The 2010 London Waiver List

[Traci - Andrew 14]

Hi Everyone, I am now very amazed... USCIS is going super mad... they have produced another update in just 2 days? what is going on.. who cares I hear you cry... just let them continue this mad round of updates forever and ever... never mind about me having to update this every 5 minutes... seriously I don't mind if it helps you guys out like it did for my wife and me.

Today Friday 8th October 2010 the I-601 Waiver Status PDF File was Updated

It has been 2 days since the last update and 2 days before that one, and they have just added 6 more UK cases to Pending and one from Scandinavia.

So anyway the highlights of todays update are:

6 UK based cases were added to the "Pending" pile this time around!!

DBL2009 724 003 - LND2010 560 037 - LND2009 817 003 - LND2009 768 031 - LND2009 761 016 - LND2007 645 005

No UK based cases have changed status to Under Review from Pending

No UK based cases have been completed.

Remember If your case number is above as a new case and you are on Visa Journey or immigrate2us, then please let me know your Case number and I will add VJ User or I2US User and your Initials to the Spreadsheet.

The current USCIS average completed cases per week figure is holding on at 1.4 this update.

As usual you can see these changes in my updated spreadsheet here > I-601 Status Update Spreadsheet 8th October 2010

Wishing you all the best for the next update..

Take care all..

Andrew

[Traci - Andrew 14]

Hi Everyone,

I am a slow off the mark this time round due to internet connectivity issues, (I am updating this just after 1 AM UK time).

The I-601 File was updated by USCIS on Thursday 4th November 2010

It has been an amazing 27 days since the last update which is a new record, as this is the longest time between updates so far since I have been recording them for over a year now.

So the highlights of todays update are:

5 New UK & Irish based cases were added to the "Pending" pile this time around!!

DBL2010 632 003 - LND2008 534 015 - LND2008 685 009 - LND2008 731 008 - LND2010 617 007

No cases have changed status to Under Review from Pending

No cases were completed.

This was a long overdue update, I have no idea why they have taken so long this time around to release this update without actually doing any work, after all they have only added a few cases to the Pending pile but not moved any to Under Review and have also not completed any?

Remember If your case number is above as a new case and you are on Visa Journey or immigrate2us, then please let me know your Case number and I will add VJ User or I2US User and your Initials to the Spreadsheet.

The current USCIS average number of completed cases per week figure is down again from 1.4 to 1.3 this update.

As usual you can see these changes in my updated spreadsheet here > I-601 Status Update Spreadsheet 4th November 2010

Wishing you all the best for the next update..

Take care all..

Andrew

[kiahs_wife 0]

Hey Andrew

first of all I saw from your ticker youre fixin to go to the US in three days! Im sooooooooo jealous! LOL seriously though, congrats!

We are currently going through the process. Six months after filing i-130 it got accepted and filed AOS and so on, waiting for the packet to reach London. Hope it doesn't take too long! We have Sen. Richard Burr's office advising us as we cant afford a lawyer . The lady we are dealing with has been very hel;pful and has agreed to send all paperwork to London ahead of my interview giving them time to look oer the evidence in the hope my interview will go well and they wont give me too hard a time of it. Do you know how long the NVC usually takes to send the packet to London? do they use a courier do you know?

I overstayed though not on purpose as I was married before and my then husband was sent to Iraq (army) and i was told that i could wait on filing green card stuff til he was back stateside. We had everything filled out and medical completed though. Anyways, long story short, he was a lousy husband and I never managed to save any money for it as he would go and spend it and then threatedn to report me and have me deported (loooooong story). The marriage fell apart and I left the country, returning to Scotland where I divorced the wee #######.

I had no clue about this 10 year ban and didnt know about it til last June i tried to visit my then new fiance and was turned around being told i could no longer use the VWP to enter the US.

It was only upon the advice those at NY immigration station that I made an appt at the US embassy in London to get a visa that I was told I was banned for ten years!!!!!!!

