HuffyTheSlayer

And the Ruffie is a Misses

Haha! Sorry for the unexpected sex change!

Here's a link for the Military forum, if you want to check it out: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/forum/152-military-immigration-related-discussion/

True! I checked it out. They should have like similar threads on it for monthly timelines. Well that's just my thoughts. Hey guys, are y'all brushing up on the civics questions? I was checking out N400 Jan 2011 forum and it seems like we are moving faster than they did! Check this out...

http://www.visajourn...s/page__st__660

I'm looking through an app on my phone every few days to refresh my memory. But I'll mostly study for it when March starts.

Yes, I still want Ruffie in this thread with us, because he's one of us (chants "One of us! One of us!" ), but just thought the Military forum might help give him some answers about how his timeline might go and who he can contact for special help, etc.

Thanks all for your time and responses.. I should have made myself clear and said I am wanting to go over even of I have to apply for PR.. But at least I think I can file to enter the country while I wait so I can be with my family. Nobody wants to be alone while pregnant and especially at birth!! We are a US military family so I may even call up the military hotline and see if they can give me some information.

Ah, yes. As everyone else has said, since your husband is US military, you do indeed qualify for a Military expedite! Not sure how fast those are, but I still don't think you will make it for March. But your wait will be significantly less. If I were you I might be tempted to find out how late will your doctor will let you fly on an international flight as long as Aus to US and get them to write a letter for you to submit with your package. I don't know if that would make a difference or not in their decision and processing time, but it might be worth adding to your package. Anyone else have any thoughts on this?

Really though with your pregnancy time is of the essence, so get those papers sent off ASAP.

Hey Ruffie, I just noticed the Admin recently started a military immigration forum, you might be able to find out what other military timelines are like. Just wanted to let you know, in case you hadn't seen it.

Well. I think it's absolute rubbish that someone carrying a future American citizen

is not entitled some special consideration. Unfortunately, I do not write laws

While it would suck to be apart from your spouse during pregnancy and possibly the birth of your child, the simple fact that they are having a child that can acquire US Citizenship should NOT mean the spouse be given special consideration. Do you know how many couples would try to do this if this exception was made? It would be ridiculous and I'm sure after one or two months, the wait for special consideration would be longer than for a regular spousal visa. The OPs husband should re-consider taking the job in the US, if that is an option. Or delay his starting date until his wife has a spousal visa, if they want to be together during the pregnancy. The US is not the only place that has jobs right now. They will just need to make a decision about what is best for their family (for my family that would be being together for the pregnancy, but the OPs family feel differently).

I suggested using the VWP to enter the USA in the previous thread, but someone said it would mean giving up her status as an LPR. It kind of makes sense.

I'm also pretty sure I remember reading that once I got a K-1 visa I would NEVER be able to use the VWP again and would always have to get a visitor visa in order to enter the US. Which makes sense IMO, because you've already shown immigrant intent before, so the US will want to know what is different in your circumstances now that would make you return back to the UK. Know what I mean?

Either way, I'm sorry that Barron finds herself in this situation (my FIL passed away 11 months ago, so I have a good idea what she and her husband are going through). But yes, it's not possible to use the VWP to circumnavigate her GC showing as expired.

Barron, I was just thinking. Would it be possible for your US Citizen husband to call the embassy? Maybe they will be more co-operative for him as he is the US Citizen and needs you there by his side for his family emergency. In the meantime, do what you can to get the Friday appointment, or sooner.

If you haven't yet you should join the Jan 2012 citizenship filers thread here:

Jan 12 n400 filers thread

You can add your name and compare your times to others that filed in Jan. If you're not sure how to edit the timeline just post your info and ask someone to add you to the timeline.

Good luck!

Yes, please come and join us in the Jan 2012 and add your stats. From what I can tell, they are pretty much in line with what the rest of us are experiencing.

OkFlyBoy,

Yes, you can do that by mail.

Huffy,

there's no law anywhere in the United States requiring a U.S. citizen to carry any form of ID with them. The magic sentence is "I am a U.S. citizen." End of discussion.

I know there's no law. But if you were hispanic and in AZ I'm sure you'd still be given a hard time. Even my co-worker was when she was pulled over in CA. Cop soon changed his attitude when she showed him her Military ID. But yes, there's no law requiring USCs to carry ID to prove such.

Travel with your marriage certificate. That should be all you need to show the reason for the difference in names.

