N-400 July 2017 Filers

[SamBillz 23]

@bountyhunter - any update???

[PollyMolly 1]

Yesterday I had an infopass which was absolutely useless.

her answer to me while my I751 is pending for 21 months and my N400 is descheduled was:” oh don’t worry, if you didn’t hear anything in 60 days, come here , I can give you a new I551 until your process moves forward.”

 

 

[ragex 13]

On 2/4/2018 at 1:53 AM, SamBillz said:

Congrats @ragex and @Kuzzy

Thanks!

[bountyhunter 6]

On 2/5/2018 at 9:25 PM, SamBillz said:

@bountyhunter - any update???

@SamBillz I have heard nothing from them. I called them 2 times already since it says if it has been 90 days past the scheduling date call customer care. When I call them, they just ask me to wait apparently Houston office has a long wait. What I don't understand is why are they lying about this that there is a backlog of files. If there is a line, it should apply to everyone and not just randomly selected people. Sorry I am venting but this process is so frustrating. I have travel plans to Europe in May and I am not even sure when my interview will be scheduled. I even asked to talk to a L2 officer and the customer care officer won't even transfer. Any suggestion @Going through?

[SamBillz 23]

5 hours ago, bountyhunter said:

@SamBillz I have heard nothing from them. I called them 2 times already since it says if it has been 90 days past the scheduling date call customer care. When I call them, they just ask me to wait apparently Houston office has a long wait. What I don't understand is why are they lying about this that there is a backlog of files. If there is a line, it should apply to everyone and not just randomly selected people. Sorry I am venting but this process is so frustrating. I have travel plans to Europe in May and I am not even sure when my interview will be scheduled. I even asked to talk to a L2 officer and the customer care officer won't even transfer. Any suggestion @Going through?

Oh wow, that is unbelievable. I am sorry you have to go through this. I felt that my case would take longer but actually it didn’t. Anyway, the only explanation that makes sense to me is that since you filed through mail, those cases are taking longer than usual. I think the queue for online filers and paper filers is separate hence, the longer wait time.  Also, back in July when you and I filed, there were only a limited number of people who were “eligible” to file online. I have a coworker who applied (paper filed) two weeks before me and had her biometrics before me as well. She is still waiting for her interview date. 

 

CS should be able to provide more information on cases (regardless of how they were filed). They need to use the technology to their advantage. 

 

Just hang in there and hopefully you can embark on your journey on time. Good luck!

[Going through 5,669]

6 hours ago, bountyhunter said:

Any suggestion @Going through?

Three suggestions:

 

1)  Keep requesting to be transferred to an L2 officer, even if you find yourself on "repeat mode" until the person finally gets fed up of you asking and transfers you.  You also have the luxury of hanging up on someone who WON'T transfer you, simply calling back, and then requesting to be transferred by someone else.

 

2)  Make an infopass appointment at your local field office to discuss your situation.  Most likely will be ineffective since they have no control over the speed of your case.

 

3.)  Your best bet---get a hold of a sympathetic L2 officer on the phone and ask them if they would be so kind as to "send an inquiry on your behalf".  Most often this results in a bit of a "push" forward since the inquiry is coming from within USCIS rather than outside it (ie. you).

 

 

Just to give you an idea on how "inquiries on your behalf" MAY work to your favor...the below is a copy and paste from another post I wrote months back in this thread while my N400 was still under processing:

 

I definitely did some overkill with my calling...but hey, they always say call with any questions/concerns...I learned a long time ago to never trust what the regular USCIS customer service people say so I'd request to speak to a L2 right away, and then put in for a call back from one..plus I had really helpful L2s who would keep me on the phone even after my questions were answered giving me more information.  Two calls I lucked out and actually got the same L2 who remembered me lol

 

I submitted my application on July 14th...called Monday morning on July 17th and requested an L2.  Told him my NOA hadn't posted online yet and I wanted to make sure the application was received as completed.  As I'm on the phone with him and he's clicking around on his computer telling me about "moving some things",  I refresh my case status and suddenly the online NOA appeared in my account with the submission date.  I thanked him, he told me info on scheduling infopasses if I ever needed one, and then we hung up. 

 

Called and requested a L2 on July 21st.  Asked him how long it would normally take for biometrics to be scheduled for NY, asked if there's any possible way to be scheduled asap since I do have a less-than-stellar moment in my life a while back and was nervous about clearing the background check quickly due to all the horror stories about being stuck there.  After discussing it with him a bit more (and probably sounding desperate/frantic on my part) He said he'd see what he could do about "prompting the schedule" (whatever that meant, I didn't ask).  He seemed surprised/slightly in awe that I waited so long to file for my N400 instead of right away when I was eligible and asked me why---I explained my reasoning for waiting (nothing bad).  Next day on July 22nd, the "biometrics scheduled" message is posted in my online account.

