N-400 September 2021 Filers

[Mason_inami 3]

8 hours ago, shila75 said:

Hi , did you checked your approximate time today? Mine is dropped back to 14 months from 15 months. So probably it's true that every end of the month they dropping a month or two.

The day I filed (sept 22) my estimated time was 15 months, after a day it dropped to 14 months. Today it dropped to 13 months.

[notantifun 196]

50 minutes ago, Elaine Ellis said:

Wow!!!! That was super fast!!!! Nice!!! What state are you from and what service center?

I'm on Texas but I filed online and my notice says National Benefits Center. I guess that's my processing center? The 2 VJ members in this thread who already got interview schedule are both in LA processing center.

[Elaine Ellis 1]

7 hours ago, notantifun said:

I'm on Texas but I filed online and my notice says National Benefits Center. I guess that's my processing center? The 2 VJ members in this thread who already got interview schedule are both in LA processing center.

I’ve heard that LA is much faster than other states. Hope 🙏 we all gonna see the light at the end of the tunnel very soon

[Utah123 29]

On 9/30/2021 at 3:56 PM, mikgallagher said:

Preparing to file N400 based on 3 year marriage rule. One question: the for asks to go back 5 years for addresses, etc. do we just go back three years?  Couldn’t find an answer in the instructions. Thanks in advance for the assist. 

I filed on basis of 3 years as well. Yeah, there was not any instructions so I just mentioned all 5 years address history and even 5 years job history as well. (2 years were in Pakistan before I moved to states).

[jack Smith 6]

I think I can answer most of these questions.

If you apply online, you create a username and password and after you e-file, a few minutes to an hour you should get a pdf receipt that the application is accepted for processing (Notice 1 Document 1) and another notice that the biometrices are being reused (Notice 1 Document 2) .

 

You can apply 90 days before the 5-year or 3-year (if by marriage) deadline and you can be approved before the actual 5 year or 3 year mark, although the Oath will be held on or after the 5 year mark. So if you applied 90 days early, you may get a interview and approval say in 60 days and then another 60 day wait before the oath taking you past 90 day early filing.

 

If you file because of work (5-year rule) then the membership of societies, travel history, address should go back 5 years unless you lived longer than 5 years at one address. If you are filing because of marriage you can include 3 years of society, travel, housing, work histories or opt for 5 years.

 

If you mail in the paper, you will get three paper notices within 2 weeks, the first will be the application is accepted for processing, the second is your access code. here on the USCIS website you login and add paper file, then enter the IOE number (Document 1) and then the passcode (Document 2). Shortly after you receive a third document that your biometrices have been applied from an earlier petition, for folks who had a marriage but it was less than three years, they would have filed an I751, the others most likely an AOS. Most folks recall physical biometrics from 2018, so we know it is more likely a 2018 biometric file will be reapplied. if yours was earlier it may or may not be reapplied, but you should get two documents (still counted as first notice) within 2 weeks after filing date. A third document (Second notice) might be in the same time frame (within 30 days of filing) and it will tell whether you get to go for biometrices or whether they will reapply from an earlier petition.

 

The time frame listed inside your USCIS is based on the average 5 year case load and many folks get approved before that duration, noting there is no guarantee that your case will be processed faster than someone else, but some centers are processing at a faster rate than others. The VJ history here for 2020 is around 180 days, some people as fast as 46 days, some slow as 420 days.

 

 

[Utah123 29]

48 minutes ago, jack Smith said:

I think I can answer most of these questions.

If you apply online, you create a username and password and after you e-file, a few minutes to an hour you should get a pdf receipt that the application is accepted for processing (Notice 1 Document 1) and another notice that the biometrices are being reused (Notice 1 Document 2) .

 

You can apply 90 days before the 5-year or 3-year (if by marriage) deadline and you can be approved before the actual 5 year or 3 year mark, although the Oath will be held on or after the 5 year mark. So if you applied 90 days early, you may get a interview and approval say in 60 days and then another 60 day wait before the oath taking you past 90 day early filing.

 

If you file because of work (5-year rule) then the membership of societies, travel history, address should go back 5 years unless you lived longer than 5 years at one address. If you are filing because of marriage you can include 3 years of society, travel, housing, work histories or opt for 5 years.

 

If you mail in the paper, you will get three paper notices within 2 weeks, the first will be the application is accepted for processing, the second is your access code. here on the USCIS website you login and add paper file, then enter the IOE number (Document 1) and then the passcode (Document 2). Shortly after you receive a third document that your biometrices have been applied from an earlier petition, for folks who had a marriage but it was less than three years, they would have filed an I751, the others most likely an AOS. Most folks recall physical biometrics from 2018, so we know it is more likely a 2018 biometric file will be reapplied. if yours was earlier it may or may not be reapplied, but you should get two documents (still counted as first notice) within 2 weeks after filing date. A third document (Second notice) might be in the same time frame (within 30 days of filing) and it will tell whether you get to go for biometrices or whether they will reapply from an earlier petition.

