Stalled at the Finish Line

[warlord 73]

There actually is people on the other end of the 1-800 number, but I can't recall what I had to press when I was doing it. I may have just started hitting random numbers and a lot of times that confuses the computer and transfers you to someone.

Yes the senator route seems to usually work, as well as scheduling an INFOPASS appointment can also be helpful and a lot quicker usually.

I still wouldn't worry about this right now as it's still in the normal time frame regardless what the IO says. If by July you haven't heard of anything then I'd be tempted to try the INFOPASS or senator route. In the mean time try the 1-800 again and just go nuts pressing buttons and see if you can connect to someone...

[NickD 203]

There actually is people on the other end of the 1-800 number, but I can't recall what I had to press when I was doing it. I may have just started hitting random numbers and a lot of times that confuses the computer and transfers you to someone.

Yes the senator route seems to usually work, as well as scheduling an INFOPASS appointment can also be helpful and a lot quicker usually.

I still wouldn't worry about this right now as it's still in the normal time frame regardless what the IO says. If by July you haven't heard of anything then I'd be tempted to try the INFOPASS or senator route. In the mean time try the 1-800 again and just go nuts pressing buttons and see if you can connect to someone...

Said on our interview form, if you have any questions, contact your IO with absolutely no means to contact that person. To the best of my knowledge, your citizenship is under the sole discretion of your local field office. So exactly who is on the other end of that 800 number? And what authority do they have outside to tell you to go your your processing time on the internet that doesn't have a thing to do with your local field office.

Rebeca, our senators immigration gal, sure has all of those e-mail addresses and phone numbers, can even hear her talk in the background when she calls the local office on another phone. For my wifes' oath ceremony, even got an email from our field office manager with an apology just two hours after my call and with the oath ceremony attached just three days later!

Wasn't as good with my stepdaughter, oath letter came in the mail five days later with her oath ceremony scheduled two weeks after that.

Sounds like stockmktgenius is in a desperate situation with his move and all that, and is there really a legitimate reason for his delay? Have to give your senator that privacy statement form, in both cases, faxed that over with the signed statement in the mail to cut out with those delays.

AOS and ROC were the twilight zone days, talked this over with my wife as citizenship is strictly a choice. Do we really want to go back in the twilight zone again? She said yes, I want to get this over with. Back then, posted processing time was over a year, we were surprised it was over with in less than six months.

[stockmktgenius 0]

I'd appreciate anyone's opinion of what to do:

I once read a book entitled "Something Happened." Well, in this case, to update you all, "Nothing Happened." Haven't heard a thing. No invitation to swearing in. The interviewer never replied to my wife's letter asking for status of her application. Nothing.

We've thought of going to our Congressman/Senator for help. But the interview was only April 11- a little over a month ago. True, the interviewer told my wife she should expect to be sworn in the beginning of May, but still, it's not all that long. She applied February 1- about 3 1/2 months ago. And the average in our district- and nationwide- is 5 months. So I'm thinking I'll come across as a bit of a maniac if I complain now to Congressman. Also, don't want to set up an adversarial situation, in which Congressman demands to know why she hasn't been approved yet... and perhaps the interviewer would try and find something wrong with the application. I'm inclined to just wait out the 5 months- just 1 1/2 months more, expecting that, like most people, she'll be send an appointment in the usual time. Then, if she's not,, then might call our Congressman or senator for help.

Any thoughts on this idea? I've never been here. Also, our lease is up end of the month, so I guess we'll go traveling while we wait for the letter. Can't notify USCIS of address change as we'll probably have a new address every couple of nights! Sure hope this doesn't turn into a mess...

[eskie 1]

I'd appreciate anyone's opinion of what to do:

I once read a book entitled "Something Happened." Well, in this case, to update you all, "Nothing Happened." Haven't heard a thing. No invitation to swearing in. The interviewer never replied to my wife's letter asking for status of her application. Nothing.

