No it won't. It didn't matter in your case (or any of ours) because the USCIS just sat on the applications for months after the biometrics were done.

As for frustration. We filed March 23, 2007 and were only approved April 18, 2008. 1 year and nearly 4 weeks later! So hang in there...We were so traumatized by this whole delay that we are going to hold off filing for my wife's US citizenship for a while...

I think the people at the VSC are taking some days off because they are enjoying their spring weather. A New England Sping or some crummy USCIS application? Hmm... the choice would be hard....

Good Luck!

What, are they storing I-751s for next winter or something?

The little guy with the hammer is getting more and more PO'd.

[/quote]

What, are they storing I-751s for next winter or something?

The little guy with the hammer is getting more and more PO'd.
[/quote]


Hang in there James....you're next. With all the good advice you've afforded everyone I am personally routing for you. That's why I keep checking. With two kids I don't see how the USCIS would deny you... I am really PO'd at all those CSC people that filed in January/Feb. 2008 that have already been approved....its not fair! They must think the USCIS is a wonderful thing, the next best thing to Social Security or Medicare....

I am beginning to doubt tis alphabetical thing. Its Wednesday and neither James nor I have heard anything because they should be handling the "W"s by now. Crap and I am leaving the country on the 13th of May. I had hoped to have the card by then.

Does the date when it was last touched mean anything? I noticed that almost everybody with last touch on 2/25 got approved. Mine was last touched on 2/25, but I haven't heard anything.

By the way....I can't figure out how to do it, but if somebody wants to add me to the list....here are my dates:
NOA 05/07/07, Biometrics 07/03/07, last touch 02/25/08

Adding maunzebaer and dallaschic.

UserName............NOA1 Date.......Biometrics......Last Touch......Approved......Card Recvd
A_C.................02/21/07........03/15/07........02/25/08........04/01/08......--/--/--
Cdn_in_Texas........02/27/07........03/31/07........02/25/08........--/--/--......--/--/--
yanx................02/27/07........03/??/07........04/10/08........04/14/08......04/19/08
dallaschic..........02/28/07........03/15/07........02/25/08........--/--/--......--/--/--
ihateemo............03/03/07........04/??/07........02/25/08........04/11/08......04/18/08
runeasy.............03/06/07........03/29/07........02/25/08........03/28/08......--/--/--
tweety..............03/09/07........04/06/07........02/25/08........04/11/08......04/18/08
junglee069..........03/13/07........04/14/07........02/25/08........04/08/08......--/--/--
Abygail.............03/14/07........04/19/07........02/25/08........04/14/08......--/--/--
kc1974..............03/16/07........04/25/07........02/25/08........04/14/08......04/21/08
burs................03/19/07........04/12/07........02/25/08........04/11/08......--/--/--
Gaston..............03/19/07........04/17/07........02/25/08........04/08/08......04/18/08
moben...............03/20/07........03/28/07........02/25/08........04/04/08......04/11/08
kn687...............03/21/07........03/29/07........02/25/08........04/10/08......04/17/08
kalstravels.........03/23/07........04/20/07........02/25/08........04/18/08......04/25/08
jsouthwick..........03/30/07........??/??/07........02/25/08........04/15/08......04/21/08
us1415..............04/18/07........05/12/07........02/25/08........03/31/08......04/07/08
utopiacowboy........04/19/07........05/??/07........02/25/08........03/31/08......04/07/08
licianne............04/20/07........04/25/07........02/25/08........04/25/08......--/--/--
James...............04/20/07........05/31/07........02/25/08........--/--/--......--/--/--
Yashar..............04/24/07........05/31/07........02/25/08........04/08/08......--/--/--
Angel7422...........04/25/07........05/24/07........02/25/08........04/07/08......04/14/08
gatorlink...........04/26/07........05/29/07........02/25/08........03/25/08......03/31/08
smartie.............05/03/07........06/09/07........02/25/08........--/--/--......--/--/--
maunzebaer..........05/07/07........07/03/07........02/25/08........--/--/--......--/--/--
Cassie..............05/09/07........06/04/07........02/26/08........--/--/--......--/--/--
baunzerbrudi........05/19/07........06/14/07........02/26/08........--/--/--......--/--/--
rhenryv.............05/30/07........06/18/07........02/26/08........--/--/--......--/--/--
Pici0274............05/30/07........07/05/07........02/26/08........--/--/--......--/--/--
BBAN................05/31/07........07/07/07........02/26/08........--/--/--......--/--/--
imailin.............06/07/07........08/??/07........02/26/08........--/--/--......--/--/--
emmysphere..........06/10/07........07/05/07........02/26/08........--/--/--......--/--/--
Mr. Bigdog..........06/19/07........08/30/07........04/02/08........--/--/--......--/--/--
nelson77............06/22/07........07/19/07........04/10/08........--/--/--......--/--/--
kmineo..............06/??/07........07/??/07........04/09/08........--/--/--......--/--/--
Muergana............06/25/07........07/??/07........03/21/08........--/--/--......--/--/--

