IO Approval means?

[LightDisplay 6]

If an IO verbally tell that he/she is recommending the application for approval, does that mean a 100% approval?

 

Or does it go thru more steps and approvals before it is final? Basically even if IO approves, the app can still be denied?

[geowrian 22,337]

No. It is exactly what they said - a recommendation for approval. Barring something coming up during final review, checks, and/or supervisory review, I would expect an approval. But it's not approved yet. An RFE or denial is still possible if they were to discover an inadmissibility before approval.

[Elf 146]

28 minutes ago, geowrian said:

No. It is exactly what they said - a recommendation for approval. Barring something coming up during final review, checks, and/or supervisory review, I would expect an approval. But it's not approved yet. An RFE or denial is still possible if they were to discover an inadmissibility before approval.

The only two outcomes listed on the N-652 are "Congratulations!  Your application has been recommended for approval." and "A decision cannot yet be made about your application."  There isn't a "Congratulations, your application has been approved." option.

 

That's because, as @geowrian said, the interview is followed by a final review.  Specifically, per the USCIS policy manual:

 

Quote

If an officer approves a naturalization application, the application goes through the appropriate internal procedures before the USCIS office schedules the applicant to appear at a ceremony for the administration of the Oath of Allegiance. ^[2] The internal procedures include a “re-verification” procedure where all approved applications are reviewed for quality. The officer who conducts the re-verification is not the same officer who conducts the interview. While the officer conducting the re-verification process does not adjudicate the application once again, the officer may raise any substantive eligibility issues.

 

USCIS does not schedule an applicant for the Oath of Allegiance in cases where USCIS receives or identifies potentially disqualifying information about the applicant after approval of his or her application. ^[3] If USCIS cannot resolve the disqualifying information and the adjudicating officer finds the applicant ineligible for naturalization, USCIS then issues a motion to reopen and re-adjudicates the naturalization application.

Generally, though, a "recommended for approval" result swiftly turns into an approval.  In my case, I think that had happened before I got out of the parking lot.  (Admittedly, I had been sitting in my car for 20 minutes texting a close-up of the "Congratulations!" checkbox to all and sundry 😆)

 

[dilip 187]

14 hours ago, LightDisplay said:

If an IO verbally tell that he/she is recommending the application for approval, does that mean a 100% approval?

 

Or does it go thru more steps and approvals before it is final? Basically even if IO approves, the app can still be denied?

 

You will see following online notices after IO recommended for approval.  My interview was on June 28, 2019.  Done with oath on July 15, 2019. Did you get N-652 and what it says?

Edited July 24, 2019 by dilip