thanks and good bye

[g_assprof]

Since this forum has been my companion (at least once a month) through the 5 years that it took to the GC for me and spouse.......and also because I need to break my habit of visiting it(!) I just wanted to say thanks to the commentators here, and well as to the Murthy law firm. You are providing an INVALUABLE service by hosting and contributing to the forum. I might still log in once in a while. Best of luck to everyone. Its a long road.......but it does end well.

Details: PD 27 june 2007 (concurrent filing)

I-140 Approved: Oct 2007

Finger printing: Nov 2007

Married: Nov 2007

RFE on I-485 (birth certificate): Spring 2009

Current: 1st October 2011

GC recieved: 12 Oct 2011

Spouses AOS filed: 1st Nov 2011

Spouses GC recieved: Jan 20 2011

[JoeF]

Congrats.

But you may want to consider coming back and provide insights for others who are still on the road...

[Belle]

Good luck! It's hard to break a habit :-)

[Desi Dude]

You will have to come back......for your citizenship process :)

[pontevecchio]

The Citizenship process does not need a forum or even a Lawyer. I suspect the OP has gone and best of luck to him.

[JoeF]

The Citizenship process does not need a forum or even a Lawyer.

Depends. If there is some arrest, e.g., DUI between now and applying for citizenship, it would be wise to consult a lawyer.

Also, if the person wants to have some special consideration, e.g., having the religious references cut from the oath as per 8 CFR 337.1(b) (a friend had to involve an organization lobbying for better separation of church and state to intervene on his behalf, and for my own case, the examiner had to discuss that at length with her supervisor, who also had to look it up before saying it is ok...)

[pontevecchio]

Let me rephrase

Ordinarily and usually "The Citizenship process does not need a forum or even a Lawyer."

This is true for the vast majority of cases.

[Belle]

Joe, interesting... did not know you could cut the religious references out. Did you have to have a separate ceremony? Though I am a devoted atheist, I am not really bothered by the religious references and find them rather amusing, so have not considered doing it.

[JoeF]

Joe, interesting... did not know you could cut the religious references out. Did you have to have a separate ceremony? Though I am a devoted atheist, I am not really bothered by the religious references and find them rather amusing, so have not considered doing it.

I dodn't have a separate ceremony. It turned out that in my ceremony in LA, with 3500 people, the CIS person just recited the oath, like "do you swear ..." and the people at the end all said "I do".

But I have this taking out the religious references on record ;)

My buddy who had the same issue a few months before my oath, documented it on his website (sorry, can't post the link here.) An excerpt:

A few days ago (as of September 2005), I had my citizenship interview. The interviewing officer told me that he could not approve my request for the modified oath. I would have to either take the full oath, or if it was important enough for me, I could opt not to become a US citizen - which is it going to be? Given the circumstances, I decided to acquiesce for the time being. The remaining part of the interview went without a problem. After the interview, I immediately contacted Americans for Separation of Church and State, who was willing to contact USCIS on my behalf and get this resolved. Apparently, they had already successfully intervened in a nearly identical case in 1994, and USCIS had promised to clarify internally that taking a secular oath should be approved just for the asking.

And,

Before my oath ceremony, on the ceremony grounds, they paged me and informed me that I was of course allowed to take the modified oath. It is good to see them work so well!