The USCIS SCREW!! Last Minute Unclassified Fingerprints?!?!?

[ms514 0]

Alright, so my wife has a citizenship interview for 3/1/2011. The geniuses at USCIS NOW tell us that her fingerprints did NOT go through and want police reports for the past 5 years of where she lived.

Problem: We have moved, so we need a police report from UK, New Jersey AND Fresno...most agencies take at lest 3-4 weeks to send this.

So now what...thanks to USCIS for the "prompt" notification...stupid morons.

I am getting seriously pissed.

[NycBra 4]

Alright, so my wife has a citizenship interview for 3/1/2011. The geniuses at USCIS NOW tell us that her fingerprints did NOT go through and want police reports for the past 5 years of where she lived.

Problem: We have moved, so we need a police report from UK, New Jersey AND Fresno...most agencies take at lest 3-4 weeks to send this.

So now what...thanks to USCIS for the "prompt" notification...stupid morons.

I am getting seriously pissed.

Welcome to the club. I got the same thing. I did fingerprints. Got a letter that FBI couldn't process it. Then got another appt for biometrics. Retook fingerprints. Got interview letter.

During interview, found out they rejected my second biometrics as well!!! And I am required to get clearance records from all cities I've lived since I became a permanent resident (3 years). I say she should go to the interview, do the tests, etc. In the meantime, you can start getting the records. A pain, I know, I still can't believe it myself!!

Read my full recap here: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/295767-citizenship-interview-experience-in-san-francisco-ca/

Just as an FWI, I had to pay $30 for my local police records, then you need a fingerprint card to send to each town you lived which costs $18 (at my local police station). Then you also need to pay the fee for the other locations for their records, in my case, $35 for NYPD.

Edited February 18, 2011 by NycBra

[NycBra 4]

I was trying to edit my own topic but got a "you don't have permission".

So here it goes the edited & continued version.

It is possible for your wife to do the interview before she gets all records back. I say your wife should go to the interview, do the tests, etc. In the meantime, you can start getting the records. They will put the "approval on hold". Once you get all records back, you can mail it all.

Just as an FWI, I had to pay $30 for my local police records, then you need a fingerprint card to send to each town you lived which costs $18 (at my local police station). Then you also need to pay the fee for the other locations for their records, in my case, $35 for NYPD. And all the stamps and mailing (I am using priority mail, and you need to include a self-addressed stamped envelope as well). Plus the fees for the "money order", some police stations (your former residency) may not accept a normal personal check. All in all, I say this is how they are trying to fix their budget, by making us pay more money when we shouldn't!!!

[ms514 0]

Thanks for the info.

One thing I see different in the letter I got and what you were told is that they want police clearance records for places of residence for 5 years. I find that odd, given that citizenship through marriage usually requires all records to be from the past 3 years. I am hoping that is a mistake, as we have been in the current city of residence for 3 years and obtained permanent resident status in the current resident city as well. 5 years would require records all the back from the country that my wife immigrated from and was already submitted upon immigration, which is ridiculous.

[NycBra 4]

Thanks for the info.

One thing I see different in the letter I got and what you were told is that they want police clearance records for places of residence for 5 years. I find that odd, given that citizenship through marriage usually requires all records to be from the past 3 years. I am hoping that is a mistake, as we have been in the current city of residence for 3 years and obtained permanent resident status in the current resident city as well. 5 years would require records all the back from the country that my wife immigrated from and was already submitted upon immigration, which is ridiculous.

I think it is a mistake of their part asking for 5 years, and she can make her case during the interview. She only needs to prove clearance from the time she became resident since she is applying under the 3 year marriage+residence.

Edited February 18, 2011 by NycBra

[NickD 202]

Wife and stepdaughter had to get police reports from their home country for the AOS stage, but that was the end of that. Wife felt stupid going there asking for a report that said she doesn't have nothing to report.

Where does it say anywhere you need these police reports in particular for a foreign country, but if you were naughty here, darn better well bring those in or you can be deported. This is the first time I heard about police reports required if your spouse had nothing to report. Or did she?

Now, and maybe, don't know for sure yet, stepdaughter may have to get proof that she paid a small fine for a traffic violation she got about four years ago. Even insurance companies, those that count as they are liable forget any traffic violations over three years old. And where does it say anywhere in the applications, M-476 manual, or instructions to bring in proof of these minor violations.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Alright, so my wife has a citizenship interview for 3/1/2011. The geniuses at USCIS NOW tell us that her fingerprints did NOT go through and want police reports for the past 5 years of where she lived.

Problem: We have moved, so we need a police report from UK, New Jersey AND Fresno...most agencies take at lest 3-4 weeks to send this.

So now what...thanks to USCIS for the "prompt" notification...stupid morons.

I am getting seriously pissed.

Fingerprints not scanning is not unusual. Any foreign material, especially hand lotion, can make the scan unreadable. They should know that shortly after the fingerprints are scanned. That happened to my wife in Manila, but they called her back the next day.

Seems to me the USCIS wants you to do all the legwork that you paid for with your application. Perhaps they owe you a refund. I wonder if a case could be made. Talk to your Congressperson, and start an inquiry.

[ms514 0]

Thanks for the continuing information.

There is no mention on the letter specifying that foreign countries are to be included, but it states that a report/letter from the Fresno PD and any other local law enforcement from a city that my wife resided in for the past 5 years are to be included, which would include London. I don't see the logic either, given that it is a 3 year based application with the obvious conclusion that sometime in the past 5 years, the applicant would be in their former home country!?!?! But then again, that logic is restricted to normal people...

