Houston, TX N-400 Time Line
- Thread starter pleasehelp08
- Start date
redsarah72
Registered Users (C)
Just wanted to share my less-than-perfect experience.
I sent in my N400 application on Oct 13,2010 to the Dallas Lockbox. Got text message of receipt immediately and then within a couple of weeks received RFE with Biometrics appointment date of Dec 3, 2010. I was there at the appointment time and quite impressed with the pace of things and quick text updates. And then everything ground to a complete halt. I heard nothing and the status online stayed at 'On Nov 3, we sent you an RFP....'.
I waited what I thought was 5 months from application date, and then scheduled an InfoPass appointment at the Houston NW office on March 24th. They said nothing could be done till the case was transferred from the Dallas office. I waited another month and scheduled another InfoPass appt. Same result. I waited another month and called the 800 number. They said I was still within the processing window of 'approx. 5 mths' and that I should wait another week to be outside the window, before they could put in an 'escalate notice' on my case. I waited another week and called them again and.... they said 'wait another week to be outside the window'...!!!
At that point I asked what date they were using to calculate 'outside the window' and if they could confirm they were using the original date of my application. The guy was very polite and accommodating (unlike the folks at the InfoPass appt.) and tried the Oct 23rd date when I got my first receipt text. Lo and behold - the system took that date and he was able to put in an 'escalation inquiry'.
2 days later I got a status update saying my case was being scheduled for interview, followed by email saying my inquiry had been received and that the case was in interview scheduling so no further action was needed.
I finally got the interview letter this week, no yellow letter with an interview date July 11. And after waiting almost 8 mths, I am supposed to be out of the country the first week of August!
After all that diatribe, my questions are:
1. does anyone know the oath dates for July yet?
2. I've requested a name change, does that mean I still go to the regular oath ceremony or is that going to have to be done in a court room on another date?
3. What's the likelihood I could get my oath done, and a new US passport done in time to travel on July 30th?
TIA!
10/13/10 - N-400 package sent (Dallas lockbox)
11/02/10 - Package Received txt msg notification
11/08/10 - RFE Letter (Biometrics) Received
12/03/10 - FP done per schedule
5/27/11 - Status changed to "Testing and Interview" in line to be scheduled for testing
6/01/11 - Scheduled for Interview update txt received
6/02/11 - Interview Letter Received
7/11/11 - Interview date
TBD - Oath Ceremony
I sent in my N400 application on Oct 13,2010 to the Dallas Lockbox. Got text message of receipt immediately and then within a couple of weeks received RFE with Biometrics appointment date of Dec 3, 2010. I was there at the appointment time and quite impressed with the pace of things and quick text updates. And then everything ground to a complete halt. I heard nothing and the status online stayed at 'On Nov 3, we sent you an RFP....'.
I waited what I thought was 5 months from application date, and then scheduled an InfoPass appointment at the Houston NW office on March 24th. They said nothing could be done till the case was transferred from the Dallas office. I waited another month and scheduled another InfoPass appt. Same result. I waited another month and called the 800 number. They said I was still within the processing window of 'approx. 5 mths' and that I should wait another week to be outside the window, before they could put in an 'escalate notice' on my case. I waited another week and called them again and.... they said 'wait another week to be outside the window'...!!!
At that point I asked what date they were using to calculate 'outside the window' and if they could confirm they were using the original date of my application. The guy was very polite and accommodating (unlike the folks at the InfoPass appt.) and tried the Oct 23rd date when I got my first receipt text. Lo and behold - the system took that date and he was able to put in an 'escalation inquiry'.
2 days later I got a status update saying my case was being scheduled for interview, followed by email saying my inquiry had been received and that the case was in interview scheduling so no further action was needed.
I finally got the interview letter this week, no yellow letter with an interview date July 11. And after waiting almost 8 mths, I am supposed to be out of the country the first week of August!
After all that diatribe, my questions are:
1. does anyone know the oath dates for July yet?
2. I've requested a name change, does that mean I still go to the regular oath ceremony or is that going to have to be done in a court room on another date?
3. What's the likelihood I could get my oath done, and a new US passport done in time to travel on July 30th?
TIA!
