N-400 May 2020 filers

[QueenofSwords 29]

18 minutes ago, Veggie3 said:

@Queenofswords - thank you for sharing your story. I don't think, however, that your assertion is conclusive.

 

I'm also a university professor, but unlike you, I'm self petitioned (National Interest Waiver category, which still belongs to EB). I applied in the last week of May 2020, got a reuse notice in mid-September, and my interview will take place in mid-Nov. (5.5 months after my PD). In other forums I've seen many employment-based applicants who received a reuse notice as well. 

 

It's very difficult to predict USCIS mode of operation, but I'd say the decision whether to reuse or not has to do with the field office, and the applicant's personal history.

Thanks, very interesting. I appreciate the input. 

Possibly you had given biometrics in the recent past. 

I know for a fact they won't move until a slot for bio opens up for me-that's what the  response was. It's quite frustrating and unfair. It's a holdup and they most likely are prioritizing GC and other more urgent bios,, and hence a slot fails to open up. 

I am not sure what there could be in my personal history that'd preclude a re-use and I can tell you that I'd get a boilerplate blah blah blah blah dog-ate-my-homework type 'every case is different' spiel so they can stuff that response up their arseholes for all I care. 

The fact is  it's red tape and ineptitude, contractor shortage due to money shortage, and all of that mixed in with covid closures. It has NOTHING to do with my case. It's the luck of the draw. 

Once I find a means to do so,, I will  anonymously blast them to hell but just gotta cross this bridge,, if ever. I am even a hair away from saying f it and withdrawing my application. 

[QueenofSwords 29]

Btw, I just spoke with a friend whose husband is EB2-not an academic but he's a PhD in industry and was sponsored by his company. He'd applied in February and had an appointment for bio for early April. His field office is in Dallas, TX so high volume.

And guess what-nada, nothing. not rescheduled. so that's a February applicant with an original bio, whose case is also stuck in limbo due to the covid disaster. 

[320van 0]

question for you all. My case number starts with IOE. What does it mean? And how do I know my service center or local field office? Technically I'm in Denver but applied via mail to Arizona. So would denver be my field office? And if so, why does my case say IOE then? 

 

Also, how can I check which date my local field office opened in July? 

 

Thanks a lot. 

[mrndpf 25]

On 10/8/2020 at 6:55 PM, mrndpf said:

My wife had her citizenship interview / test today in the Manchester, NH, office. She was approved , and was told that an oath ceremony would be scheduled and she'll get a letter soon.

 

Naturalization ceremony set for Oct 30, in the Manchester (Bedford), NH, office.

[Scandi 4,168]

1 hour ago, 320van said:

question for you all. My case number starts with IOE. What does it mean? And how do I know my service center or local field office? Technically I'm in Denver but applied via mail to Arizona. So would denver be my field office? And if so, why does my case say IOE then? 

 

Also, how can I check which date my local field office opened in July? 

 

Thanks a lot. 

IOE is the online filing letters. It only means the form you filed CAN be filed online. It doesn't matter if you filed on paper or online, you still get the same letters as the rest of us. 

 

Your field office is based on your zip code. USCIS has a field office page on their website, just scroll all the way down and insert your zip code, it wil let you know which field office is yours.

[Harold_Oakland 133]

2 hours ago, 320van said:

question for you all. My case number starts with IOE. What does it mean? And how do I know my service center or local field office? Technically I'm in Denver but applied via mail to Arizona. So would denver be my field office? And if so, why does my case say IOE then? 

 

Also, how can I check which date my local field office opened in July? 

 

Thanks a lot. 

Hello, my wife and I reside in the Denver area as well. Good to see someone else on here in the same location. She hasn't received biometrics nor a reuse notice however, the ASC opened July 20th 2020 and it's been 91 calendar days since that date. As per a USCIS agent if it has been more than 90 days the applicant can file a service request in regards to a biometrics appointment.

How's the case looking for y'all?

[STurcotte77 40]

I was wondering about the reuse of bio as well, I am assuming becuase I waited to file my N400  (My GC expires next year) that I would have to go in and redo them in person which is why mine may be taking a while.  Well, in addition too the fact that Atlanta seems like one of the slowest offices so far. 

 

 

[QueenofSwords 29]

4 hours ago, 320van said:

question for you all. My case number starts with IOE. What does it mean? And how do I know my service center or local field office? Technically I'm in Denver but applied via mail to Arizona. So would denver be my field office? And if so, why does my case say IOE then? 

 

Also, how can I check which date my local field office opened in July? 

 

Thanks a lot. 

