Texaco5

USCIS is only accepting a small number of online applications at present, so if you scroll to the top of the page in the link in the original post in this thread and hit the green 'apply now' button, you will be taken through a series of questions which will confirm if you are eligible to apply online.
 
I applied online on Feb 9th this year after I stumbled on this link and was a citizen 68 days later on April 18th, so I can certainly recommend online filing if you are eligible. The processing time tracker on the USCIS website suggested I should expect a turnaround of something like 200+ days at the LA County field office, so applying online was about 60% faster than the paper approach in my case. Even my interview officer was surprised at how quickly my case had been processed.
 
If you are eligible to file online, I would recommend reading the PDF on the USCIS website that explains how to fill out the paper N-400 form and getting together the various supporting documents (tax returns, scan of green card etc.) that you are required to submit with your application. The instructions explain what supporting docs are required based on what type of application you are making (marriage after 3 or 5 years, work, military etc.). These documents need to be scanned and attached to your online application, so it is best to have them available to attach as you are completing the sections of the application online. You can also save your application, log out of the account and log back in later if you find you are missing some of the support documents that they are requesting.
 
Once you are ready to file, you just enter your credit cards details and pay the application/biometric fee after you have completed the online application and attached the scanned supporting evidence documents and the priority date will be the day that you made the online payment.
 
With an online application, you also get to track the progress of your application and they scan each document that they send you (receipt notice, biometrics appointment, interview appointment) and put it in your online account so you get to see them a few days before they arrive in the mail.

So here's how this is done for future reference.
1. After I became a US citizen and attended the oath ceremony, the I-90 Green Card 10 year renewal application I had filed 5 months earlier was still pending. (For some inexplicable reason it only took 68 days from filing my N-400 to attending the oath ceremony to become a citizen)
2. I then contacted USCIS via the 'contact us' button in my myuscis.dhs.gov online account and they advised me to send a letter to the following USCIS office:
 
US Citizenship & Immigration Service
Potomac Service Center
Stop 2425
Arlington
VA 20598-2425
 
3. The letter referenced by I-90 Receipt number (an IOE number in this case as I had applied online) and requested that the USCIS withdraw the application as it was no longer needed in view of the fact that I am now a US citizen.
4. Just under a month after I mailed the letter, I received a notification text/email from my myuscis.dhs.gov account confirming that the application had been withdrawn. The USCIS letter also confirmed that no refund would be made of the biometrics or application fees I had paid (not bothered about that and wasn't expecting it). It also explains that an application can be withdrawn at any point before a decision is made on it however the application cannot be re-activated and if I need the green card renewed in the future, I will have to apply again.
5. The case status of my I-90 application now shows as 'Withdrawn' on my online USCIS account as below:
Withdrawal Acknowledgement Notice Was Sent
On May xx, 2017, we received your request to withdraw your Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card , Receipt Number IOExxxxxxx, and completed our review. We mailed you a Withdrawal Acknowledgment Notice. If you do not receive your Withdrawal Acknowledgment Notice by June xx, 2017, please go to www.uscis.gov/e-request to request a copy of the notice.
 

The reference you highlighted is for someone who is not a legal permanent resident residing in the US when they make the application (ie they are living in another country outside the USA, not visiting another country like you are).
 
You should be able to file online. If they schedule anything while you are traveling out of the city where you live or out of the country, you can contact the USCIS and reschedule the appointment.

So here's how this is done for future reference.
1. After I became a US citizen and attended the oath ceremony, the I-90 Green Card 10 year renewal application I had filed 5 months earlier was still pending. (For some inexplicable reason it only took 68 days from filing my N-400 to attending the oath ceremony to become a citizen)
2. I then contacted USCIS via the 'contact us' button in my myuscis.dhs.gov online account and they advised me to send a letter to the following USCIS office:
 
US Citizenship & Immigration Service
Potomac Service Center
Stop 2425
Arlington
VA 20598-2425
 
3. The letter referenced by I-90 Receipt number (an IOE number in this case as I had applied online) and requested that the USCIS withdraw the application as it was no longer needed in view of the fact that I am now a US citizen.
4. Just under a month after I mailed the letter, I received a notification text/email from my myuscis.dhs.gov account confirming that the application had been withdrawn. The USCIS letter also confirmed that no refund would be made of the biometrics or application fees I had paid (not bothered about that and wasn't expecting it). It also explains that an application can be withdrawn at any point before a decision is made on it however the application cannot be re-activated and if I need the green card renewed in the future, I will have to apply again.
5. The case status of my I-90 application now shows as 'Withdrawn' on my online USCIS account as below:
Withdrawal Acknowledgement Notice Was Sent
On May xx, 2017, we received your request to withdraw your Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card , Receipt Number IOExxxxxxx, and completed our review. We mailed you a Withdrawal Acknowledgment Notice. If you do not receive your Withdrawal Acknowledgment Notice by June xx, 2017, please go to www.uscis.gov/e-request to request a copy of the notice.
 

