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Immigration
Citizenship
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Los Angeles Experience
Hello everyone,
It’s time to give back to the forum by sharing our experience (My wife and I)
Applied for citizenship based on 4 years 9 month as a permeant resident, based on an asylum case.
Our timeline was the same and as follow:
Applications sent on 11/1/2017
PD date: 11/7/2017,.
Biometrics Appointment letter on 11/11/2017 for 11/28/2018
Walked in for biometrics on 11/21/2017
Status changes on ELIS to: “We reviewed your biometrics” and on USCIS to: “We are actively Reviewing your form N-400, Application for Naturalization.”
Then nothing, for the next 7 months…..
On 5th of June, 2018 (6/5/2018), both of us, received text messages and emails that the status has been changed to: “We scheduled your interview”
In the early morning we were able to find the interview letters on ELIS that we both were scheduled for July 10th, 2018, my wife at 2:05PM and 2:25PM for me in the Federal Building in Los Angeles.
Received the actual letters 2-3 days later.
The interview day:
One day before the interview (July 9th), I got a call from officer Nguyen, the interview officer asking me if I could come at 11:15 AM instead of 2:25PM, I said yes of course, then he asked me to bring 3 years tax returns and marriage certificate and my kids birth certificate.
On the interview day, we left home around 9:30am, as it takes around 20 minutes from my home to arrive to DTLA using the express lanes. Luckily, I’m very familiar with the area, as I work very close to the Federal building. Arrived around 10am, it took a while until we parked in the parking lot on Also street, it was closed when we arrived, drove around the block and came back again, then had to wait in a line to get into the parking which took some time. Parking there is uncovered and is $8 for the full day. Not bad at all for DTLA.
Arrived to the line around 10:30 am, which was very long and slow, but the security guard split it into two lines and admitted us from another door, which was faster. Security was like the one in airports (belts and shoes off). Took around 30 minutes, took the elevator to room number 6024 and been there around 11:00. Checked in with a nice receptionist, who confirmed over the phone that my interview officer asked me to come early. 30 minutes later I had been called by officer Nguyen, a very serious man but turned out to be very professional and know exactly what he’s doing. Followed him to his office, sworn then seated. Started with some questions about the application, my background, my job, and my trips outside of the US (total 29 trips). Just asked me what was the reason (business) and the longest trip (28 days). Told him that I have 4 traffic tickets that I missed to mention them, he asked me if I paid all of them, I said yes, he didn’t care much about them anymore. Then he gave me a paper to write “citizen can vote”. Then followed by the civic test:
- What is the name of the Vice President of the United States now?
- What group of people was taken to America and sold as slaves?
- Name one war fought by the United States in the 1800s.
- During the Cold War, what was the main concern of the United States?
- What ocean is on the West Coast of the United States?
- What do we show loyalty to when we say the Pledge of Allegiance?
Passed (Side note: it looks like the questions set is chosen randomly by the computer, he didn’t choose the questions). Then asked me about my tax returns, he checked them carefully. Then started the Yes and no question while working on the computer and scanning all the documents. And the end he printed the decision letter (N-652), I was able to see congratulations box checked, however, he kept working on his computer for more than 10 minutes. It turned out that he didn’t let me leave his office until he finish everything about my case, because at the exact same time, my phone which I left it with my wife, was receiving a series of text messages and emails from both ELIS and USCIS that my case is being updated as following:
- You attended your interview
- We recommended your form N-400, Application for Naturalization, be approved. Your case was submitted for quality review.
- We approved your application.
- In-line for oath ceremony.
- We scheduled your naturalization ceremony.
- Oath Ceremony Notice Was Mailed
He told me that he approved my case and I should received the oath letter within a week. Went out to surprise my wife, but she was smiling from ear to ear, she knew everything from those text notifications. By the evening I was able to check the oath ceremony letter on ELIS and was scheduled in the first coming ceremony on July 25th.
My wife experience:
After my interview, we went for a lunch in the second floor, as we didn’t want to leave the building, came back 10 minutes before the interview and checked in with the same receptionist, then waited around 50 minutes until my wife was called. Her officer Ms. Byui, an extra sweet lady with sense of humor. She started with the civic test then writing “the president lives in the white house” then reading “where does the president live” (yes, started with writing). The officer asked about everything in the application without putting any pressure or stress. When my wife couldn’t remember the house number of our old address, she helped her. She asked her about me and my asylum case. She asked her about her traffic tickets and all details, but didn’t require court disposition. At the end, she asked her what happened with your husband interview ? she told her he got approved today, so the officer told her: so you look you gonna celebrate together tonight. What an amazing way to tell her she got approved.
