N-400 and I-751 Combo Pending -- Part 2

[Ring of The fire 55]

8 hours ago, jvd321 said:

Update: no news for the past (almost) 2 months so I did an inquiry through the portal - now I received a G-56 Call in Notice to come in and 'review my application'. Given that my I-751 is approved, not sure what this could be about. I've read about a second interview to dive deeper in your relationship, but the I-751 is approved? Might this be about the tax filing? Any ideas? At least the appointment is coming soon, so hopefully more news later!

Was your I-751 already at the New York office ? I’ll have my N-400 interview next month but no word about I -752 yet. I’m calling uscis everyday but the customer service agent can’t do any help 

[Godobo 4]

On 12/2/2019 at 7:04 PM, sldrgn said:

I had my N400 (filed May 2019) + I751 (filed May 2018) interview this morning in Boston. We arrived 30 mins early and ended up spending a little over two hours there -- things were moving quite slow. First I was called to a counter where they took my picture and fingerprints, and then they asked me to wait for an officer to call me into one of the interview rooms. I could hear lots of N400 interviews going on around me, probably all for people who already had their 10 yr green cards. The officer who took my picture confirmed that it would be a combo interview; I wasn't sure before then, and the Tier 2 rep I had talked to said she had no way of finding out.

Finally an officer called my name, asked if my husband was with me, and then went back to his office for fifteen minutes -- I think he was prepping for the I751 interview. Then he interviewed us separately -- first me, then my husband, asking us both the same questions. He asked about our bedroom - what size is the bed, what color are the sheets, is it wood floor or carpet, do we have a TV, how many windows are there. He asked about our shower door/bathroom curtain and about where/how we take out the trash. He also asked if we had nicknames for each other, if either of us has any tattoos or allergies. He asked what we did for our last wedding anniversary. My husband couldn't remember some of the details for all of these questions, but that wasn't a problem. I submitted a bunch of additional evidence: airplane and train tickets, insurance documents, copies of our lease, pictures, etc. 

Then he asked my husband to leave the room, and proceeded with the civics test (easy and straightforward), and then asked me all of the questions from the application. At the end, he told me that he would recommend both applications for approval, but someone else has to sign off on that first, and then I'll get an invitation to an oath ceremony in the mail. So now I'll wait for the very last part of this adventure.

 

This message board has really really helped me navigate all the paperwork and deal with the stress. The few times I've talked to uscis reps, they've given me really misleading information. I've always been able to find much better answers on visajourney. Good luck to everyone! 

 

 

Thanks for the details . I will be having my I-751 interview in July 2021 (Boston ) and I  have my N-400 pending . I wanna write ✍️ USCIS probably I can get a combo interview . My biometrics has been used 

[Emmsan 51]

I had my N400 interview on a Friday at 1 pm. We arrived 15 minutes prior and was let in. My interview notice didn’t state that my husband should come along or that my interview was a combo interview. I brought him anyways, along with updated evidence of our marriage (birth certificate for our son, 2020 tax return, updated credit card bills, and original documents of submitted copies, etc. I did not bring a copy of the entire submitted package).

 

My husband was allowed in, there was no one else in the waiting area at the field office. We waited until my appointment, I was called in and my husband stood up with me to come along. The officer stopped him and told him he couldn’t come in. At that point I thought there wouldn’t be a combo interview.

 

I was sworn in and asked to sit down. He said he was going to go over both my cases, but he hadn’t had a chance to completely look over the ROC yet. He did complain that there was a lot of bank statements in there “that didn’t tell him very much”. I had also redacted some information from our deed, which he didn’t like (fair enough, don’t know why I did that to begin with..). I said I had the original deed with me if he wanted to look at it.

 

He started by going over the N400 application and asked me the civics questions (can’t remember all of them)

 

·         Who makes laws?

·         Who was the father of our country?

·         How many justices of the supreme court?

·         Name one writer of the federalist papers?

 

I got the first 6 questions right and we moved on to the reading and writing. I had to repeat the sentence “Who was the first president?” and write: “Washington was the first president”.

 

He then moved on to the I-751. He asked when we got married, how and when we met, where we had our wedding, how many people were at our wedding, if my family was present at the wedding.

He asked who the father of my son was and asked to see his birth certificate. The birth certificate was the only additional document that he asked for. 

 

To be honest, some of the personal questions might have been a part of the N400 interview and some for the I-751, I can’t remember exactly what was asked and when. 

 

He said he was approving the N400 but was going to approve the I-751 on the following Monday when he had looked it over more.

 

I had my oath ceremony Wednesday. My husband and son weren’t allowed in and it was just me and the officer in his office when I took the oath!

[Denis & San 72]

My wife had her notification for her N400 interview on June 1st 2021, and then a couple of days later, a notification in the mail arrived stating that it would be a combo interview I751 and N400 on July 1st 2021 and to make sure the spouse would be there.  

