When To Worry/Do-Something When to Not

O

Obongo

Registered Users (C)
Hi,

I think many of us (naturally) get compulsive when dealing
with USCIS and it eats up precious time that is better spent
elsewhere. I know I do, so I wanted to create the following
"triggers" when I should start doing things and not waste
time I could be spending with my daughter. Some would argue
that you can't speed up the USCIS, but its fair to say that
they do mess things up occassionally.

I noticed that the processing times as per the USCIS DO's
are all set at March 15th now, so I did not think we need
to break it down by service center.

I did not find this info in the FAQ, but I garnered it from
browsing the postings here. Let me know if I got it right.

When to Worry or Do-Something
========================

Application Receipt Letter Not Received 3 weeks after posting
but checks cashed => Call Service Center (not DO)

Finger print notice not received 3 months after RD. =>
Call Service Center (not DO)

Interview letter not received after 4 months after FP =>
Info Pass at Local DO, File WOM

Interview descheduled =>
Info Pass at Local DO

Name check not cleared 120 days after Interview =>
Call FBI, Info Pass at Local DO, Issue 1447(b)

Oath letter not received ???120??? days after name check and
interview cleared. =>
Info Pass at Local CO
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Obongo said:
Hi,

I think many of us (naturally) get compulsive when dealing
with USCIS and it eats up precious time that is better spent
elsewhere. I know I do, so I wanted to create the following
"triggers" when I should start doing things and not waste
time I could be spending with my daughter. Some would argue
that you can't speed up the USCIS, but its fair to say that
they do mess things up occassionally.

I noticed that the processing times as per the USCIS DO's
are all set at March 15th now, so I did not think we need
to break it down by service center.

I did not find this info in the FAQ, but I garnered it from
browsing the postings here. Let me know if I got it right.

When to Worry or Do-Something
========================

Application Receipt Letter Not Received 3 weeks after posting
but checks cashed => Call Service Center (not DO)

Finger print notice not received 3 months after RD. =>
Call Service Center (not DO)

Interview letter not received after 4 months after FP =>
Info Pass at Local DO

Name check not cleared 120 days after Interview =>
Call FBI, Info Pass at Local DO

Oath letter not received ???120??? days after name check and
interview cleared. =>
Info Pass at Local CO
Click to expand...

Obongo,

Your list is definitely a good 'general' ballpark however it really depends on the DO.

For example, I computed statistics based on the Chicago DO's thread and found that on average interview letters were received 9-10 weeks after FP. It is all very relative.

Also, if your PD was after May 2006, then you WILL ONLY receive an interview letter once the name check has been cleared. But in general, it should also take about 4 months after FP for a name check to clear (if it is immediately off the fast 48-72 hour track).

In my case (timeline below), I am going to get an infopass at the end of this month to get a peace of mind since I should be technically receiving an interview letter this week or next at most (i.e. 11 and 12th week after PD) given the rest of the forum.

The USCIS website is a load of crap, the speed of one's application rests heavily on the name check clearance, I think USCIS is making that more and more clear to applicants so that they don't bother them as much.

What is your DO? Try to compute similar statistics to what I did for the Chicago DO, if you go to the thread, it is somewhere in there.
 
Sounds right except I would sue USCIS 120 days after interview if no oath letter.
 
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eo23 said:
Obongo,

Your list is definitely a good 'general' ballpark however it really depends on the DO.
Click to expand...

But I tried to come up with a reasonable "worst-case" ballpark figure,
i.e. an upper bound. If you case proceeds outside of this upperbound
then you should start wasting you valuable time.

For example most people would receive their applications receipts within
3 weeks after posting them, but more than that and you should start
enquiring if your address is up to date.
 
If you get a "deschedule notice" cancelling your interview, it's probably a good time to get your worry in gear. First step, get an InfoPass. If 6 weeks pass, get your congressman/senators working on it. But, if it's a name check thing, well, then, it's a name check thing.
 
Its not scientific

I think that the idea behind the thread is good but not the supporting facts.

