My wife and myself have different FP dates... experts please help/suggest

[Aakash28]

I know that there has been discussions about walk-ins but I am still confused regarding my situation..

I mailed in both my wife's and my own application in separate envelopes. The certified mail tracking number showed that my wife's application was received a day earlier than mine. Our priority dates on the receipt notices showed up as 03/02/2012 and 03/05/2012 for my wife and myself resp. I was hoping that our FP and interview dates will be the same. But recently got notices specifying my wife's FP appt. date of 04/18/2012 and mine 04/23/2012.

Now I am confused as I wanted to have both me and my wife scheduled for both FP and later interview for the same dates. It is almost a 2 hour drive to ASC and besides the obvious 2 trip burden, I do not wan't our applications to be processed so far apart, by probably 2 different IOs.

Is it OK if USCIS is processing our applications so far apart, probably by 2 different IOs..? Why would they schedule our FP separately? Would this mean that they can schedule out interviews also separately?

Would it be OK that on 04/18/2012 when I will drive my wife to ASC, to ask them that being her husband if they can do my FP as well because I would like our cases to proceed simultaneously next to each other? How should I approach this.

How can i make sure that the our interviews get scheduled on the same date by the same IO?

I am also wondering.. If luckily they take my FP alongwith my wife... then would'nt it contradict what they specify in the FP notice... that if you fail to appear as scheduled (which i will if I do FP on 4/18/2012 instead of 4/23/2012) below or fail to reschedule, your application will be considered abandoned. In other words, can they consider my application abandoned if I get my FP done on 4/18/2012 instead of their scheduled 4/23/12?

One other thing that's bothering me is incase I get my FP done on 4/18/12 alongwith my wife... than my case will also be considered a walk-in FP.. Earlier walk-ins seems to delay rather than hasten the citizenship process.. It looks like people get scheduled for interview only after their actual FP date as per notice despite earlier walk-ins..

Experts please suggest.

Thanks

 

[Marusia_GC]

My son and I also had FP scheduled on different dates. We live 2 hours drive from St Louis, and my son had an exam in University the same day as his FP interview, which he could not miss or reschedule. We decided to go for FP together on the day when my FP was scheduled ( two days earlier than his). Basically he had a "walk-in" FP. We did not have any problems with this - just came, they took our FP letters, asked to fill a form, and then biometrics were done. We even did not have to explain anything to the staff at this FP office!

 

[jack.k]

I don't know where you live, I'm from Southern California. My mother and I had separate applications. What I did was send it together in the same package with a letter asking to be scheduled together for the entire process. I also live far, far away. For the FP we were scheduled together. But my mother's FP was rejected, so she got another appointment in the mail, which was 2 weeks away. What I did was take her the next day, the guard and the person who did the biometrics didn't care about the appointment date (I don't know if they are lenient or they didn't notice as we didn't say anything obviously).

As for the interview, our dates were ONE day apart. USCIS doesn't seem to use any logic. What I did was call the customer service and explain my mother, who is elderly, and would want to be scheduled at the same day. The representative made a request to the office for such an accommodation, and a few days later I received an email that my mother can be interviewed on my appointment date. I printed that email out to show it when I went to the interview. No problem.

I'm almost certain they will schedule a marriage based application to be interviewed on the same date. If not just give them a call and make an accommodation. After spending so much $$$ it's the least they can do. Good luck!

 

[Marusia_GC]

If you look at the signatures of people in this forum, you will see that many people do walk-in FP to expedite their naturalization process. Walk-ins mean that people just come and do FP any time after they receive FP letters. It looks like it works well almost everywhere. However, I read in this forum that in San Jose they stopped accepting walk-ins. So just to be on a safe side, it is better to give them a call in advance.

 

[Jackolantern]

Why would they schedule our FP separately?

Why not? The applications were mailed separately and arrived on separate days. They're not going to go out of their way to check if every single applicant has a spouse who applied separately.

Would it be OK that on 04/18/2012 when I will drive my wife to ASC, to ask them that being her husband if they can do my FP as well because I would like our cases to proceed simultaneously next to each other?

