maria_n_john

Thanks Jeraly, thanks Mox.

I guess I can move on to the next thread with the big boys!!!!!

holy bloody hell, maria'n'john; I had to read that twice to make sure you WERE actually telling us you'd been approved; you're so calm!! number one vacates the spot! I might have to do a new list based on that alone (and now I can remove everyone before the Official Processing Date of July 19; completely truthfully, knowing you guys were still waiting was the only thing holding me back )

congratulations, guys, from the heart :)

mox - it's gonna take more than that

babblesgirl - well, all I can say is I'm sorry

*####### at lists*

Thanks Still.

To be honest, I have mixed feelings: I hate giving up our spot. It was fun being # 1.....hahahaha.... Seriously, we gladly pass the torch.

Thanks for all your hard work.

Hello All:

I've been busy and haven't been in for awhile but I just wanted my friends here to know that today in the mail we received our approval notice, dated 1/24/08. That was also the day that we got a touch. All prior touches were generated from my phone calls to CSC. Our file, however, is still pending on website.

Thanks to everyone for your advice and encouragement.

It's been a long time, but finally we're moving forward.

God bless America and you, John! We've never stopped thinking about you. Your next step is to update your timeline (if not already done) and to gleefully observe the gnash-teethings of StP and the others who have so recently created up-to-date lists!

Thanks Tbone....Your advice and encouragement is and always has been greatly appreciated.

Congratulations to Maria and John that just posted their NOA2!!!

Names          I-129F Sent   I-129F NOA1   I-129F NOA2   Updated Last 
Maria & John   2007-06-08    2007-06-18    2008-01-24    2008-01-28

Thank you very much. Good luck to you in your travel, also. You will find many friends here. All the best.

Well, we may be the last of the June filers (or certainly close to the last) but we received our approval in the mail today.

Thanks to everyone for your encouragement.

Maria and John

Hello All:

I've been busy and haven't been in for awhile but I just wanted my friends here to know that today in the mail we received our approval notice, dated 1/24/08. That was also the day that we got a touch. All prior touches were generated from my phone calls to CSC. Our file, however, is still pending on website.

Thanks to everyone for your advice and encouragement.

It's been a long time, but finally we're moving forward.

CSC is not admitting to losing the files but I am very skeptical about anything they choose to tell me (or, more accurately, not tell me).

Thanks Tim for your thoughts.

Sooner or later it will come, I am sure of that. The only question is whether we will have to submit the original data over again.

Congratulations, Tim.....

Good luck. Best wishes.

Thanks for keeping us all up to date with the list, STP. I appreciate it. I'll be happy when you can take our name off (if only to give you one less to keep up with....hahaha..... ).

Uh I don't know how to feel about being # 1..... I'd rather be # done, but that certainly isn't happening very quickly.

I've called but I keep hearing the same story...."on an officer's desk."

I'm thinking maybe they should try looking up his butt....maybe that's where it's been misplaced....

Of course I didn't suggest that....I get the distinct impression those people don't have a sense of humor..... Is it because they live in California? (just kidding.....)

I certainly don't want to hold the record for the longest @ # 1.

Maria's ready to come home....

Thanks for the update, Mox.

Happy new year.....

Now that we are outside their processing dates, I think we can expect a little attention. I will call them Thursday if we do not have an news. Thanks for the advice from both of you, SSAH and T.

Happy new year to you guys and to everyone here.

Now that we are outside their processing dates, I think we can expect a little attention. I will call them Thursday if we do not have an news. Thanks for the advice from both of you, SSAH and T.

Happy new year to you guys and to everyone here.

Congratulations lady, our dates are very close.

Thanks, Chuck, we're being as patient as we can be.

Since I have nothing else to do tonight, I just checked csis website for calif I-129F processing time. It has changed from April 29 to 6 months. I interpret that to mean anything past 6 months (i.e. prior to 6/29) is now outside normal processing times.

This is getting old.

Believe it or not, this is good news. It means that USCIS has caught up enough to catch back up to their target of 6 months.

I agree

Since I have nothing else to do tonight, I just checked csis website for calif I-129F processing time. It has changed from April 29 to 6 months. I interpret that to mean anything past 6 months (i.e. prior to 6/29) is now outside normal processing times.

This is getting old.