We've thought of going to our Congressman/Senator for help. But the interview was only April 11- a little over a month ago. True, the interviewer told my wife she should expect to be sworn in the beginning of May, but still, it's not all that long. She applied February 1- about 3 1/2 months ago. And the average in our district- and nationwide- is 5 months. So I'm thinking I'll come across as a bit of a maniac if I complain now to Congressman. Also, don't want to set up an adversarial situation, in which Congressman demands to know why she hasn't been approved yet... and perhaps the interviewer would try and find something wrong with the application. I'm inclined to just wait out the 5 months- just 1 1/2 months more, expecting that, like most people, she'll be send an appointment in the usual time. Then, if she's not,, then might call our Congressman or senator for help.

Any thoughts on this idea? I've never been here. Also, our lease is up end of the month, so I guess we'll go traveling while we wait for the letter. Can't notify USCIS of address change as we'll probably have a new address every couple of nights! Sure hope this doesn't turn into a mess...

To go traveling now would be very unwise - if abroad, it will only underline you lack of commitment to this country (from the IOS point of view). Forward your mail to the address of a friend (in the US!), and/or use a friend's address and use 'Change of Address' to change to the friend's address. Go on the USCIS website set yourself up online for e-mail and text updates on your case - see 'Create An Account' on the USCIS website. Relax, STAY PUT (in the US) and STOP PANICKING. Bureaucrats work at their own speed - and your wife's case is pretty quick compared to the average anyway.

[brokenpieces 0]

Yes, that's true. All we have to do is wait and wait. Big sigh! I am supposed to go outside the country for a conference but I decided to stay. I wanted to make sure this whole "citizenship" thing will be over and done with. Let us just be more patient though im on the verge of breaking down :-)

[stockmktgenius 0]

I'm getting smarter and smarter about all this. Went to google just now and typed in the name of my city, plus "oath ceremony 2011 citizen". Found out this very website, visajourney.com has a place called "Citizenship timelines" where people write down the dates they applied and the dates they got their oath. I found out it takes the average person in my district 4 1/2 to 5 months. There was a ceremony April 25. Further, someone who took his or her test the same day as my wife- April 11- still has not gotten an invitation or been sworn in. This makes me feel lots better. Seems like these USCIS people just keep your application around for 5 months, then let you become a citizen. We're at 3 1/2 months now. So most likely, we'll be no different from them and in a month or so my wife will also have her ceremony. Don't know what her application is doing or why they don't speed things up, but I guess that's just their way. Wish us luck!

[stockmktgenius 0]

A simple question: When my wife had her interview April 11, the interviewer gave her a paper that said they could not approve her at this time. (Her 3years were not up till April 28th. Also interviewer said he wanted to be sure she had been in the U.S. enough days) Since that date, we have heard NOTHING. She wrote the interviewer to ask for a status update, but didn't hear back. Question: Should she have gotten another sheet stating that she was approved? Or is the next time we will hear from them when she gets her invitation to take her oath? I feel like we're in the Twilight Zone!

Thinking of asking our senator's office for help, but not sure if we should have gotten an updated status letter. Our office normally takes 5 months from date of application, and that won't be till July 1. Help please!!!

[NickD 203]

Its simple to say sit back and relax, and such is the case when your field office is noted for delaying the oath ceremony up to a year as was done by the previous office manager. But a far different story when the reason given, your IO wasn't sure about the time your wife spent outside of the country. First off, if her IO was competent, would be sure.

"The interviewer gave her a "no decision can be made at this time" letter. He said there was just one thing-he would have to count that she was in America long enough to qualify."

Is that her IO only has ten fingers to count on and that is the complication as the stay was longer than ten days? Or the IO is too embarrassed to ask the supervisor to make the determination? Or perhaps just set her application aside and forgot about it! Your guess is as good as mine.

But he did state this:

"The interviewer said he would get back to her in a week or two, and she should be sworn in by early May."

And that was not done, so I feel this is reason enough to contact your senators office. It was on that basis my wife was promised her oath letter within two weeks, let seven weeks go by and contacted my senators office, two hours later had her oath letter in my hand, was e-mailed to me. Stepdaughter took longer, the only person in charge of immigration was on vacation. My reason for that call is that I didn't know how to respond to a decision cannot be made due to alleged battery charges my stepdaughter committed when she was 17 months old. To expedite matters, faxed her that required signed privacy statement. In three hours it was settled, in four days, she got her oath letter.

