ggsacks

Hope you hear in the next week!

Fingers crossed! My congressman's rep said to contact her again if I hadn't heard anything by the end of Feb, so I've just dropped her another email.

Things have slowed down significantly since early 2014. I'm approaching month 11, and it's been just under 7 months since my NPIW letter.

According to USCIS, 9-12 months is the current expectation for processing times, and it seems much further toward the 12 than the 9.

In January I started a topic to get NPIW data added to the VJ timelines here: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/531703-aos-potential-interview-waivers-timeline/

But no Mod or VJ admin member has even responded. It's frustrating, because it would be great to have a field in my and other timelines saying "NPIW letter received? Yes/NO" and "Date NPIW letter received" from there we could set up the immigration timelines so that it makes an average or at least SOMETHING to give us ANY idea how LONG this takes. (MUCH longer than the "6 month delay" they say in the letter)

I started a similar thread and it also went ignored.

Hi,

We sent off our packet over a month ago. It was just returned to us, with all of our forms denied because of an incorrect filing fee. We wrote a check for each of the following:

1050 for I-485

420 for I-130

380 for I-765

360 for I-131

I just checked the instructions for each form.. and this all is RIGHT. please guys help, our time to file this is already running out, and we thought we nailed it the first time. Does anyone know what is going on?!

There is no filing fee for the I-765 or I-131 when filed with an I-485.

Bad news, you'll have to submit again. Good news, keep that $740.

EDIT:

Oh, a bunch of people replied while I was writing that.

Also, yeah, as noted, it's $1070 for the I-485.

Hey guys so we are still waiting on Green Card approval. On 25 March 2015 it will be 6 months front receiving Interview Waiver Letter. We are hoping for positive news it's all we can do when comes to USCIS. Does anyone know what's the legal status classification of a K1 Visa applicantafter marriage and while AOS Is pending.

You're in what's called a "Period of stay authorized by the Attorney General" while AOS is pending.

Hi all

I received my ead card this morning and it is valid for 1 year only is this correct ? I485 is in process still and SSN says valid for work only.

Thank you

Paul

The message on the social security cards is poorly worded, and what it really means is "only valid for work in conjunction with DHS authorization", in this instance the DHS authorization being an EAD card.

It just means that your SS card can't be used on its own to determine employment eligibility.

is there anyone who got the notice of potential interview waiver letter in NOVEMBER 2014 and get approved lately? i got the letter in last NOVERMBER.I made online request in JANUARY 2015,the webpage showed to wait for 30 days ,I waited and got no reply .So i made a second online request this month ,FEBRUARY. Now i am waiting for reply again .My medical test was done in last April ,it seem like I wont get my GC soon ,I begin to worry that I might get a request to ask me to redo the medical exam. Do you guys know if it will always ask to redo the medical test after it expires ? or some lucky people didnt have to redo it even if it expire .Tired of waiting .I applied AOS in JUNE 2014.I called USCIS several times too,they always told me my case is at my local office ,my local office is dealing with the case applied in JUNE 2014 which is same time when I applied .This was a good news to me .But after I read so many post here ,i begin to doubt if my case is really at local office .

They're only just starting to process applicants who received waiver letters in early July, so it's likely you'll have at least 3-4 months more of waiting unfortunately.

Anyone have any first hand experience with how long it takes to do everything out of the NY office? I've looked at the timelines but I'm looking for aCtual experiences.

Thanks in advance!

If you're adjusting from a K1, it's probably not that relevant. Most are processed without an interview at whichever field office has capacity.

Current processing time for interview waiver cases is around 12 months. If an interview is required, things move much quicker.

Thanks for that, that's what I've always been thinking, it just says DAL because that's my local office, I've never had a physical SR request sent to me by mail which is why I was waiting on this one to arrive and see if it says something other than Dallas

Either way, it can't* be long for us now!

