Dallas TX - N-400 Timeline -

citizen wannabe said:
I have a slightly unusual situation for which I need some help. First, here is me and my spouse's timeline

PD: Aug 17, 06
FP: Sep 23, 06
2nd FP (only for me) : Oct 18, 06 (Apparently they could not read my FPs the first time)
ID: Mar 12, 07

My spouse got oath letter at interview for 4/4. I cleared my interview, but got the N-14 (RFE) - the IO very politely told me that they could not read my FPs the 2nd time either. He told me the SOP in such cases was to get police clearance certs from the cities that I have lived in the past 5 years. This was not a problem for me since I have been in the dallas area for 5 yrs, so I got the certificates and personally delivered them to the Dallas office within 5 days of the interview. I have not heard anything from them since.

I have already gone for one infopass apt on apr 13 to find out about my status. But they told me nothing significant - just that the case was pending.

I have taken another infopass apt on july 2nd. What are my options at this point? On july 10th, it will be 120 days since my interview. Isn't there a law or something that they have to make a decision within 120 days of interview. Could someone pl. clarify this for me. Would going through a senator's office help speed up my case?

Pl. give me some ideas on how to proceed. Thanks a lot!
Click to expand...

Try phoning your congressman's local office and asking to talk to the immigration specialist.

If that doesn't work, try the local offices of both Sen. Cornyn and Sen. Hutchison. I had very good luck with the Dallas immigration aid for Sen. Hutchison.

You want to be *very* polite and to emphasize how important getting US Citizenship is to you - that you have come to feel it is your home and you want to fully partake in the US experience, etc. They will tell you to fill out a privacy release form and to submit a letter or something else explaining your situation. I was able to Fax this to their offices. Emphasize that you have tried to follow *every* rule, but that USCIS screwups have gotten in the way.

Don't expect to get an answer right away. Once two or three weeks have gone by and they haven't replied, phone back. Be apologetic. Ask what you did wrong and what you can do to make their job easier. They'll probably process your file that day.

Good luck
 
Mr. Alien said:
There was no acknowledgement from the USCIS that they received our letter. My wife simply got a new appointment letter after about 2 months for June 14th.
Click to expand...

Great info!

By the way, that is why I suggest that *everything* you send to the USCIS be sent via Certified Mail with return receipt. That little green post card you get back (indicating that they have received your letter) is very gratifying.
 
Congrats Flydog

Congrats Flydog.....

....And thanks for the detailed response to my problem.

Could you (or anyone) elaborate on the '120 day' rule? Is it a deadline that the USCIS have set for themselves?.....that it would be nice to decide on all cases within 120 days of the interview

Or is it a law that within 120 days of interview USCIS must approve or deny a case? Does the RFE I got on the interview day (for no fault of mine) give them reason to delay my case indeterminately? Not that I'm planning to litigate right away, but it just would be nice to know where I stand.

Any pointers / links / info on this would be very helpful!

Thanks once again!.....Hope I see the light at the end of the tunnel soon :)
 
Basically, Section 336(b) of the Immigration and Naturalization Act (or 8 U.S.C. § 1447(b)), says that the USCIS has 120 from the date of your "examination" to make a decision. If they don't, you can go to court.

Take a look at http://www.ailf.org/lac/lac_pa_100605.pdf, or use a search tool to look for "naturalization 1447 120 days"
 
Completed interview today (06/22)

All,

Finally I had my interview this morning and it was a breeze. It took 10 minutes and I did not get an oath date and he said it will be mailed to me.
Anyway here is my timeline

02/14/07 N-400 Mailed
02/16/07 Receipt and Priority Date
02/20/07 Checks Cashed
03/03/07 Receipt Received in the mail
04/24/07 Finger printing done
06/22/07 Interview complete.

Goodluck to all those waiting.
sailakfan
 
Flydog thanks for the info,

In regards to the 120 days from the date of your examination!!
what is meant by "Examination"??
What part of the N400 process is it?

Thanks
 
It depends on who you ask. In that article I quoted, there is some precedent that says it is the first interview you get (for example, even if you get RFE-ed (request for evidence), the 120 day clock is running). The USCIS seems to take the opinion (from statements on this forum) that the examination is finished pretty much when they make their decision.

