Maranda

I just wanted to follow-up on this topic in case anyone else finds themselves in a similar situation...

Thanks to the great advice here, everything was successful. My mother wrote a letter explaining our living / household situation (separate financial households, etc.). Both she and my father signed it, included their social security numbers and a copy of both driver's licenses. We emailed it as a .PDF, and a week later received a reply that it was satisfactory, and to please mail his passport. 221g case closed, whew!

His visa was issued on the 4th, and he received his passport back today, ready to go!

Thank you so much for your help! @Khallaf

Just now, Khallaf said:

I wish you good luck, too bad there isn't a half address if that makes sense like you and your husband in one half and your parents in another. 

 

my guess is the mail isn't set up like that and I am not sure if it could or how to go about doing it, that way it will appear as if there are two different address in the same physical building.

 

when I lived in Indiana, I rented a house while the detached garage was made into another home same land but we had an address of 1145 1/2 walnut street while the other had 1145 walnut.

 

hope that makes sense also

We should have looked into that before we started! We do have separate "front doors" even, it might be possible. :-)

3 minutes ago, Khallaf said:

your husband father likely told the CO that you live in the same house with your parents, I would respond and have your parents present a letter to the fact that they are not dependents and are not living in the same house per say, and that both households operate independently.

Thank you! That makes sense, and is a great idea to start.

We certainly didn't want to sound argumentative in our reply to the consulate (I respect that they're just trying to do their job).

Yes, if Pa was asked about who lives at the residence, he was totally truthful in telling them that my parents also live here. We physically live at the same address, but we do not financially live in the same household, if that makes sense. (While Pa is decent with understanding English, I'm sure he would not have been able to properly explain that in his own words.)

I'll have my mother write something to that extent and try that first. Hopefully that clears it up and we can move forward. I'll update here.

THANKS FOR YOUR ADVICE!

Hey all, I'd really appreciate some quick advice on how to answer this for the 221(g) as I thought for sure we had done it correctly. Here's the situation:

- My husband Arnold (naturalized citizen) is petitioning his father "Pa" (Netherlands).

- Arnold and I (no kids, no dependents) live in the same house as my parents. While we technically live at the same physical address (a house that's set up more like a duplex, where the only thing we share is a kitchen), Arnold and I are our own tax household. We do not mingle finances with my parents. My mother is employed, my father is disabled, and they are their own separate tax household. We do not claim them as dependents, etc. No financial responsibility or ties with them whatsoever; they are non-dependent relatives.

- Following the instructions of I-864, we listed Arnold as the main sponsor, I filed the Household Member contract I-864A, and our income was above the 125% poverty, no need for a joint sponsor. We filed our HOUSEHOLD SIZE AS 3 - Arnold, Me, Pa.

- Pa had his interview on July 30th. Received 221(g) regarding Affidavit Of Support. Pa reported they asked for AOS documents to be sent via email (that's what the 221(g) states as well, no further details). This made no sense as NVC had already accepted our AOS, and he had copies with him at the interview (apparently they didn't ask to see them).

- Confused, we went ahead and emailed all AOS documents to Amsterdam Consulate on August 5th.

- Today we received email reply: "...father was requested to provide a joint sponsor as the income of the sponsor and also the I-864 household member contract/income does not meet the threshold for a household size of 5 (as your father told the officer during the interview that you and your spouse and her parents live in the same household, which including your father makes 5 persons). You will therefore need to provide a joint sponsor."

So that's where we are, and I'm looking for advice on how to answer this.

I'm really confused and frustrated because everything I read, including their own instructions, indicates that our "household size" would be 3, and that including my parents is optional and suggested ONLY if necessary to meet the income requirement. And while I know my parents would be happy to do so if asked, I would prefer to keep them out of it. They joint sponsored Arnold when he immigrated, and I don't want to have to ask them to do that again, especially since it's not even necessary according to the income requirements based on our ACTUAL household size of 3.

I hope this makes sense. Sorry for such a long message, but thank you for reading. Thanks in advance for any tips or suggestions on how to answer the email and get past this snag.

Hi all! Long time no see!

