What else can I do?

[antsar19 12]

I filed for my husband 11 months ago, our case was received by USCIS 7/23/2019. We have had NO progress at all, no requests for evidence, nothing. I contacted USCIS & received an email back the next day saying it was "in line to be reviewed by an officer" but when my senator's office contacted them a couple weeks later, they sent the attached email.

 

What does this mean? Is there anything we can do? Or should we continue to sit and wait? 

 

Edit to add: neither of us have any criminal background. I was married 12 years ago & did petition for my ex-husband. However,  we separated in January of 2016 and were officially divorced Sept of 2017. Could that be the issue? 

Edited June 22, 2020 by antsar19
Adding additional facts

[Lil bear 3,831]

16 minutes ago, antsar19 said:

I filed for my husband 11 months ago, our case was received by USCIS 7/23/2019. We have had NO progress at all, no requests for evidence, nothing. I contacted USCIS & received an email back the next day saying it was "in line to be reviewed by an officer" but when my senator's office contacted them a couple weeks later, they sent the attached email.

 

What does this mean? Is there anything we can do? Or should we continue to sit and wait? 

 

Edit to add: neither of us have any criminal background. I was married 12 years ago & did petition for my ex-husband. However,  we separated in January of 2016 and were officially divorced Sept of 2017. Could that be the issue? 

This is a standard reply. It means they are waiting for the checks to be completed. Most of the waiting time at the USCIS stage is for your petition to reach the top of the pile and then be processed.. which includes the checks. Nothing can be done from your end to hurry things up. The letter received via your congressperson is the most compassionate I have seen out of USCIS !! COVID has added much more complexity to the system .. everyone is under pressure. 

Edited June 22, 2020 by Lil bear

[JeanneAdil 6,197]

This is the normal reply given to a congressman when a person asks for help 

just the normal security checks are being done (by a limited staff and money shortage issues)

 

1st    it could be as simple as his name is same as another person's /talk to him and see if there could be any other issues like overstaying a visa to verify

and  guessing on what it is really about will just make you crazy

2nd   nothing you can do but sit and wait

[pushbrk 12,110]

Normal replies to politicians would only mention background check delays if true.  I suspect the delay has something to do with your earlier case.  It may resolve on its own but you may also be called for an interview at a local office.

[antsar19 12]

5 hours ago, pushbrk said:

I suspect the delay has something to do with your earlier case.  It may resolve on its own but you may also be called for an interview at a local office.

I wondered about that. If that's the issue, I wish they would just call me in and interview me rather than take their time and "guess." 😕

[antsar19 12]

I do understand the struggles and issues they're dealing with thanks to our current administration, compounded by the pandemic, but it's been super painful to see everyone else around our date approved and have USCIS move on to as late as 2 months past our date before I stopped checking. 

 

Now with the border closures, we haven't seen each other in 6 months and part of me worries we won't be able to ever actually live together. 😥

Edited June 23, 2020 by antsar19

[pushbrk 12,110]

15 minutes ago, antsar19 said:

I wondered about that. If that's the issue, I wish they would just call me in and interview me rather than take their time and "guess." 😕

Why would you assume they are guessing?  They are "investigating".  They want to know the answers to their questions BEFORE they ask you.

[antsar19 12]

I assume they're guessing because I also assume they will want more information than what's public record. Lots of assumptions 🤷🏼‍♀️