Having done my research, i have already written a hardship letter as I know I will be denied a visa. I jus hope it is good enough. I have a 5 yr old step daughter who thinks of me as her mommy as I am all she has ever known. She is the one hurting themost in all of this and I hope, coming up to Christmas that they take pity and hurry us through. Our first anniversary is 23rd Dec and would love to be there with my husband and daughter for it.

The senetor's office has said that it is possible though after looking at your updates for the processing times at the emabssy, I am not too sure this will happen. She also said that the fact they are taking an interest in our case will go in our favor (somehow! i have no clue but not knocking it!)

This whole process has taken almost two years and I am so stressed and depressed about the whole thing. I am an unemployed student and struggling to make ends meet, paying large phone bills and internet bills to try and maintain contact. All we want is to be a family and put all this behind us. All this red tape and hundreds and hundreds of dollars PER PIECE OF PAPER is rediculous and I hate the fact they are seperating families like this! I could go on but dont worry, I wont! LOL I just get so mad at the whole thing. This mess is all I can think and worry about and its driving me craaaaaaazy!

Any help or advice you can give based on your own experience or stuff you have read would be VERY uch appreciated! Also, if you think you could help, I could send you the letter we wrote for extreme hardship and we also wrote in red 'EXPEDITE REQUEST' too to see if that will make it go faster.

How long from your charting is it taking for them to process 601s? I cant mak head nor tale of it (im dyslexic too which doesnt help!)

Also, I noticed when I checked, it says that they are processing 601s recieved on 26th may...does this mean the priority date of the case number or the actual date the 601 reached their office? if it is the former, our priority date is 11th may. if it is the latter...are we in trouble and in fora really long wait?! ARRRGH my head hurts with all of this mess!

Thanks again.

Cassia

Edited November 7, 2010 by kiahs_wife

[Mintchip 0]

Hey Andrew

first of all I saw from your ticker youre fixin to go to the US in three days! Im sooooooooo jealous! LOL seriously though, congrats!

We are currently going through the process. Six months after filing i-130 it got accepted and filed AOS and so on, waiting for the packet to reach London. Hope it doesn't take too long! We have Sen. Richard Burr's office advising us as we cant afford a lawyer . The lady we are dealing with has been very hel;pful and has agreed to send all paperwork to London ahead of my interview giving them time to look oer the evidence in the hope my interview will go well and they wont give me too hard a time of it. Do you know how long the NVC usually takes to send the packet to London? do they use a courier do you know?

I overstayed though not on purpose as I was married before and my then husband was sent to Iraq (army) and i was told that i could wait on filing green card stuff til he was back stateside. We had everything filled out and medical completed though. Anyways, long story short, he was a lousy husband and I never managed to save any money for it as he would go and spend it and then threatedn to report me and have me deported (loooooong story). The marriage fell apart and I left the country, returning to Scotland where I divorced the wee #######.

I had no clue about this 10 year ban and didnt know about it til last June i tried to visit my then new fiance and was turned around being told i could no longer use the VWP to enter the US.

It was only upon the advice those at NY immigration station that I made an appt at the US embassy in London to get a visa that I was told I was banned for ten years!!!!!!!

Having done my research, i have already written a hardship letter as I know I will be denied a visa. I jus hope it is good enough. I have a 5 yr old step daughter who thinks of me as her mommy as I am all she has ever known. She is the one hurting themost in all of this and I hope, coming up to Christmas that they take pity and hurry us through. Our first anniversary is 23rd Dec and would love to be there with my husband and daughter for it.

The senetor's office has said that it is possible though after looking at your updates for the processing times at the emabssy, I am not too sure this will happen. She also said that the fact they are taking an interest in our case will go in our favor (somehow! i have no clue but not knocking it!)

This whole process has taken almost two years and I am so stressed and depressed about the whole thing. I am an unemployed student and struggling to make ends meet, paying large phone bills and internet bills to try and maintain contact. All we want is to be a family and put all this behind us. All this red tape and hundreds and hundreds of dollars PER PIECE OF PAPER is rediculous and I hate the fact they are seperating families like this! I could go on but dont worry, I wont! LOL I just get so mad at the whole thing. This mess is all I can think and worry about and its driving me craaaaaaazy!

