kc2177

On 3/17/2020 at 11:12 AM, tootak said:

I finally received an update today on my N400 🙂 saying that my oath ceremony will be scheduled !!! I’m so happy 💃🏻😄

not sure how the oath ceremony would work given gathering of large people is forbidden. 
 

I did not get any update on I-751 though. Did you get an update about both cases? 

Yay! Congrats! 
I got a similar message this morning.

did you figure out how the oath ceremony would work given the circumstances? 

 congrats! a little bit more waiting and you'll be done. hopefully everything goes back to normal soon

On 3/9/2020 at 8:59 AM, Eddiem2044 said:

Hi guys, this question is about combo interviews.

when you receive your appointment letter (N400 supposing), are we supposed to be notified about that it is going to be a combo interview???

 

I got my interview date (N400) taking place on April 15th, my I751 is still pending, but they do not mention anything about I751 in the letter…

 

TIMELINE: NEWARK-NJ

I751 filed ----                         Jan 2019

N400 filed ----                        Dic 2019

I751 transferred NBC----     Jan 2020

N400 int schdld ---               April 15 2020

They don't say it's going to be a combo or not in the N400 letter. There's no real way of knowing until you go to the interview, although I've read some people getting later emails saying that it's combo or that they called USCIS and they were able to tell them if it was combo or not. For me, no one was able to help me out with that. I just went prepared for a combo (and it wasn't). but can't hurt to prepare just in case.

On 3/8/2020 at 1:52 PM, tootak said:

Awesome! Congratulations! Happy to hear your was quickly resolved. 
Mine has been about 40 days since the citizenship interview. I’m hoping to hear something in the next couple of weeks 

Thanks! I believe you will hear soon as well. Just hang in there, you're so close to the end.

19 hours ago, tootak said:

Hey! Did you hear anything? Mine is still pending with USCIS without any update 

Sorry forgot to update you. Yes, I heard back around Valentines day that everything got approved and my oath ceremony was late Feb a couple weeks ago. I think you should hear from them soon. I know someone else that it took about a month and a half or so to hear back. hang in there!

11 hours ago, lilygracexx said:

hi. my interview on March 31st do I need to tell them about my traffic citations? I have two: 1.) I did not see the stop sign 2.) speeding ticket  but I went to traffic school on both times

Hey I think you should, just to be transparent with them. It also depends how long ago those things happened because one of my traffic violations was over three years ago and the local court had no record of it, so I just got a letter from the court saying I didn't have any misdemeanors or infractions on record, and also I printed out the bank statement that showed that I paid off the fine. I did traffic school for another traffic ticket, so I just printed out the email saying that I passed the traffic school class (took online) and also went to the DMV site and got my driving record that showed the citation. But the IO didn't even look at all these documents, he just asked if everything was taken care of and paid off. Better be safe than sorry though... Guess it just depends on who you get at the interview. Good luck!

14 hours ago, Applicant2019 said:

Have you heard anything ?

yeah! you were right. heard back after two weeks. both I751 and N400 have been approved

1 hour ago, chsiaod said:

Big congrats!!!! 🎉

Thanks! good luck on your interview

On 2/5/2020 at 2:32 PM, Malauriea said:

Hopefully the queue is not long for you and you'll get approved soon. Please keep us updated 

Update: Both my I751 and N400 got approved yesterday, a little over two weeks since my N400 interview. The oath ceremony notice already posted online for 2/25, which is less than 2 weeks away! That was a lot shorter than I thought I'd have to wait for everything to get resolved. I was mentally prepared to wait it out until the summer.

Looking back at everything, I'd say that my case was pretty straight forward. Just a few traffic citations and lost my green card, but no crimes, no divorces or anything like that. The only weird thing was that my biometrics for the I751 never came even after a year after filing. Once I filed the N400, everything else moved fairly quickly; biometrics was scheduled right away within the same month. Interview got scheduled 7 months later. The online personalized estimated case completion time was pretty accurate. Mine says completion March 2020.

I relied a lot on VisaJourney's immigration timeline to compare other applicants in my same area. Based on a few applicants who had filed their N400 a few months before me, I was able to estimate when I would get an interview, which I estimated to be either Dec 2019 or Jan 2020, so it was pretty spot on. It helped me a lot with my bouts of impatience regarding my case. The last few months of this process felt painfully slow and agonizing and I'm just so happy to put this all aside and never have to deal with USCIS again! Also very excited to finally be able to vote

On 1/31/2020 at 10:07 AM, kc2177 said:

Hi everyone,

 

Just wanted to share my N400 interview experience with you all. I Was hoping that it would be a combined I751 and N400 interview since my I751 has been virtually untouched for two years (filed in Feb 2018, haven't even received biometrics for this) and I requested that they be adjudicated together in my N400 app; but if you read on, you'll see that that's not what happened ! I filed my N400 in early May 2019. I got the interview notice right before Christmas and got scheduled for the end of Jan 2020. So not a short wait, but still not as long as some other parts of the country. 

