USCIS is doing my head in

[CanAmCharlotte 0]

A supervisor from the "customer service" branch of the USCIS Field Directorate in Washington called me this morning. Although I was very surprised to receive a phone call, it didn't come totally out of the blue. I have written a number of letters to various officials about immigration reform and about my specific immigration journey which has been fraught with mistakes, glitches, delays, you name it. With regards to applying for naturalization, she stated the USCIS counts "complete months" (her words) when applying before residency is met. Huh? All the instructions that I've read, state: "....you may apply for naturalization up to 90 days before you meet the 'continuous residency' requirement". She actually said if you meet your residency, say on August 15, that counts as one month and so the earliest you can apply is June 15 because June and July would each count for one month. I don't have a degree in math but using her example, I count 61 days before meeting the residency requirement. She would not back down on this nor could she quote me on any statute or regulation to drive home her point.

I'm I out to lunch here (honestly, tell me if I am) or is this woman badly informed? I'd love to hear your feedback.

Thanks.

[v333k 59]

Well most probably she doesn't have a math degree either, but she still cannot count. I am not 100% sure of what the exact subject was, but she is correct in the sense that no one can naturalize until the 3rd year anniversary is met.

You can apply 90 days prior to your 3rd year anniversary, and you can interview within the 90 days, but cannot take the oath and I think that is what she meant.

[Captain Oates 911]

A supervisor from the "customer service" branch of the USCIS Field Directorate in Washington called me this morning. Although I was very surprised to receive a phone call, it didn't come totally out of the blue. I have written a number of letters to various officials about immigration reform and about my specific immigration journey which has been fraught with mistakes, glitches, delays, you name it. With regards to applying for naturalization, she stated the USCIS counts "complete months" (her words) when applying before residency is met. Huh? All the instructions that I've read, state: "....you may apply for naturalization up to 90 days before you meet the 'continuous residency' requirement". She actually said if you meet your residency, say on August 15, that counts as one month and so the earliest you can apply is June 15 because June and July would each count for one month. I don't have a degree in math but using her example, I count 61 days before meeting the residency requirement. She would not back down on this nor could she quote me on any statute or regulation to drive home her point.

I'm I out to lunch here (honestly, tell me if I am) or is this woman badly informed? I'd love to hear your feedback.

Thanks.

Going by my prior conversations with USCIS, you are better off talking to a park bench.

My sister is in a residential home for people with mental problems or alzheimers

I have had more intelligent conversations with the patients in there than the USCIS

90 days are 90 days and I can't see when 90 days would be 60 days

As the previous poster mentioned, applying early, even if you could, would not help with the ceremony date which cannot be before the third or fifth anniversary

I apply next week and my 3rd anniversary is early november

Never mind 17 bloody 76, my ceremony date will be the biggest freedom event in my life and I am talking freedom from the USCIS, not freedom from Being a UK Citizen where we know everyone is under the heel of a dictator (The Queen) and there is no freedom of speech and nobody can vote blah blah blah ra ra ra

[CanAmCharlotte 0]

Going by my prior conversations with USCIS, you are better off talking to a park bench.

My sister is in a residential home for people with mental problems or alzheimers

I have had more intelligent conversations with the patients in there than the USCIS

90 days are 90 days and I can't see when 90 days would be 60 days

As the previous poster mentioned, applying early, even if you could, would not help with the ceremony date which cannot be before the third or fifth anniversary

I apply next week and my 3rd anniversary is early november

Never mind 17 bloody 76, my ceremony date will be the biggest freedom event in my life and I am talking freedom from the USCIS, not freedom from Being a UK Citizen where we know everyone is under the heel of a dictator (The Queen) and there is no freedom of speech and nobody can vote blah blah blah ra ra ra

I have no dispute with the USCIS about when the oath can be made and this was never discussed in my conversation with the person in the Washington office this morning. We were "discussing" the date on which one can apply for naturalization. I have written to the Associate Director for Field Operations three times and she keeps pawning me off to this same underling who is totally clueless. I don't have to tell the people on this website how frustrating it is to deal with these people. It really is like talking to a wall (or park bench). At any rate, if I'm successful at my interview in two weeks (this will be my second and last attempt), like you, my joy will be all about never having to deal with the USCIS again. Unfortunately they have tainted any happiness I may have felt about becoming a citizen. I always thought the oath day would be such a joyous occasion and now it's just the marking of the end of a long, horrible experience. Maybe I'm just in a bad mood due to the call today but I"ve gotten to the point where I'm wondering why I just didn't stop at becoming a permanent resident.

