San Jose, CA - N-400 Timeline

bhawna said:
Hello.

Here are my case details and trips outside US:

I got my GC in March 2002.
And here are my trips abroad for personal reasons.
April 2002 to August 2002 (5 months)
June 2003 (1 month)
Nov and Dec 2003 (1 month)
Feb 2004 (1.5 months)
June 2005 ( 2 weeks)

Even with these trips, I have calculated that I meet the physical presence and continuous presence requirement completely until April 2006 and become eligible to apply for US citizenship by March 2007.

April 2006 onwards I am pursuing a 2 year Master's program in Germany. I have the Travel document for 2 years (valid until May 2008). But I am still making trips back to the US every 6 months.
Therefore I returned to the US as follows
August 2006 for 2 weeks (under 5 months)
Feb 2007 for 2.5 weeks (under 6 months)

And now I am due to return by Aug 17.

Now I have 2 questions:
1. I would have returned much earlier but my father got diagonised due to cancer. Because if which I could not return until now and have to stay in India.
Now the only ticks that are available are after Aug 22 which makes me overdue by a few days. But shouldn't this be OK if I have a 2 year travel document? Which means that I dont need to return to the US at all for 2 years, but I can if I choose to do so??

2. If I am late by a few days ie I return on Aug 24th, should this be OK while filing for N400 since I have the travel document?

I had checked with a lawyer in SF regarding applying for the Master's program and he said it was ok, so long as I have met the physical and continuous presence requirements and I have a travel document and I keep returning every 6 months. Then there should be no problem while applying for US citizenship.

Now it seems like this time I may not be able to come back within 6 months and there might be a delay for a few days.
I am wondering if that is OK, since I have a travel document?

Any inputs will be great...........
And good luck ye all for ur processes.....
Bhawna
Click to expand...

This is what the guide to naturalization has to say about this:
"NOTE: An absence from the United States for 1 year or more will
break your continuous residence. You may keep your continuous
residence if you have had at least 1 year of unbroken continuous
residence since becoming a Permanent Resident and you get an
approved Form N-470 before you have been out of the United
States for 1 year"

I am not sure what the 1 year of unbroken continuous residence means, on the one hand I would think it means one year without trips out of the country, but it could also mean one year without trips of six months or more (which would break continuous residence). Probably the latter. So you probably will be fine.
 
loveduser said:
Does Jeans and Collar T-Shirt with sneakers work?
Or should we be atleast be in Business Casual. Assuming suit is not mandatory for this.

I need to search for my leather shoe now :)

Thanks in advance for your feedback.
Click to expand...

Huracan and others, can you please throw some light here :rolleyes:

Also, I hope Tie is not mandatory. I am planning to wear shirt and trouser with semi formal shoes.
 
I saw people at different levels of dressing. Some with jeans, some with suit, some just business casual. I didn't wear a tie. Definitely tie is not mandatory. I put on some leather shoes, casual pants, decent shirt and that's it. I think your plan for shirt, trouser and semi formal shoes is perfectly fine. I think as long as you don't show up there with a baseball cap put backwards, sunglasses, gold chain, basketball sneakers, shorts, and t-shirt you should be fine ;) I think I saw some men with business suit, jacket and all, but it was not the majority.
 
Any recent interview letters?

Hi,

Anybody with Jan/Feb PD got interview letters yet?
Been some time and anybody has notified of recieving of interview letters.

Thanks
 
Response

omorpheus said:
Raj4jazz, in the bulletin released on July 16, SJ DO is processing cases of PD 20th Nov. If I remember correctly your PD is before that. Can't you call and expedite your case?

Its good to see SJ DO's N-400 time is only 22 days behind SF & Oakland DOs.
However, for SJ DO its the average time and for others its the worst case time. :confused:
Click to expand...