_{(*who am I kidding, this is USCIS, it totally can still be long)}

I guess since my SR ends in DAL I should finally admit that it's likely in Dallas, my local office, I hope that doesn't mean i'll end up with an interview after all this time like some people, I pray that's not the case because I'd feel like all this wait was for nothing!

I just filed my thirds service request yesterday. All three have ended in 'NYC' (my local office), even though I confirmed after the last two that my case was still at NBC. I wouldn't place too much weight in what those letters tell you, unfortunately.

Well at least you know they got that part, when did you mail it out?

I mailed it on the 5th, and the receipt is dated the 12th.

I GOT A TEXT FROM USCIS _{but it was just the receipt for my EAD renewal}. Sigh.

I've submitted my EAD Renewal last Feb.02, 2015 but until now, i haven't received any updates/notifications from USCIS yet

how about you guys?

I sent mine on Feb 5th and haven't received anything either.

Today I received 3 e-mails from the USCIS with 3 case numbers. When I check the status one the uscis website, one receipt # states the status of being received for the i131, the other also shows a status of received for the i765. however, the status for the last receipt number which is for the I-485 states only that they received my fingerprint fee for the I-485. It doesn't state anything in regards to receiving my I-485 application or that they received the other fees (I sent in one check). Below is the message I received. Is this normal?

Fingerprint Fee Was Received

On February 10, 2015, we accepted the fingerprint fee for your Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or to Adjust Status, Receipt Number MSC xxxxxxxxx. Our National Benefits Center location is working on your case. We mailed you a notice describing how we will process your case. Please follow the instructions in the notice. If you move, go to www.uscis.gov/addresschange to give us your new mailing address.

Yes, normal. Provided you don't get an RFE, your I-485 status likely won't change until either your interview is scheduled, or when your application is approved in the case of an interview waiver.

25 March '14 filer here too, still waiting. We last heard from them back in June with a 'potential interview waiver case' letter that advised they were 'experiencing delays unrelated to our case'.

My EAD expires in June so I sent to renew that last week... except I realised today that I COMPLETELY forgot about my I-131. I was so worried about losing my job if my EAD expired that I completely forgot about travel. Not I'm not too sure where I should send a separate application for my I-131, or whether I should just risk it and hope that my Green Card comes before June (and I don't need to make any emergency trips back in the meantime).

I've just now realized that I totally forgot about renewing AP too.

Yes the letter with the green card and welcome letter, give us guys an idea where they might be processing them, And thanks!

All green cards are printed in and mailed from a fulfillment center in Kentucky, regardless of the field office that approves the case, so unfortunately I'm not sure there would be any valuable info in the letter.

The welcome letter may be sent direct from the field office though, assuming it comes separately from the green card. I wouldn't know, I obviously haven't ever seen one!

I hope so! I look forward to all of your receiving your cards as well! Mine arrived today, and it feels "UNreal"! I have only been waiting 10 years for this moment (my husband and I lived together in the US and in "exile" for three years in a DOMA world).

Congratulations! What a great feeling that must be. Have yourself a drink!

Hi to all. I just want to ask who among you here traveled within the US using your EAD Card? I have my passport but I booked a ticket using my married name and since my passport is still in my maiden name, I was thinking to use my EAD but I will still bring my NOA1 for GC and Marriage Certificate. Is it ok to use EAD? Would it be a problem for us to the airport? Thank you.

You should use whichever ID matches the name on the booking.

EAD is a government issued ID, so perfectly fine for domestic travel.

Here is what the President's executive action will do.

