Los Angeles, CA - N-400 Timeline
- Thread starter maheshgajanan
- Start date
OK, thanks for clarifying. I also noticed that the ILs seem to be printed around the 21st of the month (not sure when they are mailed exactly) but people with ILs printed on other dates have also been noted. I am not not expecting anything for a while, but it is nice to dream a little, that when I open my mailbox I will actually receive my IL.
iluvfra - yes, it will be quite a long wait, and for many it already has. I think in your case it will not be as long a wait as people who applied in August - December 2007. They will eventually get through the summer 2007 backlog, and after that things will go much faster. LA DO is predicting about 14 months, so if you applied in August 2007, you should theoretically be completed by October 2007. Once they hit August, it will be smoother sailing, and I think you will see that processing time go way down (simply because the number of applications received decreased substantially). You just applied (mid-May 2008), but my guess is that you will still receive an IL 9although perhaps not an ID) this year. Just a guess...
The ones who really got screwed in this whole mess are the ones who applied just after the fee increase. They paid a lot more money for the longest possible processing time.
Have there been any 2 month (or anything equally ridiculous) processing timeframes in LA, or is this strictly a NYC phenomenon?
nyc_naturalizer
Registered Users (C)
I couldn't agree more. It's hard to begrudge anyone getting through this mess quickly. But it's also hard not to feel that they're the ones benefitting from the fees that we paid.
i think the reason why so few new ILs reported on forums - is that a lot cases of July back log - are sent by people who don't routinely use Internet, who heard about fee increase on TV/paper etc.
the reason why there are many Aug-Sep-Oct-Nov filers on all forums, is because there was a delay in NOA1 and check cashing, so more then usual people googled and found forums to ask questions.
Vorpal, I don't remember any 2-3 month cases in LA DO, i remember one unusually short was Deena's boyfriend
It is 217 days or 7 months, 2 days
it was processed in January, when most cases getting ILs were Feb-March 07.
the reason why there are many Aug-Sep-Oct-Nov filers on all forums, is because there was a delay in NOA1 and check cashing, so more then usual people googled and found forums to ask questions.
Vorpal, I don't remember any 2-3 month cases in LA DO, i remember one unusually short was Deena's boyfriend
It is 217 days or 7 months, 2 days
it was processed in January, when most cases getting ILs were Feb-March 07.
Last edited by a moderator:
nyc_naturalizer
Registered Users (C)
I don't know if that's true. I've noticed a surprising number of applicants from recent months using the forums, even though most of them seem to have no problem getting processed in short order.
I do tend to think that the root of the problem goes back to the NOA and check delays, however (the so-called "frontlog"). Not because it pre-selects people who need forum support, but because we're all out there somewhere on "shrink-wrapped pallets."
centurycity
Registered Users (C)
Just had my interview
As others have contributed valuable reports after their Interviews, I will do the same:
My interview was scheduled at the Federal Building, 300 N. Los Angeles, at 7:30am. I arrived about 10 minutes early, I was called in a little after 8am. The security guard at the door was super nice, applicants inside seemed super nervous.
I was called in, the adjudications officer introduced himself, and swore me in before I event sat down. From there, it was just easy questions. Affirming all my answers on the N400 about my criminal record or criminal behavior, affiliation with enemies of the US, owing any taxes, etc. He just paged through my application and had me affirm my answers.
To show how easygoing he was: I wanted to correct a "travel outside the US" date that I was off on by one day in my application. I had brought a whole new official page to staple on, but he just wrote on my existing one with a red pen - no big deal.
On the page he was reading all my "travel outside the US" dates, there was a barcode sticker. He scanned it and my info came up on his screen - it looks like they already know the travel dates we've taken.
Next, he asked me to take some time to read the oath that I would swear by at the oath ceremony, asked if I was comfortable with it. I said yes, and signed and dated a folded sheet of paper with my name on it.
Next, he spoke aloud a sentence in English and had me write it out : "They live in a very big house."
I think that after that came the civics questions. I was all over them, I'd studied hard, he kind of laughed-
What are the colors of the flag?
