I am officially a US citizen!
The Naturalization Ceremony was a memorable & meaningful occasion; Judge Natalie Adams and the USCIS team did a wonderful job. I was one of 59 new citizens originating from 28 countries. The ceremony happened ~7 months after I submitted my application. I had my interview 1 month ago, which took 20-30 minutes and consisted of 3 sections:
(1) Oath. Are you willing to swear an oath to the United States? You have to do the pledge of allegiance and swear that you'll bear arms for the US if law requires it.
(2) Bad person filter. Are you a terrorist? Are you a communist? Are you a nazi? Have you been charged with a felony? (Speeding tickets were fine.)
(3) Civil test (requires 60% correct). Who was the first president? What are the 3 branches of government? Name 2 Native American tribes. What were 3 of the original 13 states? How many justices on the Supreme Court? Who's your local congressperson? ("How would I know, I can't vote yet!") How many amendments are there to the Constitution?
"Congrats on worldwide taxation," exclaimed one of my friends. The biggest drawback of being a citizen is that the US (together with Eritrea) is one of the only countries that requires all its citizens to file and pay (federal) taxes regardless of which country they reside in. So, I can no longer benefit from moving to Cayman or UAE, though Puerto Rico remains a loophole.
