Transcription
Hi everyone, I'm Jackie and I'm here to help you with your US naturalization journey. Today I'm going to show you an N400 interview based on actual applicant experiences. Now, if you need a personalized Zoom mock interview, we do offer those on our website, so make sure to check them out. All right, let's get started.
Good morning, Mr. Lee. I'm Officer Smith and I'll be conducting your interview. How are you doing this morning?
Good morning. I'm good. Thank you for asking. How are you doing?
I'm great, thanks. Before you get seated, I do need to swear you under oath. So, if you could please raise your right hand. Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
Yes, I do.
Thank you very much. Please have a seat.
Thank you.
Can you tell me why are you here today?
I'm here for my citizenship interview.
Very good. And did anyone accompany you to the interview today?
Uh yeah, my sister came with me.
Okay. And how did you get here this morning?
We took a Uber.
About how long did it take?
About 30 minutes.
Okay, not too bad. And did you have anything for breakfast?
Uh, I have some coffee and toast.
Very nice. Can I please see your appointment notice, your green card, your driver's license or state-issued ID, and your passport?
Uh, sure. Yeah, my appointment notice, green card, driver's license, and my passport. Here you go.
All right. Thank you. Can you please confirm your current legal name?
Uh, why Lee.
And your date of birth?
December 1st, 1970.
Thank you very much. All right. How long have you been a lawful permanent resident?
Uh, I became a lawful permanent resident since 2021.
Okay. Thank you. And can you tell me why do you want to become a US citizen?
Um, I would like to be involved in the democratic process of this country and vote and I also like to have a better job opportunity for myself.
Great. That's wonderful. All right. Before we go over the N400, we're going to go ahead and do the civics test and the English reading and writing test. Did you study for the civics test?
Yes, I did. I studied very hard.
How did you study?
I use YouTube. There's a really good channel out there. And I also practice with my wife.
All right, then you'll have no problem passing the test. Are you ready?
Yes, I'm ready.
All right, let's get started. First question. What are two cabinet level positions?
Attorney General, Vice President.
Very good. What is the rule of law?
Everyone must follow the law.
How many US senators are there?
100.
What does the judicial branch do?
Reviews laws.
Good. Name one war fought by the United States in the 1800s.
The Civil War.
Where is the Statue of Liberty?
New York.
Good. The nation's first motto was e pluribus unam. What does that mean?
We all become one.
Very good. The president of the United States is in charge of which branch of government?
The executive branch.
How long do Supreme Court justices serve?
For life.
How can people become United States citizens?
Naturalize.
Good. What war did the Americans fight to win independence from Britain?
American Revolution.
All right. Why were the Federalist papers important?
They helped people understand the US Constitution.
Great job. You've passed. Congratulations. All right. Now, we're going to move on to the English reading and writing test. First, for the reading test, you will read this sentence on the tablet out loud for me.
Who was the first president of the United States?
Okay, great. Now, I'd like you to write this sentence on the tablet for me.
George Washington was the first president.
Okay.
Okay.
Okay. Let me check. Excellent. All right. That's correct. So, now let's go over your N400 application. Have you used any other names in the past or a nickname or alias?
Yes, I also go by John.
Okay. Where were you born?
I was born in China.
Okay. What city were you born in?
Shanghai.
Are you still a citizen of China?
Yes, I am.
Do you still have family there?
Yes, I still have an aunt and uncle there.
Okay. Are either of your parents US citizens?
No.
I noticed that you answered no about USCIS updating the Social Security office with your immigration status.
Oh, yeah. Um, I don't want to change my social security number.
I think you might have misunderstood the question. They won't give you a new social security number. They're just offering to update your immigration status and save you a trip so you don't have to go to the social security office yourself.
I see. Well, if that's the case, yeah, I would like to uh you guys to update that for me.
Okay, not a problem. Can you confirm the last four digits of your social security number?
12 41.
Okay, thank you. I will be changing the answers to 12 A and 12 C to yes.
Thank you.
All right. Can you confirm your current address?
I live at uh 814 San Diego Way, Brea, California 91244.
Okay. And how long have you lived at this address?
I've lived there for about 2 years.
And where did you live before that?
Uh, previously I lived at 2515 Park Crest Avenue, Brea, California 91244.
Okay. Who do you live with?
I lived with my wife and daughter.
Okay. Now, let's talk about your marital history. What is your current marital status?
I'm married.
What is your spouse's full name and date of birth?
Uh, her name is Sarah Lee, and she was born on December 21st, 1979.
What's her maiden name?
Sarah Chan.
Where was she born?
Hong Kong.
And when did your spouse become a US citizen?
Um, I think she was naturalized on September 21st, 2015.
And how many times have you been married?
Just once.
How about your spouse?
Twice.
How did your spouse's previous marriage end?
Divorce.
When did your spouse get divorced?
In uh 2019.
Did you bring the divorce decree?
Yes, I did. Here you go.
Thank you. How did you meet?
We met at church.
What is the name of the church?
Uh the UYU Church in Fletton.
