N-400 DECEMBER 2018 filers

[kkg325 6]

Hey everybody! Back on VisaJourney for the last step of this long, stressful,  journey.

 

Just filed N-400 online today (December 3) for my wife. We are at Hartford, CT field office.

 

Good luck to all. Hope everything moves swiftly!

[hobbitspouse 7]

Submitted the N400 application this weekend. At first, it stated to call USCIS since there was an issue and the application could not go through. Late Yesterday, I received an email with the payment confirmation and the app changed to submitted with ETA 10 months. Now, the ETA is 15 months until March 2020. 😕

[kkg325 6]

11 hours ago, hobbitspouse said:

Submitted the N400 application this weekend. At first, it stated to call USCIS since there was an issue and the application could not go through. Late Yesterday, I received an email with the payment confirmation and the app changed to submitted with ETA 10 months. Now, the ETA is 15 months until March 2020. 😕

Ugh that’s frustrating!

Where do you find the ETA info?

[Amhara 460]

Hey everyone - We will be applying on the 21st.  Still waiting for the ROC to be looked at, so will be requesting a combo-interview.  We expect this to be a long wait, but ready to get this started!  My husband's official time starts March 2019, so the biometrics may get processed, but won't hear much after that!

[hobbitspouse 7]

On 12/4/2018 at 9:47 AM, kkg325 said:

Ugh that’s frustrating!

Where do you find the ETA info?

Once you submit your application and it has been processed,  you will receive an estimated time for completion in the  application dashboard.

[Leo7777 243]

Wife received ROC approval December 4, 2018.

She then filed for Citizenship via N-400 on December 6, 2018.

Estimated Case Completion Time:  8 months, or August 2019.

 

This 8 months is different than other have already reported . . . so I guess the timing is dependent upon each persons local office.

 

And today, December 8th received notice that they have scheduled the Biometric appointment.

But the time of the appointment will show up in the Documents section, and there is a note that it may take several days for this appointment document to actually show up on the website.  I suppose they will be mailing a paper copy also.

 

Anyway, happy to be joining this December 2018 Citizenship Group.

Best of luck to all.

Leo

[GirlPower 9]

I just read this forum and I got very nervous. I applied for my removal of condition in January 2018 and I was eligible to apply for citizenship on December 5th of 2018. I just submitted my N400 last night but I see some people are talking about getting the ROC approved first and then applying for citizenship. is there such a condition? I thought as long as I have applied for ROC (still pending) I will be eligible to apply for citizenship. Can you please give me some information about this?

 

[gregcrs2 1,778]

3 minutes ago, Sachena said:

I just read this forum and I got very nervous. I applied for my removal of condition in January 2018 and I was eligible to apply for citizenship on December 5th of 2018. I just submitted my N400 last night but I see some people are talking about getting the ROC approved first and then applying for citizenship. is there such a condition? I thought as long as I have applied for ROC (still pending) I will be eligible to apply for citizenship. Can you please give me some information about this?

 

You do not need an approved ROC to apply for citizenship.  

[Leo7777 243]

There is not a law or rule that says you must wait for ROC approval to apply for citizenship.

However, there have been some very screwy things happen to some (but not all) persons who do that.

For instance, some have had their ROC pulled and put in with their Citizenship application, which then puts them back at end of line again for ROC.

Others have had Citizenship interview before ROC approved and then USCIS goes crazy when they realize ROC not done, so then person has to wait for ROC and go back through Citizenship filing again, etc., etc.

On the other hand, others have had joint ROC and Citizenship interview at same time and been successful.

But other offices tell persons that it is not possible to have ROC and Citizenship interview at same time.

 

Because of all I have read about this for the past 4-5 years, felt it was less risky to just wait until ROC approved before submitting Citizenship application.

This wait did mean wife will be about 5 months behind in the Citizenship line compared to what she would have been if she had filed when originally eligible (under 90 day early rule) back in late July.

 

There is a lot of uncertainty either way you go . . . so you just make a gut decision, pay your money, and go . . . 

