There are new Naturalization Requirements?
Question: I heard that procedures are now different with Naturalization Requirements. Can you elaborate?
Answer: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is revising its Direct Mail Program so that certain filings of Form N-400, Application for Naturalization [http://www.californiaimmigration.us/military-naturalization], will now be filed at a designated lockbox facility instead of a USCIS Service Center. However, if you are the spouse of an active member of the Armed Forces, this notice instructs you now to file your Form N-400 at the Nebraska Service Center (NSC), whether you are filing from within the U.S. or abroad.
Question: What Is the Direct Mail Program?
Answer: The Direct Mail Program allows USCIS to standardize and more efficiently process applications by eliminating duplicative work, maximizing staff productivity, and introducing better information management tools.Â
Question: When will the direct mail program begin?
Answer: Beginning on October 14, 2008, applicants must submit Form N-400 and related supplements to one of two new USCIS Lockbox facilities for initial processing.
Question: Who files where?
Answer: If you reside in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Territory of Guam, or Northern Mariana Islands, you must file at USCIS Lockbox Facility, USCIS, P.O. Box 21251 Phoenix, AZ 85036 or Private Courier (non-USPS) at USCIS, Attn: N400, 1820 E Skyharbor Circle S. Floor 1, Phoenix, AZ 85036. Everywhere else must file at USCIS Lockbox Facility, USCIS, P.O. Box 299026, Lewisville, TX 75029 or Private Courier (non-USPS) at USCIS, Attn: N400, 2501 S. State Hwy 121, Bldg. 4, Lewisville, TX 75067.
Question: How is this change beneficial to the applicant?
Answer: As stated above, the centralization of N-400 staging and distribution will have numerous positive effects for USCIS customers. Eventual decreases in customer waiting time and increased productivity in overall N-400 case processing are the ultimate goals of USCIS. These results, coupled with overall sustained quality and adherence to all tenants of national security, will be the final measure of success for this transitional effort.
Question: What about the Naturalization questions? Are these also changed?
Answer: Yes. In the interest of creating a more standardized, fair, and meaningful naturalization process, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently completed a multi-year redesign of the naturalization test. The revised test, with an emphasis on the fundamental concepts of American democracy and the rights and responsibilities of citizenship, will help encourage citizenship applicants to learn and identify with the basic values we all share as Americans. The major aim of the redesign process is to ensure that naturalization applicants have uniform, consistent testing experiences nationwide, and that the civics test can effectively assess whether applicants have a meaningful understanding of U.S. government and history. Following a basic U.S. history and civics curriculum, the redesigned test will serve as an important instrument to encourage civic learning and patriotism among prospective citizens. To accomplish these goals, USCIS initially piloted a new test-with an overhauled English reading and writing section, as well as new history and government questions-in ten sites across the country. The feedback from this pilot was then used to finalize testing procedures, English reading and writing prompts, and a list of 100 new history and government questions. To ensure the pilot accounted for a representative sample of candidates with a variety of education levels, the test was also piloted at adult education sites nationwide. The resulting redesigned test was publicly introduced on September 27, 2007. Naturalization applicants will begin taking the revised test on October 1, 2008.
It is much more difficult than the prior Naturalization tests [http://www.californiaimmigration.us/uscis-naturalization-test-to-become-fully-implemented] and must be studied carefully.
Answer: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is revising its Direct Mail Program so that certain filings of Form N-400, Application for Naturalization [http://www.californiaimmigration.us/military-naturalization], will now be filed at a designated lockbox facility instead of a USCIS Service Center. However, if you are the spouse of an active member of the Armed Forces, this notice instructs you now to file your Form N-400 at the Nebraska Service Center (NSC), whether you are filing from within the U.S. or abroad.
Question: What Is the Direct Mail Program?
Answer: The Direct Mail Program allows USCIS to standardize and more efficiently process applications by eliminating duplicative work, maximizing staff productivity, and introducing better information management tools.Â
Question: When will the direct mail program begin?
Answer: Beginning on October 14, 2008, applicants must submit Form N-400 and related supplements to one of two new USCIS Lockbox facilities for initial processing.
Question: Who files where?
Answer: If you reside in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Territory of Guam, or Northern Mariana Islands, you must file at USCIS Lockbox Facility, USCIS, P.O. Box 21251 Phoenix, AZ 85036 or Private Courier (non-USPS) at USCIS, Attn: N400, 1820 E Skyharbor Circle S. Floor 1, Phoenix, AZ 85036. Everywhere else must file at USCIS Lockbox Facility, USCIS, P.O. Box 299026, Lewisville, TX 75029 or Private Courier (non-USPS) at USCIS, Attn: N400, 2501 S. State Hwy 121, Bldg. 4, Lewisville, TX 75067.
Question: How is this change beneficial to the applicant?
Answer: As stated above, the centralization of N-400 staging and distribution will have numerous positive effects for USCIS customers. Eventual decreases in customer waiting time and increased productivity in overall N-400 case processing are the ultimate goals of USCIS. These results, coupled with overall sustained quality and adherence to all tenants of national security, will be the final measure of success for this transitional effort.
Question: What about the Naturalization questions? Are these also changed?
Answer: Yes. In the interest of creating a more standardized, fair, and meaningful naturalization process, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently completed a multi-year redesign of the naturalization test. The revised test, with an emphasis on the fundamental concepts of American democracy and the rights and responsibilities of citizenship, will help encourage citizenship applicants to learn and identify with the basic values we all share as Americans. The major aim of the redesign process is to ensure that naturalization applicants have uniform, consistent testing experiences nationwide, and that the civics test can effectively assess whether applicants have a meaningful understanding of U.S. government and history. Following a basic U.S. history and civics curriculum, the redesigned test will serve as an important instrument to encourage civic learning and patriotism among prospective citizens. To accomplish these goals, USCIS initially piloted a new test-with an overhauled English reading and writing section, as well as new history and government questions-in ten sites across the country. The feedback from this pilot was then used to finalize testing procedures, English reading and writing prompts, and a list of 100 new history and government questions. To ensure the pilot accounted for a representative sample of candidates with a variety of education levels, the test was also piloted at adult education sites nationwide. The resulting redesigned test was publicly introduced on September 27, 2007. Naturalization applicants will begin taking the revised test on October 1, 2008.
It is much more difficult than the prior Naturalization tests [http://www.californiaimmigration.us/uscis-naturalization-test-to-become-fully-implemented] and must be studied carefully.
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