2019 J1 WAIVER TIMELINE - New Applicants

[rlagkssk830 3]

1 minute ago, privic said:

Hi, thank you so much for replying! It's very good to know everything went well for you and your husband.

 

My J-1 visa states I am subject to the 2 year rule, although I don't think I was supposed to be - no skills list, no gov funding. I included the NOS in my AOS application. It might not be enough, but it was all I had by the time.

I don't expect to get an AOS interview before May 2020, according to the current processing times. So I have plenty of time to receive the hard copy of the letter from DOS and even the final decision on the waiver! lol

Did you try to get an advisory opinion? You should try because it might've been a mistake on their part and might have marked you as subject to the 2 year. 

[privic 9]

15 minutes ago, rlagkssk830 said:

Did you try to get an advisory opinion? You should try because it might've been a mistake on their part and might have marked you as subject to the 2 year. 

I didn't. I thought it could be a waste of time in my case. There was a chance they would say I was indeed subject, because in my first DS-2019 the university marked that I had government funding (but I didn't). Then the university issued a second DS-2019 to correct this info, but it was too late, because my visa had been already issued with the 2-year information. 

What I am trying to say is that there is some misleading information in my paperwork that indicates I should be subject to the requirement - DS-2019 and visa saying I am subject. I was afraid an advisory opinion would just state that I am subject because of this (non accurate) evidence. I figured I would need a waiver anyway, so I didn't even waste my time waiting on an advisory opinion. 

 

Now that the DOS issued the favorable recommendation, that should be enough for the AOS. I hope I receive the hard copy soon!

[JCM_BR 3]

On 10/9/2019 at 12:33 PM, KBar said:

This is my case so far. As someone asked about recent DoS cases. This site helped me a lot. I am still waiting for USCIS waiver.

Hey KBar, do you have any updates about your case?

[KBar 4]

56 minutes ago, JCM_BR said:

Hey KBar, do you have any updates about your case?

I got I-797 and DoS recommendation copy on 10/21 by mail. USCIS accepted my case on 10/15 and I just checked my status which says my case was approved. I will wait for USCIS approval mail. 

[waiver_req 6]

On 10/22/2019 at 4:36 PM, privic said:

I didn't. I thought it could be a waste of time in my case. There was a chance they would say I was indeed subject, because in my first DS-2019 the university marked that I had government funding (but I didn't). Then the university issued a second DS-2019 to correct this info, but it was too late, because my visa had been already issued with the 2-year information. 

What I am trying to say is that there is some misleading information in my paperwork that indicates I should be subject to the requirement - DS-2019 and visa saying I am subject. I was afraid an advisory opinion would just state that I am subject because of this (non accurate) evidence. I figured I would need a waiver anyway, so I didn't even waste my time waiting on an advisory opinion. 

 

Now that the DOS issued the favorable recommendation, that should be enough for the AOS. I hope I receive the hard copy soon!

I think you took the right route. If you were to receive a “not subject” opinion, this would have been the outcome of your waiver request. There is precedent of people who submitted the waiver request and received “not subject” as a final status from DoS. 

[waiver_req 6]

8 hours ago, KBar said:

I got I-797 and DoS recommendation copy on 10/21 by mail. USCIS accepted my case on 10/15 and I just checked my status which says my case was approved. I will wait for USCIS approval mail. 

So happy for you!
Your case moved really fast. My case was accepted by uscis on 10/03. I received my case number on 10/09, and I’m still waiting for a response. I believe it shall be coming soon. 

[JCM_BR 3]

Let's go USCIS - crossing fingers 🤞

10/16 - case accepted USCIS 

10/16 - case was received at another USCIS office

[waiver_req 6]

Finally my journey is coming to an end!

i just received my uscis approval notification on the mail.

Complete timeline:

submitted all docs to DOS on 06/11.

embassy replied with the NOS on 06/12.

All info showed up on DOS website on 07/02, except for the NOS, which showed up one week later, but dated on 07/02 as well.

 

The DoS issued a favorable recommendation on 09/24, USCIS have received my case on 10/03, and approved it on 10/09. The USCIS website still doesn’t list as approved. 

[J1_Waiver_RJ 5]

Hey guys,

 

I am new here (1st post), but I have been reading through the posts for quite a while. This group has helped me a lot in a moment that I was literally freaking out (the waiting time of this process)... but thank God, i got my approval from USCIS today. I am still waiting for the approval notice though.

 

So here is my timeline in chronological order (from bottom to the top):

 

October 25 (today) - Status changes from "Case was received by another USCIS office" to "CASE WAS APPROVED" 🤗. However, myaccount.uscis does not have the update, just egov.uscis.gov website and USCIS case tracker app have the update.

October 22 - Call USCIS to correct my first name (they misspelled my name) - I haven't received any notification stating that my first name was fixed in their system.

October 21 - i received a Notice of Action (I-797) with my case number.

October 17 - Case was received by another USCIS office 

October 16 - Case accepted by USCIS lockbox

Department of State Advisory Opinion Finding: Favorable Recommendation

Item	Action	Date
Recommendation	Sent	October, 08 2019
No Objection Statement	Received	July, 25 2019
Fee	Received	July, 12 2019
Form DS-3035	Received	July, 12 2019
Form DS-2019	Received	July, 12 2019
Passport Data Page	Received	July, 12 2019
Statement Of Reason	Received	July, 12 2019
Other	Received	July, 12 2019

June 25 - FedEx delivered my documents

June 24 - Documents sent to DOS

June 21 - Embassy sent my NOS to DOS

 

By the way, I didnt received the hard copy of the Favorable Recommendation letter from DOS by mail yet. Good luck to you all!!! 😊

 

[LauCC 2]

Hi, 

 

I have a question regarding the J1 waiver process. 

I have finished and submitted step one, which generated the bar code number. However I did't send it to the DOS. 

I have an emergency now and I need to travel abroad. 

I will need to withdraw the application at this point and re submit it once I'm back. Have anyone done this?  Would it affect my application in the future?

[PK_ 43]

On 10/30/2019 at 12:29 PM, LauCC said:

Hi, 

 

I have a question regarding the J1 waiver process. 

I have finished and submitted step one, which generated the bar code number. However I did't send it to the DOS. 

I have an emergency now and I need to travel abroad. 

I will need to withdraw the application at this point and re submit it once I'm back. Have anyone done this?  Would it affect my application in the future?

If you haven't sent anything, then you can just reuse the same barcode and everything. Why do you feel that you have to wait to send it later? You don't need to be in the U.S. to file for the waiver. You don't need to have the no-objection letter ready right away (our embassy took months to produce the letter). 

 

It doesn't hurt to send it now.

[JCM_BR 3]

🙌 CASE WAS APPROVED  🙌

 

 

[LauCC 2]

Thanks PK... our J visas are expired so we would need to renew them. We were told that if we submit the waiver, they may not renew our J... hence we wouldn’t be able to re enter in the US... 

[LauCC 2]

18 minutes ago, JCM_BR said:

🙌 CASE WAS APPROVED  🙌

 

 

Hi! Congrats! How many months did it take in total since you send the petition to the DOS?

[LauCC 2]

1 hour ago, PK_ said:

If you haven't sent anything, then you can just reuse the same barcode and everything. Why do you feel that you have to wait to send it later? You don't need to be in the U.S. to file for the waiver. You don't need to have the no-objection letter ready right away (our embassy took months to produce the letter). 

 

It doesn't hurt to send it now.

Hi Pk! Thanks for your answer. Our j visas are expired, so we were told that we can’t renew them once the waiver is submitted.