N-400 Seattle (Part 2)

[arnab221 29]

15 minutes ago, Hamilton said:

I've read extensively on VJ and in this thread about the Seattle office, and it seems like there's no pattern. Here are some of the things I've read from feedback from this year about Tukwila:

 

1. Some people say it looks like USCIS is doing oaths in small batches every hour

2. Some say they were given the oath 1:1 with the officer and then just waited for the certificate.

3. Some say there are 2/3 ceremonies around 2pm and 4pm, and that 2pm is the cut-off for a same day oath.

 

So it seems no way of knowing for sure. What time is your interview?

8:30 AM .

[Hamilton 511]

1 minute ago, arnab221 said:

8:30 AM .

I think you have a good shot at same day  oath then. Some people in June in this thread say they had early morning oaths (I think AndyGT's wife was at like 730am). It'll really depend on whether they need to retake/reapprove biometrics and if they can do that in time. But since you have all day for that, I imagine that's positive...

[ZeeJ 1]

10 hours ago, shaash said:

Have you tried using a different browser? 

I've tried every browser and device. Interestingly, I can download all other PDFs except this one. I looked up the error online and it looks like this isn't the first time it's happened but for others it did seem to start working after a few hours. For me it's been more than 30 hours now. Haven't received mail either yet - it's so frustrating!

[ChillinSea 5]

1 hour ago, ZeeJ said:

I've tried every browser and device. Interestingly, I can download all other PDFs except this one. I looked up the error online and it looks like this isn't the first time it's happened but for others it did seem to start working after a few hours. For me it's been more than 30 hours now. Haven't received mail either yet - it's so frustrating!

Same here. Different browsers same result. Other docs are downloadable. 

 

For those that got a paper notice by US mail, how long does it take? 

[Hamilton 511]

1 hour ago, ChillinSea said:

Same here. Different browsers same result. Other docs are downloadable. 

 

For those that got a paper notice by US mail, how long does it take? 

I think I've typically received the paper notice for every update within a week.

[PedroDaGr8 245]

7 hours ago, Hamilton said:

I think I've typically received the paper notice for every update within a week.

 

9 hours ago, ChillinSea said:

Same here. Different browsers same result. Other docs are downloadable. 

 

For those that got a paper notice by US mail, how long does it take? 

My wife received her notice online on 01JUL2022 but we did not receive the paper notice until 14JUL2022. 

[tratata 6]

19 hours ago, arnab221 said:

8:30 AM .

I had my interview at 8:30 am in early July. After I was done with interview, which was before 9 I was sent to the auditorium (where they were just  finishing another oath ceremony) and I have oath ceremony with +/- 15 other people within 20 min. I had my biometrics done after I applied for N400, so I didn't need to wait for them to be reapproved.

 

Of course that's just how it happened to me...

[arnab221 29]

13 hours ago, ZeeJ said:

I've tried every browser and device. Interestingly, I can download all other PDFs except this one. I looked up the error online and it looks like this isn't the first time it's happened but for others it did seem to start working after a few hours. For me it's been more than 30 hours now. Haven't received mail either yet - it's so frustrating!

There is nothing to worry . The online system is only for convenience and nothing more . USCIS is legally bound to send a notice by mail to the applicant. It is unfortunate that this bug has chosen to strike a certain set of applications , but I would just keep calm , prepare for the test and keep and eye for that invite in mail. 

[londonskies 5]

Hi all. After many (many) years of waiting and lurking on this board, I finally have an update that I can share with you all. 

 

Hopefully this is helpful to others who are also experiencing abnormal timelines / waiting periods! Oh, and I’m using a throwaway because there’s a lot of identifying information here but happy to answer any Qs about the below if you’d like. I’m an Australian citizen but have been living in the U.S. on/off for most of my life with various visas and my husband was born here. 

 

We hired a lawyer who was extremely helpful throughout this process, especially when it came to contacting my government representative and advising me in the final interview. Between 2018 and 2022 I had to make multiple emergency appts at the Seattle office for new I-551 stamps (for my employer) and each time the officers remarked how unusual it was that my case was taking so long. Not only was my I-751 extremely delayed but I was also asked to come in for two citizenship interviews. Here’s how it all went down…

 

I-751 Timeline (via K1 visa GC)

• October 24, 2018: Submitted application via mail

• January 29, 2020: Request for more evidence about our marriage, submitted photos/affidavits/rental agreements/bank statements/health insurance/etc. 

