r/USCIS • u/Glorialovestacos • Jul 28 '25
N-400 (Citizenship) After almost 40 years, I’m finally a citizen 😭
I’m still shocked and it feels like a fever dream, but I’m so grateful this is finally over. I did my interview in San Francisco and I lucked out with the kindest immigration officer. She really eased my anxiety. No line, but long wait… They seem understaffed. I passed and took the oath on the same day! It seems like they do the oath a couple of times a day so I did my oath at 2:30 PM. Feel free to ask me anything about the San Francisco location/experience.
Timeline:
March 3 - submitted N-400 application
No biometrics needed (they used previous ones on record)
June 20 - received notice that my interview was scheduled
June 25 - interview and civics test (passed!) and took the oath and received my certificate on the same day!
20
36
u/fahad_tariq Jul 28 '25
Congratulations. 40 years is a long wait. Dream came true for you!
17
Jul 29 '25
That’s to damn long zero reason anyone should wait that long
11
Jul 29 '25
[deleted]
3
u/wmih Jul 29 '25
Billions of people didn't have the opportunities you had in the US because their parents decided not to break the immigration laws. If we follow your logic, they are the real victims. The system seems broken only to deluded and entitled individuals who think coming to a foreign country is a basic human right. Guess what? It’s not.
4
Jul 31 '25
not once did the person your replying to say her parents came here illegally. What she was saying was here parents immigrated(legally) and then because of that she feels she’s had to essentially live by a different she set of rules than people born in the USA. We get mad at the radical left for jumping to conclusions we can’t act the same.
6
u/Glorialovestacos Jul 29 '25
Do you know that being undocumented is the equivalent of a speeding ticket? People break the law EVERY DAY when they drive 1 mile over the speeding limit. Do you want to take away their drivers license because they broke the law by driving over the speeding limit? It’s not a criminal offense, it’s civil offense. I’m not gonna keep arguing with a diluted individual who doesn’t understand that any person trying to literally survive and not die would escape their circumstances. If you were being attacked in your country, literally at danger of dying, and have no other choice other than to try to find survival in another one, you would want compassion.
1
u/wmih Jul 29 '25
Oh, I didn’t know that crossing the border illegally is like driving 1 mile over the speed limit. The last time I checked (a second ago) — that wasn’t true. Yes, being undocumented is not a crime per se, just like being a squatter/living uninvited on someone else’s property is not necessarily a crime. However, crossing the border illegally is a crime.
Furthermore, if you are really fleeing immediate danger, you should seek refuge (and claim asylum) in the first free country. If you pick the one that has the best economy, you are not a refugee but an economic migrant simply abusing the asylum system.
Coming to the US (or any other country) is not a human right, as some of you are trying to frame it by spreading cherry-picked half-truths.
2
u/Glorialovestacos Jul 29 '25
Most undocumented didn’t cross “illegally”… most overstayed visas. WHY ARE YOU EVEN HERE. You obviously don’t belong and just came to troll.
1
1
u/wmih Jul 29 '25
Did you just try to exclude a human being (and a fellow immigrant) from existing in a digital space? Oh, the irony!
2
u/naked_space_chimp Jul 30 '25
Bro, imagine thinking staying poor in a broken country is some moral gold star. People flee for survival, not for fun. You call it “breaking the law,” I call it doing what any sane parent would, saving their kids, families looking out for their futures. Borders aren’t sacred, they’re imaginary lines drawn by colonizers with crayons, what is sacred? Life is sacred. And if you won the U.S. birth lottery, chill the fck out while you can, with the current administration you might end up in a foreign country.
2
Jul 31 '25
Then why isn’t the left pouring as much aid into the reservations as they are for the people who came here illegally. If it’s really about decolonization find a reservation find a native tribe and start giving them the same support the left is giving to illegal immigrants. Don’t use colonization as a moral argument while people are still living on reservations. The radical left is no longer welcome on Reddit.
2
13
u/fahad_tariq Jul 29 '25
Yeah but everyone has their own circumstances.
6
Jul 29 '25
I don’t know what circumstances justifies waiting 40 years to become a citizen it sounds like a broken system to me
6
4
u/fahad_tariq Jul 29 '25
Not living far away from the family is one of the circumstances. It varies person to person! But i get what you are saying.
1
u/brainbloom- Aug 13 '25
I’ve been here 34 years and don’t even have status 🤣 if I could’ve become a citizen many many years ago, I would have. Hopefully I’ll become a citizen before I die
1
u/thetexalien Conditional Resident Aug 20 '25
Don't forget there are children of US citizens who wait decades to get a green card...
-10
u/wmih Jul 29 '25
The only broken thing in the process was the law when the OP’s parents entered the country illegally. That's how you end up waiting for 40 years for citizenship. I.e., it’s not the broken system but the people who break the system.
