319b Expeditious Naturalization (INA319B)-A Complete Experience Report

[Qian 33]

16 hours ago, Truth_Seeker said:

So, today we got in the mail our packet back.  They refused it because they claim I had the wrong fee.  Which I know is wrong.  What they probably saw as that the fee was the normal fee minus the biometric fee.  You know you can't fix stupid.  And stupid is as stupid does.  And of course they shred the evidence of their stupidity.  

 

 

With this said, I am thinking about submitting online.  Has anyone else done a 319 Overseas Online with any issues?

I’ve heard more than one person submitted online while living overseas, they didn’t have any problems, you should be fine.

So, did you submit the biometric fee or not? Just so you know that we will have to pay that fee even if we get fingerprinted outside the States. The fee is considered as for “processing” the data. There has been discussions about that.

Good luck!

[mrbtx 7]

19 hours ago, Truth_Seeker said:

So, today we got in the mail our packet back.  They refused it because they claim I had the wrong fee.  Which I know is wrong.  What they probably saw as that the fee was the normal fee minus the biometric fee.  You know you can't fix stupid.  And stupid is as stupid does.  And of course they shred the evidence of their stupidity.  

 

 

With this said, I am thinking about submitting online.  Has anyone else done a 319 Overseas Online with any issues?

I did it online just before I left the US. My process took under 4 months. It could have been a month sooner if I chose one of the earliest interview dates. 

 

If you submitted $640, that is incorrect and the error is on your side. The fee is $725, regardless if you have paid $85 in the past for biometrics. 

[Truth_Seeker 14]

2 minutes ago, mrbtx said:

I did it online just before I left the US. My process took under 4 months. It could have been a month sooner if I chose one of the earliest interview dates. 

 

If you submitted $640, that is incorrect and the error is on your side. The fee is $725, regardless if you have paid $85 in the past for biometrics. 

Then why do they even bother telling you how much the biometric is if you have to pay it no matter what?  Or on other pages telling people overseas, that they don't have to pay for it, because they have to use other means.  In any event, online submissions give you no choice.  So we just submitted it online.  We still have the fingerprint card, but it is no longer in a sealed envelope.  So, I am not sure if we need to go back to the place and get them to reseal it or send it in as is.    But with that said, the packet they sent back was more than what we sent in that they copied the fingerprints.  So maybe they have them on file.  

 

FYI, their instructions were to send the packet back with the payment.  Hopefully what we did does not screw anything up.  Also, we are still waiting on my wife's green card to come in the mail.  For evidence in place of the green card, we sent her VISA with the stamp on it showing the date of entry.  

[mrbtx 7]

1 minute ago, Truth_Seeker said:

Then why do they even bother telling you how much the biometric is if you have to pay it no matter what?  Or on other pages telling people overseas, that they don't have to pay for it, because they have to use other means.  In any event, online submissions give you no choice.  So we just submitted it online.  We still have the fingerprint card, but it is no longer in a sealed envelope.  So, I am not sure if we need to go back to the place and get them to reseal it or send it in as is.    But with that said, the packet they sent back was more than what we sent in that they copied the fingerprints.  So maybe they have them on file.  

 

FYI, their instructions were to send the packet back with the payment.  Hopefully what we did does not screw anything up.  Also, we are still waiting on my wife's green card to come in the mail.  For evidence in place of the green card, we sent her VISA with the stamp on it showing the date of entry.  

Is your wife a permanent resident? I.e. Does she have a valid green card? You say in the mail, I assume it has been approved?

[Truth_Seeker 14]

28 minutes ago, mrbtx said:

Is your wife a permanent resident? I.e. Does she have a valid green card? You say in the mail, I assume it has been approved?

  She just became a resident on 11 July 2022.  We can USCIS mail it to my  HR department at my company, and then to us.  So it is literally still in that wonderful APO mail system.   My company did copy it before they mailed it, but the copy was really, really bad, so we did not use it.  

[mrbtx 7]

1 minute ago, Truth_Seeker said:

  She just became a resident on 11 July 2022.  We can USCIS mail it to my  HR department at my company, and then to us.  So it is literally still in that wonderful APO mail system.   My company did copy it before they mailed it, but the copy was really, really bad, so we did not use it.  