Yep. I traveled with my passport in my Maiden name and my GC in my married name until my passport expired. Now they are both the same name. I took a certified copy of my marriage license with me and got no hassle leaving. The IO when we returned did give me a bit of hassle and asked me indignantly why I hadn't changed my name in my passport. I told him I hadn't had time as our trip was last minute (True. As we weren't sure we'd be able to go for Christmas due to money being tight, when my hubby found 2 last minute return tickets for $1400 total. We wouldn't have gone otherwise). But really, there was no legal requirement to do so, so I didn't really see why I would waste the money on it when I could carry my marriage certificate with me.

the card is alot easier to carry.. its credit card size..

Probably a good thing for some people who've Naturalized to carry with them these days what with laws like they put in place with AZ. Although the only place I've been asked about my status has been the DMV and my employer. But that's probably because I'm British.

thanks for all the information you provided. But i've another question that do u knw if santa ana office has same day oath ceremony (the same of interview) ?????????

No idea. But I think that most of the Southern California offices send you to the Naturalization ceremonies that happen at the LA Convention Center (so not same day). Brother Hesekiel kindly provided you with a link above.

I think your timeframe might be a bit tight. But like Brother Hesekiel said, you can always re-schedule your oath ceremony and go once you get back from your vacation.

OMG!!!! Check out this timeline... fastest I've seen so far...

It seems mine is moving fairly fast...

01/07/12* N400 mailed express mail

01/11/12* Delivered to Phoenix, AZ office

01/12/12* USCIS email/sms confirmations received

01/13/12* Check cashed

01/17/12* Receipt received

01/21/12* USCIS FP email received

01/25/12* FP letter received

01/31/12* FP Appointment/Done

02/04/12* Online Status changed to Testing and Interview

02/07/12* IL received

02/29/12* Interview

xx/xx/12* Oath Ceremony

This looks a lot like my co-workers timeline. She applied for her citizenship through the military (army reserves) and she was a citizen within 1.5 months. I suspect this person is also military or has a military spouse and lives in the US, perhaps.

ETA: Hmm, maybe not. Military applications go through Nebraska. Maybe there was an expedite request? Or I guess they just got super lucky!

Not a US citizenship question moving to general

You cant get her card. She needs to go to the SSO and apply for her card if she has not yet gotten it.

Well, I guess he could find out where his local SS Office is and drive her there. But yes, Inky is correct, you cannot get the card. letsfish, your wife will need to apply for her a SSN. This link should help her: http://www.ssa.gov/ssnumber/ss5.htm

You can also help her to gather the necessary documentation, but the application has to be made by your wife, not by you.

Mine also falls under 15 month window. Does it mean I would not get FP notice and direct letter for interview?

Please confirm.

Thanks

USA, it seems to be random as far as we can tell. There are some people who don't have to re-do their biometrics, but most people do. There is really no way to tell if you may be one of the lucky few.

PS. Glad that we didn't scare you off!

Thank your for your response. we are finding in hard like alot of people to find a visa that will work for us.

im going back to manila in april which will be out third time together.

since the u.s. wont recognize same sex visa, and she only works at an salon we dont know what to apply for.

im sure the tourist visa will b hard to do too?

I'm so sorry that this is even an issue for you. It really shouldn't be, but sadly with the way things are currently in the US, it is. I really hope that in the future things will start to change at the Federal level. I think that they will, there are small baby steps being taken and public opinion is shifting towards more positive attitudes with younger generations become able to vote and there are changes slowly being made (i.e., no more don't ask, don't tell, the current administration said they are no long defending DOMA, etc). But for right now, as Boiler said currently your only option might be gender reassignment surgery and/or to see if you can relocate to the Philippines in order to be together.

ummm .... He/she is, hence the question

That's true.

Brian, we appreciate that you are exploring your options and finding out how things are done now. :thumbs:I still stand by my previous post, though I know it might seem a little harsh.

Yeah, I know some people on the forums have mentioned coming over on a tourist visa and adjusting their status, but it seems dangerously close to immigration fraud in my book. The VWP is not an immigrant visa, so your fiance(e) would be coming to the US with the intent to immigrate and without an immigrant visa. Regardless of whether other people have done it, USCIS saying it's a "grey" area means you might get in trouble for it, might not, but the risk would be too great for me.

Exactly. The reason they say it is a grey area is because there are genuinely people who come over on vacation and end up meeting the love of their life and marry them all on the same visit. But if you are already dating a USC and you come over and "just happen" to get married. Then you may end up in trouble, because just dating before you come over to the US on the VWP is a pretty strong indicator of immigration intent and the VWP is for non-immigrant intent only. It is possible though to come over on VWP, marry and then adjust, but I think your spouse would have to have pretty compelling evidence that they did not intend to get married when they entered the US.

