San Fernando Valley Filers! Aug/Sep/Oct 2017

[NilovesJa 8]

2 hours ago, KathCali said:

I scheduled an infopass last year while waiting for my EAD but ended up cancelling it because my EAD arrived. I found that there were almost never appointments available but if you went online right at midnight, some would usually show up for a few minutes for two weeks from the date. They must release new slots at midnight, but they do go very quickly. As for whether it's worth the effort, I honestly doubt it as their processing times start at 13 months and if we aren't even into that, we will probably be told we're still in line and to keep waiting and come back in a year. 

 

But as they are finally processing July filers, that means they are at least moving! I think we should give it a few more months, keep our eye on fellow SFV filers, and keep our fingers crossed! 

Yes I think you are right!!:) I will keep you updated if I hear something, I am happy to be in this group;) Have a good Monday.

[izavox 147]

On 8/17/2018 at 10:11 PM, KathCali said:

Hi NiLovesJa! Yay, so happy to hear from another SFV filer! Welcome to our little group

 

We have five cases now that we are following. I will write our timelines in chronological order below. It looks as though the wait is now indeed about 13-14 months, as per the USCIS processing times (which went back down to 13-22 months after briefly rising to 13.5-34.5 months HAHA).

 

@Mmagic 

Filed - May 2017

Interview - June 2018 ✔️

 

@izavox

Filed - July 2017

Interview - (Scheduled August 2018, presumably will take place September 2018)

 

@Zeal

Filed - July 2017

Interview - Waiting as of August 2018

 

@NilovesJa

Filed - August 2017

Interview - Waiting as of August 2018

 

@KathCali

Filed - September 2017

Interview - Waiting as of August 2018

 

I have heard of quite a few employment based interviews being scheduled in well under a year, but I think we are all family based? They seem to be taking longer for some reason. 

 

Crossing my fingers for us all to hear news soon! Excited for Isavox to have their interview  

This is an amazing summary Kath and it illustrates so well how SFV is going, especially since we can't see more info from it from VJ. It does look like for SFV it is taking 13 months from date of filling. I havent seen recent SFV cases yet under the 13 month mark. Don't know if they are backed up or if that is the norm for them.

[KathCali 47]

2 hours ago, izavox said:

This is an amazing summary Kath and it illustrates so well how SFV is going, especially since we can't see more info from it from VJ. It does look like for SFV it is taking 13 months from date of filling. I havent seen recent SFV cases yet under the 13 month mark. Don't know if they are backed up or if that is the norm for them.

They are definitely backed up, but so is every field office in the country it seems. A couple of years ago, SFV was processing AOS in about six months. But I guess compared to Texas, where it sounds like it's actually taking 1.5-2 years, 13 months isn't so bad haha.

 

I've seen employment cases at SFV be processed much quicker this year (on another site - I think ***removed***? It sounded like 6-9 months for those) but I have heard from several people online that employment cases have priority with USCIS now. With all of Trump's merit-based talk, it makes sense, I suppose.

 

Anyway, @Zeal should be the next one scheduled!

[Zeal 12]

@KathCali, I initially filed July 2017 but i got a request for initial evidence. I read online that RFE for Initial Evidence automatically resets your timeline to the date they received it. And they confirmed they received the RFE on Sept 29,2017 so i consider myself more of a sept filler than July due to the RFE. SO not until October before i start to get anxious if i don't have an interview appointment yet 

[KathCali 47]

58 minutes ago, Zeal said:

@KathCali, I initially filed July 2017 but i got a request for initial evidence. I read online that RFE for Initial Evidence automatically resets your timeline to the date they received it. And they confirmed they received the RFE on Sept 29,2017 so i consider myself more of a sept filler than July due to the RFE. SO not until October before i start to get anxious if i don't have an interview appointment yet 

Ah, gotcha! Sorry, I missed that detail. My PD is Sep 15, 2017 so you and I will likely get our notices around the same time then. I am also waiting until October before getting anxious now

[KathCali 47]

*Updating our timelines!* 

 

@Mmagic 

Filed - May 2017

Interview - June 2018 ✔️

 

@izavox

Filed - July 11, 2017

Interview - September 25, 2018

 

@NilovesJa

Filed - August 4, 2017

Interview - Waiting as of August 2018

 

@KathCali

Filed - September 15, 2017

Interview - Waiting as of August 2018

 

@Zeal

Filed - July 27, 2017

RFE Received - September 29, 2017

Interview - Waiting as of August 2018

[NilovesJa 8]

6 hours ago, KathCali said:

*Updating our timelines!* 

 

@Mmagic 

Filed - May 2017

Interview - June 2018 ✔️

 

@izavox

Filed - July 11, 2017

Interview - September 25, 2018

 

@NilovesJa

Filed - August 4, 2017

Interview - Waiting as of August 2018

 

@KathCali

Filed - September 15, 2017

Interview - Waiting as of August 2018

 

@Zeal

Filed - July 27, 2017

RFE Received - September 29, 2017

Interview - Waiting as of August 2018

So happy for you izavox!!! All my best wishes for your interview:) 

[KathCali 47]

Adding a new SFV timeline!

 

@Mica711

Filed - October 2017

Interview - August 27, 2018 ✔️

 

So they are certainly not going in order at SFV! 

Edited August 28, 2018 by KathCali

[NilovesJa 8]

3 hours ago, KathCali said:

Adding a new SFV timeline!

 

@Mica711

Filed - October 2017

Interview - August 27, 2018 ✔️

 

So they are certainly not going in order at SFV! 

Just when I got my hope back to see a system, it is not;) 

Do you know something about to bring the birth certificate to the interview even we already sent that in with all the other documents? And I heard that the medical exam will expire after one year, so just to make sure to do everything perfect it probably will be good to do this again?  