First off, I'm so stoked to see such progress from everyone who was in our general timeline from 2017!!

Originally part of the July 2017 filers... finally back on track. We had to take about a year-long break in the process while Dad was dealing with his cancer treatments. Just now picking back up where we left off (and just in time - our 1-year contact requirement with NVC would be up at the end of March and we were getting nervous about meeting that deadline, whew!).

So we're about a year behind y'all, but I wanted to come back and check in anyway.

Dad (father in law) beat the original cancer by chemo / radiation / surgical removal of part of esophagus and stomach / removal of one lymph node. Unfortunately, after he was healed up from that, they found a couple tiny spots in his liver. Biopsy confirmed that it had spread there from the original esophagus cancer, and it will now be a matter of palliative care as there's apparently nothing they can do about it further at this time.

On the plus side, they've called him a "bizarre" patient because it is not negatively effecting him thus far. He's steadily gaining weight, feeling great, and doing well, overall. They've assured him he's fine to travel and should carry on as normal until / unless things go downhill.

So, onward! We're going to bring him here so that he can live out his years with us, and we're going to try to make them the best years of his life. (We really have no idea how long he has. They would / could not give us a life expectancy... so we're aiming for the general average for this type of cancer at this stage, which looks like about 3 to 5 years unless something miraculous happens in the meantime - there's always hope.)

FINALLY logged into CEAC thing, selected Agent, and paid AoS fee $120 last week. Got confirmation by email today, logged back in, paid the application fee $325. Once that's cleared, we'll submit the application. Working on assembling our packet of documents in the meantime... and hoping he doesn't have a hard time getting the police certificate. (Not sure if it can come from the town hall (easy) or if he has to go 1.5 hours away (annoying).)

... And, of course, getting ready to battle the beast of getting health insurance for him here. Yeaaah.

Will check back in when we make more progress. Take care!!

Hi all,

I've been "lurking" and watching replies from my email notifications but have not had a chance to really check in.

I know we were very close in timeline to a few other July filers, so I've been expecting ours to be moving along as some of yours now have. (I'm thrilled for you that have been waiting so patiently!)

We have not heard anything (received no case number yet, etc.) since NOA2, dated 1/31, which we received on 2/5.

Unfortunately, I am no longer in a hurry for the process to speed along. In fact, we're going to be "dragging our feet" now to make this take as long as possible, if we can.

A couple weeks before receiving our NOA2, my father-in-law (the beneficiary) went to the doctor for what we figured was the flu. A few days after receiving the NOA2, he was given a cancer diagnosis. He has had daily radiation and two chemo treatments over the past 2 weeks, and has continued radiation with three more chemo treatments coming up, and will be finished with treatments by mid-April.

After that, he will be given a 3-month hiatus for healing and recuperation, and if everything has progressed as it should, he will then undergo a pretty hefty surgery to remove the affected area (lower esophagus). Recovery time post-surgery is expected to be at least a couple / few months... up to a year, in some cases.

The good news is that the tumor itself is very small (described like the size of a pimple), and although it had spread to (only) one nearby lymph node, oncology suggests that they caught it in the very early stages and with the radiation / chemo / surgery plan, the prognosis is very good. So far, the treatments have not had any negative effects on FIL's overall health or well-being - he's extremely happy-go-lucky and, knock-on-wood, still feeling good, healthy and strong.

The bad news is that I have no idea how this will affect the immigration process.

I certainly don't want to "cancel" this petition and try again later, though I fear it may come to that if time limits are imposed and he's not fully recovered yet. From what I've read, it sounds like when the visa is issued by the consulate, it has a 6-month validity, and CAN be extended if requested in writing and with good reason. The struggle is usually having to re-do the medical, since that has a shorter validity. (Please correct me if I'm wrong.)

We are also very concerned about acquiring private medical insurance once he's here, of course. It's been a very rough couple months as we battle with the thought that, basically, if we can't get health insurance for him here, he wouldn't be able to come over at all. (He has, quite literally, no family left over there. My husband is his only child, and he lost his wife to cancer back in 2009. We love him so much. I don't even want to think about what it would mean if he can't come here.)