Few minutes after my wife came out, we started to receive a series of text notifications about her case update, same like my sequence, but stopped short at “in-line for oath ceremony”. I kept asking myself, why she didn’t do the last step ? did she forget or something ?
But no, two day later, in the morning of July 12th, we got the latest update “Oath Ceremony Notice Was Mailed”. Few hours later we were able to see the letter on ELIS, and found that she got the same exact time like what I got. I assumed that the sweet officer waited to check my ceremony date to schedule my wife on the same time.
Oath Ceremony:
As many already reported, oath ceremony in Los Angeles convention center has 2 sessions, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, and arrival is staggered. We’ve been scheduled in the morning session. Arrived 15 minutes before our allocated time. Parking was well organized, Guests had to go from different route. Security was semi-organized, and took around 20 minutes, then went to one of the tens of tables where the USCIS officers are processing the thousands of applicants. They ask basic questions from the oath ceremony letter, like: any change to your marital status since the interview, any arrests or traffic tickets since the interview, are you still willing to take the full oath of ceremony..etc, then they punch a hole in the Green Card, and staple it to the letter, and write a table number on the letter where you should come back to collect your certificate. You get a small flag and welcome pack and get seated. Listen to introductions by the director of USCIS of California, and others. That session had 4283 persons from 116 countries getting naturalized. Then a word by the judge, then oath then the national anthem. After that we watched a video, and welcome video by the president. Then they started to dismiss us in the order we were seated. It took sometime until we were dismissed, went directly to the assigned table and in few minutes we finally got the certificate that declare the end of our immigration journey.
Passports:
We planned to leave the country for a mixed business/vacation trip the very next day after the ceremony, so we had an already set appointment in the Los Angeles passport agency at 12:00 PM, we set the appointments 2 days after our interview. We got there around 12:15, there was no line at the security, and a small line in the agency itself. Everyone was very helpful and nice there. Finished everything at 1:35PM, and collected our new passports and passports cards at around 4 PM, amazing job.
Sorry for the very long post, when I was patiently waiting, only the detailed posts gave me insights and relieve at the same time. Good luck for everyone.
It’s time to give back to the forum by sharing our experience (My wife and I)
Applied for citizenship based on 4 years 9 month as a permeant resident, based on an asylum case.
Our timeline was the same and as follow:
Applications sent on 11/1/2017
PD date: 11/7/2017,.
Biometrics Appointment letter on 11/11/2017 for 11/28/2018
Walked in for biometrics on 11/21/2017
Status changes on ELIS to: “We reviewed your biometrics” and on USCIS to: “We are actively Reviewing your form N-400, Application for Naturalization.”
Then nothing, for the next 7 months…..
On 5th of June, 2018 (6/5/2018), both of us, received text messages and emails that the status has been changed to: “We scheduled your interview”
In the early morning we were able to find the interview letters on ELIS that we both were scheduled for July 10th, 2018, my wife at 2:05PM and 2:25PM for me in the Federal Building in Los Angeles.
Received the actual letters 2-3 days later.
The interview day:
One day before the interview (July 9th), I got a call from officer Nguyen, the interview officer asking me if I could come at 11:15 AM instead of 2:25PM, I said yes of course, then he asked me to bring 3 years tax returns and marriage certificate and my kids birth certificate.
On the interview day, we left home around 9:30am, as it takes around 20 minutes from my home to arrive to DTLA using the express lanes. Luckily, I’m very familiar with the area, as I work very close to the Federal building. Arrived around 10am, it took a while until we parked in the parking lot on Also street, it was closed when we arrived, drove around the block and came back again, then had to wait in a line to get into the parking which took some time. Parking there is uncovered and is $8 for the full day. Not bad at all for DTLA.
Arrived to the line around 10:30 am, which was very long and slow, but the security guard split it into two lines and admitted us from another door, which was faster. Security was like the one in airports (belts and shoes off). Took around 30 minutes, took the elevator to room number 6024 and been there around 11:00. Checked in with a nice receptionist, who confirmed over the phone that my interview officer asked me to come early. 30 minutes later I had been called by officer Nguyen, a very serious man but turned out to be very professional and know exactly what he’s doing. Followed him to his office, sworn then seated. Started with some questions about the application, my background, my job, and my trips outside of the US (total 29 trips). Just asked me what was the reason (business) and the longest trip (28 days). Told him that I have 4 traffic tickets that I missed to mention them, he asked me if I paid all of them, I said yes, he didn’t care much about them anymore. Then he gave me a paper to write “citizen can vote”. Then followed by the civic test:
- What is the name of the Vice President of the United States now?
