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Posted

Hi, 

Since the pandemic started, my visa situation has gotten complicated. 

I was applying for j1 visa under the graduate programme that let's me do an internship for a year. 

 

I went through the whole process, went for the interview and got my visa. I had my flight booked the 10th of April. Since the pandemic happened, I did not fly. 

 

My plan was to wait for this to be all over and contact the company (usit)  that helped me get my papers so I can update them.

 

A month ago, Usit has gone into liquidation.  They are gone and will not be refunding any money. 

 

Here is where my problem lies, I got all my paper done before any of the Covid had taken effect. All I needed to do was fly out. 

 

Is my visa still valid? I technically didn't cancel my trip, the US government did. So is it their responsibility to issue me new papers and visa? 

 

I've tried to do some research but this is such a new circumstance for everyone, there's not much out there.

 

I would be grateful for any advice, as I feel I'm really stuck right now.

I have no idea who to contact.

 

Thanks. 

Posted
9 minutes ago, GraceMurphy said:

Hi, 

Since the pandemic started, my visa situation has gotten complicated. 

I was applying for j1 visa under the graduate programme that let's me do an internship for a year. 

 

I went through the whole process, went for the interview and got my visa. I had my flight booked the 10th of April. Since the pandemic happened, I did not fly. 

 

My plan was to wait for this to be all over and contact the company (usit)  that helped me get my papers so I can update them.

 

A month ago, Usit has gone into liquidation.  They are gone and will not be refunding any money. 

 

Here is where my problem lies, I got all my paper done before any of the Covid had taken effect. All I needed to do was fly out. 

 

Is my visa still valid? I technically didn't cancel my trip, the US government did. So is it their responsibility to issue me new papers and visa? 

 

I've tried to do some research but this is such a new circumstance for everyone, there's not much out there.

 

I would be grateful for any advice, as I feel I'm really stuck right now.

I have no idea who to contact.

 

Thanks. 

If you can travel before the visa expires then you are fine. Otherwise it is up to the consulate.

March 2, 2018  Married In Hong Kong

April 30, 2018  Mary moves from the Philippines to Mexico, Husband has MX Permanent Residency

June 13, 2018 Mary receives Mexican Residency Card

June 15, 2018  I-130 DCF Appointment in Juarez  -  June 18, 2018  Approval E-Mail

August 2, 2018 Case Complete At Consulate

September 25, 2018 Interview in CDJ and Approved!

October 7, 2018 In the USA

October 27, 2018 Green Card received 

October 29, 2018 Applied for Social Security Card - November 5, 2018 Social Security Card received

November 6th, 2018 State ID Card Received, Applied for Global Entry - Feb 8,2019 Approved.

July 14, 2020 Removal of Conditions submitted by mail  July 12, 2021 Biometrics Completed

August 6, 2021 N-400 submitted by mail

September 7, 2021 I-751 Interview, Sept 8 Approved and Card Being Produced

October 21, 2021 N-400 Biometrics Completed  

November 30,2021  Interview, Approval and Oath

December 10, 2021 US Passport Issued

August 12, 2022 PHL Dual Nationality Re-established & Passport Approved 

April 6,2023 Legally Separated - Oh well

Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Russia
Timeline
Posted

When does the visa expire?

🇷🇺 CR-1 via DCF (Dec 2016-Jun 2017) & I-751 ROC (Apr 2019-Oct 2019)🌹

Spoiler

Info about my DCF Moscow* experience here and here

26-Jul-2016: Married abroad in Russia 👩‍❤️‍👨 See guide here
21-Dec-2016: I-130 filed at Moscow USCIS field office*
29-Dec-2016: I-130 approved! Yay! 🎊 

17-Jan-2017: Case number received

21-Mar-2017: Medical Exam completed

24-Mar-2017: Interview at Embassy - approved! 🎉

29-Mar-2017: CR-1 Visa received (via mail)

02-Apr-2017: USCIS Immigrant (GC) Fee paid

28-Jun-2017: Port of Entry @ PDX 🛩️

21-Jul-2017: No SSN after three weeks; applied in person at the SSA

22-Jul-2017: GC arrived in the mail 📬

31-Jul-2017: SSN arrived via mail, hurrah!

