CC's Random Thoughts

Navigation

Franklin, TN, USA		Manila, Philippines

Temperature:	As of :	Temperature:	As of :

Background pictures illustrate current weather conditions

CC's Tweets

Monday, March 02, 2009

The Naturalization Interview

Current Mood:
CC is listening to: Nothing right now

I had my naturalization interview scheduled at 10:55am today, and I made it there with 20 minutes to spare. I think I spent about an hour waiting, because I was out of there by noon and the entire interview only took about 15 minutes tops.

The USCIS officer has you take an oath to tell the truth, much like what you see on TV. Then the officer asks for your green card, driver's license and passport. Then the officer reviews some of the information in your N-400 application (spouse's name, where you live, where you work, how often you've traveled, things like that). After that, the officer asks you in person most of the questions that you answered on the N-400 including:

Have you ever claimed to be a U.S. citizen?
Since becoming a Lawful Permanent Resident, have you ever failed to file a required Federal state or local tax return?
Do you owe any Federal, state or local taxes that are overdue?
Have you ever been a member of or in any way associated with the Communist Party?
Have you ever committed a crime or offense for which you were not arrested?
Have you ever lied to any U.S. government official to gain entry or admission into the United States?

Once that's done, you're asked to read one to three sentences out loud. Then you're asked to write one sentence in English (the officer dictates the sentence, you write it down). Then the officer gives you up to 10 civics questions, of which you're supposed to answer 6 correctly. I was getting the questions right, so I think she stopped at 7. If she asked me more questions, I don't remember what they were. The questions I remember being asked were:

What is one promise you make when you become a US citizen?
What movement tried to end racial discrimination?
Where is the Statue of Liberty?
Who was the first President?
What did Martin Luther King, Jr. do?
Name two national US holidays.
What did the Emancipation Procamation do?

But there are 100 possible questions you get asked, so it was safer to just memorize them all :-).

Then she asked me to write my name on two of the passport pictures I submitted, she stapled them to my application, then she filled out a piece of paper and said that I passed and to look out for the letter telling me when and where the oathtaking is going to be. She said it'll take a few months. This is what the results sheet looks like (I smudged out the identifying information):

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it won't take TOO long before I get the letter :-).

Labels: Immigration

Posted by Unknown | 1:06 PM | 0 Comments |

Write or read comments about this entry