17Miller

It starts to feel like I-751 is just a side hustle of the USCIS to make sure they have enough coffee machines functioning in the office. LMAO

The astounding number of 751s pending should be a clear indicator to USCIS that they’re a waste of money and resources for both ends. 
If you want to prove the bona fide of a relationship, just pay an impromptu house visit on any night and you’ll see. 

Here are some interesting statistics. Seems N-400s, compared to I-751s, are being processed at astounding numbers:
For the 4th Qtr of FY 2022
 I-751s Received During the Qtr: 40,081
 I-751s Processed During the Qtr: 24,011 
 I-751s Still pending: 270,925
----------  
 N-400s Received During the Qtr: 194,819   
 N-400s Processed During the Qtr: 323,793
 N-400s Still Pending: 543,838
 
There were roughly 10% of the N-400s denied.

https://www.visajourney.com/timeline/citlist.php?op6=All&op7=Baltimore+MD&op1=6&op2=&op4=1&op5=5%2C10%2C11&cfl= 
 
and
 
https://www.visajourney.com/timeline/citlist.php?op6=All&op7=Baltimore+MD&op1=3&op2=&op4=1&op5=5%2C10%2C11&cfl=
 
suggests Baltimore is not processing N-400s  like most other offices. 
 
Yet
 
https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/data/N400_performancedata_fy2022_qtr4.pdf

shows that like most offices, Baltimore is processing more N-400s than it receives. 
 
One hypothesis is that Baltimore is processing cases first in first out instead of last in first out. IOW Baltimore is being fair. 
 
The good news for you is that the backlog is reducing by several thousand a quarter. We don’t have the December (FY2023 Q1) numbers yet, but assuming the back lot reduced by 1000 per month, it stands at 8000 now. So 8 more months. 
 
San Francisco processed over 15,000 cases in Q4. Holy smokes. It went from the office where new cases went to die (before the pandemic) to the place to be if you want to be a citizen. 15,000 / 90 = 167 interviews per day, 7 days a week.  They could not have been doing anything else. 
 

Used the old people way, mailed my package out. It was received on Dec 2nd.
 

 
Hopefully I'll get the NOA receipt very soon. 
 
Knock woods folks!

Response to question 1: I passed the English and Civics N-400 Interview on 8/04/2022 but no decision could be made due to my pending I-751 (which was pending since December 2018). I still haven't received a notice regarding my N-400, but today I did finally receive an approval for my I-751. So I'm hoping I will hear back soon about my N-400.

Filed N-400 and had the NOA dated on Dec 6th. 
Today my I-751 finally changed to "Case Was Transferred And A New Office Has Jurisdiction". 
Pray for a combo interview soon...

I’m happy for you, but I’m also pretty mad that this happened - obviously I’m not actually mad at you, just my continued annoyance, frustration and exasperation with USCIS. Nothing surprises me with these clowns any more.
 
You apparently submitted less evidence than most, and are from a country and region that it is no secret that the US deems as high risk, that is well known for giving extra scrutiny to all applicants from….yet you get approved in a month? 
For once on here, I am lost for words. 

Congratulations

Based on what I read here:
 
"The processing time displayed on the USCIS website is the amount of time it took us to complete 80% of adjudicated cases over the last six months."
 
So essentially, my understanding of their methodology is:
 
1. They take all cases that were decided (adjudicated) in the last 6 months. They are not necessarily processed in first in first out (FIFO) order.
2. Then they calculate how long it took for 80% of cases to complete e.g. 80th percentile for adjucated cases in the last 6 months.
 
Example 1:
- Case A took 24 months to adjudicate
- Case B took 15 months to adjudicate
- Case C took 10 months to adjudicate
- Case D took 5 months to adjudicate
 
80% percentile is 18.6 months
 
Example 2:
- Case A took 24 months to adjudicate
- Case B took 3 months to adjudicate
- Case C took 1 month to adjudicate
- Case D took 1 month to adjudicate
 
80% percentile is 11.4 months
 
Verdict: by throwing in new cases and adjudicating them in 1-3 months, next time they do the calculation, the processing time looks better than it is.
 
The key point: they're not reporting how long the 80% of cases been sitting undecided. They're reporting how long the 80% of decided cases took. So there's definitely an incentive to process more newer cases as backlog grows to show the better stats. I'm not claiming I know this for sure or this is true. I am only guessing / speculating.
 
DISCLAMER: 
This is not official.
This is just a speculation for entertainment purposes only.
It may be far from truth.
 
 
 
 

congrats OP
USCIS strikes again, processing with LIFO ( last in first out) method

That is ridiculous

Per the N400 instructions, the tax return information is not required evidence for filing, but rather evidence needed for the interview.  File now, (or when your window opens) and by the time your interview comes around you will most likely have the 3rd year (same circumstances as my wife).
 
Good Luck!

The home visit actually made no sense. We were divorced since November of 2018 so I have no idea what they were looking for. Two officers came banging on my door early one morning, I opened my door and they both showed me their Department of Homeland Security badges and stated they were "here for a follow up regarding my green card application." I offered them to come in but they refused. They asked for my photo ID and took a photo of my ID then began to ask me some questions. One of the officers had a manila folder with a notepad in it where he was writing my answers down. They asked " So you're divorced?" I said yes, they asked when we were divorced, I answered November of 2018. They asked if we lived here (referring to my place) together. I said yes.  "When did you guys get married? Did you move in together after you got married?"  I said no we were already living together prior to getting married, in fact we were together for 8 years prior to getting married. Then asked when my ex had moved in with me, how many bedrooms are there, if anybody else had lived with us, why did we get a divorce, where my ex currently lives.  They asked if I had a phone number for my ex and also asked for my phone number. One of them asked the other if he had anything to add. He said no, then said "okay well thank you, you have a good one." Then they left. 
 
Yes the visit happened after my initial I-751 interview. The visit was in April 2022. My initial interview was April 2021.

Submitted online yesterday and got a notification today for biometrics reuse! Yay!

We just submitted online! Already have a case number, with a notice date of tomorrow (12/14). And now the waiting continues.. 

Used the old people way, mailed my package out. It was received on Dec 2nd.
 

 
Hopefully I'll get the NOA receipt very soon. 
 
Knock woods folks!

Which is October 25 4:50 AM universal coordinated time.  The computer servicing N-400 submissions likely runs on a posix compliant operating system, such as Linux.  POSIX systems keep time in utc.  

The  IO (btw apparently USCIS uses the term ISO: immigration services officer) who posted this works N-400 cases. 
 
Insights I got from the Q/A portion of the post:
 
* Turnover among ISOs is high mostly because of bad managers: they micro manage and emphasize punishment for getting something meaningless  wrong versus reward for getting 99 percent of meaningful stuff right. 
 
* Marriage based N-400 cases with evidence showing both names on the accounts plus photos are the easiest cases to approve. The lack of such evidence is a high indication of fraud. 
 
* ISOs at field offices (FODs - field office directorates) get the N-400 case a day before the interview 
 
* the service centers process online N-400 cases faster than paper N-400 cases 
 
* at FODs, the least experienced ISOs prefer online N-400s, and the veteran ISOs prefer paper.  Given the high turnover of ISOs; and given the previous point, it is clear that online N-400 is better.  I will be the first to admit that this goes against my own oft posted biases (due to the high rate of errors with online N-400s).  
 
* This ISO will sometimes  RFE applicants who didn’t bring     bring the spouse’s evidence of U.S. and citizenship that the interview letter told them to bring 
 
* At N-400 interviews, this ISO occasionally reveals fraud with employment based green cards. This ISO was cagey about what triggers suspicion of fraud but volunteered that getting a EB gc for one type  of role such as researcher and then working 20 years say a cook raise suspicion of fraud. Immediately changing employers after getting the gc also triggers fraud but the ISO wasn’t willing to say how long a gc holder should stay with an employer. However (and this was new information for me) a mitigating factor can be if the employee worked for the sponsoring employer for years before the gc was issued, even if the employee resigned immediately after. This ISO advised people to retain records of employment with the sponsoring employer and have these ready for the N-400 interview 

* Waivers are reviewed and approved by committees  of ISOs. They are the among the most time consuming cases and approval is determined by a vote of the committee members. For me the takeaway was that USCIS is trying hard to avoid arbitrary decisions by a single individual that could mistakenly ruin lives.  In a sense for waivers USCIS seems to be splitting the burden of proof between applicant and USCIS, which is cool.  
 
* Managers pressure ISOs to make fast decisions on cases after interviews. I was surprised by this because we read so often about seemingly straightforward cases waiting months for a decision.  
 
* ISOs don’t get pick cases because if they did most was avoid the obviously difficult cases 
 
* This ISO admitted that there was bad blood between USCIS and CBP
 
* Some ISO roles  at USCIS require secret or even too secret security clearance 
 
* USCIS does look at all fraud tips and will stay with them until resolved. When I think how many divorces there are in general I am staggered by how much time USCIS must be spending on fraud reports by jilted petitioners.  
 
* Unsolicited evidence is looked at and can be helpful to an ISO and thus the case.   This went against everything I had believed since 2017 when I did my own N-400. Until today my knee jerk reaction was to wait for an RFE when there were errors found after the fact.  Now I believe the better course is to fix all the errors as soon as they are discovered. 
 
* most rogue ISOs (ISOs who abuse discretion) will transfer to CBP, ICE, and TSA
 
* INS and the early USCIS had the philosophy that every case is denial until the applicant changed their mind. The new philosophy is approve as many cases as possible. However some ISOs are still around from the old philosophy. So this accounts for why between two cases with thin evidence that are exactly the same, one gets approved fast as the other drags out: draw an old school ISO that case will go slow. 
 
* ISO1s obviously  get assigned the easier forms to work on. What surprised me is that N-400 is considered an easier form. You are more likely to draw an inexperienced ISO1 for an N-400 than an ISO2 who is in a higher pay grade. This explains why I see so many reports of N-400 interviews going off the rails. 
 
* This ISO does believe what many of U.S. has suspected: at NBC, cases filed before or during Covid are not getting as much priority as new cases. Regardless this ISO’s experience is that within FODs, the Covid backlog doesn’t get worked on except during non interview days. 
 
* We all understand that USCIS being fee based is underfunded because the fees have not increased (especially with double digit inflation). This ISO had a great idea: Congress should appropriate the money to fund USCIS, and in turn the fees USCIS collects should be sent back to Congress to be spent on what Congress sees fit. This way Congress would control the fees versus USCIS trying to raise them and then getting slapped down by a federal judge.  
 
* As is generally known, burden of proof falls on the applicant and not USCIS. What was new information for me was that most of the time the standard of proof required is merely “preponderance of evidence”(same level as civil suits in the U.S.). When fraud or crime are suspected the higher standard, “clear and convincing” is used. Rarely is the highest standard, “beyond a reasonable doubt” used such as  when s supervisor or lawyer are  involved. 
 
* cheating on N-400 civics tests happens more often than you’d think.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

This link is super helpful! Preparing my N-400 filing right after Thanksgiving this month.
 
A cover letter is the way to go. I appreciate you very much!

Hello Everyone, 
 
Going of what has been discussed lately I have found this link.  https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/conditional-resident-awaiting-i-751-approval-consider-filing-n-400-for-naturalization.html
They suggest writing a cover letter with your N-400 application.  Since I applied online I can still add documents to it, so I'll give it a go.  Better luck everyone!! @LarryHickman F'ing sucks! I'm so sorry that happened! That's some bs.  

Finally received the text message from USCIS (WAC) about new card being produced. My timeline
 
October 21, 2022 New Card Is Being Produced September 7, 2022 We received your response for Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence. August 8, 2022 We sent a request for additional evidence for your Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence. July 13, 2022 The fingerprints relating to your Form I-751 Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence, were taken. January 7, 2021 We received your Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence.

That fellow who advised you it’s a “ good idea” is not doing you any favors…it will NOT help your case but may seriously annoy/ distract your interviewing officer. ..not to mention that he/she may not be on the same wavelength as to COVID-19 protocols of squeezing all 4 of you in the small cubicle office. 

If you were attending a Job interview or had to appear in court for a traffic ticket..common sense sense would dictate that YOU need to focus and accord the process your undivided attention. 
 
Your children’s birth certificate is already part of the record..so whatever part of you agrees with the recommendation to bring the children…talk it through and shake it off as a truly bad idea. 
 

I think it was an ordinary (though nasty) divorce in that case.  @Narry4u can correct me. Yes, if you had WAVA approved, you can apply under 3 year rule.

If @Narry4u filed an abuse waiver i751 application and it was approved then the 3 year n400 could be used. If they filed an i751 divorce waiver only then they will need to do the 5 year rule for the n400.
A divorce waiver alone will not allow for the LPR to file n400 in 3 years.