L1A and filed AOS - Have multiple questions on timeline!

[AhmadHamouda 5]

Hello,

 

I was waiting for my interview at the embassy in Cairo for CR1 marriage visa and green card (Have approved I130 and DQ since June 2023), however my company transferred me inside the US with L1A visa.

 

They have filed for me the AOS and asked for the I130 approval notice and I received the receipt notice for I-485 yesterday with biometrics scheduled next week.

 

Questions:

1- Will have an already approved I130 notice make the process much easier? I have a priority date in the notice of March 15 2022 when we started our immigration journey, would that make it faster than the normal processing times I'm seeing of 12-18 months?

2- If the answer for number one is no, If I get a lawyer or attorney to support with that would it make a difference?

3- We had a baby 3 months ago when I entered the U.S! would that be a strong evidence where I can send the birth certificate and email them to move my case faster?

4- What is the normal timeline and events? I know it's receipt notice then biometrics then an interview, is there anything I'm missing?

5- I received the receipt notice with national benefits center in the bottom, is that my service center? Because I can't see any processing time for this service center.

 

Thank you and sorry for the long post!! 

[Dashinka 24,598]

31 minutes ago, AhmadHamouda said:

Hello,

 

I was waiting for my interview at the embassy in Cairo for CR1 marriage visa and green card (Have approved I130 and DQ since June 2023), however my company transferred me inside the US with L1A visa.

 

They have filed for me the AOS and asked for the I130 approval notice and I received the receipt notice for I-485 yesterday with biometrics scheduled next week.

 

Questions:

1- Will have an already approved I130 notice make the process much easier? I have a priority date in the notice of March 15 2022 when we started our immigration journey, would that make it faster than the normal processing times I'm seeing of 12-18 months?

Having an already approved I130 will help since you do not need to wait for that approval before the I485 is processed.  That being said, I485's process on their own time clock.  Is your I485 being processed as an employment based application or a family based application?

31 minutes ago, AhmadHamouda said:

2- If the answer for number one is no, If I get a lawyer or attorney to support with that would it make a difference?

Don't you already have a company lawyer do the work here?  Regardless, lawyers cannot speed up processing times at USCIS.

31 minutes ago, AhmadHamouda said:

3- We had a baby 3 months ago when I entered the U.S! would that be a strong evidence where I can send the birth certificate and email them to move my case faster?

Evidence of an ongoing marriage, but not a basis for expedite.

31 minutes ago, AhmadHamouda said:

4- What is the normal timeline and events? I know it's receipt notice then biometrics then an interview, is there anything I'm missing?

The only potential would be if you receive an RFE for more or missing evidence.

31 minutes ago, AhmadHamouda said:

5- I received the receipt notice with national benefits center in the bottom, is that my service center? Because I can't see any processing time for this service center.

 

Thank you and sorry for the long post!! 

I am not sure about the last question.  Usually NBC handles transfers between offices, so maybe that means your I485 is being moved to your local office.

 

 

 

Good Luck!

[AhmadHamouda 5]

10 minutes ago, Dashinka said:

Having an already approved I130 will help since you do not need to wait for that approval before the I485 is processed.  That being said, I485's process on their own time clock.  Is your I485 being processed as an employment based application or a family based application?

Don't you already have a company lawyer do the work here?  Regardless, lawyers cannot speed up processing times at USCIS.

Evidence of an ongoing marriage, but not a basis for expedite.

The only potential would be if you receive an RFE for more or missing evidence.

I am not sure about the last question.  Usually NBC handles transfers between offices, so maybe that means your I485 is being moved to your local office.

 

 

 

Good Luck!

 

Thank you! So the long processing times (10-18 months) I'm seeing for family based AOS in USCIS are because of waiting to get I130 approved first? with that being said should I send an email to kind of get officer's attention to the case being already approved to not expedite but at least skip the waiting time people normally have for the I130 approval, as I have a priority date of 15 March 2022?

