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N400NYC

Passport Application Process & COVID

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https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/News/passports/passport-covid-19.html

 

Anyone who has applied for a passport recently will know that it's a huge mess right now - like everything else.

 

I became a citizen in mid March. I had been due to travel in late March and because of that was eligible for an in-person passport application. I had an appointment on March 16 in NY but that was cancelled by the passport center. I was rescheduled for March 23 but then on March 19 there was an announcement that passports would only be issued in-person for those flying within 72 hours for a life-death emergency. That same day also became the last day for submitting an application for expedited processing. I found that out 4pm on the day of the deadline. 

 

I applied the very next day on March 20 through a post office and the only option was regular processing (advertised by then as 6-8 weeks).

 

On April 3, Dept of State issued another update stating that they are now basically only focusing on in-person emergency passport applications for those with a life-death emergency. And that there will be "significant delays" for anyone who has submitted an application recently via the "regular processing" route. To me that sounds like months. This is precisely the scenario I had tried to avoid but COVID had other others!

 

And yes I know I can't travel right now anyway, but I feel very uncomfortable not having a passport in hand and with my citizenship document not being in my possession for months on end.

 

My fiance is in South America and my elderly parents are in Australia. God only knows when I will have a passport and when there will be permission to travel again. 

 

I struck it lucky with getting my oath ceremony in just before those were suspended. But my lack ran out at the passport application stage! :( 

 

 

 

Edited by N400NYC

CITIZENSHIP TIMELINE

4/2019: Submitted N400

5/2019: Biometrics (3 weeks)

2/2020: Interview (10 months)

3/2020: Oath & naturalization (11 months)

6/2020: Passport received (3 months)

Officially a U.S. Citizen! 

 

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Very bad luck indeed, did you make copy of the certificate? Cross fingers that they don't misplaced your citizenship certificate. Otherwise, it will cost more time and money.

N400

12/06/2014: Package filed

12/31/2014: Fingerprinted

02/06/2015: In-Line for Interview

04/15/2015: Passed Interview

05/05/2015: Oath letter was sent

05/22/2015: Oath Ceremony

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Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Russia
Timeline

**Moved from US Citizenship General Discussion to Passports, etc. - What to do now that you are a US citizen**

🇷🇺 CR-1 via DCF (Dec 2016-Jun 2017) & I-751 ROC (Apr 2019-Oct 2019)🌹

Spoiler

Info about my DCF Moscow* experience here and here

26-Jul-2016: Married abroad in Russia 👩‍❤️‍👨 See guide here
21-Dec-2016: I-130 filed at Moscow USCIS field office*
29-Dec-2016: I-130 approved! Yay! 🎊 

17-Jan-2017: Case number received

21-Mar-2017: Medical Exam completed

24-Mar-2017: Interview at Embassy - approved! 🎉

29-Mar-2017: CR-1 Visa received (via mail)

02-Apr-2017: USCIS Immigrant (GC) Fee paid

28-Jun-2017: Port of Entry @ PDX 🛩️

21-Jul-2017: No SSN after three weeks; applied in person at the SSA

22-Jul-2017: GC arrived in the mail 📬

31-Jul-2017: SSN arrived via mail, hurrah!

 

*NOTE: The USCIS Field Office in Moscow is now CLOSED as of February 28th, 2019.

 

Removal of Conditions - MSC Service Center

 28-Jun-2019: Conditional GC expires

30-Mar-2019: Eligible to apply for ROC

01-Apr-2019: ROC in the mail to Phoenix AZ lockbox! 📫

03-Apr-2019: ROC packet delivered to lockbox

09-Apr-2019: USCIS cashed check

09-Apr-2019: Case number received via text - MSC 📲

12-Apr-2019: Extension letter arrives via mail

19-Apr-2019: Biometrics letter arrives via mail

30-Apr-2019: Biometrics appointment at local office

26-Jun-2019: Case ready to be scheduled for interview 

04-Sep-2019: Interview was scheduled - letter to arrive in mail

09-Sep-2019: Interview letter arrived in the mail! ✉️

17-Oct-2019: Interview scheduled @ local USCIS  

18-Oct-2019: Interview cancelled & notice ordered*

18-Oct-2019: Case was approved! 🎉

22-Oct-2019: Card was mailed to me 📨

23-Oct-2019: Card was picked by USPS 

25-Oct-2019: 10 year GC Card received in mail 📬

 

*I don't understand this status because we DID have an interview!

