Hello everyone! I just had my interview, and I thought I would update this post with my experience!
So, my husband and I had the interview at the consulate in San Francisco, and it was conducted in French. The interviewer did at times help to rephrase questions or even said 1 or 2 questions in English if I was misinterpreting the question which was incredibly helpful. I answered completely in my spotty French, which she seemed to be quite happy with actually. She confirmed that she was not responsible for any determination, but that it was her job to essentially transcribe my interview answers and add them to my application package for review in Switzerland. Since there is no formal language requirement (certificate), I believe that being able to communicate and speak clearly enough for the interviewer to note and understand is the most critical element.
We began the interview with her confirming some of our entries in our application. The initial question, and the one that felt important for setting up the tone of the interview, was why I wanted to become Swiss. So, I would definitely recommend coming prepared with that answer. She also asked some questions about my children, if they were school age, who is present at their school meetings, what type of values or how do I contribute to raising them. I think these questions were to kind of test if I share Swiss values, perhaps? After answering questions with my husband, the next questions were for me alone. There were approx 20 questions, and it seemed like some were required while the others the interviewer could choose out of a list. These are what I can remember in no particular order.
If you become Swiss, what municipality will you be registered in
Name the 4 national languages and a canton for each where the language is used
How many cantons are there total
What are the countries that border Switzerland
What are the 3 cantons that signed the original pact
3 famous Swiss people
3 lakes
3 museums
Who is the current president of the federal council
What is a referendum and what is an initiative
What type of government does Switzerland have
Who is in charge of enforcing the laws - this question was very strangely worded and the answer was the Police
Who elects the members of the federal council
What does CFF stand for
What things give Switzerland value, or what are the things that I find special to Switzerland
What would I have to do once I become a citizen - Vote, respect the laws, pay taxes
What year were women granted the right to vote
How do I stay up to date on Swiss news
Who created the Red Cross and what is their purpose
After that they interviewed my husband and I again, and asked about our family and friends in Switzerland, if we had any Swiss friends in the US, and if we were members of any Swiss clubs. That pretty much wrapped up the whole process. It lasted about 90 minutes, and at the end she confirmed that I probably wouldnāt hear anything for a year. Eventually our references should get some questionnaires and if we received a form asking about our marital status, that we would be nearing the end of the process at that point. Overall, she was extremely nice and helpful and the questions seemed quite fair and balanced. Hopefully, it all moves forward and I will be holding a Swiss passport in a year or two!!
Hope this helps someone else, and thank you all for your help on this post! Everything that Iāve learned here definitely helped me to prepare!