November 2022 I-751 Filers

[PeloJohn 8]

  On 3/29/2024 at 1:37 AM, OldUser said:

I think I noticed a trend for N-400 based on 3 year rule. People coming to the interview with thin folders get RFEs, while people who bring huge stacks of evidence don't get asked for anything. It's silly but I think bringing a lot of evidence weights on the interviewer causing them to soften up.

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I think our mistake (my wife's and mine) was thinking that our Field Office would be able to pull the i751 submission from a year and so ago and consider that for their decision regarding the N400. I would not be surprised if no actual officer ever took a look at those files/evidence. Which by the way, are over 800 pages in evidence. 😂

[PeloJohn 8]

Well guys, the day has finally arrived. After multiple years in this journey and after an RFE following my N400 interview on March 25th, yesterday (3/28) I received mine "Oath ceremony notice was mailed" and it is scheduled for April 24th. 

 

Thank you so much to everyone who has shared their experience here. Reading about your experiences and tips has been profoundly helpful throughout all these years and it really made a difference in my case. Please don't lose hope as the end of the road is closer than you think. 

 

Again, thank you so much, and hoping for the best for all of you!!!

 

 

[OldUser 8,506]

  On 3/29/2024 at 6:59 PM, PeloJohn said:

Well guys, the day has finally arrived. After multiple years in this journey and after an RFE following my N400 interview on March 25th, yesterday (3/28) I received mine "Oath ceremony notice was mailed" and it is scheduled for April 24th. 

 

Thank you so much to everyone who has shared their experience here. Reading about your experiences and tips has been profoundly helpful throughout all these years and it really made a difference in my case. Please don't lose hope as the end of the road is closer than you think. 

 

Again, thank you so much, and hoping for the best for all of you!!!

 

 

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Congratulations !!!

[Meg101 316]

I attended my swearing in ceremony on March 26th so the chapters of my life involving USCIS are now over. 

I can’t tell you the relief I feel! I’ve found the entire journey quite stressful and anxiety inducing being in limbo for the past 5 years.  For those waiting for news on I751 &/N400 and feeling a similiar way, hang on in there. Your time is coming and it’s worth the wait. ✨

 

I wont be active in any threads from here but I’m open to DM’s about the naturalization interview or ceremony if anyone wanted to reach out with questions. Best of luck. 🤞🏽

[Letspaintcookies 2,310]

  On 3/29/2024 at 6:59 PM, PeloJohn said:

Well guys, the day has finally arrived. After multiple years in this journey and after an RFE following my N400 interview on March 25th, yesterday (3/28) I received mine "Oath ceremony notice was mailed" and it is scheduled for April 24th. 

 

Thank you so much to everyone who has shared their experience here. Reading about your experiences and tips has been profoundly helpful throughout all these years and it really made a difference in my case. Please don't lose hope as the end of the road is closer than you think. 

 

Again, thank you so much, and hoping for the best for all of you!!!

 

 

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So glad to hear that it didn't took too long for them to figure things out 🎉 next year at this time you'll laugh about all that nonsense 😁

  On 3/30/2024 at 4:49 AM, Meg101 said:

 

I attended my swearing in ceremony on March 26th so the chapters of my life involving USCIS are now over. 

I can’t tell you the relief I feel! I’ve found the entire journey quite stressful and anxiety inducing being in limbo for the past 5 years.  For those waiting for news on I751 &/N400 and feeling a similiar way, hang on in there. Your time is coming and it’s worth the wait. ✨

 

I wont be active in any threads from here but I’m open to DM’s about the naturalization interview or ceremony if anyone wanted to reach out with questions. Best of luck. 🤞🏽

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Congratulations 🎉🎉🎉🎉

 

I'll file the N400 Tuesday. We're getting somewhere 😁

[whiterose123 95]

  On 3/29/2024 at 6:59 PM, PeloJohn said:

Well guys, the day has finally arrived. After multiple years in this journey and after an RFE following my N400 interview on March 25th, yesterday (3/28) I received mine "Oath ceremony notice was mailed" and it is scheduled for April 24th. 