You cannot check.. These people on here are your source info. they know because they'd been keeping tabs on it back over the summer, when ASCs were slated to open in June and kept on getting pushed back. all of them opened somewhere around the July 20th-July 27th mark. I only found out about the date through this forum and this was verified on the phone with a USCIS agent. 

 

All of you waiting for the 90 day deadline. Don't hold your breath b/c they are not abiding by it. You'd be told that they aren't scheduling any new appointments as of yet. I don't think is going to change until 2021 when some sort of third party-immigration advocates or whatnot will blast them to the corners of the 7 hells for this and they will get their together. 

[320van 0]

Thank you everyone for your replies and providing the info I needed. Cheers

1 hour ago, Harold_Oakland said:

Hello, my wife and I reside in the Denver area as well. Good to see someone else on here in the same location. She hasn't received biometrics nor a reuse notice however, the ASC opened July 20th 2020 and it's been 91 calendar days since that date. As per a USCIS agent if it has been more than 90 days the applicant can file a service request in regards to a biometrics appointment.

How's the case looking for y'all?

Yeh seems denver office is moving slow. 

[Harold_Oakland 133]

20 minutes ago, QueenofSwords said:

You cannot check.. These people on here are your source info. they know because they'd been keeping tabs on it back over the summer, when ASCs were slated to open in June and kept on getting pushed back. all of them opened somewhere around the July 20th-July 27th mark. I only found out about the date through this forum and this was verified on the phone with a USCIS agent. 

 

All of you waiting for the 90 day deadline. Don't hold your breath b/c they are not abiding by it. You'd be told that they aren't scheduling any new appointments as of yet. I don't think is going to change until 2021 when some sort of third party-immigration advocates or whatnot will blast them to the corners of the 7 hells for this and they will get their together. 

I'm hoping 2021 sees some major overhauls as well. It seems like they could utilize data analytics to best serve their customers like basically every other modern entity does.

[Harold_Oakland 133]

My wife just got off the phone with USCIS and entered a service request for biometrics. Will update as we know things.

[QueenofSwords 29]

6 minutes ago, Harold_Oakland said:

My wife just got off the phone with USCIS and entered a service request for biometrics. Will update as we know things.

Good luck! If you read above, I recounted the story of my friend's hubby who filed in Feb in Dallas, TX  and had bio for April 2nd. Since reopening it's been radio silence. 

 

The issue with the service request is that they will tell you that your case is awaiting a slot. And that slot will never open. 

 

 

Edited October 19, 2020 by QueenofSwords

[Harold_Oakland 133]

13 minutes ago, QueenofSwords said:

Good luck! If you read above, I recounted the story of my friend's hubby who filed in Feb in Dallas, TX  and had bio for April 2nd. Since reopening it's been radio silence. 

 

The issue with the service request is that they will tell you that your case is awaiting a slot. And that slot will never open. 

 

 

I'm hoping that after all the poor luck my wife has had she'll be able to catch a break. One thing I've noticed since covid is how truly random USCIS actions seem to be. There is no consistency, no order, only chaos. Here's to hoping things go better for your friend.

 

[QueenofSwords 29]

1 minute ago, Harold_Oakland said:

I'm hoping that after all the poor luck my wife has had she'll be able to catch a break. One thing I've noticed since covid is how truly random USCIS actions seem to be. There is no consistency, no order, only chaos. Here's to hoping things go better for your friend.

 

Exactly. Of course, they will act as if there's a method to the madness and try to pin it on the prospective applicant by giving the every case is different spiel. One agent tried that with me and claimed bios could take 2 years before covid. I pointed to the data and he was like I wouldn't trust data. Oh yea-then what do you trust? If you don't trust data in 2020, your agency deserves to shutter and become bankrupt, my friend, and you deserve to be unemployed. sorry to say. 

[Harold_Oakland 133]

Just now, QueenofSwords said:

Exactly. Of course, they will act as if there's a method to the madness and try to pin it on the prospective applicant by giving the every case is different spiel. One agent tried that with me and claimed bios could take 2 years before covid. I pointed to the data and he was like I wouldn't trust data. Oh yea-then what do you trust? If you don't trust data in 2020, your agency deserves to shutter and become bankrupt, my friend, and you deserve to be unemployed. sorry to say. 

I agree with you 100%. I'm not a data scientist but it seems that things are so inefficient that they can't possibly be using analytics. If user-submitted data is more accurate than their data well which it seems to be, then they have a problem. In what world would any private company survive with this kind of disparity of service? We're seeing 3 month approvals for some while others wait 3 years (assuming no background check issues here).