New York City - N-400 Timeline - Naturalization Experiences

dominican_guy said:
hey anyone ive just notice in my interview letter says to show proof that i register for selective service which i did. what kind of proof are they asking? does anyone knows?
please get back to me asp my interview is in 2 days
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Yes - they asked me for proof of registration when I had my interview. It's too late for you to request the form they send you in the mail, but you can still go to the selective service website and print out the confirmation. That should be enough, I would think.

Note: I am apparently not allowed to post URLs but go to www (dot) sss (dot) gov and click on "check a registration"
 
hey let me tell you guys my experience today at federal plaza, the interview went well I was over prepair for the whole thing everything was ok I passed the test but I wasnt prove citizenship because according to the officer Im already a US citizen because of my mom long story short my mom became a citizen back in 2000 I was not living here at the time i was back home country, when she became a citizen she petition me to get my green card now he say im a US citizen because of her when they told her I only could get GC at the time I dont understand this now the officer says He need to see if im actualy a citizen and in case I am he say they are going to denied my application and that i need to filled Form N-600 which mean Ill have to pay again I dont know what to do any ideas...

NEW YORK brooklyn
Sent N-400 05/30/2009
FL - 06/16/09
FPD - 06/26/09
IL:-08/01/2009
ID: - 09/17/09 - decision could not be made at this time.
OL: xx/xx/xx
OD: xx/xx/xx
PP: xx/xx/xx (applied)
PP: xx/xx/xx (received
 
Yes. Individuals from Queens, Brooklyn, Nassau and Suffolk get Graden City. Rest counties in NYC area are assigned to Federal Plaza.

But, I was always under impression that Federal Plaza has more cases to handle than Garden City.
 
N400 denial and appeal

Hello All,
Does anyone have an idea what happens when you write to your congressmen after wrong decision from the USCIS, and how long does it take for them to contact you?
For those who have not read my posts i will say that i was denied, because of my investment property. IO decided i do not live with my husband, although all documents and everything go to our house and we are living together. Unfortunately i showed as a co-owner of an investment property currently 100% tenant - occupied with leases in place, rent receipts and even our bank statements showing the exact rent, being depositet every month. We decided to appeal in July and still have not heard anything, went for Infopass and were not allowed to speak to an officer. We even gathered all bills from our tenants ( coned, cable and phone) and brought them to the infopass appointment but were told we can not leave them, instead we need to make an appointment for an interview. Everybody was so rude and unhelpfull. So, we decided to get our congresswoman involved. Now just waiting. Can anyone share a story or at least help with advise, if they heard of or had a similar situation.
Thanks
 
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when i went for my interview before the officer couldnt give me a decision on my case right there because according to him Im already a citizen, this is what i dont get he told me that i was goin to recieve eather an OL or a denied letter to whatever direction the case was goin now i recieve another interview letter he wants to see my mom taxes from 2001 to 2007 and to show as much proof of her been my legal guardian all this years I have no dad im son of single mom there is no father on my birth certificate of course she has always been my legal guardian any body have any ideas on why they want to see me again with all this information,
-------------------------
NEW YORK brooklyn
Sent N-400 05/30/2009
FL - 06/16/09
FPD - 06/26/09
IL:-08/01/2009
ID: - 09/17/09 - decision could not be made at this time.
2nd interview- 10/19/2009
OL: xx/xx/xx
OD: xx/xx/xx
PP: xx/xx/xx (applied)
PP: xx/xx/xx (received
 
Thank you all

Hi-

I just had my interview/test today and passed. Had I not read through this forum last night, I would not have had all the paperwork with me (the "Documents to bring" letter is clearly not up to date)...but, thanks to you all, I did. Now I'm just waiting for my oath letter in the mail. Phew! So glad I'm almost done with USCIS.

The test was easy (as expected) and the IO who interviewed me nice and polite (I was nervous about this); he made me feel very comfortable. I waited for 2 hours (which tested my patience): my appointment was at 1:25 (I arrived 30 minutes earlier) and was called in at 3pm. 25 minutes later, it was over.

Some details:
I've been in the US since 2000, got my GC in 2006 through marriage. Here's the timeline for the citizenship (not bad at all):

7/23/2009: Sent N-400 (Lewisville, TX)
8/20/2009: FP Date
10/22/2009: Interview Date
XX/XX/XXXX: Oath Date

THANKS AGAIN FOR ALL THE INFO PROVIDED ON THIS SITE!!
 
