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dcg1011

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  1. I brought it up and handed it to the officer with the other paperwork. However, I think he either was already aware, or didn't think much of it as he was not surprised when I mentioned it. I've seen other people saying the waiver itself was never mentioned (by any party) during the consulate appointment. So most likely, they can verify that internally and that's why you are really never asked for it during the appointment.
  2. Hi, I was on a similar situation so here go my two cents: My wife's employer filed her H1B request before the waiver. We got it, so I think this process is independent of the waiver. The waiver arrived 7 months later! But it did ... by that time the J1/J2 visas were long expired. So we left the US. Here I should clarify it does not matter you have an approved i129 or H1B case. Apparently you need the waiver for the visa appointment, i.e., to get the actual visa at the consulate/embassy. So we sat on the approved H1B request for 7 months, outside the US, while we got the waiver. After we got it we went to the appointment and got our visas. My advice, based on the generics I understand of your situation, is that either, 1) extend your current visa if it's a J1, or 2) leave the country and get your H1B visa when the approval arrives. You can check my timeline, but basically, these days the delay in the process is not only that of the DoS (FR, or Favorable Recommendation), but also the USCIS, it's also taking a way longer time than usual to do the processing of the FR (before it was 2 weeks, not it's 7-8). This is why the whole process took 7 months in my case, as opposed of 10-12 weeks as it did in pre-Covid times. Best of luck and a lot of patience for the loooong waiting. It's a pity the process is soo time consuming.
  3. Hi @qwopqwop it's hard to say whether your case is taking longer to be approved due to being outside the US. I currently am out of the US too (and was throughout the whole application), and I also have the hunch my case took longer due to that. However, once it was received it was relatively fast (but it took long to be officially received by the USCIS).
  4. At long last, I got the approval today! The same day I was able to locate my case (and was notified about it). The only atypical thing I did was to create the USCIS account and associate my Case Number to it. Some hours later...puff...Case Approved. This is the final timeline: (hopefully useful for those starting this dreadful and long process) DOS: Submission of Application: Nov 24, 2021 Submission accepted in St. Louis: Nov 29, 2021 Case showed in DOS check status website: Mar 20, 2022 No Objection Statement (received): Mar 24, 2022 (I was sent way before but this is what they report) Passport data page (received): Mar 29, 2022 Favorable Recommendation - Sent (to USCIS): May 25, 2022 USCIS: i612 Received: June 13, 2022 Form Accepted: June 28, 2022 Change of office: June 30, 2022 Name Update: July 5, 2022 (not sure what this is but they mentioned they made an update to the Attorney information, they changed names as one was on a leave) Case Approved: July 6, 2022 Thus, the whole process took: 7 months and 2 weeks (add 8 weeks if you consider the Advisory Opinion step) Anyway, thanks everybody for the moral support. This forum made the whole process waaaaay more bearable. Best of luck to all with your processes. dcg1011
  5. Hi All, @asmacan I put your name here as we have the very same date of "Sent FR" by the DOS (May 25) Finally, I was able to locate my USCIS A or Receipt Number. I'm not sure if it was the Service Request (most likely this is what helped), or a Tier 2 Call that I referred to my representative attorney, or, even less likely a Lockbox support email I sent yesterday. Whichever the case, I received an email today by the USCIS stating my Case Number, and that the case was received on June 13, 2022 and Accepted on June 29, 2022. With this I can now see the case status online in the USCIS website (see image below). To summarize: DOS: Submission of Application: Nov 24, 2021 Submission accepted in St. Louis: Nov 29, 2021 Case showed in DOS check status website: Mar 20, 2022 No Objection Statement (received): Mar 24, 2022 (I was sent way before but this is what they report) Passport data page (received): Mar 29, 2022 Favorable Recomendation - Sent (to USCIS): May 25, 2022 USCIS: i612 Received: June 13, 2022 Form Accepted: June 28, 2022 Change of office: June 30, 2022 Name Update: July 5, 2022 (not sure what this is but they mentioned they made an update to the Attorney information, they changed names as one was on a leave) . . . Now waiting for approval. If I'm lucky and looks like recent timelines, something like 10-12 days after June 30 the Approval should be reflected on the website. Fingers crossed!
  6. Any luck @asmacan ? Since it's been 30 days I talked to them via chat and the agent put a Service Request for a Tier 2 representative to call me. Alas, I am out of the US so they will contact my Attorney in the US instead. Same thing as the others: "Please allow up to 30 calendar days to receive a response by phone or email. You will receive a text message and/or email 1 to 2 business days before we contact you. If by phone, callbacks will begin at 7am local. To verify the return call is coming from USCIS, the number on your caller id will be 202-838-2104. Please write down the following service item number and have it available for verification when we call you. Your service item number is * * * * * * * *." Does anybody have any clue what happens during these calls? (maybe @rianno or @qwopqwop?) It's astounding they cannot locate our cases (and receipt numbers) after this long and that their answer now is to wait longer for yet another call (I've also have had several calls with agents as of now). Sigh
  7. Hey @asmacan I have the very same timeline: (My initial application was in the first half of November (around Nov 8-10) and the documents were reflected in the DoS waiver website in March 24, and the NOS on March 29) DoS sent FR to USCIS: on May 25th Received hardcopy of letter sent to USCIS with FR: May 31st (sent on May 25th) Now I've been calling/chatting(beyond Emma) with USCIS. They have not been able to locate case number. As stated here by other people, this is unlikely to be successful before the 1 month mark after the FR is sent. Please let me know when you are successful getting the case number from the USCIS (either via chat or by getting their letter), and when you get the Waiver approval. I'll post here that too in case it's helpful.
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