Expanding the population eligible for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program to people of any current age who entered the United States before the age of 16 and lived in the United States continuously since January 1, 2010, and extending the period of DACA and work authorization from two years to three years. USCIS will begin accepting requests for expanded DACA on February 18, 2015

Allowing parents of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents to request deferred action and employment authorization for three years, in a new Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents* program, provided they have lived in the United States continuously since January 1, 2010, and pass required background checks

Expanding the use of provisional waivers of unlawful presence to include the spouses and sons and daughters of lawful permanent residents and the sons and daughters of U.S. citizens

Modernizing, improving and clarifying immigrant and nonimmigrant visa programs to grow our economy and create jobs

Promoting citizenship education and public awareness for lawful permanent residents and providing an option for naturalization applicants to use credit cards to pay the application fee

I agree with GiuseppeG, the first DACA initiative was for children that were brought here at a very young age against their will by their parents, and studied here and know no other country other than the United States. I applauded the President the day he announced it. The President's recent executive action extends far beyond DACA. Now starting Feb 18th it will shield people that came to the US willingly and illegally and their applications will cause even larger delays and will have priority over our applications sitting at the National Benefits Center gathering dust and cobwebs. Now do you think that's fair to us? I'm sorry, but I don't think that's fair. I lived in Mexico with my wife for years. I lived through all of the violence in Ciudad Juarez fearing for my life and not once did I consider having my then fiance enter illegally into the United States. Instead we waited and the day DOMA was struck down by the Supreme Court I cried tears of joy. We waited to do things right and legally, and boy was it a long wait for us. We didn't take the easy way out.

It'll be interesting to see what happens after the 18th. You'd think they'd have brought in additional resources to deal with the influx of applications, but then we all have a fair idea of how USCIS actually works, unfortunately.

I guess my point here is that while I agree that it might be unfair, I realize that the country has to deal with the pressing problem of the millions upon millions of people who are here without legal status, because they're not just going to disappear. Being lucky enough to have been born in a wealthy, free and prosperous country, I understand that most people don't come here illegally just for the sake of it or because the journey is fun, but rather because they want the things I was lucky enough to be born with. Of course I don't think these people should have priority over lawful applicants, but then I also have no real evidence that this priority is going to happen. If anything, it will affect future filers much more than it does us. But again, that's USCIS's problem, and they should deal with it accordingly. I would feel extremely uncomfortable sitting here in a place of privilege and condemning people who make horrendously difficult choices in order for the promise of a better future.

I also don't agree with people attacking other's for what ever reason!!! I try to keep my own opinions about other immigrants to myself although some do infuriate me as they blatantly flaunt the laws and then post for advice. However, I never personally attack another individual, nor would I dream of doing that on any stream!

I wasn't personally attacking you, and I apologize if that's how it came across. I did specifically mention that I was speaking in a general sense about comments throughout these boards, rather than directly about what you were saying.

Two thumbs UP !!

Most people on this thread crib like a 5 year old whose parents are not buying him/her the toy he fancies.

Anybody who thinks USCIS sucks at this, should try doing this process in any other country.

Well, I'm not standing up for USCIS. I certainly think people have legitimate complaints and concerns about the delays they face - permanent residence is a big deal, and the extended wait times can leave people feeling very uncertain. USCIS has a commitment to process cases in a timely manner, and I don't believe they are doing so.

What I don't agree with is people externalizing this and blaming or attacking other immigrants, legal or otherwise. The anger should be squarely directed at USCIS for their inability to maintain reasonable processing times. What goes on with other people's lives is their own business.

Whether or not people think they've found a correlation with outside events and processing times, this still remains total guesswork and so it cannot be stated as fact. Yet you routinely see people here spouting stuff like "I'm delayed because illegal immigrants are jumping to the front of the line" or "Obama's executive orders have slowed the processing on our cases", which is not necessarily accurate, yet it whips people into a frenzy.

All I'm saying is people should concentrate on their own case and their own relationship with USCIS. And by all means, people should be angry and vocal about delays they face, but they can do this without throwing other people under the bus.