Omorpheus,

Can you point me where this bulletin is? My PD is 11/08/06. When I last called the 800 number they said, that is pending approval from the supervisor. He mentioned to me that they are obligated (not required) to process it within 120 days upon interview. God knows what is that suppose to mean and he indicated that there is no way to expedite that.

new_guy was interviewed on 20th and he is done with his interview, I am assuming that if I should scheduled for Aug 19th since I was interviewed on 26th June and hope the oath letter soon.

If you could send me the link to the bulletin. Since you have pulse on everything out there, please keep us posted.

Thanks in advance.
Raj4jazz
 
Huracan said:
I saw people at different levels of dressing. Some with jeans, some with suit, some just business casual. I didn't wear a tie. Definitely tie is not mandatory. I put on some leather shoes, casual pants, decent shirt and that's it. I think your plan for shirt, trouser and semi formal shoes is perfectly fine. I think as long as you don't show up there with a baseball cap put backwards, sunglasses, gold chain, basketball sneakers, shorts, and t-shirt you should be fine ;) I think I saw some men with business suit, jacket and all, but it was not the majority.
Click to expand...

Thanks Huracan and omorpheus. I am just imagining how would look with chain, basketball sneakers and cap backwards with sunglasses :p

I will find my leather shoes which I don't use much and planning to go in business casual. Would love to go on Jeans, t-shirt and good sneakers which I use most of the time though :).
 
raj4jazz said:
Omorpheus,

Can you point me where this bulletin is? My PD is 11/08/06. When I last called the 800 number they said, that is pending approval from the supervisor. He mentioned to me that they are obligated (not required) to process it within 120 days upon interview. God knows what is that suppose to mean and he indicated that there is no way to expedite that.

new_guy was interviewed on 20th and he is done with his interview, I am assuming that if I should scheduled for Aug 19th since I was interviewed on 26th June and hope the oath letter soon.

If you could send me the link to the bulletin. Since you have pulse on everything out there, please keep us posted.

Thanks in advance.
Raj4jazz
Click to expand...

raj4jazz,

Here is the bulletin:

https://egov.uscis.gov/cris/jsps/officeProcesstimes.jsp?selectedOffice=72

I think oath is Aug 22 unless you want to take Oath on Sunday :rolleyes: which I doubt USCIS will consider valid :cool:

Good luck and hope you receive the letter soon ...
 
Wife's Oath & passport experience

My wife attended oath ceremony on July 18th. They allowed me and our kids to witness oath ceremony but we have to sit in the balcony of Campbell heritage theater.

Next day we went to SFO passport agency to apply for passport, since we are traveling by end of july. We could not get any appointment by automated phone system. I don't think it is working. So, we walked in with passport application, naturalization certification & two photos. It is a mess out there in passport agency due to large number of PP applications.

We went there at 10:45; got inside and stood in a queue to get number. In few minutes we got to the counter where a person checked our tickets/travel dates and gave us a number.

There were about 200 people already. All the chairs are occupied, so like many other people, we sat on the floor and waited for our number to be called. They called us at around 1pm. Submitted my wife's PP application. Person at the counter verified the application and tolds to us wait for our number to be called again to pay the fees. We waited for few minutes and noticed that it was moving very slowly so we went out, had lunch and came back.

By 4:30 they called our number. We paid the fees and we were told that PP will be ready next day by 12pm. Some of the guys got the PP same day at 6PM, may be because of there urgent need I guess.

We went there next day at 4:30. There was a huge queue outside for collecting the PP. They told us to stand in the line. The queue was not moving. We waited there for about an 15 minutes and then I went and chatted with security person. He told me that there was a delay with PP processing for those who were told to collect their PP at 4PM and 6PM. I told him that our was 12pm and he let me in. In next 30 minutes my wife got her PP.

My oath is scheduled on Aug 22nd. I found this at infopass appointment. As I am traveling, I gave a letter to postpone my oath date. I hope this will not cause an issue.
 
Any recent oath letters?

I have been waiting for mine for about 3 weeks now. The IO said oath will be on 22nd August & i will get a letter in about 2 weeks.
Nothing yet. Just wondering if others have got an oath letter for 22nd august or not.
 