God bless the children of Cebu and the people in this video who care about them:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuT25WxmJA8...feature=related

Each time I see someone whose noa1 date is older than ours I say to myself, "Ok, that's the last one, we're next."

John, it's been about a week since you reached the ImmigOff and asked the "where in the Division is my file, and can we please move it along" questions. I waited right about this long before calling again, and I urge you to call again now. Once the objective "where is it" questions are answered, you should again raise the points that July/August applications have been approved before yours, and even a couple of June applications filed shortly after yours just were. Calmly ask the ImmigOff to send an e-mail to the floor regarding these points, and wait on the phone while s/he does. Maybe you can even suggest that the ImmigOff recommend that the file be hand-carried from point to point, given the undue tardiness.

I believe that doing this now, in this way, will pay off. I'm proof, and I believe that this approach also finally worked for SSAH. Facts, dispassion, and calm reinforcement are the keys.

Hey T, how was your Christmas?

I called again yesterday, using your prompts; got through to a guy: click, click, click......"you're file is in background checks."

"Why do you think ours is taking so long?"

click, click, click "Well, the US embassy is checking on her in Manilla and the FBI is checking on you in the US."

"Yeah, well that's what I was told last time I called. What can be taking so long? Are you sure our file is just not lost?"

click, click, click "Oh no, sir, it is not lost. It is in background checks."

"How much longer will this take?"

click, clic, click "I don't know, sir, it is in background checks. It may take 30 to 45 more days."

T, that is a summary of the call, but I did call. I thought I would give it another week and try again, I'll use your language when I call next Thursday.

Of course I got the 2 touches that probably were recorded because of my call.

Sadly, no other news.

We're hanging in.

Thank you for your interest and advice. It helps.

John

Congrats, SSAH. I know how excited you must be (uh, at least I can guess).

Each time I see someone whose noa1 date is older than ours I say to myself, "Ok, that's the last one, we're next."

Haha....

Best wishes.

I'm thinking we won't be long behind you.

Merry Christmas Scott and Marta, Merry Christmas Jeraly....Have an incredible and happy Christmas

It's certainly a great group here. Everyone is supportive. It means alot.

Uh, John, you'd better focus on those vaccinations, too... and run, don't walk.

To prove that I walk walks and not just yak yaks, I am pleased to report that I myself, just today, was inoculated against bilhariziasis, cor triatriatum dexter, and hoof-&-mouth disease. I feel much better, except for somehow having just now contracted mild cases of bilhariziasis, cor triatriatum dexter, and hoof-&-mouth disease. (Curious, if you ax me.) If I feel better anon, I will log on again before catching my flight (that would be a FOURTH medical syndrome); udderwise (a word inspired by the hoof-&-mouth, or at least the hoof part, perhaps from a yak), see y'all back here Christmas night. Si, man.

I've got an appointment in january for the remainder of shots for me...I'll talk with Maria about what she needs to do. Hey T, have a wonderful Christmas. Be safe.

Always nice to hear when someone has a good customer service experience with USCIS. Glad you got some information, and hopefully your call pushed them into action. Good luck to you!

Thanks Mox. I've got to believe that we're not too far away from noa2. What about you? How are you feeling about the process?

So far my only real complaint has been that it took me 6 weeks to get NOA1. Since then I've been waiting to reach the point where I have something else to complain about. My VJ predicted adjudication date is Feb 24, although since processing times have really picked up the pace I expect (hope) it will be more like mid to late January.

Fortunately, even if I run into problems, I know I've got this incredible community of people on VJ to lean on. That gives me a lot of peace of mind.

It's certainly a great group here. Everyone is supportive. It means alot.

ok, i just checked the website and we got a touch. I'm certain it was generated from my phone call. We'll see what happens next.

Good luck! Your NOA2 is way overdue. Fingers crossed the next touch is an approval.

Thanks, babblesgirl, I think so too. Hopefully it will be soon. I hope yours is progressing smoothly.

ok, i just checked the website and we got a touch. I'm certain it was generated from my phone call. We'll see what happens next.

Always nice to hear when someone has a good customer service experience with USCIS. Glad you got some information, and hopefully your call pushed them into action. Good luck to you!

Thanks Mox. I've got to believe that we're not too far away from noa2. What about you? How are you feeling about the process?