Thanks for weighing in.

[Captain Oates 911]

I have no dispute with the USCIS about when the oath can be made and this was never discussed in my conversation with the person in the Washington office this morning. We were "discussing" the date on which one can apply for naturalization. I have written to the Associate Director for Field Operations three times and she keeps pawning me off to this same underling who is totally clueless. I don't have to tell the people on this website how frustrating it is to deal with these people. It really is like talking to a wall (or park bench). At any rate, if I'm successful at my interview in two weeks (this will be my second and last attempt), like you, my joy will be all about never having to deal with the USCIS again. Unfortunately they have tainted any happiness I may have felt about becoming a citizen. I always thought the oath day would be such a joyous occasion and now it's just the marking of the end of a long, horrible experience. Maybe I'm just in a bad mood due to the call today but I"ve gotten to the point where I'm wondering why I just didn't stop at becoming a permanent resident.

Thanks for weighing in.

No comprendo senora !

If your USC interview is in 2 weeks then they have already accepted that you applied in the correct 90 day window ?

Did you apply within the 90 days that we non- Klingons see as 90 days, or the 3 months as defined by the USCIS talking parrot which is 60 days to everyone else in the universe ? ie no earlier than 15 June for a 15 august anniversary ?

I am applying next week 90 days prior to my early November anniversary so it's crucial if the USCIS are going to say early November people cannot apply before early September...

tell me this isn't how it is...

[CanAmCharlotte 0]

No comprendo senora !

If your USC interview is in 2 weeks then they have already accepted that you applied in the correct 90 day window ?

Did you apply within the 90 days that we non- Klingons see as 90 days, or the 3 months as defined by the USCIS talking parrot which is 60 days to everyone else in the universe ? ie no earlier than 15 June for a 15 august anniversary ?

I am applying next week 90 days prior to my early November anniversary so it's crucial if the USCIS are going to say early November people cannot apply before early September...

tell me this isn't how it is...

I applied more than a year ago and was denied for applying too early. I was told by various USCIS staff that: (1) I applied within the proper timeframe (unfortunately these people carried no weight); (2) that I applied six days too early; (3) that I applied seventeen days too early, and (4) that I applied two months too early. I was even called by a USCIS Special Agent from my regional office who told me "off the record" to pursue my grievance because I had a case. You can see my frustration. If they were all singing from the same song sheet perhaps they could convince me that I was in error but alas, we are dealing with the USCIS here! After getting the run-around for many months and realizing I was getting nowhere, I broke down and applied again. Obviously patience is not one of my strong suits. At this point I just want my money back for the first application as crazy as that must sound. I can't think of anybody else to contact at this point so I'm probably SOL.

In your case, I don't know what to tell you. This idiot I was talking to today probably can't walk and chew gum at the same time. If I was in your shoes, in less there is some dire emergency to do so, I'd wait an extra month before applying to be safe. Hundreds of people on this website have applied 90 days prior to meeting residency and been successful but there have been a few people who have had a situation like me.

[Captain Oates 911]

I applied more than a year ago and was denied for applying too early. I was told by various USCIS staff that: (1) I applied within the proper timeframe (unfortunately these people carried no weight); (2) that I applied six days too early; (3) that I applied seventeen days too early, and (4) that I applied two months too early. I was even called by a USCIS Special Agent from my regional office who told me "off the record" to pursue my grievance because I had a case. You can see my frustration. If they were all singing from the same song sheet perhaps they could convince me that I was in error but alas, we are dealing with the USCIS here! After getting the run-around for many months and realizing I was getting nowhere, I broke down and applied again. Obviously patience is not one of my strong suits. At this point I just want my money back for the first application as crazy as that must sound. I can't think of anybody else to contact at this point so I'm probably SOL.

In your case, I don't know what to tell you. This idiot I was talking to today probably can't walk and chew gum at the same time. If I was in your shoes, in less there is some dire emergency to do so, I'd wait an extra month before applying to be safe. Hundreds of people on this website have applied 90 days prior to meeting residency and been successful but there have been a few people who have had a situation like me.

oh Dear Jo-Anne I am so sorry for that run around. They are rotten to mess people like that.

Wait until you are USC in a couple of months then sue em in the small claims court. Add 10k for trauma in addition to your fees. DO NOT LET THEM WIN.

I had it at GC stage and even inside the London Embassy the guy called me to the counter and said "You don't have an appointment today - just how did you get past security ?"

I showed him my letter and he said "That was canceled - we sent you a new appointment yesterday". I had traveled 200 miles the day before to get there so the new appointment was on my doormat when I got home !

