All,
Just wanted to share my interview experience with you.
Went with the regular documents. Did not declare traffic tickets (blocked view, 1 parking ticked but the driving record was clean) on N-400 (did not know I need to at the time of filing), and applied based on calender months(3 mths prior) - later discovered this was a day earlier than the 90 day (due to the 31 days for a few months). Also, switched jobs 5 1/2 months after gc (employment based)
Was quite worried that they may catch any of the above issues ....
Studied all the 100 questions and all the civic documents on the USCIS website many many times.
Interview was for 11:00 am.
Went to the Parking lot adjacent to the Federal Rodino Building ($12 a day).
I was dressed in a suit and walked into the 15th floor at around 10:45. Dropped the letter on the tray at Window 13 (No line at all). A number of people were already seated. Also I had not traveled out at all in the last 5 yrs.
I was suprised to see I got called at 11:00 am sharp even though all the other people seemed to have arrived before me (and most of them were waiting to be called .. i don't know how they schedule these things).
Anyways, there were 2 doors (door 1 and door 2). My interviewer called me to door 2. I went through and he led me through a corridor to a great looking office (very comfortable and nice). Anyways, he started off with saying that I should not put anything on his desk ( I guess he saw the bag I was carrying).
I carried tax records for 5yrs, utility bills for last 5 yrs, gc, selective service registration, passports (all), drivers license, marriage certificate, interview letter.
He started by asking if I will say only the truth. I said yes. He was very stern and never broke a smile. Always reminding me that just answer what he asked .. nothing else.
He proceeded to ask me if the names on my N-400 were the only names I had ever used. I told him that there was a name that was on my passport and birth cert that belongs to my family which I do not use. He grumbled and said I should have put it. My heart was beating now fast since I thought this would mean he would do another name check
(. Oh noooo!!
Proceeded to ask a few questions like name, dob, marital status e.t.c, then asked pleasantly if i had done my duty and voted. I said no .. i was not a citizen and I cannot vote. He smiled and said good. Huh..
Then he started shooting off questions on history (all from the 100 questions). Very simple and a breeze. He read it out from his computer. I got all of them right, he printed it and got me to sign it. Got me to write a sentence (today is a sunny day).. so much for my masters degree; how do they think we got it?.
Then, he proceed to go through the questions at the end of n-400. Only asked me about arrests .. none ;
then he said my photograph was probably too small, I said I have another set with me ; then he retracted it after checking on a voided nat certificate.
Then he got me to sign full name, and gave me the oath notice for 11:30pm.
He did not question employment; dates; traffic, taxes ... nothing. Did not have to show anything at all other than what was listed on interview letter.
Whole interview lasted 15 mts.
I went out for some air .. what a relief .. Had a bite to eat ...
Came back at 11:30am. People were still getting interviewed
At 1:00pm they got me to check the certificate to see if everything was correct. Kept the GC.
At 2:30pm we had the oath .. nice ceromony (63 ppl). - oath, msg from George, tunes and a hand out of the certificates. Very moving ceromony and I had flashbacks of the torture of all the immigration process .. some tears came to my eyes. Finally the person conducting the oath said that our journey with immigration was over.
After this .. went to shop and got about 10 copies of nat certificate and filed for the passport. 2 extra photos, orig nat certificate and driv license. expedite processing with express mail both ways. Just did not want to part with both the nat certificate and passport for too long even though i was not planning on going anywhere soon. also did not want to risk losing it and having to go back to immigration to get it replaced. total cost $185. I did not trust govt. employees with my latest immig. document for too long.
Came home a citizen...
Oh.. I sent an fbi name check request about a mth ago, never got a response. so much for that ... thank God it had cleared. Also never called to check fingerprints and did not do FOIPA or any such thing,,
Regards
Manoj
Just wanted to share my interview experience with you.
Went with the regular documents. Did not declare traffic tickets (blocked view, 1 parking ticked but the driving record was clean) on N-400 (did not know I need to at the time of filing), and applied based on calender months(3 mths prior) - later discovered this was a day earlier than the 90 day (due to the 31 days for a few months). Also, switched jobs 5 1/2 months after gc (employment based)
Was quite worried that they may catch any of the above issues ....
Studied all the 100 questions and all the civic documents on the USCIS website many many times.
Interview was for 11:00 am.
Went to the Parking lot adjacent to the Federal Rodino Building ($12 a day).
I was dressed in a suit and walked into the 15th floor at around 10:45. Dropped the letter on the tray at Window 13 (No line at all). A number of people were already seated. Also I had not traveled out at all in the last 5 yrs.
I was suprised to see I got called at 11:00 am sharp even though all the other people seemed to have arrived before me (and most of them were waiting to be called .. i don't know how they schedule these things).
Anyways, there were 2 doors (door 1 and door 2). My interviewer called me to door 2. I went through and he led me through a corridor to a great looking office (very comfortable and nice). Anyways, he started off with saying that I should not put anything on his desk ( I guess he saw the bag I was carrying).
I carried tax records for 5yrs, utility bills for last 5 yrs, gc, selective service registration, passports (all), drivers license, marriage certificate, interview letter.
He started by asking if I will say only the truth. I said yes. He was very stern and never broke a smile. Always reminding me that just answer what he asked .. nothing else.
He proceeded to ask me if the names on my N-400 were the only names I had ever used. I told him that there was a name that was on my passport and birth cert that belongs to my family which I do not use. He grumbled and said I should have put it. My heart was beating now fast since I thought this would mean he would do another name check
(. Oh noooo!!Proceeded to ask a few questions like name, dob, marital status e.t.c, then asked pleasantly if i had done my duty and voted. I said no .. i was not a citizen and I cannot vote. He smiled and said good. Huh..
Then he started shooting off questions on history (all from the 100 questions). Very simple and a breeze. He read it out from his computer. I got all of them right, he printed it and got me to sign it. Got me to write a sentence (today is a sunny day).. so much for my masters degree; how do they think we got it?.
Then, he proceed to go through the questions at the end of n-400. Only asked me about arrests .. none ;
then he said my photograph was probably too small, I said I have another set with me ; then he retracted it after checking on a voided nat certificate.
Then he got me to sign full name, and gave me the oath notice for 11:30pm.
He did not question employment; dates; traffic, taxes ... nothing. Did not have to show anything at all other than what was listed on interview letter.
Whole interview lasted 15 mts.
I went out for some air .. what a relief .. Had a bite to eat ...
Came back at 11:30am. People were still getting interviewed
At 1:00pm they got me to check the certificate to see if everything was correct. Kept the GC.
At 2:30pm we had the oath .. nice ceromony (63 ppl). - oath, msg from George, tunes and a hand out of the certificates. Very moving ceromony and I had flashbacks of the torture of all the immigration process .. some tears came to my eyes. Finally the person conducting the oath said that our journey with immigration was over.
After this .. went to shop and got about 10 copies of nat certificate and filed for the passport. 2 extra photos, orig nat certificate and driv license. expedite processing with express mail both ways. Just did not want to part with both the nat certificate and passport for too long even though i was not planning on going anywhere soon. also did not want to risk losing it and having to go back to immigration to get it replaced. total cost $185. I did not trust govt. employees with my latest immig. document for too long.
Came home a citizen...
Oh.. I sent an fbi name check request about a mth ago, never got a response. so much for that ... thank God it had cleared. Also never called to check fingerprints and did not do FOIPA or any such thing,,
Regards
Manoj