So yesterday, July 1st, our appt for the interview was at 6:45am at the San Fernando Valley local USCIS office.  We arrived early at 6:00am and stayed in the parking lot so my wife was studying the questions and English vocabulary words.  Then we headed in and went through the usual security checkpoint.  We then had to check in at a window with our appt letter (there were maybe 5 people ahead of us) and as soon as we checked in at the window, we didn't even have time to sit down, and the officer came out and said he had been waiting for us.  

We headed in and I had tons of additional documents to provide regarding our bona fide relationship, and was ready to submit them, but he just asked a few questions about where we lived and what my wife's work was and how her English was.  Basic questions, like if she liked it here and where she worked and for how long.  Not really much about our relationship...probably because I had stacked the submitted documents during the application process.  He said he didn't need any additional information that I had brought as I saw our case was stacked in a binder that resembled 2 phone books put together.  So he asked to grab my passport and driver's license and to follow him so he could make copies and then escorted me out to the waiting room.

My wife said he asked 6 questions and she answered them all correctly.  It's the typical usual questions.  He did ask her who her local representative was and she answered that correctly.  He stated that few people knew who their local state representative was and he was surprised she knew.  (we had made sure she studied that question).  Then after answering the questions in the N400 applications (Have you ever...Do you...), she apparently passed the test because she came out of the office and had a paper stating Congratulations.  She came out and said that the officer told her to wait in the waiting room as he was going to give another document.  I wasn't sure what it was.  She did say the officer and her talked about their kids and families...just shooting the breeze I guess.  About 1/2 hour later, he came out with a document that she passed and she had to sign it and then he attached her green card to the document with a paper clip.  On the corner of the document, it said "Oath 8:30am".  He then congratulated us and said to wait in the waiting room as someone would come out and call us for the oath ceremony.  

At 8:40am, a lady came out and gathered about 13 other people to head into a room to administer the oath.  She was handed her certificate of naturalization that same time.

 

I wish everybody in this forum good luck in their Immigration adventures!

[manoni 37]

Hello All,

 

Is there anyone in here that did a combo interview in Atlanta field office? 

My N400 interview is scheduled for next month and my I 751 still pending, so I am hoping that both files are in the field office, is there a way to notify USCIS to  adjudicate both cases on the same day?

 

TIA

 

[Pavel1982 104]

On 6/14/2021 at 10:50 PM, Ring of the lord said:

Was your I-751 already at the New York office ? I’ll have my N-400 interview next month but no word about I -752 yet. I’m calling uscis everyday but the customer service agent can’t do any help 

My wife also have interview this month in NY office with I-751 pending. I talked to two USCIS agent, they told me there is a chance for combo but it depends on interview officer.  when I have asked if I should go, one of them recommend, I should go and another say that it up to your own discretion. So, I am planning to go with her. Let's see

Edited September 14, 2021 by Pavel1982

[Ring of The fire 55]

On 12/28/2020 at 4:02 PM, DannyAdelante said:

Just wanted to give an update on my two applications.

 

I submitted my I-751 in October 2018, and my N-400 in September 2019.  Had no activity on my I-751 after my biometrics appointment in November 2018 - almost two years.  Got an interview scheduled for my N-400 in April 2020, and was immediately de-scheduled because of the pandemic.

 

Fast forward a few months, and I got my N-400 interview re-scheduled for November 3rd in New York City - Election Day.

 

Everything I had read, and even after speaking to my lawyers, indicated that it would be a combo interview.  But when I was called for my interview, the interviewer said she only did N-400 interviews, and the I-751 was nothing to do with her, she had never heard of anyone doing combo interviews, and that it would be a different office processing that. She could not even tell me if I would need to come in for another interview or not.

Interview went fine, and at the end she was like "I can't give you a decision because of your pending I-751".  I asked if they could call that office, as it was in the same building, and it was my understanding that combo interviews were fairly common when the I-751 had not been processed.  She said she had never heard of that, and she could only give me a "no decision made yet" piece of paper, and said I could go home.

I was really dejected.  I had hoped to become a citizen that day, or at least get a date for my oath ceremony (everyone who got approved on November 3rd was given a December 18th date for their Oath Ceremony), but still felt that I was in limbo.

 

She then must have escalated my I-751 case because it was approved that same afternoon, and I received my approval letter the following day, on the 4th.

 

 

The I-751 approval letter stated:

We have approved your I-751 Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence. Our records also indicate that we have approved your Form N-400, Application for Naturalization. Because we also approved your N-400, you will not receive a new Permanent Resident Card (also known as a Green Card). Instead, once you have taken the Oath of Allegiance, you will receive a Certificate of Naturalization, which will be proof of your U.S. citizenship. If you have questions regarding this process, please contact the USCIS Contact Center at 800-375-5283.

