No response two weeks after N-400 delivered – form lost?

[ny92 0]

Hi,

First of all: this site is great – lots of useful information gathered.

I’m just looking for general wisdom/previous experience with the very beginning of the N-400 process.

I have received no response (G-1145 e-notification, checks cashed) two weeks after N-400 was delivered to the Texas lockbox office. Based on previous postings, most people get their initial response within a few days, but the number of people reporting recently (April 2014) is relatively low.

Anybody else out there waiting for the initial response for a long(ish) time?

At what point it’s safe to assume the form has been lost?

Many thanks,

M.

[Darth Vader Ku II 2]

Hi,

First of all: this site is great – lots of useful information gathered.

I’m just looking for general wisdom/previous experience with the very beginning of the N-400 process.

I have received no response (G-1145 e-notification, checks cashed) two weeks after N-400 was delivered to the Texas lockbox office. Based on previous postings, most people get their initial response within a few days, but the number of people reporting recently (April 2014) is relatively low.

Anybody else out there waiting for the initial response for a long(ish) time?

At what point it’s safe to assume the form has been lost?

Many thanks,

M.

ny92,

A few questions to determine more definitively what your circumstances are:

1) Did you actually file a G-1145?

If you did not, you would not receive the receipt confirmation. However, even if you did, it's quite possible that the notification failed as those confirmations are not 100% reliable.

2) Did you write a cheque to the USCIS or pay via Money Order?

If it's the former and your cheque does not show up as cleared in your bank account, I would agree that this is an indication of something gone wrong;

however; that said

3) Did you properly fill out your form as well as sign in the required sections?

If your petition is deemed incomplete, then depending on where it was sent from it could have taken:

- up to five business days to arrive at the Dallas/Lewisville Lockbox

- up to two business days to determine that your petition was improperly filed

- up to two business days to process it for a return and

- up to five business days to arrive at your address

As you can see, this all adds up to as many as fourteen business days. When you factor in weekends, then you would naturally expect not to hear anything on your petition for over two weeks

Do you know if any of the above scenarios applies to you? My best guess would be the third one.

Good luck!

[ny92 0]

ny92,

A few questions to determine more definitively what your circumstances are:

1) Did you actually file a G-1145?

If you did not, you would not receive the receipt confirmation. However, even if you did, it's quite possible that the notification failed as those confirmations are not 100% reliable.

2) Did you write a cheque to the USCIS or pay via Money Order?

If it's the former and your cheque does not show up as cleared in your bank account, I would agree that this is an indication of something gone wrong;

however; that said

3) Did you properly fill out your form as well as sign in the required sections?

If your petition is deemed incomplete, then depending on where it was sent from it could have taken:

- up to five business days to arrive at the Dallas/Lewisville Lockbox

- up to two business days to determine that your petition was improperly filed

- up to two business days to process it for a return and

- up to five business days to arrive at your address

As you can see, this all adds up to as many as fourteen business days. When you factor in weekends, then you would naturally expect not to hear anything on your petition for over two weeks

Do you know if any of the above scenarios applies to you? My best guess would be the third one.

Good luck!

Hi,

Thanks a lot for your quick answer.

Regarding the questions:

1) Yes, I did file a G-1145.

2) I used a personal check.

3) As far as I can tell, the forms, the check etc. are valid and complete, reviewed by multiple people etc, but I guess nothing is 100% guaranteed untill it passes the process.

Also, the two weeks I'm talking about are two weeks since the form was delivered (UPS) to the office, so the turn-around time based on your list closer to nine business days.

Best,

M

[Messybrownhair 251]

I would not rely on the G-1145 as I never received a notification as well.

Personally, I would probably give it another week or so and then if you decide to resend, cancel the first check so its not cashed twice in case its found. Try calling USCIS and giving your a# to track it? Im not sure if that would work.

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

It can take up to a month for them to cash the check. Don't do anything for at least a month.

[ny92 0]

It can take up to a month for them to cash the check. Don't do anything for at least a month.

Thanks, that sounds (somehow) encouraging.

Anybody out there who got the check cashed more than two weeks after the form was delivered?

[Darth Vader Ku II 2]

Thanks, that sounds (somehow) encouraging.

Anybody out there who got the check cashed more than two weeks after the form was delivered?

It can take up to a month to cash the cheque? Somehow, I doubt that.

The USCIS hires an external vendor at the two Lockboxes (not sure this works at the Nebraska Service Centre) and these vendors are tasked with receiving the applications, assessing them for completeness, and then forwarding the payments to be processed (for petitions assessed to be properly filed) as quickly as they possibly can.

I have never seen, personally or anecdotally, a case where a cheque was cashed outside of ten business days from the time the application was received.

Given the Original Poster's update on the specific circumstances, my best guess is one of two scenarios:

A) The petition was corrcetly filed (as the Original Poster seems fairly certain), but is progressing at the slower end of normal initial processing times (normal initial processing times in my estimation of approximately six to ten calendar days for the cheque to be cashed and seven to ten calendar days to receive the I-797C (Notica of Action I))

or

B) The petition was incorrcetly filed, is being returned, but is moving through return processing and mail dispatch a bit slower than one would reasonably expect

Based on how certain the Original Poster sounds and the due diligence steps she took to ensure proper filing, I believe (and hope) that the actual outcome falls under Scenario A.

