raheelc

oh what basis do you qualify for a refund?

Because my wife received her visa on December 13, 2012, which was before the implementation of the 165 dollar immigrant fee (which was initiated in February 2013). We had not received her green card after a few weeks, and then I had heard about this fee (which I found out by starting this very same thread). So then I went ahead and paid this fee, thinking that I had to pay it, but the next day I called the USCIS, and a rep told me that I did not need to pay the fee because her visa was issued before the implementation of the fee, and that I could call back and get a refund once we received her welcome letter (since it has a receipt number on it).

Oh and we also received a second letter at the same time as the welcome letter and on it it says "Fee Previously Collected"

I'm in the same boat with my wife she got in may 15 and haven't got her green card and we did pay the ucis fee

Have you tried calling the USCIS? Also, when did she actually receive the visa that's on her passport?

Does anyone know how to get the 165 dollar immigrant fee refunded?

I called the USCIS, and they said that I need to mail the confirmation email/receipt I received after making the payment to the Texas service center, along with the receipt number, alien registration number, and address. Then the service center will look into the record and issue a refund.

Is there any way to get the refund over the phone? The procedure I was told seems like a LONG process.

Yup!

Affirmative !

Awesome! Also, one last question, do we need to inform any agency (homeland security, etc..) when my wife leaves the US temporarily for a month or so? Or does she just go to the airport and show her green card and passport to the immigration officer?

woo hoo ! crisis averted ! yay !

ya dodged a bullet - so happy things worked out !

Ya I'm so happy it all worked out!

YAY!!!!

So, now we don't have to apply to have the conditional aspects of the green card removed after 2 years right? We just apply for citizenship after 3 years?

Be prepared for months to fix this.

I'm actually sad you not get into a CBP inspection office to fix this.

But that's ok.

Guess what?

We just received the card and it says IR1 on it with a 10 year expiration date!!

are we taking bets for 2 year card today?

Haha I'm guessing it's a 2 year card too. But we'll get that sorted out once we receive it

Woot!

Hey I don't suppose you could do us all a favour and hrm? Thanks!

Just filled it out!

Just a little update (actually major!)!

We received the welcome letter on monday, and I checked the status of the card with the receipt number on the USCIS website. The card was mailed out on tuesday via USPS, and its supposed to be delivered sometime today! (tracking info says its out for delivery!)

:)

My wife's and I are in the same situation. What exactly did you do to rectify this?

Ok thanks. He didn't even ask us anything. All he asked was if the US address that we had provided was still valid.

How would I go about getting the stamp fixed?

Why?

It is , as written.

and no, I'm not relying on Mr. Clinton's definition of is, either.

I'm trying to clear this up because the USCIS rep I spoke to said my wife can travel outside of the US with the CR1 Visa up until the epxiry date on it, which is June 12, 2013. That means (according to the rep I spoke to) that the visa is expired already, and that she can't travel now until she gets her actual green card.

But what I'm making of all this, is that since the endorsement occurred on May 28, 2013, she may now use the visa as her temporary green card for up to a year (May 28, 2014) and she can travel outside the US using that same visa/endorsement stamp. Is that correct?

depends ! what stamp she get at POE ?

The stamp on her passport is the standard entry stamp, and below it the immigration officer has written CR1

Actually you have it a bit backwards.

IR1 - Immediate Relative for spouses - married 2 years or more at POE = 10 year green card

CR1 - Conditional Relative for spouses - married less than 2 years at POE = 2 year Conditional Green card in which the conditions must filed to be removed 90 days less of the 2 year expiry of the green card.

Either way you can apply to be a citizen after 3 years of being in the USA if you're still married.

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=d84d6811264a3210VgnVCM100000b92ca60aRCRD&vgnextchannel=d84d6811264a3210VgnVCM100000b92ca60aRCRD

Ok, so we were married on March 10, 2011. and her POE was on May 28, 2013. So at the time of POE we have been married more than 2 years, so she should receive a 10 year green card then, right?

Oh perfect! then yes, you don't have to pay the fee!

