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  #561  
Old 22.09.2017, 23:05
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Re: Facilitated naturalization interview

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I was quite nervous before my appointment to get the passport. I had this feeling like there would be one final surprise German test or knowledge quiz, after all the police did get me out of bed early one morning last year for my interview.


Anyway, congrats Island Monkey and SwissRoots
Thank you! Glad it was friendly. I am so excited about having the passport in my hands. It feels as though I have been part Swiss all my life, but now I'll have incontestable proof!
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  #562  
Old 25.09.2017, 05:34
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Re: Facilitated naturalization interview

I wanted to let you know all know that I am now the proud owner of a Swiss passport - albeit a temporary one.

The embassy issued one for me to facilitate a trip to Switzerland that I need to make before the permanent passport could be issued.

I wanted to let you all know that in cases of emergency, it's possible to have a temporary passport issued before your permanent one comes through. You can apply for it here:
https://www.eda.admin.ch/countries/u...ovisional.html
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  #563  
Old 25.09.2017, 08:12
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Re: Facilitated naturalization interview

Congratulations, Swissroots! Must be a wonderful feeling!
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  #564  
Old 26.09.2017, 00:14
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Congratulations, Swissroots! Must be a wonderful feeling!
Thank you, it does. I just arrived in Switzerland on a visit today and it felt amazing to come in as a bona fide Swiss!
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  #565  
Old 28.09.2017, 11:54
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Re: Facilitated naturalization interview

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Ok.... it's been 9.5 weeks now! I can't take this anymore
Hello I am in the process of naturalization facilitated.i seen my document in April2017 at the beginning of August I had the visit of 2 policemen to my house and at the end of August I received a document asking me for the declaration of tax and studies do some one know to what point I am.thank you i am in baton zurich
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  #566  
Old 28.09.2017, 22:00
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Re: Facilitated naturalization interview

My husband sent his off on 22nd May. We had to hand in tax confirmation, CV & yesterday the police came round, but I was on my way out & he wasn’t there. So, they booked an appointment with him for tomorrow evening 😂

We’re so glad cos our flat was a mess 🙈 hoping everything goes well tomorrow & fingers crossed 😄
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  #567  
Old 29.09.2017, 08:35
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Re: Facilitated naturalization interview

good luck for your husband today
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  #568  
Old 29.09.2017, 08:43
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Re: Facilitated naturalization interview

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Hello I am in the process of naturalization facilitated.i seen my document in April2017 at the beginning of August I had the visit of 2 policemen to my house and at the end of August I received a document asking me for the declaration of tax and studies do some one know to what point I am.thank you i am in baton zurich
My process, from application to final approval, took 14 months. But really it seems to be completely different for everybody. I still haven't managed to get the paperwork together to get my passport, where as some people received it automatically (the paperwork) after a couple of days....... it's a nightmare!
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Old 29.09.2017, 15:47
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Re: Facilitated naturalization interview

@amor thanks, he’s currently hanging up photos at home �� I’m kinda nervous & im not even there.
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  #570  
Old 29.09.2017, 22:58
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Re: Facilitated naturalization interview

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good luck for your husband today
thank you. Apparently it went really well. According to the police officers they gave him the "long" interview, and they also said that they don't think there should be any issues, cos he's very well intergrated.
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  #571  
Old 06.10.2017, 10:35
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Re: Facilitated naturalization interview

Yesterday I received my permanent passport and ID card. I'm still a little bit in shock that this process is finally over. I was almost certain all would be fine, but it was still a little stressful to wait. I feel happy and relieved!

I also hope my sister will be receiving her confirmation of naturalization soon as she's understandably worried that it's taking so much longer than my process, even though we applied together. I'm sure it's only a matter of time, but I can imagine how she must feel in the interim.