Any help or advice you can give based on your own experience or stuff you have read would be VERY uch appreciated! Also, if you think you could help, I could send you the letter we wrote for extreme hardship and we also wrote in red 'EXPEDITE REQUEST' too to see if that will make it go faster.

How long from your charting is it taking for them to process 601s? I cant mak head nor tale of it (im dyslexic too which doesnt help!)

Also, I noticed when I checked, it says that they are processing 601s recieved on 26th may...does this mean the priority date of the case number or the actual date the 601 reached their office? if it is the former, our priority date is 11th may. if it is the latter...are we in trouble and in fora really long wait?! ARRRGH my head hurts with all of this mess!

Thanks again.

Cassia

My Scottish husband and I (the USC) are just about ready to file our I-601 Waiver. Look around this forum and you will find answers for many of your questions. Unfortunately, the date mentioned above is (I'm fairly certain) the date the waiver was received. We were told at the American Embassy in London that you can't even think of hearing from them until at least 15 weeks from the time the USCIS receives the waiver (from the embassy)! So, you really do not have much hope of getting to be with your man before then. And my advice is to make sure you have plenty of supporting documentation for your hardship case. This is NOT an easy thing to put together. We decided to use an immigration attorney to do this and even then, I'm not 100% confident we will succeed.

[kiahs_wife 0]

Hey, thanks for the reply but I have since found out that the 26th May refers to the priority date and NOT the date they recieve the 601. (immigration specialist at senetor's office informed me of this) This makes sense as the case number (LND etc) is on the i797 which has our priority date (11may2010) on it. On looking at Andrew's spread sheet, there are cases there which has been dealt with in a day and others a couple of weeks. I spoke to this specialist and she said our case is not complex and it is possible. So, no disrespect, but im going with her on that one as this is what she does as a job. As far as the letter and 601 packet goes, i have everything all in place for that. It has been sent down to the London embassy in advance of my interview so they will 1) see that the senetor is taking a keen interest in our case as there will be an attatched letter from his office stating that and requesting that it be investigated to the full extent of the law and the process streamlined-they are not allowed to as for it to be pushed through fast in those words-and 2) they will have plemnty of time to look at the evidence and be fully aware of the situation and all compelling evidence prior to interviewing/grilling me. As it is going to be only a few minutues long, I want them to be fully aware of whats going on so I can make the most of the time I have and convince them That I am eligable to apply for the waiver. With them having seen all evidence, they will then make their recomendation in writing and that will be added to the packet so the better the impression I and the evidence make, the better.

Maybe I wont be there for Christmas, but who knows? I am a strong chirstian and God is very much still in the miricale business. We have dedicated this whole situation to Him and I know he will take care of us regardless of the outcome and He is the best lawyer you can have on your side for He dwelleth in the hearts and monds of all mankind.

Good luck in your application-I hope the investment pays off and you guys get approved!

[Used to be broken 143]

Hey, thanks for the reply but I have since found out that the 26th May refers to the priority date and NOT the date they recieve the 601. (immigration specialist at senetor's office informed me of this) This makes sense as the case number (LND etc) is on the i797 which has our priority date (11may2010) on it. On looking at Andrew's spread sheet, there are cases there which has been dealt with in a day and others a couple of weeks. I spoke to this specialist and she said our case is not complex and it is possible. So, no disrespect, but im going with her on that one as this is what she does as a job. As far as the letter and 601 packet goes, i have everything all in place for that. It has been sent down to the London embassy in advance of my interview so they will 1) see that the senetor is taking a keen interest in our case as there will be an attatched letter from his office stating that and requesting that it be investigated to the full extent of the law and the process streamlined-they are not allowed to as for it to be pushed through fast in those words-and 2) they will have plemnty of time to look at the evidence and be fully aware of the situation and all compelling evidence prior to interviewing/grilling me. As it is going to be only a few minutues long, I want them to be fully aware of whats going on so I can make the most of the time I have and convince them That I am eligable to apply for the waiver. With them having seen all evidence, they will then make their recomendation in writing and that will be added to the packet so the better the impression I and the evidence make, the better.