 

It's a family based application - I485 - based on my approved I130.

 

I have a company lawyer office but they are not really helpful, they already wasted 3 months as they forgot that I still have to file I864! They don't really help here they are just doing their job that's why I was looking into getting maybe an attorney or sending a message to my congressmen to get it somehow moved based on my I130 approval.

 

Do you normally receive RFEs before a biometrics is scheduled or after you do your biometrics? I assumed that they scheduled my biometrics so they won't be asking for RFE.  

 

For the last question, looks like I'm still in NBC and haven't moved to a specific service center yet, do you have any idea when I can know this piece of information? Because service centers vary in processing times.

[Crazy Cat 41,981]

55 minutes ago, AhmadHamouda said:

Do you normally receive RFEs before a biometrics is scheduled or after you do your biometrics? I assumed that they scheduled my biometrics so they won't be asking for RFE.  

My neighbor already had completed biometrics, but later received an RFE for her I-485.  RFEs can come at any time during the process. 

[Crazy Cat 41,981]

1 hour ago, AhmadHamouda said:

I'm seeing for family based AOS in USCIS are because of waiting to get I130 approved first?

IMO, no. For spousal family-based I-485s, either the I-130 is not required (K-1 visa holders who marry within 90 days) or the I-130 is adjudicated at the same time as the I-485.   It is not a process where the I-130 first goes through a pipeline, followed by the I-485 going through its pipeline. 

Edited May 13 by Crazy Cat

[Dashinka 24,598]

1 hour ago, AhmadHamouda said:

 

Thank you! So the long processing times (10-18 months) I'm seeing for family based AOS in USCIS are because of waiting to get I130 approved first? with that being said should I send an email to kind of get officer's attention to the case being already approved to not expedite but at least skip the waiting time people normally have for the I130 approval, as I have a priority date of 15 March 2022?

 

It's a family based application - I485 - based on my approved I130.

 

I have a company lawyer office but they are not really helpful, they already wasted 3 months as they forgot that I still have to file I864! They don't really help here they are just doing their job that's why I was looking into getting maybe an attorney or sending a message to my congressmen to get it somehow moved based on my I130 approval.

 

Do you normally receive RFEs before a biometrics is scheduled or after you do your biometrics? I assumed that they scheduled my biometrics so they won't be asking for RFE.  

 

For the last question, looks like I'm still in NBC and haven't moved to a specific service center yet, do you have any idea when I can know this piece of information? Because service centers vary in processing times.

Usually you will receive some form of notice that your case has been transferred.  As @Crazy Cat mentioned, RFEs can come at any time.  

 

The I485 will process as it goes, some get lucky with quick processing, others face more lengthy waits and so far no one has come up with a solid reason why.  It sounds like you are set with your L1 at this time, so just keep checking, and if an RFE does occur, respond to it as soon as possible.

 

Good Luck!

[powerpuff 6,734]

1.  No, I-130 and I-485 have separate timelines. An approved I-130 isn’t an indication that I-485 will be processed faster. Emailing isn’t going to help your case process faster. Then everyone would be emailing and calling to do that but that’s just not the case.

2. No

3. No

4. Biometrics, RFE can come at any point in the process, interview, approval. Sometimes interviews are waived, sometimes not.

5. The processing times for I-485 is determined by the Local field office (LFO) and not by the service center. So you need to look up the processing time for your LFO. 
 

 

 

[Cathi 5,771]

16 hours ago, AhmadHamouda said:

should I send an email to kind of get officer's attention to the case being already approved to not expedite but at least skip the waiting time people normally have for the I130 approval,

The wait time is the wait time, no one knows exactly how it works or how long it will take. It varies greatly from consulate to consulate and from even case to case, depending on the circumstances. Your case still needs to go through the proper channels and background checks, emailing isn't going to prompt an officer into allowing you to to "skip the line". There is nothing fast, easy or cheap about U.S immigration.