TastyCake

We just received our 48 month extension letter.  I'm sorry but this country is an absolute embarrassment to itself in the 21st century.

We just received our 48 month extension letter.  I'm sorry but this country is an absolute embarrassment to itself in the 21st century.

We just received our 48 month extension letter.  I'm sorry but this country is an absolute embarrassment to itself in the 21st century.

Not sure I agree with your rationale but thanks for responding.
 

My view was predicated on how the response was framed.  It didn't pass the smell test for me.  I don't claim to be an immigration expert but my original question was around why there seemed to be more 5-year LPRs getting interview letters.  Jorge's response made sense... there are more 5-year LPRs out there (something I didn't realize).
 
If evidence and criteria made the difference, why aren't marriage-based LPRs subject to 5 years as they require more scrutiny (to use yours and Yana's rationale)?  And why aren't LPRs who are here for non-marital reasons able to file after 3 years if they are more straightforward with less to look into?
 
Each path has its own separate criteria and needs to be adjudicated.  You could argue that poring through 5 years of history (to determine legitimacy) would take additional time.
 
I do appreciate yours and Yana's perspective.
 
 

That's a very good question, which I do not have an answer to. Maybe somebody with more knowledge can explain. My observation is that a lot of developed countries require 5 or 10 years living as permanent resident before naturalizing. It kinda makes sense, it takes time for a foreigner to learn language, customs and become integrated into society. Imagine if countries allowed naturalizing after 6-12 months and what this would mean. E.g. citizens can change a lot of policies and laws by voting. If they haven't lived much in the country, how can they make a good, informed decision when voting?
 
I wonder if there are some international treaties, suggesting 5-10 years terms as LPR for naturalization as a general rule. Though of course there are plenty examples of citizenship by investment in Carribbean countries where people can naturalize without ever stepping their foot on that country's soil.

My view was predicated on how the response was framed.  It didn't pass the smell test for me.  I don't claim to be an immigration expert but my original question was around why there seemed to be more 5-year LPRs getting interview letters.  Jorge's response made sense... there are more 5-year LPRs out there (something I didn't realize).
 
If evidence and criteria made the difference, why aren't marriage-based LPRs subject to 5 years as they require more scrutiny (to use yours and Yana's rationale)?  And why aren't LPRs who are here for non-marital reasons able to file after 3 years if they are more straightforward with less to look into?
 
Each path has its own separate criteria and needs to be adjudicated.  You could argue that poring through 5 years of history (to determine legitimacy) would take additional time.
 
I do appreciate yours and Yana's perspective.
 
 

My view was predicated on how the response was framed.  It didn't pass the smell test for me.  I don't claim to be an immigration expert but my original question was around why there seemed to be more 5-year LPRs getting interview letters.  Jorge's response made sense... there are more 5-year LPRs out there (something I didn't realize).
 
If evidence and criteria made the difference, why aren't marriage-based LPRs subject to 5 years as they require more scrutiny (to use yours and Yana's rationale)?  And why aren't LPRs who are here for non-marital reasons able to file after 3 years if they are more straightforward with less to look into?
 
Each path has its own separate criteria and needs to be adjudicated.  You could argue that poring through 5 years of history (to determine legitimacy) would take additional time.
 
I do appreciate yours and Yana's perspective.
 
 

Because we submitted the N400 through my wife's online account I don't recall anything in the way of identity validation.  We did this almost two months ago so perhaps I have forgotten something but nothing jumps out.  Also, DOS ID... never heard of it and I don't believe it came up in any of the online questions for the N400.  Surprisingly, I found the online N400 to be fairly intuitive.  The key is to be prepared.
 
I would recommend having the following on your computer... in PDF format... for attachment in the appropriate section.  You should have this all done in advance for when you start the N400.  Also, if she has traveled internationally in the last 3-5 years try and dig up the departure and arrival dates, country(ies) visited, etc.  This will make the process go very smoothly for you.
 
Assuming you are the U.S. citizen...
 
1. Front and back of her Green Card
2. Her Green Card extension letter
3. Your birth certificate
4. All divorce decrees (if applicable)
5. Your marriage certificate
6. Your tax transcripts for the last 3 years (you can get these online at the IRS website)
7. Mortage or, if you rent, your last 3 leases
8. Last 6 months of bank statements from your primary checking account.  That should be enough for now and then just bring more to the interview when it happens
9. Declaration Page for the last two years for auto, home/renters insurance contracts (attach more if you have them)
10. A short note alerting them to your pending I751 (including the case number) if this applies to you.  You should do this so they are aware you would like a combo interview at your local field office.  If you don't have a pending I751 then this obviously doesn't apply
 
You can pay one of two ways:
 
1) Credit card
2) ACH transaction directly from your checking account
 
Слава Україні !!!
 