USCIS is only accepting a small number of online applications at present, so if you scroll to the top of the page in the link in the original post in this thread and hit the green 'apply now' button, you will be taken through a series of questions which will confirm if you are eligible to apply online.
 
I applied online on Feb 9th this year after I stumbled on this link and was a citizen 68 days later on April 18th, so I can certainly recommend online filing if you are eligible. The processing time tracker on the USCIS website suggested I should expect a turnaround of something like 200+ days at the LA County field office, so applying online was about 60% faster than the paper approach in my case. Even my interview officer was surprised at how quickly my case had been processed.
 
If you are eligible to file online, I would recommend reading the PDF on the USCIS website that explains how to fill out the paper N-400 form and getting together the various supporting documents (tax returns, scan of green card etc.) that you are required to submit with your application. The instructions explain what supporting docs are required based on what type of application you are making (marriage after 3 or 5 years, work, military etc.). These documents need to be scanned and attached to your online application, so it is best to have them available to attach as you are completing the sections of the application online. You can also save your application, log out of the account and log back in later if you find you are missing some of the support documents that they are requesting.
 
Once you are ready to file, you just enter your credit cards details and pay the application/biometric fee after you have completed the online application and attached the scanned supporting evidence documents and the priority date will be the day that you made the online payment.
 
With an online application, you also get to track the progress of your application and they scan each document that they send you (receipt notice, biometrics appointment, interview appointment) and put it in your online account so you get to see them a few days before they arrive in the mail.

USCIS is only accepting a small number of online applications at present, so if you scroll to the top of the page in the link in the original post in this thread and hit the green 'apply now' button, you will be taken through a series of questions which will confirm if you are eligible to apply online.
 
I applied online on Feb 9th this year after I stumbled on this link and was a citizen 68 days later on April 18th, so I can certainly recommend online filing if you are eligible. The processing time tracker on the USCIS website suggested I should expect a turnaround of something like 200+ days at the LA County field office, so applying online was about 60% faster than the paper approach in my case. Even my interview officer was surprised at how quickly my case had been processed.
 
If you are eligible to file online, I would recommend reading the PDF on the USCIS website that explains how to fill out the paper N-400 form and getting together the various supporting documents (tax returns, scan of green card etc.) that you are required to submit with your application. The instructions explain what supporting docs are required based on what type of application you are making (marriage after 3 or 5 years, work, military etc.). These documents need to be scanned and attached to your online application, so it is best to have them available to attach as you are completing the sections of the application online. You can also save your application, log out of the account and log back in later if you find you are missing some of the support documents that they are requesting.
 
Once you are ready to file, you just enter your credit cards details and pay the application/biometric fee after you have completed the online application and attached the scanned supporting evidence documents and the priority date will be the day that you made the online payment.
 
With an online application, you also get to track the progress of your application and they scan each document that they send you (receipt notice, biometrics appointment, interview appointment) and put it in your online account so you get to see them a few days before they arrive in the mail.

They will take a digital photo that conforms to their requirements at the biometrics appointment which will be scheduled a few weeks after they receive your application.
I've read about some people being asked for a photo at the interview, so it is worth having them to hand at that time and if they don't need them then, you can use them for your US passport application, so it isn't money wasted.

It's definitely not a myth by any means. A more efficient filing method is going to save some time, no doubt about it. The question is just how much time it really saves. You know for a fact that it saves at least a couple days when mailing information back and forth (a couple days for the initial application, the biometrics appointment PDF is posted online so you don't have to wait for that letter to show up, etc.) and of course the time it takes to transfer your physical paperwork between departments (sending to the field office, for example). 
 
Now, does the application itself get processed faster or higher priority? That's hard to say, but maybe. With it being such a new system it would not surprise me if they're trying to get as many online applications done as possible just to iron out kinks. Also, if you're an immigration officer and you sit down and process one online application, then one paper, then one online, then one paper, etc. then just by the sheer fact that the number of online applicants is significantly smaller (for now), you're going to get yours processed sooner. On top of all that, just the sheer level of ease it is for an IO to process your documentation is going to speed things up a bit. That said, it's not like they're ignoring the paper applications to give the online applications specific priority. 
 