Good luck.

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

It can take up to a month to cash the cheque? Somehow, I doubt that.

The USCIS hires an external vendor at the two Lockboxes (not sure this works at the Nebraska Service Centre) and these vendors are tasked with receiving the applications, assessing them for completeness, and then forwarding the payments to be processed (for petitions assessed to be properly filed) as quickly as they possibly can.

I have never seen, personally or anecdotally, a case where a cheque was cashed outside of ten business days from the time the application was received.

Given the Original Poster's update on the specific circumstances, my best guess is one of two scenarios:

A) The petition was corrcetly filed (as the Original Poster seems fairly certain), but is progressing at the slower end of normal initial processing times (normal initial processing times in my estimation of approximately six to ten calendar days for the cheque to be cashed and seven to ten calendar days to receive the I-797C (Notica of Action I))

or

B) The petition was incorrcetly filed, is being returned, but is moving through return processing and mail dispatch a bit slower than one would reasonably expect

Based on how certain the Original Poster sounds and the due diligence steps she took to ensure proper filing, I believe (and hope) that the actual outcome falls under Scenario A.

Good luck.

You just joined in April of this year. How many cases have you seen?

So no, it's not as quick as they can.

I have seen many cashed in over 10 days, and many up to 4 weeks.

Our ROC was cashed in around 4.5 weeks actually.

OP should just relax and see what happens. Canceling the check and trying to fix it always ends up poorly, because the old petition is always "found" and the check bounces, and it's a mess.

[Darth Vader Ku II 2]

You just joined in April of this year. How many cases have you seen?

So no, it's not as quick as they can.

I have seen many cashed in over 10 days, and many up to 4 weeks.

Our ROC was cashed in around 4.5 weeks actually.

OP should just relax and see what happens. Canceling the check and trying to fix it always ends up poorly, because the old petition is always "found" and the check bounces, and it's a mess.

No, I joined in 2009 under a different account. I terminated that account the same year and opened up another in 2010, and then another in 2012. All those accounts were terminated when I assesed I had derived my sought utility from the forum. I returned in 2014 where I opened yet another account in March, and then the most recent one this April. In all, I would say I've been an on-again, off-again member of VisaJourney for about five years.

I have personally seen three of my own previous petitions, literally hundreds of anecdotal cases in my fives years as an on-again, off-again member of VisaJourney, and about fifteen cases of personal friends and/or acquaintances and of mutual personal friends and/or acquaintances. Those are the numbers I cited in my previous response.

I am not trying to agitate the Original Poster, but I do not wish to provide false hope either simply for the sake of being "nice." I certainly never recommended the Original Poster cancel the cheque, but I also do not recommend your Wait-and-See approach. I would encourage the Original Poster to spend the next few days trying to ascertain whether her petition has been acepted for processing, or returned for being incorrectly filed.

[ny92 0]

You just joined in April of this year. How many cases have you seen?

So no, it's not as quick as they can.

I have seen many cashed in over 10 days, and many up to 4 weeks.

Our ROC was cashed in around 4.5 weeks actually.

OP should just relax and see what happens. Canceling the check and trying to fix it always ends up poorly, because the old petition is always "found" and the check bounces, and it's a mess.

Right, this is exactly the dilemma I'm debating here:

re-send the package and hope that it will get processed in the regular timeframe (and risk possible confusion if/when both versions are found) OR wait for a month, start some kind of inquiry, wait for the result of that, and then perhaps submit a new package.

[Udella&Wiz 325]

2 weeks is annoying but I don't think its too much time, I would give it a few more weeks since Easter was last weekend among other things

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

Right, this is exactly the dilemma I'm debating here:

re-send the package and hope that it will get processed in the regular timeframe (and risk possible confusion if/when both versions are found) OR wait for a month, start some kind of inquiry, wait for the result of that, and then perhaps submit a new package.

Just wait. I bet you it will be cashed next week. I believe USCIS has posted somewhere the month timeframe as well. Sending multiple packages makes much more mess. Best of luck.

[Darth Vader Ku II 2]

Just wait. I bet you it will be cashed next week. I believe USCIS has posted somewhere the month timeframe as well. Sending multiple packages makes much more mess. Best of luck.

So, which is it: next week of "4.5" weeks?

[DC85 113]

So, which is it: next week of "4.5" weeks?

harpa is very knowledgeable and she contributes a lot to the forum. and I want to tell you on our i751- april thread , a lot of people have delay in getting their noa and the check to be cashed.

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

So, which is it: next week of "4.5" weeks?

In English, "up to" 4 weeks mean any time from one day to 4 weeks. Next week is my personal guess, and does not contradict the fact that it can take up to 4 weeks to cash the check. If it still hasn't happened by this week then I would still advise to wait another week.

The OP can make their own choice about what they want to do.