Mama finally got here on June 4, 2010. It took longer than I have expected due to my own negligence. The first request for additional information came because the years of residency in one place to the other overlapped so USCIS had to request for us to fix the Biographic form. We fixed it and then they requested for something again, this time I forgot to send them the true copy of a document so I had to mail it again.

It would have taken only about six months if I did not make a mistake on those two items. But someone told me that the filing for a parent petition usually takes 6 months but not longer than a year so it’ still okay.

But Mama is here and that is all that matters.

Yahoo! The letter from USCIS came in yesterday. I couldn’t help but shriek , my petition for my Mama to come here has been approved!

I have been praying for this , I told God to let it be approved on my birthday on October 11. The most amazing thing is , it got approved on September 11, a month before my birthday! Isn’t that amazing? I mean, He could have let it approved on the 10th or 12th but no, God specifically had it approved on the 11th, to remind me that He is granting my prayer a month before my birthday!

I feel so happy and so blessed!

I am until now waiting for the approval of my petition for my Mom to come here to the US. I don’t know what’s taking them so long to approve it since I have already sent all the papers that they possibly need. I am just so excited for my Mom to get here and all this waiting is such a damper. But I guess I cannot really do anything but wait patiently and know that the Lord knows the perfect time and moment for Mama to come here.

Anyway, does anyone know just how long a petition for a parent goes? I filed last July 1st and all I got was their receipt notice, no approval notice yet. I checked at the USCIS website, it says the processing takes 5 months. If  anybody knows anything can you share it with me, please ?

I have filed a  petition for my Mom last July 1st and now I am still waiting for the USCIS approval. I try not to think too much about it but of course I can’t help but keep thinking about it.

I am excited to receive the approval letter so every day I tell my husband, ” The petition, Honey, the petition… ” which means he should go out and check the mail. And when he doesn’t budge, John and I  do a duet,  ” Daddy, the petition , the petition!!”   (John says it like this, “pah-te-tion”)

All of us are excited for my Mother’s arrival. This early we are already thinking about things to do, where to go. It’s going to be fun. And it won’t be too boring anymore ’cause there’ll be four of us in the house.

I hope she’ll be here before December comes.

Finally last June 17, I was sworn-in as a US citizen. I took a day-off for this special day since the ceremony will be starting at 9:15 am. We just drove to Oakland rather than take the BART (train).

We got there around 8:30 and the ceremony ended at 10:30. I am glad this last step of my immigration journey is finally over. No more immigration filing to do, I am now officially a US citizen, yehey!!!

Go to my USApinoy.com website for more of this citizenship event.

I passed the naturalization interview today. Everything went on smoothly. The interviewer thanked me for a job well done because I submitted a very thorough list of required documents which she said, made her job so much easier. She said that my file, which was three inch thick by the way,  was by far the best that she had ever gotten because  everything she needed  was already  there so she didn’t need to ask for any more additional documents from me. She said she wished everyone will be as thorough as me.  She actually thought somebody helped me with it but I said it was just me. ( I wanted to add, “and God’s guidance” but stopped myself. )

The interviewing officer told me that I might get the notice for the oath-taking schedule next July.

I sincerely hope I will be sworn-in next month and not July .

Yes! I already have my appointment date for my citizenship interview. This will be on May 19. I have been trying to study the 100 interview questions so let’s see if I pass this one. Hopefully I will .

Yipee!  I finally got my appointment letter for my citizenship interview and it will be on May 19. I still got a month to study the interview questions and hopefully I’ll pass this and be sworn in.

The next process after this will be petitioning my Mom and I am so done when she gets here. All these immigration filings are expensive and I no longer want part of it.  Ooops , I nearly forgot, I still have to petition my older sister, Ate Ching ! Guess I am not done yet huh? But sibling petition takes a really long time , like 12 to 15 years they say, so I don’t know yet…

Anyway, wow, I am nearing my interview. I am ecstatically nervous hehehe… Hopefully I will pass this one.

Please pray for me, Ma!