Promised 60-90 days for I-130 NOA2...possible?

[Goti 0]

I hired an attorney to file the I-130 (I'm a US citizen, husband is Italian), mostly because we're both abroad and wanted to make sure we did everything right and in a timely manner. Upon taking on our case, our attorney promised us that the initial approval would take a MAXIMUM of 60-90 days, and then another month at the National Visa Center. We hired her based on her word, perhaps in blind faith.

We received our receipt notice on June 18th, just a few days after the I-130 was submitted. 90 days have officially passed, and still nothing. When I tell my attorney that her time estimation doesn't match at all the national statistics (anywhere from 5-8 months), she continues to assert that 60-90 days is correct and that she has never filed a case that took longer than that. She even gets aggressive with me and acts insulted that I don't trust her!

So what's the deal? Is it really feasible to expect to receive the NOA2 within this timeframe? Or am I being duped?

[JA_Martinez 81]

Immigration attornies.....some are very helpful when you have complicated issues further in to the process and need legal guidance. Otherwise, I'm afraid you might have paid her to do the same paperwork you can do yourself....its all a waiting process no matter who sends the paperwork in.

[Carla V 43]

Nobody can tell how long it takes, every case is in line as they receive them... check uscis web to verify your status (just need your case number) and check the average timelines.

good luck in your process

[quitepainful 56]

Sorry about that, but if you have anything in writing where she states that it will take 60-90 days, then you might want to hire another attorney for another matter... ahem... LMAO...

on a side note, stay tuned, things may pickup depending on what happens at the end of this month/next month. Also i believe that august numbers will be released around the 15th-20th of October (usually 6 weeks delayed for the most part) so maybe she knows something we don't... don't panic right now, sit it out for a month and you will know alot better of what you/we are up against.

[a+j 77]

Your attorney is a liar, fire her.

[Ryan H 3,790]

So what's the deal? Is it really feasible to expect to receive the NOA2 within this timeframe? Or am I being duped?

IMO, you are being duped.

[Goti 0]

Sorry about that, but if you have anything in writing where she states that it will take 60-90 days, then you might want to hire another attorney for another matter... ahem... LMAO...

on a side note, stay tuned, things may pickup depending on what happens at the end of this month/next month. Also i believe that august numbers will be released around the 15th-20th of October (usually 6 weeks delayed for the most part) so maybe she knows something we don't... don't panic right now, sit it out for a month and you will know alot better of what you/we are up against.

I DO have it in writing...throughout multiple emails. She also took on our case on this basis, knowing very well that timing was extremely important to us because of a job offer I have. I guess I find it hard to believe that she would so blatantly lie to us...

Either she has special connections I don't know about or I'm just an idiot...

[Goti 0]

IMO, you are being duped.

Yikes. Your timeline seems pretty promising though....you managed to get your NOA2 in just under three months. That was two years ago though, so were things different then?

[Ryan H 3,790]

Yikes. Your timeline seems pretty promising though....you managed to get your NOA2 in just under three months. That was two years ago though, so were things different then?

During that time, I-130 petitions were adjudicated exclusively at either the service centers in CA or VT. Since the NBC and local offices became involved in adjudicating these petitions, times slowed considerably.

For an attorney to say they "never had a case take longer than 60-90 days" is either being

• outright dishonest (this is what I'm inclined to believe under the 'if it's too good to be true' principle')
• only filed cases that qualified for expedites
• a little of both

[Hollyday 122]

IMO, you are being duped.

I quite agree. One look at VJ timelines is enough to figure that one out.

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

You are being lied to. No one can promise that and few cases are that fast lately.

[Darnell 8,478]

you are both living 'abroad' ?

if you two are in Italy - why not pursue the DCF path ?

[slvrfx576 15]

These days it takes 60-90 days just to get from USCIS to the NVC !

[lucybelle 453]

Well petitions filed from abroad are supposed to be approved within 90 days, but that's not happening right now.

There's no way the lawyer can promise how long it will take, because they have absolutely no influence on time frame. You should expect about a year for the entire process.

[a+j 77]

Darnell made a good point. Have you been a resident of Italy for more than 6 months? If that's the case, it should be faster to withdraw your petition and go with direct consular filing http://italy.usembassy.gov/dhs/uscis/services/i-130.html