Field Office vs CA Service Center question

[Lexmarkman]

Hello,

Does N-400 cases handled in Field Offices or Service Center?

I called INS last month to check my case and I received 4 different answers.
1. My case is not found
2. My case hasn't assigned to Field Office
3. Computer down or slow they couldn't pull my records
4. Requested letter if I am missing any thing or where is it my case.

Thanks for the inputs.

Lexmarkman

 

[Flydog]

My understanding...

1. You submit your application to a service center
2. They schedule all of the checks (background, name, fingerprint)
3. They put you in a district office specific "interview queue"
4. When the last of
   • All of your checks are completed
   • Your turn comes up in interview queue
   happens, your interview gets scheduled and your file gets transfered to the district office

After that, the district office "owns" you. If things screw up, you fall off of the fast track, and months go by.

 

[Lexmarkman]

Thanks for the advice.

What do you mean by district office? Do you mean field office?

I must fall off the fast track :-(

 

[Flydog]

Hmmm. I could have sworn they were "District Offices" and "Sub-District Offices" a few months ago. The new USCIS site mostly seems to call them Field Offices now.

If you look at the processing times pages (like https://egov.immigration.gov/cris/jsps/officeProcesstimes.jsp?selectedOffice=24), you can still see evidence of "District Office"

Now I understand why they need to raise the fees for all their services.

 

[Lexmarkman]

I know what you mean by raising the fees.

I called them again and my papers are out of process time. They are going to research my case and send me letter.