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Judy & Eugene

Calling USCIS

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Filed: F-2A Visa Country: Jamaica
Timeline

Dont forget the 21 questions they ask before assisting you.... :bonk:

Current cut off date F2A - Current 

Brother's Journey (F2A) - PD Dec 30, 2010


Dec 30 2010 - Notice of Action 1 (NOA1)
May 12 2011 - Notice of Action 2 (NOA2)
May 23 2011 - NVC case # Assigned
Nov 17 2011 - COA / I-864 received
Nov 18 2011 - Sent COA
Apr 30 2012 - Pay AOS fee

Oct 15 2012 - Pay IV fee
Oct 25 2012 - Sent AOS/IV Package

Oct 29 2012 - Pkg Delivered
Dec 24 2012 - Case Complete

May 17 2013 - Interview-Approved

July 19 2013 - Enter the USA

"... Answer when you are called..."

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Filed: F-2A Visa Country: Jamaica
Timeline

Dont forget the 21 questions they ask before assisting you.... :bonk:

Current cut off date F2A - Current 

Brother's Journey (F2A) - PD Dec 30, 2010


Dec 30 2010 - Notice of Action 1 (NOA1)
May 12 2011 - Notice of Action 2 (NOA2)
May 23 2011 - NVC case # Assigned
Nov 17 2011 - COA / I-864 received
Nov 18 2011 - Sent COA
Apr 30 2012 - Pay AOS fee

Oct 15 2012 - Pay IV fee
Oct 25 2012 - Sent AOS/IV Package

Oct 29 2012 - Pkg Delivered
Dec 24 2012 - Case Complete

May 17 2013 - Interview-Approved

July 19 2013 - Enter the USA

"... Answer when you are called..."

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 9 months later...
Filed: AOS (apr) Country: Thailand
Timeline

Woah.. this is great! I was looking for this kind of post!!!! :thumbs:

Now I'm going to practice and call them next week.. I got a little nervous last time I talked to a live person that wasn't being too friendly to me...

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  • 1 month later...
Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Peru
Timeline

Dont forget the 21 questions they ask before assisting you.... :bonk:

And that there seems to be a requirement to disconnect you at random times during the call. It took me 3 times to call and ask about an address change.

Get a cup of tea, maybe a cookie, and a hand-held brainless video game so that waiting is easier. Speaker phone will prevent elbow pain from being in the same position for 2 hours.

Perú's K-1 embassy packet can be viewed in our photos.
Travel Tips for Perú (& South America)
Our Immigration Experience
Seat Guru Flight seating!
Airport Processing Times - http://awt.cbp.gov/
POE-Houston? Pictures and info.....POE-Houston (other languages)....


Attention NEW K-1 Filers: (2012) Possible 1st year costs = Possibly 3K+$ for first year including fees for mailing, documents, supplies, etc.. NOT including travel costs. Process: 1.)Apply-340$ 2.)RFE? 3.) Med-300??$ 4.)Interview-350$ 5.)Surrender passport. 6.)Get Visa. 7.)Fly here. 8.) Marry in 90 days. 9.) Submit apps to stay, work, & travel-1070$ 10.) Biometrics-More fingerprinting 11.) GREENCARD ISSUED APR 9TH, 2013-11 MONTHS FOR AOS!
I've lived in Houston for 10 years. If you have any questions about the city, please message me. :)
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Filed: IR-1/CR-1 Visa Country: China
Timeline

Has anyone figured out a way around their blanket refusal to research anything or do a service request because of the Magic 16June date at CSC?

Trips:

Jan2010 - First Trip, met in person

Jul2010 - Trip two!

Nov2010 - Trip Three, Got engaged :)

Feb2011 - Trip Four. Spring Festival, Lucky Money all around :D

April2011 - Trip Five... Going to the chapel...

July2011 - Trip Six... Honeymoon in Xiamen :D

October2011 - Trip Seven... Beijing and the Great Wall :)

January2012 - Trip Eight... Chinese New Years and Spring Festival! More Lucky Money! :D

April2012 - Trip Nine... Interview?

Paper work for CR1:

28 July 2011 - 20January 2012 - Day 175... USCIS at CSC finally processed our paper work.

30January2012 - NVC 'received' the paperwork

6February2012 - NVC GUZ case number assigned - Attempted to OPTIN to EP.

