What is the consensus on filing ROC and then N-400 a year later?

[eckoin 211]

Since ROC takes well over a year, for a marriage based Green card one qualifies to apply for naturalization a year after applying for ROC before it was approved. 

 

I've seen conflicting advice on whether doing so delays your naturalization (the ROC application is in queue and needs to be adjucated first), or whether it speeds it up (the naturalization arrived in queue and ROC is done at the same time by definition). 

 

What's the general current status? Will the recent changes (bypassing some interviews based on evidence and previous interviews) likely speed up ROC in general? 

 

And does applying essentially concurrently, while I-751 is pending, do more harm, more good, or it just depends? Does it depend on the local field office as well, or is it a black box? 

[Khallaf 650]

20 minutes ago, eckoin said:

Since ROC takes well over a year, for a marriage based Green card one qualifies to apply for naturalization a year after applying for ROC before it was approved. 

 

I've seen conflicting advice on whether doing so delays your naturalization (the ROC application is in queue and needs to be adjucated first), or whether it speeds it up (the naturalization arrived in queue and ROC is done at the same time by definition). 

 

What's the general current status? Will the recent changes (bypassing some interviews based on evidence and previous interviews) likely speed up ROC in general? 

 

And does applying essentially concurrently, while I-751 is pending, do more harm, more good, or it just depends? Does it depend on the local field office as well, or is it a black box? 

from what I heard they are normally adjudicated at the same time.

 

@geowriando you know if that is the case?

[geowrian 22,337]

20 minutes ago, Khallaf said:

from what I heard they are normally adjudicated at the same time.

 

@geowriando you know if that is the case?

Generally, yes. Occasionally the timing doesn't work and they are separate still.

[eckoin 211]

@Khallaf, @geowrian thank you both as always.

 

So, assuming the status quo remains:

 

I-751 at Nebraska takes 16.5 to 23.5 months. 

 

N-400 at my local field office takes 3.5 to 12 months. I'll assume a conservative 5 months since my I-485 was completed 2.5 months before the stated processing times; I imagine it wouldn't get to 12 for N-400.

 

Therefore, assuming I get all the forms in as soon as I'm able to, I would likely get both I-751 and N-400 processed at the same time, around 17 months after my 2 year card expires? And as early as 15 months, depending on how N-400 moves along? 

 

Of course anything could happen, so I'm just speaking from the statistical likelihood perspective. 

 

That's not so bad at all. 

 

I've seen people say that submitting N-400 before I-751 is approved may well delay everything further, but that sounds unlikely based on what y'all are saying. 

Edited January 9, 2019 by eckoin

[Ash.1101 1,756]

Honestly, I haven't seen a case where it's delayed anything. I've seen plenty of people give the advice that it's delayed cases, but I've never really seen anyone say they believe their case was delayed due to applying for Naturalization. (At least not recently, I'm sure I could find someone saying that though)

I have seen people say that they believe their case was sped up, due to the fact their interviews happened faster than those who were waiting on just the I-751 interview that were applied for around the same time.


Note though, that I would take any information you see here with a grain of salt. You can't ROC for another 2 years, and just like any other process, the process can change between now and two years from now. I have seen people ask for advice years before doing something, only to be surprised when the processes change.

Edited January 9, 2019 by Ash.1101

[eckoin 211]

10 minutes ago, Ash.1101 said:

Note though, that I would take any information you see here with a grain of salt. You can't ROC for another 2 years, and just like any other process, the process can change between now and two years from now. I have seen people ask for advice years before doing something, only to be surprised when the processes change.

All fair points, thank you! 

 

I guess this is one of those things that won't really change my process unless USCIS changes the rules. It takes what it takes. I'm just curious and antsy

[Ash.1101 1,756]

6 minutes ago, eckoin said:

All fair points, thank you! 

 

I guess this is one of those things that won't really change my process unless USCIS changes the rules. It takes what it takes. I'm just curious and antsy

Yeah, one good example is there were a lot of people who looked at visa processing times a couple of years ago and thought they would have like a 5 month wait for K1 visas or less than a year for CR-1, or even expecting AP/EAD approved in 60 days and then were planning their lives around those very outdated time frames only to be shocked when things were taking on average a year longer than they thought. Two years ago it could take you 5 months from I-129F application to Interview, and 30 day AP/EAD approvals for AOS. Shoot my AOS only took 66 days. Now that's not even close to the case.

I would simply look at requirements now and not worry about time frames. With the rate things are going, the time frames won't even be close to what we're experiencing now.
 

Edited January 9, 2019 by Ash.1101

[eckoin 211]

7 minutes ago, Ash.1101 said:

Yeah, one good example is there were a lot of people who looked at visa processing times a couple of years ago and thought they would have like a 5 month wait for K1 visas or less than a year for CR-1, or even expecting AP/EAD approved in 60 days and then were planning their lives around those very outdated time frames only to be shocked when things were taking on average a year longer than they thought. Two years ago it could take you 5 months from I-129F application to Interview, and 30 day AP/EAD approvals for AOS. Shoot my AOS only took 66 days. Now that's not even close to the case.

I would simply look at requirements now and not worry about time frames. With the rate things are going, the time frames won't even be close to what we're experiencing now.
 

I was kind of one of those people. I looked at EAD processing times about two years ago, saw that it was 3-4 months max, and applied 4.5 months before my current status expired because "that's plenty on top". Had to request an expedite--thankfully that went well. Taught me a lesson. 

 

I'm already making a folder of things that are happening after we had the interview. Just a worrywart personality coupled with an extreme planning streak. Helpful sometimes, but unnecessary overall. 

[YecaCruz 379]

I think there are many variables as far as the speed of processing when you compare one district/area to another. For example here in ND there's 3 maybe 4 naturalization ceremonies per year as opposed to our Minnesotan neighbors who do one or 2 in a month. So knowing that alone I know that my husband and I will have a 8-12 month wait after we file N400 unless the Lord does a miracle and zips us through processing like what happened with our initial green card process.

 

I figure that if citizenship is your ultimate goal at the end of the day what's a couple months more wait compared to never having to deal with immigrations and their wait times ever again? I don't think filing concurrently neither helps nor hurts your overall case. If they're going to taking their sweet-loving time to process your stuff they'll do it with or without the N400/ROC c-c-c-c-combo - but that's just my opinion.

 

I was just like you and started collecting docs and monthly statements right away, even starting the next month after we filed AOS. Way less to print out later, right! Never hurts to be prepared so good for you! My stack of papers is now 3 in thick and keeps growing a little each month.

[Russ&Caro 1,549]

It's mostly dependent on your local office. Charleston has a very favorable pendency time. File N400 as soon as you can and don't think twice about it.