For a few weeks now, the number one search words people have used to come to this blog have to do with citizenship interview. I feel sorry for people who ended up on my blog for useful information, but instead, got an essay on how mine went. So I decided I’d help some of them out by answering some questions as I understand.

The documents you need for the interview are listed in the letter you received with your appointment letter. As of the time I had my interview, these included the appointment letter itself, all the passports issued by your home country including the expired ones, any expired work permit(s) and your green card. You are supposed to bring the originals and a photocopy of each document.

If you can’t find your expired passports, just tell the interviewer that you have lost them. I couldn’t find expired passports at first (I did find them afterward), so I called my lawyer about it, and that’s what he told me. He also said that it all depends on the interviewer if it will be a problem or not. If  he or she wants to give you a hard time, it will become a problem.

My lawyer also made me bring copies of my tax returns for the last 5  years as well even though it wasn’t listed. The reason given to me again was that if the interviewer wants to give me a hard time, they will ask for it.

The location I had the interview was in Garden City, NY and there IS a parking lot and yes, you have to go through a metal detector.

I don’t know if you can bring anybody with you other than your lawyer. Sorry.

My experience and advice? I brought everything mentioned above AND every letter and document  I had, which are remotely related to immigration, and a photocopy of each because what my lawyer told me frightened me. But the person who interviewed me was very nice, and the only document she really needed to see was my current passport (to verify my home country or something, I don’t remember).  Bring a book or newspaper or anything to occupy yourself with while waiting. As most of you who are about to go to the citizenship interview probably already know from the other previous appointments, the fact that the appointment is at,  say 11:00am does not mean you would be ushered in to see somebody at 11:00am because there are probably 100 others who also have the appointment at 11:00am.

If you lost your letter of appointment for the interview, I THINK you are screwed because you have to get it verified by somebody first upon arrival, and then you have to show it to the guard to go up to the waiting area for the interviewees. Then you hand in that letter to be allowed to wait to be called in for the interview. But I honestly don’t know if there is any other way. The number one reason I got a lawyer to file the application for me instead of doing it myself was that when the INS or Department of Justice send out these letters, they send another copy to the lawyer. If I or the post office had lost one of the letters, I would have been covered.

If you have passed the interview, you have to hold on to your green card with your dear life until the oath ceremony. If you lose it or forget to bring it with you to the oath ceremony, you have to go through the whole process of applying for citizenship all over again. This tidbit was given by the nice person who interviewed me.

I hope it answers some of your questions.

Good luck!