Duncan21
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Posts posted by Duncan21
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Hi all...received the NVC welcome email this morning for both parents. Their cases were sent to NVC on July 27, 2023 (12 days ago).
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Two I-130s got approved on July 22; received emails on July 27 that both were sent to Department of State (NVC) for visa processing.
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Filed I-130 petitions for both parents with Priority Date 8/17/2022. Received two email notifications this morning with subject line "We have taken action on your case". Upon logging into USCIS account: both I-130s were approved yesterday, on 7/22/2023 (notice date).
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Hi all...joining this thread....IR5 category here (parents of US citizens).....I-130 NOA date = August 19, 2022. Texas Service Center. Good luck everyone!
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5 hours ago, *FishF00D* said:
Just got a notification that my interview has been scheduled at Newark - I don't have the letter with the date yet, but from what I can tell it's usually ~4 weeks out. Will update when I know!
Does anyone know if Newark lets you do your interview and then book your Oath ceremony for a different day? I have international travel booked for 1-2 weeks after I'm anticipating that the interview gets scheduled. If it's possible to keep my interview date - then keep my Green Card for travel and take the oath when I return - that would be the best outcome for me!
Newark is one of the USCIS locations that does same day Oath ceremonies....when we had our interview, there were several oath ceremonies throughout the day.
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On 3/7/2023 at 2:07 PM, N & A said:
Hi all,
I have an interview coming up in Newark. Can your spouse enter the building with you? I am sure not the actual interview, but just the waiting room?
Thank you!
Hello, yes, your spouse can enter the building. For the waiting room, on the day we had our interview, it was a matter of giving the security guard a rationale for why spouse should be in the waiting room. Our explanation was that there was a good possibility that the interview was a combo (N400/ROC) interview, and spouse would be interviewed as well for the ROC portion. The guard did let both of us in.
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1 hour ago, Crazy Cat said:
We had been waiting since March 2019. But, in Aug 2022, we filed my wife's N-400. 4 months later, both the I-751 and N-400 were approved during a combo interview.
Took 44 months to approve the I-751
Took 4 months to approve the N-400.
My wife will become a citizen in 3 days.
My advice is to file for citizenship as soon as eligible.
Absolutely agree! See timelines in signature
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5 hours ago, da95826 said:
Generally you can not tell whether or not you are getting a combo i751/n400 interview.
A combo interview is the most likely outcome, that is what happened to us back in May.
But the i751 file may not be at the field office, if so they would need to wait until it does arrive delaying a decision on both cases, or the officer may approve the i751 on the spot without a ROC interview and then go on and approve the n400 on the spot, only the green card holder interviewed.
Some variation of the 3 scenarios will happen, go with your spouse and be prepared to do the combo l751/n400 interview. I would request the officer to do a i751 interview while you are there, if the officer is not planning to do the ROC case while you're there.
Agree, in this scenario (filed for I-751 and received interview notice for N400 only), everyone should go prepared (ie with spouse) for a combo interview.
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16 hours ago, Butterfly2 said:
Hi, I trust every body is doing great, update for you guys who are waiting at MSC for I-751 and N-400 combo interview. we received email yesterday from USCIS that Interview for N-400 is scheduled and letter is on our way.
I-751 received 07/24/2020
I-751 Notice date 08/11/2020
N-400 applied on 04/05/2022 ( Interview letter issued 10/27/2022 )
Houston, TX field office.
Current Status : Interview is scheduled and we are waiting for the Interview letter in the mail. I-751 is still pending so we assume the interview will be combo interview. InshaAllah all will be well.
Nice! Yes, plan for combo interview with both US citizen and spouse present for interview
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On 10/22/2022 at 9:05 AM, Immi_Matter said:
Finally a citizen.
My interview happened this week at the Newark office. My appointment was at 8:30. I reached at 7:30. There was a small line to get inside the building.
Security is airport style. I got inside the the building at 7:45 and took the elevator to 15th floor. At the check in desk, security verified my id and N400 appointment letter.
Once inside, I submitted my appointment letter to the check in desk. Check in officer asked me to sit and wait for my name to be called out. There were 50 to 60 people in the room. I was called to meet with the officer at 9:15.
The officer first began with civics questions first.
1) When was the constitution written?
2) What are 2 Cabinet level positions?
3) Why did colonists fight the British?
4) What did Susan Anthony do?
5) Name one American Indian tribe.
6) Who makes federal laws?
I got first 6 questions right. We then moved to reading and writing sections of the test, which I cleared as well.
The officer then began reviewing my application in detail. The officer asked me to verify current address, date of birth, date of marriage and contact details. I was then asked for my 10 year Green card (didn't get it back), marriage certificate and spouse's certificate of naturalization.Then I was asked Yes/No questions (part 12).
I was then asked to verify my details (name, date of birth, address) & sign on a tablet. I was told that my application was recommended for approval. I was handed an interview cleared letter and told to sit outside until my name was called for oath ceremony. The interview lasted 15 minutes.
