There is nothing more stressful for applicants for U.S. immigration benefits than interviews with the USCIS. There are so many urban myths and horror stories about these interviews that it is no wonder that they make applicants so nervous. In reality these interviews should be nothing more than a formality if you are properly prepared.

I handle a fair number of citizenship applications for clients each year. In most cases, I do not attend the citizenship interview with clients. However, occasionally I have a case with special circumstances that warrant my attendance at the interview. I attended a citizenship interview with a client for the first time in several years a few months ago.

Despite the unique circumstances of my clients case (this was a tough application with many issues that could have resulted in denial), the citizenship interview was very please for both my client and I.

The interview started with simple introductions and then the USCIS officer went through my clients petition and verified certain information in his petition. This part of the interview last about 5 minutes. After that the USCIS officer administered the citizenship exam. (This is an oral exam.) The officer asked my client about 10 questions about U.S. government and history. I don't remember all of the questions but I do remember that I was answering the questions in my head and my client got one more correct than I did :) The officer asked how many senators there are in the U.S. She also asked a few questions about the various branches of U.S. government and their functions. Overall the exam was fairly simple and I considered it a more than reasonable test. (In this case, my client spoke English fluently, but you are also required to establish the ability to read and write simple English but the standard is very low.)

If you have a citizenship interview coming up don't worry about it. The best thing you can do is just make sure your application is properly prepared and documented. Make sure to take copies of your application and all supporting documentation with you. And, finally, be sure you can answer most of the questions on the USCIS practice citizenship exams.

If you have questions about becoming a U.S. Citizen or would like assistance with your application please contact us.