 

Thank you so much to everyone who has shared their experience here. Reading about your experiences and tips has been profoundly helpful throughout all these years and it really made a difference in my case. Please don't lose hope as the end of the road is closer than you think. 

 

Again, thank you so much, and hoping for the best for all of you!!!

 

 

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Congratulations 🎉🎉🎉

[kissp 8]

Hello Everyone,

 

A big congrats to those who've navigated these waters successfully 😅

 

I'm technically a December 2022 filer for ROC, though it could have been November if not for... well, immigration lawyers. After my experiences with legal counsel for both my AOS and ROC—where errors were made that I had to catch—I decided to tackle the N-400 on my own.

 

This is my first post, by the way. I'm about to share a slew of questions, so feel free to guide me if there's a more appropriate way or place to ask. I'm finding this forum much friendlier than others, so I'm hopeful for some insightful responses 😄

 

My Situation:

• I was eligible for ROC filing by the end of November 2022 but submitted it in early December; it's at the Vermont Center, which currently shows a 26-month processing time.
• I became eligible for my N-400 at the end of November 2023 and filed it promptly. This is being processed at the National Benefits Center, and I fall under the jurisdiction of the Newark, NJ field office, which has a 9.5-month processing timeline for N-400s.
• The USCIS portal suggests a decision on my N-400 could come in 2 months, based on the 5-year green card averages.

My Questions:

1. There seems to be a discrepancy between the average processing times and the anecdotes I hear. Many in similar situations seem to have progressed much faster, yet the official timelines seem to justify the lack of movement on my cases. Am I missing something?
    

2. I'm thorough with my documentation, praised by lawyers for assembling solid applications. But could this attention to detail be a hindrance, prolonging my processing times? My AOS interview was notably smooth, attributed to the comprehensive nature of my application. However, it took about 1.5 years to get an interview appointment. Could providing too much information be slowing things down?
    

3. We're expecting a child, a development that postdates my ROC and N-400 filings. Should I update this information in the portal, or could that delay the process further?
    

4. Is there a processing time estimate for N-400 cases based on a 3-year green card through marriage, as opposed to the 5-year track?
    

5. Does the fact that my ROC is at the Vermont Center and my N-400 at the National Benefits Center pose any issues?
    

I appreciate your insights—and yes, a bit of emotional support wouldn't hurt either 😅

Thank you!

[OldUser 8,506]

  On 4/1/2024 at 3:41 PM, kissp said:

The USCIS portal suggests a decision on my N-400 could come in 2 months, based on the 5-year green card averages.

 

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This is super optimistic. The portal's estimated time to approval is largely incorrect. I can have a better prediction by rolling a dice. With I-751 pending I'd say more realistic estimate for approval is 4-6 months if your N-400 case goes fast.

 

  On 4/1/2024 at 3:41 PM, kissp said:

There seems to be a discrepancy between the average processing times and the anecdotes I hear. Many in similar situations seem to have progressed much faster, yet the official timelines seem to justify the lack of movement on my cases. Am I missing something?

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Each case is unique. There's many variables affecting approval timelines.

 

  On 4/1/2024 at 3:41 PM, kissp said:

I'm thorough with my documentation, praised by lawyers for assembling solid applications. But could this attention to detail be a hindrance, prolonging my processing times? My AOS interview was notably smooth, attributed to the comprehensive nature of my application. However, it took about 1.5 years to get an interview appointment. Could providing too much information be slowing things down?

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Building a strong case cannot hurt. Building weak case can add time due to RFEs. Most of the time the case sits in the queue. 1.5 years of wait could have been a result of external factors you cannot control: backlogs, inexperienced IO etc.

 

  On 4/1/2024 at 3:41 PM, kissp said:

We're expecting a child, a development that postdates my ROC and N-400 filings. Should I update this information in the portal, or could that delay the process further?

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When the child is born, upload the birth certificate. If anything it can speed up the application. You must disclose all kids on N-400. Disclosing kids at the interview or any new information probably increases the changes of "decision cannot be made". USCIS needs time to understand your case. They can either spend time before the interview or after. This kind of relates to "heavy" vs "light" application. In my opinion, USCIS will need the infromaion regardless. And either they call you in for interview sooner to issue RFE / gather more info, or they examine everything beforehand. 