Has no one heard anything in the last couple of weeks??!

This really is crazy - all that momentum at the end of March and first half of April...

Have any other fellow TSC losers who are not on the list been approved? I can't see any based on the timeline search for TSC on this site, but then that's assuming everyone in this situation entered their information there or on this forum topic.

Maybe they are processing TSC I-751's and they're only processing those we don't know about. This is really the only explanation.. I mean, why do half a job?? To be fair, I only found this site in March 2008, so maybe there's more of us who are being approved as we speak?

Surely CDN you're next... then James... or both at the same time would be nice, then the rest the day after. In fact, USCIS, just take out the rubber stamp and get it over with will you!

that is the same with us that we were transfered from NSC to CSC, they just suddenly stopped approving us , the last thing that was approved was last week !!! it is weird , what is going on

Well....I just requested an InfoPass appt. I am flying to Germany in 4 weeks and need some kind of proof that I am still legal even though my GC expired almost one year ago.
Did anyone ever get that stamp in the passport? Will they give me a hard time?
My appt. is next week. I just hope I will get approved before then, so I can cancel it.

You need for sure the I-551 stamp in your Passport, to get the stamp is fast and easy, the only delay you will see in when you re-enter the US. Immigration will need to verify your I-551 stamp, I have done that 4 times already and it can take between 30 to 45 minutes. PS Bring your expired GC tougether with your I-551 stamped Passport. I will re-enter US this Saturday via NY, and that will need to verify my I-551 stamp for the 5 time. Have a nice trip,, hopefully you have your adjustment and 10YGC before your departure.

So many new faces here on this TSC/VSC looser thread! That really is sad in my opinion...

However I do have some good news for those of you who remember me from the TSC thread. My wife has finally been approved after our appointment in Atlanta yesterday. If anyone is interested in hearing the story (since technically her file was never actually at the VSC) let me know.

The Doc!

That is really great news. Congrats to you and your wife.

Good luck to everyone that have been waiting for way too long.

Congrats Doc!!! That IS great news! You should tell your story, and in a new thread too! There are far too many useless congratulate-me threads from people who e.g., filed at CSC in January and were approved only 3 months later. (Yeah, great, move on!) Your story would be interesting, informative, and helpful, particularly for anyone who happens to be called for an interview.

Just want to add me to everybody loser list. i filed I-751 on march 6, 2007 at TSC and got transfered to VSC on Jan, 21 2008. Their last touch on my file was on Feb 22, 2008. Like everyone, I try to find a logical method to trace the UNFAIR UNLOGICAL time frame at VSC. Mine is base on the receipt No. I try to check every receipt No. near my receipt No. with a deviance at 100. hopefully those applicant with those receipts and us are on the same boat. As i know, there is one I-751 application is approved today. A sign that VSC is still working on ours applications.

Just Received my card today in mail.

Approved email : Apr 22
Approval notice send: Apr 25
Card Received: May 1

Thanks everyone and those still waiting.. good luck..

Tushar

So you are saying the logic behind this madness is the receipt number? Can you explain your theory a little more in detail please??? You got my attention. LOL

Got the greencard today!!! No mistakes, and they actually sent it to the correct address despite an address change (unlike last time)!

So you are saying the logic behind this madness is the receipt number? Can you explain your theory a little more in detail please??? You got my attention. LOL

for Example, if you receipt No is 20, then the applicant's receipt No. of 15 should file the I-751 very close to you in term of time or hopefully he/she and you filed I-751 at the same Service Center. For some reason, that applicant absent in this topic. My way just to fix " the absence of that applicant" so we may know more what is going on at VSC.

