2 Senators , no help

[advocator 0]

Hello again everyone!

So tomorrow marks 6 months of waiting for the Vermont Disservice Center to approve our petition. After 5 months and no help from the USCIS number (multiple times), I contacted 2 different Senators who requested expedition for our petition. I received an email (forwarded from Senator Cardin's office) on March 15 (1 week before the 6 month mark) saying that the expedition request had been denied because it did not meet the expedition criteria. The letter then went on to say that if my petition was not approved 30 days after the Normal Processing Time of 5 months to reply to the email and expedition would be approved since it is "Outside of Normal Processing Time" or ONPT. Its crazy that I have to wait 7 days to ask the same question and supposedly be approved this time, but we'll see. Also, I cannot reply to the email, my Senator's office has to do the replying since the actual letter was sent there and then forwarded to me. One note of interest is that the VDC said that the Normal Processing Time IS 5 months, not the 6 months that some customer service reps have told me on the USCIS number. I guess that's something...

I just got off the phone with Senator Cardin's office and they are going to follow up and request expedition again. I'll let you know what happens. Senator Cardin's secretary thinks this whole thing is crazy and can't imagine being in my situation having to deal with USCIS. I hope she can make some progress...

[Blob18 111]

Hello again everyone!

So tomorrow marks 6 months of waiting for the Vermont Disservice Center to approve our petition. After 5 months and no help from the USCIS number (multiple times), I contacted 2 different Senators who requested expedition for our petition. I received an email (forwarded from Senator Cardin's office) on March 15 (1 week before the 6 month mark) saying that the expedition request had been denied because it did not meet the expedition criteria. The letter then went on to say that if my petition was not approved 30 days after the Normal Processing Time of 5 months to reply to the email and expedition would be approved since it is "Outside of Normal Processing Time" or ONPT. Its crazy that I have to wait 7 days to ask the same question and supposedly be approved this time, but we'll see. Also, I cannot reply to the email, my Senator's office has to do the replying since the actual letter was sent there and then forwarded to me. One note of interest is that the VDC said that the Normal Processing Time IS 5 months, not the 6 months that some customer service reps have told me on the USCIS number. I guess that's something...

I just got off the phone with Senator Cardin's office and they are going to follow up and request expedition again. I'll let you know what happens. Senator Cardin's secretary thinks this whole thing is crazy and can't imagine being in my situation having to deal with USCIS. I hope she can make some progress...

Yea Cardin's office cares at least. I sent a packet to Mikulski too and the ***** never even responded to my request.

[advocator 0]

Yea Cardin's office cares at least. I sent a packet to Mikulski too and the ***** never even responded to my request.

I tried Mikulski too, no response. The other Senator who did try was Senator Issacson from Georgia (my mom's state). He got passes for my fiance and I to tour the White House last year at very last minute notice.

[Fofochinho73 8]

I contacted both Texas senators, Cornin & Hutchison, right at 5 months. Sen. Cornin replied everything through regular mail and basically gave me the exact same info as the USCIS hotline. Sen. Hutchison has been the most accessible and I have a direct number to my case worker who will put me on short holds while she sends an e-mail and calls directly to USCIS. With all of those inquiries you would think I would at least see a touch! Yet I continue to receive NADA! This system is incredibly aweful.

[advocator 0]

I contacted both Texas senators, Cornin & Hutchison, right at 5 months. Sen. Cornin replied everything through regular mail and basically gave me the exact same info as the USCIS hotline. Sen. Hutchison has been the most accessible and I have a direct number to my case worker who will put me on short holds while she sends an e-mail and calls directly to USCIS. With all of those inquiries you would think I would at least see a touch! Yet I continue to receive NADA! This system is incredibly aweful.

Yep! I'm in total agreement! I emailed VSC myself before getting the senators involved. They finally replied last week as well and said they couldn't do anything and that if I emailed them again, I would receive no reply. I told them that I had called USCIS with no luck. Their advice was to call USCIS and put in a service request (tried and failed 3 times). Its like this vicious circle with no solution or your father saying "ask your mother" and mom saying " ask your father". Neither knows what the other is doing and they certainly don't communicate!

[FawkThisSite 13]

Yea Cardin's office cares at least. I sent a packet to Mikulski too and the ***** never even responded to my request.

Senator Cardin, Senator Glassman, and Congressman Harris ALL helped me. Senator Mikulski hasn't even responded. My Mother, whom also contacted her for help to try to get her sister over here never responded to her as well and told me not to hold my breath with her. I have never voted in my life, and I definitely will begin voting and WILL vote for the three people that took the time to help me in this stressful situation. A few emails and phone calls can go a long way for someone like me, and I will show my support to those people.

Edited March 22, 2011 by xlbLoOdlx

[Blob18 111]

Just got a letter from Mikulski with a photo of my "case" on the USCIS website saying "its been approved"....well no duh

Letter was dated March 18 too