We were fully expecting, and prepared, to pay outrageous premiums - that was understood before any of this new cancer situation arose - but now it's going to be more the question of "pre-existing conditions" or whatnot and what sort of bearing that has on insurance companies actually accepting him for coverage. Admittedly, I don't know enough about that depth of health insurance yet... though I've been trying to wrap my head around options. I've heard both encouraging and discouraging information. And we can't make any moves at all until the treatment is complete and the outcome is apparent... obviously. It's kind of a nightmare right now, really.

If there is any silver lining to the situation, it is that I'm thankful this all came about BEFORE he came to the States for the simple reason that he has excellent health care in the Netherlands, and they have done a spectacular job of wasting zero time in treatment thus far. The hospital in Groningen actually called us internationally and had a 30-minute conference call after diagnosis to discuss treatment and answer all questions. We rest easy now knowing that he is in good hands at the moment. (Pardon me for saying so, but I would not expect such good care from our health care systems here in the USA, hence why we're glad this came about before the big immigration move.)

Anyway, to make this long story (sorry!) a little shorter, we are in a bit of limbo right now and unsure of our next steps or options, but for the moment, we have NOT received case number, invoices, etc. - and that is why we are not in a hurry for the time being, and why I have not checked in lately. (I will continue to post updates, though!)

All the best to you all!

27 minutes ago, Lane O said:

Hi Maranda, 

 

Do you already have your NVC case number? 

 

 

Hi Lane,

Nope, nothing yet. I'm anticipating the full 30 days wait time, or having to try to contact them after 30 days like the NOA2 said, if I remember right.

37 minutes ago, Lane O said:

I will post all my progress on NVC stage once I started so we can all compare and help each other finishing this immigration journey.

That sounds great!

That's correct, I forgot to mention, we did not receive any text or email notifications either. Also, the USCIS Case Status page has not updated (but it sounds like that is generally unreliable anyhow). Our Case Status page still says "we've received your petition" like it did back in July.

Received our NOA2 approval today!

Texas Service Center.

Our PD is July 18.

NOA2 dated 1/31, so our wait was almost 6.5 months exactly.

Good luck to everyone still waiting on NOA2 - not much longer now! Looks like Texas is serving mid-July, at least.

1 hour ago, adar24 said:

Hello July filers - 

Looks like TSC is processing mid-late June and possibly very early July now. Any updates from any of the July filers (any center) on your applications? Please update if you do know.

That would be great news! TSC here as well, PD 7/18, nothing new yet.

15 minutes ago, Pat Stubbs said:

My PD is May 24th 2017. (The processing time was between 4 and 5 months then). My son called USCIS early December and was told “if you haven’t heard anything by the end of March 2018 call back”. ☹️ 

I am so sorry to hear this.  I keep telling myself "any day now!" as we're also coming up on the 6-month mark, but I know it's probably going to be quite a lot longer. Keeping my father-in-law's spirit up is the hard part (the beneficiary). He has no family and nothing left there, just ticking away the days...

mcangel75, we also filed mid-July and got NOA1 on 7/27. We're also still in the "Case Was Received" stage - no updates or anything since NOA1. I'm expecting a long and slow wait based on what I've read from others who filed earlier in the year... but I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Received the I-797C NOA (receipt) in the mail today.

Hey, I'll join you!

My husband became a USC last March, so we've just filed to bring his biological father (living in Netherlands, widowed) to live with us.

We mailed the I-130 on July 14th. It was marked received on the 18th, and check was cashed on the 21st.

We included Naturalization Certificate, husband's birth certificate, parents' marriage certificate, mother's death certificate, and $535 check.

Hoping for a speedy process! 

Hey all,

Finally checking in to report that we've received our Oath Ceremony letter. Arnold's ceremony is scheduled for March 28th. This falls exactly 120 days after his interview. It's a curious coincidence considering that 120 days was the "waiting period" post-interview before we could request the case be looked into, expedited or whatnot. (And just over 11 months since the day we mailed the packet last April.)

