This is an extended N-400 Part 12 vocabulary review with Quynh.  When she doesn't understand a questions, she asks for clarification.

This interview is based on

• N-400r Part 12 Overview Quiz (27 questions) http://goo.gl/3m3t7K

Nga Trans answers questions from the Basic Citizenship Interview, plus 10 Civics Questions, and then talks about her Citizenship interview.

USCIS: USCIS Application Support Centers Updates, Dec 29, 2020 https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/USDHSCISINVITE/2020/12/29/file_attachments/1635668/ASC%20Updates.pdf 

Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, USCIS has experienced delays in scheduling or rescheduling application support center (ASC) appointments to collect biometrics. Current processing times are affected by several variables including demand and capacity at individual ASCs.

The information below may help you understand what to expect with your biometrics appointment.

Safely Reopening ASCs USCIS temporarily suspended in-person services between March and June to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and ensure employee and applicant safety. As a result, we cancelled approximately 280,000 appointments. USCIS began a phased reopening of our ASCs in July, after we installed protective screens and incorporated proper social distancing measures across 132 sites. Since reopening, there have been sporadic and temporary ASC closures for reasons such as local stay-at-home orders, COVID-19-related cleaning and extreme weather. From July to September, ASCs were operating at below 50 percent of pre-COVID levels. By late October, we increased ASC operations to approximately 65 percent of pre-COVID levels.

Current State We are working to safely maximize appointment capacity at ASCs and are also reusing previously collected biometrics to conduct background and security checks when authorized by law. Based on capacity limitations unique to each ASC, we have not yet rescheduled all cancelled appointments. USCIS is scheduling approximately 10,400 appointments per day. Approximately 1.3 million applications are awaiting biometrics appointments as of mid-December. Applicants should continue to wait for an ASC appointment notice or a Form I-797, Notice of Action, from USCIS indicating that their previously collected biometrics may be reused.

Priority of ASC Appointments Biometrics appointments are scheduled based on the prioritization of benefit types, considering adjudication capacity and processing times. Within a benefit type, USCIS generally schedules appointments on a first-in, first-out basis. The wait time for appointments will vary geographically, based on capacity and varying demand at individual ASC locations.

Biometrics Reuse USCIS is authorized to reuse biometrics under limited circumstances, and usually where we must verify an individual’s identity and the case is otherwise ready to adjudicate. If USCIS will reuse biometrics for a pending application, we will mail a Form I-797 notice to the applicant stating that we will be reusing the applicant’s biometrics and that the applicant is not required to appear at an ASC. Not all applications meet the requirements for biometrics reuse.

Walk-ins Because of our COVID facility constraints, we cannot process walk-ins for biometrics collection except for military applicants and their family members when the principal applicant is scheduled for an appointment.

Before visiting any USCIS facility, check the USCIS Office Closings webpage for the current operating status. For more information about USCIS ASCs, visit our ASC information webpage. Please use our online tools for help in managing your application and to track the status of your case. If you have questions that are not addressed in your appointment notice, you may connect with the USCIS Contact Center.

USCIS Application Support Centers Updates https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/USDHSCISINVITE/2020/12/29/file_attachments/1635668/ASC%20Updates.pdf 

Dec 31, 2020 USCIS Application Support Centers Updates https://youtu.be/50HbACj-j74

Dec 13, 2020 What's happening with USCIS Biometrics Appointments? https://youtu.be/sqgdBXfkV_w 

Dec 21, 2020 BIOMETRICS Plus USCIS TOOLS: Case Status, Case Inquiry, & Processing Times https://youtu.be/BN1sGQjx1tw 

More links:

USCIS Office Closings  https://www.uscis.gov/about-us/uscis-office-closings 

USCIS Application Support Centers https://www.uscis.gov/forms/filing-guidance/preparing-for-your-biometric-services-appointment 

USCIS Tools https://www.uscis.gov/tools  

Check Your Case Status https://egov.uscis.gov/casestatus/landing.do 

USCIS Contact Center. https://www.uscis.gov/contactcenter 

Ahmed Khan is a Silicon Valley entrepreneur who is practicing for his naturalization interview this week.  We included extra civics and dictation practice.  Let's get started! 

