BULLWINKLE

I want to add to my post...

I had said to the agent that this is my one chance to speak with someone (her) face to face and I had a list of questions.. I was going to maximize my appointment. She says "Just cuz we're in person doesn't mean you're gonna get what you want".

Why do people have to be so rude?!

This might be helpful to those of you that filed EAD and/or AP more than 90 days ago, and have not received them. I called the 1-800 number, and they said once 90 days have passed and you have not received AP and/or EAD you can file an expedited request, and you should get answers right away. Even if it is because you have not received your bio appointment notice. Hope it helps! I am at 60 days, and I haven't received bio appointment notice, nor EAD, nor AP. Have to wait for another 30 days to call...

What is "expedited request"? I had asked the Infopass agent if they are able to do anything since I am over 90 days.. was there some way to expedite my case now that I was outside of normal processing times? She said "no"... just have to wait. I don't trust any of these mixed messages I/we get from these people any more!

well.. i went for my SECOND Infopass today... as luck would have it, I had the same agent as my previous Infopass. I was hoping for someone new...

Anyway.. last time she said she was unable to put in a request for biometrics, she was unable to print me a letter.. basically her hands were tied and there was nothing she could do for me. Grrr. THIS TIME, she was ABLE to go into the system to see if she could generate a biometrics appt for me. Of course, I was denied - she printed me a piece of paper that said "NOTE: This applicant was not successfully scheduled. No capacity currently exists at XDA USCIS DALLAS . The applicant(s) have been stored for later scheduling."

Again, I was told that I am not permitted to do walk-in without a letter. I am not permitted to schedule out of State or another city. All I have to do is wait. Apparently this agent is a manager and also works at the ASC and "we never let anyone in the doors without a letter".

As well, my I-485 is sitting at NBC and hasn't even been looked at or scheduled for interview. I am at a complete stand still. This is when the waterworks came I couldn't control myself - I had questions about my AP and I was told that I am not permitted to travel without the biometrics complete. Basically, my AP is not valid without biometrics. I explained that I have family emergencies - on top of all the bullsh*t going on back home, I've now found out that my 10 yr old niece is scheduled for a biopsy I NEED to get home. The agent just told me that if I leave, I forfeit my application and "waste all that money that was paid". I can't believe this position that I am in. I asked if there was anyone else I could speak with. She named off some position.. "Deputy something?" I don't remember.. It didn't really compute in my head. I asked how I can speak with them. She said they are never there. Of course! She said he is always busy and at meetings. Fu*k that sh*t! Of course they are always at meetings! Of course they are not accessible. I am so mad

I REALLY HOPE that the Senator can do something for me... I called the office yesterday and her assistant was totally useless and vague. I fuc*ing hate dealing with all this bureaucracy bullsh*t.

Oh - to top it off.... I ended up driving to the ASC to see what the deal was... I got there and the office at Northwest Highway was vacant. I had no idea that the office had moved! The new location is really close to my house and near to my husband's office. I pass by it every morning, without even knowing!

I really hope this gets sorted soon.. I'm seriously at the point of heartache, defeat and depression.

Been following your case, hope it works out for you soon. I don't know what I would have done if I was in your shoes. My case took 3 months and I thought that was long.

You were clever to not waste time, and wrote to your congressman early on... I waited 3 months til I contacted the Senator!

Here's a sort of unrelated question... right now I have a state driver's license and it is marked "temporary visitor". I had traded my Canadian license in for it, and used my student visa to get it. It's good til 2011. Anyway, I want a permanent drivers license with my married name on it. Can I just bring my marriage certificate and get a permanent license? Or do I need to wait until I get my GC, before they will issue it to me?

Just answered my own question... went to the DMV and got a name change on my license as well as a one year extension on the "temp visitor" license. Seems I need my GC to get a permanent license. It was quick and painless.. except for the photo part. UGH! 3 takes later and I still wasn't satisfied.. but went with it

Just got back from GC interview.......................... APPROVED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This was by far the easiest step.

