My wife had a successful naturalization interview yesterday and is now a U.S. citizen! It was a really tiring day, but everything went smoothly, and we were home in time to unwind with a little Judge Judy.
I think I was probably more nervous than Pinar because instead of hiring a lawyer, I had handled almost all the preparations at every stage along the way (apart from studying for the civics test). I was primed to hear that we had forgotten one critical thing and that we’d have to come back in a few months, but for once my perfectionism served us well.
It was also an excellent day for people-watching and reflecting on immigration more generally. One of my comprehensive exams was on the sociology of migration, so it was really cool to be an observer during the oath ceremony as probably 100-150 became citizens. To be honest, it was a lot different from what I expected (see below)
Here are my top 5 moments from the process yesterday.
1. Hearing Pinar say that she passed. I had suggested that as she walked through the door back into the waiting room she should scream, “I’m going to Hollywood!” and, if possible, excitedly wave around a yellow sheet of paper. Instead, she did a perfect Mona Lisa smile/grimace with intermittent head shake (2.4 degree of difficulty) that first made me think she was rejected, then made me think she passed, and then made me think that she was rejected again. I actually had to ask her when she sat down if she’d passed! She had. And I was relieved.
2. The oath ceremony was like church. I couldn’t believe how much religious language was used throughout the ceremony, and not just the standard civil religion stuff like “God bless the USA.” I’m talking about how the presiding official reminded me of a Gospel preacher; I honestly expected people to call out “Amen!” and “Preach it!” at several different points. The most notable example was at the end, after everyone had taken the oath. The woman said, “I hope that everything your hands touch will prosper….And I just want to speak peace and joy into your lives.” It was totally a benediction.
While I don’t think a civil ceremony like this should include explicit references to God, the woman was incredibly kind and seemed absolutely sincere, so her words didn’t seem out of place at all. I know Pinar appreciated them.
3. The officials had trouble starting the pre-recorded message from President Bush. You’d think that everything would run like clockwork, seeing how the oath ceremony happens twice a day. But I was sitting next to the room housing the media equipment and I could see the trouble they were having with the DVD player. When they restarted a video that had already played while people filed into the room, the guy next to me suggested they fast-forward it. Once they got it playing, the “preacher” turned to me and the guy and said she wasn’t too good with technology, “at least not this kind of technology.” An odd qualification. Anyway, this glitch was enough to keep things from feeling too ritualistic.
4. I liked what Bush had to say for once. Bush may be the worst president ever, but he apparently has some great speech writers (never mind that “axis of evil” tripe). I thought the best part of his message was when he told the new citizens that they now had as much right to be called “American” as any descendant of the Founding Fathers. That line alone is worth 10 Lee Greenwood songs.
5. Feeling a twinge of guilt that the naturalization process wasn’t long and painful. The official noted how joyous everyone must feel because the long and difficult struggle to acquire citizenship had come to an end and the goal had been reached.
I’ve read lots of sad stories on immigration message boards, so I know how tough this process can be, but we just caught green lights the whole way through. The time it took from submitting the application to taking the oath was less than seven months. Probably doesn’t get much faster than that.
The other really amazing thing is that last night I was able to schedule an appointment for Pinar to apply for an expedited passport today at the passport agency in New York. She went into the city, applied, and is supposed to pick up her passport tomorrow.
We’re starting to have a sneaking suspicion that she was destined to be an American.
This post is an entry in ProBlogger’s “Top 5″ Group Writing Project.
43 comments ↓
Congratulations! Getting a new citizenship is an exciting achievement!
That’s great! I’m glad everything went so well for you guys. Welcome, fellow citizen Pinar!
[...] Top 5 memorable moments from the U.S. naturalization process by Jim Gibbon [...]
[...] Top 5 memorable moments from the U.S. naturalization process by Jim Gibbon [...]
[...] Top 5 memorable moments from the U.S. naturalization process by Jim Gibbon [...]
[...] Top 5 memorable moments from the U.S. naturalization process by Jim Gibbon [...]
[...] Top 5 memorable moments from the U.S. naturalization process by Jim Gibbon [...]
Thanks, Styley and Mark!
[...] Top 5 memorable moments from the U.S. naturalization process by Jim Gibbon [...]
[...] Top 5 memorable moments from the U.S. naturalization process by Jim Gibbon [...]
[...] Top 5 memorable moments from the U.S. naturalization process by Jim Gibbon [...]
[...] Top 5 memorable moments from the U.S. naturalization process by Jim Gibbon [...]
[...] Top 5 memorable moments from the U.S. naturalization process by Jim Gibbon [...]
SO HAPPY FOR YOU PINAR!!!
