CuriousImmigrant_

So I will be heading to the N400 interview this month based on 5-year rule. I got divorced just before I applied for my N400 and the divorce took place back home. My ex wife was a legal immigrant and she stayed there. I have two kids who are US citizens. We did a marital settlement agreement drafted by a lawyer there where I was obligated to pay rent, schools and monthly support. I already pay the monthly support using WISE (A money transfer service) to my ex wife with her name and the value of the support appearing on the receipts. It would be difficult to get her to write me a letter showing that I pay the child support. Also, I have already paid for expensive private schools back home and pay the monthly rent but unfortunately the receipts are in a different language. Do I just need to show the marital settlement agreement and receipts of payments and that would be enough? FYI: I have already previously uploaded the marital settlement agreement and the past payments receipts on the Unsolicited evidence.

If the interview is scheduled late in the day (3 PM) for Montgomery FO, will I still be able to do oath ceremony if everything is going well?

I would like to tell you how many get their interviews in less than 3 months. I know that is very fast but at the end when you see the disparity in the processing times you start questioning if there is any issue with your case. Is it related to your country of origin? Do they do extensive background checks for people like you? Unfortunately the whole process is not transparent.

So I recently filed FOIA request to check if there is anything slowing down my N400 (submitted in August), and as far as I know, the security/FBI checks have already been processed long time ago and nothing wrong I can see within the application. What I noticed is that my A-file check in the N400 application has not even been processed or accessed by an officer and barely no comments were provided at all regarding my N400 case! Also, I checked the actual A-file and I saw something like a stamp or a tag where it says: From NBC to NRC FOIA center. I also found that below the NBC, there was a note: N400 Await scheduling. I am not sure where the delay is, but my gut feeling is that my FO (Montgomery) has not pulled my A-file yet for an interview as it may be slow compared to other FOs. I also heard from others that the delay sometimes is attributed to the NBC. Any one having an experience like this or have used the Montgomery FO?

Congratulations! Processing times published are unrelated. It may have been a coincidence.

Have you tried to file an FOIA?

I just found out that documentation for minor traffic violations is not required. You may check page 13 in this link: https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/forms/n-400instr.pdf

When I filled out the N400 application, I answered these questions as follows: “Have you been arrested, cited, ..?”. I said “No”. However, I remember I received speeding citations more than 9 years ago and two traffic tickets during my GC application. Maybe two traffic speeding warnings after I got my GC. I also remember that my lawyer for GC application did not care to report traffic violations in GC forms five years ago. All were paid online. But I do not have any documentation or know when I got them. I have answered a question regarding if I have served in a military unit and I said “Yes” and explained that I served in the official army as a reserve officer .. Then when asked “Have you received any military training..?”. I just said “No”. I thought this would be outside the official army. I am not sure if it was answered correctly. Do I need to discuss these two items during the interview? Finally it has been almost five months and my case is still at NBC. My FO is Montgomery. I applied 5-year rule solo. I have not heard back yet!!

I am actually 5-year rule applying solo after a 5-year EB2 and still has not received any interview notice yet. My filing date was early August and my FO is Montgomery (Processing time as stated by USCIS is 7.5 months). FO is slow but have seen others getting interview notices early (probably in a different area or state but being adjudicated at the Montgomery FO). Again, I have found tons of 5-year and 3-year rule applicants (both) getting their interview notice in 1-3 months which was for me very surprising. Mine is still at the NBC so processing delays are a combination of the NBC and FO delay. There is a chance that the pre-processing at the NBC is slow or your/my FO is slow. But a USCIS contact center representative confirmed that my case has not arrived at the FO yet and still in review at the NBC which makes me a bit frustrated because it should not take 5 months to be processed. One final point which I recently read about is that if you file online there is a chance that your application is not processed in order or first-in first-out. The IOE numbers are assigned in a random fashion and there is no way you can tell which number represents an earlier case and vice versa. You may check this link: https://www.reddit.com/r/USCIS/comments/yn60ig/decoding_ioe_case_numbers/ Good luck for all!

If I my Naturalization interview is scheduled any time before April 2023 which is the deadline to file taxes for the 2023 year, do I need to bring with me to the interview the 2023 tax return transcript? I know that we are able to file by Feb. 15 and it will take the IRS a while until it releases the tax return transcripts. I will also be brining with me the tax return transcripts from 2018 until 2022. Thanks!