Anyway he gave in and I got the GC - he even trusted my travel date and made it unconditional ! It's a bloody lottery

Don't let em get away with it - 3 more letters then sue their battys off !

I had many more traumas and only now, 3 years later, am I feeling happier - they really saddened and depressed me and we were stuck in a dump in Lancashire for a year while they fooled around..

uuuurgggh

ok you are almost there. I think Yakima where I go has two or three months after the interview before they do the ceremony !!!!

rat bags

Edited August 2, 2010 by saywhat

[lissa04 3]

Oh good gosh I know how you feel Jo Ann, take a look at my timeline. I am so sick of dealing with USCIS it's not funny. I will be so glad never to have to deal with them again!!! Good luck on your interview.

Lissa

I have no dispute with the USCIS about when the oath can be made and this was never discussed in my conversation with the person in the Washington office this morning. We were "discussing" the date on which one can apply for naturalization. I have written to the Associate Director for Field Operations three times and she keeps pawning me off to this same underling who is totally clueless. I don't have to tell the people on this website how frustrating it is to deal with these people. It really is like talking to a wall (or park bench). At any rate, if I'm successful at my interview in two weeks (this will be my second and last attempt), [b]like you, my joy will be all about never having to deal with the USCIS again. Unfortunately they have tainted any happiness I may have felt about becoming a citizen. I always thought the oath day would be such a joyous occasion and now it's just the marking of the end of a long, horrible experience. [/b] Maybe I'm just in a bad mood due to the call today but I"ve gotten to the point where I'm wondering why I just didn't stop at becoming a permanent resident.

Thanks for weighing in.

[CanAmCharlotte 0]

Oh good gosh I know how you feel Jo Ann, take a look at my timeline. I am so sick of dealing with USCIS it's not funny. I will be so glad never to have to deal with them again!!! Good luck on your interview.

Lissa

I had a look at your timeline and that's a bloody nightmare! Don't you just love how you can get so far in the process and then suddenly they are questionning you about a criminal record. Huh? A similar thing happened to me at my K-1 interview even though I had a criminal background check in hand. The stories we can tell when this is over, oy vey!!!

Just for fun I Googled "USCIS sucks" yesterday and got pages of hits. Some of the stories had me laughing so hard I had tears running down my face. I know they're not funny to the immigrant who is in the middle of the mess but hopefully we can appreciate the comedy the USCIS offers us after the fact. I've never come close to dealing with an organization that seems so disorganized, poorly trained, and ineffective. When I've spoken to a few of my elected representatives in person about how bad it is, they just roll their eyes and tell me there is no rhyme nor reason to some of the ####### that goes down. My husband and I refer to the USCIS as 'The Stumblebums' or alternatively 'The Keystone Cops'.

[Captain Oates 911]

I had a look at your timeline and that's a bloody nightmare! Don't you just love how you can get so far in the process and then suddenly they are questionning you about a criminal record. Huh? A similar thing happened to me at my K-1 interview even though I had a criminal background check in hand. The stories we can tell when this is over, oy vey!!!

Just for fun I Googled "USCIS sucks" yesterday and got pages of hits. Some of the stories had me laughing so hard I had tears running down my face. I know they're not funny to the immigrant who is in the middle of the mess but hopefully we can appreciate the comedy the USCIS offers us after the fact. I've never come close to dealing with an organization that seems so disorganized, poorly trained, and ineffective. When I've spoken to a few of my elected representatives in person about how bad it is, they just roll their eyes and tell me there is no rhyme nor reason to some of the ####### that goes down. My husband and I refer to the USCIS as 'The Stumblebums' or alternatively 'The Keystone Cops'.

We were living in the UK and she had a UK conditional GC equivalent.

We applied to Nebraska as that covered her last residence in the US

They waited a couple of months and sent it back saying she is in the UK so apply to London.

We applied to London

They sent it back and said she is conditional so apply to Nebraska

Applied to Nebraska again with a copy of the London letter and they sent it to California.

California sent it back saying apply to London

This went on for a while and then we got to the more usual snags

Then in the last month they said she wasn't domiciled in England coz she was conditional and she wasn't domiciled in the US as she had sold her house and so she was a USC without a domicile and could not sponsor anyone. If we had lived in a non-State Income Tax State like Florida or Washington State we would have been snookered

She fished out her State income tax return (Wisconsin) and they eventually relented

Then the fiasco at the London embassy for the GC where they said I had gate crashed the embassy security without a valid letter

I am still a bit depressed from it all

Next week its the N400 in the mail - can't wait for all the ####### to come raining down.

