N400 Seattle (merged)

[Felicie 14]

19 hours ago, washingtonian said:

I got a I551 stamp today at an infopass. I asked the officer why I got skipped for N400. He said that I751 needs to be approved first as they don't do combo interviews anymore since they were slowing down N400 processing. Apparently once it's approved I'll get interview notice just for N400. It's been 28 months since I filed I751. Hopefully that will get approved soon...

What? I did e-service request + congresswoman help they said I-751 will be processed at the same time with N-400. I think maybe if you could go back and ask to talk to their manager, maybe they could really help and give you a different answer. Please let me know! 

[Felicie 14]

17 hours ago, GermanG said:

Thank you so much!

I am still intrigued about the I751.

If no longer they do combo interviews (which is very weird!), do you think the I751 gets approved in the National Benefit Center without interviews!? and then they transferred the case to Seattle?

Does it mean that the wait time for I751/N400 is the same that for N400 only?

Once I am out for my 3rd Infopass (!!), I will try to get some information.

Same when I call the Customer Service, I will try to squeeze some information out from IO. I will keep everybody updated.

 

Keep me update GermanG! Because if they just decide to not do a combo interview... we are really screwed. 

[GermanG 31]

4 hours ago, Felicie said:

Keep me update GermanG! Because if they just decide to not do a combo interview... we are really screwed. 

Sure! So far, I am waiting for the reply to my e-request. I asked about the whole combo thing.

Next, I will call customer service and make an infopass.

Third, I will ask my lawyer and update the group.

I am part of the November 2017 Forum, and I someone getting combo interview on Friday. Thus, I don"t believe that they eliminated them.

[Felicie 14]

1 minute ago, GermanG said:

Sure! So far, I am waiting for the reply to my e-request. I asked about the whole combo thing.

Next, I will call customer service and make an infopass.

Third, I will ask my lawyer and update the group.

I am part of the November 2017 Forum, and I someone getting combo interview on Friday. Thus, I don"t believe that they eliminated them.

Yes if you could consult with a lawyer as well then it would be perfect! There is a possibility that some officers at the Seattle Office are inexperienced and do not know what they are talking about. Some of them just like to give false answers to people to get out of the situation because they don’t really know what the real answers are. 

If I’d known that filing for N-400 would delay both cases I would have waited to get my 10 year green card before I applied for my N-400. But back then when I called USCIS customer reps said I-751 will be adjudicated before N-400, so filing N400 would benefit me. It is so untrue, now that I think about it. SO yes, those people don’t know , they just follow the books/guidelines. The truth is some of them don’t even know what the correct procedures are. I just hope this nightmare will be over soon for all of us. 

[Hawkeye260 1]

Can someone with recent experience KINDLY let me know of the documents one took for N400 interview

 

I am planning on taking

GC

Copy of appointment letter

Prior Passports

Last five year taxes

History of Travel

Date of birth certificate

Marriage certificate 

Copy of attached documents while filing N400

 

Is there anything else other people have been asked?

Please let me know, go on 9th of October, filed on 26June 2018

 

Thanks

Hawkeye

[barryesb 0]

22 hours ago, Hawkeye260 said:

 

Is there anything else other people have been asked?

I had a bunch of 2 / 3 weeks work related travel.   Have a good crisp answer to what you were doing    

[barryesb 0]

i take the oath on Monday - and have an appointment with the Seattle Passport office on Tuesday   

 

I assume that i fill out the DS-11 form.  Do folks use the .PDF or the Form Filler - would the later work with the passport office 

[Felicie 14]

50 minutes ago, barryesb said:

i take the oath on Monday - and have an appointment with the Seattle Passport office on Tuesday   

 

I assume that i fill out the DS-11 form.  Do folks use the .PDF or the Form Filler - would the later work with the passport office 

When did you apply?

[barryesb 0]

2 hours ago, Felicie said:

When did you apply?

May 19, 2018 - Applied

Aug 27, 2019 - Seattle n400 Interview

 

 

[JFH 12,189]

I’m officially in the Seattle N-400 club now. I imagine I’ll be done around Christmas /new year  2020/2021.

[Sukhdeen Niwas 0]

I had my N400 interview on Sep 23 [I had filed on June 09, 2018].  Just moments ago, I got an email that my case had been decided. I am a member of the naturalization pending club as well. Below is my interview experience.

 

My interview was scheduled at 12:45 PM. I live less than 2 miles from the USCIS office and took it easy. Wrong move - they call you roughly based on the time you made an entry so if you can go a bit ahead of the scheduled time, you may need to wait less once you are there. In my case I had to wait till 2:05 PM but had I entered 15 minutes prior, my wait would have been at least an hour less. Also while they do call in order, they seem to group a few cases by entry door number so do not be worried if a few numbers after your number get called before you.

 

There is an accessible parking right in front of the entrance. You do not need to pay the $8 for parking that you pay otherwise - but there are only 3 such spots. Visitors are allowed to go with you [but they cannot attend your actual interview] and you are supposed to wait on the second floor inside. Any and all types of pointed items are banned - knives, napkin pins etc. are all banned. Besides that however, you can take anything you want including as many laptops and cellphones. Sadly besides texting, nothing works in the waiting area - and even that works only if you connect to an internal WiFi there. I tried Sprint, TMobile and Verizon to make sure. Speaking of visitors, there is nothing besides water available inside and there are no shops nearby. So make sure anyone with you who cannot stay hungry [seniors or folks with medical conditions] takes at least some eatables with them because there is no way to predict how long you will need to wait inside. 

