This is my experience with Chicago center (ongoing). I applied in October 2003, fingerprints - December 2003, interview scheduled for May 2004. Not bad, I thought. Much faster than I expected. The interview was no sweat. The questions are the same ones as in the study manual. Some questions about my application. Two questions about my desire to serve in the US Army if there is a need.
And then... The officer congratulates me on passing this part of the intervew, but unfortunately... um... the name check hasn't been cleared yet. So, it'll be two years this May. I do, however, know several people, who didn't have any problems (also in Chicago), but actually got naturalized extremely fast.
This is what I've done to remedy my case (with no effect):
1. got help from representative (Rahm Emmanuel). He was helpful, sent monthly inquiries to the INS, and they replied with automated letters - it's beyond their control, outside agencies are conducting the check and all that bull. The letters were the same every month, so I got to memorize them, or rather it - they were exact copies of one letter.
2. infopass interview. That was definitely time wasted. An official with an attitude read outloud THAT SAME LETTER to me, which I already knew by heart. The situation was absolutely ridiculous, as he was reading to me from the letter and refused to answer questions, for example:
Clerk: "Please, understand, that it may take more than 6 mohths to complete your name check".
I: "But it has been a year. What do I do in this case?"
Clerk: "Like I said, PLEASE, understand that it may take more than 6 months to complete your name check..."
You get the picture. Of course, he didn't answer a single question. It was like talking to a parrot in a cage, only this parrot had a lot of attitude, and I had no rights at all. He yelled "Next!", and that was my queue to leave.
That was pretty humiliating, and I, like many people, decided to wait with the hope that sooner or later the name check will be completed. But, judging by the posts on this site, in this particular case (name check pending) - waiting doesn't produce any results. If you don't press, NOTHING happens. Some people on this site have been waiting longer than I have.
I'll read some more on this site before deciding what to do next. I wish to find other "namecheckpending" sufferers from the Chicago area so we could combine forces. One of my friends (from another state) who is also waiting on her security clearance, predicted this: considering that the number of people stuck in the name check is growing every day and that both INS and FBI are grossly understaffed, this will continue until it can't go unnoticed anymore. When the number of people hanging between the interview and the oath exeeds any possible limits, someone in power will HAVE TO PAY ATTENTON. By that time, the issue will be very public. Once it becomes public, it'll have to be dealt with.
Yeah, but how many years are we talking?
And then... The officer congratulates me on passing this part of the intervew, but unfortunately... um... the name check hasn't been cleared yet. So, it'll be two years this May. I do, however, know several people, who didn't have any problems (also in Chicago), but actually got naturalized extremely fast.
This is what I've done to remedy my case (with no effect):
1. got help from representative (Rahm Emmanuel). He was helpful, sent monthly inquiries to the INS, and they replied with automated letters - it's beyond their control, outside agencies are conducting the check and all that bull. The letters were the same every month, so I got to memorize them, or rather it - they were exact copies of one letter.
2. infopass interview. That was definitely time wasted. An official with an attitude read outloud THAT SAME LETTER to me, which I already knew by heart. The situation was absolutely ridiculous, as he was reading to me from the letter and refused to answer questions, for example:
Clerk: "Please, understand, that it may take more than 6 mohths to complete your name check".
I: "But it has been a year. What do I do in this case?"
Clerk: "Like I said, PLEASE, understand that it may take more than 6 months to complete your name check..."
You get the picture. Of course, he didn't answer a single question. It was like talking to a parrot in a cage, only this parrot had a lot of attitude, and I had no rights at all. He yelled "Next!", and that was my queue to leave.
That was pretty humiliating, and I, like many people, decided to wait with the hope that sooner or later the name check will be completed. But, judging by the posts on this site, in this particular case (name check pending) - waiting doesn't produce any results. If you don't press, NOTHING happens. Some people on this site have been waiting longer than I have.
I'll read some more on this site before deciding what to do next. I wish to find other "namecheckpending" sufferers from the Chicago area so we could combine forces. One of my friends (from another state) who is also waiting on her security clearance, predicted this: considering that the number of people stuck in the name check is growing every day and that both INS and FBI are grossly understaffed, this will continue until it can't go unnoticed anymore. When the number of people hanging between the interview and the oath exeeds any possible limits, someone in power will HAVE TO PAY ATTENTON. By that time, the issue will be very public. Once it becomes public, it'll have to be dealt with.
Yeah, but how many years are we talking?