How many branches of government are there?
What is the most important right granted to US citizens?
Who is the Commander-in-Chief of the United States military?
How many Supreme Court justices are there?
Who elects Congress?
What are some of the requirements to be eligible to become President?
After that, he said "OK, you passed," and handed me form N-652, which states the results of your Naturalization Interview.
The June oath ceremony is full, the next one is July 11th.
Because I'm traveling the week after 7/11, it wouldn't leave me enough time to get a US passport, and I wouldn't be allowed to travel with my other passport at that point. My officer recommended that I just use my native passport for my July trip, taking the next oath ceremony on August 13th. That was great advice, and I was happy he saved me the headache.
The official notice for the ceremony date will come in the mail.
I was pretty relaxed walking into the interview, although I had a couple question marks of nervousness. It was even friendlier and more laid-back than I thought it would be. I had brought a ton of supporting documents with me, none of which I needed. So the one word of advice I have to applicants, as long as your case isn't crazy complicated (in which case I wouldn't have experience to share): Relax.
But really, nothing about the interview was scary. The officers are nice, the questions are simple, and no one treats you like you don't belong there. Hallways are lined with American flags, everyone is friendly.
As others have contributed valuable reports after their Interviews, I will do the same:
My interview was scheduled at the Federal Building, 300 N. Los Angeles, at 7:30am. I arrived about 10 minutes early, I was called in a little after 8am. The security guard at the door was super nice, applicants inside seemed super nervous.
I was called in, the adjudications officer introduced himself, and swore me in before I event sat down. From there, it was just easy questions. Affirming all my answers on the N400 about my criminal record or criminal behavior, affiliation with enemies of the US, owing any taxes, etc. He just paged through my application and had me affirm my answers.
To show how easygoing he was: I wanted to correct a "travel outside the US" date that I was off on by one day in my application. I had brought a whole new official page to staple on, but he just wrote on my existing one with a red pen - no big deal.
On the page he was reading all my "travel outside the US" dates, there was a barcode sticker. He scanned it and my info came up on his screen - it looks like they already know the travel dates we've taken.
Next, he asked me to take some time to read the oath that I would swear by at the oath ceremony, asked if I was comfortable with it. I said yes, and signed and dated a folded sheet of paper with my name on it.
Next, he spoke aloud a sentence in English and had me write it out : "They live in a very big house."
I think that after that came the civics questions. I was all over them, I'd studied hard, he kind of laughed-
What are the colors of the flag?
How many branches of government are there?
What is the most important right granted to US citizens?
Who is the Commander-in-Chief of the United States military?
How many Supreme Court justices are there?
Who elects Congress?
What are some of the requirements to be eligible to become President?
After that, he said "OK, you passed," and handed me form N-652, which states the results of your Naturalization Interview.
The June oath ceremony is full, the next one is July 11th.
Because I'm traveling the week after 7/11, it wouldn't leave me enough time to get a US passport, and I wouldn't be allowed to travel with my other passport at that point. My officer recommended that I just use my native passport for my July trip, taking the next oath ceremony on August 13th. That was great advice, and I was happy he saved me the headache.
The official notice for the ceremony date will come in the mail.
I was pretty relaxed walking into the interview, although I had a couple question marks of nervousness. It was even friendlier and more laid-back than I thought it would be. I had brought a ton of supporting documents with me, none of which I needed. So the one word of advice I have to applicants, as long as your case isn't crazy complicated (in which case I wouldn't have experience to share): Relax.
But really, nothing about the interview was scary. The officers are nice, the questions are simple, and no one treats you like you don't belong there. Hallways are lined with American flags, everyone is friendly.
Hi citizen2008,
Today I heard the same thing from IO when I called the customer service. I can not believe it when I heard that I'm stuck in "Name Check". I have a very rare name and I never thought It will be an issue.
Wish we could do somehting to speed things up.