Still waiting, but I think they send the oath letters in batches, and they usually come around this time of the month for ceremonies around the 18th. August has the ceremony on 22nd. My guess is that letters will show up this week or probably next week. Hang in there :)
 
San Jose is the Worst and Slowest

San Jose is the worst center in the country :( , all of my friends who applied after me (4/19) in Fremont, Oakland , NYC and SFO all got finished their Interviews and waiting for Oath.
Any idea why San Jose takes so long to process each case?

I am also planning to go out for a 4 week trip in November (from what I have seen there in no way I will get interview letter before Nov 07)
will it affect my citizenship process?

Thanks,
bkarth

___________________________________________________________________
Dist Office: San Jose
Mailed: 4/19/2007
Received : 4/20/2007
Priority Date: 4/20/2007
Notice Date: 5/14/2007
FP Notice: June 1st 2007 (Got it Jun 6th 2007)
FP Done: June 28th 2007
Interview: ????
Oath: ????
 
bkarth said:
San Jose is the worst center in the country :( , all of my friends who applied after me (4/19) in Fremont, Oakland , NYC and SFO all got finished their Interviews and waiting for Oath.
Any idea why San Jose takes so long to process each case?

I am also planning to go out for a 4 week trip in November (from what I have seen there in no way I will get interview letter before Nov 07)
will it affect my citizenship process?

Thanks,
bkarth

___________________________________________________________________
Dist Office: San Jose
Mailed: 4/19/2007
Received : 4/20/2007
Priority Date: 4/20/2007
Notice Date: 5/14/2007
FP Notice: June 1st 2007 (Got it Jun 6th 2007)
FP Done: June 28th 2007
Interview: ????
Oath: ????
Click to expand...


People with PD in Nov/Dec 06 and FP'ed in Jan 07 are being interviewed in July. There is almost a 6 month gap between FP and interview if all checks are done without delays.

It's best not to mess up/delay the process with any travel plans. But, if you have to travel, be prepared to come back in case your interview is during the time you plan to be out.
 
Yes, have someone check your mail and let you know if you got your interview letter. I got my letter with two months of lead time, but it is not always the case. San Jose slows down and also speeds up. I think it is not out of the question that your interview might take place in November. Check this thread regularly to see the progress. Hopefully you'll be able to take your month trip. If you need to reschedule the interview it's not the best thing to do but it's usually not the end of the world. It will definitely delay your application, so try to make it to the scheduled interview if possible.

My 2 cents.
 
punk said:
Hi,

Anybody with Jan/Feb PD got interview letters yet?
Been some time and anybody has notified of recieving of interview letters.

Thanks
Click to expand...

my pd is mid feb.. haven't yet heard anything. I think the latest interview date I heard was end August and the PD was I believe Jan 10th. I am expecting my interview to be end September, and hoping to get the date within a couple of weeks.
 
Got my interview letter last week.

Dist Office: San Jose
Priority Date: 01/23/2007
FP Notice Date: 02/05/2007
FP Done: 03/02/2007
IL recd: 07/18/2007
Interview scheduled: 09/06/2007
Oath: ????
 
Welcome to the forum. Congratulations and thanks for letting us know this. Posts like yours is the only way to make any prediction in this San Jose thread.
 
trishuls said:
my pd is mid feb.. haven't yet heard anything. I think the latest interview date I heard was end August and the PD was I believe Jan 10th. I am expecting my interview to be end September, and hoping to get the date within a couple of weeks.
Click to expand...

One (not-so-reliable) way to determine if you are being scheduled for an interview is to check if the online case status disappears.

INFOPASS is more reliable.
 
Hello,
My PD is 05/29/07 and we got our fingerprinting notice last saturday.We have the appointment on Aug 14th.My question is Can we do a walk in fingerprinting without a valid reason?What day and time is best to try?Me and my husband have the appointment on the same day,same time,so can we take our 3 year old son along?
Iam sure there are a lot of people here who have gone through this phase.Please advise me on this.

Thank you,
Deepa
 
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