Failure to Appear - Naturalization Interview

[hankster]

"You were scheduled to appear for an interview on your application for Naturalization on Wednesday, October 03, 2012 at 09:20 AM. Our records indicate you failed to appear for this interview. You have thirty (30) days from the date of this notice to explain why you did not appear. Failure to respond to this notice will result in your application being administratively cloxed without further action."

 

 

This was on a form I-797C received by my stepson yesterday. He's in school in Seattle and has a USPS PO Box, but

he never received the interview notice from them.

 

There is an 800 number and a USCIS mailing address at the bottom of the 797C form . Should he call the number or write a letter?

 

Don't know why he didn't get the interview appointment notice, and I don't know exactly how to handle this......................any advice would be appreciated.

 

Thanks,

Hank

[Beachey]

"You were scheduled to appear for an interview on your application for Naturalization on Wednesday, October 03, 2012 at 09:20 AM. Our records indicate you failed to appear for this interview. You have thirty (30) days from the date of this notice to explain why you did not appear. Failure to respond to this notice will result in your application being administratively cloxed without further action."

 

 

This was on a form I-797C received by my stepson yesterday. He's in school in Seattle and has a USPS PO Box, but

he never received the interview notice from them.

 

There is an 800 number and a USCIS mailing address at the bottom of the 797C form . Should he call the number or write a letter?

 

Don't know why he didn't get the interview appointment notice, and I don't know exactly how to handle this......................any advice would be appreciated.

 

Thanks,

Hank

 

I think I would do both. I definitely think you need to respond in writing documenting asking for another appointment but it likely wouldn't hurt to call.

 

Given he is a student living away from his permanent residence one would think they would reschedule. Just make sure he makes it this time :-)

[dnoblett]

I would handle it with an info-pass appointment, face to face tends to be best.

 

Also call the 800 number.

 

Should have gotten a letter, not sure if a PO box would have any effect.

[hankster]

Thanks, Beachey, and Dan..............just made the infoPass for Monday at the Seattle USCIS.

 

In hindsight I think this may have been my fault. The stepson came home to Knoxville for a month beginning August 21. I figured that the appointment letter possible would be coming during that time period. sooo......... Because I'm so smart, I got

 

on USPS website and had his mail forwarded from his Seattle PO Box to our home for that month.. nothing ever got forwarded during that month soooooooo.............now I'm thinking................. USCIS mail probably reads something like:

"DO NOT FORWARD"..........................I'm so smart!

[dnoblett]

Yep, in many cases USCIS marks mail Return Service Requested, and instead of getting forwarded the mail gets return to USCIS.

 

I have seen this one bite a few over on VJ regarding AOS or ROC interviews, they file then move, and the interview letter gets lost causing a serious situation when they miss the interview date.

 

Explain this to USCIS at the Info-Pass appointment.

[hankster]

Thanks Dan,

 

I'm drafting an explanation he can take with him now.

[2mike&jin]

This is exactly what happened with our 10 yr GC.....I had mail forwarding turned on at one post office - but they won't forward "Return Service Requested/Do Not FOrward" stuff. A simple call - and a request for re-mailing was all it took.

[hankster]

James had an InfoPass appointment this past Monday. He had to fill out a document and was told that another interview appointment letter would be mailed to him in approximately 30 days.

[dnoblett]

Good to hear you got that sorted out.

[Mick]

Great news, indeed. So glad it all got resolved.

[hankster]

Good to hear you got that sorted out.

 

thanks for the infopass advice, Dan, it seemed to have worked. It's good James was in Seattle, where they have a USCIS office 20 minutes from his dorm, as opposed to Knoxville, where we would have had to drive 7 hours to Memphis if we wanted an Infopass.

[dnoblett]

Good to hear you got that sorted out.

 

thanks for the infopass advice, Dan, it seemed to have worked. It's good James was in Seattle, where they have a USCIS office 20 minutes from his dorm, as opposed to Knoxville, where we would have had to drive 7 hours to Memphis if we wanted an Infopass.

Sounds like he is becoming a regular customer of that office.

[hankster]

Good to hear you got that sorted out.

 

thanks for the infopass advice, Dan, it seemed to have worked. It's good James was in Seattle, where they have a USCIS office 20 minutes from his dorm, as opposed to Knoxville, where we would have had to drive 7 hours to Memphis if we wanted an Infopass.

Sounds like he is becoming a regular customer of that office.

It's like Norm walking in to Cheers