No update on application. AOS from F1 visa

[M_S 6]

Hi everyone,

 

I'm currently here in the US on my F1 student visa currently doing my OPT. Me and my spouse (US citizen) filed an AOS for me on the 28th of Oct and we haven't heard anything from USCIS since then which is starting to worry us a little bit. I used my credit card to pay for the application and I received a notification on the 18th of November for a pending transaction of $535 for the I-130 at 'CHICAGO LOCKBOX'. I received a fraud alert for the $1225 for I-485 which happened at 5 am so I wasn't able to respond in time, and the charge was declined. The pending transaction of $535 has since fallen off my card. Guess we should have realized that paying via check would have been more guaranteed, but nothing we can do about it now unfortunately.

 

Anyway, so we were hoping to receive our package back so that we can send it in again with payment through checks instead but we haven't received it yet. We contacted USCIS customer care on Monday (Nov 30th) to figure out what's going on, and we were told that they have no record of it being declined or being accepted in their records. We were told to email Lockbox support so that they can figure out what happened with our package, and I know it's only been two days but we haven't heard back from them yet.

 

Can anyone tell me what's happening here. I was assuming that at least the I-485 has been declined and will be sent back to us, but why is there no record of that in their database? Is this return within normal timelines, especially considering the thanksgiving weekend? 

 

We are of half a mind to just send in a new application, but is it prudent considering that the charge for I-130 wasn't declined, and that means that it might actually be accepted? 

 

Thanks for your help!

[Timona 3,977]

And this is why I always advocate using Money Orders. They too have tracking, if that was your main concern.

 

Solution: Why wait for the package? If you filled in Adobe, re-print everything, arrange package, get $1760 Money order and send to Chicago Lockbox. The other package definitely was rejected. It will eventually find its way to you. Currently, USCIS is taking forever with mailing things. So do not wait for the rejected package.

 

FYI money orders have $1000 limit. So you will end up with two - one for $1000 and the other for $760

Edited December 2, 2020 by Timona

[M_S 6]

Thanks for your reply!

 

Honestly, the only reason we were waiting for the package is because I couldn't get a definite answer to whether the whole package had been denied or just the I-485 part. I'm not well versed into how this works so I wasn't sure if they would deny only one part of the package and send back the rest.

 

Guess I'll have to print the whole thing again and change a few things that have updated since we filed in Oct (like supporting documents in the I-944 form)

[optimusx 1]

My initial AOS package was returned to me a month later after I had filed, because of issue with credit card payment. I used personal checks for refiling and my AOS package was accepted. I think that sometimes people don't get their returned package in time because USCIS sends the package using the most basic form of USPS mail, which has an extremely slow delivery timeframe. They will return your entire package, but you will see that all the documents will be reorganized in a different order, and all the pages will also have alphanumeric codes printed at the bottom. You will also see a large green form that will be attached on the top of the package - you must add that form on your package when you refile. You can actually refile using that returned package itself, just make sure to check that the edition date of each form is current when you refile. When I refiled my AOS package, I replaced the I-765 form because a new version was introduced.

[M_S 6]

8 minutes ago, optimusx said:

My initial AOS package was returned to me a month later after I had filed, because of issue with credit card payment. I used personal checks for refiling and my AOS package was accepted. I think that sometimes people don't get their returned package in time because USCIS sends the package using the most basic form of USPS mail, which has an extremely slow delivery timeframe. They will return your entire package, but you will see that all the documents will be reorganized in a different order, and all the pages will also have alphanumeric codes printed at the bottom. You will also see a large green form that will be attached on the top of the package - you must add that form on your package when you refile. You can actually refile using that returned package itself, just make sure to check that the edition date of each form is current when you refile. When I refiled my AOS package, I replaced the I-765 form because a new version was introduced.