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/534064-aos-delays-from-feb-18-daca-program-petition-merged/page-2#entry7464463

Interesting thread on here. Talk of AOS waivers and I don't think they are talking about the interview waiver letters! I have been doing some research online, looked at figures for when the DACA came out and how the AOS figures went down etc.. Not fair, not right and something like a complete waiver needs to be done to deal with the work load. As this thread says we've been through all the checks and such when we applied for our K1 visas etc. The USCIS is giving it's staff unnecessary paperwork and overload and giving us stress and worry, so someone out there needs to do something to sort out this big mess and hopefully the talk of a complete AOS waiver (and other waivers) might be reality shortly! Here's hoping!

They're likely referring to the scaremongering statement from the USCIS union last year. It simply referred to the plan to expand eligibility for interview waiver cases. I highly doubt there's any way USCIS is going to reduce the processing and background checks for AOS cases.

Please don't take this as an attack on you, but more on general things I see expressed here frequently: the anti-DACA sentiment here is outstanding and misguided. DACA is for people who were brought here as children, through no fault or choice of their own. All of these people at least partially grew up in the United States, attended school here, entered the workforce and paid taxes, etc. Many won't even know of life anywhere else because they came here so young, and yet they grow up in the total nightmare scenario of having no legal status in the only place they know as home, entirely because of decisions made outside of their control. And then here you have spouses of US citizens weighing themselves up against people that actually grew up in this country yet face the threat of deportation every day. Saying that one of these groups deserves their green cards over the other is a very black and white dismissal of a scenario that is almost entirely grey area. It is so counterproductive to say that someone needs to go to the "back of the line" (in quotes because there never is a back of the line), because it's simply not a situation that the government can keep ignoring.

As for the expansion of deferred action - that hasn't even happened yet, so I find it very tough to swallow this idea that it's impacting current cases in any sort of meaningful way.

Re. USCIS adjudicators facing unnecessary paperwork - well, it's their job. They are public servants. In one breath people here are berating them for their uselessness, and in the next expressing personal concern for their workload, because it fits some united standpoint against undocumented immigrants. While I see it as completely right for them to demand budget or staffing increases to deal with an increase in workload, or to raise valid concerns about security, I don't think their politicized attempts to obstruct immigration policy hold any weight.

Ultimately, any beef with the USCIS policies, processing times or delays need to be directed at the USCIS, and not at other applicants. The demand should be for USCIS to increase their processing capacity or to work more efficiently, rather than for other cases to be deprioritized because some consider them undeserving. People really need to stop pitting themselves against others in some sort of turf war over who deserves to be here more. It's a very juvenile way of tackling a very real problem. Try and think a little selflessly when assessing the value of the lives of complete strangers. Live and let live.

The last receipt I got that I can track says:

On November 2, 2014, we scheduled you for your interview and mailed you an interview notice for Receipt Number MSC1491122191. Your interview is on December 4, 2014. Please follow the instructions in the notice. If you do not receive your interview notice by December 2, 2014, please go to www.uscis.gov/e-request to request a copy of the notice. If you move, go to www.uscis.gov/addresschange to give us your new mailing address.

But we haven't received anything since

Following your interview and approval, you'd ordinarily receive your green card and a welcome letter in the mail. There'd be no further receipt or anything like that.

You might be in some sort of administrative processing, or perhaps it is just held up by the vaccine.

I'd call USCIS.

I haven't received a notice or anything in the mail :/ We had our interview December 4th, the lady said it was approved, she said my husband needed a varicella vaccine (it's not given in his home country) and that we had to send a form that she gave us.. we did it the same day and when we tracked it, it arrived December 8th.

But we haven't heard anything since then, I thought maybe with the holidays in between it could be 1 or 2 weeks late but it's been 2 months and I'm not sure what I should do.

What does your case status say?

So if I filed May 19th for AOS it means that they'll be processing my request soon? How does that work if I already had an interview and was told by the interviewer the application was approved?

If you've already had your interview, these processing times are kind of irrelevant. It indicates when they would have completed initial processing on your case and scheduled your interview.

Has your application not been approved?