Fort Myers N-400, 10 year GC renewal, and ridiculous processing times

[Seven 24]

Hello everyone!

 

My 10 years GC expires June 2023. With the new policy changes of USCIS I would get an automatic extension of the green card of 24 months for either an I-90 or an N-400 application. Yesterday, talking to an USCIS agent, she said that if my citizenship is pending after 2 years then I would not get anymore green card extensions. Right now in the USCIS website the GC and the citizenship processing times are around 20 months each for 80% of cases. My husband and I moved to Fort Myers, FL on April 2021 so I have never done anything related to immigration in the Fort Myers office. I am in a dilemma. Should I just renew the GC and then do the naturalization having 10 extra years more to do it whenever or just go ahead and do the citizenship now? It is just problematic to choose what to do the fact that USCIS has overall not been doing good with processing times since COVID...

 

Side question: anyone knows if there are judicial oath ceremonies in the Fort Myers office? USCIS messed up my first name back in the days and split my two words first name into a first and a middle. Also, I want my maiden name back for cultural reasons so would like that restored too. Therefore, whenever I apply for the N-400, I would ask for a name change to have my first and last name restored to my birth name.

 

Thank you in advance! Probably I am overthinking this but USCIS being slow processing doesn't make things better for this indecisive human being.

[Mike E 11,741]

22 minutes ago, Seven said:

Yesterday, talking to an USCIS agent, she said that if my citizenship is pending after 2 years then I would not get anymore green card extensions

You can call USCIS, say “info pass”, and request an I-551 stamp after your extension letter expires and when you need the extension. 
 

22 minutes ago, Seven said:

extra years more to do it whenever or just go ahead and do the citizenship now?

now. Why pay for an I-90  and N-400? 

22 minutes ago, Seven said:

USCIS messed up my first name back in the days and split my two words first name into a first and a middle. Also, I want my maiden name back for cultural reasons so would like that restored too. Therefore, whenever I apply for the N-400, I would ask for a name change to have my first and last name restored to my birth name

I don’t recommend that.  Name changes can

 

*lengthen the amount of time to take oath, or
 

* decouple the oath   from the processing of the change of name document.  The  change of name document is can be delayed indefinitely.  You can end up with no green card, and end up with a  naturalization certificate in your new name that is useless without the change of name document. You are then effectively a non person.  
 

Instead naturalize in your current name. Then change your name through state court.  
 

Quicker and simpler. 

Edited January 4, 2023 by Mike E

[Seven 24]

40 minutes ago, Mike E said:

You can call USCIS, say “info pass”, and request an I-551 stamp after your extension letter expires and when you need the extension. 
 

now. Why pay for an I-90  and N-400? 

I don’t recommend that.  Name changes can

 

*lengthen the amount of time to take oath, or
 

* decouple the oath   from the processing of the change of name document.  The  change of name document is can be delayed indefinitely.  You can end up with no green card, and end up with a  naturalization certificate in your new name that is useless without the change of name document. You are then effectively a non person.  
 

Instead naturalize in your current name. Then change your name through state court.  
 

Quicker and simpler. 

Thank you for the insight. Talking to USCIS agents is so frustrating. They are ambiguous, do not know the latest information, and I end up more confused than how I began...

 

Also, does the name situation you suggest happen a lot? My understanding is that you could change your name to whatever you wanted within reason during the N-400 processing instead of double paying the N-400 and change of name. I mean I honestly just want my true legal name back. It is the name in my passport and birth certificate after all. Same name that appears in other names used. So confusing.

Edited January 4, 2023 by Seven

[Mike E 11,741]

1 hour ago, Seven said:

Also, does the name situation you suggest happen a lot?

I don’t know what percentage of time. It comes up several times a month here and other websites. 

[Neonred 3,577]

My wife changed her name when she naturalized.  Didn't have to pay anything extra or go through an additional process, but it did add a few weeks as the oath ceremony had to be done at the federal court.  In our case we had to go to Ft. Lauderdale.  Back then there was no USCIS office in Ft. Myers.  For us it was Miami.  Anywhere north of Naples in SW FL went to Tampa.

[phoenyxx 30]

20 hours ago, Seven said:

Thank you for the insight. Talking to USCIS agents is so frustrating. They are ambiguous, do not know the latest information, and I end up more confused than how I began...

 

Also, does the name situation you suggest happen a lot? My understanding is that you could change your name to whatever you wanted within reason during the N-400 processing instead of double paying the N-400 and change of name. I mean I honestly just want my true legal name back. It is the name in my passport and birth certificate after all. Same name that appears in other names used. So confusing.

This is my current situation, re name change. I had my interview back in Nov 2022 and asked to revert back to my maiden name: all my IDs still had it and decided to keep as is. Hence the delay, my status online just said I'm in line for oath ceremony.

