yogurtyoga

2 hours ago, Ash.1101 said:

Note that it's always best to NOT reschedule.
There are people who have ended up with denial letters due to rescheduled interviews, then have to fight and prove it was rescheduled.
Here is an example of someone who has successfully rescheduled. They had to provide proof as to why they couldn't make it to the original scheduled appointment, in this case it was lost wages because they were out of the country due to work. 
Again, much like the idea that you can wait a while to visit China, they may not consider this enough of an emergency to approve a reschedule. This part of the process isn't like the K-1 interview, you're on their time and reschedules aren't as simple as a call.
Overall, it's best to do an infopass appointment to do a reschedule. It seems people have had issues doing it over the phone, and normally you have to send in a reason as to why you need to reschedule.

Ash.1101, thank you so much for the useful links.

Yes, looks like it is better not to reschedule the interview. 

Waiting here in the U.S. until the interview seems the safest choice, but I am geting more and more nervous, worrying about my father's situation every day. That is why I decided to travel to China anyway.

If unluckily the interview date is scheduled before my booked return flight date and I don't want to reschedule, I would have to spend some money to change flight to go to the interview.

2 hours ago, f f said:

if you have a person you trust to watch the mail they can look for the interview notice and you can request it is rescheduled at a later date. you should also check the uscis website while you are in China so you can see if they sent you an interview notice. I would recommend getting skype with calling to the us usually a few cents a minute. so that you can call the uscis while in China to reschedule the interview if needed.

 

good luck

f f, thank you so much for your kind suggestions.

 My husband will stay in the U.S. to watch the mail and I download the app "case tracker" so that I could receive update of my case.

I hope the interview will be scheduled after my return to the U.S.

There is possiblilty that the USCIS would ask for new immigration medical test, because the previous K-1 medical test is done more than one year ago. If requestion for further evidence such as medical test is needed, maybe I could do the test after I come back in May.

On Wednesday, March 15, 2017 at 10:32 AM, f f said:

a family emergency that he is able to wait a month before going back might not qualify for uscis.

f f, thank you so much. My father is really sick, I am not sure what would happen if I wait  for a month or even one week. 

On Wednesday, March 15, 2017 at 5:38 PM, SparklePony said:

I guess it was worth a try...

Thank you Sparkleponly, I checked the emergency AP, and booked an appointment in the local office yesterday. But the soonest available time is late next week.  My flight is in early morning next Monday. So my husband might just use the infopass appointment to enquire my I-485 status.

22 hours ago, meimeiliu said:

taking a picture and make a photocopy wont work, in case you havent got the definite answer. you need the card in your hand to show them.

the two options you listed arent bad. i agree with coming back a week earlier like the other commenter said. you do not want to jeopardize your whole AOS process. if you can wait to travel then wait for the new card to come to be more certain.

15 hours ago, SparklePony said:

Can you not follow the same procedures as the emergency AP?

Thank you so much, SparklePonly, that is my second AP, I already have a vallid AP at hand, I think the USCIS would just say "use the current one" instead of speeding up to process my renewal application.

1 hour ago, Ebunoluwa said:

Three days before is cutting it close, I would make it a week before. You have to figure in possible potential flights

and other unforeseen issues.

Ebunoluwa, thank you so much. Yes, you are right, three days before seems to be cutting it too closed.  

You seem to walk a long way for about 20 months to get the green card. I wish you get permanent green card very soon.

15 minutes ago, p-ana said:

One of the downsides of the k1 route is having to adjust status and waiting for the whole process. Some will be lucky and go through it quickly, but others will have a long wait ahead.

 

I don't think sending the new card while you're there would work. They can check the dates you left, the date they sent the new document, see you were outside and then it may be a problem. This is my opinion and I don't know for sure that would happen, but I wouldn't jeopardize the aos over this.

 

the best option, in my opinion, is to wait for the new ead and then travel. While traveling, have someone looking into your mail, in case your interview is scheduled, so you can make arrangements to be back and ready for the interview (changing the date is also not advised).

 

good luck

I am so upset that my I-485 and the combo card renewal are both slow.

p-ana, thank you so much for your reply.

I do want to be a permanent resident and doesn't want to risk losing the whole I-485 application.  Applying for CR1 needs more than one year and I couldn't come to the U.S. visit my husband, that is painful.

Seems like the way of asking my husband to scan the new card and enter the U.S. with a photocopy of a new card doesn't work?

If so, two options seems more feasible:

1. I travel to China with old card and come back to the U.S. right before the expiration date of my advance parole, wait in the U.S. to get the new card, then travel to China again with new card. This way I can spend more time with family.

2. I wait here in the U.S. until I get the new card and travel to China. This way, I save the cost of an extra trip back and forth.

Anybody helps? Thank you:)

I found some not so good news in the following link.

According to this link, if I don't come back to the U.S. before old card's expiration date to get the new advance parole in person, I will risk giving up the renewal application.

Or worse, I will risk giving up the whole green card application automatically.

Is it true?

Thank you!

http://www.immigration-information.com/forums/threads/advance-parole-expired-while-abroad.12401/

I sent my I-485 documents 12 months ago and AOS is still pending. 