As a side note, a few weeks ago I sent a request to our Field Office to ask the reason for the delay. They replied the next day via email with a statement that the case was still in background checks. I believe it's due to the IOE / ELIS system situation, as the interviewing officer had issues with the "new system" during the interview itself back in November.

Regardless, we are extremely happy and thankful to FINALLY be at the finish line. Coincidentally, we have a little vacation scheduled for later that week, so it's purely awesome that the ceremony falls right before vacation... Makes vacation even more special. <3

Best wishes to everyone still hanging in there! The wait is worth it. I'll check back in and update the timeline once we're finished.

Just dropping in to say 'hi' and see how progress has been moving along. Looks like quite a few more folks have been successful in the process over the past couple months, awesome!

We are still waiting on an oath ceremony letter (or an explanation as to what the hold-up is about...). Today marks 2 months since his interview (which went well, or so we've thought), and 9 months since we initially filed. I am so fed up and impatient with the whole mess I've pretty much stopped thinking about it for the past couple months.

Hope I will have some good news to report one of these days... Just hanging in there until then.

Hey gang, hope everyone is faring well on the journey.

Arnold had his N-400 interview yesterday in Charleston, SC. We are an IOE case, "Priority Date" April 28th, so from filing to interview was just over 6 months, and we had no notices or updates between biometrics (5/20) and interview appointment letter received (10/29).

We took all ID pieces with us, as well as a folder of all originals - birth certificates, bank statements, tax returns, marriage certificate, and my previous marriage / divorce docs. It felt good to be prepared, but Arnold did not have to present any of our originals.

The Charleston Field Office** was quick and efficient in processing. There were only a couple other people there. His appointment was scheduled for 11am; we checked in at 10:30am (the letter asked not to arrive earlier than 30 minutes prior to appointment). He was called in by the IO around 11:20am, and was done and back out by 12pm.

Arnold's recount of his interview:

The IO was polite. He started the interview by mentioning right off that he would be working with the "new system" and seemed somewhat apprehensive, or as if he wasn't sure what to expect. He noted that it might be a long process, or might be a short process, seemingly depending on how the new system was behaving.

They started with the test. His civics questions were read from a paper (stated as they were in the study guide, not re-worded by IO):

During the Cold War, what was the main concern of the United States?

There are four amendments to the Constitution about who can vote. Describe one of them.

Who is in charge of the executive branch?

What is one reason colonists came to America?

(He was nervous and can't remember the other two.)

He got all 6 right, so they moved on.

He was asked to read "Who is the father of our country?"

The IO dictated "Washington is the father of our country." which Arnold wrote.

Then they went over the entire application. There were a couple things that Arnold had to clarify. The first was my employment, for which we had written "Self-employed" but the IO wanted more detail of my field, and added that information into the computer. The IO asked if we live together, yes, and what was our living situation. Arnold stated that we live with my parents. The IO wanted to know why, so Arnold explained that we share a duplex-style home because I help take care of my disabled father. IO added information to the computer. IO noted that we moved from Michigan in 2015 and asked if we still owned the house at that old address, yes. Then they went through all the yes/no questions. Arnold had to sign (iPad), and also select something about the Oath Ceremony (how it's "announced"?).

Then the IO mentioned that everything seemed to be in good order, no red flags, should be good to go... but the computer system wouldn't allow him to save or submit or whatever the last step is. He didn't know why. He assured Arnold that everything should be fine, but this was apparently a glitch with the new system.

The IO stated that we would either receive the Oath Ceremony schedule letter OR some other correspondence with an update on the case at some point in the future. (Which I assume can be anywhere up to 120 days from now as stated on the bottom of the N-652 - argh!)

So although the interview seemed to go very well, we are pretty bummed that we left with the N-652 paper with a check in the box for "A decision cannot be made yet about your application." instead of a recommendation for approval. And it seems the blame can be placed on the "new system."

Now we wait again...

**(For our region's folks, keep in mind this office is NOT the same place as the biometrics Application Support office in the strip mall down the road, even though both addresses are Sam Rittenberg Blvd. There is plenty of seating in this building's waiting area, so don't be afraid to go in with your spouse.)