I would still upload the copy that you have as additional evidence. A copy of an entry stamp is not proof of permanent residency, so I would attach the copy of the green card. 

 

This is also a separate topic, but my confidence in the US mail service is almost 0. I hope you receive your greencard if the company have mailed it, but if it has been a while, I would be prepared to assume it is lost. 

[Chancy 6,242]

8 hours ago, mrbtx said:

A copy of an entry stamp is not proof of permanent residency, so I would attach the copy of the green card.

 

A copy of the CBP entry stamp with the IR1/CR1 visa is acceptable proof of permanent resident status for the purpose of N-400 application.  No need to wait for the plastic green card.

 

[Truth_Seeker 14]

On 8/31/2022 at 10:00 PM, Chancy said:

 

A copy of the CBP entry stamp with the IR1/CR1 visa is acceptable proof of permanent resident status for the purpose of N-400 application.  No need to wait for the plastic green card.

 

I agree.  Everything out there says that IR/CR1 visa + CBP Entry Stamp = 1 Year I-551 Card.  

So we submitted.  In any event, about a week later we got the Card, and I uploaded a copy of that also.  

 

After we did a submit, we got an RFE for Fingerprints and Photo.  We mailed those in on 2 September  2022.  And then when I got a notice from the post office that USCIS received that package, I uploaded a letter with the receipt showing that it was delivered in response to the RFE.  

[MHD22 0]

Hi all, hoping someone can help me out with a question in form N-400 regarding trips taken outside of US in the last 5 years.

 

I will be applying under INA section 319b (spouse of US citizen who is working for a US corporation abroad)

I have only received my green card a few months ago and have been living with my spouse abroad for 4+ years, so not sure how to answer the questions regarding trips taken outside of US for last 5 years?

 

Was wondering how applicants under 319b should answer this question?

 

[Truth_Seeker 14]

9 hours ago, MHD22 said:

Hi all, hoping someone can help me out with a question in form N-400 regarding trips taken outside of US in the last 5 years.

 

I will be applying under INA section 319b (spouse of US citizen who is working for a US corporation abroad)

I have only received my green card a few months ago and have been living with my spouse abroad for 4+ years, so not sure how to answer the questions regarding trips taken outside of US for last 5 years?

 

Was wondering how applicants under 319b should answer this question?

 

The question is really not applicable for 319b filers.  USCIS is trying to determine if you have had continuous residency in the US for the appropriate amount of time.    319b filers don't require to have any time the U.S. as long as they have not abandoned their green card.  

 

https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual/volume-12-part-g-chapter-4

 

E. Exception to Continuous Residence and Physical Presence Requirements

Spouses of U.S. citizens who are regularly stationed abroad under qualifying employment may be eligible to file for naturalization immediately after obtaining LPR status in the United States. Such spouses are not required to have any prior period of residence or specified period of physical presence within the United States in order to qualify for naturalization.^[19]

 

 

 

FYI, for my wife, we attached a continuation sheet explaining since we are under 319B that these question do not apply to us since continuous residency is not required for 319b fillers.  However, for good measure we listed that she has been basically living in Germany ever since she got her green card and before then she lived in Thailand.    My fear with the form is that if someone glanced at it and you listed the number of days outside of the U.S. they just might automatically deny the case without looking further.  By attaching a page to the N-400 and saying 0 days outside of the U.S., this should make it more difficult for someone to deny the case or have any question in their mind as to why the fact that the subject is not in the U.S. for the required time.  

 

Edited October 5, 2022 by Truth_Seeker

[MHD22 0]

On 9/20/2022 at 11:12 PM, Truth_Seeker said:

I agree.  Everything out there says that IR/CR1 visa + CBP Entry Stamp = 1 Year I-551 Card.  

So we submitted.  In any event, about a week later we got the Card, and I uploaded a copy of that also.  

 

After we did a submit, we got an RFE for Fingerprints and Photo.  We mailed those in on 2 September  2022.  And then when I got a notice from the post office that USCIS received that package, I uploaded a letter with the receipt showing that it was delivered in response to the RFE.  

Hi Truth Seeker,

 

Thanks for your response earlier regarding my question about travel abroad!