Just talked to IO for first time (1-2-6 and escalated)- he said i was placed in the waitlist for interview and "could receive interview notice anytime" but it doesn't mean that I cleared a namecheck and it's still being processed. 
and he also has no estimated timeframe, just call back.
i guess from now on i will be collecting different answers too...
and he also has no estimated timeframe, just call back.i guess from now on i will be collecting different answers too...
nyc_naturalizer
Registered Users (C)
Just talked to IO for first time (1-2-6 and escalated)- he said i was placed in the waitlist for interview and "could receive interview notice anytime" but it doesn't mean that I cleared a namecheck and it's still being processed.
i guess from now on i will be collecting different answers too...
Sounds like this one IO already gave you three different (and contradictory) answers:
1. That you're in queue for interview, ie, that you have cleared namecheck;
2. That you haven't necessarily cleared namecheck;
3. That your namecheck is "being processed", ie, that you definitely haven't cleared namecheck yet.
I'd say he had no idea what he was talking about.
citizen2008
Registered Users (C)
Hey do you want to consider doing a "writ of mandamus" with me? I am thinking of doing it as soon as possible. From what I have heard cases that are pending for 1 year is good candidates to be approved by the court. The courts can compel the USCIS to adjudicate normally within 90 days. I heard it takes anywhere from $2,500 to $6,000 to do the WOM. If we can gather a few people, the portion we have to pay each person may be considerably low. I have had enough of USCIS, the statistics they publish seems like empty excuses. From what I know congress is not really pushing to hold them accountable. They need to do more but we can not wait for them to act. We have the legal remedy on our side. I do not want to wait any further and I am actually looking to see if I can WOM them but what I have heard WAIT TIME of only over 7 months for me is not a good enough excuse to convince the judge that I have suffered enough, 1 year seems to be a good time frame, but I want to prepare, the attorney and the funding and the paper trails and actually planning to submit the Case on oct 4,2008 right at the 1 year mark. If within this time I get interview, then its all good, or else I am going to go ahead.
Do you want to keep in touch with the possibility of doing the court case togather?
Last edited by a moderator:
the only reason to call 800 and escalate - is to make sure that IL (if it was sent) wasn't lost in mail, for that purpose i guess calling once a month (like around 1st when ILs are all issued) - is sufficient, he told me with a confident voice - that there was nothing issued or mailed to me. besides mailed letters, IOs too seem to have no info about interview lists or namechecks, so they give generic answers.
Last edited by a moderator:
I am willing to participate, but i cant contribute much to the lawyer fee's total, so if we do it, we'd need a lot of people to file together so it's cheaper for everybody.
citizen2008
Registered Users (C)
Great
WOM might be an option, but we have to think about when we should file it. I don't know much about WOM, is it too early to file it? Since our case is still within USCIS projection time frame. On the other side, the USCIS and FBI joint statement projected to get all of one year old name check cleared by November. Should we wait for a couple of monthes to see if they can keep their promise to clear 3 and 2 years name check by July?
I will do more homework on WOM, please keep in touch.
Manlika2004
Registered Users (C)
Just talked to IO for first time (1-2-6 and escalated)- he said i was placed in the waitlist for interview and "could receive interview notice anytime" but it doesn't mean that I cleared a namecheck and it's still being processed.
i guess from now on i will be collecting different answers too...
Did you call on the customer service number, 800-375-5283? I tried that number and kept getting referred to more recordings. Never got an option to speak with a human. The system wanted my Receipt Number at every turn and since it has never been entered into the system I could get nowhere.
citizen2008
Registered Users (C)
I have been reading this forum for a long time, and from what I have learned USCIS repeatedly promises and breaks it. So I myself personally do not think I should wait to file WOM. If I thought filing a WOM today with a WAIT TIME of 7 months, would produce a possitive outcome, I would have done it by now. I am going to file it as soon as I find out a favorable case that supports my cause but I know for FACT that waiting for 1 year is a good enough reason for the court to accept. I need a lawyer now though. Preparing paperwork for my CASE would probably take a month or so for the lawyer anyways, so I think I should get started NOW even though the time to file (approximate Oct4, 2008) is still 3.5 months away but I am going to concentrate on that rather than watching USCIS actions which I have little faith in after what I have seen over the last one year.
Last edited by a moderator: