N-400 Downloading Submitted Evidence

[mrndpf 25]

Hi folks,

 

Is there any way to download (or even see a list of) the evidence you submit when you file an N-400 online? The interview notice says to bring original documents of the evidence I submitted, but I have no way to see what evidence I submitted originally. Was anyone asked at their N-400 interview to produce originals of the documents they submitted online?

 

Apologies if this has been asked and answered before, but searching this forum can be a bit of a challenge.

 

Thanks!

 

[VinnyH 61]

On 9/19/2020 at 9:21 PM, mrndpf said:

Hi folks,

 

Is there any way to download (or even see a list of) the evidence you submit when you file an N-400 online? The interview notice says to bring original documents of the evidence I submitted, but I have no way to see what evidence I submitted originally. Was anyone asked at their N-400 interview to produce originals of the documents they submitted online?

 

Apologies if this has been asked and answered before, but searching this forum can be a bit of a challenge.

 

Thanks!

 

Yes, you can see what docs you have uploaded:

 

1. first, after submitting your N-400 online, the website allowed you to save your N-400 summary printout. In the last pages, it shows you all the docs you uploaded along with their URLs.

 

2. if you have not saved on your computer that file, you still can see all the docs/evidence submitted/uploaded by either downloading your filled out N-400 PDF form in your case, tab "Documents". I noticed however that if you uploaded lots of documents, the formatting in the PDF is not good because it will truncate the list.

 

3. the last option is still in your case section, tab "Documents". Just scroll down and you will see all the docs you have submitted, along with their dates. The ones that have a date equal to your filing date are your original documents. The ones with a date after are the additional docs/evidence you chose to upload subsequently. By clicking on each of those docs (they all have a link), you can even see/download the docs again and check that what you uploaded was correct. If you made the effort to name all the files you uploaded consistently, it should be easy for you to see what you had uploaded, rather than clicking on the link again. I always named my files before uploading, in order to avoid the generic names like "scan-2020-08-15.pdf" because you get lost after a while.

[mrndpf 25]

Thank you for the detailed response @VinnyH.

 

Unfortunately, none of the methods you mention worked for me. Even the snapshot and application summary at the time of applying didn't list any document names. When I check the Documents tab now, I see the screen below. It shows the interpreter and preparer documents I submitted with the original application, and it shows a recent tax return I uploaded some days ago. All the other documents I uploaded with the application - poof! I can't imagine the upload was unsuccessful because USCIS wouldn't have scheduled an interview if there was no supporting documentation. So it seems like the website, for whatever reason, isn't able to show me what I uploaded before.

 

The reason I wanted to see the document list was because the interview notice says to bring the originals of all the documents I submitted - if I don't know which specific utility bills or photos or whatever I uploaded, this is going to be problematic.

 

 

[YecaCruz 379]

you didn't save the originals that you scanned anywhere? Anything like statements or bills I imagine there is a way you can print them from the company/bank website or call the company and have them send to you electronically. If you aren't sure which ones you scanned just have them all printed I guess

 

I have a 4 inch stack of all statements and other docs for the interview that go all the way back to when we got married in 2016. It's epic! Going to ceremonially burn them when my husband is done with citizenship

[millefleur 5,047]

**Moved from USC Case Filing and Progress Reports to USC General Discussion**

[VinnyH 61]

14 hours ago, mrndpf said:

Thank you for the detailed response @VinnyH.

 

Unfortunately, none of the methods you mention worked for me. Even the snapshot and application summary at the time of applying didn't list any document names. When I check the Documents tab now, I see the screen below. It shows the interpreter and preparer documents I submitted with the original application, and it shows a recent tax return I uploaded some days ago. All the other documents I uploaded with the application - poof! I can't imagine the upload was unsuccessful because USCIS wouldn't have scheduled an interview if there was no supporting documentation. So it seems like the website, for whatever reason, isn't able to show me what I uploaded before.

 

The reason I wanted to see the document list was because the interview notice says to bring the originals of all the documents I submitted - if I don't know which specific utility bills or photos or whatever I uploaded, this is going to be problematic.

 

 

 

Hi @mrndpf:

 

I don't want to freak you out, because I may be wrong, but I am somehow afraid that if you don't see the documents you think you have uploaded there, it might mean that there was a technical issue and that they were not uploaded properly. I know it happens when you don't use Internet Explorer, which is the recommended browser (I used Chrome and everything went fine).

 

To be absolutely certain, click on the "View case snapshot" in the upper left corner of your Documents tab (you can see it in the image you uploaded above). This will export the N-400 form prefilled-out in PDF format, which is the same form you would have filled out manually, had you chosen to paper-file.

 

Go to page 21 of the PDF (see screenshot of mine, as an example), and you will see the list of the documents uploaded and submitted when you filed. If the list only contains the same docs that you see on the Documents tab, there is a strong chance that they were not uploaded at all.

 

Now, the fact that you received a date for an interview does not necessarily mean that the docs were uploaded. The truth is that USCIS can make a decision on your N-400 without most of the docs.

 

When you think about, the only mandatory docs to be uploaded are your green card (front and back sides). It's not as if the USCIS have never seen your GC (they issued it...). Most of the other docs are optional. The USCIS can still proceed and adjudicate your case, and form a preliminary decision based on info in the N-400 and background check. Additional info is important, which will be taken/asked during the interview.

