N-400 Seattle (Part 2)

[PedroDaGr8 245]

On 10/12/2022 at 10:45 AM, forthecookies said:

What's the current consensus on cutoff time for a same day oath? My spouse and I got scheduled for next month with 1:30PM and 2:10PM slots, and both of us had biometrics reused when we submitted applications.

I don't think anyone knows for certain. I've never heard someone told "all of the slots were full". Historically,I would say that your times were just fine provided there were no issues with biometrics and the officer had your case file.

[Jujuy 8]

On 10/13/2022 at 5:45 PM, PedroDaGr8 said:

I don't think anyone knows for certain. I've never heard someone told "all of the slots were full". Historically,I would say that your times were just fine provided there were no issues with biometrics and the officer had your case file.

Well, the officer told me that "there were no more available spots" for the oath ceremony, this was at 1:35 pm.

[TheLastMile 13]

Filed my N400. 10/7/2022 priority date. I got the biometrics re-used notice within a week of filing.  Does anyone know how long its taking from here to get interview scheduled notices?

[PedroDaGr8 245]

24 minutes ago, TheLastMile said:

Filed my N400. 10/7/2022 priority date. I got the biometrics re-used notice within a week of filing.  Does anyone know how long its taking from here to get interview scheduled notices?

Check the Google Sheets document (also put your data in there). Looks like it is running around 4-5months at this point. 

 

15 hours ago, Jujuy said:

Well, the officer told me that "there were no more available spots" for the oath ceremony, this was at 1:35 pm.

Sorry if it came across that I implied you were lying. I was said that because you are the first that I have heard to be told that. I have heard people at 2:45PM being told their case wouldn't be done before the last oath ceremony but not that they ran out of slots. It is a new wrinkle that has to be taken into consideration.

Edited October 18, 2022 by PedroDaGr8

[Truth_Seeker 14]

On 9/28/2022 at 1:42 PM, nekojita said:

Yes, for the enhanced driver’s license the requirements are a bit more stringent and they did request two pieces of residential address proof.

 

Booked my passport appointment for Tacoma using online website, but there are other offices around like in Seattle.

Here is what is required for enhanced driver's licenses.

 

https://www.dol.wa.gov/driverslicense/edlproof.html

[PedroDaGr8 245]

I updated the PNW - N-400 Naturalization Historical Case Load Data Spreadsheet with the new 2022 Q3 (which goes from 01APR2022-30JUN2022). For the first time, we start to see the ramp up that is obvious in the Seattle Tracking Spreadsheet. Total pending cases in Seattle dropped by over 4,400 despite receiving over 4,200 cases. That's a change of 8,600 cases! Considering that 6,900 cases were decided in Seattle, that leaves 1,700 cases which were either withdrawn (VERY rare) or transferred to another location. Looking at Yakima, it is clear that they received some of those transferred cases as there are around 1,000 excess cases beyond what they received.

 

As for the entire PNW, we see 833 cases which aren't accounted for (either withdrawn or transferred). My hunch is we are starting to see the impact of remote interviews with the 833 cases being cases which were transferred out of the region for remote interviews and the increase at Yakima also representing transferred cases. 

 

Basically, we are starting to see them actually load balance between FOs!

 

 

 

 

Edited October 18, 2022 by PedroDaGr8

[Ba1 2]

6 hours ago, PedroDaGr8 said:

I updated the PNW - N-400 Naturalization Historical Case Load Data Spreadsheet with the new 2022 Q3 (which goes from 01APR2022-30JUN2022). For the first time, we start to see the ramp up that is obvious in the Seattle Tracking Spreadsheet. Total pending cases in Seattle dropped by over 4,400 despite receiving over 4,200 cases. That's a change of 8,600 cases! Considering that 6,900 cases were decided in Seattle, that leaves 1,700 cases which were either withdrawn (VERY rare) or transferred to another location. Looking at Yakima, it is clear that they received some of those transferred cases as there are around 1,000 excess cases beyond what they received.

 

As for the entire PNW, we see 833 cases which aren't accounted for (either withdrawn or transferred). My hunch is we are starting to see the impact of remote interviews with the 833 cases being cases which were transferred out of the region for remote interviews and the increase at Yakima also representing transferred cases. 

 

Basically, we are starting to see them actually load balance between FOs!

 

 

 

 

Thanks PedroDaGr8 for the analysis.

[Trent & Alexa 19]

On 9/10/2022 at 1:19 PM, Hamilton said:

Hi folks, the journey is finally over - I'm officially a US citizen!! I loved when people shared detailed experiences on VJ, so here's mine: 

 

My interview was early in the morning. Parking was straightforward in the USCIS lot. I entered the building 15 minutes before my appointment time. There was no one ahead of me in security so it all went really smoothly - it functions like an airport security checkpoint, you have to take off your belt, shoes, jacket, etc. and put your bag through a scanner. Then at the next window, I got my photograph and fingerprints taken again, and then I was directed to go upstairs to the waiting room for my interview. 

