N-400 Filers who got stuck or delayed in Background / Name Check.

[Going through 5,671]

7 minutes ago, Morningmist said:

Should I just withdraw and apply again next year? Not sure if that will help?

Withdrawing and reapplying isn't going to help speed anything up...you'd just be starting all over again and at the back of the queue once more.

[Morningmist 76]

Just now, Going through said:

Withdrawing and reapplying isn't going to help speed anything up...you'd just be starting all over again and at the back of the queue once more.

ok.

[Morningmist 76]

So what should someone do when it gets beyond your priority date? Should I contact my senator?

[Morningmist 76]

So I called a tier 2 officer and he said that it is still stuck at NBC. What does that mean?

[5unny` 0]

8 hours ago, Morningmist said:

As of 06-30-2017, Atlanta field office are processing N-400 applications filed before 09-30-2016, so you have to wait

check the link below..

https://egov.uscis.gov/cris/processingTimesDisplay.do;jsessionid=abc7cTvTeaAMu9Huy9I3v

 

I haven't had any issue with any of my visas, F1, H1B or AOS or ROC and people who applied with me around the same time for N-400 have already had their interviews. I don't know whats going on. I call and ask and they say that it is within my processing time.

 

[Going through 5,671]

5 hours ago, Morningmist said:

So I called a tier 2 officer and he said that it is still stuck at NBC. What does that mean?

What did he say when you asked him what that meant?

Edited August 14, 2017 by Going through

[Going through 5,671]

Good morning everyone!  I came across this while searching for something else on VJ...

 

Turns out a few years ago a person previously employed by USCIS as an Adjudicator ended up becoming a member of VisaJourney when they later submitted their own application for their fiancee.  He decided to give an interview of sorts on some of the inner-workings of USCIS and answered questions from members about things like background checks, how applicants are processed, delays, how and why files get moved around, etc.

 

Keep in mind it's a couple of years back---when USCIS was going under the name BCIS...but it appears from reading it this morning that most of what the person is saying is still very valid and current in terms of how things are still done around there when it comes to approving/denying applications.

 

Thought I'd just share this gem of a find for you all to read http://www.visajourney.com/content/adjudicator-q-and-a

[Happytobe 164]

Apparently our inquiry was responded to on August 12, 2017 but we have not received it yet.  online, however it now states "We will prepare your case for officer review.  If we need more information, we will notify you."  So we are hoping for some movement soon from the "fingerprint appointment was scheduled"

but that is not the "main" statement, it's a sidebar statement that was not there previously (I don't think)

Edited August 15, 2017 by Happytobe

[Going through 5,671]

I just received notice this morning on my online case status that "an interview has been scheduled and we will mail an appointment notice"  (you can see my timeline below in my signature)

 

I'm assuming this means my background check has cleared?  Or just part of it?

[ruby_7 45]

On ‎8‎/‎9‎/‎2017 at 5:02 PM, MnMJourney said:

If your case hasn't been updated to "In-line for interview", then it hasn't left the central processing center. 

Not entirely true, it just depends on the officer assigned to each case.  There were several VJ members here, few months ago and some just recently posted, that they received interview notices by mail without online changes status or updates to "inline for interview or scheduled for interview".  As one member said few weeks ago, the L2 officer told her/him that just because it's not updated to inline for interview, it does not mean that your application is not clear of background checks nor scheduled for interview because it depends on the IO, considering the volume of applications they're processing.  L2's customer rep reasons does make sense because of some VJ members who posted recently that they received interview letters but without online update of "inline interview or interview scheduled".

Edited August 15, 2017 by ruby_7

[Morningmist 76]

21 hours ago, Going through said:

What did he say when you asked him what that meant?

He just said that means it is with NBC. He didn't elaborate and seemed kind of terse. So I just didn't bother pushing the issue.

[Going through 5,671]

4 minutes ago, Morningmist said:

He just said that means it is with NBC. He didn't elaborate and seemed kind of terse. So I just didn't bother pushing the issue.