The interview was at 10am and we got there at 9:50am after making a stop to get some coffee from Starbucks. Unfortunately, we couldn't bring our coffee in. Anyways, as soon as we got in, we were called in to a room by a lady. I knew it would be a breeze when I made a joke and she started laughing. We sat down, she said she had been looking over our case and she believes that we are married, she also said that we are lucky we got her because she's the nice one. She asked how we met, my wife and I said while we were in school. Come to find out, she is an alum at the same school we both attended. We then talked about the Pittsburgh Steelers, we talked about the weather and how I was looking for a job somewhere with warmer weather. We also talked about Toronto, Canada. She said she loved the city. I asked her what she thought of a potential name for our future first born because she had mentioned that she liked my daughter's name- daughter from another mother. After that she asked the regular questions like, "have you ever committed a crime, etc. We then gave her our folder with bills, lease, insurance, etc. She then explained to us how to file the I-751. She then said I was approved and she is not difficult and not one for stress. She said have a nice day and we said the same.

That was it. It took 15 minutes total.

Hoping to get my Green Card in the mail by the 24th.

Free until 2012

Sounds like the kinda interview I would want!!!! HOORAY

Here's a sort of unrelated question... right now I have a state driver's license and it is marked "temporary visitor". I had traded my Canadian license in for it, and used my student visa to get it. It's good til 2011. Anyway, I want a permanent drivers license with my married name on it. Can I just bring my marriage certificate and get a permanent license? Or do I need to wait until I get my GC, before they will issue it to me?

Really happy for you, they did the same for me just over a week ago. It arrived yesterday Still no movement on the gc, but the pressure is off now thankfully.

I'm feeling really bad for you bullwinkle, it doesn't seem right at all that they are making you wait for so long. Really hope your senator pulls the necessary strings.

this seems to be the way things always work out for me.. dunno what i did in my past life that was so horrible... but there always seems to be a spanner thrown in the works..

glad you got your ead - i agree it makes waiting for the gc that much easier. if i had my ead card (my ead was approved sept 2, but nothing further til biometrics is complete) it would be a huge relief.

I went today to the USCIS office to get my fingersprint done .It was really fast .It took about 2 minutes .

And guess what ? I just checked my case online and it says that they ordered my EAD Yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

I don't know if they were waiting to take my fingersprint or what ?!! Even if so i dod not expect it will be that fast .

I hope that i will hear some good news about that green card !

Good luck and my best wishes for all of you .

Glad for you!!! Congratulations.. I'm sure it must be such a relief.. we are the last of the July filers who are awaiting Biometrics (still).. so I'm happy you got it done

My AP was approved today which allows me to travel home.. thank goodness! I'm worried tho, that if I leave then my biometrics will be scheduled while I am away. It's a difficult situation because I will be going home without a doubt. I will have to hope for the best.

I wrote to my State Senator for assistance with my case.. here's hoping that it will bring some good news my way...

2nd Info pass is on Friday and I am wondering if I should even bother going..

Thanks JVP. I've read alot of your posts/legal advice on here in past, never knowing I'd ever be reading it for myself personally...ha. Being so ridiculously uninformed is what had me worried about ICE/INS people. And now that I know there is no record of anything (the DA never filed/the judge tossed it immediately/I was not charged with a thing whatsoever=no record) I'm feeling a little less weird.

That said, I should be getting my certified court letter stating they have no record. Then it's off to the police, for them to provide me a certified background check. I was told by (now) 2 immigration attorneys that the most important issue is to be honest re: answering if I've ever been arrested, which of *course* I always have been and will continue to do. The paperwork I am in the midst of obtaining will be something to provide USCIS with when I check the "yes" box for my removal of conditions form in a year and a half. It's really nothing in the grand scheme of things, but crickey-I cost myself a good scare and about $100 in "certified" copies!

Apparently Canadians+alot of free beer in Texas = no bueno....

YIKES!!!!!

I agree - JVP gives good advice.. and I also agree that you will be fine. You have no criminal charges. If I were in your shoes, I know I would worry just the same.. but really.. from the other side of the fence, I agree that you are fine.

Were you at ACL over the weekend?

I'm still waiting for approval. Think I might be the last July filer CSC transfer still waiting.

I think A&B is still waiting as well... she was transferred to CSC and is still waiting for biometrics! (as far as I know..)

I know your infopass was today just wondering how it went....

I was wrong about the date.. my appointment is actually NEXT WEEK on the 15th! So another week of waiting for me....

I'm DETERMINED to get this sorted out tho... no more waiting for me. I've had it!

I will keep you posted...

I have a plan! I'm so fed up with this waiting game..

I am taking Dallas by the horns... wish me luck people.

oh.. btw... the info i received from the IO the other day about I485 being considered out of normal processing after 1 year is baloney... these IO's need to get their stories consistent and straight.