Oath ceremony happened more an hour later at 10:45. About 30 people took the oath with me All of us were handed the naturalization certificate along with another packet containing key rights as a US citizen, voting information and passport application details.
My experience was great at Newark. USCIS team at Newark is very friendly and ready to address any questions.
Timeline:
N400 submitted online - April 25th. (I-751 approved in January)
N400 Receipt - April 25th
Biometrics Waiver notice - April 25th
Interview scheduled - October 20th
Case Approved - October 20th (Same day oath)
Overall, it took me about 6 months from application to approval.
Congratulations!
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On 10/19/2022 at 2:01 PM, NihalV said:
can you explain what is "Name Change Court Document". I have received one document during oath ceremony saying my old name and new name. are you referring to same one or I have to get it from court?
Yes...it's the same one with a raised seal on it
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On 10/14/2022 at 9:27 AM, NihalV said:Got my citizenship yesterday…!
I have changed my name during N-400 process.I received later during my oath ceremony stating I have changed my name.What should I do next ?- A. Request name change in SSN
- B. Passport application (Naturalization certificate + name change later I received during oath ceremony)
- C. I can do both process simultaneously
Congratulations! If it helps, this is the process and order of steps we took after N-400 approval with name change last year:
1. Went to NJ MVC and updated Driver's License with Naturalization Certificate and Name Change Court Document. At the time we did this, no appointments were needed for Name Changes and everything was done on the same day, and we were given back all documents
2. Passport application after receipt of Driver's License. Note that we did this first before SSN because we were planning a trip outside the US. If you plan to do SSN first, USCIS advised we wait about 10 days or so since it takes about that time for records to be updated. That is about the same time it takes for new Driver's License to come in the mail anyway. For the passport application, take new Driver's License along with a copy of it, original Naturalization Certificate and also a copy of it (see Department of State website for details here).
3. Once we received back the Naturalization Certificate from Passport Agency, we did the SSN name change.
I hope this helps. Good luck!
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7 hours ago, 81soalk said:
Hi NJ people. Idk why there are no updates here, but since I read all the comments in this thread and helped me I will post here.
I applied on October 2021 some of you know kearny usps had a problem with the roof and there were delays with the mail. I thought I lost my package, I was stressing because My only court disposition certified was there. Went to court and they never gave me another one except for the expungement. So Def there was stress there. I received an update that the package was delivered and NOA November 01, 2021. Bio for November 30, 2021. I didn't pay attention to the estimate, but I think it said like 15 months if im not mistaken.
Last week of may I received an update that the interview was schedule for july 12, 2022.
So last week I reserved a parking with an app (spothero) for the parking next to the building 1000 broad st. The app said to scan the barcode, there was no scanner and no one there. So I had to press for a ticket and the gate open. And to come out you come out via orchard st. And there was a machine to pay the ticket, which came out to $21. So Im not even mad at spot hero at this point. I will take the L but If I had to do it again I wouldn't use spot hero and just go there, because it was cheaper paying cash.
Went to the building and up to 15th floor waited like 2 hours 30 mins and I was called to approach a door. The interviewer asked me for my green card and passport. Then the standard questions.
Who was the fist president?
What is one duty as a citizen?
What are the first 3 words.....?
Capital of New jersey?
A war in the 1800's?
And I forgot the other one but I think it was a right of a citizen.
Then read a sentence, What is the largest state of the US. and write Alaska is the largest state.
Then the standard yes and no questions, file taxes or if I owe any money. Have I ever been arrested and If I submitted the court disposition, which I did. He checked that, told me to check if the info was correct on the tablet and said I was approved.
Some people that were approved will have their oath ceremony at another place next week. From what I heard a lawyer telling a couple of her clients, I think it was like a special oath ceremony if they were from that county they were likely going to do it there.
As my journey ends here, I want to thank the people of this website and forums that wrote their experiences. And to @sandranj the lawyer at the Vawa forum, I read her responses to the vawa recipients and realize that there are still some good lawyers that care. And that's how my journey on this forum began. I filed everything myself from Vawa to 485 to n400.
(tips that helped reading this forum and listen on spotify n400 questions). Eat a good breakfast because you are likely going to be there for a while.
Congratulations!
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On 7/1/2022 at 3:08 PM, kp&kp said:
I have my joint interview next week. Could you tell me about your interview experience and what they asked for the I-751 interview?
I had posted this a few months ago:
I field for ROC (I-751) in February 2019 and for N400 in June 2020. I received a notice back in July 2021 for N400 interview, but never received an interview notice for the I-751. Our N400 interview was Friday, September 10 and the officer adjudicated the i-751 at the same time in a combo interview - we went prepared for a combo interview. Both approved, and since Newark, NJ does same day Oath Ceremony, the Certificate of Naturalization was issued on the same day. The i-751 portion took about 5 mins: we were not separated and the officer asked the following in the following order:
* to the US citizen spouse: what is your spouse's full name and date of birth?
when did you get married?
how did you meet your spouse?