One of the reasons we're feeling the time crunch is because I wanted to get my EAD/AP combo card before my OPT and visa expire in June '21 (I know F-1 visa is D/S and I could've applied for STEM-OPT, but we would love to at least have the option to travel if COVID vaccine is widely available by then). This is why I was considering just filing the whole thing again, instead of waiting for USCIS to return my package.

 

Also, it's been more than a month already since we filed, and considering USPS and USCIS delays these days I don't have a ton of confidence that we will be getting our packages anytime soon. Do I need to use that green form when we file again? Because we don't have the returned package yet, and I'm not sure we want to wait longer than, say the end of the week before we start printing out everything again

[optimusx 1]

17 minutes ago, M_S said:

One of the reasons we're feeling the time crunch is because I wanted to get my EAD/AP combo card before my OPT and visa expire in June '21 (I know F-1 visa is D/S and I could've applied for STEM-OPT, but we would love to at least have the option to travel if COVID vaccine is widely available by then). This is why I was considering just filing the whole thing again, instead of waiting for USCIS to return my package.

 

Also, it's been more than a month already since we filed, and considering USPS and USCIS delays these days I don't have a ton of confidence that we will be getting our packages anytime soon. Do I need to use that green form when we file again? Because we don't have the returned package yet, and I'm not sure we want to wait longer than, say the end of the week before we start printing out everything again

Since you know for sure that your application has been rejected and you are confident about the reason for rejection, then I guess there should not be any issues with filing a brand new package to save time. I have no clue whether refiling a returned package makes anything go faster - maybe the lockbox staff don't need to rescan all the previously scanned documents in their system again. The only tangible benefit for the applicant I can think of is not having to prepare a new package.

[M_S 6]

1 hour ago, optimusx said:

Since you know for sure that your application has been rejected and you are confident about the reason for rejection, then I guess there should not be any issues with filing a brand new package to save time. I have no clue whether refiling a returned package makes anything go faster - maybe the lockbox staff don't need to rescan all the previously scanned documents in their system again. The only tangible benefit for the applicant I can think of is not having to prepare a new package.

Yeah, we're just going to get our package ready and re-file within the next few days. If our declined package comes by then, great, we'll send that in instead.

Thanks for your help!

[kippenpox 17]

9 hours ago, Timona said:

And this is why I always advocate using Money Orders. They too have tracking, if that was your main concern.

 

Solution: Why wait for the package? If you filled in Adobe, re-print everything, arrange package, get $1760 Money order and send to Chicago Lockbox. The other package definitely was rejected. It will eventually find its way to you. Currently, USCIS is taking forever with mailing things. So do not wait for the rejected package.

 

FYI money orders have $1000 limit. So you will end up with two - one for $1000 and the other for $760

Yes, I hear so many horror stories about credit card and personal cheque payments getting declined that I think the best really is to do money order or cashier's cheque. Cashier's cheque has the added advantage of no limit, so you just need to get one issued, and most banks do it either for free or for a fee that is usually lower than getting a money order. 

[Timona 3,977]

13 hours ago, kippenpox said:

Yes, I hear so many horror stories about credit card and personal cheque payments getting declined that I think the best really is to do money order or cashier's cheque. Cashier's cheque has the added advantage of no limit, so you just need to get one issued, and most banks do it either for free or for a fee that is usually lower than getting a money order. 

 

I would not even advocate for personal checks because you may end up forgetting and money gets withdrawn to pay other bills. As such when USCIS goes to withdraw, there is not enough. However, with money orders, the money is GUARANTEED to be there for USCIS. That is why I always advocate for them and they only cost $1 upto $1000...so $2 for $1760

Edited December 3, 2020 by Timona

[kippenpox 17]

A cashier's cheque works exactly as a money order.

[M_S 6]

Yeah, I think we are going to go down the money order route this time. I'd used it for my OPT EAD. I wish I'd been on here before and known about the horror stories with credit cards payments and the USCIS. Nothing we can do about it anymore though except for refiling. My only saving grace is that I should be able to file for STEM-OPT to avoid any gap in employment.