Infopass worth it?

[Ed+Cindy 1]

It has been 6 months for our NOA2 wait today.

I am debating making an Infopass appointment, but would like to know if anyone actually found that it helped their case.

I don't like dealing with DHS workers (USCIS, CBP, etc). If I meet with one of them and they are useless, I'm likely to just get frustrated more.

I'm not sure its even worth my time.

Anyone have a positive experience with Infopass?

[Bobby+Umit 161]

It has been 6 months for our NOA2 wait today.

I am debating making an Infopass appointment, but would like to know if anyone actually found that it helped their case.

I don't like dealing with DHS workers (USCIS, CBP, etc). If I meet with one of them and they are useless, I'm likely to just get frustrated more.

I'm not sure its even worth my time.

Anyone have a positive experience with Infopass?

I have seen a lot of posts of people using INFOPASS and getting results. (mostly for information though)

[Mshell322 0]

It has been 6 months for our NOA2 wait today.

I am debating making an Infopass appointment, but would like to know if anyone actually found that it helped their case.

I don't like dealing with DHS workers (USCIS, CBP, etc). If I meet with one of them and they are useless, I'm likely to just get frustrated more.

I'm not sure its even worth my time.

Anyone have a positive experience with Infopass?

Hi there .... I would be very interested to know what this is??? I have a similar timeline to you ie...NOA1 oct 1st and still no sign of NOA2 anywhere!!!! My fiance has contacted the USCIS customer helpline a couple of times now, and they just keep telling him they are working on Sept the 23rds petitions. Hope your wait isnt to long now. M x

[Ed+Cindy 1]

Hi there .... I would be very interested to know what this is??? I have a similar timeline to you ie...NOA1 oct 1st and still no sign of NOA2 anywhere!!!! My fiance has contacted the USCIS customer helpline a couple of times now, and they just keep telling him they are working on Sept the 23rds petitions. Hope your wait isnt to long now. M x

Your fiance isn't getting any real info from the USCIS helpline. I think they always pick a date prior to yours and say they are processing them.

Infopass info (from this website: http://immigrationroad.com/green-card/contact-uscis-fbi.php)

Infopass gives you an opportunity to talk to an immigration officer directly. It can be very helpful if you have a rather urgent issue or a complicated question that benefits from a face-to-face discussion with a trained USCIS officer. They have access to more information, including FBI name checks and other case details, which are unavailable from the online system or general customer service. However, some officers may be unwilling to show you everything, or anything, so the outcome of your visit really depends on whom you talk to.

You do not have to wait for your case to be outside the processing window to set up an appointment, and you don't need a USCIS notice to go to your local office either. However, if your case is pending security checks, an USCIS officer cannot help speed up the process.

To make an infopass appointment, go to the secure USCIS web site. After typing in your zip code, you will be presented with several options. To check case status select "You need information or other services." Click "Continue" on the next screen, you will then be able to input your personal information such as your Alien Number and Receipt Number. The last steps are selecting a day and time for your appointment, and printing out a confirmation page which you will need to bring to the local office. If you wish to cancel the appointment, you will need the case number printed on the confirmation page.

[Mshell322 0]

Hi there .... I would be very interested to know what this is??? I have a similar timeline to you ie...NOA1 oct 1st and still no sign of NOA2 anywhere!!!! My fiance has contacted the USCIS customer helpline a couple of times now, and they just keep telling him they are working on Sept the 23rds petitions. Hope your wait isnt to long now. M x

Your fiance isn't getting any real info from the USCIS helpline. I think they always pick a date prior to yours and say they are processing them.

Infopass info (from this website: http://immigrationroad.com/green-card/contact-uscis-fbi.php)

Infopass gives you an opportunity to talk to an immigration officer directly. It can be very helpful if you have a rather urgent issue or a complicated question that benefits from a face-to-face discussion with a trained USCIS officer. They have access to more information, including FBI name checks and other case details, which are unavailable from the online system or general customer service. However, some officers may be unwilling to show you everything, or anything, so the outcome of your visit really depends on whom you talk to.

You do not have to wait for your case to be outside the processing window to set up an appointment, and you don't need a USCIS notice to go to your local office either. However, if your case is pending security checks, an USCIS officer cannot help speed up the process.

To make an infopass appointment, go to the secure USCIS web site. After typing in your zip code, you will be presented with several options. To check case status select "You need information or other services." Click "Continue" on the next screen, you will then be able to input your personal information such as your Alien Number and Receipt Number. The last steps are selecting a day and time for your appointment, and printing out a confirmation page which you will need to bring to the local office. If you wish to cancel the appointment, you will need the case number printed on the confirmation page.