* to the applicant: what is your spouse's full name and date of birth?
We took a lot of additional evidence but was never asked to produce any of it. We believe that it is probably because when giving the officer the original documents (birth certificates, green card, marriage certificate, first child's birth certificate etc), we also handed him the hospital birth records for the birth of our second child less than a month ago.
The N400 portion was about 15 mins, and straightforward: the 50 Yes/No questions that are in the application, 6 civics questions and confirming/signing of documents.
Good luck to all! See timeline in signature below for details.
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On 5/10/2022 at 9:35 PM, Immi_Matter said:
Hi All,
How long was your N400 case status 'Case is Being Actively Reviewed by USCIS' before it got changed to 'Interview Scheduled'?
What does processing time look like?
April 2022 Newark filer here. My case status is active review for 4 weeks now.
Hello...see timeline in my signature below. I can't recall my online status ever showing "Case is Being Actively Reviewed by USCIS". I hope your interview is scheduled soon!
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On 4/28/2022 at 9:23 AM, hasmax80 said:
Congratulations!!! But 4 years and 4 months wait is crazy and I thought we were worse. My wife filed I-751 and N-400 in May 2019 and May 2020 respectively so 3 year wait next month. Is there any reason why your case was significantly delayed outside the 3 year processing time? Can you share your field office? Thank you
Our timelines is very similar: filed i-751 in May 2019 and N-400 in June 2020 and both were approved September 2021. I hope you hear something soon.
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On 3/23/2022 at 11:26 PM, avmvisajourney said:
Hi all, I completed oath ceremony today and got the citizenship certificate.
Congratulations!
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29 minutes ago, tahir123 said:
Very quiet in this thread...imagine most people have already completed their journey? My wife is a June 1st, 2020 filer, originally in Chicago then transferred to Baltimore in August, 2020. Still waiting. Uscis says she's in a queue awaiting to be scheduled for an interview...whatever that means.
Did you check the timelines for Baltimore office? That should give you an estimate for when others within the same timeframe are getting interviews. See this link: https://www.visajourney.com/timeline/citlist.php?op6=All&op7=Baltimore+MD&op1=3&op2=&op4=1&op5=&cfl=0
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5 hours ago, Rosa Garcia said:
I need to renew my work badge and since my last stamp expired, green card and extension expired I have no proof that I can legally work
They don't want to give me an appointment due to lack of slots available
How are you at risk for losing your job? Employee verification happens initially and then that's it...I can see challenges if you are changing jobs.
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4 hours ago, Rosa Garcia said:
Guys from your experience ( those who already had interviews) Does anybody know how much time USCIS gives you from sending the I-751 interview letter to the date of the interview? Thank you
Depends on the local office. For us (Newark, NJ), it was about one and a half months
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Please do not pay attention to the timeline for completion. On the day of our interview and same day Oath ceremony, the timeline said 8 months to completion. For us, it took approximately one year from filing (June 2020) to receiving interview notice (July 2021), with interview in September 2021. It does vary by field office, so perhaps you can look at the following site and filter by your field office to get a more accurate estimate
https://www.visajourney.com/timeline/citlist.php?op6=All&op7=All&op1=3&op2=&op4=1&op5=&cfl=0
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7 hours ago, AlexeiMaughan said:
Question for the group. Does my wife need to be in the N400 interview? I already have my 10Y GC so we have already done that interview together.
Thanks all!
No. The only exception is if the interview letter specifies that your spouse must be present. In our case, we had a combo i-751/N400 interview and the officer conducted the i-751 interview first with both of us. For the N400 portion, only the applicant was allowed to remain in the room
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2 hours ago, roddie2k said:
Fellow NJers who completed the N400 process- do you have to visit the DMV to update your citizenship status?
In our case, the NJ driver's license had "TEMP IMMGR STATUS" marked on top, and we went the next day after oath ceremony to update DMV records and get a new license (new license came in the mail after about 10 days). You should also update Social Security Administration records. We applied for a US passport right away, and waited until we received back the Naturalization Certificate before updating Social Security. The reason for this is because we had travel plans upcoming. I hope this helps.
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46 minutes ago, roddie2k said:
Happy to inform my spouse completed her naturalization process today at the Newark field office..she had a kind officer who went straight to business ..Standard civics questions, reading writing and the yes / no questions..interview was done in 15- 20 minutes- most of the time really went into updating on the system. No vocabulary, no definitions.
She waited for about an hour and half to be called for the oath ceremony. Time from entry to exit was approximately 2.5 hours.
Good luck to all of us .
Very good....congratulations!!!
August 2022 - I130 filers
in IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports
Posted
Very nice - congratulations! Similarly,
October 13, 2023 - Submitted all documents to NVC via CEAC
October 29, 2023 - Submitted additional documents
November 7, 2023 - DQ
Now just awaiting interview date. I was wondering how backlogged NVC is post-DQ and awaiting interview dates so this gives me some hope. The category for us is IR5 (parents of US citizens).