 

I had my interview in downtown Los Angeles. Got there 10 mins before the scheduled interview time because traffic and parking was a nightmare. Waited about 20 mins to be called to the window for photo/fingerprints. Was told to go to another room on the same floor. In total, my husband and I waited for a little over an hour. I didn't think I would be nervous, but the wait and the cold fluorescent lighting/bleak nature of government facilities, plus the fact that they were playing the impeachment hearings so loudly just made everything feel insufferable and I just wanted to get out of there as fast as I could. Anyways, I finally get called and my husband walked up with me only to be told to wait in the lobby. I'm starting to think that this isn't a good sign, but remembered reading other applicants' experiences where the spouse doesn't necessarily have to be in the room for the I751 to be approved, so I though maybe that was the case with me. We go into the IO's room and I see my file with the I751, so I'm relieved since online it says its in NBC in Missouri since June 2019. We immediately hit it off and had a great, casual conversation; a lot of it had nothing to do with the interview or immigration. The amount of evidence and stuff I brought with me was bigger than my actual USCIS case file, but the IO didn't look at a single document other than my passport and DL 😮

 

So about 40 minutes in, the N400 interview was completed, easy breezy-- just your standard asking the yes/no questions on the app, doing the civics/english test, etc. And towards the end, we were talking about the oath ceremony coming up in a month and how I should be able to make that one. The IO was about to print out the form that says I passed and am recommended for approval; I then asked him if this means that the I751 was good to go. He then looked surprised (even though the I751 application I submitted was sitting right in front as the first page of my case folder) and said that he didn't know that it was a combo case . Anyways he said that he would give the I751 file to another officer right away to look at, but that everything looks good with him. I offered to provide updated and new evidence of my marriage to him, but he said that he didn't need it since everything looked good and my husband was here, etc... basically through our conversations, he was able to tell that our marriage was real. I asked if he knew the timeline, but unfortunately, he's not sure. So the form says "a decision can't be made" and I'm slightly bummed, but also relieved that half of the battle is over and that it was a nice and pleasant experience with the IO. I guess there are different levels of IOs so some can only approve one type of application and there are others that can do both?? Maybe he was more junior and I751s are more of a senior thing? No clue. I'm wondering if I should've led with asking if the I751 would be adjudicated during the interview, then maybe he would've been able to take care of that first for me? Many post mortem thoughts in my head!

 

So it's been a few days now and nothing has updated online and am stuck waiting for the I751. I was praying and hoping that this wouldn't happen to me, but it is what it is and I'm resigned to the fact that there's nothing I can really do now but to just wait; just hoping for the best and that I don't get called back for yet another interview. I was hoping that I could be a citizen before March so I could vote in the primaries in CA, but probably not. Anyways, I hope this was informative to someone out there!

Update: Both my I751 and N400 got approved yesterday, a little over two weeks since my N400 interview. The oath ceremony notice already posted online for 2/25, which is less than 2 weeks away! That was a lot shorter than I thought I'd have to wait for everything to get resolved. I was mentally prepared to wait it out until the summer.

Looking back at everything, I'd say that my case was pretty straight forward. Just a few traffic citations and lost my green card, but no crimes, no divorces or anything like that. The only weird thing was that my biometrics for the I751 never came even after a year after filing. Once I filed the N400, everything else moved fairly quickly; biometrics was scheduled right away within the same month. Interview got scheduled 7 months later. The online personalized estimated case completion time was pretty accurate. Mine says completion March 2020.

I relied a lot on VisaJourney's immigration timeline to compare other applicants in my same area. Based on a few applicants who had filed their N400 a few months before me, I was able to estimate when I would get an interview, which I estimated to be either Dec 2019 or Jan 2020, so it was pretty spot on. It helped me a lot with my bouts of impatience regarding my case. The last few months of this process felt painfully slow and agonizing and I'm just so happy to put this all aside and never have to deal with USCIS again! Also very excited to finally be able to vote

On 2/12/2020 at 12:53 PM, chsiaod said:

The first time was through the EB5 program with my parents. They could never adjudicate our I829 applications due to the law change so it just remains pending for 20+ years. When I got married, I withdrew myself from my parents' application and re-applied through marriage so that was the second time around and unfortunately got stuck by the backlog with the new administration. What can I say? I'm truly the lucky one. 