10/13/10 - N-400 package sent (Dallas lockbox)
11/02/10 - Package Received txt msg notification
11/08/10 - RFE Letter (Biometrics) Received
12/03/10 - FP done per schedule
5/27/11 - Status changed to "Testing and Interview" in line to be scheduled for testing
6/01/11 - Scheduled for Interview update txt received
6/02/11 - Interview Letter Received
7/11/11 - Interview date
TBD - Oath Ceremony
Sorry to hear about the waiting part redsarah72. Theoretically you still stand a chance to get your passport by end of July. You will definitely have to wait for the OC letter after your interview to find out the next OC date, that's if the IO knows the exact date. The name change issue could further delay your passport application since it has to be done on court. All the best to your coming interview.
redsarah72
Registered Users (C)
Thanks yen_saw!
I'm assuming my nat certificate will be in my new name? I thought the whole idea of requesting the name change as part of the process is that the court order would be part of the process. I did not realize I'd have to go to court after this process to change my name?
Confused...
I'm assuming my nat certificate will be in my new name? I thought the whole idea of requesting the name change as part of the process is that the court order would be part of the process. I did not realize I'd have to go to court after this process to change my name?
Confused...
Update:
06/10/2011 - Interview Letter Received
07/12/2011 - Interview Date
07/21 or 28/2011 - Oath Date [TBD] - Extremely Optimistic
@ ICGreen... "Do they have Oath ceremonies every month?"
@ redsarah... "does anyone know the oath dates for July yet?"
@ Julie... when is your ID?
06/10/2011 - Interview Letter Received
07/12/2011 - Interview Date
07/21 or 28/2011 - Oath Date [TBD] - Extremely Optimistic
@ ICGreen... "Do they have Oath ceremonies every month?"
@ redsarah... "does anyone know the oath dates for July yet?"
@ Julie... when is your ID?
redsarah72
Registered Users (C)
Wish I knew when the July one is- if there is one!
advantage: I haven't got my ID letter yet, can you believe it? It's been 39 days that I did my fingerprints...
hopefully I will get my letter this week, btw, do we usually get the email first? than after 3 days the letter right?. Glad to hear that you've got yours already... good luck
Excellent! couple of days or weeks (14 days)?
They say no more than 14 days, but most of the people get their letters in about 4 days... we will see it... I let you guys know as soon as I get it... in this mean time..., let's study the book, right...
ID: 07/06 - ICGreen
ID: 07/11 - redsarah
ID: 07/12 - advantage
ID: 07/18 - Julie
I am afraid, it seems no oath ceremony at Houston DO in July. ICGreen will know first on 07/06.
@ pleasehelp - please update your status.
@ stevefromtx, yen_saw, basselal - how was it? please share your experiences of today's oath ceremony.
ID: 07/11 - redsarah
ID: 07/12 - advantage
ID: 07/18 - Julie
I am afraid, it seems no oath ceremony at Houston DO in July. ICGreen will know first on 07/06.
@ pleasehelp - please update your status.
@ stevefromtx, yen_saw, basselal - how was it? please share your experiences of today's oath ceremony.
stevefromtx
Registered Users (C)
@advantage - O.M.G!!! Overall, the ceremony itself was worth it. I waited (and waited and waited) around to get ym photo taken with the District Judge who presided over the proceedings. BUT, seriously, my middle school and its kids have organized things better. The run of my day went like this...
- Up at 5am, get the kids up at 5.30, out the door at 6am
- drive around the beltway (from Richmond/Katy area) to Aldine ISD location (~1hr), arrive just before 7am
- See everyone waiting in (long long) line in car park, join the line.
- HEar/see people talking about a form THAT I DIDN'T RECEIVE, that says if the last 3 digits of your A# are 0-499 then go to the East carpark, 500-999 go to West. By luck, we'd parked in West and my digits were for West.
- get to the top (or near enough) of the line. Sheriff or whoever tries to tell people (with no megaphone or anything) that you *DON'T* have to wait in line to go in, simply make sure you're ont he right side (they had desks set up to check people off to ensure they arrived). SO, 30 minutes of being a sheeple wasted - coulda/shoulda just walked on in. If they had posted just 2-5 signs along the pathway, *everyone* would have known what to do...... but noooo.
- sit for ***3 hours*** before ceremony starts. Ok, i get it, they had 2210 people there to become citizens, and then there were family members and all too, but seriosuly, you evere been to the football? or baseball? seriously more people there and much faster seating/preparation time.