• May 19, 2020: Case was transferred to another USCIS office (?) I think because of California case loads during the pandemic

• June 10, 2020: We’re ready to schedule your interview

• February 16, 2021: Applied for N400 online (See below)

• December 13, 2021: Contacted Congresswoman for help with my application. USCIS agreed my case was outside of processing time but said that I had “cancelled” my I-751 interview, which was why I haven’t heard any updates. That wasn’t true so I followed up again but they insisted there was nothing they could do now that the case was a combo I-751/N400 case.

• July 6, 2022: Combo interview with N400 at 10:30am. It was pretty clear the officer hadn’t read our case file and was under the impression that our marriage wasn’t legitimate. Despite the fact that the interview notice said clearly “only bring yourself” she insisted on my husband attending, so I had to call him and ask him to come inside. She then asked us a laundry list of questions that we had proof of in our file, despite us having to submit additional evidence and waiting far too long to have this application approved. Our lawyer helped us navigate the situation and re-iterated that at this point we should have been approved w/o an interview, that we’d provided more than enough evidence, and that I had a clean record/our marriage was legitimate. Ultimately the officer decided that a decision couldn’t be made and asked my husband to leave the room while she conducted the N400 interview. Sigh.

• July 7, 2022: The very next day my case was updated to say that my I-751 application was approved. I received a letter that said I wouldn’t receive my green card because my N400 was approved.

N400 Timeline

• February 16, 2021: Submitted N400 application online

• April 18, 2022: Interview notice. I had to cancel for a medical reason (they were super kind about it).

• June 9, 2022: Interview scheduled for July 6. 

• July 6, 2022: I-751/N400 combo interview at 10:30am. The N400 part was pretty straight-forward and I got all of the civics questions right. The officer told me I’d passed the interview but she couldn’t approve because she needed to review our I-751. She gave me a N-652 that said I passed but a decision cannot be made yet. 

• July 18, 2022: Received notice that a second interview scheduled for July 27. I was freaking at this point but my lawyer assured me everything was okay and it was probably a clerical error. I spent days Googling things about second interviews and was convinced I was going to be deported or thrown in jail (I have no reason to believe that but I was terrified, as many of us are throughout the USCIS interview). 

• July 27, 2022: My second interview was with the same officer at 10:30am. She sat me down and said “I’m sorry to bring you in again but your signature didn’t save the first time around so I just need you to sign these forms again.” I think I cried a little. After signing the iPad, I went downstairs and participated in the Oath Ceremony with about 12 other people. They basically wait until there are 12 people sitting in the auditorium and do the ceremony. They didn’t allow anyone else to be in the room (COVID) and we kept our masks on the entire time. Once we hit capacity they told people to line-up outside and that there would be another ceremony in 15 minutes. Then they handed me my certificate and I went on my way.

• July 28, 2022: Applied for my U.S. passport!

Edited July 28, 2022 by londonskies
Formatting

[forthecookies 4]

After following this thread for a couple of weeks, my spouse and I just filed our N-400s based on 5 years of residency earlier tonight and we already got the biometrics reuse notices. I’m amused that USCIS estimates 19 months but the sheet estimates 7 months at this point 😁

[Hamilton 511]

2 minutes ago, forthecookies said:

After following this thread for a couple of weeks, my spouse and I just filed our N-400s based on 5 years of residency earlier tonight and we already got the biometrics reuse notices. I’m amused that USCIS estimates 19 months but the sheet estimates 7 months at this point 😁

Nice! I'm next in line according to the sheet, but the USCIS online portal is still predicting 12 months when I log in 😬

[KatziGuthmann 171]

8 hours ago, Hamilton said:

Nice! I'm next in line according to the sheet, but the USCIS online portal is still predicting 12 months when I log in 😬

That’s so funny, I’m right after you, but my online portal shows 7 months. So many questions, so little answers 🤣

[arnab221 29]

The time to competition is such a wildly swinging , illogical and erroneous metric that USCIS can do well by simply removing it from the portal for good . It serves no purpose except for setting false expectations which people then plan their lives around. 

P.S : Mine went up from from 7 months to 13 months the day my interview was scheduled 🙂 . 

[Hamilton 511]

I just got notified that my interview is scheduled!!! Sept 6.

 

@arnab221 somehow it is before your date even though I filed two weeks after you. So confusing! Now to figure out how to change my travel plans because I am supposed to be out of the country...

[arnab221 29]

10 hours ago, Hamilton said:

I just got notified that my interview is scheduled!!! Sept 6.

 

@arnab221 somehow it is before your date even though I filed two weeks after you. So confusing! Now to figure out how to change my travel plans because I am supposed to be out of the country...

Congratulations !! So happy for you …. Wait what ? You got scheduled before me ? 😀😀😂😂 USCIS never ceases to amaze.