J1 Hardship Waiver 2021-2022 Timeline

[TonyW 6]

3 minutes ago, Freidrichm said:

Congratulations! Is the 72 weeks wait at the DOS alone or in total DOS + USCIS? 

72 weeks DoS alone...

[Sabina Bart 28]

21 minutes ago, TonyW said:

72 weeks/504 days/16 months

I am back in my home country and will fulfill 2 years next month, so I don't know what is the point of this ridiculous waiting.

PS. The sponsor sent their recommendation, and 30 days later DoS finally Received it.

Oh wow congrats though! Sorry you had to go back though, so sad. Can you somehow come back? Also when did you apply can you please share the timeline with us? Thank you! And best of luck to you! 

[Wyboxcx 45]

14 minutes ago, TonyW said:

72 weeks DoS alone...

That’s crazy! I am relieved for you finally getting a decision but still, it is bittersweet I am sure. I wasn’t sure as your screenshot didn’t show when each item was received.

[Hardship_waiver 50]

13 hours ago, TonyW said:

72 weeks/504 days/16 months

I am back in my home country and will fulfill 2 years next month, so I don't know what is the point of this ridiculous waiting.

PS. The sponsor sent their recommendation, and 30 days later DoS finally Received it.

Congratulations. Unfortuntaley, hardship waiver has lost its purpose at all. They should end this category to avoid wasting people's time and lives. I am also at 18th month at DoS, but still it hasn't gone for sponsor views, so your decision was still earlier than some of us. 

[Hardship_waiver 50]

Now, see this case. What else we can say.

[neonatal2023 2]

Are all waiver hardship here is with a US citizen spouse or child? Why sometimes they need sponsor request? 

[Wyboxcx 45]

17 minutes ago, neonatal2023 said:

Are all waiver hardship here is with a US citizen spouse or child? Why sometimes they need sponsor request? 

Sponsor views are requested when US or foreign government funding is involved. 

[Wyboxcx 45]

1 hour ago, Hardship_waiver said:

Now, see this case. What else we can say.

Yeah this is ridiculous. Absolutely no consideration even for their own processing time estimates. It feels like a punishment for people who apply for hardship. I just don’t get why this category specifically?

[extreme_hardship 22]

18 hours ago, TonyW said:

72 weeks/504 days/16 months

I am back in my home country and will fulfill 2 years next month, so I don't know what is the point of this ridiculous waiting.

PS. The sponsor sent their recommendation, and 30 days later DoS finally Received it.

Hey congrats @TonyW, though I am sorry that it took so long for you

Do you mind sharing how long it took the Sponsor to make a decision? I.e when was the request for sponsor views sent and when was the response received ?

Also what was the basis for hardship? Was there a citizen child involved ?

 

Thanks a bunch!

[TonyW 6]

7 hours ago, extreme_hardship said:

Hey congrats @TonyW, though I am sorry that it took so long for you

Do you mind sharing how long it took the Sponsor to make a decision? I.e when was the request for sponsor views sent and when was the response received ?

Also what was the basis for hardship? Was there a citizen child involved ?

 

Thanks a bunch!

 

My sponsor is a federal research institute, but it surprised me that it only took 5 days from Request for Sponsor Views to issuing a favorable sponsor view, and in the email from my sponsor it said Please allow up to two weeks for the sponsor views to be noted on the Department of State’s tracking website.

HOWEVER, it took 30 days for DoS to update their website saying Sponsor Views Received.

 

Yes, a citizen child is involved. Ironically when I first applied I only had one child, now I have two and the younger one is 1 year old now.

 

 

 

 

 

[surefire6 13]

Best to file a Writ of Mandamus if waiting over 13 months at DOS no sense in waiting longer to eventually having to file one anyways.

[J1 Physician 4]

7 minutes ago, surefire6 said:

Best to file a Writ of Mandamus if waiting over 13 months at DOS no sense in waiting longer to eventually having to file one anyways.

We can not file this before 13 months mark?

[ErinK 35]

6 hours ago, J1 Physician said:

We can not file this before 13 months mark?

You can file it at any time you want but if you file it too early and before DoS's max processing time mentioned on their website (which is 52 weeks I believe) , DoS can ask the court to essentially throw out your lawsuit. 

[Mickey344 12]

I wish we could know how many hardship waivers are pending at DoS since January 2022

[lennikov 34]

Quote

It feels like a punishment for people who apply for hardship. I just don’t get why this category specifically?

It feels like that because it is the punishment for people who want to break their promise to return to their home country, so DOS ensures that this category waiver will take 24 months or more. In many cases, people run out of legal presence unless they can get an O-1 you will run out of legal presence on J-1 eventually before the decision by DOS is made to return to their home country, fulfill their 2 years home residency, return to the US and get their green card, completely forgetting about the Hardships case only to get a letter with Favorable (and completely useless by that point) decision from DOS some 3-4 years down the line.