My advance parole will expired in May, 2017. I applied for a new one in January, 2017, but the renewal application is also pending.

Because of family emergency, I need to travel back to China for several months. I plan to leave the U.S. on April, 5th, 2017 and come back on July, 15, 2017.

Can I entry the U.S. with my expired advance parole? 

Or my husband can scan the new card and I show the photocopy of the new card when I enter the U.S.?

Thank you!

On Thursday, January 19, 2017 at 1:21 PM, geowrian said:

You're still in fairly normal processing times. There's no need to worry about that yet.

 

It's not so much about annoying them. They just aren't going to approve a case without a completed background check, and they aren't the ones doing the actual checks (FBI, other agencies, etc.), so there's not really anything they can do until they hear back from the other agencies.

Geowrian, thank you so much. 

3 hours ago, geowrian said:

Not really, to be honest. They are waiting for the background check to complete, which is not in USCIS' hands.

 

Technically, you could file suit (writ of mandamus) to force them to make a decision. However, this would most likely backfire and cause them to deny the AOS outright if they are waiting for something out of their hands. I wouldn't suggest doing this and am only presenting it since you asked for anything else you could do.

Geowrian, Thank you so much. I am worried that they forget my case. but you are right that I don't want to irritate the USCIS. 

We file I-485 in late March, and have not been contacted by USCIS after biometric. Congress man called this morning and said my background check is still pending. 

We file ombudsman last week.

Anything else  I can do to expedite this process?

On Tuesday, December 13, 2016 at 3:39 PM, ROSA63 said:

Have you file a Service Request? I'm a June filer, I was able to file online a Service Request yesterday, I received same day a confirmation by email, USCIS will review and process the request. Expect a reply by January 3, 2017. Hopefully this would move my case. Good luck!

Hi, ROSA63, have you heard anything from your service request? According to their email, I should have get a reply by January 6, 2017, but I haven't yet. 

On Saturday, December 17, 2016 at 0:21 AM, AngelaP said:

Thank you yogurtyoga. Bless for you as well.

Mine is stuck on last June for "Response to RFE received". At least I have my EAD and I am working. It's a pain each time I have to travel, but otherwise it's business as usual. I just hope I'll get my green card before my EAD expires.

Let me know how it goes and if you had to reach out to your ombudsman. I might follow your steps if I don't hear anything by April.

Okay, I will let you know if I finally use the ombudsman. I also called the 800 hot line, they just ask me to wait for service request reply. The local congressman's office called the second day they received my request and said it is normal to wait for 9-11 months to get green card and asked me to wait two more months. And the USCIS SR should  give me an answer before 6th, January. If I don't get an useful answer from USCIS, I will use the ombudsman as soon as possible.  

On Sunday, December 18, 2016 at 7:00 PM, p-ana said:

Plan on sending out another ead packet (free of charge if sent with a copy of the i485 noa1) around 120 days before the one you have expiring. That way you can assure you won't have to pause or terminate your employment if they take too long to adjudicate your i485

Thank you. I am preparing for the renewal now, will send them next week:)

We are too.

Called them last week and they said I should check back around March 2017, because file said that they are still in the normal processing time and I can't do anything about it. Filed a Service Request online anyway, but didn't have an answer yet. (I am an mid-April 2016 filer).

AngelaP, Bless for you. I actually sent my I-485 on 15, March, and they updated the status on 31, March saying "fingerprint fee received". So you will have to wait until March 2017? I am not planning to wait that long, I will just wait until January and then file the ombudsman and send application for renewal of my work permit and advance parole.

All the adjustment of status applications are first sent to the USCIS in Missouri to be reviewed. This office determines if the case will be waived for an interview. Often, to help process the cases faster, they send cases to other USCIS offices to help review the case. And it's not always an applicant's field (local) USCIS office. If it happened to your case, it can be difficult to figure out the location of the case.

AOS can take from few months up to year and even longer. There have been a lot of people here, on VJ, waiting for their AOS about 15-16 months.

Thank you Ksenia_O, wish you at this point already have your green card in hand.

I had my biometrics taken on 19 April, but since then, no update at all.

I called the USCIS 800 line today and she asked me do I know which local office is dealing with my case. I just don't know. And she said my case was transfered to local office in May.

Do you think the background check happened before Missouri transfer case to local office or background check happen after case was transfered to local field office?

The CIS Ombudsman would be my next move: https://cisomb.dhs.gov/oca/form7001.aspx

Thank you so much Hypnos, this is brand new and useful information for me. I did the infopass yesterday, filed an online request , and mailed a request to the congress reprensentative today. Now I am going to file this CIS Ombudsman. I have been waiting for so long, and what is weired is that the infopass official told me nobody touched my case after the biometrics. I am a little dissapointed by USCIS.

If they haven't touched my case, that mean the name check, back ground check process is not begin yet, right? That might need several months.

I am also going to renew my work permit and advance parole.

unsure about criminal check, but physical will likely have to be redone yes.

Thank you so much:)

Hello yourtyoga, No I haven't consider that. I'll wait till January 3, if I don't get a satisfactory answer then I would contact the congressman. Hopefully our cases would be solved before this year ends.

Thank you ROSA63, yes, wish we can get our green cards as soon as possible:)