desiman

I have a Muslim name as well and got my oath letter in the same "reasonable" time frame as other folks. So while there might be some systemic delay, I doubt it's because of your name per se.

shaky1977

fremel..

Hi and welcome to this group. I am sure here u can see alot of ppl like me and you sacrificing their months and years of wait from their only one given life, for BCIS decisions.

Can u plz post ur interview experience and ur Interview outcome result, was it decision cannot yet be made.???? or was it Congratulations one.?????? it can help other readers.

Thanx and plz keep updating us with any news u get from bcis.

shaky1977

Desiman..

Can u plz let us know what that reasonable time was? and whats ur local bcis office.?

thank you.

drvr

It's possible that FBI has failed to
deilver a report but knowing that BCIS is not and has never
been a functional organization and the fact that they have
no qulams about not telling you the truth to cover their
failures, I suspect in my case, yours and many others, the
file is just sitting on some desk gathering dust. After a year,
you should take them to court and force a decision. You must keep a copy of every little thing, every letter you send, every request you make. The BCIS may argue national security but most likely the judge will ask them to speed up or make a decision. Don'y worry about "revenge" if they deny your case, the judge has the right to rule otherwise. Of course, be sure you don't have any weakness that BCIS can dig up. That's why most people cannot and should not take legal action, even a small thing can be used against you.

SanAnt

I received my oath letter today (11/26/03), it is scheduled for Dec 11th, 2003 (3 weeks after N400 interview). This will be the end of my journey towards US citizenship. The whole process has been extremely pleasant and it took about 3 months from initial submission to oath.
Here is my timeline for the San Antonio district office:
Priority Date: 09/05/03
Fingerprint: 10/22/03
Interview:11/17/03
Oath: 12/11/03

desiman

Sure ... got the oath letter labout 3 weeks after interview. San Francisco bay area.

citizen-cane

Now that's the kind of timeline I would like! I also have a priority date of 09/05/03, fingerprinted on 10/31/03, now waiting for interview. Too early to be worried or anything, but I just hope I won't be lurking here 12 months from now with "senior member" after my name, wondering how much longer it will take!

citizen-cane

I think the big problem with the process is that there is no transparency. It would be far less stressful if they just came out and said: " Your file is currently missing. We have looked under the table and behind the filing cabinet but cannot find it yet. It may have been mistakenly sent to the long term storage warehouse and we will send someone next month to look for it. " or: " The officer assigned to your file is on maternity leave and will return in 3 months." or: "Our records show that your name 'Bob Brown' is suspiciously similar to another 'Bob Brown' who robbed a convenience store in Wichita Kansas. We are sending two FBI agents to Wichita next month to find out if anyone in that convenience store recognizes your photograph".

Jokes aside, I hope all of you who are waiting to become law-abiding US citizens can achieve that dream fast!

shaky1977

citizen cane

lol good jokes, thats probably is going on behind the scenes.

imagine , running FBI name checks on ppl who bring in Library books late.

drvr

I like the one under the table. A lawyer told me how
she was in BCIS and saw the files "everywhere on the
floor, next to the windows....". I am not making this up.

citizen-cane

Sounds just like my office... wonder if they have job openings..

shaky1977

elb , marieta.

Any news about oath letter.?

Tomorrow i will call up my senator's office to find out whats going on. i sent them my case 10 days ago. lets see what happens.

plz keep us posted Thank You, all

fremel

Hi again. Tomorrow will be mark my tenth month in limbo, waiting for a response from BCIS regarding oath ceremony.

I sent in my N-400 to the Vermont Service Center in February 2002, got a Notice of Action that they received on Feb. 28, 2002, Notice date was from March 27, 2002.

I got my fingerprints taken in Jackson Heights, Queens May 3, 2002.

I moved from Queens to Brooklyn in the summer of 2002, did an address change, I remember calling INS from time to time to try to find out about my interview date and verified my address change everytime. They had my new address and was told once in December, I think it was, by an officer/agent that I was scheduled for February 3, 2003 in Garden City. I got the letter later on to my new address with Feb.3 date. Everyhing in order so far, just taking a long time.

I took the train and bus to Garden City, checked in, and waited and waited, I think for two-three hours something. My name was called up and followed the officer in to his cubicle. Responded to his questions, mostly just going over my application. He verified my address, and his computer showed my old Queens address, he manually typed in my Brooklyn address. He also suggested I change my name. My primary name is not my so-called first name, but my second name (it's how it's listed in my passport and license etc), he thought it was complicated so he wondered if I could drop my first name, only keeping the name I use. I did so (just get this over with I thought). I never use my other name anyway.

(I am Scandinavian by the way, never had trouble with the law except perhaps traffick violations which I've alway sorted out. And, I might add, am not a threat of any sort to anyone of anykind).

The agent/officer guy was very friendly and easy going, almost seemed more nervous than I was. Got the interview results handed to me, saying I passed the tests of English and history/government, and that INS will send a written decision about my application. He told me to expect it within two-three months, and said he knew it can be very frustrating waiting for so long. I thanked him and headed back home.

Well, it's now ten months since then and still haven't heard a word about what's going on. I did follow up with the agent who interviewed me, got to talk to him a couple of times but he's never had anything to say except to wait.

I have a feeling Garden City and New York in general is a very wrong place to seek citizenship. Everywhere else seems to be much faster. I am desperately clinging on to the belief they are very behind schedule and badly organized, and that it's only a matter of time, but they could at least send a note saying theyre delayed or whatever.

Rete

Fremel

My husband applied for naturalization May, 2003, fingerprinted on July 19, interviewed yesterday, December 1 in New York City's USCIS office. He is scheduled for the swearing in ceremony on Friday, December 12.

The waiting room has packed and several of us opted to hang around and wait for the letter authorizing the swearing in date for a week from this Friday.

Contact your political representative. They are anxious for new voters as 2004 is a major election and need all the votes they can gather.

Rete

Marieta

    > Contact your political representative. They are anxious for new voters
    > as 2004 is a major election and need all the votes they can gather.

Some of the people posting on this and other forums have shared their
experience dealing with their representatives. Some have been helpful and
others not. I filed my N-400 last year (Oct.2002). Got FP Nov. 2002.
Interview was Feb 20, 2003 and still don't have an Oath letter. In early
October I contacted my congressman's office. They told me that it will take
~ 30 days for a reply from the BCIS. Ten days ago they still didn't have an
answer from BCIS. The lady from the congressman's office told me that the
INS often doesn't reply to them, to wait and the most she can do is e-mail
the INS.
Marieta