how to call USCIS?

[GauraD 0]

Hi,

Its been 3 weeks since we submitted our AOS/EAD application, and Im kind of worried that some dimwit may have mixed up our PO Box and Home address (as mail is undeliverable to our house) - our address registered with the USCIS is the PO Box one- so if it is returned to sender hopefully the would figure it out....Then again- perhaps we have made a mistake on our forms or something- how do we check? Is that 1800 number everyone talks about the one and what do I dial? Or is there a Chicago Lockbox address?? The package was delivered but we paid by PO so cant check if a check was cashed (wish we HAD payed by check!!)

Is 3 weeks something to worry about?? I swear, everyone else seems to have their biometrics appointments already!!

Thanks for your help!!

[GauraD 0]

*I mean Chicago Lockbox phone number

[JeremyR 8]

1-800-375-5283. Not sure how to get through to a real-life human being without a receipt number though.

If you still have the money order receipt and you really want to be sure it's OK, I believe you can put a trace on them to find out if they've been cashed and request a photocopy. I think there's a charge though. USCIS write the receipt numbers on the back of checks before they cash them but I have no idea if they do the same with money orders.

edit to add: Lockbox phone number? Doubt they have a publicly available one to be honest. It's just a mailroom/distribution office, isn't it?

Edited January 15, 2009 by JeremyR

[abranch 0]

1-800-375-5283. Not sure how to get through to a real-life human being without a receipt number though.

If you still have the money order receipt and you really want to be sure it's OK, I believe you can put a trace on them to find out if they've been cashed and request a photocopy. I think there's a charge though. USCIS write the receipt numbers on the back of checks before they cash them but I have no idea if they do the same with money orders.

edit to add: Lockbox phone number? Doubt they have a publicly available one to be honest. It's just a mailroom/distribution office, isn't it?

The lockbox is actually a bank, Chase bank I believe(my lawyer told me this). They have a contract with USCIS to receive the mail and distribute - take the money and so forth. Not sure how you would go about contacting them. I am sure they are trained to ignore all calls regarding package status.

[GauraD 0]

Update-

Well, today I called USCIS after waiting the 30 days you have to wait to make a complaint (thats what the lady told my husband when he called last time asking where our reciept was) and guess what- they DID send my receipt number AND my biometrics letter to the wrong address (even though I sent a cover letter with my application stating in CAPITAL LETTERS- PLEASE CORRESPOND WITH THE PO BOX ADDRESS PROVIDED-retards!) and even better- my biometrics appointment is tomorrow morning at 8am and I have NONE of the letters or anything!!

So then I had an afternoon long ordeal of calling USCIS and talking to three higher up customer service reps- one lady I called said she could send me the info via fax (not email) and I had to call back as I had to phone my husband for a fax number - I asked her if I'd be able to call her back directly- she said no, but that I could just re-explain what had happened and that whoever I got hold of would fax it for me. Not the case!! The next time I called I got hold of a very unhelpful verging on rude lady, who said there was no way they could do that, impossible, she didnt have any of that info etc etc.....I hung up, and called AGAIN hoping to get through to someone else- and I did- this lady had to talk to her supervisor to make sure she could fax me the info, and she almost didnt want to when I said to attn it to my friends name (as I had HIS fax number at his office- I dont have a fax at home!!) as she was like 'this is Federal information, it can only be seen by you blah blah blah' and then I kept talking to her asking 'do you think this receipt number you have given me will be enough for me to take to my appointment tomorrow morning??' And I think she took pity on me as she was like 'is that YOUR fax number' and I lied and said 'Yes' and she said she'd send me the info.

Anyways, Im still waiting on my friend to get back from work and see if she has the fax- if not- do you think I could go for my appointment with just the receipt number and my passport and marriage cert?? Does anyone know if that appointment is still in the works as when I checked my case status online today for the first time ever (with my receipt number I got over the phone) it says '22nd Jan - post office returned papers etc please contact USCIS'

[JeremyR 8]

Can't you ask them to reschedule your biometrics appointment?

Then, once you've received the new biometrics appointment notice, I believe (read in other threads, you might want to check for sure) that you can do a walk-up appointment at certain times on certain days. I'm sure someone who's done this will be able to explain the process.

Have you also considered filing a change of address form, just to be sure that they have your proper address for future correspondence?

[GauraD 0]

Hi Jeremy Yes- I have made sure that they have changed my address by talking to several types of customer service reps and doing it myself online.

I know I can cancel the biometrics appointment- I'm not too worried about that- what worries me is that they said it can take up to 30 days for me to get the documents and letters they were supposed to send me - thats why Im really hoping that the fax thing will work! I am worried that even if they DO fax it- the USCIS office may only accept the originals of the documents! That will set me back from getting my EAD by a month or so!!!