Good for you, licianne! Updating your receipt. Maybe today will be my lucky day . . . .

UserName............NOA1 Date.......Biometrics......Last Touch......Approved......Card Recvd
A_C.................02/21/07........03/15/07........02/25/08........04/01/08......--/--/--
Cdn_in_Texas........02/27/07........03/31/07........02/25/08........--/--/--......--/--/--
yanx................02/27/07........03/??/07........04/10/08........04/14/08......04/19/08
dallaschic..........02/28/07........03/15/07........02/25/08........--/--/--......--/--/--
ihateemo............03/03/07........04/??/07........02/25/08........04/11/08......04/18/08
runeasy.............03/06/07........03/29/07........02/25/08........03/28/08......--/--/--
tweety..............03/09/07........04/06/07........02/25/08........04/11/08......04/18/08
junglee069..........03/13/07........04/14/07........02/25/08........04/08/08......--/--/--
Abygail.............03/14/07........04/19/07........02/25/08........04/14/08......--/--/--
kc1974..............03/16/07........04/25/07........02/25/08........04/14/08......04/21/08
burs................03/19/07........04/12/07........02/25/08........04/11/08......--/--/--
Gaston..............03/19/07........04/17/07........02/25/08........04/08/08......04/18/08
moben...............03/20/07........03/28/07........02/25/08........04/04/08......04/11/08
kn687...............03/21/07........03/29/07........02/25/08........04/10/08......04/17/08
kalstravels.........03/23/07........04/20/07........02/25/08........04/18/08......04/25/08
jsouthwick..........03/30/07........??/??/07........02/25/08........04/15/08......04/21/08
us1415..............04/18/07........05/12/07........02/25/08........03/31/08......04/07/08
utopiacowboy........04/19/07........05/??/07........02/25/08........03/31/08......04/07/08
licianne............04/20/07........04/25/07........02/25/08........04/25/08......05/01/08
James...............04/20/07........05/31/07........02/25/08........--/--/--......--/--/--
Yashar..............04/24/07........05/31/07........02/25/08........04/08/08......--/--/--
Angel7422...........04/25/07........05/24/07........02/25/08........04/07/08......04/14/08
gatorlink...........04/26/07........05/29/07........02/25/08........03/25/08......03/31/08
smartie.............05/03/07........06/09/07........02/25/08........--/--/--......--/--/--
maunzebaer..........05/07/07........07/03/07........02/25/08........--/--/--......--/--/--
Cassie..............05/09/07........06/04/07........02/26/08........--/--/--......--/--/--
baunzerbrudi........05/19/07........06/14/07........02/26/08........--/--/--......--/--/--
rhenryv.............05/30/07........06/18/07........02/26/08........--/--/--......--/--/--
Pici0274............05/30/07........07/05/07........02/26/08........--/--/--......--/--/--
BBAN................05/31/07........07/07/07........02/26/08........--/--/--......--/--/--
imailin.............06/07/07........08/??/07........02/26/08........--/--/--......--/--/--
emmysphere..........06/10/07........07/05/07........02/26/08........--/--/--......--/--/--
Mr. Bigdog..........06/19/07........08/30/07........04/02/08........--/--/--......--/--/--
nelson77............06/22/07........07/19/07........04/10/08........--/--/--......--/--/--
kmineo..............06/??/07........07/??/07........04/09/08........--/--/--......--/--/--
Muergana............06/25/07........07/??/07........03/21/08........--/--/--......--/--/--

Congrats, Licianne! Did everything go ok with your N-400 Biometrics?

Adding Tushar and mvn910.

