Biometrics Again After Denial in First Interview

How Long Does Information technology Accept to Get U.S. Citizenship After You Apply?

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Key Takeaways

And then you've applied to trade your Greenish Carte du jour for a Document of Citizenship - CONGRATULATIONS! Nosotros're thrilled that you've taken this exciting step toward finding freedom and opportunity in the U.S.

Just what's side by side? If you're like virtually immigrants, y'all're probably anxious to know what happens after filing your Form N-400.

How long practise most applications have?

How long is too long to look for a answer from USCIS?

What does the discover you received from USCIS mean?

Nosotros'll respond all of these questions, and more, in this article.

The average processing time for citizenship (naturalization) applications is 8 months as of May 31, 2020. Still, that's just how long information technology takes USCIS to process Grade North-400. The unabridged naturalization process has several steps and takes an boilerplate of 15 months. This commodity explains all of the stages of the Citizenship past Naturalization application process and includes a detailed breakdown of how long each stage should take.

The steps in the Citizenship filing procedure are roughly the aforementioned for everybody. Still, the amount of time USCIS takes to process your N-400 can vary significantly based on

• How many cases USCIS is currently handling,
• The USCIS office where y'all filed,
• and whether or not your Course N-400, Application for Naturalization was filled and filed correctly.

In case you don't take time to read the whole commodity, here's a summary of how long each stride of the naturalization process takes on average:

• Step one. USCIS processes your Awarding for Naturalization (Course Due north-400): viii months (average)
• Footstep 2. Attend your biometrics appointment: +0 months (happens while USCIS processes your North-400)
• Step three. Nourish your citizenship interview and exam: + 4 months
• Step 4. USCIS decides on your application: +0–4
• Step five. You have the Adjuration of Fidelity and receive your Certificate of Naturalization: +0–1.5 months
• Total fourth dimension: 12 months (1 year) to 17.v months (one.5 years)

These wait and processing times are averages and estimates. They do not include any possible delays. Nosotros'll talk over how delays tin can impact your application in more detail below.

Your naturalization process may be shorter, depending on where yous live. That's considering some U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) field offices procedure applications much faster than others.

Getting your application right the first fourth dimension is the all-time way to brand sure that you can become from a lawful permanent resident to a Denizen as fast every bit possible. And information technology's really easy to make mistakes! Not simply do you accept to come across the eligibility requirements to become a Citizen, but you also have to fill out your naturalization application perfectly. Did you know that leaving a unmarried question that doesn't employ to you blank on your N-400 can cause USCIS to reject your entire application? We're not kidding - USCIS is that strict!
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That's why we built an expert organization to help you prepare your N-400 right the first time. You tin use information technology to prepare your Naturalization paperwork for gratuitous.

Step 1. USCIS processes your Application for Naturalization - (6-10 months after y'all file Firm Northward-400)

The showtime stride of the Citizenship procedure takes 6-10 months. It can be faster or slower, depending on where you alive. The processing time for an Due north-400 awarding is the time from when you transport it to when y'all attend your oath ceremony.

Sending your U.Due south. citizenship application and supporting documents to USCIS starts the process. The faster y'all prepare Form Northward-400 and collect your supporting documents, the faster you tin can send your application to USCIS. The sooner you send your awarding to USCIS, the sooner they can review your application.

It's essential to brand sure that your application is complete. That means that all of your answers are right, and your supporting documents are in the format and gild the U.S. government prefers. You lot demand to get a certified English translation of any documents that are in a language other than English. Extra steps like this can make your application take longer, so brand sure that y'all business relationship for them when planning how long your Naturalization application should take. Forgetting documents or making mistakes on your forms will slow the Naturalization process downwards.

If you lot correctly filed your Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, USCIS volition reply by sending you a letter. This letter (called a Form I-797c, Notice of Activity) confirms that they have your application. You should receive Class I-797c ii-3 weeks after you file Form North-400.

If you did non file Form N-400 correctly, or if yous forgot to pay your filing fee, USCIS might transport yous a Form I-797c to reject your petition. USCIS may besides ship you a Request for Evidence asking yous to send them additional supporting documents. Either observe volition filibuster your application, so information technology'south crucial to fix the North-400 and supporting documents correctly the first time.

Relieve any I-797c notices that you lot receive. They contain your 10-digit receipt number. You can use this number to bank check your instance condition. If y'all haven't received a Discover of Action within two months of filing, you should brand a instance inquiry .

IMPORTANT: Y'all need to notify USCIS every time that yous movement or change your mailing address. If you don't, you may miss important notices.
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ImmigrationHelp.org can assist y'all prepare and file your application for Citizenship by Naturalization correctly the first fourth dimension with our simple web app. We'll review your forms for free, and provide you with detailed filing instructions.

Step ii. Attend your biometrics appointment - (five-viii weeks afterward you file Form N-400)

Next, yous will receive a biometrics date notice from USCIS. This find volition assign y'all a biometrics appointment engagement, fourth dimension, and location. Your biometrics date location will usually be the USCIS Awarding Support Center that is closest to yous. You should receive this notice 3-5 weeks after you file Form Northward-400.

"Biometrics" is the official term for your fingerprints, photos, and signature. USCIS uses these to verify your identity. USCIS also sends your fingerprints to the Federal Agency of Investigation (FBI) to conduct a background check to make sure that you accept skilful moral character.

It's essential to bring all of the required documents to your biometrics date. If you don't, you may have to come back for a second appointment, which will delay your application.

The documents you need for the biometrics date are your

• Appointment Alphabetic character,
• Passport or national photo identification issued by your country
• Commuter'southward license (if you have one)
• Military photo identification (if you lot have one)
• State-issued photo identification card (if you have 1)
• Anything else that USCIS tells you to bring in their find

USCIS may request a 2nd biometrics date, even if you lot bring the correct documents the first time. For example, if the FBI rejects your fingerprints. If something like that happens, USCIS will ship you another biometrics appointment alphabetic character.

If the FBI rejects your second set of biometrics, you lot'll demand to go police clearance certificates. You'll demand 1 clearance certificate from every place where you've lived in the by five years. It can have a while to get constabulary certificates, and then yous should kickoff gathering them as soon as the FBI rejects your biometrics.

While USCIS and the FBI are processing your biometrics, yous may receive a "Asking for Bear witness" (RFE) from USCIS. RFE's are USCIS 's manner of telling you that they need boosted data from yous. The boosted documents USCIS needs could be court or police records. USCIS might also need other could also be other documents from this checklist. If you lot go an RFE from USCIS, send the requested documents ASAP. Any delays will make your application take longer.
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ImmigrationHelp.org makes it easy to complete your Naturalization correct the first time so you can avoid common problems.

Step 3. Nourish your Citizenship interview and exam - (12-14 months subsequently y'all file Form N-400)

Attend the Interview

After you consummate your biometrics appointment, USCIS will send you some other appointment find. This notice is an invitation to your naturalization interview and exam. It volition include the date, time, and location of your interview. Y'all should receive this discover 4-eight months after you lot file your N-400. USCIS will only send this notice once, and then brand sure that you lot update your mailing address if you've moved since you filed your application.

The citizenship interview is ordinarily about fourteen months afterward you lot file Grade N-400. You tin can reschedule the interview and test if you absolutely can't brand information technology on the scheduled date. Still, rescheduling may add together several months to the naturalization process. It's all-time to go to the date, time, and location USCIS initially schedules for y'all.

If you lot absolutely must reschedule, you can practice so by writing a letter of the alphabet to the office where your interview is to have place. The office will then ship you another letter with a new appointment and time. If you don't notify USCIS earlier your scheduled appointment, they will break ("administratively close") your awarding. If you don't contact USCIS within a year subsequently they suspension the procedure, they will deny your awarding. That ways you will take to start the unabridged application over and pay the fees again.

This video from USCIS is a peachy overview of what to wait at the Naturalization Interview and Test.

If you haven't been preparing for the interview and exam already, now is an splendid time to offset. USCIS provides splendid resources to set up you for the interview and exam on its website. With a picayune preparation, you lot should have no trouble.

Take the exam

The Citizenship examination has two parts: an English language test and a Civics test. The commencement tests your grasp of the English linguistic communication, and the second tests your agreement of how the American government works and of U.Due south. history. You will ordinarily take it on the same day as your Naturalization interview.

If you pass the exam, you'll movement on to the next stride of the naturalization process - the Oath of loyalty. Yous may even be able to take the Oath and become a citizen the same twenty-four hours!

If you don't pass the exam, you lot'll demand to retake the office that you failed to movement on to the Oath of Fidelity. You'll have to look 60-xc days to retake the exam, and so make sure that you ready well for both parts of the exam (English language skills and civics) to laissez passer the first time.
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ImmigrationHelp.org is with you until the finish line! We'll aid you reply to authorities questions and prepare for your citizenship interview and exam. Y'all can fix your Citizenship application for free using our simple web app.

Pace iv. USCIS decides on your application - (12-16 months after you file grade N-400)

If your interview goes well, you pass the exam, and USCIS doesn't need any additional documents, they may approve your application on the same day as your citizenship interview and exam. Otherwise, USCIS will send you their decision in writing within 120 days of your interview and exam. Their decision volition come on a Form N-652, "Notice of Examination Results."
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1 of iii things will happen at this signal:

1. USCIS will corroborate your application, and you can move on to Step five beneath.

2. USCIS will "continue" your application. "Standing" means that they are placing your application on hold for one of these reasons:

• You didn't pass part of your citizenship examination. If this happens, yous'll need to return for a 2nd interview and retake the function of the exam that you didn't pass. Make sure that you lot set well for your second exam. If yous practise not pass the exam a 2d time, USCIS will deny your application.
• Yous didn't provide all of the documents or information that USCIS needed tp corroborate your awarding. If this happens, USCIS will send you a Course North-14, explaining what else y'all need to provide to them. You volition have 30 days to reply to Form Northward-xiv. If you do not fulfill this request within 30 days, USCIS may send you a deprival of your awarding.

3. USCIS volition deny your awarding. If this happens, USCIS volition transport you a letter explaining why the deprival of your application and what options yous have now. If you lot believe USCIS made a error, you tin file an appeal inside xxx days of receiving the denial letter. USCIS will schedule a hearing inside 180 days of receiving your entreatment. If the USCIS officer at your appeal denies your application, you have one more option. You can request to have a U.Southward. commune court review your example. Information technology's all-time to go your application right the commencement time then that you can avoid the headaches of rescheduling and appeals. You lot can practise this by:

1. Making certain that you are well-prepared for the citizenship interview and exam and
2. Providing all of the information that USCIS needs when (or before) they enquire for it.
   

ImmigrationHelp.org tin can help yous stay on top of the application and interview process for gratis.

Step 5. Y'all accept the Oath of Allegiance and receive your Certificate of Naturalization! - (12-17.5 months later on yous file course N-400)

Congratulations, you lot take fabricated it so far!

After you complete your citizenship interview and laissez passer the exam, in that location is only one more than stride to get a U.S. citizen. Once you lot take the Oath of Allegiance at a naturalization ceremony, yous tin can ditch your Greenish Card, because you lot'll be a full U.S citizen!

A U.S. regime official will administer the Oath at a formal anniversary.

If USCIS approved your awarding at the interview, the Adjuration of Allegiance ceremony might fifty-fifty occur on the same 24-hour interval as your interview and exam!

Otherwise, USCIS will schedule the Oath ceremony for two-half dozen weeks after you lot pass your test. They'll send yous the date, time, and location of your Oath ceremony on Class N-445, "Notice of Naturalization Oath Ceremony" 1-4 weeks later on passing your exam. You'll receive your Certificate of Naturalization at this location after you take the Adjuration. You can often even annals to vote there the same day!

If you can't brand it to your Adjuration of Fidelity ceremony, you'll demand to ship the notice with a letter requesting a new date and explaining why you can't make it. Do non skip the anniversary without notifying the USCIS office where your Oath ceremony is scheduled! If you don't announced more than than once for your naturalization ceremony, USCIS may deny your awarding.
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Tip: Bank check your Certificate of Naturalization for errors before you leave the ceremony site. Information technology is style easier to prepare these errors now than it volition be later!

Step half-dozen. Get-go getting the benefits of existence a U.Southward. Citizen

Congratulations on making it this far! It'due south been a long journeying, just you lot've crossed the finish line. Now you can enjoy all of the privileges of existence a U.S. citizen!

There are a few things you will desire to do ASAP subsequently you become your Certificate of Naturalization:

• Update your Social Security record so that you lot are eligible for Medicare and Social Security Benefits. Updating your Social Security record takes about ten days.
• Utilize for a U.S. passport so that you can travel to and from the United States with ease. Applying for a passport takes 2–6 weeks.
• Register to vote so that yous have a say in who governs your new land! Registering to vote takes ii-iv weeks, depending on where you live.

Immigrationhelp.org can guide yous through the entire naturalization process for complimentary with our simple spider web app.

Why are USCIS processing times and then random?

U.S. Denizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) is the authorities agency that processes Citizenship by Naturalization applications. USCIS receives tons of applications every yr, so information technology uses field offices all over the United States to procedure local applications as chop-chop as possible. When y'all employ for Citizenship, USCIS assigns your application to the field office closest to your Aught code.

Every USCIS field function receives a different number of applications. This difference means that some offices have longer than others. USCIS publishes the processing times for every field office online and updates these times monthly.

The USCIS processing time tool shows times as a range betwixt two numbers. For case, the processing fourth dimension for Form N400 at the Boston, MA field part is 10.v-14.5 months as of eight/28/2020. The first number is "the time information technology takes to consummate 50% of cases (the median)," and the 2d number is how long it takes the eye to complete 93% of cases.

The "national average processing time" in this guide is the offset number in the range (the median) averaged across all USCIS field offices in the U.South. This average resets every September.

The backlog of awaiting U.S. citizenship applications has doubled over the last four years, and wait times accept been steadily ascension. Things take gotten fifty-fifty worse due to Covid-xix and the Trump administration. Some cases now take 20+ months. It is more of import than ever to apply for Citizenship every bit presently every bit you are eligible.

ImmigrationHelp.org makes it easy and gratis to prepare your Citizenship application with our simple web app.

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Source: https://www.immigrationhelp.org/learning-center/how-long-does-it-take-to-get-u-s-citizenship-after-you-apply

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