F3 Category, I-130 approved - missing NOA

[kit740 0]

Hello visa journey community, I am helping out a cousin on this one. Need your feedback:

• USC Petitioner applied for I-130 for my cousin (beneficiary), F3 Category. It was approved, Priority date of May 1993.
• Petitioner died. Cousin applied for H.Reinstatement. That too was approved based on letter by USCIS. Letter says case was forwarded to NVC and that they should follow up with NVC. Meanwhile, cousin waited for PD to be current.
• In Dec 2010, cousin sent a follow up letter to NVC. NVC acknowledged that letter and says "please forward your inquiry to USCIS" (which was weird) and in that same letter gave a MNL0000000000 case number (3 letters, 10 digits).
• At this point, my cousin only has MNL case number and does not have the receipt number found on NOA. He did not get any NOA. He assumes his father did. But NOA is nowhere to be found.
• Sept 2014 - PD became current. Still did not get any letter from NVC. Follow up letters/calls were made to NVC.
• When calling NVC, they told cousin that case is at USCIS. Called USCIS, they asked for receipt number on NOA but dont have that info (only the MNL case number given by NVC).
• May 2014 - USCIS suggested to file FOIA to get the receipt number. (It's frustrating that they can't proceed with next steps just bec of a missing receipt number from NOA).
• Anyway, requested copy of approved I-130 and I-797.
• FOIA reply received. They sent the approved I-130 (with the word "approved" clearly stamped), they also sent a copy of the USCIS HR approval. But they did not locate any I-797 in my cousins file. (Is it possible that I-797 is in petitioners file??).
• Called USCIS - they hinted that a receipt number for his case probably does not exist (even though it was approved). What????
• Any experiences as to when did USCIS start issuing receipt numbers?
• Has it always been 3 letters followed by 10 digits?
• Any experiences on HOW to proceed with this with just the copy of the approved I-130 and copy of the HR appoval?
• Can they just proceed with just those 2 papers??

[tasakchy 9]

Maybe you can file an I-824 to request a duplicate I-797.

But your case seems quite complicated. I would suggest contacting a good immigration attorney.

[Darnell 8,478]

i suggest this:

Since MNL # was issued, NVC knows the USCIS receipt #. This USCIS receipt # is printed on two formletters the petitioner received, first the receipt notice, and second the approval notice. But NVC knows it, this USCIS receipt Number.

so when the cousin calls back, asking the human about the MNL casefile, ask them to give over the USCIS receipt number (write it down on paper with phone in the ear) then

contact USCIS about it again, determine the actual location of casefile when talking with an ISO at USCIS, a Tier 2 human (must ask Tier 1 human to be transferred)

but all of this may be moot, as a consular casefile number (MNL) already exists at NVC. Tell the cousin to ask NVC for the Invoice Identification Number - with the MNL # and IIN, the cousin can handle the DS-261 and AOS fee payment. Also tell cousin to tell the NVC human to SEND OUT the AOS Invoice email set, giving over the cousin's email address to the NVC human. Then wait 4 or 5 days, checking email.. [this will actually jump start the process, or cousin learns of more problems]

Basically, the I-130, IMO, is at the national records center (NRC) so cousin's activity and his personal actions at NVC (DS-261, AOS FEE BILL Generated) will cause an internal casefile movement request FROM NVC to NRC, and NRC will transfer the I-130 casefile to NVC after some time. It won't stop the NVC doc intake or fee payments calendar.

OK? OK ! [Read what I wrote about 4 times, noting stuff to do, aye?]

[Jawaree 717]

Can petitioner family help by contacting the Congress-person to intervene

[kit740 0]

Hello Darnell, thanks for the feedback.

After reading your post, we tried your suggestion from your first 3 paragraphs (hoping we can proceed with your suggestions on paragraph 4).Called NVC, gave the MNL # as reference first, then asked for a Receipt #.

Many surprises unfolded:

• The Receipt # given by NVC on the phone started with AGA-00000A00 (3 letters, 5 numbers, one letter and 2 numbers). I thought receipt numbers ALWAYS start with 3 letters followed by 10 digits? And based on everything I read before, I don't recognize the 3 letters "AGA" (those are the actual letters).
• NVC says they cannot issue IIN (nor send an AOS Invoice) since their records show that the MNL file has left their building on June 2013. Asked why, but they cannot provide explanation since there are no further notes on their computer.
• We are puzzled that it left their bldg on June 2013, since the PD on the case didn't even become current until Sept 2014.
• What do you suggest now??