[KathCali 47]

1 hour ago, NilovesJa said:

Just when I got my hope back to see a system, it is not;) 

Do you know something about to bring the birth certificate to the interview even we already sent that in with all the other documents? And I heard that the medical exam will expire after one year, so just to make sure to do everything perfect it probably will be good to do this again?  

It's crazy how out of order all the offices schedule some interviews  I believe @Mica711 contacted a congressman and was also a military spouse? That could be why. I called USCIS this morning hoping to find out why they are doing cases out of order, and the (very lovely) representative just recited the processing times for SFV posted online and asked if I'd like to make an online account, so I gave up haha. 

 

I'm pretty sure you need to bring your original birth certificates, along with other original documents (marriage certificate, passports, etc), to the interview. I definitely plan on doing that, plus bringing additional photocopies.

 

For the medical exam, it expires one year after your PD. In a few cases, a USCIS officer has claimed it expired a year after it was done, even though that's not accurate, I guess they can do that. I definitely plan on redoing mine. If you need a doctor recommendation, I went to Dr Asher Ram at Family & Immigration Medical Center in Van Nuys last year and he was great. They charged $179 if you already have your vaccinations done with records, or $279 if you need vaccinations. They are at 14546 Victory Blvd, Van Nuys, CA 91411 and their number is 818-997-3232.

 

Hopefully we hear good news soon  

[NilovesJa 8]

On 8/28/2018 at 2:00 PM, KathCali said:

It's crazy how out of order all the offices schedule some interviews  I believe @Mica711 contacted a congressman and was also a military spouse? That could be why. I called USCIS this morning hoping to find out why they are doing cases out of order, and the (very lovely) representative just recited the processing times for SFV posted online and asked if I'd like to make an online account, so I gave up haha. 

 

I'm pretty sure you need to bring your original birth certificates, along with other original documents (marriage certificate, passports, etc), to the interview. I definitely plan on doing that, plus bringing additional photocopies.

 

For the medical exam, it expires one year after your PD. In a few cases, a USCIS officer has claimed it expired a year after it was done, even though that's not accurate, I guess they can do that. I definitely plan on redoing mine. If you need a doctor recommendation, I went to Dr Asher Ram at Family & Immigration Medical Center in Van Nuys last year and he was great. They charged $179 if you already have your vaccinations done with records, or $279 if you need vaccinations. They are at 14546 Victory Blvd, Van Nuys, CA 91411 and their number is 818-997-3232.

 

Hopefully we hear good news soon  

Thank you @KathCali, your information are so helpful!! Yes and they changed the processing time again to 13,5 months.. We will see:) 

My Case Status also says since a long time (I think since March) now there is no Information on my case available right now and If I want to get Information I have to call USCIS, but when I call they always say the same, there is no update. 

 

I will keep you updated:) 

[izavox 147]

That is so strange, I thought that the interviews were scheduled according to PD. But, it could be that some cases, regardless if they are longer or shorter, I think it all depends on when the case is in the office.

 

For instance, my case was ready to be scheduled since August 2017, but, one of the times I got some more information from a Tier 2 officer at USCIS, he told me that my case was in SFV since March this year, which left me puzzled because I thought that, once it is ready to be scheduled, your case is already at your local office. 

 

So, my take is that, it could all depend on when your case is actually in the local office?

And thank you for the info @KathCali, you're awesome!!

[KathCali 47]

Good news! On September 10, our interview was scheduled for October 16! 

 

It's 100% because we contacted our congressman last week as we were very concerned about the public charge policy changing (we have Obamacare) and also beyond fed up waiting while others filing after us were scheduled before us. One hour after the congressman contacted USCIS for us, our interview was scheduled and a scan of our letter was emailed to us. I couldn't believe it. So @NilovesJa I definitely recommend contacting your congressman too! I'm not sure if yours would be different in Santa Barbara but for San Fernando Valley, it's Brad Sherman. Also call, don't email - much more efficient. I was honestly shocked, thinking we'd get a "you're still in line" generic response. So that was amazing. Good luck!!! 

 

 

Edited September 12, 2018 by KathCali

[NilovesJa 8]

2 hours ago, KathCali said:

Good news! On September 10, our interview was scheduled for October 16! 

 

It's 100% because we contacted our congressman last week as we were very concerned about the public charge policy changing (we have Obamacare) and also beyond fed up waiting while others filing after us were scheduled before us. One hour after the congressman contacted USCIS for us, our interview was scheduled and a scan of our letter was emailed to us. I couldn't believe it. So @NilovesJa I definitely recommend contacting your congressman too! I'm not sure if yours would be different in Santa Barbara but for San Fernando Valley, it's Brad Sherman. Also call, don't email - much more efficient. I was honestly shocked, thinking we'd get a "you're still in line" generic response. So that was amazing. Good luck!!! 

 

 

Oh my gosh @KathCali!!! I am so happy for you!! I can't believe it went so fast!! I will talk to my husband about it. I schedule a Infopass at September 25th to ask if they even have my case in their office and its now 13.5 months and I didn't hear anything  

I am sincerely happy for you and cheers to you!!:)) Now your almost there!!!:) 

[KathCali 47]

38 minutes ago, NilovesJa said:

Oh my gosh @KathCali!!! I am so happy for you!! I can't believe it went so fast!! I will talk to my husband about it. I schedule a Infopass at September 25th to ask if they even have my case in their office and its now 13.5 months and I didn't hear anything  

I am sincerely happy for you and cheers to you!!:)) Now your almost there!!!:) 

Thank you so much! I just replied to your PM I think calling a congressman is likely to be way more helpful than an infopass but I guess at this point anything can't hurt! Keep us posted, I am hoping yours is scheduled very soon!