12:50 p.m. - 2005-08-30
i am a bonafide u.s. citizen now!
so last week was what i think is the last time i will have to make a visit to an immigration office.
i have been a permanent resident of the u.s. since 1997. that was fine and dandy and i was at the point where i would only have had to deal with the folks at immigration about every 10 years (when my green card expired).
however, with all the changes made to immigration since it was reorganized and moved from the department of justice to the newly created department of homeland security post 9/11, i started re-thinking my immigrant status.
there were a couple of benefits of becoming a u.s. citizen that i didn't get to enjoy as a permanent resident. the first is the right of a u.s. citizen to vote and to sit on a jury. this is fundamental to how this country operates. the people must have a voice. so i will be proud to register to vote and will gladly serve if called to jury duty.
the second benefit of becoming a u.s. citizen is that i am now qualified to apply for federal jobs. only u.s. citizens can work in a job for the federal government (for the most part). i have worked in a couple government jobs in the past and enjoy the structure and environment as well as the usually generous benefits. i have had a position in municipal government as well as in county government offices, and am considering pursuing a federal position after i get through college.
one other consideration is that the u.s. government is planning on making it mandatory to have a passport to enter the u.s. sometime around 2008. also to be considered is that if my hubby and i were to travel together out of the country and had passports from different countries, we may be subject to more interrogation than if we have passports from the same country.
so in june, after deliberating about the above considerations, i put in my application for naturalization (to become a u.s. citizen).
i had my civics exam and an interview last week. since i had to drive so far (about 5-6 hours one way) for my interview process, the folks at dhs/uscis felt sorry for me and offered to swear me in as a u.s. citizen that very day!
so now i am a bonafide u.s. citizen. yay!
i haven't shared this with the whole world yet, but i am thrilled. now we can go get our passports and go on a cruise. :)
other somewhat normal stuff is going on here - we have a landscape project in progress, we are planning on getting the siding done, and my dad fixed the washer for me yesterday (leaky pump - thanks, dad!) and i fixed my leaking toilet (leaking from the flapper valve into the bowl - forcing the tank to refill hourly). so i'm getting some stuff done. i'm hoping to get my filing caught up today. we'll see how it goes. i can't seem to get off the dang computer.
'nuff for today. see you in the funny papers! (my grandfather says this, and it makes me smile)
