Good day everyone,

For the last couple of weeks I have been calling USCIS helpline at 1 800 375 5283 to ask a question regarding my fiancee's K1 visa. I always call during their posted operating hours ( 8am to 6pm ), but I can never through to anyone. The information on the automated messages does not answer my questions.

My question is : does anyone know how to navigate through the helpline to guarantee to get through to a live person? What is the number succession one should push once they are at the main menu of the helpline? I have gotten through to people in the past, but now once I get to place where there previously was an option to talk to someone, the recorded voice just says to call back during normal operating hours (but I'm calliing during normal operating hours).

Can anyone help?

Thanks!

I don't even know if they have live people that work there. Maybe it's only 1 robot and this robot doesn't answer the phone, considering the delay on the cases I wouldn't doubt that.

Good luck for you though. Take a day off work and spend on the phone, who knows, maybe you get lucky.

There are live people at the USCIS? I always heard they were zombies! "Must slow down the petitions...." (effectively eating away at our brains!

Ive got through many times but that was a very long time ago. It may be due to the holidays. Good luck! What were you going to ask them?

I actually got through one time and got to speak to a real live Officer. I know because he didn't know the answer to my question and had to ask his supervisor.

I only got through once as well and that was about 2yrs ago. I do remember it took me about 45 minutes of push 1 for this and push 2 for tht to get to a person though. I don't think live people exist there anymore. GOOD LUCK!

I would like to ask a couple of things.

1) I applied to the California office because on the newest I-129F forms, it lists California as the filing center if you live in Illinois (with Vermont being the only other center). However, there is a lot of information on the USCIS website that suggests that people can still send this application to Nebraska, Texas, Vermont or Cali service center. What is the correct service center for someone moving shortly to Illinois? ( I move there in February....I've been living in Belgium the last three years.)

2) If USPS can confirm to me that they delivered my application packet on Nov 28, 2007, should I expect to have received by now my first notification that USCIS has my file? I've seen nothing yet from them and the check has not posted yet either....just wondering if this is normal or behind schedule.

Make sure you get your answers first before mailing anything. Another person on VJ sent theirs to Caly and then received a notice that it was the wrong center. I believed when he/she called they were told to do it all over again. I am not sure what their screen name was if you search you may find it. Best Wishes

For the real person to get a hold of on the 1-800 line you may want to go through something like this: 1 for English then 1 for case then I think 6 for the change of address and other matters. I called about not receiving my GC (after 6 months) and got a hold of a nice who could not really help me but looked up stuff for me.

Best of luck to you.

Where in IL are you moving to?

The way I always got someone was to not push any options and just wait on the line as if I was waiting for someone who speaks Spanish, then when they answer in Spanish just say "oops!" and they'll go on with your call in English. It was the fastest way I could ever get someone on the line.

There are no live persons at USCIS. Our homeland is now protected by drones otherwise known as civil service morons who, rather than live, just exist and need to know nothing, help nobody, have no value to add, or have to do anything at all to earn a comfortable living, and if they do not go postal they eventually wear out and die to be replaced by other drones. Each generation of drone gets more and more marginal by feeding off of the lack of success of the previous generation.

Kidding. When you get the menu, either use the "i got a typo error" or the "i have a RFE" option and you will be connected to one of the drones directly. Wear tinfoil over your head or something as protection because they will suck the life right out of your brain and toy with your very will to live.

Regards,

David and Nitadyah

Look at this old thread (esp. the last post), believe it or not a few people I know tried that number combo trick and it did work although it was awhile ago. That's why I saved the link to it. Hope it still does work, I'd give it a try if I were you. Needless to say even if you get to talk to someone it's going to be someone who is totally clueless who will not know the CORRECT answer to your questions....

That trick will get you on the phone with someone who works AT the CSC, not just USCIS. It came from this thread. I called it a couple weeks ago and every time I called they were very helpful/knowledgeable.

Good Luck!

Here is the magic trick to your question: Call the USCIS tele.# And choose the 1 for english or 2 for spanish. the in this sequence push these options. 2-2-6-2-4 Use these options everytime you are prompted.

OMG I FELL OFF THE CHAIR CALL 911 this is the post of the year....did you do this after we spoke last night lmao omg i need stitches in me side, from laughing.......

The USCIS is a bohemoth that is teetering on the verge of total collapse.

How pathetic and humorous the methods mentioned here are to try to get a human being who can answer a question...

Suze, I can be quite eloquent while drinky. Remember the "drink-and-dial" DHS command center incident?

It is possible to get thru to someone start with 1-2-2-6-1-enter your petition number, then when they ask if its been longer then the expected time, lie and press the option to get to a person. But to tell you the truth, they will never give you any useful information. Its like they're reading the same exact thing the recording tells you.