N400 Seattle (merged)

[L1 & L2 9]

On 12/18/2020 at 2:43 PM, Daisy&Vincent said:

We received the interview notice and updated the spreadsheet with the interview date.  My wife has been continuing to study non-stop, hoping to report some good news in the new year.  Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year all!

Great - All the best for your interview

[leethompson 31]

Have a USCIS letter arriving today (thank you USPS Informed Delivery), so I logged on to myUSCIS. Nothing obvious had changed, but on checking the 'Documents' tab for my naturalization application, I saw a new letter dated 12/14/2020.

 

'Biometric Reuse'

 

Body of the letter is as follows:

 

U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has received your form and is currently processing your application, petition, or request. This notice informs you that USCIS is able to reuse your previously captured fingerprints and other biometrics. USCIS will run the same security checks and use your biometric data as in the past, however, it is not necessary for you to appear at a USCIS Application Support Center (ASC) for a biometrics appointment. The biometrics fee will not be refunded.

 

USCIS is continuing to process your application, petition, or request. USCIS will contact you in writing if any additional information is necessary to resolve your case.

 

So, I am appreciative that they can (a) reuse my relatively recent biometrics (last year), (b) I won't have to go back to the service center until my interview, and (c) made it super clear that they are actually reusing - I know there was some confusion on some of the threads here on whether this was happening. Still not on track to have an interview until late summer 2021, but this at least helps.

 

Happy holidays everyone!

[Shivoham 19]

It's good that they are able to reuse the biometrics for 2020 applicants. Hope that somewhat lessens their load on the appointments. 

 

[WOODHIKER 30]

I also received a biometric reuse letter dated 12/14/2020, I applied in May 2020. The letter was sent to my old address even though I can see that my address has been updated on my online account.

[Shivoham 19]

Can someone who received their interview notice please answer my query? 

I had applied in Sep 2019, still waiting for interview notification, but I need to travel outside USA for next 1-2 months, and so i'll be checking my status everyday, and plan to come back early if the interview gets scheduled early. I understand that when they schedule me for interview, I will see change in my online status. That 'status change' doesn't mention the actual interview date, correct? Since that 'Status change', when would i actually be able to know the interview date? Will i see a letter in my online account? OR would i have to wait for the letter to reach in my physical mailbox? Also, after how many days of 'status change', did you see the letter, online or physcial? 

Thanks you.  

[L1 & L2 9]

5 hours ago, Shivoham said:

Can someone who received their interview notice please answer my query? 

I had applied in Sep 2019, still waiting for interview notification, but I need to travel outside USA for next 1-2 months, and so i'll be checking my status everyday, and plan to come back early if the interview gets scheduled early. I understand that when they schedule me for interview, I will see change in my online status. That 'status change' doesn't mention the actual interview date, correct? Since that 'Status change', when would i actually be able to know the interview date? Will i see a letter in my online account? OR would i have to wait for the letter to reach in my physical mailbox? Also, after how many days of 'status change', did you see the letter, online or physcial? 

Thanks you.  

Make sure that your online account has notification enabled for email as well as text message. Without that setting, you will not get notification. Once you get a notification on email that there has been status update on your account then in first step you will be able to see that "Interview has been scheduled" (you will not know date immediately). But after say 24 hours - 48 hours, they upload actual interview notice in your documents folder in online account in which you can see entire details including interview date. Exact same notice gets sent to you via mail as well. I received mail in about 4-5 working days.

[SnailRaceSeattle 16]

Today i received paper letter from uscis about biometrics reuse, and in online account it reflected as well.

Looks like many of us received the same notice with the same issuing date 12/14.

Great!

[L1 & L2 9]

Happy to share that I am a citizen of the USA now 🙂 . My citizenship application was approved today. It has been close to 9 years in this country and I am excited & thrilled with this milestone. I will try to provide some details of my experience today which can perhaps answer some of your queries in terms of what to expect on 'THE' day.

 

My and my wife's interview was in Seattle USCIS @ 12500 Tukwila International Blvd. There is a parking lot next to building so parking should not be an issue. Due to COVID, they are not allowing anyone to enter the building more than 15 min. before interview time. It was stated on my interview notice as well and they are truly following it. After entering building, you will go through normal airport style security check on same first floor. After that there is a appointment desk where someone will validate your notice/id card and then check you in. They will give you one printed token number. After that you will have to go to second floor and just wait in waiting area out there. Make sure that phone is completely switched off in this place.

 

USCIS Officer comes there and calls by token number or name. And then he/she will take you to their office room. You will be put on Oath to speak truth and then it goes through interview process of Civic test, English test and any follow-up questions on your N400 form itself. If you have traveled outside USA after your application date then please make sure that you have all details of the same. For writing test, they do it on tablet set up there. After interview is done, officer tells you that your application is approved or not (was of course approved in my case ) and you will be required to sign some forms on that tablet itself. Same officer administers Oath right there immediately after interview (assuming it is approved). In my case, officers were really nice and they combined Oath administration for me and my wife together although actual interview for us was taken by two different officers in two different rooms. After Oath is taken, that marks the end of process with the officer. You will be asked to wait in waiting area again where some other admin person will come out and hand over naturalization certification and welcome kit. 