Yes, my interview was at 26 Federal Plaza, on the 7th floor. They did not give me the oath letter; it's coming in the mail. I asked the IO how long it would be between the interview and oath ceremony and he said a few weeks. Then he laughed and said "but I tell this to people and then they start calling after a couple of weeks." He was definitely a more senior person (his title was not IO, it was something else with a Senior in it) and quite relaxed - but he had a new person sitting in for my interview, so he did go through my paperwork quite carefully. BUT, since I had my stuff in order (and WITH ME - thanks to y'all), it was fine.
 
Had interview at Federal Plaza today.

Officer was polite and professional - we even engaged in some small chat.
She asked for Green Card, Passports, Driver's Licenses, Social Security Card. I also gave her my selective service letter although it looks like she was fine with looking at my passports to verify that I was only in the US in nonimmigrant status before I was 26.
I brought along copies of everything, which turned out to be really helpful - she took all the copies and put it in the file.
She also didn't like the photos I submitted and asked me for new ones (the ones she didn't like were returned to me - I think it was because it was too glossy for me to sign on).
I also noticed that she did a name check on me using her computer on the spot (some of my documents had slight variations of my name), so it appears that USCIS has some kind of access to some name check system.
I did get one of the civics questions wrong though - couldn't remember the exact answer to the role of the Cabinet (I said it was part of the executive branch, which I think is correct but that was not the answer in the book).

They are doing same day oath letters at Federal Plaza ... but ... it take over 3 hours to get the letter! I was one of the last to be interviewed and I waited 3 hours - I think there were people there who waited longer for the interview letter. The room was clearly full of very irate people trying their best not to show their irritation. It was a in-the-face reminder why governments should not be trusted to run anything - they just don't have an incentive to be efficient!

Also, there were people taking oaths at Federal Plaza ... I was not sure if they came in just for the oath, or if they were actually interviewed today and maybe asked to be sworn in on the same day. The oaths were done one-on-one in hallways of some cubicles which people in the waiting room have a view of.
 
Having Oath Notice on the same day of interview depends on the interviewing officer. Some officers prefer to take care of the matter same day; while other officers like to do things later on by mail. Previously no oath notice used to be given in person but lately this office does provide oath notice on the same day but then it depends on each individual officer. There are many cases reported lately on various immigration forums about having the oath notice in person on the same day of interview in Garden City office.

As for worrying about the processing of application before 4-5 months then I've nothing else to say except that a year or so ago it was taking 8-12 months...So if it takes 4-6 months then it's still a good sign of progress...Besides, there is nothing anyone can do when it comes to the processing of the application.


usnycus said:
As far as I know, your understanding is correct.
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JohnnyCash said:
........................

As for worrying about the processing of application before 4-5 months then I've nothing else to say except that a year or so ago it was taking 8-12 months...So if it takes 4-6 months then it's still a good sign of progress...Besides, there is nothing anyone can do when it comes to the processing of the application.
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I agree. Useless to worry. :eek:

I am not worried or having sleepless night for naturalization: :cool:

It is just that lengthy process in Garden City is now interfering with my travel plans.

When I started (in July 2009), I was expecting to get over with the process in 3 months. Majority of the DO were/are in that time frame. And, that would have given me enough time to go complete US passport and Indian OCI process. Now I realized that Garden City timing is different, and six month (from start to finish) is normal. If I am lucky, I may get interview before December 2009 and Oath sometime in Jan 2010.

With given scenario, I may postpone interview (if it gets delayed beyond Dec 2009) or Oath as I am planning a trip to India in Jan 2010.

And, with the speed they are processing application in Garden city, looks like probability of reschedule is 99%. :)
 
JohnnyCash said:
As for worrying about the processing of application before 4-5 months then I've nothing else to say except that a year or so ago it was taking 8-12 months...So if it takes 4-6 months then it's still a good sign of progress...Besides, there is nothing anyone can do when it comes to the processing of the application.
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It's not worrisome, just annoying because like others, it is interfering with my travel plans significantly. And like others, I also expected it to be much quicker because of what I had read about other people's experiences at different DOs. Oh well.
 
Almost everyone, if not all, who files for US citizenship, wishes to become US citizen as soon as possible AND everyone has their own reasoning for wishing so. Some want for traveling, while others want to sponsor their loved-ones.

4-5 years ago when process used to take 2 years to complete, applicants also had pressing need to become a citizen as soon as possible. And even if USCIS will curtail the processing time in the future to wrap the application within 2 weeks, applicants would still wish to get over with it quickly. One shouldn't timeline their case based on others. Each case is different like each immigration officer is different. The processing on an application could stop or delay for so many reasons.

One should not expect everything to be done on so and so date so that they could plan things out because you never know. Some officers deny the application for stupid reason which will force to appeal the decision...which means extra 6-8 months. Some officers could ask some documents which applicants might not carry at the interview which could delay the decision on the application for 3-5 months. And then delay in taking oath could also happen. And OCI takes at least 6-8 weeks.