UserName............NOA1 Date.......Biometrics......Last Touch......Approved......Card Recvd
A_C.................02/21/07........03/15/07........02/25/08........04/01/08......--/--/--
Cdn_in_Texas........02/27/07........03/31/07........02/25/08........--/--/--......--/--/--
yanx................02/27/07........03/??/07........04/10/08........04/14/08......04/19/08
dallaschic..........02/28/07........03/15/07........02/25/08........--/--/--......--/--/--
ihateemo............03/03/07........04/??/07........02/25/08........04/11/08......04/18/08
runeasy.............03/06/07........03/29/07........02/25/08........03/28/08......--/--/--
mvn910..............03/06/07........??/??/07........02/22/08........--/--/--......--/--/--
tweety..............03/09/07........04/06/07........02/25/08........04/11/08......04/18/08
junglee069..........03/13/07........04/14/07........02/25/08........04/08/08......--/--/--
Abygail.............03/14/07........04/19/07........02/25/08........04/14/08......--/--/--
kc1974..............03/16/07........04/25/07........02/25/08........04/14/08......04/21/08
burs................03/19/07........04/12/07........02/25/08........04/11/08......--/--/--
Gaston..............03/19/07........04/17/07........02/25/08........04/08/08......04/18/08
moben...............03/20/07........03/28/07........02/25/08........04/04/08......04/11/08
Tushar..............03/20/07........??/??/07........02/25/08........04/22/08......05/01/08
kn687...............03/21/07........03/29/07........02/25/08........04/10/08......04/17/08
kalstravels.........03/23/07........04/20/07........02/25/08........04/18/08......04/25/08
jsouthwick..........03/30/07........??/??/07........02/25/08........04/15/08......04/21/08
us1415..............04/18/07........05/12/07........02/25/08........03/31/08......04/07/08
utopiacowboy........04/19/07........05/??/07........02/25/08........03/31/08......04/07/08
licianne............04/20/07........04/25/07........02/25/08........04/25/08......05/01/08
James...............04/20/07........05/31/07........02/25/08........--/--/--......--/--/--
Yashar..............04/24/07........05/31/07........02/25/08........04/08/08......--/--/--
Angel7422...........04/25/07........05/24/07........02/25/08........04/07/08......04/14/08
gatorlink...........04/26/07........05/29/07........02/25/08........03/25/08......03/31/08
smartie.............05/03/07........06/09/07........02/25/08........--/--/--......--/--/--
maunzebaer..........05/07/07........07/03/07........02/25/08........--/--/--......--/--/--
Cassie..............05/09/07........06/04/07........02/26/08........--/--/--......--/--/--
baunzerbrudi........05/19/07........06/14/07........02/26/08........--/--/--......--/--/--
rhenryv.............05/30/07........06/18/07........02/26/08........--/--/--......--/--/--
Pici0274............05/30/07........07/05/07........02/26/08........--/--/--......--/--/--
BBAN................05/31/07........07/07/07........02/26/08........--/--/--......--/--/--
imailin.............06/07/07........08/??/07........02/26/08........--/--/--......--/--/--
emmysphere..........06/10/07........07/05/07........02/26/08........--/--/--......--/--/--
Mr. Bigdog..........06/19/07........08/30/07........04/02/08........--/--/--......--/--/--
nelson77............06/22/07........07/19/07........04/10/08........--/--/--......--/--/--
kmineo..............06/??/07........07/??/07........04/09/08........--/--/--......--/--/--
Muergana............06/25/07........07/??/07........03/21/08........--/--/--......--/--/--

I'll never be King of the Losers with all of these newbies coming in over the last few weeks! I refuse to add them to the list myself on principle. Were they around when we got the Loser list going over eight months ago? Nooo, they had to wait until everybody started being approved. Bandwagon jumpers!

Congrats Dr. ZoSo!
Of course we want to hear your interview story! Do you think it was just a quality control one or did they really have doubts and give you a hard time?

That is awesome to hear! Congratulations!

I will add my name to the list of people interested in your experience, seeing as very few people do have to go through an interview -- any information will be helpful.

James, broham, are you still on the list? Oh no, that's it, them USCIS folk got me all pissed off now. Hold me back, I am gonna put some whoppin on their tucas. Hold tight, it will work out for you.

I hate Germans. My wife applied for a Schengen visa to join me in my beer-drinking raid in Munich next week. We were hoping they'd issue her a 1-year visa, so that we can visit krauts whenever we like, but noooo... they only give visas for a specific trip. I swear if it wasn't for dopfel dunkel and sausages, I'd put some whoppin on them too.

Read all about it!

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=125585

The Doc

I got a mail from VSC today. It says I have to do the biometrics on next few days. Did they lose my bimometrics i did last year or my bimometrics is too old and it expires? anybody got some idears or have a similar case like mine?

