Naturalization Interview-BronzeLady or others please advise

[Fairplay]

BronzeLady:
You seem to have "inside information" and I have noticed that your advice always seems to be accurate.

I have been notified of my Naturalization interview (3 weeks ago), but my husband has heard nothing. My PR status was based upon his approved I-140 petition. We had the same receipt date and priority dates for our N-400 applications and up to now all our immigration interviews, fingerprinting etc have taken place at the same time. We are concerned that our interviews are not scheduled for the same day/month/year? Obtaining American Citizenship is one of the most important events of our lives and something that we had hoped to share together, at the same time. (We have been married for over 30 years.) It has taken nearly 10 long, hard years to get to this point. We also have to travel a long way to the local immigration office, requiring a day off work on each occasion.

What explanation could there be for us not being interviewed on the same day? Is there any way to find out the reason, and is there any possibility that my husband may still receive notice of an interview on the same day? My interview is in 3 weeks time.

[Fairplay]

BronzeLady:
You seem to have "inside information" and I have noticed that your advice always seems to be accurate.

I have been notified of my Naturalization interview (3 weeks ago), but my husband has heard nothing. My PR status was based upon his approved I-140 petition. We had the same receipt date and priority dates for our N-400 applications and up to now all our immigration interviews, fingerprinting etc have taken place at the same time. We are concerned that our interviews are not scheduled for the same day/month/year? Obtaining American Citizenship is one of the most important events of our lives and something that we had hoped to share together, at the same time. (We have been married for over 30 years.) It has taken nearly 10 long, hard years to get to this point. We also have to travel a long way to the local immigration office, requiring a day off work on each occasion.

What explanation could there be for us not being interviewed on the same day? Is there any way to find out the reason, and is there any possibility that my husband may still receive notice of an interview on the same day? My interview is in 3 weeks time.

[Pasha Patel]

Hi ...

Sorry for jumping in when u asked this question to BronzeLady ...

Just wanted to share an experience ...what I know...for 2 people( relatives / brothers) same type of petitions for immigration were filled at same service center ...one got interview 15 days ago and other got 15 days late...but they both got...so don't worry... I don't know inside strategies ( may be it has something to do with individual cases) but hopefully ur husband should be getting it soon enough...Good luck...Pasha

[This message was edited by Pasha Patel on March 11, 2004 at 11:02 PM.]

[Fairplay]

Thanks Pasha, and you weren't jumping in. I addressed my question to Bronzelady, but I'm grateful for help from anyone.

[Fairplay]

Are there any married couples out there who received PR through employment, and applied for citizenship together, but had separate interview dates? My parents and married sisters got their citizenship some years ago, but all had their interviews on the same day, even though they were not interviewed together. Their Oath Ceremonies were on the same day too.

[BronzeLady]

Naturalization works a little differently from AOS. They won't schedule if they don't have everything in place. By that I don't mean you forgot something in your husband's papers I mean his permanent file may not have been received yet. Without it they won't schedule. A background check may not be clear yet. Don't worry about it. I know you wanted to do this together but DON'T LET IT DELAY YOU!!!! He will get his letter in due time. CIS works best when things don't disturb the natural process. If you ask to be rescheduled with your husband, for example, that disturbs the natural process and could result in your case getting delayed needlessly. Give up that dream and realize the more important dream is that both of you get your citizenship.

[Fairplay]

BronzeLady:

Thank you for your response and for all the time you put into assisting people on this forum. We will take your advice and try to accept the fact that our interviews won't be on the same day.

We have also just realized that different interview dates will impact us in a way we hadn't anticipated. When my husband's I-140 petition was filed almost 8 years ago, our children were included. They aged out 3 months before it was approved, but my husband filed I-130 petitions (adult children of PR) once we got our PR. At the time it never occured to us that we should both file petitions for them, because we never thought that our citizenship would be processed in different time frames. Their I-130 petitions have just been approved, but two of our daughters have recently married as they felt they couldn't put their lives "on hold" any longer. The third will now be immediately eligible for PR when we get our citizenship, but circumstances make "time of the essence" for her. If I obtain citizenship before my husband, will her I-130 still "convert" or does she have to wait until my husband's naturalization is complete?

You have also discussed the CSPA, and how in some cases it can be retroactive. Is it possible that this might be the case for our daughter since she was originally included in my husband's I-140 application, but aged out only 3 months before it was approved?

[BronzeLady]

I don't want you to swing too far in the other direction. When I say you might not be together I don't mean that one application will be that far behind another. Barring any unforseen problems, your husband will probably get an appointment (at most) within 2 months (or less) from your date. It wouldn't be a significant enough delay to greatly impact the I-485 filing for your children. I'm sorry but if the children aged out before the petition was approved CSPA won't cover them unless the petition was pending a REALLY LONG time. What is the priority date of the I-130?

[Fairplay]

The I-130 priority date is May 1998.

[Fairplay]

Once I have had my interview, and in the unlikely event that the Oath Ceremony was on the same day, what would I have to do to proceed with my unmarried, over 21 daughter's application? Her I-130 was recently approved.

She is currently visiting us here in the USA. Can we apply for an extension of her visitor visa so that we will be able to apply for adjustment of status, instead of going through an overseas Consulate?

[BronzeLady]

Try for the extension

[Fairplay]

Thank you BronzeLady. If my daughter has an approved I-130 (unmarried, over 21 child of PR) can we file for an extension of her holiday visa to allow her to change status, if I get my citizenship before my husband? Or do we have to wait until he has his citizenship? He is the one who filed the original I-130 petition. Logically, if she is approved, it shouldn't matter which parent gets citizenship first since we are the only 2 people in the world who could have filed for her in that category. However, I suppose it is too much to hope that the CIS sees it that way?

[BronzeLady]

that's not logical. The name of your husband is on the I-130 so it has to be his citizenship.

[Fairplay]

I guess I was simply "clutching at straws". It just seems logical to me (even if not to anyone else), that once a "child" is approved for a particular status, and if they are eligible for immediate PR as soon as a parent receives citizenship, it shouldn't matter which parent filed the original petition. I know, I know - it doesn't work that way, but it is still frustrating. It never occurred to us all those years ago, that we should both file petitions for our children in case one of us obtained citizenship before the other. And I also know that it is just a question of time before my husband is called for his interview, but time is a precious commodity that we are fast running out of.

Like most people on this forum, we have a long, complicated sob story, of no interest to anyone but ourselves!

[Fairplay]

Had my Citizenship interview at Charlotte on Friday. The new USCIS premises were a great improvement on their old offices and all the staff we had contact with were professional and courteous. My interview was not the "interrogation" that is sometimes portrayed, and the officer was very civil. He told me I had passed and would be notified when to return for the Oath Ceremony, as there was not one scheduled for that day. (Don't know how long I will have to wait.)

Only big disappointment - there is still no news about my husband's interview date.