 

 

So, that was great. But since then I have heard nothing.

The estimated case completion time stated January 2021 - 2/3 months after the interview, but last week, that estimated case completion time was pushed back a further two months to March 2021.

When I check my USCIS status both online and via their automated phone system, it says that my "Interview Has Been Scheduled".  There is nothing about it being completed (which it was) or approved (which the letter says is the case).

I called USCIS and spoke to an agent. They said that did seem strange, and that they could not see anything on their end, but that they could not investigate my case until at least 60 days had passed from my interview (which took place 55 days ago).

 

So, overall, I guess I should be happy that my citizenship seems to have been approved? But it looks like it is stuck in their system because of an error, and keeps getting needlessly delayed. And I do not have either a new Green Card with conditions removed or my certificate of naturalization.

I’m in the same boat. How long it took for you to get the oath ?

[Ani924 28]

anybody have a combo interview at DC? We had ours a couple weeks back and the officer said he's approving both applications but the system is slow so it may take 30-days to get the oath letter.

 

Does anyone have similar experiences? I have international travel coming up and unclear if I should apply for a visa or not while we wait for an oath ceremony. How long did your oaths take to get scheduled?

[sandmandr 4]

I've been going crazy trying to find an answer to this here...

 

I'm filling out my N-400 application online, but given that I'm applying only after 3 years of marriage and living in this country, I'm confused if I should be including 5 years of history on the application?

 

If I don't fill it out, it says, "You are missing information". But from what I can tell from other searching around on this site, people say you need to only submit 3 years of history. Any help here?

[Rocio0010 5,571]

17 hours ago, sandmandr said:

Any help here?

File of paper. My understanding is that filing online has some certain "hang ups" of things you should not have to present. And it won't let you go through. I myself haven't filed it yet, but that's what I have seen here. For example, I know of at least one person that had a stepson, but did not have to pay child support. Well, since you have to list ALL children, including steps, it did not let her through without proof that they have paid child support. I have a stepson and will list him, but I want to avoid all the hassle, so I will file by paper.

[Ani924 28]

Posting again for any advise please, we had the combo interview over a month back and NO updates.

 

USCIS over the phone has been extremely unhelpful, refused to expedite the review and keep saying a decision for N400 cannot be made until 751 is approved but the IO said at interview that he's approving both 751 and 400 and I should hear back in 30 days (its well over 30-days now). 

 

I'm stuck in a limbo with NO updates after the combo interview. I contacted the Congressman and haven't heard anything yet either, does anyone have any advise? I am traveling a ton over the summer and reallyyy don't want to apply for a visa for every country. 

[da95826 387]

Awaiting a decision on our combo i751/n400 interview at Sacramento conducted on May 16th, only a week has passed and no update so far. Online status has not been updated on either case since scheduling of the interview on n400 side and my i751 status is back at transferring it to the NBC back in Dec 2020 nothing since.

 

Sadly USCIS has 120 days to make a decision in these cases so it is hard to tell how long it will take. 

 

Our IO indicated she was recommending both cases for approval but the supervisor would need to approve cases. I guess it depends on how big the supervisor's backlog is and whether or not they are checking out our cases further.

[Kay21 19]

46 minutes ago, Ani924 said:

Posting again for any advise please, we had the combo interview over a month back and NO updates.

 

USCIS over the phone has been extremely unhelpful, refused to expedite the review and keep saying a decision for N400 cannot be made until 751 is approved but the IO said at interview that he's approving both 751 and 400 and I should hear back in 30 days (its well over 30-days now). 

 

I'm stuck in a limbo with NO updates after the combo interview. I contacted the Congressman and haven't heard anything yet either, does anyone have any advise? I am traveling a ton over the summer and reallyyy don't want to apply for a visa for every country. 

Sorry to say but you will  just have to wait, even though the IO told you he was going to approve you there are other steps has to be taken like a supervisor has to look over your case uscis has 120 days to make a decision I was well over my 120 days before I got my n-400 approve and oath ceremony.I had to do 2 interviews one for n400 then the other for 751.so be patient your approval will come at their own convenience 

[Rocio0010 5,571]

3 hours ago, Ani924 said:

I am traveling a ton over the summer and reallyyy don't want to apply for a visa for every country. 

What does your N400 situation have to do with it?

[Ani924 28]

1 hour ago, Rocio0010 said:

What does your N400 situation have to do with it?

Well, without an approved N400, I don't have a US passport. I need a visa to travel anywhere outside the US currently which is expensive, bureaucratic and time consuming process and I should not go through this as I have the right and privilege to a US passport which is delayed due to USCIS's incompetence. Also, I cannot travel internationally for my job because I need a visa to travel ANYWHERE outside the US.