What does this all add up to? Maybe a couple days shorter, maybe a few weeks, or maybe a few months. Who knows? The online filing system is still very new so we really don't have any idea at this point. That said, check out the August 2017 Filers thread and you can clearly see that the online filers (except for me but I know I'm a special case) are being processed significantly faster at this point. 
 
So all that said, there's just no good reason to NOT file online unless you're not eligible (which is determined when you start your application). Of course the other huge benefit is that your updates are quite a bit more granular, and you're able to send questions/messages to immigration officers directly from your online profile page. PDFs are all uploaded online as well which is a pretty significant benefit.
 
Hope that helps! 

USCIS is only accepting a small number of online applications at present, so if you scroll to the top of the page in the link in the original post in this thread and hit the green 'apply now' button, you will be taken through a series of questions which will confirm if you are eligible to apply online.
 
I applied online on Feb 9th this year after I stumbled on this link and was a citizen 68 days later on April 18th, so I can certainly recommend online filing if you are eligible. The processing time tracker on the USCIS website suggested I should expect a turnaround of something like 200+ days at the LA County field office, so applying online was about 60% faster than the paper approach in my case. Even my interview officer was surprised at how quickly my case had been processed.
 
If you are eligible to file online, I would recommend reading the PDF on the USCIS website that explains how to fill out the paper N-400 form and getting together the various supporting documents (tax returns, scan of green card etc.) that you are required to submit with your application. The instructions explain what supporting docs are required based on what type of application you are making (marriage after 3 or 5 years, work, military etc.). These documents need to be scanned and attached to your online application, so it is best to have them available to attach as you are completing the sections of the application online. You can also save your application, log out of the account and log back in later if you find you are missing some of the support documents that they are requesting.
 
Once you are ready to file, you just enter your credit cards details and pay the application/biometric fee after you have completed the online application and attached the scanned supporting evidence documents and the priority date will be the day that you made the online payment.
 
With an online application, you also get to track the progress of your application and they scan each document that they send you (receipt notice, biometrics appointment, interview appointment) and put it in your online account so you get to see them a few days before they arrive in the mail.

After attending the oath ceremony in April, I scanned my naturalization certificate before sending off the original for a US passport at the post office a couple of days later.
 
A few days after applying, my check was cashed and I was able to see that the Dept of State had received my passport using their online passport application tracking service at :
 
https://passportstatus.state.gov/opss/OPSS_Status_ip.asp
 
When I applied, I did not get a tracking number for my application from the post office to the department of state, but I already had a myusps account from the post office. It is free to set up at this address:
 
https://my.usps.com/mobileWeb/pages/intro/start.action
 
Once the passport office had finished my passport and prepared the priority mail envelope to return it to me, I got an automatic notification from the MYUSPS account to let me know a package was on its way to my home address along with the tracking number. This is one of the features of MYUSPS since it automatically alerts you whenever anyone sends you a tracked package, even if the sender doesn't give you a tracking number.
 
It is worth pointing out that the Dept of State DOES NOT send you the tracking number for the priority mail package with your passport in it, they just change the status of your application on their tracking website to indicate that they are in the 'final stages' of preparing your passport and you should receive it on or before a certain date.
 
Here is why I recommend the MYUSPS account as the post office then messed up the delivery of my passport.
 
The Priority Mail package arrived in the main Los Angeles sorting office, correctly addressed to me. For some reason the Los Angeles sorting office sent it to the wrong local post office to make delivery. A day after it was supposed to arrive (according to the MYUSPS tracking) I went to the local post office about 10 miles away and they denied being in possession of the package and explained it would be returned to sender. They then changed the status to 'Undeliverable at this address' as my home isn't in their delivery area and a day later changed the status to 'Returning to Sender'. After seeing this, I was able to go online and start a missing package inquiry using the tracking number with a request for them to re-attempt delivery at the correct address.
 
After another 4 days, it then showed up again in the Los Angeles sorting office and was then sent out to the correct local post office for delivery to my home address. However it didn't show the 'Out for delivery' status I was expecting so I drove over to the local post office and gave them the tracking number, explained what had happened and they went and retrieved my passport in its priority mail envelope.
 
In the end, it should have been delivered on May 11th and I finally got my hands on it on May 18th.
 
