Ths USCIS bureaucracy is breath taking

[DaveE 178]

Short version:

Wife and daughter (K1/K2) arrived in July 2010.

Adopted daughter and she derived US citizenship from me, US passport issued.

Now time for wife to remove conditions.

Submitted I-751 for wife along with explanation letter for daughter, adoption decree, new Georgia birth certificate and US Passport explaining daughter has no conditions to remove.

Two weeks later rejection notice because no fees submitted to remove conditions for daughter.

Called 800 number, tier 1 and tier 2 useless. Told me to resubmit with letter of explanation - duh thats what I did first time and wife's green card now expires in 4 week.

Ah ha idea - made INFO pass appointment in Atlanta for today. Took the day off drove to Atlanta (120 miles), and talked to the nice lady.

She pulled up wifes A number and indeed daughter is linked. I showed passport, adoption decree, etc etc etc. She said yep, as soon as the adoption was final your daughter was a citizen. However, she says I should have waited to apply for the passport until conditions were removed. I said huhh- the Department of State web site says you can submit as soon as the adoption decree is final. Then she has the nerve to says, thats all true but thats department of state and we are USCIS we have different rules. Then she takes my info and goes back to confer with her supervisor.

Bottom line is that she tells me I must pay to remove conditions from my daughter (US Citizen), have her attend biometrics and interview if necessary. When the new green card arrives to just put it away and never renew it. She says that is the only way to delink my daughter from my wife in the USCIS system. If I don't they will never allow my wife to get a green card because their computer will reject it for incorrect fees.

Anyway new package in the UPS system to be delivered to Vermont tomorrow. It all makes my head hurt.

I need to set up a racket like that.

Edited November 8, 2012 by DaveE

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Contact your Congressman or your State Senator and explain to them USCIS' 'rationale'. I suspect they may well be able to find a way to 'de-link' your US citizen daughter when push comes to shove. There has to be other options available. What do they do, for instance, if the linked petition individual decided not to remain in the US and returned home? What happens in the case when, God forbid, the linked individual has passed away? Their system will have some way of de-linking the two files. You may just need to help them find the 'impetus' to look for it. Good luck.

Edited November 9, 2012 by Kathryn41

[KASH2011 382]

Short version:

Called 800 number, tier 1 and tier 2 useless.

[DaveE 178]

Contact your Congressman or your State Senator and explain to them USCIS' 'rationale'. I suspect they may well be able to find a way to 'de-link' your US citizen daughter when push comes to shove. There has to be other options available. What do they do, for instance, if the linked petition individual decided not to remain in the US and returned home? What happens in the case when, God forbid, the linked individual has passed away? Their system will have some way of de-linking the two files. You may just need to help them find the 'impetus' to look for it. Good luck.

Thanks Kathryn - I did ask the INFO pass lady to explain how we would remove conditions if Des had decided to move back to the Philippines instead of living here. I got a eye roll and shoulder shrug, like I am playing "what if", with her.

It annoys me to no end that they know they have you over a barrel and you have no options. I could have fought on, but that would have meant my wife would be out of status. Additionally, the Georgia drivers license is linked to the green card expiration date for conditional residents. In four weeks it expires, so I need the I-797 extending the expiration date to renew her license. I work out of town a lot (Nevada,California,Arizona) and she is with the kids. Without a license to drive she cannot take the kids to school, grocery shop, doctors appt, emergencies etc.

They win for now, but I have a complete package with names and dates to provide to my US Senator as soon as we are over this hump.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Ah, that does suck - and yes, I know about the DL problem too. I'm sorry that you are having to go this route. Since you are in the Atlanta area you can contact Johnny Isakson's office - http://isakson.senate.gov/ - he actually has a really good person working on immigration matters and he should be able to get some answers for you, although USCIS won't return any money you send in, unfortunately .

Where are you in Georgia? We're about 22 miles south of the city. I'm always interested in hearing about other VJers in the area.

Edited November 10, 2012 by Kathryn41

[Neonred 3,468]

I want these same people running my healthcare!

