Congressional Review?

[Duodedi 0]

I enlisted the services of my congressional office to help me with my mothers case. I didnt think they would do anything because they were very short and not helpful over the phone.

About a month later, I went to the USCIS office for a few basic questions and spoke with the supervisor there. He took my mother's name and DOB and looked her up in the system he had. Turns out that after a few days from contacting my congressman, my mother's case status became "Under congressional review" (according to the USCIS supervisor). He told us to let this ride and see what happens and not to rock the boat. Congressional reviews are taken quite seriously and he assured us that this was a good thing. He suggested that I contact my congressional office again and see what they did and how to best follow up with whatever action they took to get her case to this stage.

I called and emailed the congressman's assistant as per the suggestion and he finally returned my calls. However, he was confused about the status. He said that he "never contacted USCIS" so he wasn't sure why the status changed. He offered to look up my mother's case and get back to me with any new information, but he didn't sound like he made any effort at all, and was surprised that my mother's case was "under congressional review". He even asked if we contacted anyone else in the state department who would have done something to put her case under review.

My question is, What does 'under congressional review' actually mean? Is this just an arbitrary stage that a case goes into if a congressman's office makes a simple inquiry, or does this mean that someone is actually reviewing the case? This is a complicated case and we have submitted all the appropriate requests for reviews and paperwork to give a reviewer all the information they need. I just need to know that someone is going to take the time to read it, not just keep passing the buck.

[Darnell 8,478]

IME, it's not a 'stage' but a label.

My I-130 petition was pegged 'under congressional review' after I engaged with the ILS Human. Timeticks in my profile - click the girls under my name, have a read.

As to how it got pegged, for you - my best guess is that the ILS human on your case DID make an email inquiry to the local office, and the Congressional Liason Human at the USCIS office added that tag to the electronic record.

I could, of course, be wrong, but I know what's what with my casefile.

[Duodedi 0]

So, you would say that this is just an arbitrary move? Is someone actually reviewing it? I was told to "not rock the boat", but if this "boat" isn't going anywhere then there is no point.

[hockeybrain 0]

My advice after bringing wife on a K1, taking 7 years until citizenship and bringing MIL and FIL here which took 9 months is to constantly call the immigration line and or show up to your local immigration office, especially if there is any delay what so ever. My wife's file was transferred to another office and it sat there for 18 months during her process. I was to afraid to "rock the boat" and my experience tells me that was the wrong way to proceed. There are a lot of people who fall through the cracks for whatever reason. Keep on speaking to people until you get someone who actually looks into your case, gives you actual information and helps you. Best of luck.

[Darnell 8,478]

So, you would say that this is just an arbitrary move? Is someone actually reviewing it? I was told to "not rock the boat", but if this "boat" isn't going anywhere then there is no point.

No. It's not movement, it's not a stage - it is a label. If it's been more than 6 months on your mother's case, then pester an ISO at USCIS National Call Center or show up again at an infopass appointment at yer local USCIS office. I will guess that the ILS human is unwilling to assist for any faster movement because the case holding time is under 6 months since submittal. Hard to tell, really, as you've not filled out a timeline.