Chicago N400 filers

[ChicagoN400 31]

2 hours ago, Waitinggame16 said:

@cupcake123 enjoy your oath ceremony! Congrats 

@cupcake123 hope you had a great time  

[cupcake123 26]

On January 23, 2018 at 7:14 PM, ChicagoN400 said:

@cupcake123 hope you had a great time  

Ceremony was inspiring and almost exactly as described as @Yuliya Lipina.   I was so proud to become a citizen.  Hoping for a speedy process for you @ChicagoN400

[AK_2014 113]

On 12/19/2017 at 9:36 PM, caeremonarius said:

Our only major complaint was that, in Chicago, there are two doors out of which the IO's come out and call interviewees numbers. We weren't told whether to sit by Door 1 or Door 2 when my wife checked in, so I sat by Door 2, and she sat by Door 1.

Ha! Just like O'Hare International Arrivals!!! Two doors, and when it's crowded, you definitely can't watch both to see who is coming out! Seriously, my wife was waiting for family to arrive from abroad, and their phones didn't work in the US. Each flight is supposed to be assigned to come out of one of the two doors, but somehow her relatives came out the "wrong" door, and it took something like 45 minutes for them to finally find each other!

[ChicagoN400 31]

On 1/24/2018 at 9:50 PM, cupcake123 said:

Ceremony was inspiring and almost exactly as described as @Yuliya Lipina.   I was so proud to become a citizen.  Hoping for a speedy process for you @ChicagoN400

Glad to hear it went great  

Thank you for your wishes @cupcake123!

[Steelers1020 64]

On 1/24/2018 at 9:50 PM, cupcake123 said:

Ceremony was inspiring and almost exactly as described as @Yuliya Lipina.   I was so proud to become a citizen.  Hoping for a speedy process for you @ChicagoN400

Quick question for @Yuliya Lipina and @cupcake123, did you have to go to social security and update your records? I've read that a few places on this forum that people do that. Also have you applied for passports? Was it an option on the day of the oath ceremony?

 

we are still waiting, hopefully Feb will bring my husband an interview date. 

[ChicagoAugustFile 10]

4 hours ago, Steelers1020 said:

Quick question for @Yuliya Lipina and @cupcake123, did you have to go to social security and update your records? I've read that a few places on this forum that people do that. Also have you applied for passports? Was it an option on the day of the oath ceremony?

 

we are still waiting, hopefully Feb will bring my husband an interview date. 

@Steelers1020 when have you been in line since? Like what date does it say online in "in line since" when you check your case status? 

[Steelers1020 64]

2 hours ago, ChicagoAugustFile said:

@Steelers1020 when have you been in line since? Like what date does it say online in "in line since" when you check your case status? 

It shows in line since July 3rd. My husband did his fingerprints on June 22nd. 

[ChicagoAugustFile 10]

It's frustrating that Chicago is going so slow while all other big cities like NYC, LA, Newark seem to be moving pretty quickly. That's it for now 😭😭

[Waitinggame16 91]

26 minutes ago, ChicagoAugustFile said:

It's frustrating that Chicago is going so slow while all other big cities like NYC, LA, Newark seem to be moving pretty quickly. That's it for now 😭😭

It really is frustrating. I started out with great optimism that it would be a pretty quick and easy process. I know it's just a waiting game but it's very difficult to see it going so slowly. Especially since online filers are going through so fast. 

[cupcake123 26]

22 hours ago, Steelers1020 said:

Quick question for @Yuliya Lipina and @cupcake123, did you have to go to social security and update your records? I've read that a few places on this forum that people do that. Also have you applied for passports? Was it an option on the day of the oath ceremony?

 

we are still waiting, hopefully Feb will bring my husband an interview date. 

@Steelers1020....   At my ceremony, they told us that we should wait 10 days before going to the social security office and notifying citizenship to update our record.  I have it on my list of things to do in the next week or so.  

 

Regarding the passport, I have a quick international trip coming up in 1.5  weeks so I made an appointment at the Chicago Passport agency (same building as USCIS on 101 W. Congress Pkway) for this past Friday. I didn't make the appointment until Wednesday (the day after my ceremony), but it was pretty easy to get in (lots of appointment options). I had the application filled out along with my photos, state ID, and naturalization certificate.  They indicated I should receive the passport by Wednesday next week (I opted for airmail instead of in person pickup).  I think they determine the timing based on how soon your trip is.  Note that my understanding is that in person appt option is only available if you have an international trip coming up in the next 2 weeks (or have a trip in which you're in need of a visa within 4 weeks).  I had to show proof of this (i.e. airline ticket/confirmation #).  Also, you have to leave your naturalization certificate with the office so they have the original to process the passport.  Given this, I wanted to make a copy.   This was actually one of the reasons that I waited a day or so before tackling the passport issue and applying.  It felt really uncomfortable parting with my naturalization certificate on Friday (even if only for a few days).  

 

Hope this helps!  And also hoping for your interview to be scheduled very soon!

 

 

 

 

Edited January 27, 2018 by cupcake123
adding info

[AK_2014 113]

For those of us who applied for N-400 online but ran into the no-combo-interview situation in Chicago, my sneaking suspicion lately is that in the back-and-forth between the N-400 people and the I-751 people (different floors of the same building), the application got printed & converted to a paper application. Given the slower timing of paper applications, this means it'll take even longer for the interview to be rescheduled. I'd love to be proven wrong, but at this point I don't expect any motion on our case for several more months. That extra wait, on top of so many extra trips to the service center...  and we're moving out-of-state this summer, which will add all sorts of fun complications if it isn't completed by then... 

[Yuliya Lipina 64]

On 1/26/2018 at 2:27 PM, Steelers1020 said:

Quick question for @Yuliya Lipina and @cupcake123, did you have to go to social security and update your records? I've read that a few places on this forum that people do that. Also have you applied for passports? Was it an option on the day of the oath ceremony?

 

we are still waiting, hopefully Feb will bring my husband an interview date. 

I agree with @cupcake123 you need to wait 10 days. Also, at the ceremony they might tell you "Just show up to SSA, no need to bring your certificate of naturalization to SSA. They can call USCIS to verify the status." That is not a correct statement. Nobody in SSA will be calling USCIS to verify your status change. My husband works for SSA and was surprised to hear such a statement. 

 

My situation is also a little different since I changed the official spelling of my name. I definitely have to wait to apply for passport until I change my SSN and DL.

[Steelers1020 64]

On 1/27/2018 at 10:32 AM, Waitinggame16 said:

It really is frustrating. I started out with great optimism that it would be a pretty quick and easy process. I know it's just a waiting game but it's very difficult to see it going so slowly. Especially since online filers are going through so fast. 

The wait has been insane! 8 months and counting. We are planning an out of country trip for June, I just hope everything is completed by then. 

[ChicagoAugustFile 10]

They just updated the professing times on USCIS website. And Chicago moved only 11 days between October 31st and November 30th. Not even half of a month, that's crazy, especially when NYC and LA are way ahead. 

[ChicagoAugustFile 10]

What are eveyone's estimated case completion date when you check your status through an online account? I don't have an online account yet so Idk mine. But would great to hear what it says for estimated case completion date on your accounts.