[GauraD 0]

Well- NONE of the customer service reps faxed my info to me!!!

So my question is- has anyone had success in just going in to the USCIS office WITHOUT the appointment letter?? I have my passport, marriage cert, the online thing saying the letter was sent back, and my receipt number- would that be enough to wing it? I need to know 100% because its a 2 hour trip and i have to get up at 5am if Im going to go.

Thanks!

[JeremyR 8]

My gut instinct is no (Someone please correct me if I'm wrong!)

There will be a security guard on the door who I would guess is trained "no appointment letter, no entry". They can be quite strict about who goes in - my wife had to wait in the car.

Main reason that I suspect you'll be unlucky though, is that your I-797C biometrics appointment notice is covered in bar codes, which they scan to pull up your record. Some of them are just your receipt numbers (AOS and EAD on mine) but there is another one at the top of the notice that they scanned when I went up for fingerprinting. It's a complex 2-dimensional barcode and I have no idea what it stores but my guess is that it wouldn't be there if they didn't need it to process biometrics.

On the other hand, the appointment notice has warnings about case abandonment if you don't show so maybe it would be better to go, even if they ultimately turn you away so that you can say that you did go, they just wouldn't let you in...

If it was me, though, I'd call USCIS back first thing tomorrow morning and ask to be rescheduled. You might need to speak to a higher up. If you ask a couple of times, I believe the script reader you speak to initially is obliged to put you though. It might involve a delay of a few weeks but at least you know you'll get in and get it done. Also, (again, correct me if I'm wrong, please!) I don't believe that rescheduling the appointment will put your EAD/AOS cases on hold. Judging by the dates you've given in this thread, I shouldn't think your EAD will be processed before you get a new appointment through.

Sorry I couldn't say anything more positive

[GauraD 0]

My gut instinct is no (Someone please correct me if I'm wrong!)

There will be a security guard on the door who I would guess is trained "no appointment letter, no entry". They can be quite strict about who goes in - my wife had to wait in the car.

Main reason that I suspect you'll be unlucky though, is that your I-797C biometrics appointment notice is covered in bar codes, which they scan to pull up your record. Some of them are just your receipt numbers (AOS and EAD on mine) but there is another one at the top of the notice that they scanned when I went up for fingerprinting. It's a complex 2-dimensional barcode and I have no idea what it stores but my guess is that it wouldn't be there if they didn't need it to process biometrics.

On the other hand, the appointment notice has warnings about case abandonment if you don't show so maybe it would be better to go, even if they ultimately turn you away so that you can say that you did go, they just wouldn't let you in...

If it was me, though, I'd call USCIS back first thing tomorrow morning and ask to be rescheduled. You might need to speak to a higher up. If you ask a couple of times, I believe the script reader you speak to initially is obliged to put you though. It might involve a delay of a few weeks but at least you know you'll get in and get it done. Also, (again, correct me if I'm wrong, please!) I don't believe that rescheduling the appointment will put your EAD/AOS cases on hold. Judging by the dates you've given in this thread, I shouldn't think your EAD will be processed before you get a new appointment through.

Sorry I couldn't say anything more positive

Thanks for all that info Jeremy!! We decided not to go as its 4 hours of driving and time off work for my hubby without knowing if we could even get into the building! And as you said- we will probably be able to reschedule it before my EAD/AOS stuff comes up!

I did call the USCIS this morning and talked to the 'higher ups' who were unhelpful in that they didnt do anything and said they couldnt do anything with regards to rescheduling my appointment! Oh well, I will just take a screenshot of my case status online and the fact that it says my mail was undelievered, just so I have it on file that it wasn't our fault- we weren't lazy- USCIS screwed up!

Important note for all of you who bother to do cover letters- THEY DONT read them!! I did a cover letter for my fiance visa when sending my second batch of paperwork to the Embassy, and on it I stated, once again in EXTRA LARGE RED TYPE that could they please only schedule me an interview after a certain date as I was out of the country until then- I got back early from my trip - opened my mail- and discovered they had set me an appointment for the dates I had asked NOT to be scheduled!

And then for my AOS- I did a nice cover letter that obviously wasnt read!

Cover letters ARE helpful as a checklist however- it helps when you have a list to make sure everything is in the packet.

Anyway, now I just have to pray for a speedy delivery of my receipt notice and biometrics letter - they say 30-45 days when you phone, but everything else we have received much more quickly, usually a week or two *fingers crossed* I swear I have the most annoying luck- trust me, Im never the person who says 'oh my, there was a blip in the system so they were even QUICKER with my case and it only took a month from start to finish etc* that's never me!! Im definitely not buying lottery tickets any time soon lol!!