My wife can order the London letter, and the Fresno one is a visit to the counter to get the letter (and some money of course), but the NJ letter is worrying. She called and has to call back in 2 hours for the person in charge of that stuff.

I have the letter from London from back when she filed to immigrate to this country and I have a letter from NJ which was issued one day before we left NJ. But knowing how USCIS works, they want them hot off the printer. Utterly irritating.

I will wait and see how her interview goes. If the person is a real annoyance, I may very well take up calling the Congressperson. But we'll see.

I just want this fingerprint nightmare over with...it has been a pain every step of the way.

Thanks again for the info. Additional information is certainly welcome.

[Bibi and Beebti 4]

Thanks for the continuing information.

There is no mention on the letter specifying that foreign countries are to be included, but it states that a report/letter from the Fresno PD and any other local law enforcement from a city that my wife resided in for the past 5 years are to be included, which would include London. I don't see the logic either, given that it is a 3 year based application with the obvious conclusion that sometime in the past 5 years, the applicant would be in their former home country!?!?! But then again, that logic is restricted to normal people...

My wife can order the London letter, and the Fresno one is a visit to the counter to get the letter (and some money of course), but the NJ letter is worrying. She called and has to call back in 2 hours for the person in charge of that stuff.

I have the letter from London from back when she filed to immigrate to this country and I have a letter from NJ which was issued one day before we left NJ. But knowing how USCIS works, they want them hot off the printer. Utterly irritating.

I will wait and see how her interview goes. If the person is a real annoyance, I may very well take up calling the Congressperson. But we'll see.

I just want this fingerprint nightmare over with...it has been a pain every step of the way.

Thanks again for the info. Additional information is certainly welcome.

Hey, it's been over a month since your issue with the fingerprinting/police clearance ? have you guys managed to take care of this. I wanted to follow up because I sense we're going to be going through this again too.

My wife had to get her biometrics doine twice, both times fingerprinting failure, then after our interview they sent us and RFE to send police clearances for the last 5 years. which was Jordan, UK and US for my wife.

I'm dreading having to go through this again, and I agree it makes no sense after the initial AOS process to bring police certificates from abroad. Have you managed to find more accurate information about this ? thanks

[NycBra 4]

My request for background check was given to me during my citizenship interview. I had already done biometrics twice, and during the interview found out that the second one "didn't go through" as well.

But the IO asked my background check from all cities I have lived in US since becoming a permanent resident, which makes sense, in my case the last 3 years (I also applied for citizenship based on the 3 year marriage rule). The letter specified to mail all documents to the San Francisco office within a month. By the time I got all letters back to me (most of the places take 15 business days), it was one day before the deadline. I had to pay to mail express so it arrived on the deadline day. I am now waiting for my oath letter. I don't know low long they will take to review my case, or if I will be called in at the office again or not.

[NickD 202]

My request for background check was given to me during my citizenship interview. I had already done biometrics twice, and during the interview found out that the second one "didn't go through" as well.

But the IO asked my background check from all cities I have lived in US since becoming a permanent resident, which makes sense, in my case the last 3 years (I also applied for citizenship based on the 3 year marriage rule). The letter specified to mail all documents to the San Francisco office within a month. By the time I got all letters back to me (most of the places take 15 business days), it was one day before the deadline. I had to pay to mail express so it arrived on the deadline day. I am now waiting for my oath letter. I don't know low long they will take to review my case, or if I will be called in at the office again or not.

Maybe it's best to contact your senators office on this issue, will never find out why my stepdaughter had to bring in court records to explain battery charges when she was 17 months old and assault charges when she was four years old.

Can only speculate, she has an extremely common Latin American name, some odd 83,000 on the internet with her same name, or maybe fingerprints. She had her third set taken 01/05/2011 when we were experiencing subzero weather where you fingers freeze, dry up and crack. While they say all finger prints are different, in the same breathe can equally say, all finger prints are the same. While our courts of law can only imprison a person beyond a doubt, constantly hearing about people being freed after 20 some odd years in prison due to DNA testing which is far more accurate and at a huge expense to the tax payers, they have to be paid while staying in prison that long. So why are they talking about iris scans being more accurate?

In complete contradiction to our theoretic laws where the burden of proof relies upon the courts to prove that a person is guilty, they USCIS puts that burden of proof upon us to prove that we are innocent of such charges. While I may enjoy watching that TV program, NCIS, know for a fact its pure fiction where Abby makes positive identification of the "real" criminal from just fragments of a finger print, or Tim traces the location of a criminal in just seconds from a credit card chase. Discovery Science had a very short series on the real NCIS, where it take them three months to do a credit card chase.

At least we were given the dates where these absurd battery charges took place, but not the location where they did supposingly take place. That alone is criminal on the part of the USCIS. And we kind of have the feeling, not exactly dealing with competent people. Amazingly how quickly my senators office straightened all this out, like in one phone call only they are allowed to make.

We were likewise given 30 days to respond, but 30 days from what? Postmark date on that letter was two days after that letter was typed, then another two days to get here, but that we cannot prove. Why wasn't it sent over night or hand delivered like a court subpoena? This instantly indicates dealing with an incompetent agency, can't even follow the law. Call your senators office. Does help to give a campaign donation for much quicker service. Still wondering why this new guy spent over 15 million of his own money to tell lies on TV for a $180K a year job! But they tell us 85% of us do not trust our own government, why is that?

[Stephy411 0]

I know this reply is late. I was just searching this as I am in the same situation.

I read the letter it says 'provide a letter issued by the local law enforcement agency where the person has resided in the United States (county Sheriff's office or local police department)...

that means we don't have to get the clearance letter from foreign countries.