 

Of course above experience is my personal experience and this may change in future depending on COVID situation. But nonetheless thought of sharing it with folks who will have interview in upcoming days.

 

I wish you all the very best for your citizenship process. I am unlikely to track this thread actively now onward but if you have questions then feel free to reach on 1:1 message.

 

[Shivoham 19]

21 minutes ago, L1 & L2 said:

Happy to share that I am a citizen of the USA now 🙂 . My citizenship application was approved today. It has been close to 9 years in this country and I am excited & thrilled with this milestone. I will try to provide some details of my experience today which can perhaps answer some of your queries in terms of what to expect on 'THE' day.

 

My and my wife's interview was in Seattle USCIS @ 12500 Tukwila International Blvd. There is a parking lot next to building so parking should not be an issue. Due to COVID, they are not allowing anyone to enter the building more than 15 min. before interview time. It was stated on my interview notice as well and they are truly following it. After entering building, you will go through normal airport style security check on same first floor. After that there is a appointment desk where someone will validate your notice/id card and then check you in. They will give you one printed token number. After that you will have to go to second floor and just wait in waiting area out there. Make sure that phone is completely switched off in this place.

 

USCIS Officer comes there and calls by token number or name. And then he/she will take you to their office room. You will be put on Oath to speak truth and then it goes through interview process of Civic test, English test and any follow-up questions on your N400 form itself. If you have traveled outside USA after your application date then please make sure that you have all details of the same. For writing test, they do it on tablet set up there. After interview is done, officer tells you that your application is approved or not (was of course approved in my case ) and you will be required to sign some forms on that tablet itself. Same officer administers Oath right there immediately after interview (assuming it is approved). In my case, officers were really nice and they combined Oath administration for me and my wife together although actual interview for us was taken by two different officers in two different rooms. After Oath is taken, that marks the end of process with the officer. You will be asked to wait in waiting area again where some other admin person will come out and hand over naturalization certification and welcome kit. 

 

Of course above experience is my personal experience and this may change in future depending on COVID situation. But nonetheless thought of sharing it with folks who will have interview in upcoming days.

 

I wish you all the very best for your citizenship process. I am unlikely to track this thread actively now onward but if you have questions then feel free to reach on 1:1 message.

 

Congratulations to you and your family. Big day today. 

Also, thank you for sharing your experience and the answer to my question. 

[Shivoham 19]

News alert: 

A case on visajourney filing date: 7/27/19 got an interview for 1/13/21 recently. This person probably isn't on this forum but got to know from another source. Just thought of sharing for the news hungry people out there . I added the case to our spreadsheet tracker. 

Edited December 24, 2020 by Shivoham

[MMSM 6]

How accurate is the estimate case completion time? My application date is jan 2020 and it is showing estimation completion time by April 21. Looking at current situation -  interviews are being scheduled for july-aug 19, it looks little unrealistic that I would receive interview by March/April 21..

[RainbowMonkey 24]

1 minute ago, MMSM said:

How accurate is the estimate case completion time? My application date is jan 2020 and it is showing estimation completion time by April 21. Looking at current situation -  interviews are being scheduled for july-aug 19, it looks little unrealistic that I would receive interview by March/April 21..

100% not accurate. My estimated completion time is Mar 2021. I got my citizenship Dec 2020.  I’ve seen lots of cases that run out of time on their counter and still no updates on their case/waiting. 

[MMSM 6]

4 minutes ago, RainbowMonkey said:

100% not accurate. My estimated completion time is Mar 2021. I got my citizenship Dec 2020.  I’ve seen lots of cases that run out of time on their counter and still no updates on their case/waiting. 

I would hope they do faster than estimation for me as well :-). 

[MGMA 55]

1 hour ago, MMSM said:

I would hope they do faster than estimation for me as well :-). 

Most likely no, I applied same time like you and hopeful it will be Jun/ July. Rainbow seems to be a special case as she applied outside of Seattle and moved to Seattle later, or for any other special circumstances. Assuming they do one month of interviews every month, we will be prospected by June. But do they process a month of applications every month? They barely do this in regular basis, what about during COVID? They have been processing July for almost 2 months now, so let's hope we will not be extended to End of 2021 or early 2022 lol. Let's hope Biden administration can do something to make this faster, but would this be their first priority? 

Edited December 24, 2020 by MGMA

[JFH 12,189]

11 hours ago, MMSM said:

How accurate is the estimate case completion time? My application date is jan 2020 and it is showing estimation completion time by April 21. Looking at current situation -  interviews are being scheduled for july-aug 19, it looks little unrealistic that I would receive interview by March/April 21..

Indeed. I applied September 2019 and my estimated completion date is January 2021. Given that they are scheduling interviews in late January 2021 for July 2019 applicants it’s extremely unlikely that I will get a January interview date. And January will be here in a week. I wouldn’t pay any attention to the estimated dates on your case file online.