USCIS Aims to Decrease Processing Times for N-400 and I-485 [merged threads]

[nyj215 103]

I would fly from NYC to Alaska if it would make this go quicker.

 

Anyway I guess confirmation of what we had seen in recent weeks.  Newark taking on NYC cases made sense.  I would also hope that the insane imbalance between Yonkers/NYC and Long Island/NYC is evened out.

[Mollie09 1,543]

I'm wondering how far they'd expect applicants to go, and whether there's an option to wait longer at your local office.

[N400NYC 380]

32 minutes ago, nyj215 said:

I would fly from NYC to Alaska if it would make this go quicker.

 

Anyway I guess confirmation of what we had seen in recent weeks.  Newark taking on NYC cases made sense.  I would also hope that the insane imbalance between Yonkers/NYC and Long Island/NYC is evened out.

I was about to say the same thing - I'd fly to Hawaii!!! And yes, there needs to be an evening out of the very uneven wait times across Westchester/NYC/Long Island!

[Lemon23 400]

1 hour ago, nyj215 said:

I would fly from NYC to Alaska if it would make this go quicker.

 

Anyway I guess confirmation of what we had seen in recent weeks.  Newark taking on NYC cases made sense.  I would also hope that the insane imbalance between Yonkers/NYC and Long Island/NYC is evened out.

 

36 minutes ago, N400NYC said:

I was about to say the same thing - I'd fly to Hawaii!!! And yes, there needs to be an evening out of the very uneven wait times across Westchester/NYC/Long Island!

Don't forget to include the vacation trip. I would love to go in Hawaii and Alaska

[dwheels76 5,468]

2 hours ago, N400NYC said:

I had similar thoughts. There might be limits to how effective such a strategy can be if all the offices in a certain area (e.g. NYC/Brooklyn/Queens) are all severely overloaded. 

Same with where i am in Houston 2years OMG.

[Dashinka 24,493]

3 hours ago, missileman said:

Interesting......so they are balancing workload of local offices........wonder why I-751s weren't mentioned.  

Most I751s are handled at USCIS service centers rather than local offices unless someone also files an N400.

[Loren Y 2,755]

I have no problem traveling to the other side of the country to speed up the process, problem is this is still a government operation, so it will take 12-18 months for this to even begin. So anyone that files starting late 2020, or so should see this as a possibility. If it's one thing we all know, nothing with the US government is going to happen quickly, and this is a pretty big change to the process, this isn't a simple form update or change, this is shifting whole applications to different offices. Not to be the neysayer of the group, but don't hold your breath. I hope it starts next week, but that is a fantasy. Time will tell, but I don't think we will see a post for at least a year from now saying I'm in Houston, and have to interview in Cleveland?

[debbiedoo 2,339]

we would gladly drive somewhere and cover a hotel room for a night or two to decrease the time. as it is, we are eqi-distance between norfolk and Raleigh and even dc wouldnt be any further for us.

[nyj215 103]

14 minutes ago, Loren Y said:

I have no problem traveling to the other side of the country to speed up the process, problem is this is still a government operation, so it will take 12-18 months for this to even begin. So anyone that files starting late 2020, or so should see this as a possibility. If it's one thing we all know, nothing with the US government is going to happen quickly, and this is a pretty big change to the process, this isn't a simple form update or change, this is shifting whole applications to different offices. Not to be the neysayer of the group, but don't hold your breath. I hope it starts next week, but that is a fantasy. Time will tell, but I don't think we will see a post for at least a year from now saying I'm in Houston, and have to interview in Cleveland?

It started already - see threads on USCIS moving cases.  Happened in the NYC area and elsewhere.

[afrocraft 313]

They could switch to an interview booking system that provides paired options of time-to-interview and travel distance, and let applicants choose. The further the travel distance you choose, the sooner the interview date. Let the market decide.

Edited June 17, 2019 by afrocraft

[N400NYC 380]

5 minutes ago, afrocraft said:

They could switch to an interview booking system that provides paired options of time-to-interview and travel distance, and let applicants choose. The further the travel distance you choose, the sooner the interview date. Let the market decide.

Sign me up! I wish this was actually possible. 

[Loren Y 2,755]

27 minutes ago, nyj215 said:

It started already - see threads on USCIS moving cases.  Happened in the NYC area and elsewhere.

I couldn't find more than a few movements, even in the article posted just yesterday they say in the first line USCIS will begin to implement the changes. I don't think it has really started. We will see a serious increase in postings when it begins. They will be moving 1000's of cases, and with only a small percentage of people registered here on the forum, we will see hundreds of postings, and I'm sure some actual letters received posted.  I hope it has started, but moving a few hundred even of the over 300,000 plus that need moved doesn't mean a full rollout of this. It's USCIS, look at their track record, nothing is happening fast. I hope I'm wrong and I have an interview notice in my mailbox now saying we need you and your wife in Cleveland tomorrow morning for your AOS interview. I'm on the way to the airport now to catch the red-eye.

[Dashinka 24,493]

Personally, I am all for this, and would drive the extra mile if necessary to get my wife her GC or N400.  Hopefully, it does speed things up especially for those in high volume offices.  Overall, my wife was very lucky as Detroit is not so busy and her AOS and N400 processed very quickly, the only thing that took any time was the ROC, but to us that was just a formality since naturalization was the end goal.

 

Saying this, I think the big issue will be how far and where cases will be moved.  I imagine the busiest offices are in very urban areas, and they are all busy, and the slowest ones most likely are in the middle of the country, will those dwelling in NYC, Philly, or LA be happy with a trip to Detroit, or OKC for an interview?

[Lemon23 400]

1 hour ago, Loren Y said:

I have no problem traveling to the other side of the country to speed up the process, problem is this is still a government operation, so it will take 12-18 months for this to even begin. So anyone that files starting late 2020, or so should see this as a possibility. If it's one thing we all know, nothing with the US government is going to happen quickly, and this is a pretty big change to the process, this isn't a simple form update or change, this is shifting whole applications to different offices. Not to be the neysayer of the group, but don't hold your breath. I hope it starts next week, but that is a fantasy. Time will tell, but I don't think we will see a post for at least a year from now saying I'm in Houston, and have to interview in Cleveland?

Actually it started already since last month before they posted the news. So the ball is already rolling.

[Highmystic 234]

6 hours ago, Natonstan said:

Shifting interviews outside of jurisdiction, I wonder just how far outside they're going to put them, are we now going to be expected to book flights across the country for interviews?

Yeah, my  wife's biometrics was in Las Vegas,  90 min away.  15 months later, I emailed as to why people (in Vegas) who filed after us for AOS already had their interviews.  The email was to be responded to in 3 weeks, but after two weeks we got an appointment.. In Phoenix,   nearly 4 hour drive.  Vegas has a very long wait.