Think I will go into the lotus position when I get back from the post office and try and prepare myself for the nightmare to come

Edited August 3, 2010 by saywhat

[CanAmCharlotte 0]

We were living in the UK and she had a UK conditional GC equivalent.

We applied to Nebraska as that covered her last residence in the US

They waited a couple of months and sent it back saying she is in the UK so apply to London.

We applied to London

They sent it back and said she is conditional so apply to Nebraska

Applied to Nebraska again with a copy of the London letter and they sent it to California.

California sent it back saying apply to London

This went on for a while and then we got to the more usual snags

Then in the last month they said she wasn't domiciled in England coz she was conditional and she wasn't domiciled in the US as she had sold her house and so she was a USC without a domicile and could not sponsor anyone. If we had lived in a non-State Income Tax State like Florida or Washington State we would have been snookered

She fished out her State income tax return (Wisconsin) and they eventually relented

Then the fiasco at the London embassy for the GC where they said I had gate crashed the embassy security without a valid letter

I am still a bit depressed from it all

Next week its the N400 in the mail - can't wait for all the ####### to come raining down.

Think I will go into the lotus position when I get back from the post office and try and prepare myself for the nightmare to come

Good God Almighty, what a mess! I feel your pain, honestly I do. I think only people who have immigrated to the US can fully appreciate how taxing the process is. I used to say online dating (how I met my husband) was not for the faint of heart. Now I say the same about dealing with the USCIS. My advice to anyone who is thinking of climbing onto the immigration train is simple: if you have any drama going on in your life, wait until it resolves itself because this process will wear you down. Let me be quick to add I do not think immigration should be easy nor necessarily fast. I also don't believe it is my 'right' to become an American citizen. BUT after many hundreds of dollars in fees, mountains of paperwork to complete, a full cavity search of my finances, a five (?!) hour physical, a complete police background check, and several rounds of fingerprinting, is it really too much to expect to be treated fairly, consistently, and respectfully. I know, I know, I'm such a dreamer.........

Here's hoping your N-400 is accepted without a hitch!

Edited August 3, 2010 by CanAmCharlotte

[Captain Oates 911]

Good God Almighty, what a mess! I feel your pain, honestly I do. I think only people who have immigrated to the US can fully appreciate how taxing the process is. I used to say online dating (how I met my husband) was not for the faint of heart. Now I say the same about dealing with the USCIS. My advice to anyone who is thinking of climbing onto the immigration train is simple: if you have any drama going on in your life, wait until it resolves itself because this process will wear you down. Let me be quick to add I do not think immigration should be easy nor necessarily fast. I also don't believe it is my 'right' to become an American citizen. BUT after many hundreds of dollars in fees, mountains of paperwork to complete, a full cavity search of my finances, a five (?!) hour physical, a complete police background check, and several rounds of fingerprinting, is it really too much to expect to be treated fairly, consistently, and respectfully. I know, I know, I'm such a dreamer.........

Here's hoping your N-400 is accepted without a hitch!

Some of the folks on VJ were sailing along while I was being waterboarded.. and then I got my unconditional GC and they hit a world of hurt at the last minute and it took em a year to sort it out

You can never tell.

When she got her UK green card it was a piece of cake. No medical, no police certificate NOTHING. We walked into the UK consulate in Chicago and came out with a UK GC after 20 minutes. That was 2006. I have had tougher library ticket applications.

We shall overcome.

I can understand why people on VJ end up praying and then laying prostrate on the ground in front of god and weeping when they get approved. I have felt like that a few times over the last few years. Of course we Brits are made of sterner stuff - but we are human. Could be the US is testing our mettle to see if we will make warriors for the Empire.

My warrior days are over unless they try and steal my $675 in which case they can look out.

[v333k 59]

Could be the US is testing our mettle to see if we will make warriors for the Empire.

My warrior days are over unless they try and steal my $675 in which case they can look out.

I think if you survive the torturous "adventure" with USCIS, then you deserve to get the GC. Look at it as civilian boot-camp - actually, it is more like civilian and financial boot-camp

[Captain Oates 911]

I think if you survive the torturous "adventure" with USCIS, then you deserve to get the GC. Look at it as civilian boot-camp - actually, it is more like civilian and financial boot-camp

If these guys had done the GC process first, they would have been able to laugh the water boarding off no problem :

Remember what they say - 'what doesn't kill you leaves you a cabbage':

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was waterboarded 183 times in March 2003 and Abu Zubaydah was waterboarded 83 times in August 2002.

Edited August 3, 2010 by saywhat