Updates on my status regarding N400...

[Douglas97]

I posted a few questions some while back so I thought it'd be good to let you guys know how everything is turning out. Thank God, for me everything is going very smooth and fast. I haven't kept track of the dates, but I can post roughly how things went...

I applied in the beginning of June (Vermont Service Center), got my Notice of Action 2 weeks after, and the Fingerprinting Notice 1 day after that. The fingerprinting was scheduled one week in advance. After I got the fingerprinting done, 2 weeks after that I received my Interview letter, scheduled for September 26th, and about another 2 weeks after that I received another letter with the interview RE-SCHEDULED to September 7th.

So now I'm preparing and studying for my interview on September 7th.

It'd be also interesting to note that my case status always showed pending (and still is). It has not dissappeared as happens to some people. And also, my DO is Albany, NY.

Hope this helps others out!

 

[Douglas97]

If it helps, I'm male, 20 years old. No criminal records, everything clean, and have lived in the U.S. for 8 years.

 

[brb2]

Dealing with the USCIS is like the wheel of fortune. Sometimes it goes fast sometimes slow. I got my green card in less than 9 months in 2002. Regarding citizenship processing, TSC is the slowest, so even a fast process there would take time. At NSC, it depends on the local office processing capacity to schedule interviews. NSC no doubt is quite fast.

However the million dollar question in the naturalization process is the FBI name check, no one can predict the outcome. As per FBI's own publications, the FBI name check causes delays for minimum of 32% of applicants. At the end of the name check process less than 1% of applicants are found to have derogatory information. It shows how inefficient the process is. Obviously you have made it to the 68% who had no delay. The USCIS ombudsman has repeatedly asked USCIS how many of these 1% applicants were not found to have derogatory information by other security check processes such as IBIS, FBI finger printing etc. USCIS never responds and the USCIS Ombudsman remains a toothless tiger. Like all government organizations, USCIS wants to cover their own backs, and delays to customers is not an issue. For them being able to point a finger at some one else (FBI?) if an undesirable person is given immigration benefits is the main criterion.

The sad part is that 31% of applicants who have had no criminal histories, are delayed due to the FBI process, ensures that new citizens have a bad taste in the mouth, and it does FBI's image no good with new citizens. One needs to have rocks in their head to let this stupid process go one. New Citizens will no doubt think, if the FBI can not determine if people are a threat to the US in 4/5 years, how are they going to catch a terrorist who will not be providing all of the biographic information on an USCIS form to the FBI!

Congratulations on your good fortune! Do enter your information on the citizenship tracker at:
http://www.immihelp.com/tracker/citizenship-tracker.do

for the benefit of others.

If it helps, I'm male, 20 years old. No criminal records, everything clean, and have lived in the U.S. for 8 years.

 

[shie0023]

If it helps, I'm male, 20 years old. No criminal records, everything clean, and have lived in the U.S. for 8 years.

This helps greatly, but what would help more is if we know what are your favorite foods, what color(s) you like, what hobbie(s) you like, do you collect stamps, and if your hair is straight or curly?

Much appreciated!

 

[kagemusha]

This helps greatly, but what would help more is if we know what are your favorite foods, what color(s) you like, what hobbie(s) you like, do you collect stamps, and if your hair is straight or curly?

Much appreciated!

Give the OP a break ! He was just trying to be helpful especially since there has been endless speculation on this forum about what it is that causes someone to get stuck in name check. The stuff he mentioned was quite relevant from that point of view.

-KM

 

[Jackolantern]

USCIS likes name check delays because it gives them an excuse to be lazy. Whenever asked by a senior government official why X cases have not been completed, they can say "It's not our fault! They're stuck in name check!"

 

[shie0023]

Give the OP a break ! He was just trying to be helpful especially since there has been endless speculation on this forum about what it is that causes someone to get stuck in name check. The stuff he mentioned was quite relevant from that point of view.

-KM

No sense of humor for KM, I guess.

 

[takshila1]

USCIS likes name check delays because it gives them an excuse to be lazy. Whenever asked by a senior government official why X cases have not been completed, they can say "It's not our fault! They're stuck in name check!"

Makes sense...they should be reluctant to move people on to the queue for the passport service which is overburdened anyway.

Methinks, they have been so instructed to hold up the line till the queue for US citizens for passports is cleared up.

Granted this is a fantastic assumption that these two offices even talk to each other let alone help each other out.

 

[Douglas97]

This helps greatly, but what would help more is if we know what are your favorite foods, what color(s) you like, what hobbie(s) you like, do you collect stamps, and if your hair is straight or curly?

Much appreciated!

You are rude. I hope you get stuck in name check for 10 years.

 

[Cybex]

Work experience in the home country

If it helps, I'm male, 20 years old. No criminal records, everything clean, and have lived in the U.S. for 8 years.

Douglas97, thanks! This is great and helpful information actually.

Work experience in the home country - that's what name check fishing trip is for. People without one just breeze through entire natz process. Not sure about higher education acquired in the home country.

Would you guys agree?

 

[boatbod]

Work experience in the home country - that's what name check fishing trip is for. People without one just breeze through entire natz process. Not sure about higher education acquired in the home country.

Uh, what on earth are you going on about?

I didn't move to the US until I was 30. Prior to that I'd acquired both a college education and 7 years of "work experience" in my home country. Based on your hypothesis, I should still be stuck in namecheck, but instead, my natz took a little under 5 months.