7February2012 - NVC GZO (EP) case number assigned

8February2012 - 27February Massive delay caused by sending the EP OPTIN email too soon :(

28February2012 - AOS Fee Paid

29February2012 - AOS Fee shows paid, AOS Package sent in

5March2012 - IV Fee shows paid (paid on 3March), IV (DS-230) Package sent in

6March2012 - AOS Rejected due to minor error, corrected version emailed in

8March2012 - Email received indicating AOS correction and DS-230 review in process

9March2012 - Case Complete Email - END NVC PROCESS

15March2012 - Interview Scheduled: 18April2012 (Document turn-in: 17April2012)

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I called today and was able to speak to a tier 2 agent after like my 10th call between yesterday and today. The agent told me he couldnt put in a service request for my processing time being up since ...JUNE 16TH blah blah blah. Now I mentioned to him that in November I received document via mail that had nothing to do with my case, and it was a mistake on their part. He was able to put in the service request due to the mistake that occured back in November, the service request is to see what is going on with my case after that mistake. He told me to wait 2 weeks to receive a letter via mail...so here I go to wait....

Alia & Jerald

USCIS

08/15/2011-----I-130 Sent

08/18/2011-----NOA1 email received

08/22/2011-----NOA1 Hard copy received

02/15/2012-----NOA2 APPROVED ( GREAT VALENTINE'S DAY PRESENT!)

NVC

02/20/2012-------Case received at NVC

02/28/2012------- Case number received

02/28/2012------- DS 3032 ( choice of agent ) emailed to NVC

03/02/2012------- DS 3032 returned to beneficiery

03/02/2012------- DS 3032 resent to NVC

03/02/2012------- AOS fee bill paid

03/05/2012------- AOS fee bill shows " PAID"

03/07/2012------- DS 3032 accepted e-mail by NVC

03/08/2012------- IV fee bill invoiced

03/08/2012------- IV fee bill paid

03/16/2012------- CASE COMPLETE!!!!!!!!

04/11/2012------- Interview Date Schedule for MAY 7TH

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  • 1 month later...
Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Japan
Timeline

I called today and was able to speak to a tier 2 agent after like my 10th call between yesterday and today. The agent told me he couldnt put in a service request for my processing time being up since ...JUNE 16TH blah blah blah. Now I mentioned to him that in November I received document via mail that had nothing to do with my case, and it was a mistake on their part. He was able to put in the service request due to the mistake that occured back in November, the service request is to see what is going on with my case after that mistake. He told me to wait 2 weeks to receive a letter via mail...so here I go to wait....

It has been two weeks? Have you heard anything?

09/28/12-Sent I-129F

09/30/12-Received at USCIS

10/01/12-Received NOA 1

10/05/12-Touched

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Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Australia
Timeline

How to prepare for your call?

Before calling the NCSC please have available

- your receipt number:

- alien registration number:

- type of application filed:

- date filed:

- Online case status:

- Processing times applying to your case type

- Check your priority date (if applicable)

- Have all relevant correspondence with USCIS (NOA1)

How to talk to a live person at USCIS?

Contact the National Customer Service Center (NCSC) at 1-800-375-5283.

Call early in the morning (8.00 am)

Option 1: Then dial 1, 2, 6, 2, 4 (exact sequence). Use these options every time you are prompted.

(You can also try - 1 - 2 - 1 - Case Number - 1 - 3 - 3 or 4)

Option 2: Call USCIS and Do not press anything (don't choose a language). They will think you have a rotary phone and will transfer you directly to a live person.

Option 3: Don't don’t choose the number for “case status”, but do different ones instead (for example “RFE”; “expedite your case”, …)

Option 4: Military Help Line: 1-877-CIS-4MIL (1-877-247-4645); Members of the military and their families may call to receive assistance with immigration-related questions.

If they speak Spanish just say English please. Now you can ask what you want.

What to ask them?

During your call we recommend that you take note of the following information:

About them:

- The name of the NCSC representative:

- The id number of the NCSC representative:

- The date and time of the call:

- Any service request referral number, if a service referral on a pending case is taken:

About our case:

- When calling, ask them for a service request.

In case they refuse or tell you that they cannot answer your question, then ask to be transferred to a Tier 2 ISO (Immigration Service Officer) supervisor, who will have more privileges to access detailed information about your case. Once you get an ISO, be very polite, and take notes for your records. Ask them for their badge number. That way you can reference each conversation by date and the badge number of the ISO.

Also ask them to review case status - THEY can - it's on their screen.

If the NCSC doesn’t issue a service request, please make sure the NCSC representative tells you the reason why he did not issue the request. (This information you'll need to follow up)

- Some of the standard questions:

1) Name check Status?

2) Background Check Status?

3) Has it been assigned to an officer?

4) When can I expect to get some updates on my case?