 

Once I was called at 2:05 PM, the door opened and my interview office asked me to accompany her. Taking me to her office, she first apologized to me for the long wait and asked me to take an oath to answer everything correctly. She asked me if I had a greencard with me and I showed it to her. She asked me if I had my prior passports and I told her that I had probably gotten rid of those so I did not have these with me but I did have my current valid passport with me. She asked me to not worry and it seems not to have mattered in the end.

 

The actual interview questions on history and the English test were quickly dispensed with. I was made to sign on a touchpad multiple times during the process. Also the English sentence writing test was done on the pad as well. Among the questions asked to me on history was the name of the Chief Justice - she stopped after I answered the first six correctly.

 

After that, it was supposed to be a brief affair but while over there, I realized that I had answered NO to the question about any prior army/military training. I had attended something called NCC[National Cadet Corps] training in India and I informed the officer in detail about it. I was then asked [in a very plain voice] why I had answered No on my application. I explained that while sitting there I suddenly remembered this and besides it would have been hard to provide much details about it on the application. The officer noticed my nervousness and told me that I just needed to make sure I answered everything honestly and leave the rest to the adjudicator and there was nothing to worry. I also informed her that I had left blank the section about convictions etc. because I had heard conflicting opinion about what to put there - even though I had gotten multiple traffic citations/tickets. She asked me to let her know what all I had gotten tickets for and what was the maximum fine I ever paid and if I ever went to prison for anything[whether traffic related or not]. I was able to share these details with her [the maximum was less than $150]. 

 

The officer then informed me that I had "cleared" the interview but that my file had not yet come in from the storage and that I would have to wait. I was told that the interview is over and I could ask any questions. I tried to probe more about why my case could not be decided. I was told that sometimes all the material needed to adjudicate a case is not available on interview day but that I would get a letter in the mail with either the interview date/location or I would be asked to present myself with some materials that may be needed for adjudication - however I would not be called for an interview again as I had already passed it. I was also informed that there is no timeline for how long adjudication may take. I asked if it may take upto an year and was told that it doesn't take "that long". With that and after printing and handing me a 652 form showing my case had not yet been decided [Passed the test, decision cannot yet be made about your application etc. etc.], the officer walked me out of the "interview" block very courteously. I was out before 2:45 PM.

 

I always expect the worst and got very negative thoughts why my application had not been decided. I braced myself for spending the whole life on a Greencard 😉 or. even having to leave the country!! But on looking at information on the Internet, I found that this was by no means a rare scenario and people often got their case approved in a few days if not on the interview day. The two worst cases I found had to wait 8 months and more than 2 years but they were really exceptional cases. I also remembered how @El79  and @AHG had waited with patience so I just decided to wait. However just to make sure, I also searched for and found my older passports and read more about why military training could be a red flag for naturalization. Anyways I got an email this morning that there was activity on my case and logged in to find that my case had been approved.

 

I will update once I get a letter with my interview date and location. A big shoutout to @AHG and @El79 whose past example of waiting patiently for USCIS wheels to move was an inspiration for me. Thanks to them and numerous other folks who share their experience here and help each other as we navigate this sometimes nerve-wracking experience. 

[Bas prolific 0]

You any one know if Seattle office have a same day oath on Thursday? I am a June 18th 2018 filer in Seattle office. My interview was scheduled on the 26th of September for the 31st of October.

[Bas prolific 0]

6 hours ago, Bas prolific said:

Do any one know if Seattle office have a same day oath on Thursdays ? I am a June 18th 2018 filer in Seattle office. My interview was scheduled on the 26th of September for the 31st of October which falls on a Thursday. I have to travel mid December and am afraid if I don’t get a same day oath I might not get my passport in time to travel. I want to know if Seattle office does oath ceremonies on Thursdays?

 

[cttd 1]

A question for I-751 and N-400 combo filler here:

Are both of your I-751 and N-400 cases being transferred to National Benefits Center (NBC) Lee's Summit MO?

 

I'm preparing paper work for my infopass appointment and I noticed that both my I-751 and N-400 case were transferred to NBC sometime in 2018. 

I filled I-751 in June 2017 and N400 in July 2018. Both cases are still pending. 

 

Based on some search on this forum, it seemed that USCIS transfers I-751 and N-400 to NBC to prepare combo interviews. But the most frustration part here is that there no way you can check the processing time for NBC from USCIS website. 

 

Based on this thread, east side N-400 fillers are transferred to Yakima for interview. But I haven't received any notice about my cases being transferred to Yakima office. My guess is that both my I-751 and N-400 are stuck with NBC.  This is sooooo frustrating...

 

 

[GermanG 31]

6 hours ago, cttd said:

A question for I-751 and N-400 combo filler here:

Are both of your I-751 and N-400 cases being transferred to National Benefits Center (NBC) Lee's Summit MO?

 

I'm preparing paper work for my infopass appointment and I noticed that both my I-751 and N-400 case were transferred to NBC sometime in 2018. 

I filled I-751 in June 2017 and N400 in July 2018. Both cases are still pending. 

 

Based on some search on this forum, it seemed that USCIS transfers I-751 and N-400 to NBC to prepare combo interviews. But the most frustration part here is that there no way you can check the processing time for NBC from USCIS website. 

 

Based on this thread, east side N-400 fillers are transferred to Yakima for interview. But I haven't received any notice about my cases being transferred to Yakima office. My guess is that both my I-751 and N-400 are stuck with NBC.  This is sooooo frustrating...

 

 

I have similar situation as yours (I751, November 2017//N400, October 2018). Both cases still pending. On Sept 25 this year, I filed an e-request because the I751 is way outside "normal processing time" (which is 20 months for the California Service Center). I am anxiously waiting for their reply and will update the group.