Potomac Center I-130 Filers 2019

[AnnamM 7]

3 hours ago, SMM_MD said:

Hi I am permanent residence and about to submit I-130 for my spouse residing in India. Processing time for Texas service center is 1 week-7 months. I live in Maryland and my form needs to be mailed to Texas Service center. My friend who is US citizen and lives in MD, filed for his spouse I-130 online and it went to Potomac service center where the processing time is 12-16 months. I want my application to go to Texas instead of Potomac service center. Would mailing-in I-130 to Texas makes more sense or will it get assigned to Potomac regardless? I am fine loosing a few days by mailing-in the form instead of online submission if it gets processed at Texas service center. Thank you for your attention, appreciate your insights!

hello, you cannot infuence where the applicaiton is assigned to. USCIS decised based on case load and staff availability (they had lots of staffing issues in 2020, due to admin policy and budget)

We sent to the Texas lockbox in Nov 2019, got assigned to Potomac in 4 days and waiting for an NOA2 ever since.

 

Good luck in landing in a smoothly operating servic center, and good luck for all of us still waiting for someone to look at our submitted application.

[SMM_MD 0]

3 hours ago, AnnamM said:

hello, you cannot infuence where the applicaiton is assigned to. USCIS decised based on case load and staff availability (they had lots of staffing issues in 2020, due to admin policy and budget)

We sent to the Texas lockbox in Nov 2019, got assigned to Potomac in 4 days and waiting for an NOA2 ever since.

 

Good luck in landing in a smoothly operating servic center, and good luck for all of us still waiting for someone to look at our submitted application.

Thanks AnnamM for sharing your experience. My friend's online application went straight to Potomac. As MD resident, I am supposed to mail the form to Texas service center. I was inclined to send to Texas hoping it sticks there. If they send to Potomac regardless, I loose probably a week but if it sticks there, may gain several months.

Its crazy that they haven't processed your application since Nov 2019. Good luck, hope your approval is around the corner!

[s2dat10 10]

10 hours ago, SMM_MD said:

Hi I am permanent residence and about to submit I-130 for my spouse residing in India. Processing time for Texas service center is 1 week-7 months. I live in Maryland and my form needs to be mailed to Texas Service center. My friend who is US citizen and lives in MD, filed for his spouse I-130 online and it went to Potomac service center where the processing time is 12-16 months. I want my application to go to Texas instead of Potomac service center. Would mailing-in I-130 to Texas makes more sense or will it get assigned to Potomac regardless? I am fine loosing a few days by mailing-in the form instead of online submission if it gets processed at Texas service center. Thank you for your attention, appreciate your insights!

I am a USC and reside in MD also. I mailed my package to the Texas address and it still ended up at Potomac.  There has been no movement on the case since NOA1 which was on Jan 7 2020.

So my advice; good luck and get ready for a (potentially) long ride

[darth vader 131]

9 hours ago, s2dat10 said:

I am a USC and reside in MD also. I mailed my package to the Texas address and it still ended up at Potomac.  There has been no movement on the case since NOA1 which was on Jan 7 2020.

So my advice; good luck and get ready for a (potentially) long ride

1. What country is the beneficiary from?

2. Is the petitioner a U.S. born or naturalized U.S. citizen?

[s2dat10 10]

1 hour ago, darth vader said:

1. What country is the beneficiary from?

2. Is the petitioner a U.S. born or naturalized U.S. citizen?

 

1. Beneficiary is Canadian

2. Petitioner aka me, I am a naturalized US citizen

[darth vader 131]

21 minutes ago, s2dat10 said:

 

1. Beneficiary is Canadian

2. Petitioner aka me, I am a naturalized US citizen

1. Is beneficiary natural born-Canadian?

2. Is beneficiary a minority or muslim?

 

I am sorry for asking these personal questions but I have started to observe a pattern where cases lagging in approval at Potomac are mostly naturalized U.S.C. If you an answer my follow up questions above I can share more of my observations. I wish you luck - your approval will come soon.

[s2dat10 10]

32 minutes ago, darth vader said:

1. Is beneficiary natural born-Canadian?

2. Is beneficiary a minority or muslim?

 

I am sorry for asking these personal questions but I have started to observe a pattern where cases lagging in approval at Potomac are mostly naturalized U.S.C. If you an answer my follow up questions above I can share more of my observations. I wish you luck - your approval will come soon.

She is naturalized just like me and yes, Muslim. 
I always expected the review process to take longer than usual because of the predisposing characteristics but a specific processing center showing prejudice is ridiculous.

[darth vader 131]

9 minutes ago, s2dat10 said:

She is naturalized just like me and yes, Muslim. 
I always expected the review process to take longer than usual because of the predisposing characteristics but a specific processing center showing prejudice is ridiculous.

I am so sorry man. This is so painful. I am not sure if other service centers are doing this but I am definitely starting to see a pattern with Potomac. If you don't mind me asking, a few more followup questions.

1. How did you immigrate to U.S. (did a prior spouse sponsor you)?

2. What is your country of origin/birth?

3. What is your wife's  country of origin/birth?

 

You will soon get your approval. Hang in there! 

[s2dat10 10]

19 minutes ago, darth vader said:

I am so sorry man. This is so painful. I am not sure if other service centers are doing this but I am definitely starting to see a pattern with Potomac. If you don't mind me asking, a few more followup questions.

1. How did you immigrate to U.S. (did a prior spouse sponsor you)?

2. What is your country of origin/birth?

3. What is your wife's  country of origin/birth?

 

You will soon get your approval. Hang in there! 

1. Family sponsorship. Not spousal

2. Australia but by race I’m Pakistani so there is that

3. She was born in Saudi Arabia
 

Yea nothing to do but wait since it’s within the processing window. Thanks!

[Nelly_M 6]

On 9/7/2020 at 11:27 AM, XSoldiergal said:

I am the Dec case that was approved in August. Not sure if it was an expedite but I did contact the congresswomans office and they reached out to USCIS on my behalf. Uscis denied my expedite saying that i was already being reviewed by the adjudicator that was July 27. My case was approved as soon as the adjudicator was notified that congress reached out almost 30 days later. My NOA2 and my date change occurred on a Saturday. 

Hi! Just to make sure that I understood you correctly; you sent USCIS an expedited request that wasn’t approved and then you reached out to a congresswoman? 

[Nelly_M 6]

It seems that Potomac is stuck on November, 2019 processing. Is there anyone here who filed after that date that got approved? 
 

[XSoldiergal 16]

3 hours ago, Nelly_M said:

Hi! Just to make sure that I understood you correctly; you sent USCIS an expedited request that wasn’t approved and then you reached out to a congresswoman? 

Yes! They denied my expedite saying that it was currently being reviewed by a adjudicator. A few weeks passed and no word so I contacted my congresswoman. 

[Nelly_M 6]

11 hours ago, XSoldiergal said:

Yes! They denied my expedite saying that it was currently being reviewed by a adjudicator. A few weeks passed and no word so I contacted my congresswoman. 

I see. Did you send them the expedite along with application or after you already applied? 

[XSoldiergal 16]

9 hours ago, Nelly_M said:

I see. Did you send them the expedite along with application or after you already applied? 

After I already applied. Applied December 2019 expedite was sent in July.

[Nelly_M 6]

55 minutes ago, XSoldiergal said:

After I already applied. Applied December 2019 expedite was sent in July.

Thanks. Is there a timeline during which they are supposed to respond to the expedite? Also, is the expedite mailed to them or do we send it online? I submitted my I-130 online.