Great news! I just hope they receive the file soon!

Well, they hadn't received it about 3 weeks after when we went for an infopass about an unrelated issue.

TSC is the Texas Service Center and they handle the greencard processing and packets after POE (their code is SRC).

Ok thanks, so the Texas Service Center handles all greencard processing and packets after POE? Even if my wife's POE was New York, at JFK airport? Is there any specific way to contact them directly?

She will need a social security number too take her to the office after she gets her green card.

Yeah we are planning on going to the office to apply for it. Thanks.

The CR-1 visa with the stamp above it in the passport is the I-551. You can get a SS # with just that about 2 weeks after entry. You DO not need to wait until the greencard arrives.

That sounds great, we'll probably go ahead next week and go to the office and apply for it.

Another question, the CR-1 visa has an expiration date on it of June 12, 2013 (which has passed now). Can she still travel outside the US on this, since it was endorsed on May 28, 2013 (the date she entered the US), and since the statement at the bottom of the visa states "upon endorsement, this visa serves as a temporary I-551 for up to one year"? So even though the expiration date on the visa is June 12, 2013, the endorsement was on May 28, 2013, so theoretically she can travel on the visa up to May 28, 2014 right? I'm just trying to clear this up.

When did you receive your visa?

Not when did you POE, when did you actually get your visa packet?

It's helpful to fill in your timeline.

Most people receive their green cards w/in a few weeks to even up to 2 months.

We received her visa along with immigrant packet on December 13, 2012. Expiry date on the visa was on June 12, 2013. Her interview was on August 28, 2012.

Yeah I've been meaning to fill in the timeline. I'll do it asap!

You can see it in my signature, but our Greencard took over 7 weeks and it took a long time for the POE to send our file to TSC.

Wow, I hope it doesnt take that long for us. How exactly did you find out when they sent your file? Also, what's TSC? (sorry for the noob question)

@raheelc - thanks for the information about POE - much appreciated

Good luck here in the US - hope you get your son over here very soon.

No problem

Just a little update. I spoke to a USCIS rep and she said we shouldn't have to pay the fee since my wife's visa was issued before the fee was initiated. The issue that is bothering me, is that she said

they still haven't received my wife's file (she checked with the Alien registration number on my wife's passport) and its been a little over 2 weeks . I'm guessing the file is the immigrant packet we handed to the immigration officer at POE right?

Is this normal? She said to wait another week, until next wednesday, and if we don't receive the welcome letter then to call them back and let them know.

I POE'd with a CR1 at LAX on may 7 and got my SSN in the mail 8 days later without initiating any application. The green card then arrived shortly after (think it was a couple of weeks after POE). We paid the $165 fee the day before I left for the US though.

I'm actually on the phone with USCIS at the moment. The rep I was on the line with said that this fee was initiated on February 1st, 2013. And since my wife's visa was issued before then, we shouldn't have to pay the fee. That explains why we never received the notice with the immigrant package. I'm on hold at the moment so I can speak with a higher rep.

Just be careful that she doesn't spend more time back in Pakistan than in the US. I understand she wants to be with your child, but if they suspect she isn't residing in the US, there will be consequences. Congrats to you and your wife, and best wishes.

Yeah definitely, she will be spending more time here in the US with me. Does anyone know the processing times for an infant son? I've only received the first receipt notice so far.

Yes, that is her temporary green card.

Ok thanks!

I was aware of the immigrant fee in May...it was instituted earlier this year.

Had our interview on June 6th - in Islamabad - and they gave my wife another piece of paper explaining this fee and where to pay it.

Word of warning / caution for your wife : Do not spend more time than needed in Pakistan now that she has green card... especially not more than 6 months - its a requirement that you have a presence in the US - she has permanent resident status - but if you dont reside the USCIS could very well consider her no longer a resident.

Also her cumulative time outside of the US will be counted when she applies for Naturalization.

A question for you or anyone else:)

Our POE will be Houston on July 15th - i will be with her - were you allowed to accompany her when she was fingerprinted/signed the form etc? I presume this was done after the initial screen that everyone goes through and was actually in a separate area?

