N-400 August 2023 Filers

[VJ0617 21]

Greetings to all fellow August filers.

We filed two apps by mail. Parents of the USC, filed under the 5-year rule.

Local office: Baltimore, MD

 

Here is our timeline:

July 31: Package mailed (USPS).

August 3: Delivered to Chicago lockbox. Accepted by USCIS same day.

August 7: Credit card was charged.

August 8: USCIS sent 3 notices (Receipt Notice, Account Acceptance Notice, Biometrics Reuse Notice).

August 8: Case Is Being Actively Reviewed By USCIS

August 14: Account Acceptance Notice and Biometrics Reuse Notice arrived by mail.

August 15: Receipt Notice arrived by mail.

 

Estimated time until case decision: was about 17 months when we checked before submitting our apps. Now shows 9 months.

 

 

[VJ0617 21]

13 hours ago, HelsinkiFi said:

Hi everyone!

Fellow August filer here! Our earliest filing day was Aug 23rd (90 days before the 3 year anniversary of me becoming a permanent resident). Anyway, our attorney decided to file our N-400 by mailing it to a USCIS lockbox in Tempe, AZ. Apparently she thinks it’s safer to file it by mail because the website is famously glitchy. My question is, does anyone know how long it takes to scan the mailed application into the system after it’s in the lockbox? I would love to have a receipt number so that I could check the status of the application. Google said it may take 8 to 9 weeks for them to get it in the system! That seems like an insanely long time! Has anyone else done this by mail in a long time? 
 

I appreciate any input! Let’s hope everyone’s N-400 keep moving fast! 

USCIS will scan it same day when it receives the application. 8-9 weeks is too long, usually USCIS notices arrive in about 10-12 days from the package delivery date. You can find your Receipt/Application Number in those notices. In our case, first notice arrived in 11 days from the date when our package was delivered to the lockbox.

[Maria P. 35]

On 8/25/2023 at 10:51 AM, HelsinkiFi said:

Hi everyone!

Fellow August filer here! Our earliest filing day was Aug 23rd (90 days before the 3 year anniversary of me becoming a permanent resident). Anyway, our attorney decided to file our N-400 by mailing it to a USCIS lockbox in Tempe, AZ. Apparently she thinks it’s safer to file it by mail because the website is famously glitchy. My question is, does anyone know how long it takes to scan the mailed application into the system after it’s in the lockbox? I would love to have a receipt number so that I could check the status of the application. Google said it may take 8 to 9 weeks for them to get it in the system! That seems like an insanely long time! Has anyone else done this by mail in a long time? 
 

I appreciate any input! Let’s hope everyone’s N-400 keep moving fast! 

 

Hi @HelsinkiFi & everybody  joining the party... 

 

I also have used the lawyer and she also said something along the line of 'not trusting online filing because of history of unreliability"... although plenty of people file online and don't have any issues (my friend including - already got approved, filed online), I am not sure if lawyers are just a bit of old school / they have some bad experience with online or they have some industry insider info...

 

Anyway - we mailed the application this week -> it was delivered by FEDEX to USCIS Elgin Lockbox on Wednesday, August 23rd.  On Friday (i.e. 2 business days after delivery) - I got a text message "USCIS: Your case was received. RECEIPT # IOExxxxxxxxxx. Official Receipt Notice ( Form I-797C) to follow in mail. Msg & Data rates may apply. DO NOT REPLY". Although it was mailed (paper form application), it appears they have digitalized it (scanned it into the system), based on 'IOE' receipt abbreviation. So I agree with @VJ0617 - 8-9 weeks seems definitely too long.  I am still waiting for the mail notice and will give an update when I get it.

 

Since I got the receipt # in text, I could already go check USCIS online tool -> and on Friday Aug 23 ~ showed "case was received and a receipt notice was sent" and now on Sunday (Aug 27) ~ it shows "case is being actively reviewed by USCIS" . Hope it helps) 

Edited August 27, 2023 by Maria P.

[Crazy Cat 41,770]

58 minutes ago, Maria P. said:

she also said something along the line of 'not trusting online filing because of history of unreliability"

Filing online for my wife was fast, easy, and uncomplicated.  She IMMEDIATELY received a case receipt # and a "Biometrics will be reused" notice.  There were no glitches, and she took the oath of Citizenship in less than 6 months after filing online. 

and no attorney was needed or used. 

Edited August 27, 2023 by Crazy Cat

[Maria P. 35]

48 minutes ago, Crazy Cat said:

Filing online for my wife was fast, easy, and uncomplicated.  She IMMEDIATELY received a case receipt # and a "Biometrics will be reused" notice.  There were no glitches, and she took the oath of Citizenship in less than 6 months after filing online. 

and no attorney was needed or used. 

I have a friend who also applied online / in June 2022 (FL) / and he got all approved with no issues, no glitches and had oath ceremony in 9 months.  I needed lawyer, because I wanted  really 'stellar' application (I have a legal complication in my case) , but honestly I feel like I would have done a better job myself and I even caught lawyer's paralegal making 3 mistakes in application 🤦🏻‍♀️  Don't think its completely wasted money, I did get some advice, but if you have attention to detail and you can read USCIS web -> I believe you totally can get away without lawyer for this... agree

[HelsinkiFi 14]

On 8/25/2023 at 10:14 PM, JenIE said:

Yeah I'm curious about the glitchy comment -- there are definitely other forms that clearly haven't had the code updated since the late 90s but this one was very straightforward and easy and modern feeling. I would bet most people filed online as well.

 Hi, yeah I have no idea either because it seems like everyone but us submits these things online without any issue 😄 but here we are, and since my lawyer decided to do it via mail, I was just curious if anyone else has done this in a while! 