 

My interview was virtual. A really friendly assistant came and took me to a large room with about 8ish office-style cubicles. I had to take out my passport, ID, and green card and put the rest of my stuff in a drawer. The interviewing officer turned on their video on the iPad the moment I sat down, and the interview began. She was very professional and very serious. We started with the reading and writing test, followed by the civics questions (and stopped after I got the first six correct). Then we went through a lot of the N400 questions (current employment, current and old addresses, many of the yes/no questions). I let her know about a correction I needed to make to the form, and it was no big deal -- she made it for me. She also asked me how I met my wife and if we rented/owned our house - but this didn't feel like an interrogation, just like a chat. She asked about our marriage evidence, and I told her about a few of the documents I had brought in. She wanted our latest tax transcript, so she sent a message to the assistant to come fetch it from me. The assistant took the papers and scanned them and then brought them back. While we waited (about 5-10 mins), the officer turned her video off and I just hung out 😄 Then she asked me to confirm all my details were correct on the iPad for my naturalization certificate, said I was approved, and sent an approval notice to the printer that was on the desk next to me. The only issue with the interview was that people in the room were really loud, and occasionally I had to ask the officer to repeat herself -- but it really wasn't a big deal. While the interview started out really serious, I chatted with the officer a little while she was entering things into her computer and we ended up having a nice conversation and joking a little too.

 

Then the assistant came back to fetch me and congratulated me a few times 😊, and I went back downstairs to the auditorium. The officer there took my green card and threw it in a bag 😂 it felt weird seeing it dumped into a bag like that after I've guarded it with my life for so long. I asked if my wife could come in for the ceremony and she said yes! So I texted my wife and met her outside, and then we both came back inside together (had to go through security again). There were about 15 other people at the ceremony and it was only about 10 minutes long, but it was still nice -- the officer smiled a lot and said how momentous the occasion was and how long our journey has been, and congratulated us. Then we said the oath and received our naturalization certificates and little US flags. Some folks posed for photographs in the auditorium afterwards. 

 

The whole thing took about 1.5 hours (30 min interview, 10 min ceremony, plus waiting around). Overall, it was a great experience. Everyone was SO nice and friendly and chatted with me and put me at ease -- the security guards, biometrics person, the assistant, the interviewing officer, and the ceremony officer. I'm so glad to be done! Good luck to the rest of you with interviews coming up, and I'm happy to answer any questions.

 

 

Thank you for your detailed experience! For the marriage evidence, did you bring documents similar to what was needed for 751?

[Hamilton 511]

17 hours ago, Trent & Alexa said:

Thank you for your detailed experience! For the marriage evidence, did you bring documents similar to what was needed for 751?

You're welcome! Yes, I brought the basic evidence we'd filed for the 751, just updated (there's a list of suggested documents  to show marital union, like tax transcripts, leases etc.). 

[Truth_Seeker 14]

So, we go our interview date  on 12/12/2022 at 12:50.  We are flying in from Germany.  

 

Does anyone think there will be an issue with getting an Oath swearing in for same day?

[TheLastMile 13]

22 minutes ago, Truth_Seeker said:

So, we go our interview date  on 12/12/2022 at 12:50.  We are flying in from Germany.  

 

Does anyone think there will be an issue with getting an Oath swearing in for same day?

congratulations. Your timeline shows you filed on 8/31. You got an interview date in 103 days (3.25 months?). Is that right ? That’s very fast !

[Truth_Seeker 14]

1 hour ago, TheLastMile said:

congratulations. Your timeline shows you filed on 8/31. You got an interview date in 103 days (3.25 months?). Is that right ? That’s very fast !

Thanks.  We have been fortunate.  We were married on 2/22/2022.  It took 8 days for the I-130 approval, and another 8 days for the VISA.  My wife entered the U.S. on 7/11/2022.  Now she is coming back on 12/12/2022 to see about becoming a citizen.  So, I guess fairy tails can become true.  However, she's really really nervous about the interview.  I guess we will have to see how things will go.  I am also sure that the person that interviews her will be doing some double takes when he looks at the file and sees the dates.

[TheLastMile 13]

38 minutes ago, Truth_Seeker said:

Thanks.  We have been fortunate.  We were married on 2/22/2022.  It took 8 days for the I-130 approval, and another 8 days for the VISA.  My wife entered the U.S. on 7/11/2022.  Now she is coming back on 12/12/2022 to see about becoming a citizen.  So, I guess fairy tails can become true.  However, she's really really nervous about the interview.  I guess we will have to see how things will go.  I am also sure that the person that interviews her will be doing some double takes when he looks at the file and sees the dates.

Oh that’s interesting ! If you got married only in 2/22/2022 how are you meeting the substantial presence test ? I always thought you had to be married and present in the US for 3 years before being able to file for naturalization? Anyway. Great news. Congrats. 

[kikoz 2]

Hi guys and gals

Unfortunately, I got a speeding ticket yesterday :(, my interview is first week of December.

I'm planning to pay the fine and disclose it during the interview with IO.

Will that be a problem of any sort to have a same day Oath, giving that the fine would then be paid and the case will be closed?

Thank you.

[Truth_Seeker 14]

11 hours ago, TheLastMile said:

Oh that’s interesting ! If you got married only in 2/22/2022 how are you meeting the substantial presence test ? I always thought you had to be married and present in the US for 3 years before being able to file for naturalization? Anyway. Great news. Congrats. 

When filing under 319b there is no substantial presence test, nor do you have to meet any time period requirements.  Just need to be an LPR, married to a U.S. Citizen, who is regularly employed abroad, with qualified employment.  And the LPR agrees to live with the U.S. Citizen abroad, and agrees to come back to the U.S. after his work is finished.   Since, I work as DoD contractor here in Germany we qualify.   

Also, as part of the package, you get to select where you get naturalized.  So no residence requirement in any regions of a USCIS field office.