Maybe I wont be there for Christmas, but who knows? I am a strong chirstian and God is very much still in the miricale business. We have dedicated this whole situation to Him and I know he will take care of us regardless of the outcome and He is the best lawyer you can have on your side for He dwelleth in the hearts and monds of all mankind.

Good luck in your application-I hope the investment pays off and you guys get approved!

No disrespect intended, but I think you are going to have a rude awakening and I hope you kept a copy of your waiver packet because sending it forward before your interview is not the normal procedure so they might just send it back to you in snail mail.

I would not put so much faith in the Immigration Intern at your senators office, these with very few exceptions are neither Immigration Attorneys nor very experienced at anything further than submitting case status inquiries for constituents.

Your "job" at the interview with the Embassy is first and foremost to get past the bona-fides part of the application process, proving you in fact have a legitimate relationship with the petitioner. If you prove that and it is a simple matter of a waiver for the 10 year bar with no other inadmissabilities, you will get a slip and be instructed on when/where you can submit the waiver packet.

Your senate liason person is WRONG on what the dates mean, there is no "priority date" system with I601 waivers they are worked in the order in which they are received by USCIS. Also there is no waiting period for US Citizen spouses so "priority dates" in that sense are irrelevant to spouse applications. The date or case number has something to do with when your petition I130 was approved by USCIS, and has no relationship to where you are in line or when your waiver will be adjudicated. For example, you can go on Athens website and see the I601 waiver sheet there and you will see cases with 2004, 2006, etc in them.. they are waiting in line and the cases are being worked by date of receipt by the USCIS sub-office at the Embassy.

Athens Waiver List

With regard to Expedite request, and the "Senator interest in your case" unless the expedite request is a life or death issue, or has some major negative financial impact on the petitioner or other qualifying relative or is military related expect to wait in line and get the normal processing time for the London Embassy. Since you did not address what the expedite was for, I can not predict what the outcome of the expedite request will be.

I can tell you that Senate or Congressional involvement seems to be a mixed bag. My attorney said to keep my senator out of it, his view is that it pisses off the USCIS folks. The reason we needed a waiver in the first place was BAD ADVICE from the congressional office. My lawyer would not let us include any letters of support from the congressman in our packet.

In some cases if there has been no decision for a long period of time a congressional aide can find a file that is collecting dust on a shelf somewhere, and get them to finally act on it. In the end the case will be adjudicated by the law and not your Senators interest in your situation. The evidence in support of your assertions in the letter and your attorneys brief will be the determining factor in approval or denial.

Your best "strategy" is to make sure your waiver packet is in order as you still have time to ammend it if it doesn't have sufficient evidence, if an attorney who is very experienced with waivers didn't help you with it, get one asap and have them look it over.

Good luck, and of course I hope you are home by Christmas and you get your miracle but being realistic and informed about the reality of the situation is probably in your best interest.

Edited November 12, 2010 by brokenfamily

[Mintchip 0]

No disrespect intended, but I think you are going to have a rude awakening and I hope you kept a copy of your waiver packet because sending it forward before your interview is not the normal procedure so they might just send it back to you in snail mail.

I would not put so much faith in the Immigration Intern at your senators office, these with very few exceptions are neither Immigration Attorneys nor very experienced at anything further than submitting case status inquiries for constituents.

Your "job" at the interview with the Embassy is first and foremost to get past the bona-fides part of the application process, proving you in fact have a legitimate relationship with the petitioner. If you prove that and it is a simple matter of a waiver for the 10 year bar with no other inadmissabilities, you will get a slip and be instructed on when/where you can submit the waiver packet.