My citizenship certificate was returned in a separate envelope and arrived one day after the passport was scheduled to be delivered.
 
If I didn't have the MyUSPS account, I would have not know what was happening with my passport and it may or may not have ended up back at the El Paso passport center at some point. Given that passports are a good way for identity thieves to start off some new credit accounts in your name, that isn't the best way to begin life as a new US citizen to have a new passport lost in the USPS system and to be blissfully unaware of this.
 
So, the moral of this story is when applying for a US passport, do yourselves a favor and set up a MYUSPS account so that you will know where your new passport is as it makes its way back to you from the Dept of State. It will save you some headaches if USPS manages to do what they are good at and mess it up.......
 
 
 
 

USCIS is only accepting a small number of online applications at present, so if you scroll to the top of the page in the link in the original post in this thread and hit the green 'apply now' button, you will be taken through a series of questions which will confirm if you are eligible to apply online.
 
I applied online on Feb 9th this year after I stumbled on this link and was a citizen 68 days later on April 18th, so I can certainly recommend online filing if you are eligible. The processing time tracker on the USCIS website suggested I should expect a turnaround of something like 200+ days at the LA County field office, so applying online was about 60% faster than the paper approach in my case. Even my interview officer was surprised at how quickly my case had been processed.
 
If you are eligible to file online, I would recommend reading the PDF on the USCIS website that explains how to fill out the paper N-400 form and getting together the various supporting documents (tax returns, scan of green card etc.) that you are required to submit with your application. The instructions explain what supporting docs are required based on what type of application you are making (marriage after 3 or 5 years, work, military etc.). These documents need to be scanned and attached to your online application, so it is best to have them available to attach as you are completing the sections of the application online. You can also save your application, log out of the account and log back in later if you find you are missing some of the support documents that they are requesting.
 
Once you are ready to file, you just enter your credit cards details and pay the application/biometric fee after you have completed the online application and attached the scanned supporting evidence documents and the priority date will be the day that you made the online payment.
 
With an online application, you also get to track the progress of your application and they scan each document that they send you (receipt notice, biometrics appointment, interview appointment) and put it in your online account so you get to see them a few days before they arrive in the mail.

I e-filed back in early February without knowing anything about the bugs in the new ELIS computerized system - I was just researching the citizenship process and came across the page on the USCIS website where they have the link to see if you are eligible to file online. Like several other people have noted, the online application software can be glitchy (doesn't let you delete files/answers and sometimes throws out 500 HTML errors when pressing the 'submit' button when you have filled in a page of replies) but it does seem to record things properly. It also has a feature that allows you to create a PDF of the N-400 using the data you have entered, and I did this, highlighted any areas where I thought it may have got things wrong and took this along to my interview where any small issues were fixed.
 
Even the interview officer had some issues correcting the online information back in April when I attended my interview, so their computer system is still having issues worked out. He made an amendment which was incorrect and when he went to edit/delete it, he found he couldn't so he had to enter a duplicate entry!
 
I found the online notifications and copies of the correspondence to be very helpful. In my own case, I found that the process was very efficient and was a citizen within 68 days of applying online at one of the busier field offices here in Los Angeles.

I saved my application and then went back the next day and added the PDFs. Even after you apply, you can add more evidence files if you need to. For instance, I applied in early Feb and then added my 2016 tax transcripts in March once they were filed with the IRS.
 
The ELIS computer system is new (ish) for USCIS and quite buggy, so they're keeping it on the down low while they iron out the glitches. I don't know what criteria they use to determine if you're in the 'small group' of applicants who are allowed to use it, but I found the whole process pretty straightforward. I suspect they want to iron out the bugs before everyone can use it as it does mean they don't need to scan your paper application and enter the data into their computer system if you do it yourself.

Yes, use this link on the USCIS website (scroll up and hit the green 'Apply' button).
 
It will ask a series of questions to figure out whether you are eligible to apply online and then allow you to use the online application process if you qualify.
 
https://my.uscis.gov/exploremyoptions/us_citizen_through_naturalization#benefit-related-content-2

I e-filed back in early February without knowing anything about the bugs in the new ELIS computerized system - I was just researching the citizenship process and came across the page on the USCIS website where they have the link to see if you are eligible to file online. Like several other people have noted, the online application software can be glitchy (doesn't let you delete files/answers and sometimes throws out 500 HTML errors when pressing the 'submit' button when you have filled in a page of replies) but it does seem to record things properly. It also has a feature that allows you to create a PDF of the N-400 using the data you have entered, and I did this, highlighted any areas where I thought it may have got things wrong and took this along to my interview where any small issues were fixed.
 
