N400 status - Attention Boston filers !!!

[zanzala 47]

We reached out to Senator Markey's office at the end of June, and they inquired on our behalf to USCIS. A month later, since we did not hear back from them, I reached out and got a response that USCIS is flooded with these update requests, and they are really behind. We should just keep waiting. Another month- reached out to the senator's office again, asking if any updates. Same response. Then I emailed back asking then what is the point of asking for help from the senator's office?? What can they actually do? This time I got a much better response:  turns out within the first month they did find out that out case was still at NBC, and then 30 days later it was in transit to the Boston office. They will follow up in another 30 days with the Boston office. 

I am not sure why they couldn't share these details immediately. It gives at least some information! So we keep waiting, but at least we know where the case is.

Edited September 6, 2023 by zanzala

[Boundless_damsel 11]

On 9/6/2023 at 7:28 AM, zanzala said:

We reached out to Senator Markey's office at the end of June, and they inquired on our behalf to USCIS. A month later, since we did not hear back from them, I reached out and got a response that USCIS is flooded with these update requests, and they are really behind. We should just keep waiting. Another month- reached out to the senator's office again, asking if any updates. Same response. Then I emailed back asking then what is the point of asking for help from the senator's office?? What can they actually do? This time I got a much better response:  turns out within the first month they did find out that out case was still at NBC, and then 30 days later it was in transit to the Boston office. They will follow up in another 30 days with the Boston office. 

I am not sure why they couldn't share these details immediately. It gives at least some information! So we keep waiting, but at least we know where the case is.

Yes, unfortunately the most they did was sending inquiries about the status (which frankly is such a waste of the taxpayer money--it applies 0 pressure on USCIS and gives you 0 information for how much longer you should be waiting). 

[TastyCake 232]

9 hours ago, Boundless_damsel said:

Yes, unfortunately the most they did was sending inquiries about the status (which frankly is such a waste of the taxpayer money--it applies 0 pressure on USCIS and gives you 0 information for how much longer you should be waiting). 

 

Maybe I don't have this correct but it is my understanding that an interview is imminent (perhaps already scheduled) by the time the field office asks for the case information from the National Benefits Center.

 

So, unless this filer received an interview letter, I am not 100% sure their case really was in transit.  I say this not knowing all the inner workings of the USCIS but I'm just wondering if the liaison misstated something.  This would not be unprecedented.

 

When we first inquired with the senator's office back in June, the liaison said our I-751 case was in Vermont when it was at the National Benefits Center.  We requested a second inquiry from the senator's office earlier this month and just heard back yesterday and the liaison only spoke to our N-400 (it was the usual drivel) and he/she listed the wrong filing date (only off by 10 days but still).

 

Our contact at the senator's office categorically stated they can't really do anything but inquire.  We can go to Ask Emma anytime we want and they will answer our questions so what do we need the senator's office for? They're fired.

[Boundless_damsel 11]

5 hours ago, TastyCake said:

 

Maybe I don't have this correct but it is my understanding that an interview is imminent (perhaps already scheduled) by the time the field office asks for the case information from the National Benefits Center.

 

So, unless this filer received an interview letter, I am not 100% sure their case really was in transit.  I say this not knowing all the inner workings of the USCIS but I'm just wondering if the liaison misstated something.  This would not be unprecedented.

 

When we first inquired with the senator's office back in June, the liaison said our I-751 case was in Vermont when it was at the National Benefits Center.  We requested a second inquiry from the senator's office earlier this month and just heard back yesterday and the liaison only spoke to our N-400 (it was the usual drivel) and he/she listed the wrong filing date (only off by 10 days but still).

 

Our contact at the senator's office categorically stated they can't really do anything but inquire.  We can go to Ask Emma anytime we want and they will answer our questions so what do we need the senator's office for? They're fired.

You are spot on--not only their influence is limited (if not nil), but they often misstate things. I also received conflicting information about Vermont/NBC. What I do find infuriating though is that are trying to justify USCIS. I believe I was at a 12m or 15m mark, which was way beyond the 80percent stated timeline for Boston. I pointed that out to the senator's liason. Her response --did you check the calendar function (Probably misremembering how it's actually called, but you get the gist) at the bottom of the page for processing times--it says that if you are in the last 20 percent of the distribution, you need to wait for almost another year. I was totally shocked. She was basically saying it's ok for the USCIS to bid their time 1+ years...in my last correspondence, she mentioned that she hears my frustration but they are just delaying everyone who also has i751 pending --another justification...a good question to ask is why does i751 delay n400--its not like there is a major burden on the officers (aside from integrating i751 into the n400 interview)....

[Boundless_damsel 11]

5 hours ago, TastyCake said:

 

Maybe I don't have this correct but it is my understanding that an interview is imminent (perhaps already scheduled) by the time the field office asks for the case information from the National Benefits Center.

 

So, unless this filer received an interview letter, I am not 100% sure their case really was in transit.  I say this not knowing all the inner workings of the USCIS but I'm just wondering if the liaison misstated something.  This would not be unprecedented.

 

When we first inquired with the senator's office back in June, the liaison said our I-751 case was in Vermont when it was at the National Benefits Center.  We requested a second inquiry from the senator's office earlier this month and just heard back yesterday and the liaison only spoke to our N-400 (it was the usual drivel) and he/she listed the wrong filing date (only off by 10 days but still).