Sara & Alex - Really?! And this is in Dallas?!?! WOW! So ####### is up with USCIS??.... they have some explaining to do!

Glad you got it done tho.. good for you

Hi guys, we just got back from our interview - approved!! yey

Our IO was super nice and laid back very easy interview.

Hope to see more approvals here soon! Good luck to everyone else!

Interview review coming later

Congrats Krautlaus! AWESOME NEWS

Oct 13,2010 at 10 AM

I hope that you will hear good news soon .I know it has been so long for you to !

And they sent me 2 of AP ''I-131'' i don't know if they used to send 2 or im lucky LOL .

I'm glad for you! I hope to get some good news soon but it's not looking that way...

I think they usually send 2 notices... I have duplicates of everything!

Hey Dallas-ites! I know... we have all been waiting for so long for our biometrics appointments, etc...

This thread is dedicated to us so that we can share info, and compare time lines. How are the May/June filers doing? Are all of the July filers still waiting for biometrics? How about August and September filers - where are y'all at in this process?

I had just posted in the JULY AOS thread that I spoke with an IO and they are booking out, 60 days over normal processing times at ASC for biometrics. And, 485 cannot be approved until biometrics are complete. Approval can take 6months - 1 year, and is not considered outside normal processing times until 1 year has passed!

This is truly crazy...

GOOD LUCK!!! I will keep trying to schedule an infopass as well.

Just off the phone with USCIS again... spoke with IO who was very sweet and helpful.

Seems Dallas is soooooooooooooo busy.. she said they are booking approx. 60 days out, over normal processing times! Going by this info, it will be a very long time before we get our EAD. AND! 485 cannot be processed until biometrics are complete. Although the site shows processing to be at 4months average, she said it could take up to 6months-1 year. So technically, 485 is not outside of normal processing times until 1 year has passed!!

I'm at a loss... dunno what to do or what to think of all of this! I'll still go to my Infopass.. but if you see a Friday slot at 11am open up, it was me canceling and my appt time opening up.. LOL!

I asked again about going to another TX city or neighbor state and she said that was outside her jurisdiction

Also - no info yet about my 131.. it's not even in the system yet

Just got my Bio letter after almost 3 months ! and guess what ? They approved my I-131 and maybe i will not even use it !

Good luck and my best wishes for y'all .

GOOD FOR YOU! What's your bio appt date?

I've tried several times today to schedule an infopass with no luck. I will keep trying... Please let me know how your appointment goes this Friday.

It's amazing that there are so many greencard approvals and interview dates set... and us Dallas-ites are still sitting waiting for a biometrics appt.

I will let you know how my SECOND infopass appt goes... fingers crossed!

Thx! I think it's very important to not get mad, get right to the point, and don't go babling about online forums and other people's cases. I didn't do much talking, I just said I was there to inquire about my biometrics appointment, and the IO took it from there. I mentioned my job offer that I was afraid to lose, but he was already printing the letter. That simple.

Good luck next Friday! Don't give up. I wish waiting was the answer, but I don't think that's how things get done when bureaucracy is involved

Agreed... last Infopass appt I had I asked if it was possible for me to get a letter and go on upstairs to do my biometrics since I was already there. The lady was friendly but clearly was not going to budge on any of her decisions. Hopefully I get luckier this time...

Pffttt... who in their right mind would mention online forums to an IO??? We don't need them to come trolling thru here.. sheesh!

For an infopass you can go for sure, they have the exact same access to your file.

If they are willing to print you an appointment for their local biometrics, that I am not sure of. But it seems logical to me that if you go through all this trouble, and explain your situation properly, they will be willing to help. After all, since they're backed up in Texas, and don't seen to find a way to fix it, they should appreciate "our" effort in "fixing" their problem

It's a bit of a long shot, but the reason I made my infopass is because I kept reading about people waiting 3 months and a half, even with the stupid request. Therefore, I concluded it's worthless. Wish I would have done it sooner... It would have saved me a lot of frustration.

WOW! Congrats Katleen... very happy for you! Amazing that they printed the biometrics appt letter for you right there and then.. I guess it really does depend on who you get that day. I just scheduled another Infopass appt for next Friday here in Dallas (that was the next available appt!). It may be worthless... but will never know unless I keep trying..

My I-131 was received in Chicago this morning and signed by J.Chyba... fingers crossed for a speedy process! Now my AP can distract me from my EAD for a bit...