[HelsinkiFi 14]

On 8/27/2023 at 4:36 PM, Maria P. said:

 

Hi @HelsinkiFi & everybody  joining the party... 

 

I also have used the lawyer and she also said something along the line of 'not trusting online filing because of history of unreliability"... although plenty of people file online and don't have any issues (my friend including - already got approved, filed online), I am not sure if lawyers are just a bit of old school / they have some bad experience with online or they have some industry insider info...

 

Anyway - we mailed the application this week -> it was delivered by FEDEX to USCIS Elgin Lockbox on Wednesday, August 23rd.  On Friday (i.e. 2 business days after delivery) - I got a text message "USCIS: Your case was received. RECEIPT # IOExxxxxxxxxx. Official Receipt Notice ( Form I-797C) to follow in mail. Msg & Data rates may apply. DO NOT REPLY". Although it was mailed (paper form application), it appears they have digitalized it (scanned it into the system), based on 'IOE' receipt abbreviation. So I agree with @VJ0617 - 8-9 weeks seems definitely too long.  I am still waiting for the mail notice and will give an update when I get it.

 

Since I got the receipt # in text, I could already go check USCIS online tool -> and on Friday Aug 23 ~ showed "case was received and a receipt notice was sent" and now on Sunday (Aug 27) ~ it shows "case is being actively reviewed by USCIS" . Hope it helps) 

Hi Maria, I’m so happy you got your receipt number so fast! That’s awesome! And yeah, you’re probably right about lawyers being a little bit old school with this stuff!
I haven’t heard anything so far, and since I don’t have the receipt number I can’t check the status yet! The suspense is killing me haha. Hopefully I’ll get a letter in the mail soon so I could start tracking the application!

 

Best of luck to you that everything goes really fast and you will soon get a date for the interview 🤩

[biggiehuggie 40]

Joining this thread!

File Date Online: August 28

Biometric Reuse Notice: August 28

Receipt Notice: August 28

Received 3 emails since then advising that an action was taken for my application but there has not been not update since Aug 28. I am pretty sure the field office assigned to my case would be the Memphis, TN office.

 

Would I still receive a letter in the mail?

 

[Maria P. 35]

Guys, sharing an update as promised -> got my notice letters in a mail today. So I got 3 letters: Receipt Notice, Account Acceptance Notice and Biometric Reuse, all dated: 08/26/2023, delivered today (September 1, 2023). Meaning 8 days after paper application was delivered to Elgin Lockbox(i.e. 'receive date'), or 5 days from notice print date.

 

I got my online access code in the 'Account Acceptance Notice', so now I could add it to my USCIS online account. Wait time estimate given online : 9 months (I am located in central Florida). I still don't know what exact field office will process this, since receipt is IOE (which refers to 'digital') and the only service center listed in these letters was NBC which is in Missouri...   💁‍♀️ 

 

[stephbd 91]

On 8/30/2023 at 12:05 PM, biggiehuggie said:

Joining this thread!

File Date Online: August 28

Biometric Reuse Notice: August 28

Receipt Notice: August 28

Received 3 emails since then advising that an action was taken for my application but there has not been not update since Aug 28. I am pretty sure the field office assigned to my case would be the Memphis, TN office.

 

Would I still receive a letter in the mail?

 

Welcome to the thread! Yes, you will receive the receipt notice and the biometrics reuse notice in the mail. The “action taken” email is because of those receipts being created.

[stephbd 91]

42 minutes ago, Maria P. said:

Guys, sharing an update as promised -> got my notice letters in a mail today. So I got 3 letters: Receipt Notice, Account Acceptance Notice and Biometric Reuse, all dated: 08/26/2023, delivered today (September 1, 2023). Meaning 8 days after paper application was delivered to Elgin Lockbox(i.e. 'receive date'), or 5 days from notice print date.

 

I got my online access code in the 'Account Acceptance Notice', so now I could add it to my USCIS online account. Wait time estimate given online : 9 months (I am located in central Florida). I still don't know what exact field office will process this, since receipt is IOE (which refers to 'digital') and the only service center listed in these letters was NBC which is in Missouri...   💁‍♀️ 

 

The field office should be the same one that processed your i485, unless you moved to a different city or state.

 

I think there is a page that tells your field office based on your zipcode.

[aneeth 1]

Hello All,

 

My lawyer has sent my N-400 on 25th August to one of the processing centers and its been 2 weeks and i did not hear anything back from USCIS. Does any have any idea about how long does processing centers take to process the paper N-400 and send the receipt number. 

 

Are there any N-400 Filers from Seattle, Wa ? 

 

Thank you All. 

[Jorald02 116]

August Filer here.

 

I got my 10 year Greencard in March 2023 and I applied for Citizenship last August. I am married to a US citizen for over 5 years now.

 

Received Date : 8/14/2023

Case Actively Reviewed : 8/18/2023

Biometric Reused : 8/18/2023

Interview Scheduled : 9/8/2023

Interview Date : 10/20/2023

 

Hope you all have a wonderful day. 

 

 

 

 

[Maria P. 35]

 

Whooooa, you got interview notice already?? THat is amazing !  Do you mind me asking where/which service center u sent the application to & which field office you are going to visit for the interview? 

[Jorald02 116]

15 minutes ago, Maria P. said:

 

Whooooa, you got interview notice already?? THat is amazing !  Do you mind me asking where/which service center u sent the application to & which field office you are going to visit for the interview? 

I filed at lockbox office at Elgin, Illinois and my interview office is Montgomery, Alabama