We're Not the Only Ones Complaining About Wait Times

[Voice of Reason 10,298]

16 minutes ago, yuna628 said:

Well, obviously we were unlucky and stuck at TSC for our K1 which at the time was taking an extremely long time. It worked out okay in the end though, and we still had the wedding we wanted. His EAD didn't take as long as it's taking now, and even though AOS took a long time we didn't have an interview which was nice. Now we're waiting on ROC.. something I'd just like to be done with, but there's nothing we can do. In it for the long haul. Think we're eligible to file for citizenship in March/April, but I hear Baltimore is taking a year or something? Not sure what we should do.

File and wait.  Not much else ya can do.  Just know that light at the end of the tunnel is NOT a train.

[YecaCruz 379]

9 minutes ago, ALFKAD said:

File and wait.  Not much else ya can do.  Just know that light at the end of the tunnel is NOT a train.

This +100! It sucks but what? Can a bunch of lawyers/regular jo's complaining do much to change this fact anyway? USCIS is probably so used to people complaints about the wait times that most of it is falling on deaf ears anyway because they hear of it all the time. It's like waiting at the DMV; no amount of huffing, puffing, and loud passive-aggressive comments will make the people work any faster.

 

I'm prepared for the long haul. According to USCIS website, I should expect my husband's N400 to be processed in 20-22 months. Lawd have mercy! I take that with a grain of salt because DANG people, there are states serving bigger populations that don't take that long....but if it DOES take that long, at least I won't be disappointed

 

 

Edited February 1, 2019 by YecaCruz

[Dashinka 24,514]

2 hours ago, yuna628 said:

Well, obviously we were unlucky and stuck at TSC for our K1 which at the time was taking an extremely long time. It worked out okay in the end though, and we still had the wedding we wanted. His EAD didn't take as long as it's taking now, and even though AOS took a long time we didn't have an interview which was nice. Now we're waiting on ROC.. something I'd just like to be done with, but there's nothing we can do. In it for the long haul. Think we're eligible to file for citizenship in March/April, but I hear Baltimore is taking a year or something? Not sure what we should do.

If naturalization is the plan, then why not start that clock moving.  There is no need to wait for the I751.

[millefleur 5,046]

12 hours ago, Bill & Katya said:

The N400 is highly variable since it is all done at the local offices.  As I mentioned, in our case we must have hit the Detroit office at a bit of a lull, or after they reshuffled cases with respect to Katya's N400.  We never expected 5+ months from application to oath, but we certainly appreciated it.  At that time a lot in the Detroit office were also seeing an acceleration in their N400 cases, lately though it has slowed down a bit from what I am reading in that thread.

Thank you, this puts it into perspective. It makes sense that certain offices would go slower than others then. It's pretty far down the road for us actually, we're about to start ROC in April...which I know is going at a snail's pace right now (more than 1 year turnaround time).

[yuna628 9,677]

3 hours ago, Bill & Katya said:

If naturalization is the plan, then why not start that clock moving.  There is no need to wait for the I751.

If we file for naturalization though, wouldn't that pretty much reset the clock on the ROC? I guess I'm a bit fussy and would like my hubby to have a more settled status. Eventually the 18 month extension will run out and he'll need a stamp I suppose.

[millefleur 5,046]

54 minutes ago, yuna628 said:

If we file for naturalization though, wouldn't that pretty much reset the clock on the ROC? I guess I'm a bit fussy and would like my hubby to have a more settled status. Eventually the 18 month extension will run out and he'll need a stamp I suppose.

I've never heard of filing for naturalization resetting the clock for ROC. I've read some folks on VJ saying that filing for naturalization kind of gives them a reason to speed up ROC and move it along faster in the queue because naturalization is higher priority than ROC. Can anyone here shed some light on this based on their own experiences?

Edited February 2, 2019 by millefleur

[yuna628 9,677]

4 minutes ago, millefleur said:

I've never heard of filing for naturalization resetting the clock for ROC. I've read some folks on VJ saying that filing for naturalization kind of gives them a reason to speed up ROC and move it along faster in the queue because naturalization is higher priority than ROC. Can anyone here shed some light on this based on their own experiences?

I guess, what I've heard, and it could be hearsay - is that if we're already in the queue since May 2018 for ROC, with a hopeful review of the case by mid 2019, if we apply for naturalization and B'more is taking somewhere around a year to even get to that, they'd pull the file and we'd be stuck in another year long wait on top?

[millefleur 5,046]

9 minutes ago, yuna628 said:

I guess, what I've heard, and it could be hearsay - is that if we're already in the queue since May 2018 for ROC, with a hopeful review of the case by mid 2019, if we apply for naturalization and B'more is taking somewhere around a year to even get to that, they'd pull the file and we'd be stuck in another year long wait on top?