 

Our contact at the senator's office categorically stated they can't really do anything but inquire.  We can go to Ask Emma anytime we want and they will answer our questions so what do we need the senator's office for? They're fired.

I am planning to sue them (with much pleasure) when I return (not as easy to do it when you are out of the country). If anyone would like to join in on a class action, that would be grand too--and a great way to get desired results for our individual cases, and making the system ever so slightly better for those that will come after us

[TastyCake 232]

3 hours ago, Boundless_damsel said:

I am planning to sue them (with much pleasure) when I return (not as easy to do it when you are out of the country). If anyone would like to join in on a class action, that would be grand too--and a great way to get desired results for our individual cases, and making the system ever so slightly better for those that will come after us

If you want to go legal on them there is the writ of mandamus. It'll set you back circa $5,000 but it supposedly forces the USCIS to make a decision one way or another on your case(s).

 

A class action suit, if it's even doable, will be even more complicated, probably more costly and take longer than the USCIS to finally adjudicate your case(s).  W of M would be your best bet.  Good luck.

[Boundless_damsel 11]

1 hour ago, TastyCake said:

If you want to go legal on them there is the writ of mandamus. It'll set you back circa $5,000 but it supposedly forces the USCIS to make a decision one way or another on your case(s).

 

A class action suit, if it's even doable, will be even more complicated, probably more costly and take longer than the USCIS to finally adjudicate your case(s).  W of M would be your best bet.  Good luck.

Yes, it does force them to act. I am in a field germane to law, so I will be doing it myself (420 as a filing fee this way, not 5k). I am so sick with their lack of accountability that I think I would be willing to wait a bit longer in order to leave a more palpable debt with a class action.

You are at almost 12m, right? What are your thoughts?

[TastyCake 232]

11 minutes ago, Boundless_damsel said:

Yes, it does force them to act. I am in a field germane to law, so I will be doing it myself (420 as a filing fee this way, not 5k). I am so sick with their lack of accountability that I think I would be willing to wait a bit longer in order to leave a more palpable debt with a class action.

You are at almost 12m, right? What are your thoughts?

 

Coming up on 11 months. For now we're just holding steady.

[zanzala 47]

Good news for us today!! Wanted to share with our Boston buddies. I check the case status daily, and today it said it is current as of today, which surprised me because up to this point, it stated the submission date as the date since they were "actively processing the case." So I logged in to the account to see if any additional details were there, and voila! The interview is scheduled for February! We are so relieved and excited!!! Best of luck to everyone still waiting! There is hope!

[digitalplumbing 17]

31 minutes ago, zanzala said:

Good news for us today!! Wanted to share with our Boston buddies. I check the case status daily, and today it said it is current as of today, which surprised me because up to this point, it stated the submission date as the date since they were "actively processing the case." So I logged in to the account to see if any additional details were there, and voila! The interview is scheduled for February! We are so relieved and excited!!! Best of luck to everyone still waiting! There is hope!

 

Great news and very happy for you. Did your I-751 also move to interview being scheduled? Good luck with the interview

Edited January 3 by digitalplumbing

[zanzala 47]

30 minutes ago, digitalplumbing said:

 

Great news and very happy for you. Did your I-751 also move to interview being scheduled? Good luck with the interview

The I-751 case did not have any updates. I hope they do a combo interview, but we have not requested it at this time.

[Cata&Ben 199]

4 hours ago, zanzala said:

Good news for us today!! Wanted to share with our Boston buddies. I check the case status daily, and today it said it is current as of today, which surprised me because up to this point, it stated the submission date as the date since they were "actively processing the case." So I logged in to the account to see if any additional details were there, and voila! The interview is scheduled for February! We are so relieved and excited!!! Best of luck to everyone still waiting! There is hope!

 

 

Congratulations!! 

 

 

[TastyCake 232]

6 hours ago, zanzala said:

The I-751 case did not have any updates. I hope they do a combo interview, but we have not requested it at this time.

 

Be on the lookout for another communication from the USCIS. A fellow Boston filer 2 months ahead of you received a separate notice indicating it would be a combo interview. Maybe the same happens for you. If so, please let us know.

 

As we are two months behind you, we have our fingers crossed we hear something soon. VERY cautiously optimistic, though.

[zanzala 47]

40 minutes ago, TastyCake said:

 

Be on the lookout for another communication from the USCIS. A fellow Boston filer 2 months ahead of you received a separate notice indicating it would be a combo interview. Maybe the same happens for you. If so, please let us know.

 

As we are two months behind you, we have our fingers crossed we hear something soon. VERY cautiously optimistic, though.

Thanks! I will definitely share updates if any! I really hope it is a combo interview! In this forum, I have seen that it can go either way.

[zanzala 47]

On 1/3/2024 at 4:54 PM, TastyCake said:

 

Be on the lookout for another communication from the USCIS. A fellow Boston filer 2 months ahead of you received a separate notice indicating it would be a combo interview. Maybe the same happens for you. If so, please let us know.

 

As we are two months behind you, we have our fingers crossed we hear something soon. VERY cautiously optimistic, though.

You were right! We got the invite for the I-751 interview as well, so it will be a combo interview! Yay!