I don't believe you can distill the process down to a formulaic one which allows you to discern meanings of events and trigger actions.

My process started on June 7th and concluded with an oath on August 28th, somewhere within 3 months.
Now, does everybody have the same luck of the draw, of course not.
My point being, the process is sequential with the customary screw up we know exists in a bureaucratic system as it is.

The components to success include luck, attention to detail, and above all the intangibles( name check, name commonality, previous history associated with the name, etc etc).

I don't think you can use scientific or statistical methods to determine the reason things happen, or what events they trigger.

My friendly advice is followthe process as it evolves, preempt it when you are allowed to, and hope you are lucky.

I know people who have done everything right: name check, infopass, own their homes and business, can't get an interview .

There is a stark reality here, the process cannot be distilled or titrated to a specific conclusion.
Roll with the FLOW.

Good luck y'all...
 
I beg to differ with kcblacwell's point of view. As with any non-random process, the N-400 procedure is amenable to statistical analysis. And with any statistical findings, the applicability to an individual case is limited by the associated margins of uncertainty. For the naturalization process, these margins seem to be huge and they seem to differ substantially between different DOs. Nevertheless, within these margins of error, one can make recommendations about what courses of action to take at the various stages of the process. In this respect, although one may quibble about some details, Obongo's list seems a reasonable starting point.
 
I think some of you have missed the point. The original
poster's claim is that this is a *near-worst case* situation.
He/She expected most cases to be approved before the thresholds kicked in.
The point was to RELAX until the threshold kicks in, then get
up and do something since there is a reasonable chance that
USCIS is dropping your ball.

I think I got it right.
 
hh137 said:
I beg to differ with kcblacwell's point of view. As with any non-random process, the N-400 procedure is amenable to statistical analysis. And with any statistical findings, the applicability to an individual case is limited by the associated margins of uncertainty. For the naturalization process, these margins seem to be huge and they seem to differ substantially between different DOs. Nevertheless, within these margins of error, one can make recommendations about what courses of action to take at the various stages of the process. In this respect, although one may quibble about some details, Obongo's list seems a reasonable starting point.
Click to expand...


I ackowledged the fact that the list might be a good jumping off point. However, like you said quite succinctly, with any non-random process, there are associated margins of uncertainty. That uncertainty is what creates the margin of error that renders statistical analysis only of marginal importance in determining what course of action is best suited to a specific case.
The statistical analysis provides, at best, a glimpse into how long the process takes on average or more specifically, how it relates to a DO, but I wouldn't extrapolate that information and use it as a useful metric to base decisions on. Like they say, the devil is in the details, it depends on what you playing with. Just by reading the myriad of problems people anticipate ( disregaring the paranoid ones about which clothes to wear, whether to wear cologne etc), it will be difficult to fashion a one size fits all template to follow.
Good point though, I hope these discussions help someone.
Are you through with the process yet?
 
kblacwell said:
Are you through with the process yet?
Click to expand...
No, as you can see from my timeline below, I'm still waiting for the IL. The Washington, DC/Fairfax DO has one of the longest processing times in the country (7-8 months). While this is quite frustrating compared to other DOs, this timeline does seem to apply fairly uniformly to all applications processed by the DC/Fairfax DO (statistics!), and therefore one at least knows what to expect.
 
hh137 said:
No, as you can see from my timeline below, I'm still waiting for the IL. The Washington, DC/Fairfax DO has one of the longest processing times in the country (7-8 months). While this is quite frustrating compared to other DOs, this timeline does seem to apply fairly uniformly to all applications processed by the DC/Fairfax DO (statistics!), and therefore one at least knows what to expect.
Click to expand...


Hang in there. It's worth it in the end. My attitude was that I don't care how long it takes, I already have a GC and I could go and come as I pleased( I awsn't planning to move anywhere for a year anyway). I was rather pleasantly suprised it went so fast and so smoothly( 88 days total).
Maybe I did not experience any frustrations with it because I just let it roll on it own accord.
I am sure you'd be relieved when it's over, HANG in there bro.
 
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