- after the 3 hr wait, judge presides, says his thing, all very formal (basically 'court is in session'). We all say oath as a group. Cameras and video cameras all allowed to be running during the proceedings (so, in a way, not like court i guess).
- after the judge does his thing, we do our thing, judge welcomes us as US citizens, we get speech (sorta like at graduation) from prominent lawyer (whose parents were naturalized concentration camp survivors)
- then, like being in school *not allowed to leave* to get certificate - wait until your 'color' is called. So, when u signed in in the morning, u got your certificate # written on a sheet of paper, that was colored. This is the color u neeed to wait for. This took a while......
- in the end, because we waited to get photo taken with the judge, we walked out at 12.10..... U full 5 hours 20 mins after we had arrived.
- drive home for an hour and we'd made 6+ hours! yay me!
Overall, I liked the judge (heck, his mom was australian , as was I before today), the 'inspirational' speech was good. The overal organization by USCIS left me wondering why I don't go help these guys out.
SO, my advice to anyone going to the next one.....
#1 ensure u get the descriptive piece of paper telling you to go Eats or West car park. Fromj where u get this, I can't tell you.
#2 go to the appropriate car park, *ignore* any line that may be formed (or *at least* put your family members in line while u walk to the front - make sure all cell phones are on so u can call them), go tot the top of the line and ask the dude if you can just walk on up, when he says yes (becasue he will, and did to me), call the fam, tell them to walk up with you. Tell people around you to do the same thing (stop being sheeple) and get inside.
#3 take some money - they sell kolaches, donuts and coffee and such.
#4 make sure the kids have something to do. and yes, u can bring in your own food and drink. NO bag searches of any kind were done.
If i've forgotten anything, its due to my fatigue any quesiton, definitely ping them thru and i'll answer as best as i can.
Steve (a new US citizen).
- Up at 5am, get the kids up at 5.30, out the door at 6am
- drive around the beltway (from Richmond/Katy area) to Aldine ISD location (~1hr), arrive just before 7am
- See everyone waiting in (long long) line in car park, join the line.
- HEar/see people talking about a form THAT I DIDN'T RECEIVE, that says if the last 3 digits of your A# are 0-499 then go to the East carpark, 500-999 go to West. By luck, we'd parked in West and my digits were for West.
- get to the top (or near enough) of the line. Sheriff or whoever tries to tell people (with no megaphone or anything) that you *DON'T* have to wait in line to go in, simply make sure you're ont he right side (they had desks set up to check people off to ensure they arrived). SO, 30 minutes of being a sheeple wasted - coulda/shoulda just walked on in. If they had posted just 2-5 signs along the pathway, *everyone* would have known what to do...... but noooo.
- sit for ***3 hours*** before ceremony starts. Ok, i get it, they had 2210 people there to become citizens, and then there were family members and all too, but seriosuly, you evere been to the football? or baseball? seriously more people there and much faster seating/preparation time.
- after the 3 hr wait, judge presides, says his thing, all very formal (basically 'court is in session'). We all say oath as a group. Cameras and video cameras all allowed to be running during the proceedings (so, in a way, not like court i guess).
- after the judge does his thing, we do our thing, judge welcomes us as US citizens, we get speech (sorta like at graduation) from prominent lawyer (whose parents were naturalized concentration camp survivors)
- then, like being in school *not allowed to leave* to get certificate - wait until your 'color' is called. So, when u signed in in the morning, u got your certificate # written on a sheet of paper, that was colored. This is the color u neeed to wait for. This took a while......
- in the end, because we waited to get photo taken with the judge, we walked out at 12.10..... U full 5 hours 20 mins after we had arrived.
- drive home for an hour and we'd made 6+ hours! yay me!
Overall, I liked the judge (heck, his mom was australian , as was I before today), the 'inspirational' speech was good. The overal organization by USCIS left me wondering why I don't go help these guys out.
SO, my advice to anyone going to the next one.....
#1 ensure u get the descriptive piece of paper telling you to go Eats or West car park. Fromj where u get this, I can't tell you.
#2 go to the appropriate car park, *ignore* any line that may be formed (or *at least* put your family members in line while u walk to the front - make sure all cell phones are on so u can call them), go tot the top of the line and ask the dude if you can just walk on up, when he says yes (becasue he will, and did to me), call the fam, tell them to walk up with you. Tell people around you to do the same thing (stop being sheeple) and get inside.
