N-400: Ant’s Walk-In Biometrics, Infopass, and Baby..Oh My!...

[antda 13]

Hi Everyone,

Just to update and let all you VJers know that....

On 9/30/09, I went to the Buffalo, NY, local USCIS office, and this is what happened:

6:30am-10:15am: We woke up very early this morning at 6:30am to a rainy and cloudy morning sky and to the sound of my baby crying wanting to be fed. I was very tired and with only about a few hours or so of sleep, but I fed him, got dressed, and organized the paperwork I was going to bring today for my Infopass Appointment there. For the next 2-3 hours, my husband drove down the rainy country roads surrounded by autumn coloured trees, and eventually drove to our destination of the building-lined and traffic-filled city of Buffalo, NY. We got to the city at 9:30am or so, parked about one block away on the side of the street next to a meter (about $1 or so, as we paid for 1hr of parking), as that was the closest parking space in front of the building. Just as we were about to walk out into the street my baby started crying again, so I fed and changed him, for the next few minutes or so, and then I (with the baby in my arms) and my husband walk into the building at 10:15am, 15 minutes before our Infopass appointment was scheduled at 10:30am.

10:15am-10:40am: When we got inside the USCIS building, we were the only ones going through the metal detectors/scanners at the entrance. When it was our turn, the guard at the door asked, “What are you here for?” My husband responded that I was there for an Infopass appointmen and shows him the Infopass letter. The guard then asked all of the adults for ID, and my husband shows his and my driver’s license that he had in his hands (my hands were full with the baby). The guard was friendly and then asked the standard “Do you have any cameras, cell phones, guns, weapons, knives, sharp objects, razors, staplers (huh), etc.?”, to which we said “no”, and didn’t question us any further. He then told us to go straight through the metal detectors and to walk straight ahead to window 6 to sign in for the Infopass appointment.

When we get to window 6, we gave the Infopass letter to the Immigration Officer behind the glass, which was stapled to a Personal letter that I typed up. She gave us a number, and tells us to have a seat and wait, while she went to the back area. She comes back a few minutes later, sits by window 5, calls our number, and we have another seat in front of the window. The Immigration Officer slowly reads the Infopass letter, and Personal letter that I typed up, and looks up my N-400 case on their computer.

The Personal letter contains the following questions and inquiries that I had for them:

To Whom It May Concern,

I requested an InfoPass meeting with this local Buffalo, NY office today because I would like the answers to the following questions and inquiries about my N-400 Application for Naturalization case (filed on September 9, 2009):

1) I received a Case Status Information Update/RFE, by e-mail, dated September 22, 2009, with the following message: “we mailed a notice requesting additional evidence or information…the case will be in suspense until we receive the evidence or the opportunity to submit it expires. Once we receive the requested evidence or information and make a decision on the case, you will be notified by mail.”

I have not received such a notice by mail, as of today, and would like to know if and when I will receive such a notice. I also have already submitted 100+ pages of additional relevant joint evidence with my initial application, and find it quite puzzling that the USCIS would require more evidence for my case. I would also like to know what is requested of me additionally, which I will gladly provide it to you if required and I have such evidence requested, so that my case can be further processed and not delayed.

2) I received a Receipt/NOA for my case, by letter, with the payment information as: “Payment Information: Single Application Fee: $595.00. Total Balance Due: $0.00.”

However, when I submitted my application, I sent a single check/cheque for a total of $675, which included both the application fee and the biometrics fee, and have proof from my bank that the $675 was cashed by the USCIS. I would like to know if the amount of $595 stated on my letter is an error on the USCIS’ part and if I will receive a separate receipt for the biometrics fee that I paid, since I do not want any follow-up notices saying that I owe and additional $80, as I already paid for such before.

3) I received a Receipt/NOA for my case, by letter, with the “Received Date: September 11, 2009 and Priority Date: September 15, 2009.” As well, I received a Fingerprint Notification/Biometrics for my case, by letter, with the “Received Date: September 11, 2009 and Priority Date: September 11, 2009.” I would like to know which date I should go by, in terms of the order of when my case will be processed, as these dates seem to be different and are a few days apart, which might or might not make a difference in processing time of my case as soon as possible.

