Today was a big day for the Jones’ family. My wife, Cristina, after years of dealing with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, became a naturalized citizen today. It was actually quite moving. It was much longer than I expected though. Our paperwork said to show up at 8:30am and we didn’t leave until 11:45am. But, no time was wasted and it gave a sort of culmination to all the effort that had led up to that point.
We have learned a lot in the journey, so here a few nuggets of wisdom for anyone who is dealing with the USCIS:
- Keep copies of EVERYTHING. The reason for this is two-fold.
- Stuff gets lost. It happens. Keeping a copy makes sure that you don’t have to double your research or your work.
- Maintain consistancy. They ask for so much information that it is darn near impossible to give it all without a little bit of fudge work. Did you travel in October or November? Did you live in apartment 203 or 204? Little stuff like that. Put it differently on different forms and you are asking for trouble and delays.
- Read and follow the directions. It sounds simple, but a lot of people don’t do it. Don’t be one of them.
- A lawyer won’t and can’t get your applications through faster except by following the above rules.
- All banks and credit unions have a notary on staff and they often will notarize documents for customers for free. All you have to do is ask.
- Don’t get spooked by the “expected processing time”. They are often absurdly long. For a more accurate estimate, take a look at the USCIS’s own processing times.
- First, follow the laws. Second, be a resident. If you’re here illegally, don’t expect to become legal by sending in some filled out forms and a check. (Yes, this is contriversal. Yes, it is true.)
While this post was completely off-topic, it hits home for my household. Take it for what it’s worth. 
Enjoy,
Jere
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