[DaveE 178]

Ah, that does suck - and yes, I know about the DL problem too. I'm sorry that you are having to go this route. Since you are in the Atlanta area you can contact Johnny Isakson's office - http://isakson.senate.gov/ - he actually has a really good person working on immigration matters and he should be able to get some answers for you, although USCIS won't return any money you send in, unfortunately .

Where are you in Georgia? We're about 22 miles south of the city. I'm always interested in hearing about other VJers in the area.

We're in Warner Robins, just south of Macon. I work on the Air Force Base there. I have worked with Saxby Chambliss on trying to get my other step daughter a tourist visa, that didn't work either lol.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Ah cool, that's not far at all! There are a number of American/Russian couples and American/Ukraine couples in this area that I know. We'll all have to arrange a get together sometime soon.

[mkg265 2]

Ah cool, that's not far at all! There are a number of American/Russian couples and American/Ukraine couples in this area that I know. We'll all have to arrange a get together sometime soon.

Thanks for the info Kathryn! My husband and I have been thinking of moving to my hometown in Fayette county and I always wondered if there would be others... NYC is full of them but GA is a different story.

[DaveE 178]

So much craziness it makes my head hurt.

Gave up and added daughter to I-751 for wife. Sent adoption papers new birth certificate and letter of explanation.

Got NOA-1 with daughters new name (my last name).

Got Biometrics appointment letter in daughters new name.

Went to Biometrics on Tuesday - guard checked letter and ID all was good

Went through initial line for paperwork check, all was fine except daughter checked U.S. citizen because she is. Explained to paperwork guy and he said "ok we see this sometimes".

Got to the biometrics station and the lady refused to do the biometrics because when she pulled my daughter up in the system, it had her old last name. I asked her how is it possible the letters were sent with her correct name, but the computer has the wrong name? I went friggin ballistic; showed her the appointment letter, the NOA1 and all her ID's. Nope, doesn't matter the computer is always right. Thank god my wife is smarter than me and never trashes anything. She pulled out my daughters old green card with her previous name and told the lady to take the fingeprints. She took the finger prints and photo and we left.

I don't have a clue what the interview will be like if we have one, or what the heck is going on. We must be paying extra for a system this screwed up.

Edited December 21, 2012 by DaveE

[Karee 4,189]

So much craziness it makes my head hurt.

Gave up and added daughter to I-751 for wife. Sent adoption papers new birth certificate and letter of explanation.

Got NOA-1 with daughters new name (my last name).

Got Biometrics appointment letter in daughters new name.

Went to Biometrics on Tuesday - guard checked letter and ID all was good

Went through initial line for paperwork check, all was fine except daughter checked U.S. citizen because she is. Explained to paperwork guy and he said "ok we see this sometimes".

Got to the biometrics station and the lady refused to do the biometrics because when she pulled my daughter up in the system, it had her old last name. I asked her how is it possible the letters were sent with her correct name, but the computer has the wrong name? I went friggin ballistic; showed her the appointment letter, the NOA1 and all her ID's. Nope, doesn't matter the computer is always right. Thank god my wife is smarter than me and never trashes anything. She pulled out my daughters old green card with her previous name and told the lady to take the fingeprints. She took the finger prints and photo and we left.

I don't have a clue what the interview will be like if we have one, or what the heck is going on. We must be paying extra for a system this screwed up.

So your U.S. citizen daughter has to remove conditions? I've been coming to this site since 2007, and I've never seen something that crazy!

[DaveE 178]

So your U.S. citizen daughter has to remove conditions? I've been coming to this site since 2007, and I've never seen something that crazy!

Apparently my U.S. citizen daughter doesn't have to remove conditions. However, they would not accept the I-751 to remove conditions for my wife unless we did. I can't beleive that the INFOPASS lady, after talking to her supervisor told me that if my daughter is issued a new green card, to just send it back with a copy of her U.S. passport.

[TBoneTX 43,550]

*** Thread moved from Off Topic to General Immigration Discussion. ***

(organizer hat off)

This situation is an insane outrage. What have your Congressman and U.S. Senators said?