I have no evidence or personal experience to speak from, but that just seems like it wouldn't be the case? Maybe @Bill & Katya can chime in and give some advice. I found a recent thread on the topic if it helps, seems like most people are saying that it most likely will not slow the process down:

 

 

 

[TBoneTX 45,319]

Filing for naturalization forces adjudication of the I-751.

From what I recall reading, sometimes it's a combined interview: ROC, then natz.  Unsure if it's consistently that way.

[Dashinka 24,514]

9 hours ago, yuna628 said:

I guess, what I've heard, and it could be hearsay - is that if we're already in the queue since May 2018 for ROC, with a hopeful review of the case by mid 2019, if we apply for naturalization and B'more is taking somewhere around a year to even get to that, they'd pull the file and we'd be stuck in another year long wait on top?

Katya filed for ROC back in December 2016 which was right at the start of the slowdown.  Of course she got her extension letter and the biometrics appointment, and all was fine, so we waited.  Fast forward January 2017, and she decided to file the N400 with the ROC still in progress for 13 months.  The N400 is pretty simple as compared to the I751 with a lot less required evidence, she had her N400 biometrics and she also used that opportunity to get an I551 stamp since her extension letter was only of the 12 month variety (she walking in for an Infopass while at USCIS for the biometrics).  As you see in our signature, the interview for the N400 came up in April and she was recommended for approval, but we still had that pesky I751 outstanding.  A month after that, the I751 was approved (we had a joint very short ROC interview without notice right before her N400 interview), and the oath followed about six weeks later.  At that time, I was following the ROC status thread for December 2016 as well as the joint ROC N400 thread in the ROC forum and about the same time folks were getting their ROCs approved as well, but since her N400 was also in the works, the overall journey was nearing an end much sooner then those that waited for the ROC completion to file the N400.  You have to remember that even as a conditional LPR, one is still an LPR regardless of if the ROC has been approved, sure, there might be a need to get an I551 stamp to continue to show that legal status, but overall, having both the ROC and N400 clocks running at the same time seems advantageous.

 

Take a look at this thread and you will see some similar stories.

 

 

Good Luck!

[Nature Boy 2.0 8,370]

1 hour ago, Bill & Katya said:

Katya filed for ROC back in December 2016 which was right at the start of the slowdown.  Of course she got her extension letter and the biometrics appointment, and all was fine, so we waited.  Fast forward January 2017, and she decided to file the N400 with the ROC still in progress for 13 months.  The N400 is pretty simple as compared to the I751 with a lot less required evidence, she had her N400 biometrics and she also used that opportunity to get an I551 stamp since her extension letter was only of the 12 month variety (she walking in for an Infopass while at USCIS for the biometrics).  As you see in our signature, the interview for the N400 came up in April and she was recommended for approval, but we still had that pesky I751 outstanding.  A month after that, the I751 was approved (we had a joint very short ROC interview without notice right before her N400 interview), and the oath followed about six weeks later.  At that time, I was following the ROC status thread for December 2016 as well as the joint ROC N400 thread in the ROC forum and about the same time folks were getting their ROCs approved as well, but since her N400 was also in the works, the overall journey was nearing an end much sooner then those that waited for the ROC completion to file the N400.  You have to remember that even as a conditional LPR, one is still an LPR regardless of if the ROC has been approved, sure, there might be a need to get an I551 stamp to continue to show that legal status, but overall, having both the ROC and N400 clocks running at the same time seems advantageous.

 

Take a look at this thread and you will see some similar stories.

 

 

Good Luck!

All that is over for us. I think i have forgotten most of whats what . Seems like it was several  weeks between interview and swearing in.

 

Now the swearing in was cool. A MDL would be sideways.  Said the pledge, national anthem and told them to learn our culture and assimilate. 

[jg121783 3,915]

How long does it take to get an extension letter after filing the I 751 package? About to file for my wife and step son next week and we only have a couple weeks after that until their green cards expire. Would have sent it out sooner but I have been having computer and printer issues along with delays getting documents we needed. What happens if we don't have the extension letter when the green cards expire but can prove the I 751 was filed in time? I'm asking here because we are on the subject and it's hard to get a response on the ROC forum.

Edited February 2, 2019 by jg121783

[Dashinka 24,514]

2 minutes ago, jg121783 said:

How long does it take to get an extension letter after filing the I 751 package? About to file for my wife and step son next week and we only have a couple weeks after that until their green cards expire. Would have sent it out sooner but I have been having computer and printer issues.

Usually a week or so.

[jg121783 3,915]

7 minutes ago, Bill & Katya said:

Usually a week or so.

That basically answers my question. I'm at work and my break ended so I didn't have a chance to finish my post because I had to make it look to my boss like I was getting some work done lol. I was just worried my wife and step son would have expired green cards and nothing to show as proof they are still valid for a period of time. I didn't know the extension letter came that quick.

[Nature Boy 2.0 8,370]

All this immigration talk on an immigration website

 Whats the world coming to