N-400 processing taking very long

[Labradoodle 0]

Hi, 

 

We applied for naturalization back in May of 2020. We were finally called for fingerprinting a year later in May 2021, and provided our fingerprints in June 2021. Now we are in January 2022 and absolutely nothing has happened since June. In the meantime, I have a friend who applied just four months ago, was told USCIS already has his fingerprints (they had ours also from the green card process, but called us back for fingerprinting for naturalization anyway) and he has already gotten his interview for this month. The apparent lack of standards between cases is infuriating. Is he very lucky that he is breezing his way through citizenship in less than six months, or are we super unlucky that ours is progressing at snail’s pace (assuming it’s progressing at all)? If it makes a difference, he lives in Maryland and we live in Virginia, so our cases are processed by different USCIS offices I believe. And he is a single applicant whereas in my case my wife and I have applied together (well, through our own individual applications obviously, but the fingerprinting appointments were on the same day, so I do believe USCIS is recognizing we are a family and coordinating our applications).
 

Since June, we have sent follow-ups through the MY USCIS login area, and on November 19th sent an e-request as well, but our earlier messages just got generic-sounding responses back, and our last e-request hasn’t even been replied to yet, even though their system generated response had said that we would be getting a response by December 11th. 
 

We are trying to be calm and composed about it, but we’ve never heard anyone among our friends whose naturalization applications took this long. I’m theorizing that the Washington Field Office, which I believe is the office that’s processing our cases, must be swamped/falling apart whereas other offices like Baltimore are more efficient, but I obviously have no proof to back my theory. Is anyone else in Northern Virginia (or anywhere else) having similar slowness/unresponsiveness experience with USCIS regarding their N-400 applications?

 

Thanks.

[powerpuff 6,748]

~ Moved from General Immigration Discussion to US Citizenship Case filing & Progress reports as the question is about naturalization ~

[igoyougoduke 1,675]

3 hours ago, Labradoodle said:

Hi, 

 

We applied for naturalization back in May of 2020. We were finally called for fingerprinting a year later in May 2021, and provided our fingerprints in June 2021. Now we are in January 2022 and absolutely nothing has happened since June. In the meantime, I have a friend who applied just four months ago, was told USCIS already has his fingerprints (they had ours also from the green card process, but called us back for fingerprinting for naturalization anyway) and he has already gotten his interview for this month. The apparent lack of standards between cases is infuriating. Is he very lucky that he is breezing his way through citizenship in less than six months, or are we super unlucky that ours is progressing at snail’s pace (assuming it’s progressing at all)? If it makes a difference, he lives in Maryland and we live in Virginia, so our cases are processed by different USCIS offices I believe. And he is a single applicant whereas in my case my wife and I have applied together (well, through our own individual applications obviously, but the fingerprinting appointments were on the same day, so I do believe USCIS is recognizing we are a family and coordinating our applications).
 

Since June, we have sent follow-ups through the MY USCIS login area, and on November 19th sent an e-request as well, but our earlier messages just got generic-sounding responses back, and our last e-request hasn’t even been replied to yet, even though their system generated response had said that we would be getting a response by December 11th. 
 

We are trying to be calm and composed about it, but we’ve never heard anyone among our friends whose naturalization applications took this long. I’m theorizing that the Washington Field Office, which I believe is the office that’s processing our cases, must be swamped/falling apart whereas other offices like Baltimore are more efficient, but I obviously have no proof to back my theory. Is anyone else in Northern Virginia (or anywhere else) having similar slowness/unresponsiveness experience with USCIS regarding their N-400 applications?

 

Thanks.

you should file a out of processing time request. 

[Labradoodle 0]

5 hours ago, igoyougoduke said:

you should file a out of processing time request. 

I think that’s what we already did in November. Isn’t that the same as the e-request? 

[Labradoodle 0]

6 hours ago, igoyougoduke said:

you should file a out of processing time request. 

https://egov.uscis.gov/e-request/displayONPTForm.do

 

This is what we sent them in November. What would be the next step? Wait some more? Send them another one? Go to the ombudsman? Any other suggestions?

[igoyougoduke 1,675]

9 minutes ago, Labradoodle said:

https://egov.uscis.gov/e-request/displayONPTForm.do

 

This is what we sent them in November. What would be the next step? Wait some more? Send them another one? Go to the ombudsman? Any other suggestions?

what was the result ? if you want a  quick result file a mandamus in court 

[Labradoodle 0]

1 hour ago, igoyougoduke said:

what was the result ? if you want a  quick result file a mandamus in court 

The result has been radio silence so far, after about 1.5 months of sending the request. Before taking legal action, we were considering going to the USCIS ombudsman. Has anyone gotten good results with them? 

[mw2018 14]

2 hours ago, Labradoodle said:

The result has been radio silence so far, after about 1.5 months of sending the request. Before taking legal action, we were considering going to the USCIS ombudsman. Has anyone gotten good results with them? 

Forget the Ombudsman. Will do nothing to help. Go to court if you want your case to move.

[ineedadisplayname 503]

13 hours ago, Labradoodle said:

, I have a friend who applied just four months ago

Is your friend has the same nationality as you? Lives in the same area?

[Labradoodle 0]

32 minutes ago, ineedadisplayname said:

Is your friend has the same nationality as you? Lives in the same area?

Same nationality. He lives in MD, I live in VA. And he is single, whereas I am married and my wife and I applied simultaneously. 

[millefleur 5,047]

Spring 2020 filers are struggling right now with some of the worst N-400 processing times. March, April and May 2020 filers have a lot of people in the same boat.

 

Taking legal action is probably the only sure fire way to get them to act quickly. You can try reaching out to senators/your representative, but it's not a guarantee they can do much.

[STurcotte77 40]

Are you on the May Filers 2020 thread on here?   There is a lot of helpful information on ways to try to get things moving from everyone that filed in May 2020.

Here is the link to the forum:  go read through the last 4-5 pages it will go through what some of us are doing (and some have been successful so far). 

 

 

Edited January 9, 2022 by STurcotte77

[Labradoodle 0]

1 hour ago, millefleur said:

Spring 2020 filers are struggling right now with some of the worst N-400 processing times. March, April and May 2020 filers have a lot of people in the same boat.

 

Taking legal action is probably the only sure fire way to get them to act quickly. You can try reaching out to senators/your representative, but it's not a guarantee they can do much.

Thanks so much for letting me know! I had no idea.

[Labradoodle 0]

57 minutes ago, STurcotte77 said:

Are you on the May Filers 2020 thread on here?   There is a lot of helpful information on ways to try to get things moving from everyone that filed in May 2020.

Here is the link to the forum:  go read through the last 4-5 pages it will go through what some of us are doing (and some have been successful so far). 

 

 

Thanks so much! Seems like a lengthy thread with lots of info, I’ll sift through it tonight. 

[nazkav 0]

Hi,

My mom applied end of April 2022 in Los Angeles, and she is still waiting too.