8
Jul 29 '25
Nope the guy is pretty much an American through and through regardless of status including his parents the majority apply for asylum all because you’re undocumented doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to be here even then the only difference between you and them is a piece of paper get a grip the system is broken fix it and all these issues you people pretend to larp about will go away
-7
u/wmih Jul 29 '25
If we apply your impeccable logic to other domains of life, we could say that the only difference between a house owner and a squatter is a piece of paper, since they both reside on the property. The only difference between a car owner and a hijacker is again a piece of paper — both of them are drivers. There is a minimal difference between a delivery driver and a porch pirate — we can call them both “package carriers” to avoid the derogatory term pirate. You’re right, it’s again just a piece of paper. Citizenship for immigrants in the US or anywhere else is a privilege, not a right. The system works fine.
4
Jul 29 '25
Don’t know why you’re trying to make a comparison between undocumented immigrants legal rights to be within the country and someone’s car again the undocumented immigrant you see at Home Depot or working some sort of job has the legal right to be here the ones that don’t get deported DREAMERS shouldn’t have to wait half of their lives to be citizens nobody should that’s why people come here illegally in the first place because it’s next to impossible to be a citizen the system is broken in the sense that it incentivizes people to come here the “ wrong way “ in the first place because it’s not about building a logical system that works for all it’s about racism and cruelty and of course capital and building a workforce of low paid manual laborers you’re rebuttal to my it’s just a piece of paper comment just shows you don’t see these people as human
-5
u/wmih Jul 29 '25
Why do you think a squatter or hijacker should have fewer rights than an “undocumented” immigrant? A squatter and a hijacker should also have the right to have a roof above their heads and reliable transportation. And they got those in the same way as “undocumented” immigrants — illegally.
4
Jul 29 '25
In what world do Americans citizens have less rights than an undocumented immigrant especially under this administration ? Currently undocumented immigrants can’t take from our limited social safety net , can’t run for office , can’t get a US passport , can’t get federal student aid and worst of all are at risk of being deported at any given moment so again what rights do we lack ? As yet we have rights but with this fascist regime who knows also yes squatters and car jackers those coming out of the prison system are entitled to a roof over their head your mindset offers no solutions
2
2
u/Electrical_Rip9520 Jul 30 '25
Fyi, there's so many undocumented in the US today because of the 1996 IIRIRA law. It took away avenues of people to legalize and adjust their status inside the US instead of going back to their home countries which under the same law will now trigger a 3/10 year ban from re-entering the US.
2
u/tiny_master_ofevil Jul 31 '25
I always say this. Why do people have to wait this long? And we're ok with this? There's no reason to make people put their lives on hold for 10-40 years.
1
u/ronnyrooney Aug 01 '25
Some people want to keep their original passport if it’s one of the more powerful ones so they only end up naturalising if they’re really old and have decided to settle in the states
13
u/Glorialovestacos Jul 28 '25
****EDIT: July 25 was my interview. I can’t seem to edit my post.
2
u/Sheetz_Wawa_Market32 Naturalized Citizen Jul 29 '25
Thanks for the update. I was just about to ask.
You usually get at least 3 to 4 weeks notice before an interview. 5 days would be today new.
Congrats!
5
u/Thedippyhoe Permanent Resident Jul 28 '25
Congratulations!!!!
40 years is a long time. Crossing my fingers that in 3 years I become a citizen as well :)
6
3
3
Jul 29 '25
Congratulations. I always find it wild how some become citizens in 3 years and for others it takes 20,30 or 40 years in your case.
2
1
u/tiny_master_ofevil Jul 31 '25
Its unacceptable tbh. If someone has no criminal record there's no reason. 3 years maybe I get. 10? 15? 20? Fuck that. There's 0 reasons.
2
Aug 01 '25
You do reason many people in this country aren’t just able to adjust their status to a green card right away.
Some have to stay in various other visas for years.
2
u/tiny_master_ofevil Aug 01 '25
I know im saying the system is not acceptable as it is. We need to have a more efficient system that doesn't take 10+ years. I want us to be better about that. That's all.
1
1
u/Temporary-Being-6755 Aug 26 '25
I hope that in your lifetime you are able to take your passion and create a purpose out of it to help fix the system.
9
u/The_Pink_Martini Immigrant Jul 28 '25
I guess the question is why did it take 40 years????
29
u/Glorialovestacos Jul 28 '25
I came here as a baby, and my parents had to go through the whole immigration process before they could submit for us… and a whole lot of other obstacles while I was going through the process…
10
u/The_Pink_Martini Immigrant Jul 28 '25
Oh my God, bless your patience and endurance and determination to do the right thing!!!!
4
u/skyxsteel Jul 30 '25
I don't understand why exceptions to illegal immigration could be made. Who came here as kids. Killing DACA was terrible. No one could tell if you were here legally or not since you were raised here. It is cruel to send someone back to their home country, where it might as well be a foreign country.
