kissp

One more comment for others reading this. In addition to what others have already said about benefits, another reason to make sure your citizenship status is up-to-date in the SSA database is if your employer participates in e-verify. You could end up with an unnecessary conundrum because your employer isn't able to validate your employment eligibility through e-verify. All you have to do is: - fill out a replacement card form (very simple 8.5x11 form), - show up at the office with your proof of citizenship, - hand in the form and proof of citizenship, - wait for like 5 minutes. They told me I'd get the new card in the mail in 2 weeks, I receive the new card after 3 days. God bless America! 🙂

First off, really sorry to hear that. Hopefully you'll be able sort things out. In general, you're not required to volunteer information to anyone. However, based on the only in the above sentence and what you have mentioned it seems like she didn't tell the truth about her situation during her initial interview. I'd probably do the following if I were in her shoes: 1. Go to the interview and answer every question truthfully. 2. Be prepared that her Visa will most likely get revoked. 3. Start making plans for spousal visa applications. Hope you guys will be able to figure things out and for a happy ending. PS: Assume that immigration officials have access to all your social media etc. even if it isn't publicly available. The U.S. Government has pretty much access to anything that's online these days. Keep that in mind during your interview.

Hello Everyone, I have some information to share, hoping it will be useful for others. Here is a bit of background: I submitted my N-400 (naturalization) in November. In April, I received a notice that I had been scheduled for the N-400 interview in May. My I-751 (removal of condition) case was still outstanding when I got scheduled for my N-400 interview. My N-400 and I-751 were at different processing centers. In April, after I was scheduled for my N-400 interview, I uploaded a request for a combo interview. I also sent this request as a physical mail to the USCIS field office where my interview was scheduled (you can find the address of the field office on the interview letter). On the day of the interview, the following happened: I arrived about 25 minutes before my interview time and passed through security without any issues. I waited approximately 75 minutes before being called in for the interview. The interview itself: The officer informed me that since my I-751 was at a different processing center, they would first need to request a transfer in order to adjudicate my case. They told me that they could not make a final decision that day and that I would have to return at a later time. They also informed me that they had requested the transfer, but it would take at least 1-2 days. Consequently, my spouse was there but was not needed for the interview. Interestingly, I saw the physical letter I had sent to request the combo interview in my file, even the envelope was there. So they definitely received the letter. I will expand later on what I think happened. We then proceeded with the N-400 interview. I was asked the following questions: Reading: "Who lives in the White House?" Writing: "The President lives in the White House." Civics: 1. "Who does a U.S. Senator represent?" 2. "How many justices are on the Supreme Court?" 3. "Who is the Chief Justice of the United States now?" 4. "What major event happened on September 11, 2001, in the United States?" 5. "Name one state that borders Mexico." 6. "Why does the flag have 50 stars?" Then the Yes/No questions. They also asked me if I still worked at the job indicated in my application. I told them that I didn't and wanted to present my offer letter for my new job, which I hadn't started yet. The officer said they didn't need the letter and just made a note in my file. It didn't seem to make a difference, which was very relieving because I was worried about this. But as @OldUser mentioned in a prior post, having a job isn't a requirement for citizenship. After the interview concluded, I received a form called N-652, which stated, "You passed the test of English and U.S. history and government. A decision cannot yet be made about your application." Make sure to hold on to the N-652, as this paper will have the name of the interviewing officer and will be required for any follow-ups. After the interview: We went home, and the longest two weeks of my life began. I checked the status daily but saw no movement other than a notification that my I-751 case was transferred to a different office for faster processing. Then my new job asked me to fill out the I-9 paperwork. Since I knew that physical mail would eventually reach the right person, I wrote a letter addressed to my case officer explaining that I needed to fill out the I-9 paperwork and inquired about the timeline of my case. It's important to note that I was careful not to exert pressure or anything like that. I simply said that I'd like to know the timeline if possible because if it would take longer for my case to move forward, I would fill out the I-9 paperwork as an LPR; if not, I'd wait until my oath ceremony and fill it out accordingly. I sent the letter on a Wednesday morning with overnight post. On Friday, I got the notification that I was recommended for naturalization and was in line to be scheduled for the Oath Ceremony. But this isn't the crazy part. On Saturday, I received a phone call from the officer asking if I was free that afternoon to come in for the Oath Ceremony. Wow! Of course, I said yes and drove down there. After a quick interview asking if I had gotten into any trouble since my last interview, I waited in the room for the oath ceremony. After about two hours, I finally attended the oath ceremony and became a U.S. citizen. It was surreal, as I didn't really have time to mentally process this. As a matter of fact, I still can't. This has been a very long journey for me. I started as an F1 student over a decade ago and have gone through OPT, H1B, and the whole nine yards before applying for my green card. Here are the important takeaways from my story: Have courage. Everyone's story is different, and it doesn't mean anything if your case takes longer or not. I feel I got lucky with this job thing, and the officer had compassion for me. Obviously, don't make up a lie just to get things moving, but if you find yourself in a particular situation that needs help, I think it's okay to contact the officer politely in writing who interviewed you. But also try to gauge the vibe of your officer. My officer gave off an "I want to be helpful" vibe ;-) Once you are scheduled for an interview, probably no one will look at your file again until the day of the interview. So if your I-751 is at a different processing center than your N-400 and you don't see a "Case was Transferred Notice," you are guaranteed to have to go back again for the Oath Ceremony. Because of the above, I suggest you upload your request for the combo interview as soon as possible, preferably before you get scheduled for the interview. I hope this helps, and I pray for everyone's case to go smoothly. Let me know if you have any questions.

The one in Cranbury.

I filed end of November, 2023 and got my interview notice mid April with the interview being scheduled for May.

Great, thank you! Yes, I uploaded my I-797 for my I-751. However, I'll add a letter to my application requesting the combo interview.

Hello Everyone, First of all, thank you so much for all your help. You guys are truly amazing. I wanted to provide an update on my situation: Request for a Combo Interview Question: I have received notice that my N-400 interview is scheduled for May 22nd. However, there has been no movement on the ROC front, and the notice does not mention it being a combo interview. As mentioned in my previous post, the ROC is at the Vermont processing center and the N-400 is at the National Benefits center. After reading all your stories, I'm wondering how to prepare for this situation? I uploaded my I-797 notice for my N-400 application but did not upload a letter requesting a combo interview. Is it too late to upload a request for a combo interview now? The USCIS website mentions that unsolicited evidence will be considered based on timeliness and relevance. What are your thoughts? Estimated Time Until Case Decision Question: I noticed an oddity where, after the interview was scheduled, the estimated processing time jumped from 2 months to 7 months. Should I be concerned about this? Employment Status Question: Talk about Murphy's Law! 😉 I have recently quit my current job, effective May 10th, and am scheduled to start a new job on July 1st. I planned some time off between jobs to work on my house and study for the immigration test, not anticipating my immigration paperwork to move forward so soon. Given that I will technically be unemployed at the time of the interview but have an offer letter and signed contract for a new job starting in July, along with sufficient savings to cover all expenses during this period (and beyond), will this be an issue at the interview? Is there anything else besides my offer letter and employment contract that I should bring to the interview? Thank you for your help!

Thanks @OldUser! I appreciate the detailed feedback!

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: 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? 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? 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? 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? 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!