One more stressful chapter of your lives behind you now. On to bigger things!
laura-bill-kids
[...] Top 5 memorable moments from the U.S. naturalization process by Jim Gibbon [...]
[...] Top 5 memorable moments from the U.S. naturalization process by Jim Gibbon [...]
[...] Top 5 memorable moments from the U.S. naturalization process by Jim Gibbon [...]
[...] Top 5 memorable moments from the U.S. naturalization process by Jim Gibbon [...]
[...] Top 5 memorable moments from the U.S. naturalization process by Jim Gibbon [...]
[...] Top 5 memorable moments from the U.S. naturalization process by Jim Gibbon [...]
[...] Top 5 memorable moments from the U.S. naturalization process by Jim Gibbon [...]
[...] Top 5 memorable moments from the U.S. naturalization process by Jim Gibbon [...]
[...] Top 5 memorable moments from the U.S. naturalization process by Jim Gibbon [...]
[...] Top 5 memorable moments from the U.S. naturalization process by Jim Gibbon [...]
[...] Top 5 memorable moments from the U.S. naturalization process by Jim Gibbon [...]
[...] Top 5 memorable moments from the U.S. naturalization process by Jim Gibbon [...]
[...] Top 5 memorable moments from the U.S. naturalization process by Jim Gibbon [...]
[...] Top 5 memorable moments from the U.S. naturalization process by Jim Gibbon [...]
[...] Top 5 memorable moments from the U.S. naturalization process by Jim Gibbon [...]
[...] Top 5 memorable moments from the U.S. naturalization process by Jim Gibbon [...]
Congrats! So now that you’re both U.S. citizens does that mean you’ll start a real swnky x-patriot hangout in Turkey? If so, I’m there.
That’s a swell idea, Mark. If we do you’ll be the first to know.
Jim, Pinar, congratulations!
Sounds like Robert Bellah would have had a ball with all that civic religion.
Adriana
Thanks, Adriana! Oh yeah, Bellah would eat this stuff up.
Congratulations! I am personally managing the process for my wife instead of hiring a lawyer as you did. I’ll take this opportunity to beg for a “Top 5 (or 10) tips” post. I totally know what you mean about worrying that you forgot one small, but procedurally important detail. It is nerve wracking and has transformed me into a much better organized person. We’re still early, in a month or two we’ll be applying to remove conditions on her permanent residency.
An observation made early on: It is *very expensive* to even come to the states, let alone the cost of the whole process, don’t you think?
I agree completely, redpeace, and I’m still reluctant to add up all our expenses to learn the final cost. The medical exams, the I-130, the I-751, the N-400, and then an expedited passport when it was all done…it wasn’t cheap.
I’ll try to come up with a general tips post like you asked for, but in the meantime feel free to email me with any specific questions.
Even better would be to check out the discussion boards at http://boards.immigrationportal.com That’s where I found the most helpful information.
I would like to know more about the expedited process for applying for an US passport at a Regional Passport Agency. I would like to apply from Washington DC. How long does it normall take to get the passport? Do I have to apply for the passport only from the state where I took oath? Would appreciate help and advice from all those who have gone through the process recently. Thanks a lot in advance!
Hi Subha,
Here’s a link that covers the basic information that we found helpful: http://studenttravel.about.com.....t_rush.htm If you’re traveling in less than 2 weeks, as my wife was, then look at Method #2. (I’m assuming you are since you can’t apply at a Regional Passport Agency unless you are traveling within two weeks.)
I can only speak about my wife’s experience, but she was able to get her passport in 24 hours. I’ve heard of people getting them the same day if they can get an appointment early in the morning.
Getting the appointment was tough. I called the number more than 10 times in 30 minutes and each time the automated scheduler told me that there were no slots available. I kept calling back and on the last try an afternoon appointment was open, so I took it immediately. One tip is to write down the numbers you enter on the phone that take you to the scheduling menu. If you need to call back you can just push the numbers and bypass about 2 minutes worth of recorded messages.
You can apply for a passport at any agency, not just in the state where you took the oath. My wife took the oath in NJ and got the passport in NY.
Hope this helps!
[...] Top 5 memorable moments from the U.S. naturalization process by Jim Gibbon [...]
[...] Top 5 memorable moments from the U.S. naturalization process by Jim Gibbon [...]
[...] Top 5 memorable moments from the U.S. naturalization process by Jim Gibbon [...]
[...] Top 5 memorable moments from the U.S. naturalization process by Jim Gibbon [...]
How touching. It’s a pity that your wife is probably more American than you, and I bet that she doesn’t take citizenship for granted. At least she had to take and pass a civics and history test. Why shouldn’t there be explicit references to God? The Founders thought that there should be. And the slap at the President? How gratuitous, and very PC.
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