Your senate liason person is WRONG on what the dates mean, there is no "priority date" system with I601 waivers they are worked in the order in which they are received by USCIS. Also there is no waiting period for US Citizen spouses so "priority dates" in that sense are irrelevant to spouse applications. The date or case number has something to do with when your petition I130 was approved by USCIS, and has no relationship to where you are in line or when your waiver will be adjudicated. For example, you can go on Athens website and see the I601 waiver sheet there and you will see cases with 2004, 2006, etc in them.. they are waiting in line and the cases are being worked by date of receipt by the USCIS sub-office at the Embassy.

Athens Waiver List

With regard to Expedite request, and the "Senator interest in your case" unless the expedite request is a life or death issue, or has some major negative financial impact on the petitioner or other qualifying relative or is military related expect to wait in line and get the normal processing time for the London Embassy. Since you did not address what the expedite was for, I can not predict what the outcome of the expedite request will be.

I can tell you that Senate or Congressional involvement seems to be a mixed bag. My attorney said to keep my senator out of it, his view is that it pisses off the USCIS folks. The reason we needed a waiver in the first place was BAD ADVICE from the congressional office. My lawyer would not let us include any letters of support from the congressman in our packet.

In some cases if there has been no decision for a long period of time a congressional aide can find a file that is collecting dust on a shelf somewhere, and get them to finally act on it. In the end the case will be adjudicated by the law and not your Senators interest in your situation. The evidence in support of your assertions in the letter and your attorneys brief will be the determining factor in approval or denial.

Your best "strategy" is to make sure your waiver packet is in order as you still have time to ammend it if it doesn't have sufficient evidence, if an attorney who is very experienced with waivers didn't help you with it, get one asap and have them look it over.

Good luck, and of course I hope you are home by Christmas and you get your miracle but being realistic and informed about the reality of the situation is probably in your best interest.

I wholeheartedly agree with your very informative reponse, brokenfamily! After spending more than two years researching this process, I have come to the same conclusions as you. I'm also a Christian and pray all of the time that God will help us, but this whole thing is a hurdle that has specific channels to follow. I also have a friend who sought help from her senator or congressman, and guess what? They were denied. At the embassy, we were strongly advised not to contact the USCIS once they received our waiver because that only causes them to pull your file out of line and place it at the bottom. The man told us to just check the status on the website and to be patient. Someone on another site wrote of their experience obtaining a visa and said (quite correctly) that it is the immigration officer's job to keep you OUT of the USA. My only intent was to be informative, not discouraging.

Hey, thanks for the reply but I have since found out that the 26th May refers to the priority date and NOT the date they recieve the 601. (immigration specialist at senetor's office informed me of this) This makes sense as the case number (LND etc) is on the i797 which has our priority date (11may2010) on it. On looking at Andrew's spread sheet, there are cases there which has been dealt with in a day and others a couple of weeks. I spoke to this specialist and she said our case is not complex and it is possible. So, no disrespect, but im going with her on that one as this is what she does as a job. As far as the letter and 601 packet goes, i have everything all in place for that. It has been sent down to the London embassy in advance of my interview so they will 1) see that the senetor is taking a keen interest in our case as there will be an attatched letter from his office stating that and requesting that it be investigated to the full extent of the law and the process streamlined-they are not allowed to as for it to be pushed through fast in those words-and 2) they will have plemnty of time to look at the evidence and be fully aware of the situation and all compelling evidence prior to interviewing/grilling me. As it is going to be only a few minutues long, I want them to be fully aware of whats going on so I can make the most of the time I have and convince them That I am eligable to apply for the waiver. With them having seen all evidence, they will then make their recomendation in writing and that will be added to the packet so the better the impression I and the evidence make, the better.

Maybe I wont be there for Christmas, but who knows? I am a strong chirstian and God is very much still in the miricale business. We have dedicated this whole situation to Him and I know he will take care of us regardless of the outcome and He is the best lawyer you can have on your side for He dwelleth in the hearts and monds of all mankind.

Good luck in your application-I hope the investment pays off and you guys get approved!

You need to do more research kiah's wife.