Also - there was a place on the DS-230 that asked about the social security card number - did you place a check there saying you wanted one issued? or not?

If you do place a check there (we did) does that mean we wont have to go to the SS office?

Ok thats good to hear. I was actually told by USCIS rep right now that the fee was instituted in February of this year, and since my wife's visa was issued before than, we shouldn't need to pay the fee. She also asked if we received a welcome letter in the mail, which we haven't.

I actually did accompany her. At the initial screening, the immigration officer fingerprinted both of my wife's hands. Then after that, we were both taken to a separate area, where she was asked to sign the form, and had another fingerprint taken (just one finger this time). Although, I was taken to the same room to be questioned (I always get questioned because my passport was renewed and issued by the US embassy in Islamabad)

As for form DS-230, we did not check the SS question, because the previous question asked if one was ever issued previously, which it was not, so we decided not to check that since it said "you must answer yes to the previous question"

Ok that's great news! Just another quick question, is there supposed to be some sort of stamp or signature or something on the visa that states the visa serves as a temporary green card for a year? All there is is the statement on the bottom of the visa that says "Upon endorsement, serves as a temporary....." and then on the next page is the US immigration entry stamp dated May 28th 2013, and on that the immigration officer has written CR1 on it.

Is this sufficient to travel or does she need some sort of other stamp/signature etc on her visa in order to use the visa as her temporary green card?

You have up to a year to pay the fee. It just delay's getting your actual green card until it's paid. The endorsed visa in her passport howerver acts as a temporary green card which allows her to get an SSN and work if she wants. It also allows her to travel outside the USA.

Ok thanks. She actually wants the green card asap because our infant son is back in Pakistan with my parents (his grandparents) because I had to apply for a visa/green card for him too because didnt qualify for a CRBA (didn't have enough physical presence requirement). So she wants to head back as soon as she gets her green card so she can be with our son until his paperwork is complete.

How do we go about endorsing her visa?

Also, how long should it take from now to get her green card in the mail?

It should be on her visa under registration number. You put an A in front then as many zeros as you need to make it all add up 9 digits. (mine was 8 numbers so I added a zero in the front to make it 9.) I'm surprised she didn't get a sheet that explained how to pay the new immigrant visa fee.

Thanks so much! Yeah there was no sheet that explained to pay the immigrant fee. All there was a sheet about obtaining a social security number, and instructions to not open the immigrant packet.

Also, we're going to pay the fee right now, however, is there anything else we need to do after paying this fee? Or is it now just a waiting game after paying?

And it's not a big deal if we pay the fee now right? (although the USCIS sites says to pay before arriving to the US)

Ok so the DOS case ID is the NVC case number right?

What about the Alien number? Where would I find that?

Sorry for the noobish questions

here you go....

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=3a2bb75e8109b310VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD&vgnextchannel=fe529c7755cb9010VgnVCM10000045f3d6a1RCRD

EDIT: it is 165.00

Thanks. Where would I find my wife's DOS case number??

No, we did not pay a fee for the green card. How do we go about doing that? No one mentioned any fee for the green card whil we were at the airport.

Hi,

My wife entered the country on her CR-1 visa on May 28th (I accompanied her) in New York. At the airport they took her fingerprints and had her sign a form, and that was it.

Is there anything else we need to do before we receive her green card in the mail? or is it just a waiting game? And we apply for her SSN after we receive the green card right?

Also, what's the average time it takes to receive the green card in the mail?

The embassy in pakistan doesn't offer Direct Consular Filing anymore, they stopped about two years ago. That was my initial plan but I had to apply through the Chicago Lockbox instead.

Hi,

I actually never received a reply from the Lockbox email support, and no help whatsoever from USCIS (they said they didn't have any record of my case). So what I ended up doing was resending the petition with a new cover letter stating everything that happened with the first petition and that I was resending it. And this time I sent it via DHL instead of Fedex. A day after the tracking information showed that the petition was delivered I received the e-notification of acceptance, and about 2 weeks after I received the Notice of Action receipt in the mail!