This sounds vaguely familiar -- I think it happened to one of the NSC Losers, although I could be wrong. Were you touched right after your biometrics last year? If not, maybe the ASC at which you had the biometrics never got them to TSC.

What you say may be right. I dont think that they loss my biometrics information because it is not that easy to loss this kind of information. If this happen, there should be more people, not just only me. I gonna call them next Monday to clear this confusion.

During my AOS process, I had my biometrics done manually after my EAD processing was completed (long story). A few weeks later I got a letter requesting me to drive to an ASC in another state (they were helping to clear the backlog of biometrics at my district office). I was confused, since I had a document in my possession stamped and everything confirming that I already had them done. Went to the ASC, showed them my paper, and they were confused as well and went investigating. Turns out my original fingerprints were lost, so I did them all over again. It does happen.

Hello to all!

This is a really great and informative website which I'm sorry I didn't find sooner.

I posted here in this section because I recently got my wife's I-751 approved after waiting about six months which I felt was fantastic.

Just an editorial comment here if you'll allow me...Have any of you who've been waiting for an extended period of time for this form to be processed considered that perhaps your rhetoric on this site might be contributing to the delay?

Seriously, I don't think mocking immigration employees and stomping your feet will get your application approved any sooner, and if anything, I would think it would delay it. I would guess that immigration officials are aware of this and other websites and probably check in from time to time.

No the system isn't perfect and I think the feds would be the first to admit it. But then again, there's something to be said for *respectfully* waiting your turn in line and not resorting to playground name-calling while so doing. I work hard in my line of work and certainly would resent being called a *loser* or some other disparaging insult by someone outside my organization who had no concept of how my company did business. These people are human beings, they make mistakes (as do all of us). Can we please show them a little respect perhaps?

I guess my suggestion is that you all tone down your rhetoric and keep yourselves occupied with other things while you're waiting. There are also seems to be a great deal of clock-watching here which likely just fuels the resentment and bitterness ever further. CHILL PEOPLE AND RELAX! It's gonna get done and will probably happen faster if you're not obsessing over it so much.

Good luck to all of you with your paperwork and thank you for the opportunity to participate in your site.

Respectfully replying back to this post...

I'd be more open to the above if it seemed that you had some modicum of understanding of what our particular group (the TSC Losers) has gone through.

I have sat and waited and watched as we were passed by and sat at TSC while others were getting transferred to CSC and approved within the matter of a month or two.

I have sat and waited and watched as we were transferred to VSC after nearly a year of sitting at TSC.

I have sat and waited and watched as we sat at VSC for a couple of months with no indication of when our cases would be looked at.

I have sat and waited and watched as cases from NSC have been transferred to CSC in the past month and getting approved in a matter of days.

Tomorrow will be exactly a year since I re-sent my package to TSC. I have done my part to sit and wait my turn in line with a minimum of complaint. I personally take offense to the suggestion that I am being "punished" with delays due to my occasional rant here on VisaJourney -- when it is obvious that nothing could be father from the truth. There are people on this site who are extremely vocal with their displeasure with USCIS on this site who have gotten approved long before I and many other of the TSC Losers, please explain THAT anamoly.

You have the right to express your opinion, I have the right to vehemently disagree in this case.

I'd be more open to the above if it seemed that you had some modicum of understanding of what our particular group (the TSC Losers) has gone through.




Well no, I guess I have no understanding of what you or others have "gone through," other than waiting perhaps.

Correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't the foreign-born spouse retain all rights and privileges that he/she had before the 751 was filed while it is pending with USCIS? The couple doesn't get separated or lose the right to travel or work as far as I know. What is it exactly that you must endure until immigration gets to your particular case? If the relationship is legit, then why all the fuss? I guess I could empathize a little more if it were the initial I-130 that they were dragging their feet on because that keeps the couple separated in most cases. The 751 however, does not, so why all the anger?

The only thing I can think of that you may be losing out on is waiting a few extra months in filing for citizenship but again, that's really pushing it IMHO, and doesn't even become an issue until you've been waiting more than a year (which most have not, or at least not significantly more than a year anyway).

