Raleigh/Durham NC - N-400 Timeline

sam012007 said:
Wula23, my recommendation is to wait for another 2 weeks before you panic or do anything. There seems to be an unexpected delay in their process right now, but the average processing time for this office is around 5-6 month. So I think you are still well within their average processing time frame. Just chill n enjoy and study the US History.
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Thank you, Sam012007.

This is an update of my last message.

I just called FBI 5 minutes ago, and I was told that the FPs of me and my wife were finished and sent back by FBI to USCIS the same day (01/20/2010) we did our FP. Remember the Asian lady at the Raleigh office told us that we are still in the FBI background check? I do not know whom I should believe now.

Please share your idea. Thank you !!
 
Guess what you now know that there is a delay at USCIS office not from FBI :-) they are just making an excuse of FBI ... give it 2 more weeks, i.e. forget about this process for 2 more weeks. You can't do much now cos you've already spoken to the people who are responsible one way or another.
 
We received email updates that the cases for my wife and me, and my son were all transferred to local office for interview and testing. Will receive IL letters in a couple of days, I guess.
 
My N-400 timeline:
application sent to Lewisville, TX USCIS lockerbox
USCIS local office: RDU.

Sent N-400 12/19/09
PD 12/23/09
Check cashed 12/23/09
NOA 12/28/09
FP notice 12/29/08 (received 01/04/10)
FP Date 1/30/08 (walk in done on 01/06/10)
IL: 04/03/10
ID: 05/03/10
 
Wula23 said:
Thank you, Sam012007.

This is an update of my last message.

I just called FBI 5 minutes ago, and I was told that the FPs of me and my wife were finished and sent back by FBI to USCIS the same day (01/20/2010) we did our FP. Remember the Asian lady at the Raleigh office told us that we are still in the FBI background check? I do not know whom I should believe now.

Please share your idea. Thank you !!
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Your FP can be cleared by FBI while your name check is still pending. FP is independent of name check.
 
Interview Experience

I want to THANK the forum. This really helped us a LOT in answering our questions starting from H1 in 1998, Green Card through 2004 and citizenship till yesterday. For some time it even became my home page. THANKS again for all the people who posted their questions, shared their experience and answered/advised. It really helped ease the otherwise LOONG TEIDOUS and ARDUOUS journey of getting the citizenship.

My wife and myself cleared the interview yesterday in Durham office. The IO are really friendly, courteous and nice. They went through N-400 questionnaire, asked us history/civics questions from the booklet we got during FP. The whole interview took about 10 mins. The lady who interviewed me even said "See, it is easy, right?. I don't now why people get so tensed up".

All those who had gone through H1, Labor, I-140, I-485, AP, EADs, GCs, you have been through a lot already. So, just RELAX and attend the interview.

Good Luck.
 
Folks, we had our test this morning and we passed it with no issues. Pretty standard procedure and I tell you we didn't expect this to go this smooth :-) Our oath is set for Friday 04/16/2010.

Step by step:
Name was called, officer came in and took me inside, went through my application, asked following from the application:
You still live at ...
You still married to ...
You still working with ...
Have you been out of the country after filing the application ...
Will you bear arms if required by USA Govt. to protect the country ...
Have you had any tickets/violations etc ...

Than he asked me to read a sentence:
Who can vote
Than he asked me to write the answer to that question:
Citizens can vote

Than he went through the list of 6 questions (civic/history)
Name the VP now
Who makes Federal Laws
Why did colonist fight the British
Name the people who were made slave
Name of national anthem
Name one of the longest river in US

Passed 1st 6, all set.

Than officer asked me to sign the form in 3 places, stamped my form with the approval, congratulated me and asked to wait outside to receive the oath letter. Phew

Earlier I raised a question about my wife's employment history that we missed to include in the form. There were no questions for the same and she didn't have to explain anything to her office, I will find out her questions later in the day and will post the same as well.

Thanks everyone here ... now the quest to get the American passport, and Indian visa/pio/oci begins ;-)
 
congrats sam012007, and thanks for the details.
what documents did you take with you? and did they ask for any?
chola
 
Thanks Chola,
I took my Green Card and Passport(s).
My wife took her Green Card, Passport(s), Employment Letters of the places she worked but didn't put in the form and Tax statements of the years that she worked to establish that we paid taxes promptly and her w2 was included.

Though they only asked for Green Card from both of us nothing else. Hope this helps.
 
I'm trying to put together my husband's application, and I can't figure out where I can take him for the photos. We ended up getting his Green Card photos at the place in Charlotte, but I'd rather not drive all the way there just to get photos taken. Anywhere in the Triangle we can go?
 
lisa64 said:
I'm trying to put together my husband's application, and I can't figure out where I can take him for the photos. We ended up getting his Green Card photos at the place in Charlotte, but I'd rather not drive all the way there just to get photos taken. Anywhere in the Triangle we can go?
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They are regular passport style pictures. You can go to any Triangle CVS or other place that takes passport style pictures.
 
We reached the DO at 7.40am. My wife had her appt at 8.30am and so she walked in to the building at 7.50am. By 8.20am she was approved. She said it was a breeze.
My appt was at 10.00am and so I walked in at 9.15am. The security parked us at the Oath room and let us go to the 2nd floor only at 9.45am. I waited for 10 min before being called. The officer had me "print" my name on the 2 pics first, read a sentence, and then write a sentence. He then asked me 6 questions from the book, and then asked me a 7th question " who was the 23rd president". I said I don't know, and he replied he didn't either - and said he was trying to help me relax. It helped.

He then went through the N400 application. As he got to my employer info, he got curious as he was familiar with some products made by my company. I gave him an overview of what the company does. I asked him what he drove and gave him some cool tech info about his truck based on what I do for a day job. This conversation went about for 8~10 minutes probably. He breezed through the remaining questions, and stamped approved. Waited outside for 15min to get the oath letter.
chola
 
Oath experience.

We reached 15 min before the oath. They checked the oath letter, and seated us. The ceremony lasted a total of 90 min. Got the Naturalization Certificate & took pics. Its over finally!
Thanks much to this forum for the invaluable counsel over the years.
chola

The Durham Do does oaths only on fridays - 60~70 people - 1 bathc in the morning, and one in the afternoon.
 
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