Even the interview officer had some issues correcting the online information back in April when I attended my interview, so their computer system is still having issues worked out. He made an amendment which was incorrect and when he went to edit/delete it, he found he couldn't so he had to enter a duplicate entry!
 
I found the online notifications and copies of the correspondence to be very helpful. In my own case, I found that the process was very efficient and was a citizen within 68 days of applying online at one of the busier field offices here in Los Angeles.

I e-filed back in early February without knowing anything about the bugs in the new ELIS computerized system - I was just researching the citizenship process and came across the page on the USCIS website where they have the link to see if you are eligible to file online. Like several other people have noted, the online application software can be glitchy (doesn't let you delete files/answers and sometimes throws out 500 HTML errors when pressing the 'submit' button when you have filled in a page of replies) but it does seem to record things properly. It also has a feature that allows you to create a PDF of the N-400 using the data you have entered, and I did this, highlighted any areas where I thought it may have got things wrong and took this along to my interview where any small issues were fixed.
 
Even the interview officer had some issues correcting the online information back in April when I attended my interview, so their computer system is still having issues worked out. He made an amendment which was incorrect and when he went to edit/delete it, he found he couldn't so he had to enter a duplicate entry!
 
I found the online notifications and copies of the correspondence to be very helpful. In my own case, I found that the process was very efficient and was a citizen within 68 days of applying online at one of the busier field offices here in Los Angeles.

After attending the oath ceremony in April, I scanned my naturalization certificate before sending off the original for a US passport at the post office a couple of days later.
 
A few days after applying, my check was cashed and I was able to see that the Dept of State had received my passport using their online passport application tracking service at :
 
https://passportstatus.state.gov/opss/OPSS_Status_ip.asp
 
When I applied, I did not get a tracking number for my application from the post office to the department of state, but I already had a myusps account from the post office. It is free to set up at this address:
 
https://my.usps.com/mobileWeb/pages/intro/start.action
 
Once the passport office had finished my passport and prepared the priority mail envelope to return it to me, I got an automatic notification from the MYUSPS account to let me know a package was on its way to my home address along with the tracking number. This is one of the features of MYUSPS since it automatically alerts you whenever anyone sends you a tracked package, even if the sender doesn't give you a tracking number.
 
It is worth pointing out that the Dept of State DOES NOT send you the tracking number for the priority mail package with your passport in it, they just change the status of your application on their tracking website to indicate that they are in the 'final stages' of preparing your passport and you should receive it on or before a certain date.
 
Here is why I recommend the MYUSPS account as the post office then messed up the delivery of my passport.
 
The Priority Mail package arrived in the main Los Angeles sorting office, correctly addressed to me. For some reason the Los Angeles sorting office sent it to the wrong local post office to make delivery. A day after it was supposed to arrive (according to the MYUSPS tracking) I went to the local post office about 10 miles away and they denied being in possession of the package and explained it would be returned to sender. They then changed the status to 'Undeliverable at this address' as my home isn't in their delivery area and a day later changed the status to 'Returning to Sender'. After seeing this, I was able to go online and start a missing package inquiry using the tracking number with a request for them to re-attempt delivery at the correct address.
 
After another 4 days, it then showed up again in the Los Angeles sorting office and was then sent out to the correct local post office for delivery to my home address. However it didn't show the 'Out for delivery' status I was expecting so I drove over to the local post office and gave them the tracking number, explained what had happened and they went and retrieved my passport in its priority mail envelope.
 
In the end, it should have been delivered on May 11th and I finally got my hands on it on May 18th.
 
My citizenship certificate was returned in a separate envelope and arrived one day after the passport was scheduled to be delivered.
 
If I didn't have the MyUSPS account, I would have not know what was happening with my passport and it may or may not have ended up back at the El Paso passport center at some point. Given that passports are a good way for identity thieves to start off some new credit accounts in your name, that isn't the best way to begin life as a new US citizen to have a new passport lost in the USPS system and to be blissfully unaware of this.
 
So, the moral of this story is when applying for a US passport, do yourselves a favor and set up a MYUSPS account so that you will know where your new passport is as it makes its way back to you from the Dept of State. It will save you some headaches if USPS manages to do what they are good at and mess it up.......
 
 
 
 

After attending the oath ceremony in April, I scanned my naturalization certificate before sending off the original for a US passport at the post office a couple of days later.
 