The reasons for the delay may be political. Perhaps USCIS prioritized the naturalization cases over the 751's because it's an election year and many people filed just to get the chance to vote after becoming citizens. I know there's been quite a public uproar over the delay in processing citizenship cases, but understandably so because citizenship grants distinct privileges, among them the right to vote. The 751, on the other hand, grants no particular benefit other than removing conditions on your residency status. Essentially, you are exactly what you were before you submitted the 751 upon approval of said case.

Good luck to one and all with your cases. I know this sounds trite and I don't mean it to sound condescending, but a watched phone never rings. Exercise patience. There will always be some who get their stuff approved a little more quickly than others. It doesn't mean they've forgotten about the rest.

Quick edit to the above reply...

It appears that even if the 751 is delayed, you can still file for citizenship. So really, you are not losing out on *anything* by waiting a few extra months.

To perhaps give you some perspective, I have an Indian acquaintance that I know with a permanent residency application that's been pending over four years, yet he doesn't stress over it because he understands the system and realizes it takes time. I think his case is held up because of numerical restrictions or something to that effect, but he really doesn't care, because he knows that eventually it'll get done and he'll have his card.

Patience folks and hang in there.

"No the system isn't perfect and I think the feds would be the first to admit it. But then again, there's something to be said for *respectfully* waiting your turn in line and not resorting to playground name-calling while so doing. I work hard in my line of work and certainly would resent being called a *loser* or some other disparaging insult by someone outside my organization who had no concept of how my company did business. These people are human beings, they make mistakes (as do all of us). Can we please show them a little respect perhaps?"

No, the Feds do not admit it. The director is a bald-faced liar who should be removed from office.

As for respect, how much respect do they show the millions of applicants that they deal with? NONE!

BTW, if your company did business the way that the USCIS does business, you wouldn't be in business at all. You'd be bankrupt and your competitors would have eaten your lunch.

Tell that to the people on VJ that can't get their driver's license renewed because the DMV feels that the extension letter is not sufficient proof of legal residency status and reject evidence to the contrary.

Tell that to the people on VJ who have been rejected for jobs because prospective employers feel that the extension letter is not sufficient proof of legal residency/working status and reject evidence to the contrary.

Tell that to the people on VJ whose current employers are getting progressively nervous (without reason, but it's hard to convince them of it) that their employees aren't really legal and are considering letting them go so they don't have to "deal with it", like the ones in this thread:
http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...=124738&hl=.

It is very easy to say that we're the same status and nothing has changed. We as petitioners know that, but anyone else who is not dealing with this process does not, including other government agencies, employers, etc who don't know what's going on, who don't recognize the paperwork for what it is and who prefer to deny us or shove us to the side rather than to get educated and informed as to who is illegal and who is not.

You mistake my tone for anger. I am not angry with USCIS, just frustrated with the inconsistencies that I listed above, and frustrated with your lectures. You are preaching to the choir about patience -- you are not talking to people who are one week or one month into the process, trust me, we get it.

I also have to respectfully disagree, and I'm one of those fortunate enough to have been processed, (a full 8 months longer than your wife had to wait).

The term "losers" refers to us not USCIS. We who were unfortunate enough to apply to TSC during a 6 month window beginning Feb/March 2007. If anything, this forum and thread are all we legal immigrants have to use to get any kind of information or hope that our cases will be processed and the only time any of us are disrespectful of USCIS, it's usually due to the USCIS customer service line, not the service center.

I'm sure if you and your wife had to wait as long as we have, you too would be concerned at the time it's taking. Regardless of the meaningfulness of the I-751, the thoughts that race through our heads each and every day are: "Have they lost our application?", "How come CSC are processing these so quickly when TSC are not?", "Why has my application been transferred?", "How come the online processing dates have gone backwards this month?", "Have they lost our biometrics?", "Have they found something that could cause this to be denied?" etc, etc. Up until I found this thread, and a lot of people who were all in the same boat as me, these were the thoughts that were racing through my head, so forgive us if a little sarcasm comes across this site in the direction of USCIS.

I said good-day!

^(Some more sarcasm)

Dear, Dear, Dear Speaking_Softly let’s not be so condescending to the TSC Losers. You say that people have the same rights and privileges that he/she had before…well, not exactly, because when you’re dealing with an expired green card people look at you with much suspicion, which in our case was devastating when we traveled. Here’s our story: Last May, I had to have emergency surgery when I was visiting my in-laws in Argentina. My husband immediately boarded a plane to Argentina a few days later when he could get a flight. Just to note - our I-751 had already been at TSC for more than 3+ months – enough time to make a decision…but no, all we had was the NOA, which my husband forgot at home.

