I just want to share my timeline for Citizenship processing. It has been a nerv-racking 10 months. But the good news is that it is about to finish with a high note.
Application Process:
PR Since Nov., 2001
DO: Los Angeles, CA
Application mailed: 08/06
Priority & Received Date: 08/10/06
FP Notice Rc'd: 09/06
FP Date: 09/06
IL Rc'd: 05/23/07
Interview Date and Oath Letter: 07/05/07
Oath Ceremony Date: 07/26/07
My experience is slower than most of the people posting here. That's why I got nervous in the beginning of the year and started Infopass, Congress Woman contact, etc., with no use. I also went to an immigration session hosted by local congress woman, together with USCIS people, to chat with them. But all information pointed toward FBI Background check as the culprit. And all of them said that there is not much I or they can do except constant followup. I was considering the possibility of a lawsuit after a year.
However, I finally got the notice to appear for citizenship interview during my vacation in China! I just couldn't believe it, as it had been more than 9 months and I though I would be the ones who slipped into the blackhole that is FBI background check. It is relieving and perplexing to me that they, somehow, digged me out of this hole and showed me the light at the end of the tunnel.
I had been checking USCIS case status online every few days since the start. But it has been useless. It has never being updated after the initial notice, nor disappear, made me wondering if indeed my background check was completed. Being in the hole for too long, I was afraid to find that out through Infopass and instead opted to wait for the interview.
Actually the interview day went pretty smooth, to my delight. It was conducted on the 5th in the downtown LA Federal building. I arrived 20 minutes before the scheduled time (8:45), and waited 35 minutes. Was greeted by a happy IO who exchanged the impressions of the fireworks last night with me. I wanted to tell him that I was preparing for the civic lesson at the time.
The process was as described by others, started by a sworn in statement that I will only tell the truth. Then he went through the N-400, using red inks to mark those that are passed. I have gotten a daughter and a trip to China during the period, so they were added. Regarding the traffic tickets, he stated that he doesn't need them unless they became warrants, which means I didn't pay for them and obviously that was not the case. The communist party and terrorist org question is the one that I remembered specifically.
After that, the civic questions and english are pretty simple and straight forward. I really wasted my time trying to remember all the 13 states' names.
However, I do think the 100 questions are all that you need and nothing more...
Then he congratulated me for passing the interview and handed me the letter stating his name, date and recommendation for approval. Now comes the interesting part: He explained to me that he is going to give me choices regarding the Oath letter, either get them after two hours or go home to wait for it. He said that the reason for that was because the non-attendance rate of last few ceremonies were high and his boss was not happy. Turned out that many were still waiting for the letter that was a no-show in their mailbox. So the boss said that, no matter if it is USCIS' scheduler's problem or the USPS problem, or even the candidates' problem, they have to fix it. Thus they are providing us the choices now. I was truthful when I told him that I like his boss...
So here I am, after 10+ months, with an oath letter in hand, and a ceremony date just close enough to the 7/30th so I can file my wife and family's I-130s, etc., in time to avoid the higher rate. I am very close to nirvana now...
Thanks for all of you who have posted here and I wish those who are still waiting for the background check to be cleared the best of lucks. Hang on there and someone will dig you out.