 

We did it at 2.9.  We're hoping to see some movement on our case in the March-April timeframe but who knows?  We have our eyes on Boston filers who have filed as far back as August.  Nobody has reported an interview date yet but maybe we will start seeing a pattern in the first couple of months of 2023.

This post is for those who submitted an N400 (especially if you did it online)  within the last 6 or so months and, like us, are in the Boston area and will be processed out of the Boston field office.
 
Has anyone seen any movement yet?  In particular, anyone receive a letter with an interview date?
 
I ran some reports here on VJ but not sure how comprehensive the results are as not everybody maintains a VJ timeline.
 
Thanks in advance for any intel you may have on this matter.
 

I'm convinced the service centers are now punting most of the I751s and letting people get frustrated so they submit the N400 and letting the field offices handle them.

I'm convinced the service centers are now punting most of the I751s and letting people get frustrated so they submit the N400 and letting the field offices handle them.

You're right, we're not going to worry. I think the fact that submitting our N-400 seemed to trigger activity on our I-751 means they are aware of it. We're waiting with anticipation for the interview letter, too. I think my husband is ready for the civics test. Good luck to both of them!

With this in mind, we are not going to worry too much about this or read into things too much.  We're just happy to be out of the Vermont Service Center.
 
We are now waiting with anticipation for her N400 interview letter.  My wife is 40 questions into the 100 she needs to study for the civics test.  She's doing well so far.  She can probably already blow the doors off the majority of Americans out there who were born and raised in the U.S.
 
Prior to submitting her N400, we had come across some posts here on VJ that gave us the idea to include a short note about our pending I751.  Eh... worth a shot.

This is exactly what happened for us. We didn't think to include a letter referring to our pending I-751.

We also received a letter indicating the case was transferred to NBC to speed up processing, as well as a notice that fingerprints would be reused and no biometrics appointment would be necessary.  A few days later case status was updated to show “transferred to another office for jurisdiction.”  We filed ROC September 1, 2021 and N400 October7, 2022. 
 
From what I’ve read from other VJ posts, in cases where N400 was filed with a pending I751 the next notice was for an interview for the N400. Others have reported waiting several (~4-8) months for the interview notice, depending on the local office. They have said they did not receive notice for an i751 interview but when they arrived some had a combo interview. Most said they received approval of the I751 either at the same time or shortly after the N400 approval. The process seems to vary somewhat by local office - I’ve been unable to find anything in the USCIS site about exactly how it’s supposed to work. 
 
Here’s a link to a forum for N-400 and I-751 combo pending.
 
 
 

Correct.  We submitted our citizenship online with a pending I751.  Both our I751 and N400 are now at the National Benefits Center awaiting our local office.
 
With limited exceptions, it is best to get the citizenship process rolling even with the I751 pending.  It may, or may not, speed things up but if we personally get a combo interview, say by next spring, then it definitely will have moved things along significantly.

Our I751 has been 'moved to another office' (presumably the National Benefits Center) so not approved yet.  I suspect at some point we will have a combo interview.

It's quite nice, isn't it!

Apparently pigs CAN fly.  The USCIS was amazingly fast.  Two days after online submission of my wife's N400 we received a status update for our I751... the first in a year TO THE DAY... indicating it has been transferred to another office (NBC).  So Vermont is now out of the picture and it appears we are now in the queue waiting for our local office to make the next move.
 
After 1 year of nothing, we have status updates, notices being sent.  It's refreshing.

Thanks.  After submitting online we got two documents back.  One was the receipt notification.  The second said fingerprints reused.  That saves us a trip.
 
Now, what WILL my wife and I do with the $85 refund I am sure we will get <sarcasm off> 😄

All i751 applications that are destined for an i751 interview go to the National Benefits Center and are held in a cue until the local USCIS field office is ready to schedule an ROC interview. 
 
All interviews for ROC and citizenship are held at the local field USCIS office assigned to your local address on the i751/n400 applications or latest address updated with AR-11.
 
It is possible for NBC to approve an i751 without an interview but this seldom happens, the most likely thing to happen is a combo interview i751/n400 at your local USCIS field office. There is also a small chance of separate interviews for i751 and n400. The removal of conditions must be approved first before naturalization can be approved.  

Thanks.  After submitting online we got two documents back.  One was the receipt notification.  The second said fingerprints reused.  That saves us a trip.
 
Now, what WILL my wife and I do with the $85 refund I am sure we will get <sarcasm off> 😄

It was one week. My husband's N-400 was submitted on September 20 and the I-751 transfer was on October 7.