an hour, there were 52 applicants from 25 countries. It was a nice ceremony, very similar to what other folks have described in detail previously. Towards the end we were each called on stage and handed over our citizenship certificates. We took some pictures, registered to vote (there was a lady standing in a corner with voter registration forms) and then when all was done, exited and left for home. And just an FYI but at this time, the Seattle USCIS office has same day Oath ceremonies all 4 working week days except Fridays.
My wife and I applied for our US passports at our local Redmond Court House today morning. The lines are shorter (there is usually no one there) and hope to receive them in the next 4 - 6 weeks.
That everyone is the end of a very long wait. Some of you might have read some of my earlier posts over the years but it's been a long journey: came to the US 18 years ago, received green cards almost 8 years ago and then had to wait exactly 3 years from the time we filed our N-400s till the day we became US citizens. If anyone has any questions, please feel free to ask.
Our interviews were scheduled for 7:00 AM, we entered the building around 6:50 AM, there was only one person ahead of us. We were told to go and sit in the waiting/sitting area upstairs and by 7:10 AM there were around 10 people including us in the waiting area. My wife was the first one to be called at 7:15 AM, then the person ahead of us was called in next around 7:20 AM followed by other people in line, randomly every 5 - 10 minutes. My wife was out after 10 minutes and said everything went well, the interviewing officer was very pleasant and did not ask to see any documents. She did go through the entire N-400 application but did not stress on anything in particular. After the interview and test, she was told that she was approving her application for citizenship and pending the outcome of my interview, she could schedule my wife for a same day oath ceremony.
I was called at 8:00 AM, an hour after waiting for my turn and a very pleasant lady officer walked me to her office. She repeatedly apologized for the long wait before starting with the N-400 application. She went line by line, confirming both my spouse's and my details followed by our children's date of births. She wanted to know where I worked and what I did. We had a little chat, talked about Seattle and Washington in general. Then when the portion detailing time spent out of the US came, she wanted me to explain that in more detail. This is a suggestion that will be helpful for anyone/everyone who has traveled more than a few times and has a some entries in that portion of the application: Since I had about 7 travel entries that were longer than 24 hours, outside of the US, during the 5 years prior to submitting my application, and 5 entries since submission of the application, I knew this portion would be receiving more scrutiny during the interview. I had also forgotten to mention one trip on my application and even although some entries were just over night trips by road to Vancouver, they had to be documented. For this purpose, based on advice from a colleague I created a spreadsheet that looked very similar to what's on the application with the same column names but added 2 more columns titled Notes 1 and Notes 2. Here I listed each trip, very much like what was on the application but provided a bit more details in the Notes column. The first column listed which city I visited (eg. Canada - Vancouver) and the second Notes column was only for trips that involved a flight (i.e. if my passport was stamped). I made color copies of all pages of my passport that had departure/arrival stamps on them and attached them under this spreadsheet cover page. The Notes 2 column would say which page of the passport to look for those stamps. This might seem like overkill for a lot of folks but my case was very different than most others. I did not want the officer to look at my passports and the various trips and not being able to co-relate them, to end up suggesting that she would not be able to make a decision and would need more time for this. The spreadsheet was indeed very helpful, she seemed delighted that everything was documented, and cross-checked some of the entries with actual stamps in the 2 passports (I had showed her my 4 previous expired passports also that I had numbered). She then asked some questions about the particular cities I had visited and listed and my purpose for the visits and I replied back with whether I was visiting for work, eg. a wedding or just sight-seeing with the family. I think with everything in front of her, my visits appeared more transparent and she moved on to the remaining portion of the application.
On the questions regarding Arrest or convictions, I told her I was unsure about listing 2 traffic tickets I had received, the last one in 2003. Fortunately I had copies of my Defensive Driving completion courses I had taken back then when we lived in Dallas, TX along with a Texas Drivers License record I purchased online that showed only one ticket entry and that it had been cleared with a defensive driving course. She made copies of both documents and thanked me again for letting her know about the citations although they had occurred almost 13 years ago. We then went through the last 2 pages of the application with the Yes and No answers. Finally she said she would take the English and Civics test:
1. Please write "We pay taxes".
2. Read "The government is for the people"
Answer these questions:
3. What is freedom of religion?
4. How many senators are there?
5. Ocean on the east coast of the United States?
6. One state that borders Canada?
7. When was the declaration of Independence?
8. When does one have to register for Selective Service?
She asked what had brought me to America and why did I want to get naturalized. Answer: I'd been living here for 18 years and this was now home. After this she said she would be recommending my application for approval but would need confirmation from her supervisor. She walked me back out to the waiting area and said she'd let me know in a few minutes of the final decision. My interview lasted about 30 minutes. After a few minutes, the officer who had interviewed my wife came out and gave her a letter stating she had passed her interview and that she come for the 1:15 PM oath. About 10 minutes later my interviewing officer came out, called my name, congratulated me saying my case was approved and gave me a similar letter for the 1:15 PM oath.
