Why are some people getting interviews faster?

[py6 43]

At my local office, people who did not file I-751 together  with N400 are getting their naturalization interviews scheduled much faster. Even some combo filers who filed after me have already become citizens. I filed I-751 in Oct 2017 and N400 in Oct 2018. Yet both cases are pending and some combo filers who applied in Nov & Dec 2018 are already done.

 

Why does this happen? Shouldn't there be a line for everyone? How is this fair? And obviously, they won't tell me why mine is taking longer than others.

Edited February 20, 2020 by py6

[MordecaiRigby 29]

I was one of those people that got their interview really fast (just 2 months after application).

I just assumed that it's because I didn't not have pending I-751, I have a 10-year green card and a really uncomplicated case with plenty of evidence, no previous marriages, no children, very co-mingled finances and a 9-year relationship history.

[LLMPHX79 12]

I’m also in Phoenix and filed under the 5 year rule in April 2019. My interview has not been scheduled. I find that the is no method to this here, the only response I’ve gotten is that every case is different 🤷🏽‍♀️🤦🏾‍♀️

[py6 43]

10 minutes ago, LisaPHX79 said:

I’m also in Phoenix and filed under the 5 year rule in April 2019. My interview has not been scheduled. I find that the is no method to this here, the only response I’ve gotten is that every case is different 🤷🏽‍♀️🤦🏾‍♀️

True. It just sucks suddenly when my office became the one with the longest waiting period. I applied I-751 in Oct 2017. It was so long ago and so many things have changed since then. It's hard to believe that over two years since my conditional green card expired I'm still waiting and using the passport stamp as the only proof of my PR status

[LLMPHX79 12]

@py6 that is a long time to wait with no movement. Their processes just makes no logical sense to me. 

[Fr8dog 332]

There are so many reasons why one goes faster than the other. To name a few:

- file gone missing

- file incomplete

- Applicant has priority

- IO got sick and nobody has picked up those files

- Not every IO is able to process all files

- file is incomplete

- file has red flags

- waiting on background checks

- waiting on file to arrive to local station

- Boxes get stored on top of each other and they take of the top box first

- I751 was just about to be touched at when they received the N400, they put the file on the first truck to the NBC as the N400 has priority

and there are many many more.

 

[BBlueB 35]

Maybe they filed the application after 'full' 5 or 3 years instead of filing 90 days earlier

[AliaAlia 9]

On 2/19/2020 at 8:30 PM, MordecaiRigby said:

I was one of those people that got their interview really fast (just 2 months after application).

I just assumed that it's because I didn't not have pending I-751, I have a 10-year green card and a really uncomplicated case with plenty of evidence, no previous marriages, no children, very co-mingled finances and a 9-year relationship history.

Same here.

I have the same situation as you, no pending I-751 with a 10-yr green card, no previous marriages, no children, no dependent, etc. Could also be my field office doesn't get a lot of applications? I dunno. I'd think these reasons *might* have contributed to the timeline - if not, then I have no clue why. 

 

My oath ceremony was also scheduled ahead of time, maybe because I didn't need a judicial ceremony since I'm not changing my name. 

[py6 43]

On 2/20/2020 at 10:30 PM, Fr8dog said:

There are so many reasons why one goes faster than the other. To name a few:

- file gone missing

- file incomplete

- Applicant has priority

- IO got sick and nobody has picked up those files

- Not every IO is able to process all files

- file is incomplete

- file has red flags

- waiting on background checks

- waiting on file to arrive to local station

- Boxes get stored on top of each other and they take of the top box first

- I751 was just about to be touched at when they received the N400, they put the file on the first truck to the NBC as the N400 has priority

and there are many many more.

 

My I-751 was indeed sent to NBC in Dec 2018 ( filed Oct 2017). Do you know why they do this? NBC currently has my I751 and I feel that the combo filing has prolonged my N400 application. Lots of single filers from Jan 2019 have been processed at my local office. Yet all the ones waiting from 2018 are combo filers 

[Fr8dog 332]

3 hours ago, py6 said:

My I-751 was indeed sent to NBC in Dec 2018 ( filed Oct 2017). Do you know why they do this? NBC currently has my I751 and I feel that the combo filing has prolonged my N400 application. Lots of single filers from Jan 2019 have been processed at my local office. Yet all the ones waiting from 2018 are combo filers 

As I stated, the N400 application gets priority and in order to get started on your application, they need your file. So who ever has it has to stop working on it and fwd it to the NBC. At least that is what they told me.

[Lucky2Lucky 2,526]

I hope you’ve realized by now in immigration nothing is ever first come first served. There’s no one large pile applications are being pulled from. There are so many factors that come in to play- just be happy you are at the last hurdle of your immigration journey.

[wbeem 568]

It's the way USCIS works. We've had this from the outset of our K1 application 6 years ago and we're sitting with the same situation right now. 

Our local office is processing applications from October and November. We filed in June.  We don't have a pending I-751.  

Same thing with our ROC - our group of filers from our month were almost all approved between Feb and April .... we sat until June. No issues. No RFE's. Just at the bottom of the stack.  

AOS - same story. 

K1 - people were approved in a few weeks at the time who filed at CSC.  We were TSC and our petitions took about 7-8 months.  Except mine and my husband's which took 9 and a half months. No RFE, no issues. Just slow to process us.  When it came time for the consular interview the average time between medical and interview was around 2-3 weeks at the time. We waited 7 weeks. Then there was a delay returning our passports. 

Bottom line, we are not the only ones. Sometimes you get luck in one part of the process and screwed over in another.  And then sometimes you just get unlucky with every single step.  I cannot wait to be done with all this. It's been many years feeling like we are living in pending and spending mode.  Hang in there. You aren't alone. 

[Alonso Ramirez 32]

On 2/19/2020 at 5:30 PM, MordecaiRigby said:

I was one of those people that got their interview really fast (just 2 months after application).

I just assumed that it's because I didn't not have pending I-751, I have a 10-year green card and a really uncomplicated case with plenty of evidence, no previous marriages, no children, very co-mingled finances and a 9-year relationship history.

I'm on the same boat, except we have a daughter, which I would think strengthens our case actually. Got my biometrics in less than a week, even though I am in Southern CA and I'd think they are swamped here. Hope it continues to move that fast. My original green card and the removal of conditions was super fast as well. I have no idea what makes some go faster than others, but I have to believe that how uncomplicated the case is has to be one of those factors. 

[Annabanana316 20]

On 2/19/2020 at 11:57 PM, LisaPHX79 said:

I’m also in Phoenix and filed under the 5 year rule in April 2019. My interview has not been scheduled. I find that the is no method to this here, the only response I’ve gotten is that every case is different 🤷🏽‍♀️🤦🏾‍♀️

Thats crazy! How long is the usual processing time for Phoenix?

[LLMPHX79 12]

3 minutes ago, Annabanana316 said:

Thats crazy! How long is the usual processing time for Phoenix?

It's currently showing 7.5 to 14 months.....still no word from them.