What does UYU stand for?
Unitarian Universalist Church in Fitton.
Okay. And when did you get married?
We got married on August 15th, 2021.
Okay. Where did you get married?
In Pasadena, California.
Okay. Can I please see your marriage certificate?
Uh, sure. Here you go.
Thank you. Okay. Great. Did you take a honeymoon after your wedding?
Yeah, we went to Hawaii for our honeymoon.
Ah, very nice. Do you have any documents to prove your marriage is genuine and legitimate?
Yes, I have uh rental agreements with both our names on it, uh utility bills with both our names on it, and also the joint uh tax transcripts for the last three years. Yeah, here. Here. Here they are.
Thank you. Thank you. Do you have any children under the age of 18?
Yes, I have a daughter.
Can you tell me her name and date of birth?
Uh, her name is Michelle Lee and she was born on April 16th, 2022.
Is she a US citizen?
Yes, she is.
What is her relationship to you?
Uh, biological. She's my biological daughter.
Can I please see her birth certificate?
Uh, sure. Here you go.
Thank you. Are you currently employed?
Yes, I am.
And where do you work?
I work at workforce.
Okay. What do you do there?
I'm a software engineer.
Okay. And how long have you been working there?
Uh about 3 years.
Okay. Where is the office based?
I work at a satellite office in Brea.
Okay. Now, let's talk about the time you've spent outside of the United States. Have you taken any new trips since you submitted your application?
Yes, I have.
Okay. How many new trips have you taken?
Just one trip.
Okay. When did you leave the US and when did you return?
I left on August 1st and came back on August 10th, 2024.
Okay. And where did you go?
I went to the Bahamas.
Very nice. And what was the purpose of your trip?
Uh, it was for vacation.
Did your wife go with you?
She did.
Okay. Were you outside of the United States for longer than six months at any time?
No, officer.
Okay, good. Have you ever claimed to be a US citizen?
No, never.
Do you currently owe any overdue federal, state, or local taxes?
No, officer.
Very good. Did you file last year's tax returns?
Yes, I filed jointly with my wife.
Did you get a federal tax refund?
Yep, I got a refund.
Okay. And do you remember how much it was?
Um, about 3,000.
Okay. Have you ever been a member of or in any way associated with any communist or totalitarian party anywhere in the world?
No, never.
Good. Have you ever advocated any of the following? Opposition to all organized government?
No. Never.
The overthrow by force or violence of the government of the United States?
No.
Good. Have you ever been a member of or in any way associated with using a weapon or explosive with intent to harm another person?
No. Officer.
Have you ever engaged in kidnapping, assassination, or hijacking of an airplane, ship, or vehicle?
No, officer.
Have you ever served in or been a member of any armed group?
No, I haven't.
Okay. Have you ever committed any crime or offense for which you were not arrested?
No.
Okay. Thank you. What does crime mean?
Uh against the law.
Yes. Have you ever been arrested, cited, detained, or confined by any law enforcement officer for any reason?
Um, I did get a speeding ticket last year, but I paid the fine.
Okay. Did it involve alcohol or drugs, lead to an arrest, or severely injure another person?
No.
Okay, that's not a problem then. Thank you for letting me know.
Okay. Have you ever married someone in order to obtain an immigration benefit?
No, definitely not.
Okay. Have you ever failed to support your dependence or to pay alimony?
No, never.
Have you ever lied to any US government officials to gain entry or admission into the United States?
No, never.
Have you ever been removed or deported from the United States?
No, officer.
Do you support the Constitution and form of government of the United States?
Yes, I do.
Good. Do you understand the full oath of allegiance to the United States?
Yes.
Good. Are you unable to take the oath of allegiance because of a physical or developmental disability or mental impairment?
No.
Okay. Are you willing to take the full oath of allegiance to the United States?
Yes, I'm willing to.
Good. If the law requires it, are you willing to bear arms on behalf of the United States?
Yes, I'm willing to.
Good. And what does bear arms mean?
To carry a weapon.
Very good. If the law requires it, are you willing to perform non-combatant services in the US armed forces?
Yes, I'm willing to.
Good. If the law requires it, are you willing to perform work of national importance under civilian direction?
Yes.
Great. Okay. So, that concludes going over your N400. Do you have any updates or changes you need to make to your application?
No.
Okay. So, this next screen you'll see you will review your basic information and any changes that we made. Once you read that over, go ahead and print sign and date.
Okay, it looks good.
Okay.
Okay. So, the next screen goes over the oath of allegiance. I want you to read that through and make sure you understand everything. And then go ahead and sign and date as well.
Okay.
Okay. All right. Great. So, let me print out your interview results. Okay. All right. So, here are your interview results. Congratulations.
Oh, thank you.
Do you have any questions for me?
Yeah, I do have a question. Do you offer oath ceremony on the same day?
Unfortunately, not today, but you should be getting a notice in the mail in about two weeks.
Oh, I see. Okay, that's not a problem. Thank you.
Okay, then I'll walk you out to the lobby. Thank you so much.
Of course.