Hooray you got your GC Justine&David! Congrats

Knowing my luck, a biometrics appt would open up while I'm away... still waiting to see what happens

Think pretty well everyone in Dallas is experiencing delays and some other states also... August filers having difficulties also, and I think May/June filers are just coming thru now with some sort of progress...

I've only left the country once to visit home, while on my student visa.. without any problems. The IO didn't even look at it at the airport when I re-entered. I had to show it to him and even then he didn't look at it! Turns out there was a huge error on the I-94 as well (that I was not aware of) and they should have caught it upon my re-entry. I got called in to Homeland Security to have it corrected a few months down the line. I had to have my school sign off on my I-20 before I traveled.. that's about it. Only thing is, I seem to remember hearing that my student visa becomes invalid once I've applied for AOS. So my status is no longer "student" but "in limbo".

I can't believe my crazy family.. of course sh*t goes down at the least convenient time (for me) possible. Yes, I requested that the AP be EXPEDITED and I included a letter of explanation. I noted that date of travel is first week of October for a one time travel of 30 days.

Life sure can be funny sometimes..

Thanks y'all.. I appreciate the advice. I just took the opportunity to vent for a minute.. as we all know, immigration and dealing with USCIS can be a very frustrating experience. Can't work, can't travel.. all thanks to USCIS holding all the keys to the kingdom. I know that one day this entire process will be said and done with and things will be back to normal with me being allowed to work, and allowed to travel freely... OMG.. I will be human again!

Krautlaus.. without getting into too much detail.. it's now become about much more than just packing up my stuff for me. I have a handful of siblings over there who can help me to take care of that. My parents are elderly, and I have the best relationship with them. My Dad is not the most stable person in the world.. his mind is deteriorating. This is a big change for them, and I'm afraid it's having a huge impact on my parents.. my Dad, especially. I am worried for his safety, and those around him. I know it sounds ridiculous.. just go with me on this one. My sister whom I have not spoken with for 5+ years (we have a bad relationship) called me yesterday, crying and scared and did not know what to do. My Dad was having an "episode". I need to get home to help my family get their emotions in check, to help with documents and translations, etc... that's why I'm willing to up and leave if I need to. I just hope it doesn't reach that point. Today things seem to be better on the home front, but can turn explosive at any moment... it's nuts.. I know..

Just make another InfoPass appointment. Arrive there with specific questions that you want to have answered and most importantly, ask them if there is anything they can do to get you a biometrics appointment at a different ASC. Don't wait for them to offer that, go ahead and ask about it. They may say no, but they may say yes so it's definitely worth a shot.

Last infopass appt I did ask if I could go to another office and the agent said "no, we don't do that... and I'm a manager here". She said if I attempted a walk-in they would just turn me away. I can't even get an infopass appt in dallas... just tried "no appts available". it would be ridiculous to think that I have to schedule infopass appts til I get an agent who feels in the mood that day to issue me a biometrics letter.. oh ya.. depends on who you get. pppffftttt!

I know I can't just leave the country right now.. but if the sh*t hits the fan back home I'm afraid I'm gonna have to risk it...

I feel like I am going to LOSE MY MIND!!! I've just about run out of patience... this is really starting to get me down in the dumps... still no biometrics appt. I called USCIS and spoke with IO... he didn't have much to say except that I just have to wait. There has been no appointments scheduled for me. I asked him what the problem is with Dallas and he replied "too many applicants, not enough manpower". I asked him what my alternate options are if any.. he said "schedule an infopass appt". Well, I've done that and it was fruitless. Now what?! I am at my wits end!!!! I asked if it's possible for me to go to another office? another state? he said "it's up to the agent whom you speak with at infopass". well.. #######?! why can't they just all adhere to the same rules? why is it always depending on "who you get". That's just fuc*ed. I'm venting... I know..

Now I've submitted my I-131 and that is one extra thing to wait for. I'm sure it will not come in time for me to travel. What's the consequence if I just up and leave? Is my student visa still valid? Can I still travel back and forth on that? Arrrrgggghhhhhh. Got a call from my sister back home that everything is turning upside down at home.. my Father seems to have lost his marbles due to some family controversy regarding the upcoming move/sale of the family home.. everyone is in tears. I really need to go home. I've never felt so trapped and helpless before... I thought the USA was supposed to be the "land of the free" ??!!