Extension Letters now being increased to 48 months. (merged)

[Dashinka 24,089]

7 minutes ago, Daphne . said:

This is insane... But I have international travel coming up and my 24 month extension is expiring later this year, so I am fine. I just hope that they will actually send updated extension letters for existing petitions!

Don't count on it.

[Dashinka 24,089]

8 minutes ago, Rearviewmirror said:

This is hilarious. I cannot believe they just sent both 24 and 36 month extensions to January filers, when they knew this was coming. Complete clustermess.

Just wait, 96 months is probably on the horizon since it is a nice round 10 years.

Edited January 23, 2023 by Dashinka

[Verrou 1,945]

LOL this is crazy ! 2years + 4 years = 6 years soon catching up with 10 years GC

Edited January 23, 2023 by Misscloud

[Dashinka 24,089]

I like @Mike E's suggestion, change the format of the EL to a credit card sized card, and maybe put a picture on it.

[OldUser 5,976]

11 minutes ago, Dashinka said:

I like @Mike E's suggestion, change the format of the EL to a credit card sized card, and maybe put a picture on it.

Or simply send a CR1 GC with new expiration date so it's crystal clear what it is and when it expires.

[Stein 276]

It's brilliant in a way.

 

I do think this new extension will help N-400 filers.  Now the government can intentionally sit on I-751 filings until they see N-400 come in, review it, then send it for a combo interview.  If no N-400 comes in by year 3 then stick the I-751 into the que and go from there.  Saves them a lot of interview time by never having to do a I-751 and then a N400 interview.  Most would be combos plus the people that have no intention of filing N-400 won't care that it is dragging on so long since they are legal for four years anyway.

 

On top of that I can see it weeding out some additional fraudulent filers.  If people have to stay married for four more years after arrival, then submit enough evidence, they are clear.  Then they can concentrate on scrutinzing the divorce waiver filings.  It could cut down on review efforts by concentrating on the much smaller percentage that file with a waiver. All of them then get interviews and we already know that all of the N-400 filers would get interviews with the combo interview.  Everyone gets one interview.  No risk based interview waivers.

 

I'm even more positive of my decision to file N-400 at the earliest possible opportunity.

Edited January 23, 2023 by Stein

[gogogo786 38]

Don't know how to react to it LOL. Does this mean oh yay no need to worry about getting a 551 stamp at the end of expiration or oh damn USCIS expects ROC to keep getting worse and is like eff it everyone just gets a 4 year extension.

[B C 18]

35 minutes ago, Daphne . said:

This is insane... But I have international travel coming up and my 24 month extension is expiring later this year, so I am fine. I just hope that they will actually send updated extension letters for existing petitions!

 

My experience with 24 months extension (with existing i751 & original 12 months letter) was, I received the 24m letter in about 3 weeks from announcement.

 

34 minutes ago, Rearviewmirror said:

This is hilarious. I cannot believe they just sent both 24 and 36 month extensions to January filers, when they knew this was coming. Complete clustermess.

I want to say that the letters are automated. The management decides (by looking at data), and in meeting they might have agreed 24m is enough, in next Oh No, at least 36 should be there. Now its like, we need 48 months.

[Stein 276]

Funny how this thread had such a short life.  They gave out 36 months for a what will be essentially two weeks.  LOL

[Rearviewmirror 396]

9 minutes ago, Stein said:

Funny how this thread had such a short life.  They gave out 36 months for a what will be essentially two weeks.  LOL

Not even - more like one week!

[Rearviewmirror 396]

LPRs: "Wow, I really feel like I'm starting to get the hang of this whole permanent residency thing"

 

USCIS: 

 

[Stein 276]

32 minutes ago, Stein said:

It's brilliant in a way.

 

I do think this new extension will help N-400 filers.  Now the government can intentionally sit on I-751 filings until they see N-400 come in, review it, then send it for a combo interview.  If no N-400 comes in by year 3 then stick the I-751 into the que and go from there.  Saves them a lot of interview time by never having to do a I-751 and then a N400 interview.  Most would be combos plus the people that have no intention of filing N-400 won't care that it is dragging on so long since they are legal for four years anyway.