Believe it or not, Garden city office is fairly reasonable in processing the application given the volume of applications they handle each day. When you go for your interview there, you will see how many applicants they interview each day, which is not the same for other DO in the country.

Patience is the name of the game, especially when it comes to dealing with USCIS.



usnycus said:
I agree. Useless to worry. :eek:

I am not worried or having sleepless night for naturalization: :cool:

It is just that lengthy process in Garden City is now interfering with my travel plans.

When I started (in July 2009), I was expecting to get over with the process in 3 months. Majority of the DO were/are in that time frame. And, that would have given me enough time to go complete US passport and Indian OCI process. Now I realized that Garden City timing is different, and six month (from start to finish) is normal. If I am lucky, I may get interview before December 2009 and Oath sometime in Jan 2010.

With given scenario, I may postpone interview (if it gets delayed beyond Dec 2009) or Oath as I am planning a trip to India in Jan 2010.

And, with the speed they are processing application in Garden city, looks like probability of reschedule is 99%. :)
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sarrebal said:
If my oath is at 8, I count to be done by 10:30 and run there.
I'll have same day proof of travel, I hope they'll be understanding.
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There's no question of understanding. Some things are feasible, some are not. First of all, there is a minimum time to do a work. Then the agent who accept your passport applications do just that - accept applications. A different group will process the passports. They have their work cut out - there might be another 100 passports they already received during the day, plus backlog from previous days. I think they pick up all applications at 1030 (or maybe a diff time depending on the load), and once they are gone for processing, they do not send more. Of course, the agent might be helpful and offer to send your file for processing, but it would have to be A) dire circumstance like a life and death emergency rather than a planned trip, and B) agent will have to be really helpful. Also, life and death emergency cases are handled a bit differently, so they may not entertain them if you took an appointment 5 days earlier.

It is very likely that the agent would be really helpful and everything works perfectly, but if I had to count on clockwork precision to make a flight, I would rather postpone the oath or the trip.
 
sarrebal said:
I don't have a source.
I know for a fact that all oaths in Manhattan are done on Fridays, so Nov 13 and Nov 20 should be the next dates.
I know that oaths in Brooklyn are on Thursdays also.
And Dec 7 is the date I'm back from my trip so I was just saying that I would ask for a date after Dec 7 (which is a Monday).
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Brooklyn oaths are also held on Tuesdays.
 
pinnacle_man said:
I had to travel for a period of 2 weeks from the time I sent my application and my interview date (scheduled for next week). I returned from my travel yesterday. What is the process to update my travel information in the n400 form? Should I just update the previous form that I had sent and take a copy with me?
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I had 3 international trips since I sent in my application. I'll just tell the officer at the interview and he will update the sheet.
 
Hello Guys!
Please Help or Explain !!!
I just checked my Case Status on USCIS site, and it says :
"Request for Evidence" - study :(
"On September 28, 2009, we mailed a notice requesting additional evidence or information in this case N400 APPLICATION FOR NATURALIZATION. Please follow the instructions on the notice to submit the requested information. This case will be in suspense until we receive the evidence or the opportunity to submit it expires......"
The think is - I DID NOT RECEIVED ANY "REQUESTS of EVIDENCE"!
At the same time I checked that "finger print note" was mailed from them approximately on this date September 28.
The question is - Could it be mistake with the "case status" they giving, or it's time to worry about it???
Thank you in advance!!!
 
forgetaboutit said:
Hello Guys!
Please Help or Explain !!!
I just checked my Case Status on USCIS site, and it says :
"Request for Evidence" - study :(
"On September 28, 2009, we mailed a notice requesting additional evidence or information in this case N400 APPLICATION FOR NATURALIZATION. Please follow the instructions on the notice to submit the requested information. This case will be in suspense until we receive the evidence or the opportunity to submit it expires......"
The think is - I DID NOT RECEIVED ANY "REQUESTS of EVIDENCE"!
At the same time I checked that "finger print note" was mailed from them approximately on this date September 28.
The question is - Could it be mistake with the "case status" they giving, or it's time to worry about it???
Thank you in advance!!!
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It's your FP notice.
Relax, everything is fine, everybody got the RFE email lately...
 
Sarrabel -

CONGRATULATIONS.
1) Could you please share your experience?
2) Also, could you let me know, what you had to do to report your recent international travel from the time you had applied n400?
3) Did you have any speeding tickets? If so did you report it either in the form or during the interview?
4) Did you request for Oath letter the same day? Or is it the norm in this office?
5) Did you carry your cell phone? Is there a place for storing this, if not allowed to take it with you for the interview?

Thank you,
 
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