Filing N400 online or by Mail

[Sunshinestatefl 17]

Hello everyone,

 

Which is faster?

 

Filing N400 online or by mail? I also have a I-751 petition pending.

 

Please share  your experience.

Thank you.

[Verrou 1,962]

online. super easy

[Daphne . 1,866]

Don’t think it will make the process faster but I would pick online. At least that way you don’t have to worry about mail getting lost etc..

[Just Paul 4,595]

I have help to file many petitions.  I personally prefer online but when you file paper you can include a cover letter and include everything that you want in the order that you want.   Send it via USPS and use return receipt.

[Mike E 11,739]

Online has numerous bugs. USCIS has the worst software of all the federal agencies I’ve dealt with.  
 

  If you are in a hurry to naturalize and want to file at exactly 89 days before the 3/5 year anniversary of your gc, file by mail.  
 

 

[Bob in Boston 717]

I filed electronicly, was a breeze. No Errors, RFEs or anything. got a message re used Biometrics and 7 months later We got interview letter. I wished all the forms could be filed that way.

[jakelake 222]

5 hours ago, Mike E said:

Online has numerous bugs. USCIS has the worst software of all the federal agencies I’ve dealt with.  
 

  If you are in a hurry to naturalize and want to file at exactly 89 days before the 3/5 year anniversary of your gc, file by mail.  
 

 

If you want your documents to potentially get lost and have delays, then file by mail.

However, if you want to be assured that your documents are received, then online is the way to go.

Edited June 7, 2022 by jakelake
edit

[valentinasc 330]

I applied by mail because I had to send in biometrics (I’m overseas); but it felt as if I filed electronically since I was able to see everything on my USCIS profile

[EmilyW 1,441]

I filed electronically and I appreciated the interface, the way it calculated my days spent overseas, and the prompts to make sure I had all documents uploaded.

[Mike E 11,739]

12 hours ago, jakelake said:

If you want your documents to potentially get lost and have delays, then file by mail.

Send them again. Or send with registered mail.  
 

12 hours ago, jakelake said:

However, if you want to be assured that your documents are received, then online is the way to go.

Received (maybe… see link below) but with the N-400 that is recorded not looking like the N-400 you submitted.  Or with inaccurate date stamps. 

 

https://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/782723-error-found-on-n400-interview-in-3-weeks/

https://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/736861-n400-online-application-files-uploaded/

https://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/782276-n400-online-application-submission-help-part2/
 

Anyway to each their own.  

 

[Bob in Boston 717]

56 minutes ago, Mike E said:

Received (maybe… see link below) but with the N-400 that is recorded not looking like the N-400 you submitted.  Or with inaccurate date stamps. 

Not the experience We had. Filing online was very smooth an accurate. 

[jakelake 222]

1 hour ago, Mike E said:

Send them again. Or send with registered mail.  
 

Received (maybe… see link below) but with the N-400 that is recorded not looking like the N-400 you submitted.  Or with inaccurate date stamps. 

 

https://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/782723-error-found-on-n400-interview-in-3-weeks/

https://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/736861-n400-online-application-files-uploaded/

https://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/782276-n400-online-application-submission-help-part2/
 

Anyway to each their own.  

 

Why choose an outdated and uncertain process when there is a better alternative?

[Mike E 11,739]

42 minutes ago, Bob in Boston said:

Not the experience We had. Filing online was very smooth an accurate. 

Wonderful! I am sure it works wells for most people. 

[Mike E 11,739]

35 minutes ago, jakelake said:

Why choose an outdated and uncertain process when there is a better alternative?

Because some of us want to file 89 days before the 3 year anniversary of our green cards and don’t want to experience this:

 

 

You’ve shared no data that says the online method is more reliable.  If it’s so reliable why is it in most of these threads someone advises to wait several days / weeks after the 90 day window opens to file? 
 

It might be reliable. But it doesn’t seem reliable. 
 

As I wrote if you don’t care how long the process takes, file online. I filed 29 years after my window opened and had online been available I would have selected it since I was obviously in no hurry.

 

My wife is in a hurry to get a passport that lets her travel to more countries without a visa, so she will be filing by mail. At a field office known for fast processing.   On the morning of day 90.  

 

Anyway, I’m not seeing any new points being made.  I’m out of this thread.  

 

 

[jakelake 222]

3 minutes ago, Mike E said:

Because some of us want to file 89 days before the 3 year anniversary of our green cards and don’t want to experience this:

 

 

You’ve shared no data that says the online method is more reliable.  If it’s so reliable why is it in most of these threads someone advises to wait several days / weeks after the 90 day window opens to file? 
 

It might be reliable. But it doesn’t seem reliable. 
 

As I wrote if you don’t care how long the process takes, file online. I filed 29 years after my window opened and had online been available I would have selected it since I was obviously in no hurry.

 

My wife is in a hurry to get a passport that lets her travel to more countries without a visa, so she will be filing by mail. At a field office known for fast processing.   On the morning of day 90.  

 

Anyway, I’m not seeing any new points being made.  I’m out of this thread.  

 

 

There is a process to everything. 

People applying before the time frame  has absolutely nothing to do with the technology.

Just be patient and apply online at your designated time frame and you'll be fine.

Stop looking for silly excuses.