When you're at the ASC don't ask them that, just hand over the appointment notices and act as if nothing is wrong. If you don't mention the different dates, they probably won't care or notice. Only if they make an issue of it, then you can explain the situation and ask them to let both of you give FP.

How can i make sure that the our interviews get scheduled on the same date by the same IO?

You can't make sure that will happen. Even if they schedule your interviews for the same day, it probably won't be by the same IO.

 

[Aakash28]

Do they allow walk-ins at Syracuse, NY? Is there a way to find out?

Does the interview normally gets scheduled at the same place as where the FP are done? It seems like our interview will be held at some other place. Syracuse seems to be just for taking FPs.

If later my wife and my interview dates also end up being different, than is there a way we can get our interview dates to be on the same date.., when will be appropriate time to ask for this, and to whom (what number) can i request for such a change, if possible?

Also incase we end with different interview dates, then do they allow husband to sit with his wife at the time of wife's interview and vice versa..?

I personally do not know of anyone who have had family members interviews scheduled for different dates, or with different IOs when they are applying at the same time. Are there many others like myself where even though family members apply at the same time yet their interview dates end up being different.

It will be very inconvienient for us to face 2 different IOs on different dates.. come up all well prepared.. Is there no solution.. and will have to leave everything to chance.


Thanks

 

[baikal3]

Does the interview normally gets scheduled at the same place as where the FP are done?

Not necessarily. The interview and the FP are fairly frequently scheduled in different places. Nothing unusual about that.

If later my wife and my interview dates also end up being different, than is there a way we can get our interview dates to be on the same date.

Not really. N-400 applications are processed and adjudicated individually, not jointly. If a husband and a wife submit their applications in the same envelope, with a cover letter asking that they be adjudicated synchronously, USCIS will make some minimal effort to follow that request, but only up to a point. However, if the N-400 applications have been submitted in separate letters, there is not much you can do to synchronize their processing.

Also incase we end with different interview dates, then do they allow husband to sit with his wife at the time of wife's interview and vice versa..?

No. Interviews are conducted individually. Even if yours and your wife's interviews are on the same day, you will not be allowed to sit with your wife at her interview and she will not be allowed to sit at yours. You'll have to stay in the waiting area while she is interviewed.

Are there many others like myself where even though family members apply at the same time yet their interview dates end up being different.

Again, there is absolutely nothing unusual about that. N-400 cases are processed and adjudicated individually, not jointly and even if they are filed on the same day, the interviews may be days, weeks or months apart. It all depends on how quickly the various processing steps are completed on each application by USCIS (assembling the A-file, checking immigration history, FBI Name Check, etc etc).

 

[jack.k]

Do they allow walk-ins at Syracuse, NY? Is there a way to find out?

Does the interview normally gets scheduled at the same place as where the FP are done? It seems like our interview will be held at some other place. Syracuse seems to be just for taking FPs.

If later my wife and my interview dates also end up being different, than is there a way we can get our interview dates to be on the same date.., when will be appropriate time to ask for this, and to whom (what number) can i request for such a change, if possible?

Also incase we end with different interview dates, then do they allow husband to sit with his wife at the time of wife's interview and vice versa..?

I personally do not know of anyone who have had family members interviews scheduled for different dates, or with different IOs when they are applying at the same time. Are there many others like myself where even though family members apply at the same time yet their interview dates end up being different.

It will be very inconvienient for us to face 2 different IOs on different dates.. come up all well prepared.. Is there no solution.. and will have to leave everything to chance.


Thanks

What I suggest is just taking your wife with you on your FP appointment date. Don't mention that her appointment is another day. If they refuse and not budge, then you can't do anything but at least you tried.

In regards to interview dates, if you happen to receive different dates, just call the USCIS customer service number, they are friendly. I don't know about you or your wife, but if you can make a convincing accommodation request, they will allow you to go together.

The government doesn't care if you are inconvenienced. You just have to work around it sometimes and help yourself.

Of course I don't know your exact situation and your case, this is just my opinion.