Begin life at forty

Tag: oath of allegiance ceremony

  • N400 -Citizenship application

    ​​Becoming a citizen of a country is a significant step in anyone’s life. Here are a few reasons why I strongly encourage you to apply for citizenship as soon as you become eligible.

    Firstly, applying for citizenship early allows you to plan your schedule better. The application process can be lengthy, taking an average of 6-12 months. During this time, you will have to attend an in-person interview and take a test, which may require you to travel far from your home. Also, if you plan to travel abroad after obtaining citizenship, you will have to wait for the passport to arrive, which can take from 4-13 weeks, depending on the number of applications at that time. Applying early will give you more time to plan and prepare for these events, making the process smoother and less stressful.

    Secondly, laws in both the United States and your native country can change at any time, potentially impacting your eligibility or the conditions of your application. By applying for citizenship early, you can avoid these uncertainties and secure your status in the US. Waiting too long to apply could mean facing new restrictions or additional requirements that make the process more challenging and time-consuming.

    Lastly, citizenship provides numerous benefits that are worth obtaining as soon as possible. These benefits include the right to vote and the right to apply for federal employment requiring U.S. citizenship, etc. What’s meaningful to me is citizenship provides a sense of belonging and security, knowing that one is a full member of the country they reside in.

    Since I obtained citizenship through marriage, I would like to share with you my experience and the steps of the process, which will be as follows:  

    1. Online Application: File online

    If you don’t have a USCIS account, sign up first. Once logged in, fill out the application. Attach supporting documents that prove your relationship and cohabitation with your spouse. The application fee is paid online before submission, which was $725 at the time of my application in December 2022.

    You have the option to save your application and continue it later within about a month.

    You can attach a letter to clarify your responses or update your application after submission.

    2. USCIS’ Acknowledgement Letter: You will receive an acknowledgment letter from USCIS via mail to confirm the receipt of your application.

    3. USCIS’s Invitation Letter: USCIS will mail you the invitation letter, telling you the time, date and location for the interview/test as well as guidelines on the original documents you need to bring with you for the interview. 

    The documents include your Driver’s License, Green Card, Spouse’s Passport and Birth Certificate, Marriage License and certified Tax Returns. Obtain the transcripts of your Tax Returns at no cost on the IRS website. You need to create an account first if you don’t already have one. To open an account, you need to complete an identification verification process by providing copies of your driver’s license and SSN, as well as a photo capturing your face through a provided link. Then an IRS representative will call you through their app to verify your identification. This process will take about 10 minutes. Once it is completed, you can log in to your account and retrieve the transcripts.

    For other supporting documents, don’t be overly concerned about the requirement of bringing the originals. I brought the printed electronic documents with me but actually, the examiner didn’t ask for any, except my Green Card during the interview.

    4. Interview/Test

    This step includes 2 parts: The Test and the Interview. First, the Test includes the English test and the civic test. The civic test assesses your knowledge of US government and history by asking civic questions. There are 100 questions, you will only be asked a maximum of 10 questions and must answer 6/10 questions correctly to pass the civic test. If you have 6/10 correct answers in a row, the test stops. The English test evaluates your 4 basic skills, with your speaking and listening skills tested through your answers to the civic questions. For the other two skills, the tests are simple. You will read a very short sentence on a tablet screen and write down what the interviewer says which will also be very short, e.g. “The US’s capital is Washington DC.” The interviewer will inform you immediately if you pass the test.

    The second part is the Interview. The interviewer will ask you to stand up and raise your hand to swear everything you say will be truthful. This part is essentially to verify the information you have provided in the application, such as whether you have children, how many times you have been married? Or if you have committed any crimes. Once you have successfully completed both parts, you will be invited to the oath of allegiance ceremony where you will receive your naturalization certificate. 

    Here are some useful links that will help you prepare for the interview:

    100 Civic questions: This channel is ideal for test preparation. If the speed is too slow, you can increase it.

    Vocabulary for reading and writing

    Knowledge of US government and history

    5. Oath of Allegiance Ceremony: Depending on the location, this event may take place on the same day as your interview or on a separate day. If it’s on the same day, you will wait for one or two hours before the event. The interviewer will give you an invitation letter that includes the time, location and other instructions. Keep this paper in case you leave the office and return later. You’ll need to show this letter to go through the security check. 

    After taking the oath of allegiance, you will be granted the naturalization certificate. They will also give you an envelope including voting instructions and a list of links to the websites/authorities you need to contact after naturalization regarding your SSN, driver’s license and passport.

    If you want photos, the organizers there are glad to help. In my location, one wall of the hall is made of glass, so family members or friends of applicants can take photos from there.

    What should you do if you need to reschedule your interview?

    If your interview date clashes with your schedule, don’t panic. You can call the USCIS office that mailed you the invitation letter to reschedule it, but I strongly advise you to email or mail them instead and explain why you can’t attend the interview on the given date. Emailing or mailing them shows your professionalism and politeness and lets USCIS officers know how crucial the test is to you. In my personal experience, USCIS staff are very supportive and flexible. They will try to accommodate your needs as much as possible and respond to your request promptly.

    I had to reschedule my interview twice. The first time I just rescheduled it by phone without much thought and later realized the significance of attending the interview on the given date. The lady I spoke to over the phone acknowledged my request but couldn’t immediately confirm if it was accepted. She told me that I would probably have to wait a month for a response, which worried me because it would have passed my interview date. Luckily, the next day I received an email approving my request but informing me that I may have to wait up to six months to get rescheduled, which was not ideal for me as I had a plan to go to Vietnam soon for medical treatment.

    I then wrote them a letter to explain my situation. Very quickly, they rescheduled a new date for me, which was surprisingly earlier than my original interview date. Unfortunately, my current medical treatment did not allow me to attend that date. I had to request a reschedule again, worrying that I was being a nuisance to USCIS officers. However, I had tried to explain my situation as specifically and honestly as possible and hoped for their understanding. To my surprise, they accepted my request and scheduled the interview around the time I suggested The process was handled quickly and straightforwardly, with great support and understanding from USCIS officers.

    Is it possible to change your name during the interview?

    If you choose to take your spouse’s surname, you can make the change at the office where the interview takes place. If the oath of allegiance ceremony coincides with the interview, you will receive the naturalization certificate with your new surname on it. However, if you wish to change the full name, you can’t do it at the USCIS office. You will have to visit a probate court, which has the authority to legally change your full name and update it on the certificate. In this case, you will attend the oath of allegiance ceremony at the probate court which may involve additional waiting time.

    In my case, the examiner said I might have to wait for a month if I wanted the certificate with my new full name from the probate court. However, due to my travel plan to VN, I didn’t want to wait any longer. I needed the certificate to apply for an American passport for my trip. Remember, once you pass the interview, they will collect your green card, so having a passport is necessary for re-entry into the US. Ultimately, I decided to postpone changing my name for a later time, as I didn’t want to remain in a passive waiting mode while I didn’t have much time available.

    In short, it took me about 2.5 months to obtain citizenship. Good luck to you all!

  • March ramblings, 2023

    My March went well with a lot of activities, fun and laughs.

    Car AC changed

    My car’s AC hadn’t been working right. It kept blowing hot air. I had been driving with the broken AC through most of the winter but on the hot days in late Feb, I couldn’t bear the heat, even with the windows open. And doing that made my pollen allergies worse. With no more room for delay, I took my car to Pep Boys to get it checked out. After waiting for a few hrs, I got 2 quotes, ~$1300 for just the AC unit replacement and ~$1800 for a whole new package. I didn’t care to look at the quotes’ breakdowns as either one was far beyond my expectation. When I told S about it, he wanted to fix it himself so that we could save some money. But after watching an instructional video on Youtube, he quickly gave up :D. We decided to order a new A/C device on Amazon for around $200 and look for a local auto repair shop to have them change it. The shop wasn’t far from our house, just a few minutes’ drive away. I left my car there on a Thursday evening and got it back on the following Tuesday. When S told me to check if the AC was working right, I said, “It’s fine,” after feeling cold air blowing out of the vents. However, upon driving it, he said it still wasn’t working correctly, so he went back to the shop. After the second fix, it is working greatly again and now I can enjoy my time on the road. Oh, I forgot, the total cost was around $700, almost half cheaper than one of the quotes.

    Happy Numberth Anniversary!

    Our anniversary fell on a busy weekday, so S and I decided to reschedule our celebration to the weekend. On the day of our anniversary, S brought home Peruvian lilies, white Lilies, and red Roses. They looked fresh. S isn’t a good flower buyer. The flowers he buys are usually wilted and droopy as spending more than 3 minutes picking something out means too long for him.

    S wanted to surprise me with our anniversary celebration, so he kept the plan a secret. On Saturday, I wore a knitted long classic creamy dress with cap sleeves and a high neck, and paired it with a medium-sized black belt. I also picked out a shoulder purse, earrings, and peep toe ankle strap stiletto heels with purple accents. We parked the car under a building, and I still had no idea where we were headed.

    As we walked further, I saw the river and a small cruise. I was thrilled and exclaimed, “Wow!” I turned to S and thanked him. We walked around the dock, taking photos while waiting for the crew to prepare for boarding. After checking in, we were guided upstairs, where recorded music was playing, and there was a band on the corner stage ready for performance. What an amazing surprise!

    The band performed various love songs, both slow and fast-paced. There was a break between the show, and during that time, we went to the front of the ship to view the river at night. There wasn’t much to see, or maybe it was just me as I’m not a person inspired by nature sightseeing. The second part of the show was interactive, where guests danced under the dance instructions. A singer also congratulated couples celebrating their anniversaries and birthdays and we were asked to dance to a celebration song. I followed S, feeling embarrassed, awkward, and extremely unnatural. I had never danced like this before. We danced and sang at home but we made ourselves look silly and made fun of each other.

    The cruise lasted for about two hours, and it was so quiet that I didn’t even feel like we were moving. We were also served food and drinks. The food was disappointing. We had chicken breast, rice pilaf, zucchini, and two grilled shrimp with a roll. The chicken was soaked in salt, and the shrimp was dry. The rice and zucchini were better, but the flavors weren’t special. However, the rich chocolate dessert and drinks were delicious.

    Despite the mediocre food, the live band performance was the highlight of the night for me. I felt blessed for what S had done for our fun and memorable anniversary.

    Citizenship Test

    Mon, 3/27 – Two days before the test

    I gathered all the necessary documents and made sure they were organized and ready to go. I reviewed my notes and practiced answering civic questions. Although I felt a bit nervous about the interview, I reminded myself that I had put in the effort to prepare and had done everything I could.

    Next, I picked out 2 outfits for the interview in case one didn’t work for any reason at the last minute. The first one was black on black with a sheath dress and a soft jacket. I gained weight recently according to my IVF doctor’s advice, so I wasn’t confident about my lower belly. I covered it by wearing a long laced black scarf with fringes hanging down at the front and cinched it in a big-size golden belt. The second outfit was an A-shaped black dress with yellow and green stripes at the bottom paired with a loose collarless blazer featuring a large bow on the single bottom button. I added a gold cuff necklace with a big pearl pendant so that the top looked less boring.

    Wed, 3/29 – Test day

    I passed! I was a little embarrassed when I was the only one with a big bag of documents while the other applicants had just a thin file. My friend had also brought very little. But I didn’t want to take any chances of missing anything, so I had everything I could possibly need. I brought all the original papers required, along with additional evidence just in case. I even memorized the dates of my moves and my vacations abroad after watching a USCIS model interview video in which the interviewer asked a guy the dates he left and returned to the US. I knew I over-prepared, but for important events, it’s better to overdo than underdo as it will save me peace of mind.