 

  On 4/1/2024 at 3:41 PM, kissp said:

Is there a processing time estimate for N-400 cases based on a 3-year green card through marriage, as opposed to the 5-year track?

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It's impossible to split statistics for 3 year vs 5 year eligibility cases as USCIS doesn't make a distinction in their reports. 

 

  On 4/1/2024 at 3:41 PM, kissp said:

Does the fact that my ROC is at the Vermont Center and my N-400 at the National Benefits Center pose any issues?

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I wouldn't think so.

[kissp 8]

Thanks @OldUser! I appreciate the detailed feedback!

[Alexis2022 13]

Hi everyone. I filled for citizenship in Nov 2023 and 751 Nov 2022. We just got an interview last week. I took my hubby with me, but officer wanted to do just a n400 because they didn't receive a 751 package. During interview he told me different reasons why they can't do 751 so it makes me wonder what's going on. I asked Emma before and chat support told me my 751 already in the field office 😭

I passed the exam, questions were really easy and the officer recomended my n400 for approval. Officer told me he will get my roc and will approve later. Do you guys know how long will it take to get 751 approved and get oath invitation? Thank you

[OldUser 8,506]

  On 4/2/2024 at 5:35 PM, Alexis2022 said:

Hi everyone. I filled for citizenship in Nov 2023 and 751 Nov 2022. We just got an interview last week. I took my hubby with me, but officer wanted to do just a n400 because they didn't receive a 751 package. During interview he told me different reasons why they can't do 751 so it makes me wonder what's going on. I asked Emma before and chat support told me my 751 already in the field office 😭

I passed the exam, questions were really easy and the officer recomended my n400 for approval. Officer told me he will get my roc and will approve later. Do you guys know how long will it take to get 751 approved and get oath invitation? Thank you

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Your I-751 is now in different queue. It's impossible to tell how long it would take. The good news is, you can file Write of Mandamus to get decision on both I-751 and N-400 if you don't hear anything from USCIS 60 days after your interview.

[Cornflake 108]

  On 4/2/2024 at 5:35 PM, Alexis2022 said:

Hi everyone. I filled for citizenship in Nov 2023 and 751 Nov 2022. We just got an interview last week. I took my hubby with me, but officer wanted to do just a n400 because they didn't receive a 751 package. During interview he told me different reasons why they can't do 751 so it makes me wonder what's going on. I asked Emma before and chat support told me my 751 already in the field office 😭

I passed the exam, questions were really easy and the officer recomended my n400 for approval. Officer told me he will get my roc and will approve later. Do you guys know how long will it take to get 751 approved and get oath invitation? Thank you

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Did you receive a mail requesting the petitioner to appear for an initial interview on the same day as your naturalization interview? Or were you hoping it would be a combo interview?

[Alexis2022 13]

  On 4/3/2024 at 5:03 AM, Cornflake said:

Did you receive a mail requesting the petitioner to appear for an initial interview on the same day as your naturalization interview? Or were you hoping it would be a combo interview?

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Forgot to mention that my 751 was transferred a few days before appointment, so I guessed it would be a combo

[Cornflake 108]

  On 4/3/2024 at 4:32 PM, Alexis2022 said:

Forgot to mention that my 751 was transferred a few days before appointment, so I guessed it would be a combo

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Did you see that status update on the USCIS website? I'm supposed to have a combo interview in a few days, but my I-751 status hasn't changed since February 2023. I'm wondering if this will affect my interview in any way.
 

February 8, 2023: Case was updated to show fingerprints were taken.

November 10, 2022: We received your Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence.

 

[OldUser 8,506]

  On 4/3/2024 at 7:12 PM, Cornflake said:

Did you see that status update on the USCIS website? I'm supposed to have a combo interview in a few days, but my I-751 status hasn't changed since February 2023. I'm wondering if this will affect my interview in any way.
 

February 8, 2023: Case was updated to show fingerprints were taken.

November 10, 2022: We received your Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence.

 

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Always assume combo.