YES, I CAN - Becoming an American Citizen...
Hey guys -
I apologize for the delay in posting a new update on my saga of becoming an American citizen. As you may have already read in different posts, things are getting busy with finals coming up and group projects due fairly soon. On top of that, WPMBAs like me are likely preparing for end-of-year performance reviews which I promise an an entire post will be dedicated to it - mine is due Nov. 20!!!
Back to becoming an American citizen...
Last Thursday I had my final hearing downtown at the courthouse (can't recall the specific address) which was directly followed by the the oath ceremony in which we did the Pledge of Allegiance and received the official paperwork stating that we are now American citizens. For those of you who haven't read my previous posts, this has been a five-year journey for me and I am very excited about it.
Some of my co-workers and friends have been asking what are some of the differences between being a legal permanent resident and an American citizen. Here is a few I can think of:
1. I can now register to vote
2. The requirement to stay in the US for at least 6 months out of 12 months is lifted - so I could actually entertain working overseas for a period of time
3. FTA security are less likely to pull me on a separate room when I am trying to re-enter the US with the permanent resident card - yes, that has happened before for no good reason!
4. I no longer have to carry the permanent resident card
5. I have the same rights as all other Americans
etc....
And here is the funniest thing...I get to be made fun of by my co-workers! When I got back to work after the morning ceremony, here is what I found:
Crazy indeed! My co-workers decided to play a joke on the new American girl and decorated my cube accordingly.
Hope you enjoyed the "becoming an American citizen saga." This week I have to change my status at the social security office and get an American passport - I might have to blog about that too.
Take care!
Thais