#3 take some money - they sell kolaches, donuts and coffee and such.
#4 make sure the kids have something to do. and yes, u can bring in your own food and drink. NO bag searches of any kind were done.
If i've forgotten anything, its due to my fatigue
any quesiton, definitely ping them thru and i'll answer as best as i can.Steve (a new US citizen).
@Advantage:
I could not have said it any better than stevefromtx. he basically said everything we (my wife and I and family friend who was with us in the ceremony) talked about among ourselves. if you want your life to be easier just follow his excellent advise.
The form that has the information of which parking lot to go to is the the same one that has the direction to the oath place. I was given that by hand along with the oath letter right after the interview. I assume others should have received by mail with their oath ceremony notice. it's not really a form, it's a photocopied pages that has the maps and the info. Frankly, I almost did not read the whole thing because I thought it is only given direction but it also tells you which parking lot/side of the building to go to based on the last 3 digits of your A number. Where you park does not matter, you can park on either side. The issue is to go through the entrance where your the table that has your certificate exists.
The line was a huge waste of time. they should have had more information (signs) to tell people just to go in.
if you are not overly concerned about being late, people were still coming in well after 8 and even 9. I did not look at my watch but the it did not seem that things settled in tell well after 9. The actual ceremony started around 10 if my estimation is correct. I personally did not wait to take the picture with the judge so I was out around 11:20.
I was planning to apply for passport the same day, but we had plans to have lunch with another friend in the Woodlands. By the time we were done with that it was after 1 pm and all acceptance locations close at 3. We called to check with the one close to my house but they said you need an appointment a week out. I started calling other locations further away and found one that accept walk ins. I made one mistake (I'll say just in case, you might not have made it). The first mail location said they only take checks so I ended up driving half an hour back to my house and half an hour to the place where I applied only to find that a debt card would have worked. That would have saved me a lot of time. but in the end, I applied for a passport (booklet and card) and paid for expedited (even though I'm not really in a hurry, but I will feel much better once I have the passport in hand). I"ve been told I will get back everything (including certificate) within two weeks.
Good luck to all. A few minor things left (update SS record, update employer)... but a 17 years journey is finally over.
I could not have said it any better than stevefromtx. he basically said everything we (my wife and I and family friend who was with us in the ceremony) talked about among ourselves. if you want your life to be easier just follow his excellent advise.
The form that has the information of which parking lot to go to is the the same one that has the direction to the oath place. I was given that by hand along with the oath letter right after the interview. I assume others should have received by mail with their oath ceremony notice. it's not really a form, it's a photocopied pages that has the maps and the info. Frankly, I almost did not read the whole thing because I thought it is only given direction but it also tells you which parking lot/side of the building to go to based on the last 3 digits of your A number. Where you park does not matter, you can park on either side. The issue is to go through the entrance where your the table that has your certificate exists.
The line was a huge waste of time. they should have had more information (signs) to tell people just to go in.
if you are not overly concerned about being late, people were still coming in well after 8 and even 9. I did not look at my watch but the it did not seem that things settled in tell well after 9. The actual ceremony started around 10 if my estimation is correct. I personally did not wait to take the picture with the judge so I was out around 11:20.
I was planning to apply for passport the same day, but we had plans to have lunch with another friend in the Woodlands. By the time we were done with that it was after 1 pm and all acceptance locations close at 3. We called to check with the one close to my house but they said you need an appointment a week out. I started calling other locations further away and found one that accept walk ins. I made one mistake (I'll say just in case, you might not have made it). The first mail location said they only take checks so I ended up driving half an hour back to my house and half an hour to the place where I applied only to find that a debt card would have worked. That would have saved me a lot of time. but in the end, I applied for a passport (booklet and card) and paid for expedited (even though I'm not really in a hurry, but I will feel much better once I have the passport in hand). I"ve been told I will get back everything (including certificate) within two weeks.
Good luck to all. A few minor things left (update SS record, update employer)... but a 17 years journey is finally over.
stevefromtx
Registered Users (C)
and this is where the USCIS let us (or at least *me*) down, I didn't receive that at all. The first I saw of that form was when i was being a sheeple and standing in line. FOr what it's worth, I *didn't* get my Oath Day letter in hand after the interview, it was mailed. If I were to go through the process again, I would be asking (politely) if I could get the letter in hand on the day.