 

Called and requested a L2 on July 28th (same day I receive the biometrics letter in the mail).  Asked him about whether in his opinion it would be good to do a walk-in, and if it upsets the process in any way.  He told me it doesn't necessarily make anything faster "because case files then have to be pulled early which can actually result in a delay of getting the file returned back to it's proper place in line".  Decided to take his advice and not do a walk-in.  He wished me good luck in my filing.

 

Called and requested a L2 on August 8th (my biometrics date).  Got the SAME L2 officer that I spoke to on July 21st about fingerprint scheduling!  He remembered me and we talked a bit about how my appointment went, he joked about my last name and commented on my birth date (don't ask).  I reiterated my genuine concerns about whether I might get stuck in the background checks, and I asked some general questions about what exactly happens during a background check (naturally, he didn't tell me too much about this and responded to my generic questions with careful answers).  He looked at my uploaded documents (I filed online), and said it shouldn't be a huge concern due to different factors (I won't bore you with details), and that it'd been disclosed before on my previous applications, etc.  He did tell me twice something like "in certain instances we may request an expedited background check if we feel the situation warrants it" but wouldn't  elaborate when I pressed him for details on what those certain instances would be while joking about whether I'm special enough.  6 days later my background check cleared and I was put inline for scheduling.  2 days after that my physical interview letter was mailed out.

 

Mind you...it can be all coincidence.  But I am left with the feeling that it wasn't entirely coincidence with my call dates compared to my case activity dates.  Or, it could be all down to luck and the universe and planets aligning, or whatever.  

 

 

Edited February 8, 2018 by Going through

[bountyhunter 6]

4 hours ago, SamBillz said:

Oh wow, that is unbelievable. I am sorry you have to go through this. I felt that my case would take longer but actually it didn’t. Anyway, the only explanation that makes sense to me is that since you filed through mail, those cases are taking longer than usual. I think the queue for online filers and paper filers is separate hence, the longer wait time.  Also, back in July when you and I filed, there were only a limited number of people who were “eligible” to file online. I have a coworker who applied (paper filed) two weeks before me and had her biometrics before me as well. She is still waiting for her interview date. 

 

CS should be able to provide more information on cases (regardless of how they were filed). They need to use the technology to their advantage. 

 

Just hang in there and hopefully you can embark on your journey on time. Good luck!

Thanks. i know but hope there is light at the end of this long tunnel. I hope he waiting game gets over soon. Good luck on your oath ceremony and let us know how it went!!

[bountyhunter 6]

2 hours ago, Going through said:

Three suggestions:

 

1)  Keep requesting to be transferred to an L2 officer, even if you find yourself on "repeat mode" until the person finally gets fed up of you asking and transfers you.  You also have the luxury of hanging up on someone who WON'T transfer you, simply calling back, and then requesting to be transferred by someone else.

 

2)  Make an infopass appointment at your local field office to discuss your situation.  Most likely will be ineffective since they have no control over the speed of your case.

 

3.)  Your best bet---get a hold of a sympathetic L2 officer on the phone and ask them if they would be so kind as to "send an inquiry on your behalf".  Most often this results in a bit of a "push" forward since the inquiry is coming from within USCIS rather than outside it (ie. you).

 

 

Just to give you an idea on how "inquiries on your behalf" MAY work to your favor...the below is a copy and paste from another post I wrote months back in this thread while my N400 was still under processing:

 

I definitely did some overkill with my calling...but hey, they always say call with any questions/concerns...I learned a long time ago to never trust what the regular USCIS customer service people say so I'd request to speak to a L2 right away, and then put in for a call back from one..plus I had really helpful L2s who would keep me on the phone even after my questions were answered giving me more information.  Two calls I lucked out and actually got the same L2 who remembered me lol

 

I submitted my application on July 14th...called Monday morning on July 17th and requested an L2.  Told him my NOA hadn't posted online yet and I wanted to make sure the application was received as completed.  As I'm on the phone with him and he's clicking around on his computer telling me about "moving some things",  I refresh my case status and suddenly the online NOA appeared in my account with the submission date.  I thanked him, he told me info on scheduling infopasses if I ever needed one, and then we hung up. 

 

Called and requested a L2 on July 21st.  Asked him how long it would normally take for biometrics to be scheduled for NY, asked if there's any possible way to be scheduled asap since I do have a less-than-stellar moment in my life a while back and was nervous about clearing the background check quickly due to all the horror stories about being stuck there.  After discussing it with him a bit more (and probably sounding desperate/frantic on my part) He said he'd see what he could do about "prompting the schedule" (whatever that meant, I didn't ask).  He seemed surprised/slightly in awe that I waited so long to file for my N400 instead of right away when I was eligible and asked me why---I explained my reasoning for waiting (nothing bad).  Next day on July 22nd, the "biometrics scheduled" message is posted in my online account.