Please clarify and answer my inquiries, today, to the best of your ability, as that would be helpful and will clear up any misunderstandings about my N-400 case. Thank you. Sincerely, (My Name, Ant)

She looked somewhat confused when reading my letter, and asked another co-worker to help her with such. She also asked for a copy of the RFE e-mail and NOA letter, which I passed through the window for her to see. After about 15 minutes or so, she finally answered me by saying the following (or something along these lines):

1) Your RFE e-mail is your fingerprints/biometrics letter. The additional evidence we request is your fingerprints to be processed and checked out by the FBI. Did you get your fingerprints letter (I said yes, and showed her the letter)? And no, you won’t be getting any additional letters for an RFE as the date of your fingerprints/biometrics letter is the same date as your RFE e-mail (which it is, as both are receipt dated September 23).

2) The NOA is supposed to say $595, as that is the application fee. The receipt for the extra $80 is the Biometrics/Fingerprints letter itself. If you didn’t pay the $80, then you wouldn’t be getting that letter.

3) The Received Date on the NOA is the date that it arrived at the lockbox for processing. The Priority Date is the date we enter the barcode and other information on the computer. Use the Priority Date on your NOA to determine your case.

I thanked her for her helpful responses, and as I got up, she says to me, “Your baby is so well-behaved on your lap”. To which I say, “I just fed him and changed him right before I got here”. I then also ask that since I’m here and that I have to travel a hundred or so miles to get here, and because of the inconvenience to travel with the baby, would it be possible to get my fingerprints done today instead? She took my fingerprint/biometrics letter, goes to the back room, and said she has to talk to her supervisor about this. The supervisor comes out with my letter, and I explain to her the same situation. The supervisor then asked, ‘Why didn’t you just schedule your Infopass appointment on the same day as your fingerprints appointment on your letter (which was on 10/14/09)?” I then told her that I needed to find out earlier about the RFE, as I didn’t know what the USCIS wanted there and I didn’t want my case delayed because of something that I wasn’t aware of or was unable to send in. Plus my husband chimed in, “Ant worries too much about stuff like this” (which is true…as all of you probably know). The supervisor then said that she normally doesn’t do this, but, “I’ll make an exception to the rule this time. But if you have to come back again for fingerprints, in case they can’t process it since it is too early, then you have to come on the date on the letter”. “I’ll take the risk”, I said (and thought to myself: “There won’t be a next time, this is the last stage of the game.”). She initials the top of the fingerprints letter, gives it to me, and I with the letter in one arm, and the baby in the other arm, I walk over to the right section, where my fingerprints were to be taken.

10:40am-11:00am: I go over to the fingerprints section (which there is nobody else there waiting), and the fingerprint employee (lol..the same one that I’ve seem before for all my immigration cases over the years) greeted me and my baby while my husband takes a seat in the corner. I then go over to a table, “signed in” on their “waiting list”, picked up an “applicant information worksheet”, filled that worksheet out (with the baby in my arms), and waited for my name to be called. The entire worksheet (which was the same one I filled out before for my other cases) it was about a page or so, with one part being asked of basic biographical information: name, address, phone, birthdate, SSN, A#, Case Receipt #, other names used/maiden names, and the benefits applying for (N-400, of course), etc. The other part of the worksheet, I admit, I found a bit amusing, being asked of other information such as: height and weight, eye colour, hair colour, race, parent’s first names, country of citizenship (Canada, of course), and country of birth (wrote the birth country but also wrote country of citizenship/Canada on the same line, as I don’t have any connections to this other former birth country), etc. After I completed the worksheet, I handed that in, along with my fingerprints/biometrics letter, gave the baby back to my husband in the waiting area, and waited again for my turn. I was surprised that they didn’t ask me any questions about going in for a walk-in, nor did they ask me for any additional identification either. When my name was called I went behind a partitioned/separated area, where I was told to stand in front of a computer which was in front of a taped line. Standing in front of the computer, I showed the fingerprint employee my hands (palms up, as they asked to), they used a damp yellow cloth to wipe my fingers, and I put my fingers on a small lit-up screen on the table of the computer. My fingerprints of all my fingers were then “scanned” into the computer, while the employee rolled them across the screen. “Just relax while I take your fingerprints (lol..I probably looked pretty tense). By the way, you don’t have those Mom hands,” she said to me. (I thought to myself: “What are Mom hands?”). I thanked her for accommodating me earlier than scheduled, to which she said, “no problem”. She also entered more information into the computer, and somehow or other we got onto talking about the area where I am living now. I told her that I just moved into a new house in the country/rural area, and she said that she remembered going on vacation there before (I thought to myself: “Hey, if you’re ever in the area…come by for a visit.”). We then talked about the differences between country and city living, about people in the city, and talked more about our baby (lol..yes, he keeps me up at night still at 2 months old). I joked around too, how our baby has US Citizenship before I do, to which she said, “Well, you’re almost there”. Before I knew it, we were done and she handed me back the stamped and signed fingerprints/biometrics letter, a receipt that I had such done that day. Also, from a cardboard box she handed me a shrink-wrapped “Learn about the United States: Quick Civics Lessons for the New Naturalization test” Booklet and Audio CD (lol...I didn’t even have to ask for it). She escorted me back to the waiting area where my husband and baby were, and wanted to see my baby even more (lol..whatever makes her happy, I suppose). So we all talked about the baby and just for the fun of it, I asked her: “If I had to fill out one of those worksheets for the baby, what colour would you say his eyes and hair are now?” (as my husband and I were debating about this before, since it varies, depending on the lighting). She thought that his hair looked brown (like my husband’s hair) and couldn’t tell exactly what the eyes were (it’s a cross between blue like my husband’s eyes and brown like my eyes). More people started to come into the waiting room, so we ended the conversation there, as she had to get back to work, and we had to head back home.