Hung went to his interview in Santa Ana, CA. Before the interview began, they gave him an iPad. The officer then went to another office, took off his mask, and talked to Hung via the iPad. Hung was able to see and hear the officer clearly. Also Hung answered questions in Vietnamese in a separate video.

Videos

Hung Do talks about his U.S. Citizenship Interview (English) https://youtu.be/T_IaF6qTuiA

Hùng Đỗ nói về cuộc Phỏng vấn Quốc tịch Hoa Kỳ của mình. https://youtu.be/yhJAVhusDGQ

USCIS has revised the civics portion of the naturalization test. All applicants for naturalization with a filing date on or after Dec. 1, 2020, will be required to take the 2020 version of the civics test. For more information, visit The 2020 Version of the Civics Test page. Applicants for naturalization with a filing date before Dec. 1, 2020, are required to take the 2008 version of the civics test.

With the 2020 version of the civics test, the USCIS officer will ask you to answer 20 out of the 128 civics test questions. You must answer at least 12 questions correctly to pass the 2020 version of the civics test. All questions on the test are asked orally. There are no changes to the English portion of the naturalization civics test. You must demonstrate an understanding of the English language, including the ability to read, write, and speak basic English.

Video: https://youtu.be/k6qzt1AcxEE

https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship-resource-center/the-2020-version-of-the-civics-test/128-civics-questions-and-answers-2020-version

All Saints and Day of the Dead are part of a 3-day festival that remembers the lives of those who passed before us.

We honor the following list of Americans who passed before us:

Jan 24 Pete Stark, member of the U.S. House of Representatives (1973–2013). Feb 23 Ahmaud Arbery, jogger, shot. Feb 24 Katherine Johnson, NASA mathematician, Mar 2 Charles Trimble, Native American advocate. Mar 13 Barbara Harris, American Episcopal prelate. Mar 13 Breonna Taylor, African-American woman and EMT. Apr 9 Phyllis Lyon, American gay rights activist. Apr 16 Jane Dee Hull, Governor of Arizona (1997–2003). May 6 Carlos Ernesto Escobar Mejía, Salvadoran-born American immigrant, COVID-19. May 25 George Floyd, American police detainee. July 17 John Lewis and C. T. Vivian, American civil rights leaders Sept 18 Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court

Citizenship Quiz for All Saints and Day of the Dead 2020 video: https://youtu.be/enB6QoyU16c pdf: http://bit.ly/2020-dotd

Citizenship Quiz for All Saints and Day of the Dead 2019 listen: http://traffic.libsyn.com/uscitizenpod/citz-day-of-the-dead-2019.mp3  read: http://traffic.libsyn.com/uscitizenpod/citz-day-of-the-dead-2019.pdf watch: https://youtu.be/T7suXxNUFME Citizenship Quiz for All Saints and Day of the Dead 2018 listen: http://traffic.libsyn.com/uscitizenpod/citz-day-of-the-dead-2018.mp3 read: http://traffic.libsyn.com/uscitizenpod/citz-day-of-the-dead-2018.pdf watch: https://youtu.be/8keZs7fjIDc Citizenship Quiz for All Saints and Day of the Dead 2017 listen: http://traffic.libsyn.com/uscitizenpod/citz-day-of-the-dead-2017.mp3 read: http://traffic.libsyn.com/uscitizenpod/citz-day-of-the-dead-2017.pdf watch: https://youtu.be/ihsW_9GiO3Q Citizenship Quiz for All Saints and Day of the Dead 2016 listen: http://traffic.libsyn.com/uscitizenpod/day-of-the-dead-2016.mp3 read: http://traffic.libsyn.com/uscitizenpod/citz-day-of-the-dead-2016.pdf A Citizenship Quiz for All Saints Day Podcast 2015 listen: http://traffic.libsyn.com/uscitizenpod/citz-all-saints.mp3 read: http://traffic.libsyn.com/uscitizenpod/citz-all-saints.pdf Citizenship Quiz for Day of the Dead Podcast 2015 read: http://traffic.libsyn.com/uscitizenpod/citz-day-of-the-dead.mp3 listen: http://traffic.libsyn.com/uscitizenpod/citz-day-of-the-dead.pdf

Also see:

I am the American Way https://youtu.be/26Y2MXPUo7s

Dead Honored in Various Ways https://youtu.be/f3cRohj2vEA

Dr. Hernandez describes how her student found time to study for and pass her Citizenship interview. Super quick review of some Part 12 Vocabulary plus many interview tips!

