Magi Stark

You got an interview notice 2 days after filing? O_O Does the #3 have a checkmark on it like numbers 1 and 2 in the "Progress" tab?

Congratulations on the fast timeline! So far all of the reports of people being detained at naturalization (or other immigration related interviews) is for very specific reasons - past criminal record, past deportation orders, active pro-Palestinian support. It's a valid fear, but unless you have one of those you're probably OK. It has little to do with a particular USCIS office and more so with how the current administration is targeting people.

Unfortunately Minneapolis doesn't have same-day ceremony, I don't think. 😭

I guess that's what I was "hoping" for. I know, always the optimist, hahaha. 🥲

End of January is still very early in the process. There are people as far back as September 2024 who are still waiting for an interview notice. It all depends on several different factors, including your personal case and how busy your field office is.

Right, but I thought you could still have the interview within the 90 day window, and then wait for oath once the 5 full years had elapsed. Or am I wrong there?

You shouldn't even have applied without an immigration attorney. You ABSOLUTELY need one now.

I'm curious to know how many have applied 90 days early vs those were already at or past 5 years when they applied. Seems like people who had already reached the 5 year mark get scheduled for interview a bit faster. Or is that jus me?

Nice! Yeah, some cases move ridiculously fast. Did you apply 90 days early or you were at full 5 years when you applied?

Congratulations! I don't even have an interview date yet. 🥲

Don't quote me on this, and someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but the way I understand it is if you applied online, your case goes straight to your field office. If your entire file is there, they'll schedule an interview, otherwise they have to get your file first. If you sent a paper application to one of the Lockboxes, your case gets moved to the local office sometime after the biometrics appointment is sent. When and how they do that, I'm not sure.

You should have really consulted with an attorney BEFORE applying. It's not too late to withdraw the application if he doesn't believe you'll be approved.

That's probably one of the most accurate estimates we've seen in a while... 😂😂😂

Congratulations and great report! Yes, I could NEVER see myself in an interview room without an attorney. I don't care how easy or simple the application/process might seem.

I'm with OldUser on this one, @KtotheL. You should consult with an attorney right away. He might have suggestions on how to strike first, thus avoiding RFE, denial, or worse.

Withdraw your N-400 and wait until you can afford an attorney. Especially since this pre-dates the GC application and it wasn't disclosed/caught at that time, you risk losing the GC itself.

Fingers crossed it doesn't take too long then.

Holy cow! OK. Thanks for the clarification. I'm also doing a name change. I had no idea you have to wait months to get it done! I thought it was like getting married, just sign the document and you're done, lol. UGH!

Wait, so you had the oath ceremony without the name change? I thought the name change had to come before the oath ceremony so the CON can have the new name.

Yup. And that's the HARDEST part... 😩

Yeah. I know there are people from as far back as August/September 2024 who are still waiting for an interview. It's so frustrating that there's no real rhyme or reason for why some cases move incredibly fast while others take forever.

So exciting to see February applicants start to receive their interview notices already!

So apparently in addition to the hard updates which usually trigger an email/text alert, there are also soft updates as a case progresses through different stages, which don't do anything. They'll have the most recent update on the case and a code to indicate where the case is at. For this trick to work you MUST BE logged into your USCIS account, and I think it only works with cases that start with IOE and some other types of applications. 1. Log in to your USCIS account. 2. In a separate tab, copy/paste the following URL: https://my.uscis.gov/account/case-service/api/cases/yourIOEcase#here 3. Use control + f to look for "updatedat". The topmost "updatedat" will contain the most recent update date, either soft or hard. 4. Use control + f to look for "eventcode". The topmost "eventcode" will contain the most recent "stage". 5. Link to code descriptions. In my case, my code is FTA0: "database checks received," which apparently means my background check was completed and returned.

Hello everyone! First time poster, but long time lurker. I've always found comfort in reading other people's experiences and thought might as well contribute and commiserate together as we wait. February filer under general provision here. Applied exactly 90 days before my 5 year anniversary. Here's the timeline so far. Field office is Minneapolis. 2/10/25 - Online application submitted. 2/10/25 - NOA + Biometrics Reuse (e-docs). 2/14/25 - Physical NOA received. 2/14/25 - Soft update indicating background check was completed.