This forum has been so helpful for me in this process and I'm grateful to all of you for your help.
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  #572  
Old 06.10.2017, 11:19
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Re: Facilitated naturalization interview

Con-grat-YOU-la-tions, Swissroots!
What an amazing moment, as it dawns on you that these documents are the Real Thing! I can imagine you're walking around with a big grin on your face. Happy, happy for you!
And let's hope it all works out for your sister, too, and soon.
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  #573  
Old 06.10.2017, 12:19
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Re: Facilitated naturalization interview

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Con-grat-YOU-la-tions, Swissroots!
What an amazing moment, as it dawns on you that these documents are the Real Thing! I can imagine you're walking around with a big grin on your face. Happy, happy for you!
And let's hope it all works out for your sister, too, and soon.
Thank you, thank you! How sweet of you to respond in such an enthusiastic way and to share in my happiness. This is a great community and I have found haven here so often in my moments of doubt and need for information, and now I find allies also in my moment of celebration.
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  #574  
Old 18.10.2017, 01:12
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Re: Facilitated naturalization interview

I kept track of when things happened during my FN process, to give future applicants a rough idea of what to expect...... very rough, as I found out, everyone has quite different experiences. As it is now totally complete, here it is. (d=days, w=weeks, m=months).

-24d – Emailed for application form, einbuergerung@sem.admin.ch

0d – Sent in application, signed for. Needed Wohnsitzzeugnisse, Familienausweis.

10d – Letter to confirm documents received

5m – Police call to arrange interview.

5m,3w – Police interview. (Basic questions on family, nothing on Switzerland).

9m – Final paperwork sent to sign. Form stating we are still together and one that I have no criminal convictions (sent only a few days after I set off travelling despite telling them of dates I was away).

11m – Final paperwork returned (2 month delay due travelling).

11m,1w – Provisional approval and bill of 765-

I was not asked for any tax info. References were not contacted.

13m,3w – Final confirmation letter (this took way longer than I expected and really stressed me out).

14m – Received Heimatschein (this did not happen automatically, I had to request it from my Heimatort, hence a slight delay, then I had to take this to my Gemeindehaus).

14m,1w – Passport appointment

14m,2w – Passport arrived.
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  #575  
Old 18.10.2017, 07:55
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Re: Facilitated naturalization interview

I applied for facilitated naturalization at the Atlanta consulate back in March. (My original post is on page 26 of this thread).

It’s been approximately 6 months since my application, and I got home from work today, checked my mail, and there was a US Postal Service Certified Mail delivery notice stating I have a large envelope from the consulate sent Certified Mail that needs to be picked up in person at the Post Office.

I’m gonna go get it in the morning, but does anyone have any idea what this could be? I’m a little concerned that it’s only been 6 months and I’m receiving something in such an official manner (for non-Americans, Certified Mail is generally pretty rare, even for official business, and is a mailing method that guarantees the sending, receipt, and sender of the documents inside the envelope/package as genuine).

No one may comment before I obtain the package in the morning, but just figured I’d ask because I find this really weird... And a bit nerve wracking, in case it’s like a denial or something like that.

I’ll comment back once I find out what it is.
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  #576  
Old 18.10.2017, 09:37
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Re: Facilitated naturalization interview

I will do a timeline for my facilitated naturalization from outside Switzerland. I applied based on my Swiss grandmother. (d=days, w=weeks, m=months)

- 90 days - received application forms and began working to complete all requirements and prepare all documents. For me this was a little complicated because my grandmother passed away in Canada in 1995, and I needed a death certificate that was less than 6 months old. I also needed a marriage certificate for my parents that was less than 6 months old and they got married in New Jersey in 1963. This, in addition to all the the other details took time.

0 d - Submitted full application and was interviewed at the embassy

10 m, 2w - References contacted

11 m - References sent their letters of endorsement

22 m, 2 w - Asked to sign a letter at the embassy stating that I had not broken the law since applying

26 m, 2 w - Final confirmation letter arrived

26 m, 2 w - Registered at the embassy as a Swiss citizen; temporary passport issued for urgent travel to Switzerland

27 m - Passport and ID received
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Old 18.10.2017, 18:24
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Re: Facilitated naturalization interview

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A little off topic, but I just went through the facilitated naturalization process. I live in the US, and my mother (who was a Swiss-US national) lost her citizenship when she married my American father. My overview will focus mostly on the interview when applying abroad, since I was having trouble finding a good amount of information on that.

So basically I've been trying to get this together for the past 8 years (my first contact with the consulate in Atlanta was in 2009 when I was 16, I'm now 24). Mostly due to life getting in the way (graduating high school, starting college, graduating from college, etc.), I've never managed to get all of the forms together in time until this most recent attempt.