After 3 months of being in Argentina, we finally got a flight to come home. We were in the Buenos Aires airport, in the middle of the night, and the manager of Aerolineas Argentinas would not let my husband on the plane because his green card was expired. I had a major job interview scheduled in two days - so we made the executive decision that I would travel home alone. What made it very difficult was because of my surgery, I still needed his attention - I couldn't lift anything heavy. Also, we hadn't been separated any time in those 3 months so it was major separation anxiety. He took a flight home to his province and I flew to Miami, and then had to drive 400 miles to Tallahassee. It really was just nuts. I got home and fedex-ed the document immediately and he came home a week later. Oddly enough, immigration didn’t even look at his letter, they just swiped his green card and let him pass.

We were one of the original TSC losers that got approved in December – we still don’t know how it happened, but we paid as high a price as anyone for having an expired green card.

Furthermore, you speak about everyone has the right to apply for citizenship. Well, that is all well and good, if you want to apply, but not everyone does. Many people don’t want to apply because they want to keep their national status, or they don’t particularly feel like forking over $675 so soon. Applying for citizenship is a personal choice, and one shouldn’t feel forced into it just because the removal of conditions is still pending.

I just want to add that I had the same experiance with traveling, and after my I-551 stamp in my passport, imigration have to verify my I-551 stamp every singel time I'm entering USA, it takes between 1 to 2 hours, and that isen't nice when I have a connetion flight. And try to purhase a new home and apply for morage with a expired GC,,, not easy.

So life is not the same with a pending GC and an approved GC.

Kind of odd that someone would register on VJ just to post this kind of thing. And s/he didn't even get the fact that we were calling ourselves Losers. Smells like a troll to me.

Oh speaking softly, how you want to start a rant.

Yes I think you are right, it is because we are a part of this forum for the reason we are delayed. That makes perfect sense. I guess USCIS is spending all their time during the day on this forum, since they don't have anything better to do. Maybe that is why it is taking so long to process. Doesn't that make perfect since. Not really if you can't hear my sarcasm Funny that because I have been waiting almost 11 months and I didn't start posting on here, untill a month or so ago. And when I post, it isn't insulting the USCIS, yet we still haven't been approved.

And as other people have said I think the Loser TSC/VSC refers to ourselves and not the actual office.

At first I thought the post of "speaking softly" doesn't deserve a reply. But I just have to say one thing....

I am sure the USCIS knows exactly who I am. The only information most of us post on this website is our username and our timeline dates. So I am pretty sure the people at USCIS spend all their time investigating who I am, so they can put my case on hold. That would explain why my case is still pending after 12 months. Sure...... Too bad I haven't thought of that myself earlier.

And by the way....speaking softly.....what's your business giving us advice? Walk in our shoes and then come back and talk to us.

I just got to the website and I was expecting some good news… well I guess all I found was an ignorant writing non-sense which made everyone upset, counting myself. Let him try to get a SS Card and have the SS department employee tell you that for "them" the NOA is not valid…(arent they part os the United States too?). Let him go trough that and fell out of status when you are not!!!!

And then…. WHAT IS GOING ON??/ IS MONDAY AND NOTHING YET??? This is driving me nuts I was expecting to get my approval by May!!! I have to move and I don’t really want to do the address change!!!

I have a question about the I-551 stamp in my passport which expire May 28, do I need to have my passport re-stamped to be legal?

I dont know if is to BE LEGAL, but for peace of mind, I would.

Dear Speaking_softly

As a United States citizen, and whose spouse applied for removal of conditions (approved 13 months later) I find it unacceptable that you ask people to tone it down. Many of us have legitimate concerns. I take issue with USCIS policy which states

"to be fair, we process cases in the order we receive them"

If that were the case, why are CSC people being approved barely 4 months after applying? Do Californians have more rights than Floridians or Texans? The USCIS has failed to apply the law equally.

I'd like to remind you that Texans have the right to fly our state flag at the same height as the US Flag (condition for entering the Union) so its quite clear to me that under USCIS policy, not all resdients have the same rights.