We were back at the USCIS building around 12:00 PM for the Oath and were led straight back up to the waiting area. At 1:15 PM, 3 officers showed up and asked the crowd of approx. 60-70 folks whether all of us were here for the oath ceremony? All friends and family were asked to go downstairs and wait in the auditorium. The remaining 52 oath applicants were asked to form lines and given oath ceremony packets with seat numbers written on them. Our green cards were taken from us and placed in a plastic bag. We were all instructed to then proceed downstairs into the auditorium to our designated seats. The Oath ceremony lasted about an hour, there were 52 applicants from 25 countries. It was a nice ceremony, very similar to what other folks have described in detail previously. Towards the end we were each called on stage and handed over our citizenship certificates. We took some pictures, registered to vote (there was a lady standing in a corner with voter registration forms) and then when all was done, exited and left for home. And just an FYI but at this time, the Seattle USCIS office has same day Oath ceremonies all 4 working week days except Fridays.
My wife and I applied for our US passports at our local Redmond Court House today morning. The lines are shorter (there is usually no one there) and hope to receive them in the next 4 - 6 weeks.
That everyone is the end of a very long wait. Some of you might have read some of my earlier posts over the years but it's been a long journey: came to the US 18 years ago, received green cards almost 8 years ago and then had to wait exactly 3 years from the time we filed our N-400s till the day we became US citizens. If anyone has any questions, please feel free to ask.
Johan Yangky
Registered Users (C)
Hi All,
any Seattle's filers that has been interviewed/ approved for naturalization recently? I am wondering how long does it take from application to oath.
Please adv.
Thank you.
Sep 14, 2016 - Application sent
Oct 11, 2016 - Biometrics done
any Seattle's filers that has been interviewed/ approved for naturalization recently? I am wondering how long does it take from application to oath.
Please adv.
Thank you.
Sep 14, 2016 - Application sent
Oct 11, 2016 - Biometrics done
Johan Yangky
Registered Users (C)
I'll answer my own question - my wife and I went for our interviews yesterday which went well and we did attend a same day oath ceremony at the Seattle office yesterday - we are finally US citizens. Here is my experience:
Our interviews were scheduled for 7:00 AM, we entered the building around 6:50 AM, there was only one person ahead of us. We were told to go and sit in the waiting/sitting area upstairs and by 7:10 AM there were around 10 people including us in the waiting area. My wife was the first one to be called at 7:15 AM, then the person ahead of us was called in next around 7:20 AM followed by other people in line, randomly every 5 - 10 minutes. My wife was out after 10 minutes and said everything went well, the interviewing officer was very pleasant and did not ask to see any documents. She did go through the entire N-400 application but did not stress on anything in particular. After the interview and test, she was told that she was approving her application for citizenship and pending the outcome of my interview, she could schedule my wife for a same day oath ceremony.
I was called at 8:00 AM, an hour after waiting for my turn and a very pleasant lady officer walked me to her office. She repeatedly apologized for the long wait before starting with the N-400 application. She went line by line, confirming both my spouse's and my details followed by our children's date of births. She wanted to know where I worked and what I did. We had a little chat, talked about Seattle and Washington in general. Then when the portion detailing time spent out of the US came, she wanted me to explain that in more detail. This is a suggestion that will be helpful for anyone/everyone who has traveled more than a few times and has a some entries in that portion of the application: Since I had about 7 travel entries that were longer than 24 hours, outside of the US, during the 5 years prior to submitting my application, and 5 entries since submission of the application, I knew this portion would be receiving more scrutiny during the interview. I had also forgotten to mention one trip on my application and even although some entries were just over night trips by road to Vancouver, they had to be documented. For this purpose, based on advice from a colleague I created a spreadsheet that looked very similar to what's on the application with the same column names but added 2 more columns titled Notes 1 and Notes 2. Here I listed each trip, very much like what was on the application but provided a bit more details in the Notes column. The first column listed which city I visited (eg. Canada - Vancouver) and the second Notes column was only for trips that involved a flight (i.e. if my passport was stamped). I made color copies of all pages of my passport that had departure/arrival stamps on them and attached them under this spreadsheet cover page. The Notes 2 column would say which page of the passport to look for those stamps. This might seem like overkill for a lot of folks but my case was very different than most others. I did not want the officer to look at my passports and the various trips and not being able to co-relate them, to end up suggesting that she would not be able to make a decision and would need more time for this. The spreadsheet was indeed very helpful, she seemed delighted that everything was documented, and cross-checked some of the entries with actual stamps in the 2 passports (I had showed her my 4 previous expired passports also that I had numbered). She then asked some questions about the particular cities I had visited and listed and my purpose for the visits and I replied back with whether I was visiting for work, eg. a wedding or just sight-seeing with the family. I think with everything in front of her, my visits appeared more transparent and she moved on to the remaining portion of the application.