So for the most recent attempt, I contacted the consulate in mid December requesting the most recent forms to apply. I was greeted with a friendly response that said my eligibility to apply has been already verified due to my 3 prior requests to apply, and they attached the paperwork per PDF for me to fill out.

It took me almost exactly 3 months to get all of the paperwork together and contact everybody in Switzerland (friends and relatives) to let them know I was about to submit the application. The document that took the longest was the FBI background check, which took 2.5 months.

Once everything was together in early March, I contacted the consulate to let them know I had everything together and was ready to schedule the interview. The promptly scheduled it for 2 weeks later in Atlanta.

I was super nervous about the interview. Growing up in the US, I didn't really know if my ties to Switzerland were close enough as far as the standards for the application go. However, there was absolutely nothing to be nervous about. Here's how my interview went from start to finish:

I fought my way through the hell on earth that is traffic in Atlanta and yet somehow managed to arrive at the consulate building 45 minutes early. I gathered my materials and headed on up to the consulate office.

I was greeted by a very friendly receptionist in the waiting area. I told her I was super early and I'm fine waiting. She informed me the consul conducting my interview (which is the same consul I had been communicating with by email) was not actually very busy at the moment and we could go ahead and do the interview. I of course obliged. She told me to wait in the waiting area a minute or two and the consul would come get me.

The consul came out to get me along with another consul who was visiting from the NYC consulate. They were both absolutely awesome and super super nice and easygoing. After she got me from the waiting room we started walking toward a conference room. On the way, she asked me what language I preferred the interview be in: English, high German, or Swiss German. She highly recommended high German or Swiss German as it would look better for my application. I'm not overly confident in my Swiss German (I can understand decently but I feel like my speaking is terrible), so I opted for high German, which we had been emailing in. I majored in German in college and spent a year studying in Germany, so my German is more than sufficient.

We sat down and initially she explained how the process would work. After that, she explained the interview would encompass 5 areas: politics, history, culture, geography, and current events.

Politics was easy for me as I also majored in political science with a focus on European politics. Basically all she was looking for the basic structure of Swiss government (executive, legislative, judicial), the three tiers of citizenship, and direct democracy.

After this we moved on to history. She informed me this was her favorite topic and that she would be "mean" with her questions (she was kidding of course). I hate history as a general rule so I was nervous about this section. However, it wasn't bad. She asked about the 3 original cantons, the date of the founding of the old confederacy, the date Switzerland was recognized as a state, what event in Swiss history was most impactful to me, and... honestly I think that was pretty much it. One question she asked that she told me she would not hold against me was where was Switzerland founded. I was ashamed to have forgotten the Rütli. However, she laughed and said my other responses were excellent and not to worry.

Culture and geography were kind of combined into one. She asked me to list the three regions of Switzerland, list as many Swiss foods as I know, what are some important Swiss hobbies (hiking, alpine sports/skiing were the answers I gave and she was satisfied with that), how many cantons there were, and what the capitals of a select number of cantons were. Luckily I knew the capitals of the cantons that she asked about.

Finally was current events. This I found actually a little disappointing, only because I studied so hard for this portion but it really was the least important section of the interview. She asked me to name three prominent Swiss figures from modern history. I said Christoph Blocher, Doris Leuthard, and Micheline Calmy-Rey. She said this was very good, as most people usually answer Albert Einstein and Tina Turner. (Like really???) Other than that she asked if I knew what sporting event was going on the week prior in Graubünden (which I didn't because I don't pay attention to sports). She said it was fine that I didn't know (turned out to be a skiing championship) and then asked me if I knew what happens yearly in Davos. Of course I answered the World Economic Forum, and that was the end of the interview.

She told me I would be receiving marks of excellent in my knowledge across all areas tested and I would also receive an excellent rating on my language skills, and that a language test was not needed. She told me from her end I would receive a very good report, and that with the completeness of my application (4 trips to Switzerland with 3 in past 10 years, 5 relatives listed in switzerland, 2 friends listed in Switzerland, 2 letters from Swiss living abroad, and a letter of confirmation from my Auslandschweizer Organisation), the decision should in the end (hopefully) be a positive one.

Regardless of the outcome of my application, she said I should be notified by the consulate when a final decision arrives from Bern, and that the process could take up to two years but likely 12-18 months. She did say however to check with them if I haven't heard anything in 12 months and then again at 18 months, just to make sure nothing has come in already.

