N-400 July 2017 Filers

[SamBillz 23]

3 hours ago, Going through said:

My experience this afternoon at my biometrics appointment for anyone interested:

 

I arrived about half an hour early.   A few people sitting and waiting.  Security had me fill in a short bio-sheet with my name, country of citizenship and birth, as well as my height, eye and hair color.  After handing that back in, I received a number and was directed to the back of the room where I was the only person in that area so my number was called right away---total wait time in the office (in spite of showing up early) was like 1 minute.

 

Lady who calls me is nice but aloof and scans both the top and bottom of the barcode of my letter.

The lady made me sit in a chair, facing the camera and just confirmed my birthdate and country of birth with what showed on her computer screen.  Here's where the interesting part started...the camera was not directly facing me, but far off to my shoulder---she tells me to look in the camera but just lean over and move my head instead of my entire body (??)...Camera clicks and she says "good".  The photo comes out with me then looking like a hunchback because I had to lean so far to my right.   I look at the photo on the screen and ask "will they accept it with one of my shoulders sloped down so much?"  She pauses and goes "Well, maybe we'll take another photo then.  Make sure both of your ears are showing and take off your headband" (I start to feel uneasy over whether my biometrics are going to be done properly because 1)  she thought the first photo was acceptable, and 2) why didn't she tell me about my headband and ears the first time too??)  I then balance myself on the furthest corner of the chair so my body can be more inline with the camera which she refuses to move (they are not stationed to anything, so they can move them if they wanted to)...photo comes out a bit more "normal looking" posture-wise this time, but of course a bit slanted and one of my ears is slightly covered by my hair because I still had to tilt my body slightly.  Wasn't allowed to smile, so it looks rather like a mugshot.

 

We move on to the fingerprinting...she does the 4 full fingers of my right hand and then has me electronically sign on the pad.  I ask her if she's sure she doesn't need to take fingerprints from my other hand, and she replies "the computer will let me know if I need to".  Upon glancing at the computer screen again, it shows a small graphic of what's needed for a Code 5 (which is the code on my bio appointment letter), but it doesn't really say either way.  At the end it did show fingerprints submitted.  She asks me to fill out the comment/evaluation card about my visit and hovers over me reading every box I check off.  Service was pleasant and efficient so no concerns there, but really they shouldn't hover over your shoulder like that to make sure you give them a good score.  I ask her again if she's sure we didn't need to do both hands and she says no (I hope this is true...don't need something else to stress out about).  Gives me the study booklet, and I'm on my way out the door before my actual appointment time was supposed to begin.  Less than 20 minutes total in the building.  

 

Note:  I will be making sure to bring an extra set of photos to the interview on the off-chance the interviewer tells me the ones taken today were not done as per their standards....the photos are the US-sized passport ones, right?

 

Those of you who did fingerprinting already, did they take just one hand or both?

@Going through - thanks for sharing your experience. I am totally perplexed by the camera situation that you encountered. I guess you had a not so motivated employee 😏. Anyway, I don't think it's a rocket science to take these digital photographs So I think you'll be better off by taking photographs for your interview. 

 

As for the one hand fingerprints, I am trying to remember if I had done one hand or both for the GC (it's been a few years).  I am pretty sure it was both the hands.

 

There were quite a few people for FP appointment today so good luck to y'all! 

[Going through 5,668]

2 minutes ago, SamBillz said:

As for the one hand fingerprints, I am trying to remember if I had done one hand or both for the GC (it's been a few years).  I am pretty sure it was both the hands.

I remember my GC fingerprinting---it was the right hand, and the right thumb print.  I just read on another thread that they only do the right hand if your prints have been in the USCIS system before.

Edited August 8, 2017 by Going through

[ARDallas 59]

Hello!!!

 

For those of you who filed online, I checked my USCIS online account today and when I click view case detail : There is a big green writing said Estimated case completion time : April 2018 (8 months). I never heard anyone mentioned it. Did any of you see it in your online acct?

 

I am quite happy if they finish my case within a year considering Dallas FO is one of the slowest in the country.

[Going through 5,668]

3 minutes ago, ARDallas said:

Hello!!!

 

For those of you who filed online, I checked my USCIS online account today and when I click view case detail : There is a big green writing said Estimated case completion time : April 2018 (8 months). I never heard anyone mentioned it. Did any of you see it in your online acct?

 

I am quite happy if they finish my case within a year considering Dallas FO is one of the slowest in the country.

No I haven't seen this---where exactly did you see it???

[reneesuarez 21]

6 minutes ago, ARDallas said:

Hello!!!

 

For those of you who filed online, I checked my USCIS online account today and when I click view case detail : There is a big green writing said Estimated case completion time : April 2018 (8 months). I never heard anyone mentioned it. Did any of you see it in your online acct?

 

I am quite happy if they finish my case within a year considering Dallas FO is one of the slowest in the country.

funny, i just logged into mine and checked, and I too have an estimated completion date!! WOAH!! it shows March 2018 (7 months)... what an awesome new development!!! By the way, this was not there yesterday when I logged in and saw the PDF of biometrics letter, so this is definitely a new thing.

Edited August 8, 2017 by reneesuarez

[ARDallas 59]

Just now, Going through said:

No I haven't seen this---where exactly did you see it???

see attached...

[ARDallas 59]

3 minutes ago, reneesuarez said:

funny, i just logged into mine and checked, and I too have an estimated completion date!! WOAH!! it shows March 2018 (7 months)... what an awesome new development!!! By the way, this was not there yesterday when I logged in and saw the PDF of biometrics letter, so this is definitely a new thing.

Yeah, That's what I was asking yesterday It seems like they "touched" my application on 8/4 but I got everything by that date (NOA, FP letter). Guess that answers my question.

 

Let's hope that's true since I still have pending I751.

[Going through 5,668]

Wow just saw mine---shows January 2018  

[ARDallas 59]

2 minutes ago, Going through said:

Wow just saw mine---shows January 2018  

Great!!!!! Did your last updated date change?

[Going through 5,668]

20 minutes ago, ARDallas said:

Great!!!!! Did your last updated date change?

Yes, changed to today's date (the date I also had my fingerprintng completed)

[reneesuarez 21]

24 minutes ago, Going through said:

Wow just saw mine---shows January 2018  

wow, if that holds true, congrats!! not too far off and you'll be a citizen!

[lover5 5]

3 minutes ago, Going through said:

Yes, changed to today's date (the date I also had my fingerprintng completed)

Any body who file by paper has tha status on the web?

[Going through 5,668]

ARDallas---you need to make a general thread about this in the citizenship forum---there may be tons of online filers who have no clue this info exists!

[CA1234 2]

38 minutes ago, lover5 said:

Any body who file by paper has tha status on the web?

I am a paper filer and do not see that estimated completion message, even though I had a change in status today (in line). It must be an Online filer special  

[LRP 26]

@ARDallas thanks so much for the update!

 

Mine has also given an estimated time till interview is scheduled: 4 months  Is this showing for anyone else?