Escalated

[flicks1998 1,044]

3 minutes ago, Joe Kano said:

Are you and your wife/kids in USA now? Or still waiting to leave PI? Or Waiting on interview?

We arrived in the US on February 19th.  After we had received the visa and passport back from USEM, that was then stolen two days later.  We then ran around the country trying to get a new passport ASAP which we finally did but at enormous expense and stress due to the lockdowns, quarantines and testing requirements.  USEM was actually very helpful on getting a visa into the new passport, and we enter the US with 5 days of validity left.  We are sending the AOS papers this week.  Because of the lockdown and horrific schools in the PI, my son was falling behind in schooling, confirmed when we enrolled him in the local school here.  We will need to do some summer work to have him fully caught up, but many of the kids in the PI will not had much formalized schooling in 1.5-2 years.  Remote learning is not the same in the Philippines, even normal learning there is not.

 

The point I made earlier on asking for an expedite (or escalating for an interview) is that it will still take awhile to get the wheels turning.  Even without the stolen passport, it still would have taken 4 months from asking for the expedite to entering the country.

[Joe Kano 327]

17 minutes ago, flicks1998 said:

We arrived in the US on February 19th.  After we had received the visa and passport back from USEM, that was then stolen two days later.  We then ran around the country trying to get a new passport ASAP which we finally did but at enormous expense and stress due to the lockdowns, quarantines and testing requirements.  USEM was actually very helpful on getting a visa into the new passport, and we enter the US with 5 days of validity left.  We are sending the AOS papers this week.  Because of the lockdown and horrific schools in the PI, my son was falling behind in schooling, confirmed when we enrolled him in the local school here.  We will need to do some summer work to have him fully caught up, but many of the kids in the PI will not had much formalized schooling in 1.5-2 years.  Remote learning is not the same in the Philippines, even normal learning there is not.

 

The point I made earlier on asking for an expedite (or escalating for an interview) is that it will still take awhile to get the wheels turning.  Even without the stolen passport, it still would have taken 4 months from asking for the expedite to entering the country.

Stolen?  From you by snatcher?  Or being mailed from the US Embassy? I didn't know you got ya'll passports ripped off.

[flicks1998 1,044]

53 minutes ago, Joe Kano said:

Stolen?  From you by snatcher?  Or being mailed from the US Embassy? I didn't know you got ya'll passports ripped off.

Not to highjack this thread, but we left Makati to go to Calamba to get some luggage.  On the way back, there was a traffic jam from the toll gate around Paranaque all the way down through Laguna due to the problems of the RFID system that was just put in place.  No Grab's were available so we took a bus.  In Alabang we had to change buses and my fiance had a pouch with her passport, IDs and some money.  She left it on the seat when we got off the bus and the people behind us had taken it.  We were 2nd to last row on the bus.  Dont ask me why she brought her passport to go to Calamba.  She realized the disaster she had created at that time so I just kept quiet. 

 

Due to all of the lockdowns and travel requirements it was a complete nightmare to get a new passport especially with no IDs.  Had to get a new postal ID first.  However everyone knew the predicament we were in and DFA, USEM and the CFO place were all extremely supportive.  If they werent, we would have never made it to the US before the visa expired.

[angeljolie 183]

13 hours ago, Immigirl22 said:

No news from my side! My escalation is up there since April 1. I was told it has reached the higher office but I asked around and they were told the same thing. Hilarious!

I read of someone who contacted the embassy on Mar 1 and received canned responses whenever she followed up until Apr 1 when she received an interview date for May 26. 

Edited April 20, 2021 by angeljolie

[Immigirl22 8]

54 minutes ago, angeljolie said:

I read of someone who contacted the embassy on Mar 1 and received canned responses whenever she followed up until Apr 1 when she received an interview date for May 26. 

Oh, that maybe IR/CR type of visas. This is really being processed by USEM.

 

Our visa category is F3 and it is expedited since last yr with an interview date but was canceled. We already did the medical last yr so it is due for remedical.

 

I also get a lot of auto reply everyday when I send a follow up. Whew!

[angeljolie 183]

3 hours ago, Immigirl22 said:

Oh, that maybe IR/CR type of visas. This is really being processed by USEM.

 

Our visa category is F3 and it is expedited since last yr with an interview date but was canceled. We already did the medical last yr so it is due for remedical.

 

I also get a lot of auto reply everyday when I send a follow up. Whew!

I see. Hope you get some good news soon! 

 

[Lotherest 11]

On 4/19/2021 at 9:00 PM, Immigirl22 said:

Oh, that maybe IR/CR type of visas. This is really being processed by USEM.

 

Our visa category is F3 and it is expedited since last yr with an interview date but was canceled. We already did the medical last yr so it is due for remedical.

 

I also get a lot of auto reply everyday when I send a follow up. Whew!

Any luck on your escalation?

[Immigirl22 8]

Thank you @angeljolie!

 

@Lotherest - No action! I called yesterday and they put up another escalation! Whew!

 

 

[Lotherest 11]

5 hours ago, Immigirl22 said:

Thank you @angeljolie!

 

@Lotherest - No action! I called yesterday and they put up another escalation! Whew!

 

 

The service desk only communicates with USEM via email apparently. They were unwilling to re-escalate my case when I called.

[Lotherest 11]

Any luck?

[Lotherest 11]

On 4/26/2021 at 8:02 PM, Immigirl22 said:

Thank you @angeljolie!

 

@Lotherest - No action! I called yesterday and they put up another escalation! Whew!

 

 

Any luck?

[Immigirl22 8]

1 hour ago, Lotherest said:

Any luck?

No action! It's been 6-7 weeks!

[Lotherest 11]

45 minutes ago, Immigirl22 said:

No action! It's been 6-7 weeks!

Help desk is useless. I think they just merely send an email to whomever is scheduling at USEM and of course emails are just piling up over there.

 

 

[Immigirl22 8]

1 hour ago, Lotherest said:

Help desk is useless. I think they just merely send an email to whomever is scheduling at USEM and of course emails are just piling up over there.

 

 

Yes!

 

Also, starting May 1, 2021, All inquiries should now be sent using the form --

 

https://ph.usembassy.gov/visas/immigrant-visas/immigrant-visa-inquiry-form/?fbclid=IwAR3H7E7bbTzIIYv9hLYISVPgN1QpOAoYmwnwJz1w8uVDEXCzmVx6DxZMGL4

 

 

[Lotherest 11]

I have come to the conclusion that an escalation is a waste of time for two reasons. 

 

1)First, when you call USEM you connect with the USEM help desk and they merely just forward an escalation request to USEM. Thereafter, USEM can close the request at any time without any notice that it has been closed and without providing a reason. There is also no way to check to see the status of your escalation aside from calling as well.

2)Second, You're only recourse is to make another escalation and you can only do that if you're lucky enough to connect someone on the phone.

 

At this point, its ridiculous that the auto replies from emails are not consistent with what is stated on USEM's website. Our case has been sitting at USEM since March 2020 and I can easily see them not even getting to it until 2022.