Hey T, thanks again for the help.

I took your advice and called, using your numbers. You were absolutely right. I talked with a gentleman (he truly is). Basically, he listened to my story and then said "Let me look and see where it is. Ok, I see it is undergoing background check."

For everyone's information he said background checks are also random, that some take longer than others. Mostly, though, he assured me the file is not lost, that it is in a department and he used a term which I forget to imply that my case has been there a long time. By that I assume they are aware how long it has been.

He then went on to suggest that Maria's interview date could come in March.

All in all he was helpful and a nice guy.

Thanks for your advice T and thanks to him I feel a bit more comfortable about all this than I have been feeling.

Merry Christmas and happy new year.

I'm very happy for you, J. I wish to heaven that the idea of asking "what is the situation" rather than "why is my approval so late" had occurred to me sooner -- a lot less Pepto-Bismol would have been swigged, with fewer gnash-teethings. I hope that you requested, or that the ImmOff sent on his own, an internal e-mail to Background for them to "shake it." Also, I truly hope that our Junebug colleagues on the VSC forums are taking this same advice -- some are freaking worse than we all have been.

So, man, keep checking for Touches, and let us know. Mine was shaken loose from Background and APPROVED probably within 12 hours of my call like yours. Si, man!

12 hours? wow....now THAT would be a nice Christmas present. But to be honest, I'm wondering if "It's in background check dept" is like "it's in the mail"

Anyhow, you got yours and hopefully we'll be as fortunate as you guys.

Thanks again for the info.

Thanks for the advice, T, I'll find your prior post and see if I can work my way through the maze. Hopefully I can get through sometime today.

Thanks again.

Bestt wishes to you.

Gracias, John. You may have already found the referenced messages; I am at work now, where I have access to the prompts (for cases at the California Disservice Center):

800-375-5283; 1,2,2,4,2,1; your case number; 1,1. There is no need to wait for the recorded voice to explain all the prompt-options; just hit them in order.

If I'm not mistaken, this is the correct route to bypass the screen-callers (most of whom, in my opinion, should die in a corner) and directly reach an Immigration Officer. Let us all know what you learn!

Note: I will be off-line from Dec. 21 until late Dec. 25. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good day (it's nearly noon, at this writing). Those desiring pun-ishment during that time must suffer, unless the good Mox rushes to provide aid, si man.

Hey T, thanks again for the help.

I took your advice and called, using your numbers. You were absolutely right. I talked with a gentleman (he truly is). Basically, he listened to my story and then said "Let me look and see where it is. Ok, I see it is undergoing background check."

For everyone's information he said background checks are also random, that some take longer than others. Mostly, though, he assured me the file is not lost, that it is in a department and he used a term which I forget to imply that my case has been there a long time. By that I assume they are aware how long it has been.

He then went on to suggest that Maria's interview date could come in March.

All in all he was helpful and a nice guy.

Thanks for your advice T and thanks to him I feel a bit more comfortable about all this than I have been feeling.

Merry Christmas and happy new year.

[...] Last week I called again to ask again about the confusion with the dates between the website and the hard copy..the call taker put in a written request. I said i was concerned the file was lost. I received a touch on 12/17 and another on 12/18. [...]

John, your "circumspection under fire" and your restraint here, despite the eaten-gut feeling with which we're all too familiar, are admirable.

I respectfully yet strongly recommend that you call and get past the call-takers to talk with an actual Immigration Officer. (One of the sets of phone prompts, in one of my previous messages, will automatically achieve this.) Follow my recent suggestions of asking WHERE in the Division your file is -- they can tell -- and ask them to move it to the next workstation. They will certainly put through a request to the "floor" on the basis of your file's delinquency. Then (dodging the holidays off), politely call again once a week to ask the same. I sincerely believe that my change in approach was different enough for these people that it engendered internal messages that were in their own "language" and were meaningful enough to prompt action.

If we are June filers, we are entitled to bug them. It is time -- past time -- and we have every right to be pleasantly and frequently persistent ("the squeaky wheel..." and all that). Here's to us "June-bugs"!

Thanks for the advice, T, I'll find your prior post and see if I can work my way through the maze. Hopefully I can get through sometime today.

Thanks again.

Bestt wishes to you.