Whether your response is either positive or negative, feel if they make a promise to let you know, they should within their specified time frame. Early May is far gone, almost June already. For us to make an infopass appointment, would be lucky to get one in two weeks, plus a 450 mile drive.

[stockmktgenius 0]

We got tired tired tired of waiting... and nothing happening. So called our US Senator Monday, then faxed him a request to check into our case. It's now Thursday, called back, and was told they had a caseworker call USCIS. USCIS asked for time to check. I bet they'll be a lot quicker getting back to a Senator than they have been with my wife. And I bet if there's a problem they'll tell what it is and if there's no problem they'll tell the Senator's caseworker when she'll be sworn in.

This to me is a lot better than just waiting. I have a friend who's been waiting to clear up mess with his Green Card- for two years! Waiting hasn't done him any good that I can tell. In any case, I'll get back to you all when we hear anything from USCIS via the Senator, which I bet will be quite soon.

[stockmktgenius 0]

SUCCESS AT LAST!!! A week after I wrote the Senator, I called again and was told by the caseworker that there had been some t's that needed to be crossed, some i's that needed to be dotted, but USCIS had promised to do that quickly. AND THEY DID! Got Form N-445, Notice of Naturalization Oath Ceremony, a couple of days later. We are so excited!!! Now, we cannot be sure that writing our Senator is what got this quick response, or if it would have come anyway. But I pretty much hated just waiting around in the Twilight Zone for some notice. The Senator's caseworker made in inquiry, she didn't file a complaint. That's exactly what we wanted as we didn't want to antagonize USCIS- we just wanted to get DONE. My wife and I planned things so we would be in America 7 months a year and overseas 5 months a year during our 3 year process. And when I filed the form where they asked where you were the last 3 years, I decided to let them know where we were EVERY DAY. (That way they couldn't say it was incomplete.) This meant saying we were at the LaQuinta LAX one day, flying the next, etc. This made for a very long answer, and this may have been why our interviewer said he'd have to check and be sure we were in the US long enough. Would have taken awhile to count the days up, hence (I think) the delay. Anyhow, I hope our story will give those of you some hope and inspiration and maybe a way to go. Thanks to all of you who helped us with your thoughts along the way, and also to those of you who just read and followed our journey. We're very happy to finally be able to cross the finish line and I bet sometime soon, you will too. Bye for now, Alan

[mitra 0]

SUCCESS AT LAST!!! A week after I wrote the Senator, I called again and was told by the caseworker that there had been some t's that needed to be crossed, some i's that needed to be dotted, but USCIS had promised to do that quickly. AND THEY DID! Got Form N-445, Notice of Naturalization Oath Ceremony, a couple of days later. We are so excited!!! Now, we cannot be sure that writing our Senator is what got this quick response, or if it would have come anyway. But I pretty much hated just waiting around in the Twilight Zone for some notice. The Senator's caseworker made in inquiry, she didn't file a complaint. That's exactly what we wanted as we didn't want to antagonize USCIS- we just wanted to get DONE. My wife and I planned things so we would be in America 7 months a year and overseas 5 months a year during our 3 year process. And when I filed the form where they asked where you were the last 3 years, I decided to let them know where we were EVERY DAY. (That way they couldn't say it was incomplete.) This meant saying we were at the LaQuinta LAX one day, flying the next, etc. This made for a very long answer, and this may have been why our interviewer said he'd have to check and be sure we were in the US long enough. Would have taken awhile to count the days up, hence (I think) the delay. Anyhow, I hope our story will give those of you some hope and inspiration and maybe a way to go. Thanks to all of you who helped us with your thoughts along the way, and also to those of you who just read and followed our journey. We're very happy to finally be able to cross the finish line and I bet sometime soon, you will too. Bye for now, Alan

Congratulation,

i'm happy for you and for your wife!