All  I know, is that NBC stands for National Benefits Center...I *think* the L2 officer meant your case file hasn't been sent over to your Field Office yet (who would be scheduling your interview).

[ruby_7 45]

On 8/14/2017 at 2:09 PM, Morningmist said:

So I called a tier 2 officer and he said that it is still stuck at NBC. What does that mean?

That means that your application is not yet cleared of background checks, that is why your documents are pending at National Benefits Center and they (NBC office) are still waiting the report from the FBI before they can forward it to your local office.  I know this because I've sent a request inquiry on the phone about my N400 application and they responded it through email and explained the reason why it's taken several months.  However, even if your status online is not updated to "inline for interview or scheduled for interview" it does not mean that your application is not clear of BGC nor scheduled for interview because it depends on the local office or the officer assigned. It sucks to wait really, mine almost 7 months from priority date and no update or interview letter...My patience almost gone...I'm very disappointed because some people who filed a month or few months after me, already had their interviews and naturalization.  

Edited August 15, 2017 by ruby_7

[maninflorida 13]

On 5/28/2017 at 2:27 PM, maninflorida said:

So, I decided to gather some metrics, using my case number as a basis. I applied in December 2016. Basically, I took my case number, went to the online tool, and changed the last digits to be before and after my case numbers until I saw different people's cases that had the same status displaying. You know it, the dreaded "fingerprint appointment was scheduled" that we've all seen for months now. If there were cases with the same status displaying, I made a note of that case number in my spreadsheet, alongside with the date displaying. 

 

I checked 182 cases, close to 80 before mine and 100 after. There were 53 cases which have the same status displaying, meaning, close to 30% of all cases I checked. 

 

What I've found from doing this is, there are quite a bit of people that this happens to, so we're not alone. That's a good thing, I guess, more than I would've guessed from the monthly threads. While I can't confirm, all of the cases before and after mine had similar N400 verbiage, so this leads me to believe USCIS assigns numbers in batches, so everything close to your number is also N400 cases. 

 

I'd be curious to see what other months are, if, someone who applied in October 2016 could do a similar analysis to see if the percentage is going down. Regardless, since now I have a control group to check back every month to see any movement.

 

This isn't scientific in any way, shape or form, though it is something I can use to track my case, because more data points are always helpful.

So since this post, I decided to check the 53 cases again, and there's been some very, very small movement. 3 cases are now in "interview scheduled", and the update happened in July.

 

Well, it's something I guess.

[MnMJourney 28]

10 hours ago, ruby_7 said:

Not entirely true, it just depends on the officer assigned to each case.  There were several VJ members here, few months ago and some just recently posted, that they received interview notices by mail without online changes status or updates to "inline for interview or scheduled for interview".  As one member said few weeks ago, the L2 officer told her/him that just because it's not updated to inline for interview, it does not mean that your application is not clear of background checks nor scheduled for interview because it depends on the IO, considering the volume of applications they're processing.  L2's customer rep reasons does make sense because of some VJ members who posted recently that they received interview letters but without online update of "inline interview or interview scheduled".

Yes, your statement is correct. However, you are pointing out breakdowns in USCIS's processes. The point of my statement was that you will not go in-line for interview without clearing the BGC, whether that be updated or not. L2s are simply saying they can't say one way or the other, because nothing has been updated in their systems. 

 

The N400 process is very clear, and applications must advance from stage to stage for completion. You can review it in the CLAIMS Reference, view page 7 of the first doc:

 

https://www.uscis.gov/about-us/electronic-reading-room/computer-linked-application-information-management-system-claims-4

 

You are correct, there are stories from members that go through the stages without with on-line status being updated. But that's more of a failure on the officers end to update statuses, then actually not advancing through the stages. Geez...government employees not properly doing their jobs...who would have thunk it!!!

 

Cheers!