FINALLY we are able to update our Timeline. Interview appointment notice received today, just over 6 months from Priority Date. (Yes, we are IOE.)


======================================
USCIS Dallas/Lewisville, Texas Lockbox
======================================
UserName........|GC-Date.|Sent.|Cashd|NOA..|Fprints.|In Line..|Int ltr..|Intrview.|Oath.....|Field Office
paulinespens....|11/17/08|03/28|--/--|04/12|05/04/16|05/06/16.|05/19/16.|06/21/16.|08/12/16.|Louisville, KY
LuvMyDirndl.....|03/--/07|04/01|04/12|04/14|05/09/16|07/05/16.|07/14/16.|08/15/16.|09/13/16.|Washington, DC
txl344655.......|07/01/11|04/02|04/06|04/04|04/26/16|06/01/16.|06/09/16.|07/18/16.|08/26/16.|New York, NY
kiwibean........|08/29/06|04/04|04/13|04/08|05/05/16|05/09/16.|06/20/16.|07/27/16.|08/18/16.|Boston, MA
love&cinta......|--/--/--|04/11|--/--|04/14|05/09/16|05/14/16.|05/23/16.|06/28/16.|07/22/16.|Philadelphia, PA
thatannegirl....|10/22/12|04/13|04/19|04/18|05/11/16|--/--/--.|07/08/16.|08/11/16.|09/22/16.|Orlando, FL
babyjk..........|--/--/--|04/13|--/--|04/18|05/13/16|05/19/16.|07/28/16.|09/02/16.|10/07/16.|New York, NY
N400-Dream......|06/21/11|04/14|04/19|04/20|05/16/16|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|Long Island, NY
Alecita King....|01/13/13|04/16|04/21|--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|New York, NY
PMartin37.......|07/13/13|04/18|04/25|04/26|05/20/16|06/13/16.|07/11/16.|08/11/16.|09/16/16.|Atlanta, GA
IslandLady......|06/28/12|04/18|04/25|04/22|05/17/16|--/--/--.|07/27/16.|09/08/16.|09/29/16.|Oakland Pk, FL
Aschenbecher....|12/18/12|04/18|04/26|04/26|05/20/16|--/--/--.|08/01/16.|09/08/16.|09/30/16.|Philadelphia, PA
ZamoTrance......|07/18/11|04/18|04/22|04/22|05/18/16|06/20/16.|08/04/16.|09/13/16.|09/29/16.|Oakland Pk, FL
ZeezaWrydan.....|07/11/11|04/18|04/25|04/28|05/10/16|--/--/--.|08/16/16.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|Jacksonville, FL
IndyQuad........|06/15/11|04/20|04/27|04/27|05/25/16|--/--/--.|09/17/16.|10/20/16.|10/20/16.|Charlotte, NC
tsekub..........|07/17/13|04/21|05/03|04/28|05/19/16|10/22/16.|10/28/16.|11/29/16.|--/--/--.|Brooklyn, NY
Codon1..........|02/28/13|04/22|05/03|05/03|05/18/16|09/12/16.|09/16/16.|10/25/16.|--/--/--.|Long Island, NY
gaby08..........|11/16/12|04/22|--/--|05/03|05/19/16|09/29/16.|10/06/16.|11/07/16.|--/--/--.|Houston, TX
kiran&salman....|07/24/13|04/25|05/02|04/27|05/18/16|09/29/16.|10/14/16.|11/08/16.|--/--/--.|Houston, TX
Petareño........|07/27/11|04/26|05/03|05/03|05/18/16|06/27/16.|07/05/16.|08/02/16.|08/05/16.|Atlanta, GA
Maranda.........|11/09/11|04/26|05/03|05/02|05/20/16|--/--/--.|10/29/16.|11/29/16.|--/--/--.|Charleston, SC
xqw.............|07/25/11|04/26|05/02|04/29|05/18/16|--/--/--.|09/22/16.|11/03/16.|--/--/--.|Long Island, NY
winn55..........|02/09/06|04/28|05/08|05/09|05/25/16|10/16/16.|10/21/16.|11/21/16.|--/--/--.|New York, NY
Cooc............|07/25/13|04/28|05/02|05/06|05/27/16|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|New York, NY
manhattansinatra|07/25/11|04/28|05/04|05/06|05/25/16|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|Houston, TX