A few days after applying, my check was cashed and I was able to see that the Dept of State had received my passport using their online passport application tracking service at :
 
https://passportstatus.state.gov/opss/OPSS_Status_ip.asp
 
When I applied, I did not get a tracking number for my application from the post office to the department of state, but I already had a myusps account from the post office. It is free to set up at this address:
 
https://my.usps.com/mobileWeb/pages/intro/start.action
 
Once the passport office had finished my passport and prepared the priority mail envelope to return it to me, I got an automatic notification from the MYUSPS account to let me know a package was on its way to my home address along with the tracking number. This is one of the features of MYUSPS since it automatically alerts you whenever anyone sends you a tracked package, even if the sender doesn't give you a tracking number.
 
It is worth pointing out that the Dept of State DOES NOT send you the tracking number for the priority mail package with your passport in it, they just change the status of your application on their tracking website to indicate that they are in the 'final stages' of preparing your passport and you should receive it on or before a certain date.
 
Here is why I recommend the MYUSPS account as the post office then messed up the delivery of my passport.
 
The Priority Mail package arrived in the main Los Angeles sorting office, correctly addressed to me. For some reason the Los Angeles sorting office sent it to the wrong local post office to make delivery. A day after it was supposed to arrive (according to the MYUSPS tracking) I went to the local post office about 10 miles away and they denied being in possession of the package and explained it would be returned to sender. They then changed the status to 'Undeliverable at this address' as my home isn't in their delivery area and a day later changed the status to 'Returning to Sender'. After seeing this, I was able to go online and start a missing package inquiry using the tracking number with a request for them to re-attempt delivery at the correct address.
 
After another 4 days, it then showed up again in the Los Angeles sorting office and was then sent out to the correct local post office for delivery to my home address. However it didn't show the 'Out for delivery' status I was expecting so I drove over to the local post office and gave them the tracking number, explained what had happened and they went and retrieved my passport in its priority mail envelope.
 
In the end, it should have been delivered on May 11th and I finally got my hands on it on May 18th.
 
My citizenship certificate was returned in a separate envelope and arrived one day after the passport was scheduled to be delivered.
 
If I didn't have the MyUSPS account, I would have not know what was happening with my passport and it may or may not have ended up back at the El Paso passport center at some point. Given that passports are a good way for identity thieves to start off some new credit accounts in your name, that isn't the best way to begin life as a new US citizen to have a new passport lost in the USPS system and to be blissfully unaware of this.
 
So, the moral of this story is when applying for a US passport, do yourselves a favor and set up a MYUSPS account so that you will know where your new passport is as it makes its way back to you from the Dept of State. It will save you some headaches if USPS manages to do what they are good at and mess it up.......
 
 
 
 

OK, I just logged into my account and here are the questions that it asks to establish eligibility:
 
1. Are one or both of your parents a US Citizen (Yes/No)
2. How Old are you? (18 or older/Under 18)
3. Are you a member of the US armed forces (Yes/No) - includes US Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and certain components of the National Guard and the Selected Reserve of the Ready Reserve.
4. Are you a lawful permanent resident? (Yes/No) - someone who has been granted legal permanent resident status in the United State laws under US immigration laws and normally has a Permanent Resident Card (formerly known as an Alien Registration Card or referred to as a Green Card)
5. When did you become a Permanent Resident? (Before September 17, 2012/Between September 17 2012 and September 17 2014/Neither of these apply to me) - The date may be located on the front or back of your Permanent Resident Card depending on when the card was issued.
6. Have you left the US in the past 5 years (Yes/No) - (I think that this doesn't include business travel or vacation travel but it looking for long periods of absence from the US)
7. Have you moved in the past 3 months (Yes/No)
 
After I answered these questions, if indicated I may be eligible to apply for naturalization since I have been a lawful permanent resident for more than 5 years however your own circumstances and answers to these questions will determine whether you are eligible.
 
Hope this is helpful.

