How long between Biometrics and Interview (Philadelphia)?

[LauraDP 10]

I completed and submitted my Naturalization application (via the Chicago lockbox) in late October 2017.  No sooner had my application arrived (I was tracking it) than I received the notice to go for Biometrics screening in Philadelphia.  That was in very early November 2017.  I have heard absolutely nothing from USCIS since.  Absolutely nothing.  I admit I am starting to feel a little bit anxious that I have not yet received any sort of notification regarding an Interview date.  I am also having to opt out of all sorts of commitments and plans because I have no idea when I might be called for Interview (and then the oath) which adds to my stress about the whole thing.  Prior to applying, I had a look on here at other people's timelines and it seems like mine is way off from what those suggested.  Is there some sort of backlog clogging things up generally or even just specific to the Philly field office?  Or should I be concerned that somehow I have been lost in the system?  Is there a way for me to check where my application is in the process?

Thank you in advance.

Laura (a self-confessed stress-head)

[Yan_Inna 32]

 It really sure, but me and my wife been waiting since ( biometrics ) August, 2017 for our interview. Also here in Philly. Try calling the local USCIS office. They might tell you how fast they are moving.

[Wuozopo 4,293]

2 hours ago, LauraDP said:

  Is there some sort of backlog clogging things up generally or even just specific to the Philly field office? 

Philly is reporting processing of N-400s submitted Mar 31, 2017. (Not that reported times are in any way accurate).

https://egov.uscis.gov/cris/processingTimesDisplay.do;jsessionid=abc5PpH9pCXhTdrDoiahw

 

 

[Yan_Inna 32]

They are just backed up due to moving really slow )))

[jkstark 97]

That is a question that can only be answered by stating that it will happen somewhere between a day later to never...  I don't want to seem flippant with that answer, but the fact of the matter is that the biometrics are needed to begin the process of background checks and the like, so those are taken care of as close to immediately as possible.  What happens after that is anybody's guess, and your office timeline has nothing to do with it until the paperwork actually gets to your local office.  For me, my application sat at NBC for whatever reason for about 10-11 months before it came back to my field office.  (Applied Jan 20 2017, interview scheduled Nov 2017).   When the paperwork arrived at the field office, it was already past their timeline, so there was no wait "in-line" for an interview, and they got me in pretty much as soon as they had an opening.  I then had my oath less than 2 weeks after the interview at what I believe was the first oath ceremony for the new year (interview was Dec 27).

 

During the in-between time, nobody was able to give me any information about the case, other than to tell me that it was at NBC, and they could not get any real information even though two separate queries were sent asking for a case status. 

 

Why?  Who knows.  I do know that I had been in the country for quite a while, so there was a good chance that there was a number of name check hits, especially since I have been interviewed by the FBI a few times since my arrival, thanks to where I was born - my father was working overseas in Iraq when I was born, so while I was a citizen of Finland since birth, the place of birth was listed as Iraq.  Thus, when I entered the US by land at years ago hours after the start of the first Gulf war, I was interviewed at the border then rather intensely.  I was then further interviewed after 9/11, because of my place of birth.  All of that, and since I have been in the US since '89 added to the fact that there were a number of places where my name probably did come up, and each has to be investigated separately.  In some of those cases, there probably were only paper records available, which would have been required to be brought in to the FBI/NBC for specific review prior to a finding on the background check. 

 

So, things can happen even if you are completely "clean" that take up time - and I don't even have a very common name.  If you were named John Smith, or Ajit Singh or something else very common, I can't even begin to imagine how long it would take them to figure out your background check.  During that time, none of the case status windows of your local office have any bearing on when your application will be acted upon.

 

In other words...  They'll get to you eventually.  Sorry that it is not the answer you are looking for, but that is the way it goes...

[LauraDP 10]

Thank you very much for all of your replies.  It is reassuring to know that I am not alone in having a more extended waiting time than was anticipated.  I am a control freak.  I do not handle my life being in limbo very well as a result.  Waiting in limbo is always stressful, of course, but I think the thing that is stressing me out the most is the not having any kind of indication - not even of a wide window - of when I might be called for interview which means I cannot commit to doing things that might cause a schedule conflict.  Every time something like that comes up, it is a reminder that I have no clue what is going on with the process of my application and it provokes the stress again. 

Thank you for the reassurance!

Laura

[LauraDP 10]

3 hours ago, jkstark said:

That is a question that can only be answered by stating that it will happen somewhere between a day later to never...  I don't want to seem flippant with that answer, but the fact of the matter is that the biometrics are needed to begin the process of background checks and the like, so those are taken care of as close to immediately as possible.  What happens after that is anybody's guess, and your office timeline has nothing to do with it until the paperwork actually gets to your local office.  For me, my application sat at NBC for whatever reason for about 10-11 months before it came back to my field office.  (Applied Jan 20 2017, interview scheduled Nov 2017).   When the paperwork arrived at the field office, it was already past their timeline, so there was no wait "in-line" for an interview, and they got me in pretty much as soon as they had an opening.  I then had my oath less than 2 weeks after the interview at what I believe was the first oath ceremony for the new year (interview was Dec 27).

 

During the in-between time, nobody was able to give me any information about the case, other than to tell me that it was at NBC, and they could not get any real information even though two separate queries were sent asking for a case status. 

 

Why?  Who knows.  I do know that I had been in the country for quite a while, so there was a good chance that there was a number of name check hits, especially since I have been interviewed by the FBI a few times since my arrival, thanks to where I was born - my father was working overseas in Iraq when I was born, so while I was a citizen of Finland since birth, the place of birth was listed as Iraq.  Thus, when I entered the US by land at years ago hours after the start of the first Gulf war, I was interviewed at the border then rather intensely.  I was then further interviewed after 9/11, because of my place of birth.  All of that, and since I have been in the US since '89 added to the fact that there were a number of places where my name probably did come up, and each has to be investigated separately.  In some of those cases, there probably were only paper records available, which would have been required to be brought in to the FBI/NBC for specific review prior to a finding on the background check. 

 

So, things can happen even if you are completely "clean" that take up time - and I don't even have a very common name.  If you were named John Smith, or Ajit Singh or something else very common, I can't even begin to imagine how long it would take them to figure out your background check.  During that time, none of the case status windows of your local office have any bearing on when your application will be acted upon.

 

In other words...  They'll get to you eventually.  Sorry that it is not the answer you are looking for, but that is the way it goes...

 I did not read your response as flippant at all or offensive in any other way.  No worries.

I think I had a false expectation of the timeline because I had been looking at timelines for the Philly office on here and they all seemed to follow a similar pattern.  Clearly something has happened to slow the whole process down, perhaps a massive increase in applications.  I also have past experience of USCIS losing one of my kids in the system so that generated some paranoia/anxiety or me about why my timeline had potentially stalled.

Thank you for relating your experience as it is reassuring to know what others have been through.  I have a very unusual name and my life has been pretty straightforward so at least that shouldn't add any extra time to the process.

I appreciate your detailed reply.

Best wishes

Laura

[LauraDP 10]

18 hours ago, Wuozopo said:

Philly is reporting processing of N-400s submitted Mar 31, 2017. (Not that reported times are in any way accurate).

https://egov.uscis.gov/cris/processingTimesDisplay.do;jsessionid=abc5PpH9pCXhTdrDoiahw

 

 

Thank you for that link!  I set up to get notified of any updates with my case but had not observed that I could use the site to see an overview of current processing times.
Thanks!
Laura