 

*NOTE: The USCIS Field Office in Moscow is now CLOSED as of February 28th, 2019.

 

Removal of Conditions - MSC Service Center

 28-Jun-2019: Conditional GC expires

30-Mar-2019: Eligible to apply for ROC

01-Apr-2019: ROC in the mail to Phoenix AZ lockbox! 📫

03-Apr-2019: ROC packet delivered to lockbox

09-Apr-2019: USCIS cashed check

09-Apr-2019: Case number received via text - MSC 📲

12-Apr-2019: Extension letter arrives via mail

19-Apr-2019: Biometrics letter arrives via mail

30-Apr-2019: Biometrics appointment at local office

26-Jun-2019: Case ready to be scheduled for interview 

04-Sep-2019: Interview was scheduled - letter to arrive in mail

09-Sep-2019: Interview letter arrived in the mail! ✉️

17-Oct-2019: Interview scheduled @ local USCIS  

18-Oct-2019: Interview cancelled & notice ordered*

18-Oct-2019: Case was approved! 🎉

22-Oct-2019: Card was mailed to me 📨

23-Oct-2019: Card was picked by USPS 

25-Oct-2019: 10 year GC Card received in mail 📬

 

*I don't understand this status because we DID have an interview!

 

🇺🇸 N-400 Application for Naturalization (Apr 2020-Jun 2021) 🛂

Spoiler

Filed during Covid-19 & moved states 1 month after filing

30-Mar-2020: N-400 early filing window opens!

01-Apr-2020: Filed N-400 online 💻 

02-Apr-2020: NOA 1 - Receipt No. received online 📃

07-Apr-2020: NOA 1 - Receipt No. received via mail

05-May-2020: Moved to another state, filed AR-11 online

05-May-2020: Application transferred to another USCIS field office for review ➡️

15-May-2020: AR-11 request to change address completed

16-Jul-2020: Filed non-receipt inquiry due to never getting confirmation that case was transferred to new field office

15-Oct-2020: Received generic response to non-receipt inquiry, see full response here

10-Feb-2021: Contacted senator's office for help with USCIS

12-Feb-2021: Received canned response from senator's office that case is within processing time 😡

16-Feb-2021: Contacted other senator's office for help with USCIS - still no biometrics

19-Feb-2021: Biometrics reuse notice - canned response from other senator's office 🌐

23-Feb-2021: Interview scheduled - notice to come in the mail

25-Feb-2021: Biometrics reuse notice arrives via mail

01-Mar-2021: Interview notice letter arrives via mail  ✉️ 

29-Mar-2021: Passed interview at local office! Oath Ceremony to be scheduled

13-Apr-2021: Oath Ceremony notice was mailed

04-May-2021: Oath Ceremony scheduled 🎆 Unable to attend due to illness

04-May-2021: Mailed request to reschedule Oath to local office

05-May-2021: "You did not attend your Oath Ceremony" - notice to come in the mail

06-May-2021: Oath Ceremony will be scheduled, date TBA

12-May-2021: Oath Ceremony re-scheduled for June 3rd, then de-scheduled same day 😡 

25-May-2021: New Oath Ceremony notice was mailed

16-Jun-2021: Oath Ceremony scheduled 🎆 - DONE!!

17-Jun-2021: Certificate of Naturalization issued

 

🎆 Members new and old: don't forget to fill in your VJ timeline! 🎇 https://www.visajourney.com/timeline/

Posted
2 hours ago, GraceMurphy said:

Is my visa still valid? I technically didn't cancel my trip, the US government did. So is it their responsibility to issue me new papers and visa? 

Doesn't work that way.

Posted
7 hours ago, GraceMurphy said:

Will I need new ds2019?? 