================================
USCIS Phoenix, Arizona Lockbox
================================
UserName........|GC-Date.|Sent.|Cashd|NOA..|Fprints.|In Line..|Int ltr..|Intrview.|Oath.....|Field Office
moe7............|07/21/09|04/05|04/13|04/08|04/28/16|05/03/16.|06/22/16.|07/27/16.|--/--/--.|Chicago, IL
TommyF..........|06/24/13|04/06|04/13|04/12|05/13/16|05/23/16.|06/13/16.|07/09/16.|--/--/--.|Denver, CO
Ben&Janna.......|03/17/11|04/06|04/11|04/11|05/02/16|05/06/16.|07/06/16.|08/09/16.|11/01/16.|Chicago, IL
bellaling.......|07/12/13|04/11|04/16|04/16|05/13/16|06/13/16.|06/24/16.|08/01/16.|08/01/16.|Seattle, WA
Tony and Daisy..|12/01/15|04/12|04/20|04/18|04/12/16|--/--/--.|07/19/16.|08/08/16.|08/10/16.|Honolulu, Hi
Waheed and Kris.|08/02/10|04/12|04/18|04/13|05/12/16|05/16/16.|07/16/16.|08/16/16.|09/01/16.|Chicago, IL
ameraslam99.....|--/--/13|04/14|--/--|--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|??, ??
SLD.............|04/11/13|04/15|04/21|04/20|05/20/16|05/24/16.|07/06/16.|08/10/16.|08/30/16.|Sacramento, CA
mvn.............|??/??/??|04/18|??/??|04/26|05/18/16|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|Las Vegas, NV
gangan_2000.....|08/10/10|04/19|N/A |04/21|05/19/16|05/24/16.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|Seattle, WA
casperghost.....|06/--/13|04/22|--/--|--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|Fresno, CA
rrac23..........|07/10/13|04/23|04/29|04/28|05/17/16|09/06/16.|09/13/16.|10/20/16.|--/--/--.|San Francisco, CA
agrabs..........|07/05/13|04/25|05/08|05/04|05/27/16|06/08/16.|06/09/16.|07/18/16.|08/11/16.|Kansas City, MO
filler..........|06/06/13|04/25|05/02|05/05|05/16/16|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|Los Angeles, CA
raghu2383.......|06/10/12|04/25|04/29|04/28|05/18/16|--/--/--.|09/29/16.|11/10/16.|--/--/--.|Phoenix, AZ
Hoody...........|03/28/13|04/25| N/A |04/29|05/20/16|09/21/16.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|--/--/--.|St. Louis, MO
ca2wa_dude......|07/21/11|04/24| N/A |04/29|05/19/16|--/--/--.|09/13/16.|10/18/16.|10/25/16.|San Diego, CA
gaurav85........|07/09/13|04/12|04/18|04/21|05/12/16|07/09/16.|09/01/16.|10/13/16.|--/--/--.|Des Moines, IA

===========================================================================
USCIS Lincoln, Nebraska Lockbox (Filing Under 319b, 328, or 329 of the INA)
===========================================================================
UserName........|GC-Date.|Sent.|Cashd|NOA..|Fprints.|In Line..|Int Ltr..|Intview..|Oath.....|Field Office
Heidi...........|01/05/12|04/06|04/12|04/14|05/12/16|05/16/16.|05/23/16.|06/21/16.|07/29/16.|Memphis, TN


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8. Red Font="I'm A United States Citizen"!

Legend:
GC-Date: The 'Resident Since' Date located on your first green card
Sent: Date N-400 was mailed to USCIS
Cashd: Date your check was cashed by USCIS
NOA: Receipt Notice Date Printed on your official I-797 notification
Fprints: Date assigned for fingerprinting (Bio-metrics). Underline indicates early walk-in.
In Line: Date you received e-notification about the start of your interview scheduling
Int Ltr: Date you received the official letter in the mail regarding interview
Interview: Date of your interview
Oath: Date Oath taken
Field Office: Your local USCIS office where you will have the N-400 interview

good luck!