[Amhara 460]

6 hours ago, GirlPower said:

I just read this forum and I got very nervous. I applied for my removal of condition in January 2018 and I was eligible to apply for citizenship on December 5th of 2018. I just submitted my N400 last night but I see some people are talking about getting the ROC approved first and then applying for citizenship. is there such a condition? I thought as long as I have applied for ROC (still pending) I will be eligible to apply for citizenship. Can you please give me some information about this?

You will see some confusing wording.  The thing is that your citizenship cannot be approved until your ROC is processed.  When you get the USC interview, make sure that you contact the USCIS to make sure you get the combo interview - where the adjudicating officer interviews to close the ROC and USC petition both.  They need to complete the ROC petition in the system first, then can approve your USC.  Make sure you call the USCIS to get your case transferred when you are in line for an interview, then when your interview is scheduled, mail two things:

1) A copy of your interview letter to the office that has your ROC and request the case gets transferred to the local office

2) A copy of your ROC NOA to the local office with your interview letter and request your interview is a combo

 

The last part may be overkill as the USCIS is supposed to do this automatically, but I don't trust them and this is what we will be doing!

[GirlPower 9]

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Edited December 10, 2018 by GirlPower
mistake

[GirlPower 9]

22 minutes ago, Amhara said:

You will see some confusing wording.  The thing is that your citizenship cannot be approved until your ROC is processed.  When you get the USC interview, make sure that you contact the USCIS to make sure you get the combo interview - where the adjudicating officer interviews to close the ROC and USC petition both.  They need to complete the ROC petition in the system first, then can approve your USC.  Make sure you call the USCIS to get your case transferred when you are in line for an interview, then when your interview is scheduled, mail two things:

1) A copy of your interview letter to the office that has your ROC and request the case gets transferred to the local office

2) A copy of your ROC NOA to the local office with your interview letter and request your interview is a combo

 

The last part may be overkill as the USCIS is supposed to do this automatically, but I don't trust them and this is what we will be doing!

Thank you Amhara for all the details. I had no idea we need to request for a combo interview. I will definitely contact USCIS when my interview is scheduled. It appears that you have knowledge about this process so I have another question for you. My GC expired in 03/02/2017 and I applied for ROC on 01/23/2017. I didn't submit the notice ,which I received from USCIS to inform me that my GC is extended for 18 months, on my N400 application. is that going to be an issue? basically when they are reviewing my N400, they will see my green card is expired but there is no evidence on the fact that I have applied for removal of condition. 

 

[Amhara 460]

1 minute ago, GirlPower said:

I didn't submit the notice ,which I received from USCIS to inform me that my GC is extended for 18 months, on my N400 application. is that going to be an issue? basically when they are reviewing my N400, they will see my green card is expired but there is no evidence on the fact that I have applied for removal of condition. 

No, it shouldn't be an issue.  You aren't required to and you really shouldn't even need to ask for a combo interview.  I just highly recommend it because the USCIS can miss details.  I have seen some people comment on VJ that they had been approved before they were able to get back on their bus ride home, and others still waiting for a month or more after their interview.  It's just extra work on your end to try to compensate for any USCIS processing oversight!

[Leo7777 243]

6 hours ago, Amhara said:

You will see some confusing wording.  The thing is that your citizenship cannot be approved until your ROC is processed.  When you get the USC interview, make sure that you contact the USCIS to make sure you get the combo interview - where the adjudicating officer interviews to close the ROC and USC petition both.  They need to complete the ROC petition in the system first, then can approve your USC.  Make sure you call the USCIS to get your case transferred when you are in line for an interview, then when your interview is scheduled, mail two things:

1) A copy of your interview letter to the office that has your ROC and request the case gets transferred to the local office

2) A copy of your ROC NOA to the local office with your interview letter and request your interview is a combo

 

The last part may be overkill as the USCIS is supposed to do this automatically, but I don't trust them and this is what we will be doing!

I don't believe that we (the applicants) can do any of the things that you suggest.

[hobbitspouse 7]

Just received my biometrics and fingerprints appointment scheduled just before the end of the year. Location is in Chicago, so trying to figure out if I can walk-in prior the scheduled date.