4 Years and 1 month later.......

[GoodOlBoy]

4 years and 1 month after our marriage, my wife became an "official" citizen of the GoodOl' USA.

Last Friday she was "sworn in" and this Thursday I go to the Passport Office (here in Miami) to pick up here expedited passport.

She is going home to Omsk next week (for 2 weeks), so she needs her "Blue Passport" right away.

A week before the swearing in ceremony, she went to her citizenship interview and passed with flying colors.

I would post some of the questions that she was asked, But....They change them constantly so I will give the link to the book (M-638) she was told to read by USCIS:

http://www.uscis.gov/files/nativedocuments/M-638.pdf

Every question they ask, can be found in this book.

The interviewer was prepared to ask my wife 10 questions, BUT...She only had to ask 6 (my wife got the first 6 correct).

Marina also had to write a sentence in English, to a question asked in English.

The sentence question was: "What is the largest populated state in the USA?"

My wife wrote: "The largest populated state in the USA is California". 

So anybody out there waiting for their citizenship......there is light at the end of the tunnel. 


GOB


BTW....My wife started looking at the federal registry yesterday (here in Miami), she is thinking about Federal Employment now! 

[BC]

Marina also had to write a sentence in English, to a question asked in English.

The sentence question was: "What is the largest populated state in the USA?"

My wife wrote: "The largest populated state in the USA is California". 

Congrats to you both!

BTW I would have flubbed that written question.. I would have answered Alaska..

[Rina_G]

I join to BC too
very good news.
you have to be proud your wife!
Good luck new american family!

[SMS60]

Congratulations to both you and your wife.

Wow, 4 years from marriage. Things went smooth I assume.

Sounds as if the citizens test requires more knowlege of the United States than the public schools teach to our kids. 

[Turboguy]

Alaska would be the answer to "What is the largest populated state". Of course if they asked Which state has the largest population I would have no idea which state has the most overweight people.

[Faux Pas]

Congrads to the Mrs. and you GOB! BTW from what I have seen there are plenty of Fed jobs available right now

[SANDRO43]

Of course if they asked Which state has the largest population I would have no idea which state has the most overweight people.

For that, the question would have to be: "What is the heaviest state?"

[Gator]

Congrats to Mrs. GOB, or is it GOG?  You are justifiably proud.  Four years seems quick.  Is it? 

Is there a state not populated?

[SANDRO43]

Is there a state not populated?

That'd be an oxymoron, wouldn't it now?

[ChuckRC]

Great for you and your wife!  I hope she can find the job she wants.  I know a little about the Federal job system since I am in its military end and am going to retire and look there for a civilian job myself in about three years.  Federal jobs get so many applicants that there is a computer program that checks an applicant's resume to see if it contains certain words, usually key phrases in the KSAs, and screens for those before you can even think about getting to see an interviewer.  Most good jobs at the GS 12, YA 2 level or above pretty much require that you "know" somebody in the system already, despite rules to prevent that sort of thing, alot of jobs are advertised because they have to advertise them by law, somebody is already picked out for it, at least in DoD.  Don't really know the differences in other agencies, but imagine it is similar. 

A lot of course depends on her skill set and interests, which we don't know, but since the end of the cold war there aren't as many Russian translator jobs as there once were at, say, DLI in Monterrey CA.  State Department may need translators for here in the US.  Since Putin is very successful at playing the modern version of the "Great Game" in the former Soviet periphery, this dearth of translator jobs for various Federal entities may be turning around with greater demand soon, but I'm not too sure about that.  The old "russian hands" are retiring at a huge rate, so that may work in her favor.  Another plus is the Obama administration's push to convert expensive contractor support to government civil service career jobs, and the pay rates are usually such that displaced contractors don't want them if they convert to GS, but still mighty good and with benefits it is hard to find in the private sector these days.

[JR]

For that, the question would have to be: "What is the heaviest state?"

Actually that question would have to be answered with Alaska. It being the state with the largest land mass it should also be the "heaviest" state.

Now should one ask "Which state has the most overwieght percentage of population..."

[JR]

And congrates on the 4 years GOB, lets hope you get another 40 wonderful years.