Timeline after Interview in California (Santa Ana)?

G

Guineapig

Registered Users (C)
I have my interview on Jan 20th 2004 (4 days from now)

I am planning a trip to Indonesia (vacation in April) and want to make sure I can travel on my new passport.

Does someone know how quickly I will get my oath ceremony here in Southern California and also how quickly it takes for a passport to be issued?
 
can you post your timeline? Someone posted .....

Someone posted his/her total number of days from submitting form to oath in 2002.

Since it was old information, you might not be interested in. If I remembered correct, for Santa Ana took 240-305.

Can you post your timeline?

Jaja
 
My Timeline:

Perm Res date: 02/10/1997

Submitted Application for Citizenship : Aug 27 '03
Received Notification on Sept 08 '03
FBI Check taken/passed : Oct 21 '03
Request to appear for interview received : Nov 10 '03
Interview Date : Jan 20 '04
Oath Date: ???
Passport Date: ???

I'm trying to get an idea of when ??? is above :)
 
FBI name check is next waiting

Guineapig:
It seems to me that after interview , FBI name check will be your next waiting . This FBI name check is newly added procedure due to tight security awareness after tragedy happened in New York 911. It took my friend 56 days to finish this process after her interview back November ,2003.

There are someone reported their N-400 processes got sucked due to that process.

I really wish you would get through it smoothly.

IF you get done with FBI name check, your oath day is coming very soon.

Please post your progress on your N-400 application for coming days.



jaja
 
Are you saying there's ANOTHER FBI check after the one I did less than three months ago??!

Wow! I thought after I got the GC process taken care of, the idiocy of the procedure would lighten up some.

I suppose it is conceivably possible possible, than between October and January I've signed up, trained, and become a fully functioning member of a terrorist cell - but if that was the case I don't think I'd be applying for citizenship!

(I suppose I should say for the record, in case echelon or some other monitoring system is reading this, the above statement was intended to be an ironic, and somewhat humorous commentary on the current BCIS procedures)

Who writes these rules?!? Are those monkeys who've been turning out Shakespeare for the past 400 years are out of a job?
 
FBI name check is real one.

Guineapig:

This FBI name check after N-400 interview is real. After reasonable waiting for FBI and USCIS to work on this one in a
cooprated effort, If you really want to know whether you pass the check or not, FBI is ultimate place to ask. FBI DC headquarter accepts this kind of inquiry issued by N-400 applicants. YOu call them
, fill up a privacy form and fax it to FBI. You
will be replied by both phone and letter infroming from FBI.

JaJa
 
FBI first check is just for fingerprint, the second check one is more comprehesive

Guineapig:
Even involved with some agencies which are not publicly well-known.

Jaja
 
Interview Process (Santa Ana)
My appointment was for 8:05 am

Arrived at 7:30, 200 people in line, after 20 mins of waiting I asked if appointments had to line up. I was directed to a MUCH smaller line :)

After a stringent security check (DONT TAKE ANY CAMERAS or CAMERAPHONES, or anything that record sound - even a phone that records memos) Up to the 6th floor. A wait of about 5 mins for my interviewer. (John Hodges I think was his name - super nice guy)

The interview consisted of:

1) A short oath to tell the truth
2) A check of my ID/passport/Greencard
3) A short written test (one sentence, but I am English so I think he let that one pass!)
4) A short civics test (10 questions, I got 10 right :) )
5) A line by line examination of my application, including oral affirmations about the communist party, criminal record etc.

One thing I was worried about was that I left my sponsoring employer only about 6 months after getting my green card. This was through no deception, I just got a spectacular job offer. I had a briefcase full of documentation to this effect too, but it didn't even arise. He asked me about my old job and my new, checked that there was continuity in dates of employment and residency.

That was it.. he gave me a passport form and said my oath ceremony should be at the end of February. He also said I can apply in person and get my passport the same day I take the oath if I head into West L.A.

I was out in less than an hour.

All in all, the single most pleasant INS experience I've ever had.


--------------------------
Questions:
What is the head executive of a state government called? Name yours.

In what year was the constitution written?

What do he stripes on the flag mean?

How many stripes are there on the flag?

Name and describe one amendment which guarantees or addresses voting rights.

Name your two senators

What are the first ten amendments to the Constitution called?

What holiday was celebrated for the first time by American colonists?

Who nominates the judges of the Supreme Court?

What is the 50th state of the union?
 
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Congratulation!

Guineapig

Congratulation! Please posting the actual oath data when you get notice of Oath Ceremony.

Jaja
 
Guineapig,
Based on on your posted time-line , i would say that your processing was pretty fast in Santa Ana.
I am living in Los Angeles Area, and would be filing for citizenship soon. I Would like to know how did you get qualified to apply at the Santa Ana office - Did you send your application specifically to Santa Ana office or were you asked to go to the Santa Ana office by BCIS ?
Based on what i read at BCIS website, all Naturalization applications from Los Angeles region have to be sent to the Laguna Neugal office . So I was wondering how did you get to interview at Santa Ana.

Thanks,
Rajesh
 
I sent the application to the Laguna Niguel center - but my notice to appear stated I had to go to the Santa Ana office. (Its at Civic Center Plaza) I'm not even sure if the LN office takes visitors, or if it's just a processing center.

For example - when I lived in Florida, all my correspondence went to the Texas Service Center in Mesquite TX, but all my notice to appears or fingerprinting took place in Orlando, FL.

Oh and as far as travelling goes - I asked my interviewer before we started and he told me these are my options:

1) If my oath ceremony is more than a couple of days before I travel I take the oath and apply for the US passport IN PERSON and get it the same day.

2) If my oath ceremony is very close to my travel time or, in fact, while I'm away - I can reply to the notice to appear to the effect that I cannot attend. I travel on my British passport and greencard, and take the oath when I return at a time re-scheduled by INS.

So no problems either way.

Until I actually take the oath, I am still a permanent resident in all respects. My status now is P.R. who is approved for future change of status to Citizen.
 
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