Congratulations! Just one step to go! By chance, have you submitted any tax transcripts or were asked to submit so?

Same here. Applied early August online and I have not heard back from them. This is an old Reddit post. Please read. It will tell you that there is randomness in the process to a great extent. This is the reason why some new cases get interviews quickly while others get delayed. I understand that understaffing and other particular issues with immigration cases play a role. But unfortunately, it is still a random game. https://www.reddit.com/r/USCIS/comments/yn60ig/decoding_ioe_case_numbers/

It is interesting to know that my Lawfully USCIS mobile app mentioned that almost 82% of the applicants received "Interview Scheduled" notice after 123 days from the N0400 submission. The 7.5 months is the total time from the application to the adjudication and that includes the interview notice, interview and oath ceremony steps. I do not actually care about any delay but I know that the US administration in general is some how biased against citizens of the middle east and we have seen that during the four years of the Trump's administration during which I was getting my GC. Finally, I will need to travel in July 2024 to see my family. That is why getting the certificate along with the passport will make things easier for me.

I am aware of this website but so far once the case is transferred to the FO, an interview will be scheduled. I have seen many get their cases processed very fast. This is actually obvious on different posts on VJ.

I just wanted to know how much time it took your case from the time it was submitted until you got the interview notice. I am applying based on the 5-Year rule. I was able to know from the USCIS contact center that my case is still being processed at the NBC service center. It has been almost 4 months from the time I submitted my application/biometric reuse and not interview notice has been received yet. Some say that the delay is due to the FO but I now understand that the delay is usually from the service center and once the case is sent to the FO, an interview will be scheduled based on the appointments availability. Also, I have submitted an FOIA and I was surprised to know from the USCIS contact center that my case was worked on at the time I received a notice that the FOIA request has been received. I am not sure if this means that the FOIA triggered case processing or is it just because they sent me the FOIA request received notice. My FO is Montgomery and I applied on August 8 online.

Which FO? I got the same update as well. What I understand is that it is a computer generated number based on an estimate that is based on a large number of people. So that may not be very helpful for individual cases.

Anyone has luck with submitting FOIA to expediate the processing of the N400?

The middle east

No. It is just N-400 5 year rule. I applying based on a previously granted employment based EB2 GC.

So I gave the USCIS contact center a call today to inquire about my N-400 case which was submitted on early August and I was totally surprised to be informed that the case is still being processed at the National Benefits Center and the background checks are still being conducted!! This means it has not yet left the National Benefits Center to Montgomery FO and it looks like the usual sources of delays is the NBC or the background checks part!! This is really an interesting thing if you are from some part of the world which is not favorite to the U.S.

So how did you inquire regarding your case? Did you call the USCIS? Which phone number? I could not reach them through the phone.

Mine also dropped from 6 to 4 months and it has been a week. What I just realized that the changes in the processing time is not actually related to whether you will receive correspondence from USCIS or not. However, it may mean that your case has been accessed by a USCIS officer which again does not mean that they have completed processing it. The only indicator is when you receive an interview notice. I am not sure why there is a significant variability in the timelines for applicants whose situations are very similar. And it may be related to the FO, but again I have heard contradicting views of the Montgomery FO and some mentioned that it is fast while others mentioned it takes at least 4 or 5 months. Also, I just have a feeling that the process was fast by the start of 2023 and it is now slowing down as we are approaching the end of this year. It may be also due to the Fall holidays though.

Do you all know if the Montgomery office is slow in processing the N400 application?

Anyone still waiting for the N-400 interview scheduling notice?. I have applied on August 8 and the status is yet still "Case is actively being reviewed"! Also, I see many August filers have already done their interviews.

I just created this thread for the Montgomery FO especially for August filers of N400. Individuals who filed in any previous or following months are also welcome to share their timeline and journey. I have applied based on the 5-year rule on August 8, biometrics were reused but still I see "Case is Being Actively Reviewed". I also applied 90 days prior to completing 5 years after being a LPR. I also have another question: My biometrics were reused and last biometrics I have done was almost 7 years ago when I was doing my fingerprints to apply for GC. However, I just returned to the US before I applied for N400 and as you know they usually take your fingerprints in the airport. Are these the biometrics that were reused? Hopefully, we get the interview notices soon!