I’m a US Citizen Now 🇩🇪 + 🇺🇸
TL;DR
On July 31, 2023, I received my US Citizenship certificate during the Oath Ceremony at the USCIS Field Office in San Francisco. The whole process from filing BBG to certificate took ~22 Months. There was a delay in the biometrics appointment since I was in Germany for a more extended period. I now have German and US Citizenship and can freely roam between countries.
Timeline of Events
- October 2021 - Filing of BBG to retain my German citizenship
- October 2022 - Approval of BBG to retain my German citizenship
- February 2023 - Filing of N400 Application for Naturalization
- May 2023 - Biometrics Appointment
- July 2023 - Naturalization Interview
- July 2023 - Grant of US Citizenship
The BBG (an annoying and lengthy process) was created with the help of a German Lawyer from Berlin. I could have done it alone, but I wanted to ensure the wording was unambiguous to avoid delays due to missing or unclear parts in the application. It was an excellent investment to have a professional Lawyer write the application and ensure that everything goes as smoothly as possible.
I was nervous about the interview. I might fail it because I couldn’t remember some of the crucial players who wrote the essential documents that led to the founding of the USA. I learned every day for a couple of weeks—spaced repetition to the rescue to spread out the intervals for learning the facts. Ultimately, I remembered everything, and the questioning stopped after six correct answers. The remaining time of the interview, I was only asked about details from my N400 application.
The ceremony was a great moment to receive the US citizenship certificate. After living so many years in the US, I can finally vote and stay without worrying about my Green card Status when I need to leave the US longer.
Since I had to return my green card, I’m currently unable to travel internationally. I have an upcoming trip to Germany for my parent’s 52 Anniversary. I hope my US passport will arrive on time. Otherwise, I need to cancel that trip.
Thanks to everybody who has helped me in the process. To my friends who provide written proof that I maintain relationships in Germany. Without your help, it would have been much more difficult.
🙏