5) Can you help me with a ball park date on when my case will be assigned to an officer?

6) What dates are they currently working on?

Of course, we are aware of the standard response we get.

http://www.dhs.gov/x...37986181.shtm#5

The NCSC operates on a two-tier model.

Tier 1 Customer Service Representatives (CSRs):

Can

• Relay basic immigration information to customers through scripts provided by USCIS

• Answer questions about USCIS forms

• Transfer calls to Tier 2 in certain circumstances

Cannot

• Answer specific questions about a case with the exception of information available through Case Status Online

• Transfer calls to local offices or service centers where cases are pending

• Provide legal advice

Tier 2 Immigration Service Officers (ISOs):

Can

• Review USCIS systems on your case

• Request that notices be re-issued

• Provide information that you may receive at an Infopass appointment

• Provide specialized assistance to dependents or active members of the U.S. Armed Forces

• Provide information on pending and adjudicated cases.

Cannot

• Review already issued Requests for Evidence (RFEs)

• Directly issue duplicate notices, receipt notices, RFE notices

• Transfer calls to local offices or service centers

• Provide legal advice

Service Requests

Both Tiers 1 and 2 can create a “service request” which is sent to service centers and local offices on matters such as expedite requests, change of address, appointment rescheduling, case processing delays which exceed the posted times, and other matters that may be unique to a specific case.

Thanks for such a thorough post. I thought I should report back the inconsistencies in my results from speaking with an Immigration Officer today. The officer was friendly and trying to be helpful, so there is no reason I would expect what he was telling me to be untruthful or lazy.

1. Immigration Officers do not have badge numbers. That is only the tier 1 service reps.

2. He said that they do not have the ability to answers these questions (supposedly they do not have access to these security checks):

a) Name check Status?

b) Background Check Status?

c) Has it been assigned to an officer?

d) When can I expect to get some updates on my case?

e) Can you help me with a ball park date on when my case will be assigned to an officer?

What he was able to do was to check the current up-to-date status of my case. He also was able to see that there was a report on file for my case, which indicated to him that an Immigration Officer or supervisor must have looked at the case (as they are the only ones able to make a report). I believe they can typically review what was said in the report, though in my case specifically there was an issue with him viewing the report. Beyond that, as my case is not yet 30 days past the normal processing times, all he could tell me to do was call back once the 30 days had passed to file a case service request.

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Filed: IR-1/CR-1 Visa Country: Finland
Timeline

Thanks for all the great information in this thread!

My F2A/IR-1 journey:

USCIS:
4 August 2011: I-130 sent (while husband permanent resident)
8 August 2011: Priority date
16 April 2013: NOA2

NVC:

7 May 2013: Case number received, DS-3032 sent

15 May 2013: AOS bill received and paid

16 May 2013: AOS package sent

17 May 2013: DS-3032 accepted

20 May 2013: IV bill received and paid

21 May 2013: IV package sent

11 June 2013: response to IV checklist sent

13 June 2013: Case upgraded to CR1

2 July 2013: Case completed

28 August 2013: Interview - approved!

21 September 2013: POE

18 November 2013: Green card received

My husband's citizenship journey:

8 February 2013: N-400 sent
4 March 2013: Biometrics
24 April 2013: Interview
12 June 2013: Oath ceremony

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Filed: K-3 Visa Country: United Kingdom
Timeline

I used to work for Verizon and during training, we were

all told it was an FCC regulation that when asked by

a customer, all call center agents absolutely must provide

our own unique numerical ID.

We did not have to reveal our real names. We could

use a different first name as an alias but the

ID must always be true.

I-130

2011-08-20 Posted

2011-08-31 NOA1

2011-09-03 Touch

2011-11-18 Sent Expedite Request to USCIS

2011-12-09 Response Received for Exepedite Request

"Wait your turn" in a nutshell

2011-12-02 Sent Expedite Request to US Representative Ed Royce

2012-01-27 Sent Expedite Request to Immigration Ombudsman

2012-02-02 Sent Expedite Request to Senator Barbara Boxer

2012-02-02 Sent Expedite Request to Senator Dianne Feinstein

2012-03-08 Case transferred to field office for additional processing

2012-03-23 Now being processed at a USCIS office

2012-05-10 Transferred to another office for processing

2012-05-14 Now being processed at a USCIS office

2012-06-05 Approved NOA2

2012-07-17 NVC Case/Invoice # Received

Petitioner: US Born Citizen (Wife)

Beneficiary: British Born Citizen (Husband)

Your I-130 was approved in 279 days from your NOA1 date

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