On the way back home, I looked at the booklet (very nice further info about American history and nice photo of Mt. Rushmore on the cover) and we listened to the 99-track audio cd in the car, and tested each other on all of the questions twice (lol..it was a long drive…), to which we equally got about half or so of it right, without studying beforehand. I admit, I did though, have trouble doing this audibly, and even simple questions seems to get the better of me (I prefer learning and testing visually, as this makes more sense to me...oh well…audio test it is..). I also laughed, and thought to myself, “The lady on the Audio CD sounds like the bank machine lady: You have $0 in your account..(from going broke from USCIS fees!)”

Overall, it was definitely worth the trip, despite the long distance and time. I was even happier too, that I got the fingerprints/biometrics done earlier than expected, and that I had my questions and inquires answered. More importantly, I learned that USCIS employees are human too, and that they can be extra nice and accommodating at times too. Lol…Oh for humour’s sake: It definitely helps to bring a baby to the office too!

Now, onwards towards further studying (lol…audio cd lady, here we go again..), and waiting for the interview letter, interview, and oath! “I’m almost done!”, I think..

Thanks for reading about my detailed fingerprints/biometrics experience for the N-400. Hope this helps you, just as much as it has helped me by sharing it with all of you. Good luck with all of your immigration journeys too.

Ant (Walk-In N-400 Biometrics, Infopass, and Baby..Oh My!... )

[NickD 202]

LOL, you remind me of my wife, took her 41 minutes at her interview, we also had a long drive back, and it took her 41 minutes to tell me step by step every detail of her interview, exactly what her IO said, and how she responded. What a memory! Can't wait to read your interview experience, did have several speed reading courses.

[Lansbury 19]

Can't wait to read your interview experience, did have several speed reading courses.

Don't encourage her the VJ servers will probably collapse under that one

[antda 13]

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for reading about my fingerprints experience and here are my replies....

NickD-Lol..Glad your wife recalled her citizenship experiences in detail too. Likewise, my husband and I have a long drive...and well, with all that time in the car....give me a lot to talk and recall about when going to the USCIS office...we both don't mind though...and I sometimes think also: "how can I use my experience to help others, such as those here on vj". Funny, how I can remember stuff like that in detail, but yet I can't remember other simple things, such as my new phone number..oh well, lack of sleep does strange things..can make a person write, yet make a person forget...lol....Hopefully I can recall my other USCIS experiences on the rest of my N-400 journey, and yes, I'll post all about that on vj later on too (if you are all interested in reading about such too)... .

LOL, you remind me of my wife, took her 41 minutes at her interview, we also had a long drive back, and it took her 41 minutes to tell me step by step every detail of her interview, exactly what her IO said, and how she responded. What a memory! Can't wait to read your interview experience, did have several speed reading courses.

Lansbury-Lol..VJ has collapsed on me at times...does that count? (ok, so that was because of my slow internet server and computer..but close enough). I promise: I will not make VJ collapse next time...

Don't encourage her the VJ servers will probably collapse under that one

Ant

Edited October 4, 2009 by Ant+D+A