[tasakchy 9]

In your original post, you said that NVC said that USCIS has your case file. Why don't you try calling USCIS now that you have the receipt number.

[kit740 0]

Called USCIS, gave both the MNL# and the AGA receipt number. They don't recognize either number.

They repeated to me that receipt numbers start with 3 letters (like WAC, CSC, etc.) and followed by 10 digits.

Told them, we have the approved I-130 in our hands and the HR approval...but they don't want to look up anything without the so called "Receipt number" that they recognize.

By the way, I have a copy of the approved I-130 that came from FOIA/NRC (my cousin gave me copy), looking at the first page, I see the "receipt number" on the paper minus the first 3 letters "AGA". But the "00000A00" part is very visible!

[tasakchy 9]

Are you able to see any type of case status when you enter the MNL# into the ceac case status tracker: https://ceac.state.gov/CEACStatTracker/Status.aspx?eQs=o/iS8zDpeAKjMWCuebHqOw==

Or when you enter the AGA receipt number onto the USCIS case tracker: https://egov.uscis.gov/casestatus/landing.do

[Darnell 8,478]

Hello Darnell, thanks for the feedback.

After reading your post, we tried your suggestion from your first 3 paragraphs (hoping we can proceed with your suggestions on paragraph 4).Called NVC, gave the MNL # as reference first, then asked for a Receipt #.

Many surprises unfolded:

• The Receipt # given by NVC on the phone started with AGA-00000A00 (3 letters, 5 numbers, one letter and 2 numbers). I thought receipt numbers ALWAYS start with 3 letters followed by 10 digits? And based on everything I read before, I don't recognize the 3 letters "AGA" (those are the actual letters).
• NVC says they cannot issue IIN (nor send an AOS Invoice) since their records show that the MNL file has left their building on June 2013. Asked why, but they cannot provide explanation since there are no further notes on their computer.
• We are puzzled that it left their bldg on June 2013, since the PD on the case didn't even become current until Sept 2014.
• What do you suggest now??

good on you for following up with the stuff that I wrote.

Based on what you've written, I'll posit that yer casefile is with the National Records Center. I'll write more later, lemme think a bit.

[tasakchy 9]

Also the only thing I can think of AGA meaning is Agana, Guam. I don't know if petitions were filed at field offices back then but that may be what happened which is why it doesn't have the usual three letters.

[kit740 0]

Tasakchy,

• When MNL# is entered in the CEAC case status tracker - it says "AT NVC"... "follow instructions you received from NVC. etc,etc.".
• Well, at this point, we don't know how accurate that is. Actually, if the phone call is saying the truth, NVC just said that the file left their building in June 2013. So we know the "AT NVC" is not accurate or at least not updated. We know that not a single notice or letter/instruction was received from NVC. If not for my cousin sending them a follow up letter in Dec 2010, we wouldn't get any type of letter from them..that's when NVC said "please forward your inquiry to USCIS" (and that's the same letter where we saw the case number MNL# for the first time).
• When AGA# is entered at the "egov.uscis" tracker, it says "receipt number entered is invalid".
  

[apple21 953]

Who's taking the role of substitute sponsor? That person should make an infopass, speak to a live human, show all paperwork related to case to get a clear solution.

[kit740 0]

The comment about AGA -- yes, I agree with that thought as well (Agana, Guam). Curious..is that same as Hagatna Guam? It makes sense since the Petitioner filed I-130 in Guam. When Petitioner died (years after I-130 was approved),cousin filed HR appeal then HR was approved, it was USCIS who sent my cousin the approval letter. That letter was signed by Walter H. (Field Office Director - Hagatna, Guam). And that's the same letter that basically said "this petition is now being forwarded to NVC... please follow their instructions".

• Was AGA a service center back then? (the way that LIN, WAC, and CSC is now?)
• Is the Receipt number weird (not the traditional 3 letters + 10 digits) because the "Receipt Number" process was in its earlier stages then??

[Darnell 8,478]

ah - this is starting to make more sense.

worst case scenario (at the moment) - file an I-824, pay the fee, and the casefile will get into NVC.

but there's got to be a different way, maybe time to engage an Immigration Liason Staffer, a constituent liason human at one of yer 3 congressmen's offices.

[kit740 0]

Darnell,

Assuming the I-824 is filed, what happens in the background that all of a sudden the case gets to NVC?

About the Immigration Liason staffer - how fast do they act? What kind of leverage do they have over this? In your experience, has there been much success going through that route?