On the questions regarding Arrest or convictions, I told her I was unsure about listing 2 traffic tickets I had received, the last one in 2003. Fortunately I had copies of my Defensive Driving completion courses I had taken back then when we lived in Dallas, TX along with a Texas Drivers License record I purchased online that showed only one ticket entry and that it had been cleared with a defensive driving course. She made copies of both documents and thanked me again for letting her know about the citations although they had occurred almost 13 years ago. We then went through the last 2 pages of the application with the Yes and No answers. Finally she said she would take the English and Civics test:
1. Please write "We pay taxes".
2. Read "The government is for the people"
Answer these questions:
3. What is freedom of religion?
4. How many senators are there?
5. Ocean on the east coast of the United States?
6. One state that borders Canada?
7. When was the declaration of Independence?
8. When does one have to register for Selective Service?
She asked what had brought me to America and why did I want to get naturalized. Answer: I'd been living here for 18 years and this was now home. After this she said she would be recommending my application for approval but would need confirmation from her supervisor. She walked me back out to the waiting area and said she'd let me know in a few minutes of the final decision. My interview lasted about 30 minutes. After a few minutes, the officer who had interviewed my wife came out and gave her a letter stating she had passed her interview and that she come for the 1:15 PM oath. About 10 minutes later my interviewing officer came out, called my name, congratulated me saying my case was approved and gave me a similar letter for the 1:15 PM oath.
We were back at the USCIS building around 12:00 PM for the Oath and were led straight back up to the waiting area. At 1:15 PM, 3 officers showed up and asked the crowd of approx. 60-70 folks whether all of us were here for the oath ceremony? All friends and family were asked to go downstairs and wait in the auditorium. The remaining 52 oath applicants were asked to form lines and given oath ceremony packets with seat numbers written on them. Our green cards were taken from us and placed in a plastic bag. We were all instructed to then proceed downstairs into the auditorium to our designated seats. The Oath ceremony lasted about an hour, there were 52 applicants from 25 countries. It was a nice ceremony, very similar to what other folks have described in detail previously. Towards the end we were each called on stage and handed over our citizenship certificates. We took some pictures, registered to vote (there was a lady standing in a corner with voter registration forms) and then when all was done, exited and left for home. And just an FYI but at this time, the Seattle USCIS office has same day Oath ceremonies all 4 working week days except Fridays.
My wife and I applied for our US passports at our local Redmond Court House today morning. The lines are shorter (there is usually no one there) and hope to receive them in the next 4 - 6 weeks.
That everyone is the end of a very long wait. Some of you might have read some of my earlier posts over the years but it's been a long journey: came to the US 18 years ago, received green cards almost 8 years ago and then had to wait exactly 3 years from the time we filed our N-400s till the day we became US citizens. If anyone has any questions, please feel free to ask.
Congratz JWDKhan!!! What a long journey for you n wife. Bravo!!!
i have been married to my wife for 4 years now , we have two kids , i just passed my naturalization interview and i passed the civic test, however the officer didn't approve my case because i was missing a utility bill. he gave me 30 days to send him back the N14 file with evidence that I'm contributing and supporting my dependents0. The problem is that i live in my sister in laws and all the bills come on her name however i pay all the bills. right now i am in the process of changing all the utility bill and put them on my name but it might take 3 to 4 weeks before i get a bill on my name and it will be to late. The only proof i have is a payment history from conedison on my sister in law account and my bank statement which shows electric bills and water payments. is it enough what should i do ?
Johan Yangky
Registered Users (C)
i have been married to my wife for 4 years now , we have two kids , i just passed my naturalization interview and i passed the civic test, however the officer didn't approve my case because i was missing a utility bill. he gave me 30 days to send him back the N14 file with evidence that I'm contributing and supporting my dependents0. The problem is that i live in my sister in laws and all the bills come on her name however i pay all the bills. right now i am in the process of changing all the utility bill and put them on my name but it might take 3 to 4 weeks before i get a bill on my name and it will be to late. The only proof i have is a payment history from conedison on my sister in law account and my bank statement which shows electric bills and water payments. is it enough what should i do ?
Congrats Tarek0102
Thank you for sharing.