 

Called and requested a L2 on July 28th (same day I receive the biometrics letter in the mail).  Asked him about whether in his opinion it would be good to do a walk-in, and if it upsets the process in any way.  He told me it doesn't necessarily make anything faster "because case files then have to be pulled early which can actually result in a delay of getting the file returned back to it's proper place in line".  Decided to take his advice and not do a walk-in.  He wished me good luck in my filing.

 

Called and requested a L2 on August 8th (my biometrics date).  Got the SAME L2 officer that I spoke to on July 21st about fingerprint scheduling!  He remembered me and we talked a bit about how my appointment went, he joked about my last name and commented on my birth date (don't ask).  I reiterated my genuine concerns about whether I might get stuck in the background checks, and I asked some general questions about what exactly happens during a background check (naturally, he didn't tell me too much about this and responded to my generic questions with careful answers).  He looked at my uploaded documents (I filed online), and said it shouldn't be a huge concern due to different factors (I won't bore you with details), and that it'd been disclosed before on my previous applications, etc.  He did tell me twice something like "in certain instances we may request an expedited background check if we feel the situation warrants it" but wouldn't  elaborate when I pressed him for details on what those certain instances would be while joking about whether I'm special enough.  6 days later my background check cleared and I was put inline for scheduling.  2 days after that my physical interview letter was mailed out.

 

Mind you...it can be all coincidence.  But I am left with the feeling that it wasn't entirely coincidence with my call dates compared to my case activity dates.  Or, it could be all down to luck and the universe and planets aligning, or whatever.  

 

 

@Going through Thank you so much for all the information. I have read all of your comments in this thread and sometimes I feel you are almost like a search engine. Full of info. I really appreciate you giving me the suggestions and I will try them out one by one and see what's the outcome going to be. Thanks again for your expert advice!

[Going through 5,669]

15 minutes ago, bountyhunter said:

@Going through Thank you so much for all the information. I have read all of your comments in this thread and sometimes I feel you are almost like a search engine. Full of info. I really appreciate you giving me the suggestions and I will try them out one by one and see what's the outcome going to be. Thanks again for your expert advice!

Glad I could help---the immigration process can be daunting even in the most straigtforward case without worrying about possible delays!  

I wouldn't term my advice "expert"---I'll save that word for any lawyers lol--- just a lot of experience helping others immigrate/obtain citizenship under various visas/circumstances (before finally going for my own citizenship!) and kept some good government contacts over my work and personal life in both the US and my home country so I can gleam pertinent info directly when needed.

[Huvvaligen 7]

Oath ceremony tomorrow! Super excited and nervous.

I have a question that I hope someone can shed some light on:

 

On my notice for the oath ceremony, it says my Oath Ceremony is at 9:30 AM at the St Louis Federal Courthouse, but when checking the naturalization schedule on the U.S District court's website, it shows 11:00 AM. Is presumably 930 AM the time they want me to show up for the 1100 AM oath ceremony, or is it 930 AM, and I need to show up an hour before that?

 

Very confused

[MiraW 58]

1 hour ago, Huvvaligen said:

Oath ceremony tomorrow! Super excited and nervous.

I have a question that I hope someone can shed some light on:

 

On my notice for the oath ceremony, it says my Oath Ceremony is at 9:30 AM at the St Louis Federal Courthouse, but when checking the naturalization schedule on the U.S District court's website, it shows 11:00 AM. Is presumably 930 AM the time they want me to show up for the 1100 AM oath ceremony, or is it 930 AM, and I need to show up an hour before that?

 

Very confused

Show up at the time specified on your notice. Usually they have people come in at different times to check them in so they can avoid a large number of people arriving at once.

So your check-in time is 9:30AM but the real ceremony doesn't start until 11. 

Edited February 9, 2018 by MiraW

[SamBillz 23]

@Huvvaligen - Good luck! Hope you enjoy it

[Huvvaligen 7]

1 hour ago, SamBillz said:

@Huvvaligen - Good luck! Hope you enjoy it

Thank you! Can't believe it's here. Been quite the journey. No sleep tonight for sure

 

[SamBillz 23]

10 minutes ago, Huvvaligen said:

Thank you! Can't believe it's here. Been quite the journey. No sleep tonight for sure

 

Heheh yep, i’ll probably be in the same boat next tuesday. I have to be there by 7am 

[JT4/25 38]

12 hours ago, Huvvaligen said:

Oath ceremony tomorrow! Super excited and nervous.

I have a question that I hope someone can shed some light on:

 

On my notice for the oath ceremony, it says my Oath Ceremony is at 9:30 AM at the St Louis Federal Courthouse, but when checking the naturalization schedule on the U.S District court's website, it shows 11:00 AM. Is presumably 930 AM the time they want me to show up for the 1100 AM oath ceremony, or is it 930 AM, and I need to show up an hour before that?

 

Very confused

good luck