OK, I just logged into my account and here are the questions that it asks to establish eligibility:
 
1. Are one or both of your parents a US Citizen (Yes/No)
2. How Old are you? (18 or older/Under 18)
3. Are you a member of the US armed forces (Yes/No) - includes US Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and certain components of the National Guard and the Selected Reserve of the Ready Reserve.
4. Are you a lawful permanent resident? (Yes/No) - someone who has been granted legal permanent resident status in the United State laws under US immigration laws and normally has a Permanent Resident Card (formerly known as an Alien Registration Card or referred to as a Green Card)
5. When did you become a Permanent Resident? (Before September 17, 2012/Between September 17 2012 and September 17 2014/Neither of these apply to me) - The date may be located on the front or back of your Permanent Resident Card depending on when the card was issued.
6. Have you left the US in the past 5 years (Yes/No) - (I think that this doesn't include business travel or vacation travel but it looking for long periods of absence from the US)
7. Have you moved in the past 3 months (Yes/No)
 
After I answered these questions, if indicated I may be eligible to apply for naturalization since I have been a lawful permanent resident for more than 5 years however your own circumstances and answers to these questions will determine whether you are eligible.
 
Hope this is helpful.

@Texaco5 /TrueBrit, thanks so for your input!  I did just completed a lot of research on the other site. Throughout my journey, I've preferred this site simply because I find it more user friendly. The other site seems to have a wider user base, probably  with more professionals, which amounted to more technical info I found useful. 
 
Halfway through my research, I was convinced I'd be filing an IOE app tonight. Based on the cases I read, seems like the duplicate apps would be treated as independent applications and be processed separately, so the risk of causing confusion is low. However, as I read more cases, I wasn't convinced there would be a significant time saving. I think the average time saving could be roughly 2 months. For example an SFO IOE filer took his/her oath in 4 months, when USCIS is showing about 6/7 months for the FO  - but its not clear if a NBC application would have been any more that 4 months. One user you may know filed in the Newark FO both IOE and NBC, and their interview was 2 months earlier on the IOE than NBC, however their NBC app had some notable processing delays from the get go. So like you mentioned, no guarantee an IOE app will be processed earlier, but it could be about 2 months earlier if you want to be optimistic. Your case, I think based on your description may be a good outlier at 3months as LA is showing similar processing times to SFO. 
 
On the other end I also saw NYC paper applicants being scheduled at 5/6 months, which would would mean oath at 6/7, USCIS is showing 9/10 months of processing. I'm assuming if there aren't any complications, one can expect the 6-7 month processing as some are noting. Not sure if IOE would cut that to 4/5 months - possibly, but would be optimistic. So considering all that, at the conclusion of my review, I decided not to file an additional IOE app. I'm 2 weeks into my app, and things have been buzzing along. Just got my notification for FPs and will try and get that done ASAP. If I started and IOE now, the potential 8 week potential advantage would be cut to 6 weeks. So I just don't see the value in doing another app for that level of savings when things on the other end seem to be buzzing along.
 
Anyway - I do really appreciate your advice and help. I guess you don't have any other apps with USCIS, so I'll just wish you good luck in general! And I hope others on this site finds your advice and this exchange somewhat helpful.
 
Cheers!

In my case, I had applied to renew my GC back in November '16 and then decided in February '17 to apply for citizenship, so my I-90 renewal application had already been in process for about 2+ months when I pulled the trigger on citizenship. I did a biometrics appt in mid December for the I-90 so may have already cleared background check as part of that and I think the background checks are valid for 12-18 months or so from something I read within the past few months.
 
It was by virtue of filing the I-90 online that I had a myaccount.dhs.gov account as they encourage applicants to apply online for renewal these days. My GC renewal application was still pending when I became a citizen so I had to write to USCIS and withdraw the GC renewal application in May.
 
There are plenty of stories about IOE applications over on the trackitt dot com site, some horror stories from paper filers that were converted to IOE in '16 by USCIS at a time when they evidently couldn't cope with the workload and just got stuck in limbo. The USCIS has subsequently streamlined the workflow however I think the biggest benefit of online filing is that it removes the scan and validate process that occurs when a paper file is received at the processing center.
 
When I went for my interview there was a sizeable paper file on the officers desk (I've been in the US on and off since '93 on L1, H1 and eventually LPR status) however all the changes to my application were made on the computer with the file being used for reference here and there. I think that they also send your paper file from a central location to the local field office ahead of the interview too.
 
Unless you really want to save a few months (which isn't guaranteed) and you want to spend an extra $725 then I would just sit tight. I have also seen some February filers who filed with paper already becoming citizens if you look at the February Filers 2017 thread on this site, so IOE may not be the sole defining factor here. On the other side of the argument however, you will see from other immigration websites that the New York field office can take a while to process applications due to their workload of applicants, so an online app may be one way to reduce this.
 