 

  

Oh wow! So you were truly stuck in limbo. You were just a temporary permanent resident for all those years...

So actually I got an email this morning that they took an action on my case. I was thinking that if might be an RFE, but when I checked online, it said that my naturalization ceremony was scheduled and the notice will be mailed. But my online status for the I751 has not changed at all, so I'm a little confused/cautiously optimistic. Once I get the oath ceremony letter in a few days, I'll give USCIS a call to confirm that the I751 is done.

15 hours ago, chsiaod said:

 

I've been here since 1999 so I've been dealing with them even before they changed the name from INS to USCIS. This is actually my second time removing condition. Prior to this time, I've lived in this country for almost 20 years with only a stamp, which I had to renew every year in my passport. My first I551 stamp was actually hand-written! I get sent to secondary screening going through customs almost every time I return from traveling aboard - I often joke I'm prob the only person who's every spent so many hours of their lives in the secondary screening room. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just curious (and you don't have to answer if you don't want to), but why did you have to remove conditions twice? I've also experienced traveling internationally with just the stamp. Had to go to the secondary screening where I sat around for more than 30 minutes. Not fun!

5 hours ago, N400NYC said:

This seems like a frequently occurring scenario - you'd think they'd have a mechanism in place to prevent it. But that might be expecting too much....

Seriously.. like maybe different color folders or a sticker or something for combo cases? The IO being surprised by the pending I751 tells me that the case was not really reviewed or sorted properly beforehand. I feel like they just assigned it to a random officer that morning -_____-  Then why the 10-month wait for the N400 and the 24-month wait for the I751??!! I mean I've been in the US for 15 years now and Lord knows I love this country, but it's surprising how it's the richest country and overall regarded as number one in the world when you look at how the government operates.

20 hours ago, chsiaod said:

My apology. I wrote my previous comment in a hurry when my husband and I were trying to put the kids to bed. So please allow me to clarify - my I751 was filed June 2018, never received any notice besides biometrics in June 2019.  My N400 interview is scheduled for March 2nd...so we'll see what happens..sigh.

 

But what I would also want to know is if they could stamp my passport at the interview because my extension letter expires on March 1st. Will that be too much to ask?  ha 

Oh Ok. Please let us know if you get a combo interview or not. I'm starting to think more and more that they're not doing these as much anymore, at least not at the downtown LA office.  Also, I think you should be able to get a stamp from the officer if you show them your current stamp that's expiring and ask them to renew it. I've read somewhere on here where someone was able to get a new stamp from the interviewing officer. Good luck and keep us updated!

57 minutes ago, chsiaod said:

Will you update us for any changes in your status? I'm in the same boat. 

I definitely will! Please update your status as well when you hear back.

On 2/8/2020 at 11:12 AM, Applicant2019 said:

My N400 and i751 application got approved 3 weeks after my interview.  I only had N400 interview. No i751 interview. 

that's awesome. congrats! I hope I hear back in a few weeks too and not months.

2 hours ago, Malauriea said:

Hopefully the queue is not long for you and you'll get approved soon. Please keep us updated 

Thanks, I am somewhat relieved that at least the I751 is in the right office and on an officer's desk waiting to be reviewed vs being lost or sitting at NBC in Missouri. Will keep you updated!

13 hours ago, Malauriea said:

Some officers are not qualified to approve a combo applications. They are citizenship officers only  trained to ask you questions related to citizenship only. They can't investigate into your marriage to check if it's a bona fide marriage which requires a different training and accreditation related to processing the i751. That's why in Seattle, applicants who file combo applications get stuck because not many officers here have the combo accreditations. 

 

The officer you had was definitely just a Citizenship officer and needed to pass it on someone more quality for the i751. However, if you saw your application on his desk, that means your i751 is already transferred to your local office (which is good), but might be delayed since you went back in queue (others applicants have priority before you). 

 

Hopefully you hear from them soon!!!

yeah, I got the vibe that N400 only IO's are more junior and the I751 need more training. Here's to another few more months of waiting around in the dark!!

12 hours ago, Newsjustin said:

In your N400 application did you specifically request for a combo interview?