 

The time frame listed inside your USCIS is based on the average 5 year case load and many folks get approved before that duration, noting there is no guarantee that your case will be processed faster than someone else, but some centers are processing at a faster rate than others. The VJ history here for 2020 is around 180 days, some people as fast as 46 days, some slow as 420 days.

 

 

Yeah you are right. I put all 5 years address and work history even though I filed on basis of 3 years but it doesn't matter.

[Sagior 15]

On 10/1/2021 at 1:39 PM, Mason_inami said:

The day I filed (sept 22) my estimated time was 15 months, after a day it dropped to 14 months. Today it dropped to 13 months.

Hi, the day I filed 9/2022 mine was saying 13 months, the following day went up to 16 months, then two days later dropped to 9 months. Yesterday the first of October dropped to 8 months.  I don't think it means anything.

[Elrona 101]

Just checked mine. It shows 13 months right now for me and luckily the biometrics will be reused! 

[PedroDaGr8 245]

14 hours ago, Elrona said:

Just checked mine. It shows 13 months right now for me and luckily the biometrics will be reused! 

Great news, on the biometrics.

 

Ours originally showed 13months, jumped to 15 months, then to 18 months, and has now dropped to 17months. All in the matter of a couple weeks.  I get the feeling that value isn't very reliable. It also doesn't help that we are at the SLOWEST FO in the nation. 

[Elrona 101]

1 minute ago, PedroDaGr8 said:

Great news, on the biometrics.

 

Ours originally showed 13months, jumped to 15 months, then to 18 months, and has now dropped to 17months. All in the matter of a couple weeks.  I get the feeling that value isn't very reliable. It also doesn't help that we are at the SLOWEST FO in the nation. 

Mine just went from 13 months to 7 months! Still not sure which office I'll go to.

[roddie2k 68]

On 10/2/2021 at 4:41 PM, jack Smith said:

he time frame listed inside your USCIS is based on the average 5 year case load and many folks get approved before that duration, noting there is no guarantee that your case will be processed faster than someone else, but some centers are processing at a faster rate than others. The VJ history here for 2020 is around 180 days, some people as fast as 46 days, some slow as 420 days.

 

Adding to what to you said - don't give too much importance to the processing time mentioned in your account - 495 days and counting and still no word of an interview 

[jack Smith 6]

The timeline listed on the USCIS account is the aggregate average for applications based on the 5 year rule, these are the bulk applications and one can imagine some have all documents, some have less documents and some have out of status or criminal histories that need to be explained and reviewed. Someone applying on a three year rule or as a son/daughter of a US Citizen (N600) these time lines would not apply. If there is no specific processing center it is most likely the National Benefits Center and then the closet field office to your zip code (listed in petition) for interview. So if you work in City 1 and live in City 2 and used your residential address and zip code, the processing center might be different than if you used your work address/zip code.

 

You can lookup the likely field offices using zip codes on the USCIS website. The general view here is that online petitions appear to be processed faster than mail in and folks who had a I-751 get processed faster than folks who are applying for after years, but again this depends on multiple factors and since no two people have identical files, it is unlikely they will get identical process times.

Hoping the best of luck to each and everyone of you

[notantifun 196]

1 hour ago, roddie2k said:

Adding to what to you said - don't give too much importance to the processing time mentioned in your account - 495 days and counting and still no word of an interview 

Mind if I ask if you are waiting for I-751 or N-400 interview?

[roddie2k 68]

On 10/1/2021 at 12:41 PM, mnt96 said:

Good luck to everyone affected.  I read somewhere your files are locked up in the "NRC".  I think you may want to get your congress reps involved with this one.  All the best.  

 

23 hours ago, mnt96 said:

@roddie2k did you reach out to your congress rep?  Yes, i meant somewhere USCIS store files.  Someone had started a thread with this info.

 

1 hour ago, notantifun said:

Mind if I ask if you are waiting for I-751 or N-400 interview?

N400

[jack Smith 6]

6 hours ago, roddie2k said:

 

 

N400

There are too many variables to guess why someone's case is taking too long. The NY case timeline is up to 24 months with some averaging 18 months. The 'current month' for NY State is May 2020, so Roodie2k case may not be slower than other folks who applied in April-June 2020. Some who applied for I-751 and then N400 have some faster rates as they have been reviewed for their I-751, but again it is based on what one wrote and what documents were transmitted. For NYC, a wait time of 400 days is not rare or exceptional. Wishing you get a positive decision next month (Nov), when the May 2020 case file is current