 
 
 

I have seen people on other immigration websites saying that they applied twice after they determined that some of the IOE/ELIS applications were moving more quickly. Last year a whole lot of paper applications were converted to the ELIS electronic processing system which have IOE as the first three digits of the application reference number (instead of NBC, LIN etc.). Unfortunately this slowed down a lot of the processing for these initial applications as they weren't quite ready to cope with the influx of applications however the USCIS seems to have started allowing people to apply online directly as I discovered by accident in February and these later applications seem to be progressing through a lot more quickly.
 
There is nothing stopping you from applying twice for the same benefit however I don't think they will issue a refund for the first application fee, just FYI. The processing may differ between field offices, however I was processed through the Los Angeles County field office which along with New York, Chicago, Miami and Houston is one of the busier USCIS offices, so applying online may result in a faster turnaround. In my case it was 68 days, start to finish (hit send on Feb 9th, took the oath on April 18th) and I saw another case by a German applicant who was processed in just over 90 days in Santa Clara, CA. Compared to the published processing times, this is about 1/3rd of the normal turn around time. A lot of other factors can play into this, such as the time it takes to process your name through background checks etc.
 
The G1145 filing should have sent an email or text when they received you application and if you go to the 'Check my Case Status' part of the USCIS website, you should be able to set up an account to text/email you as your case progresses. If you have a DHS.gov account, it may be possible for them to link your application to your account. I recall reading somewhere that another applicant had called the USCIS customer service number and had asked for assistance linking their N-400 application reference number to their myuscis.dhs.gov account and they were able to do this, so it can't hurt to ask them if they can do this for you - I think it was the USCIS online support team that they asked to speak to who facilitated this. That being said, the myuscis.dhs.gov account may need an IOE application number and this normally is only available if you have applied online of if you were one of the applicants who had their paper apps converted to the ELIS online system last year.

Biometrics appointments normally happen 2-3 weeks after you apply and the biometric appointment letter is normally mailed out quite quickly after the application is received. I have seen instances where people have simply shown up at the biometric service center with their appointment letter in advance of their appointment and they have been processed as a 'walk in' as they were facing similar travel deadlines.
 
If you are eligible to file the N-400 online, I can recommend that approach over the paper filing. I filed a marriage-based app online after 10 years of having a green card in early February and was a citizen by mid April (68 days). All you will need is a scanner to turn the supporting evidence docs (tax returns, marriage license etc.) into PDFs to attach to the application. If you file online, you will set up a dhs.gov account in order to do this (more on this below).
 
If you are filing using the paper N-400 forms, then you need to submit a Form G-1145 with your N-400. They will then send you back a PIN so you can set up an online account at https://myaccount.uscis.dhs.gov/
 
This is the better of the two online tracking systems since they load PDF scans of the letters they send you into this account which are typically available 4-5 days before they arrive in the mail.
 
There is also a separate tracking system at https://egov.uscis.gov/casestatus/landing.do
 
This one only sends email/text notifications when your case status changes and I found the dhs.gov version to be much more helpful.
 
If you want to figure out if you are eligible to submit the N-400 online, you can use this link (they are only accepting online applications from a small number of applicants at this time, so this may be why I ended up being processed so quickly). I have seen a few others who have qualified to file online and they have been processed inside of 3-4 months too. Just scroll to the top of the page at the link below and hit the green 'Apply' button and answer the questions they ask (I stumbled upon it by accident in early February when I was researching the USCIS website to see what was required to apply).

https://my.uscis.gov/exploremyoptions/us_citizen_through_naturalization#benefit-related-content-2
 
If you decide to apply online, just be sure to read the Instructions on how to fill in the form N-400 at the link below and make sure you have scanned PDFs of the supporting evidence documents available to attach to the online application as you are answering the questions. It sounds like you may already have prepared most of this if you already have a package ready to go.
 
https://www.uscis.gov/n-400
 
If you apply online, you can pay with your credit card and the priority date is the date on which you apply (as opposed to the date on which they receive your paper application and cash your check), and it circumvents the need for the USCIS to transcribe the information you submit on the paper N-400 form into their computer system too. You can also log out of the application and it will save the information you have entered so that you can come back to it later and finish it off.
 

Sadly not I'm afraid. If they aren't providing online updates from the start with a myuscis.dhs.gov account, then it isn't likely that you can have them switched on along the way. You can always try to create a new account using the URL below however since you don't have an 'Account Acceptance Notice' this may not work - you could always call the USCIS 1-800 customer service number and see if they can help with this now that you have a LIN reference number.
 
https://myaccount.uscis.dhs.gov/