LOL, thank you! It's sad (and a little scary) that the system is glitchy like that.

I'd like to say I'm relieved that we don't have to deal with any of this ever again after Arnold's citizenship is done, buuuuuut as soon as he's finished, we'll be starting all over again with petitioning for his dad... haha

I'm so glad to see some movement for the IOE's finally.

I'm really frustrated that we have not heard anything yet. Though I'm not sure if it's an IOE problem, or a slow field office problem at this point.

I've stopped checking it. The old Case Status page doesn't seem to show progress for IOE's from what I've read, and when I try to log into the new 'My Account' thing, that just takes me to a generic https://my.uscis.gov/ homepage. (It USED TO work and actually take us to our case details, it doesn't anymore.)

I'm trying to plan a vacation for late October, and I'm hesitant to book any tickets because I just know as soon as I do, that Interview letter will finally show up and mess up our (non-refundable) plans.

I certainly wish we would have filed earlier this year (even a couple weeks earlier would have made the difference between getting NBC instead of IOE!).

Ugh! Sorry, just needed to vent for a minute. You guys are the only ones who 'get it.'

I have a NBC receipt number and been stuck at the "Case is in line for an interview" status since 9th of June. Anybody else stuck in the same situation? I have called up USCIS twice now and all they say is that they are waiting for an interview date to be available. Is this a normal timeframe for Des Moines?

Hey there,

It looks like Des Moines might be one of the slower field offices. If you check at https://egov.uscis.gov/cris/processTimesDisplayInit.do - select Des Moines from the top drop-down box - as of June 30th, they are still processing N-400 applications from October 15, 2015.

I feel your pain. I thought Charleston was bad. They're currently processing from January, and that's sped up since I first started watching it a few months ago. However, my husband has the notorious IOE application, so at this point I can't tell if we're lagging so badly because of the IOE delay situation, or because the field office is slow.

Hang in there!

IOE number and biometric schedule was completed on 05/18.

Like everyone else im stuck in a same situation. So this morning i decided to call them and talk to level 2 officer and see whats the status on it since it wont let me log in on ELIS account since past Sunday.

Apparently my case is still pending background check so i asked what will be next step she said call us back in 2 months.I confirmed 2 months? She said yes 8 weeks.

Really its been almost 3 months since i did my bio and they still need 2 months. Who knows after 2 months they ask me to wait 30 more days. Im losing hope to VOTE this year. I spent more than half of my life in this great country. No crimes and background is taking forever. I dont know who to blame, the new Integrated Operating Environment or background check.

If we look at processing time, Houston office is Nov 04th 2015 as of may 30th which means 7 months. So let see hiw far this case will take.

I just emailed my congressman Pete Olson. Let see if i get any positive outcome from him.

Please keep us updated. My husband is also IOE and biometrics was 5/20, and we are in the same no-progress situation.

HI I filed my applications for n400 last April 28,2016, got my Noa 1 on May 6, biometrics on May 27, but till now I never heard any update from uscis, is anyone haVe the same situation as me.

Hi Beth,

Our timelines are only a few days apart. There are a lot of us in this situation right now, with hearing nothing since biometrics. There's some speculation (with good reason) that USCIS implementing a new system is causing some serious processing delays. All we can do is cross our fingers and wait it out.

Please consider adding yourself to the timeline chart while you're here and keep in touch! :-)

Thanks. Yes , the letter has an NBC number, but it is the same I got by e-mail and I used for checking the status online.

Aha! Our timelines were very similar in the beginning, but we have IOE number (from using the newer forms, unfortunately). IOE's seem to be stuck in some sort of indefinite processing limbo. I'm glad you got lucky with an NBC!

I got my N400 application "recommended for approval".

The IO asked me if I was interested in attending the coming oath ceremony, and I said "HELL YEAH".

I had to wait for my oath letter after leaving IO office.

So hopefully this Friday I will get my naturalization certificate and vote this coming presidential election.

Congrats!! Did you have an IOE or NBC number?