 

I have another question… so I finally submitted my N-400 yesterday and got a response from USCIS requesting my fingerprints and photo.

 

US embassy where I am does not offer this service  I can only do it at the police station… so was wondering how yours was done? if you were in the same situation? and also are we required to notarize our signature on the FD258 at the US embassy?

 

Thanks in advance!

[Truth_Seeker 14]

1 hour ago, MHD22 said:

Hi Truth Seeker,

 

Thanks for your response earlier regarding my question about travel abroad!

 

I have another question… so I finally submitted my N-400 yesterday and got a response from USCIS requesting my fingerprints and photo.

 

US embassy where I am does not offer this service  I can only do it at the police station… so was wondering how yours was done? if you were in the same situation? and also are we required to notarize our signature on the FD258 at the US embassy?

 

Thanks in advance!

For my wife, we just scheduled an appointment on the military base and they did the fingerprints.  My understanding is that the finger is that the only places outside of the country where you can get it done is  only on a U.S. Military Base or U.S. Embassy/Consulate.    Per the standard RFE for fingerprints it states the following:  

 

If there is not a USCIS office near your location outside of the United States, FD-258 cards can be completed

at a U.S. Embassy, U.S. Consulate, or U.S. Military Installation. You are responsible for making arrangements

to have your fingerprints taken on the FD-258 cards and sending the original cards to USCIS, at the address

provided below. To find your local U.S. Embassy or U.S. Consulate, visit www.state.gov.

 

 

[MHD22 0]

3 hours ago, Truth_Seeker said:

For my wife, we just scheduled an appointment on the military base and they did the fingerprints.  My understanding is that the finger is that the only places outside of the country where you can get it done is  only on a U.S. Military Base or U.S. Embassy/Consulate.    Per the standard RFE for fingerprints it states the following:  

 

If there is not a USCIS office near your location outside of the United States, FD-258 cards can be completed

at a U.S. Embassy, U.S. Consulate, or U.S. Military Installation. You are responsible for making arrangements

to have your fingerprints taken on the FD-258 cards and sending the original cards to USCIS, at the address

provided below. To find your local U.S. Embassy or U.S. Consulate, visit www.state.gov.

 

 

I will reach out to the embassy and share the RFE with them and see what they instruct me to do.

 

Also was your case status ever “Biometrics Appointment was Scheduled”? I noticed now that this is my current status but did not receive any attachment other than the RFE so was hoping this status doesn’t mean I have to fly back to the states for biometrics!

[OmarStuck 24]

4 hours ago, MHD22 said:

I will reach out to the embassy and share the RFE with them and see what they instruct me to do.

 

Also was your case status ever “Biometrics Appointment was Scheduled”? I noticed now that this is my current status but did not receive any attachment other than the RFE so was hoping this status doesn’t mean I have to fly back to the states for biometrics!

We had the same issue. We did our fingerprints at the police station here and sent them anyways.

 

We got an email response asking where we got our fingerprints done and they said they will not be accepted as it was not at an embassy.

 

If you have any communication with them, send them an email and tell them that you are not able to do a biometrics in your country. We did not have any emails with them until we sent the fingerprints so I do not know if you have any communication with them.

 

Once they got in touch with us, we arranged for an interview date and a biometrics date in the US. We did biometrics a few weeks before the interview.

[MHD22 0]

On 10/12/2022 at 10:30 PM, OmarStuck said:

We had the same issue. We did our fingerprints at the police station here and sent them anyways.

 

We got an email response asking where we got our fingerprints done and they said they will not be accepted as it was not at an embassy.

 

If you have any communication with them, send them an email and tell them that you are not able to do a biometrics in your country. We did not have any emails with them until we sent the fingerprints so I do not know if you have any communication with them.

 

Once they got in touch with us, we arranged for an interview date and a biometrics date in the US. We did biometrics a few weeks before the interview.

Thanks Omar.

So the consulate came back saying they will not do fingerprinting and that I can do it in the police station…. Don’t think I will go that route since yours was the same case and was not accepted!

 

Do you mind sharing the email address u were contacted by… I have been calling the USCIS call center but they keep on hanging up the phone when I ask to speak to an agent more than once!