Yes if you are past your start date of the program.   Contact the DSO.

14 hours ago, Jorgedig said:
17 hours ago, GraceMurphy said:

Is my visa still valid? I technically didn't cancel my trip, the US government did. So is it their responsibility to issue me new papers and visa? 

Doesn't work that way.

Your VISA is still valid unless you were told it was cancelled.

7 hours ago, GraceMurphy said:

What way does it work 

Just because you have a VISA doesn't mean you can enter the country.   Be grateful you didn't get turned around in the US.

March 2, 2018  Married In Hong Kong

April 30, 2018  Mary moves from the Philippines to Mexico, Husband has MX Permanent Residency

June 13, 2018 Mary receives Mexican Residency Card

June 15, 2018  I-130 DCF Appointment in Juarez  -  June 18, 2018  Approval E-Mail

August 2, 2018 Case Complete At Consulate

September 25, 2018 Interview in CDJ and Approved!

October 7, 2018 In the USA

October 27, 2018 Green Card received 

October 29, 2018 Applied for Social Security Card - November 5, 2018 Social Security Card received

November 6th, 2018 State ID Card Received, Applied for Global Entry - Feb 8,2019 Approved.

July 14, 2020 Removal of Conditions submitted by mail  July 12, 2021 Biometrics Completed

August 6, 2021 N-400 submitted by mail

September 7, 2021 I-751 Interview, Sept 8 Approved and Card Being Produced

October 21, 2021 N-400 Biometrics Completed  

November 30,2021  Interview, Approval and Oath

December 10, 2021 US Passport Issued

August 12, 2022 PHL Dual Nationality Re-established & Passport Approved 

April 6,2023 Legally Separated - Oh well

Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Wales
Timeline
Posted

Seems unlikely you will not be able to enter before April 2021.

“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”

Posted

My girlfriend is in a similar situation — she has her J1 (trainee) visa and DS-2019 and was supposed to be start her program a month ago but was unable to do so due to the travel restrictions. Our understanding is that the visa is still valid but she will need an updated DS-2019 reflecting the new start date of her program. 

 

You're definitely in a tough spot if your sponsor (USIT) has gone into bankruptcy. One would hope they'd still be required to take care of their current program participants...but have you considered the fact that you might need to find a new sponsor organization? Hope it all works out for you! 

Posted
16 hours ago, jvette said:

My girlfriend is in a similar situation — she has her J1 (trainee) visa and DS-2019 and was supposed to be start her program a month ago but was unable to do so due to the travel restrictions. Our understanding is that the visa is still valid but she will need an updated DS-2019 reflecting the new start date of her program. 

 

You're definitely in a tough spot if your sponsor (USIT) has gone into bankruptcy. One would hope they'd still be required to take care of their current program participants...but have you considered the fact that you might need to find a new sponsor organization? Hope it all works out for you! 

Yeah it's a tough situation. But theres many of us out there so hopefully a protocol will be made for this grey area that has been created. Just feel very lost at this moment 

Posted
21 hours ago, Paul & Mary said:

Yes if you are past your start date of the program.   Contact the DSO.

Your VISA is still valid unless you were told it was cancelled.

Just because you have a VISA doesn't mean you can enter the country.   Be grateful you didn't get turned around in the US.

Its hasn't been canceled. I've heard nothing due to everything being shut down. I understand the US is currently blocking all immigration but when things do start opening up again, I was wondering what's the best way to go about it. This has never happened before so it hard to know what's the next step.  

Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Wales
Timeline
Posted

Probably depends also on what you were going to be doing, I have friends who use J1's for the summer season, Hotel and Brewery, and the ski resorts use them in the winter. Now  of course Hotels and Breweries are shut, and it will soon get to the point where the summer season will be a wash. I have also had a few people contact me desperate for work so when they do open there should be no shortage of staff as it will take some times for business levels to return to normal.

“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”

 
Didn't find the answer you were looking for? Ask our VJ Immigration Lawyers.

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