[Seven 24]

2 minutes ago, phoenyxx said:

This is my current situation, re name change. I had my interview back in Nov 2022 and asked to revert back to my maiden name: all my IDs still had it and decided to keep as is. Hence the delay, my status online just said I'm in line for oath ceremony.

Were you in the Fort Myers office? So you will have the name changed at the time of oath, correct? Thank you!

[phoenyxx 30]

7 minutes ago, Seven said:

Were you in the Fort Myers office? So you will have the name changed at the time of oath, correct? Thank you!

Alas, I'm in Philadelphia. I'm hoping I get my current name (FirstName MaidenName) on my cert for the oath ceremony.

[Zach2015 211]

22 hours ago, Seven said:

Hello everyone!

 

My 10 years GC expires June 2023. With the new policy changes of USCIS I would get an automatic extension of the green card of 24 months for either an I-90 or an N-400 application. Yesterday, talking to an USCIS agent, she said that if my citizenship is pending after 2 years then I would not get anymore green card extensions. Right now in the USCIS website the GC and the citizenship processing times are around 20 months each for 80% of cases. My husband and I moved to Fort Myers, FL on April 2021 so I have never done anything related to immigration in the Fort Myers office. I am in a dilemma. Should I just renew the GC and then do the naturalization having 10 extra years more to do it whenever or just go ahead and do the citizenship now? It is just problematic to choose what to do the fact that USCIS has overall not been doing good with processing times since COVID...

 

Side question: anyone knows if there are judicial oath ceremonies in the Fort Myers office? USCIS messed up my first name back in the days and split my two words first name into a first and a middle. Also, I want my maiden name back for cultural reasons so would like that restored too. Therefore, whenever I apply for the N-400, I would ask for a name change to have my first and last name restored to my birth name.

 

Thank you in advance! Probably I am overthinking this but USCIS being slow processing doesn't make things better for this indecisive human being.

We live in Naples and our service center is Fort Myers. Just to give you an idea. We filed for Removal of Conditions back in December 2021 and we were sent to Potomac which is a 24-26 month wait time. My wife just filed her N400 online today. It said the Fort Myers office is at an estimated 16 month wait time. She also had her green card interview right before Covid locked things down. Their estimated wait times were posted to be much longer, but it did not take as long as expected. So I am hopeful 16 months is worst case scenario. 

[jostermacedo 54]

On 1/4/2023 at 5:34 PM, Seven said:

Thank you for the insight. Talking to USCIS agents is so frustrating. They are ambiguous, do not know the latest information, and I end up more confused than how I began...

 

Also, does the name situation you suggest happen a lot? My understanding is that you could change your name to whatever you wanted within reason during the N-400 processing instead of double paying the N-400 and change of name. I mean I honestly just want my true legal name back. It is the name in my passport and birth certificate after all. Same name that appears in other names used. So confusing.

My wife changed her name during her N-400 interview. She got her Naturalization certificate at the end of the interview. The court document with the name change arrived a few days later. The process was very smooth. USCIS Buffalo Office.

 

[Seven 24]

3 hours ago, jostermacedo said:

My wife changed her name during her N-400 interview. She got her Naturalization certificate at the end of the interview. The court document with the name change arrived a few days later. The process was very smooth. USCIS Buffalo Office.

 

Thank you for sharing her experience! So it is possible that everything goes as it should 😊

[Renata P 0]

FYI, for Fort Myers office:

 

I filed N-400 on August 4, 2022.

Just received notice (1/30/23) of interview scheduled for March 21.

 

So approximately 6 months from time of receipt and bio metrics reuse to get interview. Not too bad I am thinking even though many on here got interview faster.

 

Fingers crossed I pass with flying colors.

[Renata P 0]

Oh, and the interview is in Tampa

[Crazy Cat 41,982]

File for Naturalization online, then leave USCIS in the dust in a few months.  

[Anastasia E 1]

21 hours ago, Renata P said:

FYI, for Fort Myers office:

 

I filed N-400 on August 4, 2022.

Just received notice (1/30/23) of interview scheduled for March 21.

 

So approximately 6 months from time of receipt and bio metrics reuse to get interview. Not too bad I am thinking even though many on here got interview faster.

 

Fingers crossed I pass with flying colors.

Hi.

I live in Naples, FL and filed N-400 in July, 2022.

I didn't receive notice for interview and current N-400 processing time for Fort Myers show me 18 months in average. 

My i-751 still pending.

I'm just curios, how many years you are a green card holder? 

I saw at USCIS website that people who have a green card for 5 years have less processing time than all other categories, like 3 years marriage based green card, is it true? 

Will appreciate any information,

Thank you