onetimeonly

https://egov.uscis.gov/processing-times/#mainContent

Are these processing times really that accurate? Do they inflate them, or is 1 to almost 2 years to process an N400 case normal now

Rete

No, they are no inflated. As for accuracy, it gives a guideline. Add or subtract a few months as each service center will experience increases and decreases in volume which will alter the timeline.

As for the N-400. Roughly a year is what has been seen. Not heard of anyone having to wait two years for adjudication of the N-400 in my 21 years of experience with immigration. In fact, a few have had their interviews within 7 months recently.

civilservant

With respect to N400s, it totally depends on what field office you land out (ie which one serves your area) For example, the LA field office will be much busier than the one in Bozeman, Montana.

Rete

So true. The service center is really the intake office for the application. They take the money, check for eligibility and hold until the field office calls for more apps to be sent for final processing.

BigT103

Hi Rete, is this the case for all online processing times?

hmvsdog

In my experience, they're not accurate. My I-140 is well outside the posted processing times (and USCIS haven't even responded to the SR in the time-frame they set themselves). Yet, my wife's EAD application took 32 days from mailing the application to getting the card, so way before the posted processing time.

Rete

Honestly, online filing is relatively new. How the USCIS processes those I've no idea but rationally, I would think it would follow in much the same manner. You file online, your credit card payment is processed, your form checked for eligibility and the application held until the field office calls for more apps to be adjudicated. So my educated guess would be yes, online processing times are included in the general processing timeline given on any particular link. Perhaps at some point in the future, they will have a separate link for just online app processing. But you are not doing a naturalization application.

onetimeonly

Great, so my card's going to expire while I'm waiting then.

Rete

So? What's the problem?

GeoffM

You have a green card that's about to expire, and are applying for citizenship? If so, apparently that's not a problem. And if timelines really are shortening the way very recent anecdotes suggest, maybe it won't even expire.

More of a problem is losing or having had a GC stolen. On the one hand the naturalization forms say you must have a GC or I-90 in process; OTOH the officer who dealt with my wife's biometrics for N400 and I-90 said the I-90 for her lost/stolen GC wasn't necessary for N400. (In the end we did need it for foreign travel anyway)

onetimeonly

Well it expires at the end of this year, yes. It's over six months away from expiration right now though. So I don't have to renew the card if I have a pending naturalization case then?

If it's not a problem, it's not a problem. I just don't like the idea of having/letting my card expire in general.

Rete

Here from citizenpath.com

If your green card has expired, you continue to be a permanent resident of the United States. You do not lose your immigration status. However, the physical card that proves your status is expired and generally not valid for most uses.

It’s possible to apply for citizenship with an expired green card. Immigration law does not specifically require a valid green card to establish eligibility for naturalization. And although USCIS policy on this matter has changed over time, there is a general sentiment that encourages U.S. citizenship. Every day, many citizenship applicants successfully file Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, with an expiring or expired green card


The only thing is you shouldn't travel because your re-entry document, the green card, is expired. You can, however, make an info pass appointment and get an I-551 stamp in your passport. Sure beats paying for a new card that you will have to surrender on the day of the oath ceremony.

Mercury39

My current experience is 2 months here in Boston from submitted online application to interview date! So far very fast, surprisedly so.

onetimeonly

Damn, that's fast. I hope I get that lucky.

civilservant

Bostens average is currently 5-13 months, so I would expect it to be reasonably quick. Here in Atlanta it's 10-18 months