 

On top of that I can see it weeding out some additional fraudulent filers.  If people have to stay married for four more years after arrival, then submit enough evidence, they are clear.  Then they can concentrate on scrutinzing the divorce waiver filings.  It could cut down on review efforts by concentrating on the much smaller percentage that file with a waiver. All of them then get interviews and we already know that all of the N-400 filers would get interviews with the combo interview.  Everyone gets one interview.  No risk based interview waivers.

 

I'm even more positive of my decision to file N-400 at the earliest possible opportunity.

Too late to edit this again but another thought:

 

Now they can completely ignore any filing from now until at best 9 months from now.  Not even touch the file for a preliminary review beyond completeness for accepting the payment and update to re-use fingerprints.  Just shelf it and concentrate on all of the really old past dues, knowing that they won't even look at it again until it gets pushed with the N-400.  And then they have until three years before touching a I-751 at all.  Frees up a bunch of time to get onto schedule again.  Mark my words, the new normal will be I-751/N-400 combo filings on average 11-14 months.  I-751 alone will be 30-48 months.  Virtually nothing in between unless they get substantially caught up and even then it can only start shortening the I-751 only filings.  Really can't shorten combo filings since the minimun time between I-751 filing and N-400 filing will be 9 months.  Add two months to handle that paperwork, best case, and you would be at the 11 month window.  Probably never see another I-751 approval in less than a year, even if they do get caught up.

Edited January 23, 2023 by Stein

[Asterix78 27]

This messes with folks who don’t plan on naturalizing (no dual citizenship rule for example) and who now have to travel with the extension letter for 4 years, which is known to cause stress at check in. Plus the inability to check in online or at a machine, methods which are becoming ubiquitous. 

[Daphne . 1,796]

26 minutes ago, Stein said:

It's brilliant in a way.

 

I do think this new extension will help N-400 filers.  Now the government can intentionally sit on I-751 filings until they see N-400 come in, review it, then send it for a combo interview.  If no N-400 comes in by year 3 then stick the I-751 into the que and go from there.  Saves them a lot of interview time by never having to do a I-751 and then a N400 interview.  Most would be combos plus the people that have no intention of filing N-400 won't care that it is dragging on so long since they are legal for four years anyway.

 

On top of that I can see it weeding out some additional fraudulent filers.  If people have to stay married for four more years after arrival, then submit enough evidence, they are clear.  Then they can concentrate on scrutinzing the divorce waiver filings.  It could cut down on review efforts by concentrating on the much smaller percentage that file with a waiver. All of them then get interviews and we already know that all of the N-400 filers would get interviews with the combo interview.  Everyone gets one interview.  No risk based interview waivers.

 

I'm even more positive of my decision to file N-400 at the earliest possible opportunity.

But for people who are not necessarily interested in becoming a US Citizen (I am one of them), this kind of sucks... I feel pressured into filing the N-400 now, only to get my I-751 moving.

[A110 96]

6 minutes ago, Stein said:

Too late to edit this again but another thought:

 

Now they can completely ignore any filing from now until at best 9 months from now.  Not even touch the file for a preliminary review beyond completeness for accepting the payment and update to re-use fingerprints.  Just shelf it and concentrate on all of the really old past dues, knowing that they won't even look at it again until it gets pushed with the N-400.  And then they have until three years before touching a I-751 at all.  Frees up a bunch of time to get onto schedule again.  Mark my words, I-751/N-400 filings will be on average 11-14 months.  I-751 alone will be 30-48 months.  Virtually nothing in between unless they get substantially caught up and even then it can only start shortening the I-751 only filings.  Really can't shorten combo filings since about the minimun time between I-751 filing and N-400 filing will be 9 months like my case.  Add two months to handle that paperwork, best case, and you would be at the 11 month window.  Probably never see another I-751 approval in less than a year.

AND FORCING PEOPLE TO FILE N400 I GUESS.