A mother with a newborn reports back about her Citizenship Interview video: https://youtu.be/b3bD3QxSIlE

Una madre con un recién nacido informa sobre su entrevista de ciudadanía video: https://youtu.be/JYM5mJs7F-8

Examples of Dr. Hernandez's worksheets:

What's happening with the USCIS Openings? Week 4 video: https://bit.ly/uscis-week-04

worksheet: https://bit.ly/ez-n400-part12

What's happening with the USCIS Openings? Week 6 video: https://bit.ly/uscis-week-06

worksheet: https://bit.ly/uscis-week-06-x

U.S. Citizenship Prep Activities 1: Part 12 Vocabulary Bingo video: https://youtu.be/qOU4BGdOQ-8

To join Dr. Patricia Hernandez's class Contact: Adult Education Center (AEC) 2510 Lincoln Boulevard - Room 203 Santa Monica, California 90405 Telephone: 310-664-6222 Fax: 310-664-6220 Online Registration https://smmusd.asapconnected.com/

Teacher Patricia Hernandez and Teacher Jennifer Gagliardi talk about getting organized for your U.S. Citizenship Interview. These tips are for everyone, especially those whose eligibility is based on marriage to a U.S. citizen. We also talk about recent immigration news, encourage everyone to complete their Census, and advocate for alternative funding for USCIS. UPDATED VISA INFO IN SHOW NOTES!

You can watch this podcast on YouTube

https://youtu.be/LrjLoMZle9A

---- USCIS responds to a judge's order to stop the increase of the citizenship fee from $725 to $1170 on October 2.

CNN reported Tuesday night that a Federal judge blocked attempt to hike naturalization fees by 80%. The fee hike was supposed to go up on Oct.2. See the details at https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/29/politics/naturalization-fees-judge/index.html

USCIS Response to Preliminary Injunction of Fee Rule https://www.uscis.gov/news/news-releases/uscis-response-to-preliminary-injunction-of-fee-rule

Judge Blocks Trump’s Ban on Foreign Workers https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/01/us/foreign-workers-visas-h-1b-trump.html

Trump Virtually Cuts Off Refugees as He Unleashes a Tirade on Immigrants https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/01/us/politics/trump-refugees.html

NPR: Hansi Lo Wang Hansi Lo Wang (he/him) is a national correspondent for NPR based in New York City. He reports on the people, power and money behind the 2020 census. https://www.npr.org/people/177498291/hansi-lo-wang

VISA AND GREEN CARD UPDATES!

Here is a link to the October Visa Bulletin https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-bulletin/2021/visa-bulletin-for-october-2020.html

Adjustment of Status Filing Charts from the Visa Bulletin https://www.uscis.gov/green-card/green-card-processes-and-procedures/visa-availability-priority-dates/adjustment-of-status-filing-charts-from-the-visa-bulletin

Visa Appointment Wait Times https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/wait-times.html

Websites of U.S. Embassies, Consulates, and Diplomatic Missions https://www.usembassy.gov/

October Visa Bulletin: Significant Changes for #Indian and #Chinese Nationals Immigration Nerds Podcast Erickson Immigration Group's Managing Director, Hiba Anver joins. Skilled Indian workers make up roughly 75% of the employment-based green card backlog, a category that only accepts up to 7% of applicants from each country. Today, the number of total green cards issued each year is limited to 140,000. There's currently over 700,000 Indian workers waiting in a line now that is likely to stretch for decades. This discussion addresses how Octobers bulletin may effect this particular cohort, and others like them. #EB2 #India #EB3 #H1B # China #India #visa #USCIS #fees Listen to this #podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hiba-anver-october-visa-bulletin-significant-changes/id1400312981?i=1000493401079

I am not a lawyer. I cannot answer any questions about this info. Please contact: List of Pro Bono Legal Service Providers | EOIR | Department of Justice https://bit.ly/cit-lawyer

USCIS responds to a judge's order to stop the increase of the citizenship fee from $725 to $1170 on October 2.