We are legitimate tax paying, legal, law abiding persons of the United States. We paid exhorbitant fees to get my wife's status processed, a process in many other developed countries is free or just the cost of the actual physical documents.

Why do H1-B applicants, who are not married to US Citizens or have no connection to this country except the desire to work for a United States company have their cases adjudicated in a shorter timespan than us?

The vast majority of us are taking issue with USCIS policy, not the employees of USCIS.

You only have to check the web comments on Emilio Gonzalez's rebuke of the NY Times article, on the USCIS website to show you how out of touch you are with persons of the United States. The web comments by far are negative. Enough said.

Stamp really doesn't make you any more legal or less legal. It is helpful if your employer needs to see it, leaving the country and trying to return. But as far as i have been able to tell. Not having the stamp doesn't mean you are not legal, that lies in the computers of USCIS, but if you need to prove your legality, it will definitely help. It is like driving if you left your license at home. You are legally able to drive, but if you get stopped you are going to have to go to court and show that you have a vaild license.

Thanks, I become in doubt because the I-551 says: Employment Authorized Valid Until: May 28 2008. (I got the stamp back in November last year and its: 180 days validity only). So if not my conditions is lifted (I-751) within end May I should have my Passport I-551 re-stamped then.

I have to say that so far, the marriage route is substantially faster than H1-B employment. I suppose it might depend on "when" you applied. I-140 (labor certification) took 2 years, AOS took another 2 years before receiving RFE. Circumstances changed and I ended up AOS based on marriage, which completed in 6 months. Of course the 140/485 (before concurrently filing was allowed) hit against the 9/11 changes.

Good Grief!

I post a thoughtful comment on delays in processing and I'm met with juvenile name-calling terms such as "troll" and "ignorant." Gee, thanks so much for the warm welcome!

Sorry if many of you took it as lecturing, it wasn't. In the toneless Internet, I could very much say the same of many of your responses towards me.

My guess is that many of the "problems" some of you are encountering are isolated and not typical. My wife was never questioned by her employer when her green card expired, nor was she shaken down by officials at the border (she entered on three separate occasions at separate entry points) when she crossed after the initial card expired.

If your employer has questions about the validity of your status, calmly and coolly explain your situation and have hard documentation handy to explain the law (which is always on your side in cases like this). If the employer still doesn't buy into it, then I have to say he's probably not worth working for nor does he likely value you as an employee.

If an official at the border hassles you notwithstanding proper documentation of your status, then ask to see some rank (supervisor)! I've done it before and it works! The long and the short of it is that virtually every foreign spouse will have to undergo expiration of their green card (unless somehow it gets processed before the two year anniversary) but there are rules in place to avoid all the aforementioned nastiness.

Now...a previous poster commented about exorbitant costs and how many other developed countries process immigrants at little or no cost. Well thats just grand! But the real question is, why isn't the U.S. citizen spouse emigrating to the foreign spouse's country? Seems like it would be easier and lot less stressful given that the developed country's is so immigration-friendly, no? The fact is that your spouses all wanted to come here to live and not the other way around. I think that says a lot about the good ol' U.S.A. Yes, things take longer, but here in the States we run a lot more security checks on any prospective immigrant (and rightly so) than any other country. Personally, I didn't enjoy dealing with the bureaucracy of petitioning to get my wife here but I'm all for it if it means avoiding another 9/11.

And yes Jethro, employment immigration certainly does take longer in most cases than marriage petitions, which is why I offered the example of my Indian friend who has been waiting longer than most of you ever will. Thank you for that Jethro and for not piling on like the others.

There seems to be odd sense of entitlement among a lot of those who post here (i.e. expecting USCIS to handle the 751 inside of three months). Most of those of you who are griping have cases that are still inside the posted processing times. To me, that means it's not your turn yet so just chill and relax. If I could I'd give up my wife's approval and go back in line and wait for a few more months just to accommodate one of you. It's really not a concern to me or my wife because we know it will eventually get done and she keeps all the rights of privileges of any other permanent resident.

I'll stop now. This "troll" will walk away by way of the high road wishing all of you all the best and hoping that your cases are processed soon. Feel free to fire away and flame as much as you wish.