IMO, it's not worth, the risk. For me and my husband it was important for us to be sure that we could be together once we were married. So we applied for the K-1 visa, sure it took sometime. But we didn't risk my having to return home and be separated for the first 6-12 months of our marriage.

You are not the first people to fall in love from different countries (obviously) and you are not the first couple to have to wait and get paperwork processed before being able to live together in the US, you'll make it through the process. Apply for the K-1. Just thinking about using the VWP in this way because your friend's wife had done so previously gives you prior intent of immigration. If it were legal for people from VWP to "skip" getting a K-1 to get married and settle in the US. No one with a fiance in a VWP country would ever file for a K-1 visa.

Oh and I found an email address for the military point of contact in Nebraska so I sent an email there ref. the average processing time for overseas naturalization.

My co-worker was in the reserves when she naturalized. She got an email from a CO very quickly after applying and got emails from the same CO every step of the way. She was in the US though and active military. But hopefully you will get a helpful CO who can check on your status and see what kind of timeline you might expect from Frankfurt.

Did you try the military hotline number as well?

That's what I was thinking of. If you don't get help via email, hopefully you can speak to a human being on the phone.

I probably would agree that check cashed isn't that important but why would one's eligibility be important. It's kind of redundant to say when your eligibility date is as most people apply when they are eligible or when they are nearing eligibility. That is black and white with firm dates. You're either eligible, within the 90 day eligibility on the 3 or 5 year, or you're not eligible. All the other dates on the timeline are variable. People who visit these forums to see the timeline are looking for average case processing times from filing to oath and how much time each step takes. I don't see how seeing someone's eligibility really helps. Again, it's just my opinion.

I agree with Pandawars on this one. While the check cashed column is not very important, I think that it helps with the initial anxiety to see how quickly people's applications are starting to enter the system. Kind of like a comfort thing.

Know what I think... we should have "like" buttons on here too. I keep trying to find one every time I come across a post I like.

Blessed in the bottom right-hand corner there's a little green + sign. I think that's the "like" button here.

Another concern with my wife are those crazy purses they have to drag around, always kept a watchful eye on that, too easy for someone to grab on. Why can't women wear clothes with a good deep pocket and carry a wallet?

Well, I did need a pipe wrench once, wife had one of those in her purse.

Hey if clothing companies would start actually making said clothes with a good deep pocket, I'd start carrying my wallet/purse there. In reality, women are lucky if they actually even GET a pocket in their clothing, let alone it actually being of a significant size to fit a wallet into.

A lot of my 18 month old's clothes however seem to have at least 6 functional pockets. I guess it must be for all that money and ID that babies/toddlers need to carry around with them.

To keep this on-topic, OP: losing my GC so close to Naturalizing is my secret nightmare, too.

3/20 is the date of anniversary.

This (column about adding 'eligible on' date) has been in suggested in this very thread. Will take some formatting to do though on that list to make it one line.

I think I made my post while you posted. Rather than another column, how about we just change the font colour for the people who were already eligible when they applied to green?

Death Strike--what is the date you are eligible to naturalize? Has that date passed yet or did you apply 90 days in advance? What the list doesn't show is that all the ones moved into interview ready/interview have already passed their date when they can legally naturalize. Wondering if you are to your date yet?

That might be interesting to know. Maybe we can just change people's name color or something if they were already eligible to naturalize when they applied (I'm thinking green, or something)? Rather than adding another column.

Let's add the column for that info to the list, I am sure it would be very helpful. And also how about adding the columns about dates of receiving "placed in line" and "interview scheduled" emails as well?

While that might be helpful, I'm not sure if they would make the list too complicated for people with smaller computer screens. On my little netbook at home the list doesn't line up nice and neatly across the screen, it doubles up. It's hard to read and compare the dates that way.

I just worry that it might be too much information to fit on the list, KWIM?

Out of curiousity, where can I find out how long the average processing time is for overseas naturalizations? On the USCIS site I can only pick field offices and obviously none of them are in charge of me and I'm just wondering?

I had a quick google search and couldn't really find anything . I don't know if you can call the service center you submitted your application to or if there's a contact number on your NOA you can call? Is your spouse in the Military? If so, you might be able to find out a contact number specifically for military/their spouses applications.

Did the early biometrics in a totally different city (and state!) Atlanta instead of San Francisco - no problemo we just walked right in

now the waiting game for the appointment interview begins!!

Wow, I didn't know you could do that either. Interesting to know.

Email received from USCIS yesterday (2/14/2012) informing me they have sent me the letter for my fingerprinting date.

Sounds good to me!

Yay! Glad that things are moving along for you.