Most folks consider that the interview is the examination.
 
Flydog said:
It depends on who you ask. In that article I quoted, there is some precedent that says it is the first interview you get (for example, even if you get RFE-ed (request for evidence), the 120 day clock is running). The USCIS seems to take the opinion (from statements on this forum) that the examination is finished pretty much when they make their decision.

Most folks consider that the interview is the examination.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately in my case
I had no request for evidence nor I went for an interview
Even my last interview date for june 8 was cancelled as my file was still being sent from the service center.
 
That's what happened to me last year (my interview was descheduled because my file was in the wrong place). The good news is that the file usually seems to show up soon afterwards. The bad news is that the Dallas DO doesn't seem to be in much of a hurry to reschedule interviews that they have descheduled (mine took 5 months and required the intervention of a senator). If you click on my name and then search for "threads Flydog has started" there should be one with my story it in.

Good luck
 
Completed the Interview saga

Hi - My Interview was Today at 9:15AM and I got there around 8:45. Was called in for Interview at 9:20. Usual Civics questions. Handed over the paper of Congratulations. I asked the IO if I would get an Oath date and after 5 minutes of searching told me that it would be mailed and he said that it would probably be in august. Just waiting for the oath date.
 
Flydog,

You mentioned in previous posts that your status disapeared online after the first interview lettter.
my status is still pending!!
If I remember well, you were stuck in name check for a while??
Can you pls update me with your timeline....It is taking me forever to search for previous posts as the server is getting pretty slow...I think this forum is one of the most popular with the highest number of members.
 
No, I never had a name check problem that I knew of - my delays came from the USCIS descheduling my interview when my A-file got mis-routed (it didn't show up in Dallas on time).

Yeah, my status disappeared right before my initial interview notice, but I don't think anything about the online status site is reliable.

Here are a couple of posts that describe my time-line, etc.

http://www.immigrationportal.com/showthread.php?t=225887
http://www.immigrationportal.com/showpost.php?p=1555773&postcount=504

Good luck
 
Flydog,

Thanks for the update. Glad your daughter's N600 is done with too.
Very nice of you keeping us company here on the forum though you're done.
The office of Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison seems to be pretty helpful.
I will wait my 30 days and give them a call.
Any specific number you called for the Senator's office, do you remember her name? if she is the only immigration person I will surely be transfered to her.

Thanks for the help
 
Based on the earlier posts and my read on those, it appears that people who are done with the interview but were not handed the Oath letters on the spot, are usually getting the Oath letters in the mail 2-3 weeks before the actual oath ceremony. With oath ceremonies scheduled for 7/16, 8/8...people should be getting letters this week for 7/16..did anyone receive Oath letters for 7/16 in the mail?

How many are done with the interviews recently and in the waiting pool for OL's?

I know, I am one of them having done the interview on 6/20...hoping to get the OL for 8/8 ceremony in the 3rd week of July..
 
Interview Letter Arrived Today

My online status dispeared more than a month ago but the letter arrived in the mail today. When the letter didn't arrive after 10 of waiting after the dispearance of the case online, I called the 800 number and I was told that my case is in the FBI name check (they located it via the A# because they couldn't locate the case with the case number). I never did any infopass. Finally, I have the letter for an interview on August 2nd.
 
Now that you have your interview letter, the world is at peace. We're all waiting to hear the results of your interview :)
 
Now that you have your interview letter, the world is at peace. We're all waiting to hear the results of your interview :)
 
Latest on the Dallas Office!

I had an infopass today at the Dallas DO. I was inquiring about the oath letter since its been 6 weeks since my interview.
When you get an oath depends on where you live in the metroplex :eek:
Since, I live in Irving, I fall under dallas county, so the next ceremony is in August 8th :mad:
There is no ceremony tomorrow as mentioned by someone earlier.
The july 16th oath date is in fort-worth and is for tarrant county folks, so no chance getting into that for me or any Dallas county folks. :mad:

The august 8th one is in plano and that is when I will probably get my oath done.

Another news, which is good for folks who are still pending interviews, they are now performing same day oaths @ 2pm.

Goodluck to all.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top