- What group of people was taken to America and sold as slaves?
- Name one war fought by the United States in the 1800s.
- During the Cold War, what was the main concern of the United States?
- What ocean is on the West Coast of the United States?
- What do we show loyalty to when we say the Pledge of Allegiance?
Passed (Side note: it looks like the questions set is chosen randomly by the computer, he didn’t choose the questions). Then asked me about my tax returns, he checked them carefully. Then started the Yes and no question while working on the computer and scanning all the documents. And the end he printed the decision letter (N-652), I was able to see congratulations box checked, however, he kept working on his computer for more than 10 minutes. It turned out that he didn’t let me leave his office until he finish everything about my case, because at the exact same time, my phone which I left it with my wife, was receiving a series of text messages and emails from both ELIS and USCIS that my case is being updated as following:
- You attended your interview
- We recommended your form N-400, Application for Naturalization, be approved. Your case was submitted for quality review.
- We approved your application.
- In-line for oath ceremony.
- We scheduled your naturalization ceremony.
- Oath Ceremony Notice Was Mailed
He told me that he approved my case and I should received the oath letter within a week. Went out to surprise my wife, but she was smiling from ear to ear, she knew everything from those text notifications. By the evening I was able to check the oath ceremony letter on ELIS and was scheduled in the first coming ceremony on July 25th.
My wife experience:
After my interview, we went for a lunch in the second floor, as we didn’t want to leave the building, came back 10 minutes before the interview and checked in with the same receptionist, then waited around 50 minutes until my wife was called. Her officer Ms. Byui, an extra sweet lady with sense of humor. She started with the civic test then writing “the president lives in the white house” then reading “where does the president live” (yes, started with writing). The officer asked about everything in the application without putting any pressure or stress. When my wife couldn’t remember the house number of our old address, she helped her. She asked her about me and my asylum case. She asked her about her traffic tickets and all details, but didn’t require court disposition. At the end, she asked her what happened with your husband interview ? she told her he got approved today, so the officer told her: so you look you gonna celebrate together tonight. What an amazing way to tell her she got approved.
Few minutes after my wife came out, we started to receive a series of text notifications about her case update, same like my sequence, but stopped short at “in-line for oath ceremony”. I kept asking myself, why she didn’t do the last step ? did she forget or something ?
But no, two day later, in the morning of July 12th, we got the latest update “Oath Ceremony Notice Was Mailed”. Few hours later we were able to see the letter on ELIS, and found that she got the same exact time like what I got. I assumed that the sweet officer waited to check my ceremony date to schedule my wife on the same time.
Oath Ceremony:
As many already reported, oath ceremony in Los Angeles convention center has 2 sessions, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, and arrival is staggered. We’ve been scheduled in the morning session. Arrived 15 minutes before our allocated time. Parking was well organized, Guests had to go from different route. Security was semi-organized, and took around 20 minutes, then went to one of the tens of tables where the USCIS officers are processing the thousands of applicants. They ask basic questions from the oath ceremony letter, like: any change to your marital status since the interview, any arrests or traffic tickets since the interview, are you still willing to take the full oath of ceremony..etc, then they punch a hole in the Green Card, and staple it to the letter, and write a table number on the letter where you should come back to collect your certificate. You get a small flag and welcome pack and get seated. Listen to introductions by the director of USCIS of California, and others. That session had 4283 persons from 116 countries getting naturalized. Then a word by the judge, then oath then the national anthem. After that we watched a video, and welcome video by the president. Then they started to dismiss us in the order we were seated. It took sometime until we were dismissed, went directly to the assigned table and in few minutes we finally got the certificate that declare the end of our immigration journey.
Passports:
We planned to leave the country for a mixed business/vacation trip the very next day after the ceremony, so we had an already set appointment in the Los Angeles passport agency at 12:00 PM, we set the appointments 2 days after our interview. We got there around 12:15, there was no line at the security, and a small line in the agency itself. Everyone was very helpful and nice there. Finished everything at 1:35PM, and collected our new passports and passports cards at around 4 PM, amazing job.
Sorry for the very long post, when I was patiently waiting, only the detailed posts gave me insights and relieve at the same time. Good luck for everyone.
All Replies (17)
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