    The interviewer was really nice and made me feel comfortable and relaxed. He patiently answered my questions and even reminded me to consider the amount of time it would take to get my passport while applying for a full name change at the court. I told him that I didn’t need the American passport immediately and could always use my VN passport for traveling. He replied, “You need the American passport to get back to the US.” I burst into laughter because of my inexperience. I forgot that my green card would be taken back once I got the naturalization certificate.

    After the interview, I was told to come back later for the oath of allegiance ceremony. While waiting, S and I went to a nearby Vietnamese restaurant for a late lunch. I got a specialty Pho and spring rolls, and S had crushed rice with grilled pork and bubble mango smoothie, which was funny that the waiter thought it was for me. I didn’t expect Pho to be so expensive now. It was $24 for the special bowl, which would be around $30 after tip and tax. By the way, it was delicious. The Vietnamese waiter, also a student, spoke with a northern accent, similar to me, which I don’t hear often here. One surprising thing was that he lived very near my parents’ house in VN.

    When we got back to the field office, we entered a ceremony room where the blinds on the glass wall were pulled up so that my friends and family could “attend” from the other side. The host officer was very nice when he told us to face the glass wall so that those accompanying us could take photos of us while we were taking an oath. I looked over a few times to see if S was there, but I didn’t see him. I later found out that he was in the car, and the car next to his had blocked his view, therefore he didn’t see people gather outside the ceremony room. But it was Ok. When I pretended that I was upset because he wasn’t there, I was just teasing him to make him feel how important he was to me.

    After taking the oath, the officers took photos of us individually. I was happy to have some nice photos to share with my family and friends.

    On the way home, I sent the photos to MK, and she texted all of her friends to tell them I passed the interview. And then she forwarded their texts to me. I felt really embarrassed, but I felt blessed because of her love and attention for me.

    IVF Thoughts

    I got a call from the IVF office telling me that my appointment with the doctor had been canceled due to her being unwell. Honestly, I was relieved to hear that as I literally didn’t want to go. Though I was the one asking for the meeting initially. I had no idea what I should ask her after reviewing my previous rounds of IVF. Also, I doubted that her responses would be different from what I’ve known already.

    The field of IVF is complex, and it often seems that there is no single answer to any given question or issue. No answer can guarantee a successful outcome, and I decided not to reschedule the appointment because I didn’t see a benefit of doing that. Also, S said he might be unable to take off work to go with me while I am uncomfortable attending the consultation alone.

    As the expected retrieval week draws near (May 8th), I emailed the nurse to ask her what I need to do to prepare for the next round. With my period expected soon, I am unsure of what the IVF team will have in store for me this time around. Typically, it takes two cycles to begin stimulation. In the first cycle, I would normally take birth control pills to prime my ovaries for stimulation, and in the second cycle, I would undergo a baseline and ultrasound examination. If everything appears normal, the stimulation process would begin.

    —

    A few months back, after my third round of IVF got canceled, I decided to text a well-known IVF doctor from a Vietnamese hospital where we’ve been storing S’s specimens, and ask for an online consultation regarding our potential IVF treatment in Vietnam. It was upsetting that I didn’t receive a reply from him, but I understand that doctors there are incredibly busy, especially given the high number of IVF patients they tend to. However, his silence made me feel more unsupported and alone on this journey.

    I Laughed A lot

    S is so humorous. My friend, Rose sent me a photo of the letter “R” – her name’s first letter that her boyfriend lawnmowered to make it when he helped her cut grass in her yard. I showed that romantic photo to S and a few minutes later, I heard my phone beep. Checking it, I burst into laughter when I saw a photo of a note with the letter “P” – my name’s first letter he scribbled in it. Then my friend sent me another photo of her boyfriend’s shirtless fit upper body and also showed it to S. After a few minutes, my phone beeped again. S sent both my friend and me a hilarious photo of a muscular 6-pack shirtless bodybuilder but his head was replaced with S’s head. LOL!