Thank you so much for taking the time to give me this information, it is very useful reading..... I have forwarded it to my fiance for him to take a look. It also mentions if your petition is outside the processing times by 30 days they can put in an official inquiry .... which we are not far from. Once again thank you so much. Keep us updated if you decide to take an infopass appointment. I cant see it doing any harm to give it a go? I will also keep you updated with what we decide to do. M x

[Ed+Cindy 1]

Thank you so much for taking the time to give me this information, it is very useful reading..... I have forwarded it to my fiance for him to take a look. It also mentions if your petition is outside the processing times by 30 days they can put in an official inquiry .... which we are not far from. Once again thank you so much. Keep us updated if you decide to take an infopass appointment. I cant see it doing any harm to give it a go? I will also keep you updated with what we decide to do. M x

My lawyer is going to the Infopass because she thinks they may give her more info than if I go. We don't think they will hide info from me, but they are more likely to just tell me layman's terms where they might tell her specifics, like we are in security checks, or supervisory review, or something. Plus I don't have to interact with them....

You should place an inquiry too. I am doing that.

[imaisha 1]

I just got back from an Infopass and I can confirm that it was totally useless. My I-130 and I-129f are both out of processing times by just a little bit so I felt sort of bad going in, but based on the ridiculous information the customer service line has offered me ("We are no longer processing 129fs") I felt somewhat justified.

The woman was very nice, expressed how badly she felt for me and even asked me to tell my husband she said happy birthday (it's tomorrow), but none of that changes the fact that she knew absolutely nothing. She even conferred with the person at the next desk who also knew nothing. She had no idea what the current processing times were (or how to find them) and said "worst case you'll only have to wait another year (for them to finish the 130)." ANOTHER YEAR?! She told me that they can only see what I can see in the computer as they have no access to the systems in Vermont. She could only help if the greencard had already been approved. She spent about ten minutes trying to look it up though so I can't say she didn't try.

In the end she agreed that the case should have been completed already and made photocopies of my NOA1s for me and told me to write to Vermont. She said I could call all I want but they don't know anymore either so putting it in writing is the best way to go about it.

And for people wondering what the Infopass in New York City is like, you can bring cellphones in (they just ask that you turn them off) and they let my packed lunch in too. At around 8am it took about 5 minutes to get through security and the xray and metal detector and all that, then another 5 mins to speak to someone who checks your appt. slip and gives you a number. I had to really press to get past this woman as she said they wouldn't have any information (they didn't but I had to try!). Then they send you upstairs to a big waiting room where you wait for your number to come on the big flat screen tvs in some crazy future ikea waiting room chairs. Glad all those fees we pay are going to something at least. From then it was about 45 minutes til I was called, which was about 45 minutes after my appt. time. We talked for 15 minutes and that was it.

Hope other people have more luck than I did. If you can spare the time, I still think it's worth trying.

[Ansu Binu 0]

I took an infopass appointment the day after my 6 month time frame elapsed (March 30th). The officer was able to dig through their system and told me my case was touched on March 10th, 2009. According to USCIS site, my case was last touched in Sep 08. She also gave me an A # for my case, giving me more indication that my case was being processed. My case was approved on April 10th.

During the infopass session, the officer mentioned that she would send an email to USCIS regarding the delay. I dont know if that happened.

So, my personal opinion is, go for the infopass appontment. It will give you some relief during the seemingly endless wait.

[Dakine 26]

"So, my personal opinion is, go for the infopass appontment. It will give you some relief during the seemingly endless wait. "

DITTO!!!

[Ed+Cindy 1]

Update from the Infopass appointment....

USCIS's database shows that your petition is still in the consolidated file area of the California Service Center. This is the area where the files wait to be reviewed. It is therefore possible that they just have not gotten to it yet.

So, it wasn't worth the time...

[Philosykos 0]

That sucks... What are you doing about it? Contact your congressman?

Update from the Infopass appointment....

USCIS's database shows that your petition is still in the consolidated file area of the California Service Center. This is the area where the files wait to be reviewed. It is therefore possible that they just have not gotten to it yet.

So, it wasn't worth the time...

[Ed+Cindy 1]

That sucks... What are you doing about it? Contact your congressman?

I have, but they (congressman + Senator) can't really do anything.

We are just being bullied by Homeland Security. We've had problems with them in the past.

[Ed+Cindy 1]

Update from the Infopass appointment....

USCIS's database shows that your petition is still in the consolidated file area of the California Service Center. This is the area where the files wait to be reviewed. It is therefore possible that they just have not gotten to it yet.

So, it wasn't worth the time...

Another update today...My senator's aid just called me and told me we are in background checks. Looks like the Infopass people don't even know that, or didn't want to provide that piece of information to us.

[obijuan3 1]

I'm just trying to figure out if an online inquiry is better than going in for an infopass appt? Please advise. Thanks in advance