Sorry for the lengthy post! I did want to make it complete however, just for the reference of others. Now I play the waiting game and find ways to pass the time for the next 12-24 months.
As an extension of the quoted post and also the one above, I went to the post office this morning to pick up my large envelope from the consulate.

I open it, and it's my approval of facilitated naturalization. I'M A CITIZEN!!!!

I have to say my process was for some reason a lot more streamlined than most recounts I read. Between when I submitted my app 7 months ago and today when I received my official confirmation, the only indication I had of the gears in Bern turning were that my references abroad were contacted and the references let me know that.

Also, a lot of people I've read have had to sign additional forms and pay additional money. I didn't have to do that either... The consulate just sent me the letter confirming the decision from Bern, the local consular registration forms (current address, etc.), and the voting rights registration form. Once the consulate gets my local registration into their system (1-2 weeks), I can also apply for a passport.

Also, for what it's worth, I was applying under Article 31b of the BüG (child of former Swiss mother who lost her citizenship because she married my dad, a foreign national).

My application package also looked like this, for anyone who's wondering how timelines for similar apps might compare:
  • 24 year old single male
  • Doctoral student in statistics (Potentially skilled worker? Don't know if that could have helped)
  • US citizen
  • 4 trips to CH, 3 w/i last 10 years (one 4 week trip, a one week trip, and a weekend trip all between 2009 and 2015 were the most recent)
  • 2 non-relatives listed living in Switzerland
  • 5 relatives living in Switzerland (mom's uncle and his 4 adult children)
  • Thorough answers to questions on the "Fragebogen zur Verbundenheit"
  • 2 letters from Swiss abroad (mom's sister and her son/my cousin)
  • Excellent German skills (I spent a year in Germany and have been learning for 10 years)
  • Great interview experience conducted in German with mostly sound knowledge of Swiss culture, history, geography, politics, etc.
  • No criminal record
  • Brief letter in English from Swiss organization stating I'm a paid member in good standing
  • Mother (born and raised in the US) is a former American/Swiss dual national who lost citizenship due to marrying my American father
  • My father also has close ties to Switzerland. He studied at the Uni Bern and the 2 non-relatives listed on my app are his friends (who were originally married but now divorced, so I could used them as two separate references instead of one unit reference)
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  #578  
Old 19.10.2017, 15:17
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Re: Facilitated naturalization interview

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I kept track of when things happened during my FN process, to give future applicants a rough idea of what to expect...... very rough, as I found out, everyone has quite different experiences. As it is now totally complete, here it is. (d=days, w=weeks, m=months).

-24d – Emailed for application form, einbuergerung@sem.admin.ch

0d – Sent in application, signed for. Needed Wohnsitzzeugnisse, Familienausweis.

10d – Letter to confirm documents received

5m – Police call to arrange interview.

5m,3w – Police interview. (Basic questions on family, nothing on Switzerland).

9m – Final paperwork sent to sign. Form stating we are still together and one that I have no criminal convictions (sent only a few days after I set off travelling despite telling them of dates I was away).

11m – Final paperwork returned (2 month delay due travelling).

11m,1w – Provisional approval and bill of 765-

I was not asked for any tax info. References were not contacted.

13m,3w – Final confirmation letter (this took way longer than I expected and really stressed me out).

14m – Received Heimatschein (this did not happen automatically, I had to request it from my Heimatort, hence a slight delay, then I had to take this to my Gemeindehaus).

14m,1w – Passport appointment

14m,2w – Passport arrived.
Congrats! Glad it finally came through.
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Old 19.10.2017, 15:51
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Congrats! Glad it finally came through.
Thanks. Me too ... what a faff! But hopefully I'll have minimal dealings with Swiss bureaucracy from now on
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Old 20.10.2017, 22:01
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Re: Facilitated naturalization interview

I'm from the USA and submitted my application for facilitated naturalization in July 2016. I hadn't heard anything from my references in Switzerland or the consulate until this week.
The consulate sent me a letter from Bern saying I needed to attest that I haven't committed any crimes, etc. I believe many people here have received a similar letter as part of their naturalization process.
However, they are also asking for a new FBI background check as well. I submitted one with my original application. According to the FBI website, it will be about 3-4 months to process a new check.

Has anyone else had a similar experience?

Thank you for any thoughts or advice.
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