Yes, I did. I wrote a request letter and attached it to the N400 application online. A month after filing the N400, the I751 actually got transferred from CSC to NBC, which was the first movement I've seen on the I751 for over a year at that point, having never received any notice about biometrics. So that made me hopeful that it was getting ready to be prepped for a combo interview. The I751 status never changed after that and although I've called a few times and inquired online trying to see if the I751 was now at my local office and if the I751 would be adjudicated at the same time, I did not get any useful information.

8 minutes ago, Maggie1108 said:

I'm thinking, if you already passed the N400 interview, that means you are about to become an American citizen soon. The I751 green card application is not necessary any more. Just my thought. Thank you for sharing.

The I751 has to be dealt with first before the N400 can be completed. Although I passed the N400 interview, I was given a form that said, "a decision can't be made" since the I751 has not been looked at yet. The IO actually was about to approve the N400 and we were even talking about the oath ceremony next month and what to expect that day. I then asked the IO if that means the I751 was good to go, and the IO looked shocked because he didn't know that my I751 was still pending (even though it was right in front of him on the desk... the very first page of my entire immigration file was the first page of the I751 application -____-). He was super nice and friendly, but didn't do the I751 part and said that he had to give it to his colleague, so I'm thinking that he wasn't authorized to do I751s or else he would've done it on the spot.

43 minutes ago, Malauriea said:

@Sanctus1 Typical example of combo applications. 

I don't know if you can really say that my case is considered typical since I never received the I751 biometrics notice even after filing the I751 more than a year earlier (I've never seen anyone on here or other sites with the same situation). Multiple inquiries and one infopass appointment were made during this period prior to filing for the N400 and none of them were helpful. I consulted with an attorney who told me that it wouldn't be a bad idea to go ahead and file the N400 to try and get the I751 to move. I kind of see it as a glass half full situation (or at least I try really hard to see it that way!). At least the N400 part is done, and now all I have to do is wait... Since my ultimate goal is to obtain citizenship anyways, I think doing the combo route ultimately would save me time vs if I waited for the I751 first, but who knows?

filed I751  2/2018

NOA letter received  2/2018

18mo extension letter received 7/2018

never received notice for biometrics

filed N400 5/2019

N400 biometrics 5/2019

N400 interview scheduled 12/2019

N400 interview in 1/2020

N400 passed at interview, but I751 was not adjudicated at the same time (despite the case being there in front of the IO)

currently stuck in limbo waiting with no updates online (still on "we scheduled your interview")

I751 is now out of normal processing time. Inquiry gives me a useless response of "we're still working on your case"

On 1/12/2020 at 6:05 AM, InsanelyOne said:

We're in Washington, DC.  Even though they have the file at the local DC office, they did NOT do a combo interview.  His I-751 application was sitting right on the desk when she did his N-400 interview.   I went with him for the interview but they said they didn't need me there.

this is exactly what happened to me too in my local office in downtown los angeles. my husband came, but they didn't want him in the interview. The officer had the i751 case right in front of him and didn't even realize it until I mentioned it at the end of the N400 part of the interview. He said he'd give it to his colleague to work on it, but couldn't give me a timeline as to how much longer it's going to take. My i751 was filed almost exactly 24 months ago  -_____- 

1 hour ago, zilchfox said:

I recognize that office as the one that approved my I-485 without interview. You think that’s a possibility?

I'm thinking that anyone who applies for N400 and wants the I751 adjudicated at the same time, the I751 goes to NBC first... But that's just a guess based on other similar stories on here and my experience.

1 hour ago, Benoit_L said:

Not yet. No updates. So frustrating dealing with USCIS

Did you try contacting someone? I think you can 90 days out after the interview. I fell into the same situation as your application. Had my interview recently and N400 approved, but I751 pending... the exact scenario I was hoping wouldn't happen

On 1/29/2020 at 9:23 AM, zilchfox said:

Hopping onto the N-400 and I-751 combo pending bandwagon. Filed for N-400 just 4 days ago, and 2 days ago I got a notification that my I-751 is getting transferred to another office, just waiting for the letter to find out where and why, as I’m not sure if that’s a coincidence of me filing N-400 or not.

This happened to me too. I751 didn't move at all until I filed for N400. A month after filing the N400, the I751 got transferred to NBC from CSC. This was back in June 2019. I've had my N400 interview since then and the I751 was at the local office, but online it still says it's in NBC. I know some people get notifications that they will have a combo interview, but I didn't get anything (mine wasn't a combo interview btw, even though the file was at the local office... I think there was a mistake somewhere).