CNN reported Tuesday night that a Federal judge blocked attempt to hike naturalization fees by 80%. The fee hike was supposed to go up on Oct.2. See the details at https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/29/politics/naturalization-fees-judge/index.html

USCIS Response to Preliminary Injunction of Fee Rule https://www.uscis.gov/news/news-releases/uscis-response-to-preliminary-injunction-of-fee-rule

WASHINGTON-U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Deputy Director of Policy Joseph Edlow issued the following statement in response to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California issuing a nationwide preliminary injunction enjoining fee increases for citizenship and other immigration benefits. “This unfortunate decision leaves USCIS underfunded by millions of dollars each business day the fee rule is enjoined. Unlike most government agencies, USCIS is fee funded. As required by federal law, USCIS conducted a comprehensive biennial fee review and determined that current fees do not recover the cost of providing adjudication and naturalization services. This is nothing new or abnormal. In fact, the fee rule is two years behind schedule, and is a smaller percentage increase than the previous. In a fee-funded agency such as USCIS, this increase is necessary to continue operations in any long-term, meaningful way to ensure cost recovery. This decision barring USCIS from enacting its mandatory fee increase is unprecedented and harmful to the American people.” TRASLATION VIA GOOGLE TRANSLATE: Respuesta de USCIS a la regla de orden judicial preliminar Fecha de lanzamiento 30/09/2020 WASHINGTON-EE. UU. El Director Adjunto de Política de los Servicios de Ciudadanía e Inmigración, Joseph Edlow, emitió la siguiente declaración en respuesta a que el Tribunal de Distrito de los EE. UU. Para el Distrito Norte de California emitió una orden judicial preliminar a nivel nacional que ordena aumentos de tarifas para la ciudadanía y otros beneficios de inmigración. “Esta desafortunada decisión deja al USCIS sin fondos suficientes en millones de dólares cada día hábil que se impone la regla de tarifas. A diferencia de la mayoría de las agencias gubernamentales, USCIS se financia mediante tarifas. Como lo requiere la ley federal, el USCIS llevó a cabo una revisión de tarifas bienal integral y determinó que las tarifas actuales no recuperan el costo de brindar servicios de adjudicación y naturalización. Esto no es nada nuevo ni anormal. De hecho, la regla de las tarifas tiene un retraso de dos años y es un aumento porcentual menor que el anterior. En una agencia financiada con tarifas como USCIS, este aumento es necesario para continuar las operaciones de cualquier manera significativa a largo plazo para garantizar la recuperación de costos. Esta decisión que prohíbe al USCIS promulgar su aumento de tarifas obligatorio no tiene precedentes y es perjudicial para el pueblo estadounidense ”. Para obtener más información sobre USCIS y sus programas, visite uscis.gov o síganos en Twitter (@uscis), Instagram (/ uscis), YouTube (/ uscis), Facebook (/ uscis) y LinkedIn (/ uscis).Respuesta de USCIS a la regla de orden judicial preliminar Fecha de lanzamiento 30/09/2020 WASHINGTON-EE. UU. El Director Adjunto de Política de los Servicios de Ciudadanía e Inmigración, Joseph Edlow, emitió la siguiente declaración en respuesta a que el Tribunal de Distrito de los EE. UU. Para el Distrito Norte de California emitió una orden judicial preliminar a nivel nacional que ordena aumentos de tarifas para la ciudadanía y otros beneficios de inmigración. “Esta desafortunada decisión deja al USCIS sin fondos suficientes en millones de dólares cada día hábil que se impone la regla de tarifas. A diferencia de la mayoría de las agencias gubernamentales, USCIS se financia mediante tarifas. Como lo requiere la ley federal, el USCIS llevó a cabo una revisión de tarifas bienal integral y determinó que las tarifas actuales no recuperan el costo de brindar servicios de adjudicación y naturalización. Esto no es nada nuevo ni anormal. De hecho, la regla de las tarifas tiene un retraso de dos años y es un aumento porcentual menor que el anterior. En una agencia financiada con tarifas como USCIS, este aumento es necesario para continuar las operaciones de cualquier manera significativa a largo plazo para garantizar la recuperación de costos. Esta decisión que prohíbe al USCIS promulgar su aumento de tarifas obligatorio no tiene precedentes y es perjudicial para el pueblo estadounidense ”. Para obtener más información sobre USCIS y sus programas, visite uscis.gov o síganos en Twitter (@uscis), Instagram (/ uscis), YouTube (/ uscis), Facebook (/ uscis) y LinkedIn (/ uscis).