 

🇺🇸 N-400 Application for Naturalization (Apr 2020-Jun 2021) 🛂

Spoiler

Filed during Covid-19 & moved states 1 month after filing

30-Mar-2020: N-400 early filing window opens!

01-Apr-2020: Filed N-400 online 💻 

02-Apr-2020: NOA 1 - Receipt No. received online 📃

07-Apr-2020: NOA 1 - Receipt No. received via mail

05-May-2020: Moved to another state, filed AR-11 online

05-May-2020: Application transferred to another USCIS field office for review ➡️

15-May-2020: AR-11 request to change address completed

16-Jul-2020: Filed non-receipt inquiry due to never getting confirmation that case was transferred to new field office

15-Oct-2020: Received generic response to non-receipt inquiry, see full response here

10-Feb-2021: Contacted senator's office for help with USCIS

12-Feb-2021: Received canned response from senator's office that case is within processing time 😡

16-Feb-2021: Contacted other senator's office for help with USCIS - still no biometrics

19-Feb-2021: Biometrics reuse notice - canned response from other senator's office 🌐

23-Feb-2021: Interview scheduled - notice to come in the mail

25-Feb-2021: Biometrics reuse notice arrives via mail

01-Mar-2021: Interview notice letter arrives via mail  ✉️ 

29-Mar-2021: Passed interview at local office! Oath Ceremony to be scheduled

13-Apr-2021: Oath Ceremony notice was mailed

04-May-2021: Oath Ceremony scheduled 🎆 Unable to attend due to illness

04-May-2021: Mailed request to reschedule Oath to local office

05-May-2021: "You did not attend your Oath Ceremony" - notice to come in the mail

06-May-2021: Oath Ceremony will be scheduled, date TBA

12-May-2021: Oath Ceremony re-scheduled for June 3rd, then de-scheduled same day 😡 

25-May-2021: New Oath Ceremony notice was mailed

16-Jun-2021: Oath Ceremony scheduled 🎆 - DONE!!

17-Jun-2021: Certificate of Naturalization issued

 

🎆 Members new and old: don't forget to fill in your VJ timeline! 🎇 https://www.visajourney.com/timeline/

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1 hour ago, millefleur said:

**Moved from US Citizenship General Discussion to Passports, etc. - What to do now that you are a US citizen**

OK...a suggestion - this sub forum for passports is not very active...which is why I purposely posted it in the other section. 

2 hours ago, NancyNguyen said:

Very bad luck indeed, did you make copy of the certificate? Cross fingers that they don't misplaced your citizenship certificate. Otherwise, it will cost more time and money.

I have a copy, yes. But a copy isn't much use. And it takes 6 months to get a new one. So I certainly hope they don't screw anything up and lose it!

CITIZENSHIP TIMELINE

4/2019: Submitted N400

5/2019: Biometrics (3 weeks)

2/2020: Interview (10 months)

3/2020: Oath & naturalization (11 months)

6/2020: Passport received (3 months)

Officially a U.S. Citizen! 

 

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Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Brazil
Timeline
16 minutes ago, N400NYC said:

OK...a suggestion - this sub forum for passports is not very active...which is why I purposely posted it in the other section. 

 

forums are organized depending on topic.  a lack of activity in one forum does not justify posting in other forums.

 

charles

vj moderation

* ~ * Charles * ~ *
 

I carry a gun because a cop is too heavy.

 

USE THE REPORT BUTTON INSTEAD OF MESSAGING A MODERATOR!

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