 

VinnyH

 

 

[VinnyH 61]

10 hours ago, YecaCruz said:

you didn't save the originals that you scanned anywhere? Anything like statements or bills I imagine there is a way you can print them from the company/bank website or call the company and have them send to you electronically. If you aren't sure which ones you scanned just have them all printed I guess

 

I have a 4 inch stack of all statements and other docs for the interview that go all the way back to when we got married in 2016. It's epic! Going to ceremonially burn them when my husband is done with citizenship

As i filed for the N-400, I got carefully prepared by creating a specific folder on my computer desktop named "N-400 Docs", with all the files properly named (name/nature, year etc...) so that they could be easily recognized. Then, towards the end of the N-400 online filing jist before submitting, I just had to "drag & drop".

 

The folder is still on my computer. I even zipped/compressed it and emailed it to me as a precaution, and of course, I printed them all out and keep them in a folder, ready to be called for my interview!

 

Being an OCD, it makes me feel calmer to know everything is organized... 😃

[mrndpf 25]

19 hours ago, YecaCruz said:

you didn't save the originals that you scanned anywhere? Anything like statements or bills I imagine there is a way you can print them from the company/bank website or call the company and have them send to you electronically. If you aren't sure which ones you scanned just have them all printed I guess

 

It's not that I don't have the originals, it's that I'm not sure which of the 100+ docs I have are the ones I uploaded as evidence. I was hoping there was a way to check from USCIS' website itself so I know which originals I should definitely take along. But like you say, I could just take all the docs I have.

[mrndpf 25]

9 hours ago, VinnyH said:

 

Hi @mrndpf:

 

I don't want to freak you out, because I may be wrong, but I am somehow afraid that if you don't see the documents you think you have uploaded there, it might mean that there was a technical issue and that they were not uploaded properly. I know it happens when you don't use Internet Explorer, which is the recommended browser (I used Chrome and everything went fine).

[...]

 

So I'm fairly certain now that the documents I submitted originally were not uploaded correctly. Oh well. I did upload various documents again over the past couple of days, and I see them in the list of documents. USCIS is not obligated to look at them, but considering that there was nothing to look at before, they will hopefully take a moment to look at these documents before/during the interview to decide on the case. I'm not freaked out as much as I'm annoyed. It's kind of amazing how USCIS would develop/implement this awesome method to allow you to file online (without basically filling out an online replica of the original N-400 application), and yet have this bizarre glitch where they don't tell you "oh, by the way, the documents you want to submit as proof didn't really get submitted - are you sure you want to submit your application without these documents?".

 

Thanks for all the responses! I'll let you know how it goes at the interview in about 15 days.

 

[VinnyH 61]

1 hour ago, mrndpf said:

 

So I'm fairly certain now that the documents I submitted originally were not uploaded correctly. Oh well. I did upload various documents again over the past couple of days, and I see them in the list of documents. USCIS is not obligated to look at them, but considering that there was nothing to look at before, they will hopefully take a moment to look at these documents before/during the interview to decide on the case. I'm not freaked out as much as I'm annoyed. It's kind of amazing how USCIS would develop/implement this awesome method to allow you to file online (without basically filling out an online replica of the original N-400 application), and yet have this bizarre glitch where they don't tell you "oh, by the way, the documents you want to submit as proof didn't really get submitted - are you sure you want to submit your application without these documents?".

 

Thanks for all the responses! I'll let you know how it goes at the interview in about 15 days.

 

Good luck, and by the way congratulations on your interview. I saw your timeline, and I thought "wow, filed in May and got scheduled for an interview in October, which is only 5 months of processing!!!!!!".

 

Which field office are you, if I may ask? That info was not entered on your timeline.

 

VinnyH

[mrndpf 25]

30 minutes ago, VinnyH said:

Good luck, and by the way congratulations on your interview. I saw your timeline, and I thought "wow, filed in May and got scheduled for an interview in October, which is only 5 months of processing!!!!!!".

 

Which field office are you, if I may ask? That info was not entered on your timeline.

 

VinnyH

 

I suspect the speediness of the interview and processing was because the conditional GC was expiring soon, there was no movement on the AOS application, and I had called USCIS in early August asking "what the hell am I supposed to do? You guys say I don't have to do anything at this time, but the GC is expiring in a month". After my call, there was a flurry of activity on both the AOS as well as the N400, and we got interview dates and notices for both. At the end of the AOS interview last week, the officer offered to do the N400 interview at the same time, but my wife (who the applications are for) declined as she needed the extra time to prepare.

 

The field office is the Manchester, NH, one. Strictly speaking, it's in Bedford, but they still call it the Manchester office. Going by the timelines on here, it doesn't seem like there are a lot of cases being processed with Manchester as the field office.

 

 

Edited September 25, 2020 by mrndpf
Clarifications.

[mrndpf 25]

Quick update: we went for the interview yesterday. The officer wanted to speak only to my wife, and wouldn't allow me (the interpreter and preparer) in. He told my wife all the paperwork was in order - this is either because he checked online and saw the 20+ documents I uploaded over the last month, or he relied on the documents we provided during the AOS interview 3 weeks ago. In either case, the interview and test went well, and my wife was approved for citizenship. Now we're just waiting for the oath ceremony to get scheduled and bring this process to an end.