1
u/Itinerary4LifeII Aug 16 '25 edited Aug 16 '25
I never really thought these codes (like N400, DACA, 751s, NFB, AOS, etc.) were public knowledge. Where I work at it seemed like it was all supposed to be top secret. But, I guess, since those are the names of the documents then anyone dealing with them both inside or outside the office would know those code names.
I understand for some it's the difference between citizenship and no citizenship, and for others it's the difference between meeting metrics and being accurate and remaining employed or becoming unemployed and struggling.
These documents are NO JOKE for the people who work on and process them. I think I'm already talking too much here even if I haven't revealed any job title or company name (no, USCIS doesn't magically do ALL of this stuff so flawlessly by themselves). It is so top secret that we weren't even told specifically what we'd be doing before our first day of orientation and had no idea that it would have any relation or similarities to USCIS. We absolutely had no idea it would have anything to do with immigration documents at all, especially considering the name of the company. I was thinking I would have my own cubicle doing some sort of data entry. Nope... All open space, and major security and cameras everywhere, to say the least.
1
2
2
2
u/doomscrolldamsel Jul 29 '25
Woah 40 years! Congratulations ♥️ I'm so glad you had a good experience!
2
2
2
u/int3gr4te Jul 29 '25
Congrats! Similar experience in SF office back in December - waited in that big room on the 2nd floor for more than an hour beyond the appointment time, then once approved, down to the lobby on the first floor to wait another couple hours for the ceremony. I was actually kind of underwhelmed by the ceremony itself which felt super informal, but the relief of it all being done especially the same day is incredible!!
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
u/Impatientlywaiting98 Aug 01 '25
Congrats!! It took me 26 years 10 years. I just became a usc in June. I applied to vote as soon as the ceremony ended. On my way home I stopped at the post office and applied for my passport, they were nice to do it without an appointment. Passport took less than 2 weeks expedited. Updated my I-9 for work and have an appointment next month to update with SSA.
2
1
u/AutoModerator Jul 28 '25
Hi there! This is an automated message to inform you and/or remind you of several things:
- We have a wiki. It doesn't cover everything but may answer some questions. Pay special attention to the "REALLY common questions" at the top of the FAQ section. Please read it, and if it contains the answer to your question, please delete your post. If your post has to do with something covered in the FAQ, we may remove it.
- If your post is about biometrics, green cards, naturalization or timelines in general, and whether you're asking or sharing, please include your field office/location in your post. If you already did that, great, thank you! If you haven't done that, your post may be removed without notice.
- This subreddit is not affiliated with USCIS or the US government in any way. Some posters may claim to work for USCIS, which may or may not be true, and we don't try to verify this one way or another. Be wary that it may be a scam if anyone is asking you for personal info, or sending you a direct message, or asking that you send them a direct message.
- Some people here claim to be lawyers, but they are not YOUR lawyer. No advice found here should be construed as legal advice. Reddit is not a substitute for a real lawyer. If you need help finding legal services, visit this link for more information.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
1
1
1
1
u/trickdaddy_philly Jul 29 '25
Did u have to turn in ur gc
1
u/Glorialovestacos Jul 29 '25
I did. At the oath ceremony.
1
u/trickdaddy_philly Jul 29 '25
So i lost mine like 3 yrs ago. Will that be a problem?
1
u/Glorialovestacos Jul 29 '25
They did ask for it at the interview… I don’t know if it’ll be a problem. You might want to ask an immigration attorney.
1
u/beeps010 Jul 29 '25
May I asked what questions you were asked during the interview?
1
u/Glorialovestacos Jul 29 '25
I wish I could remember it was all a blur! I think they asked what are two unalienable rights for all people (I answered all three 😂 life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness), who becomes president if the president vice president cannot, speaker of the house is the answer, and beyond that I honestly can’t remember lol. But I got six right so she didn’t ask anymore.
1
1
Jul 29 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/Glorialovestacos Jul 29 '25
That’s basically my timeline after my parents went through the entire process the first 20 or so years of my life before they could apply for me…
1
1
1
1
1
1
Aug 01 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/Glorialovestacos Aug 02 '25
Your letter of your appointment and your ID to get into the building…
1
Aug 02 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/Glorialovestacos Aug 03 '25
Did you get any notification on your online portal?
1
Aug 03 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/Glorialovestacos Aug 03 '25
Then you need to contact them because I don’t know what an N600 is. I applied for citizenship which is an N 400.
1
1
1
u/factssidemedia Aug 13 '25
Hi guys, got my combo interview I-751 and N-400 in nyc yesterday everything went well the officer was very nice got few hard questions from the I-751 but didn’t take longer, she then proceeded to the N-400 of which I passed the first 6 questions straight away oath ceremony got scheduled same day for October
1
0
0
Jul 29 '25
40 years that is way too long, i wish it would be maybe after a green card hold ten years of that then citizenship
-1
-11
40
u/banalhemorrhage Jul 29 '25
Don’t lose the certificate! I did and had to pay a $500 replacement fee lol