zh & m

Milushka, why do you think that people up to 9/14 are mostly processed? It looks to me like they mostly just dropped off to "past due" part of Igor's list.

USCIS obmudsman - did you use the snail-mail form on the dhs site to get his attention, or is there a better way (fax, phone or email)?

Thanks and best of luck

NOA1 on Sep. 20th

I was able to get to Tier 2 and put a service request on March 1st, and was told that I will receive some sort of notification in writing within 10 days. I assume, it will be a letter telling me that everything is as it should be and I just need to wait 30-45-60 days. In any case, nothing in the mail so far.

Just a rant, so feel free to skip this post.

I am so sick of this whole process!!!!

I came to the USA from Russia 20 years ago, because I wanted to live someplace, where I have control over my life, and not dependent on some faceless government bureaucrat. It worked well for the most part - I had the sense that my personal efforts and amount of energy I put into things translated into results...

I obviously have not been prepared for this particular experience of complete opaqueness and rubbery deadlines. I feel literally nauseous from helplessness, and having no-one in particular to confront. Trying to keep focused and calm yoga/meditation, but my every instinct urges me to do something, fight, scream, whatever...

...yes, I did get a service request, and contacted my representatives...

AI, if your chips work some magic, and you have any left over would you mind sending some my way? I have a long wait, VDC will prolly make it much longer, so I should prolly start compiling a chip pile asap too. Fellow NYer here

I am another New Yorker, waiting for a fiance from Russia, and over 5 months without NOA2. Please-please send some luck my way as well

I tried this approach after reading your post and was still not allowed to place a service request. The tier 2 officer told me that the computer system would not allow it until 30 days after the 5 month window has past.

Ouch. Try again in a couple of days. Not that a service request guarantees anything....

zh&m if you got to a Tier 2 and they told you within 10 days, that means something...

Thanks, Yankee Love, I hope you're right!

Excuse me for meddling. But really??? My fiance's been told that he should get something in 5 days.

And when was that? Good luck to you!

...this is the most exhausting process EVER (my previous tough bureaucratic experiences - a divorce and getting my kid into a good Manhattan public school - don't even come close)

Also, it took a full 14 days to get a response to my service request, and the response was "your case is pending. we will notify you of a decision within 60 days." Great.

Most likely that's the response I'm going to get as well...and they'll still approve it whenever they approve it. But we'll keep rocking their boat - what else is there to do

Just FYI for other September people:

Feb. 24th - my first call to USCIS customer service last week - was told I can't do the service request until 30 days from 5 months mark

Today, March 1st - second call to USCIS customer service, the rep. told me Vermont is working on August 21st petitions, but not a word about "30 days" grace period. I said it's not true, and I know September people already processed, then I asked to be transferred to Tier 2. She repeated that Vermont center is working on August 21, so she can't put in a service request. and I replied she's been misinformed, since some later applications have been processed in Vermont. She then said, she'll transfer me to another customer service rep., and I agreed.

She actually transferred me to an officer, who sighed, asked what service center I was at, sighed again. Then she said that yes, technically (another sigh)I'm past the timeframe, so she'll take my service request. She verified my address, gave me the confirmation number, and told that I should receive a letter with details on my inquiry within 10 days.

To their credit, I should say that everyone I spoke to in USCIS phone service at least were pleasant and polite. I hope I never have to bother them again

Good letter, thank you for sharing. Did you send it to the same USCIS email address?

I moved up from being almost 450th to 150th in only two weeks! holla!

We also moved quite a bit, to no. 112. It's too bad that much of this movement comes from people moving from "within the processing time" to "up to 3 months beyond processing time" list, not from them actually getting NOA2.

The silver lining is that the tail end of "up to 3 months beyond" list consists mostly of people, who have not updated their status in ages...so within the next few months we should get there.

Here's hope for another good day. Stay strong, everyone!

Hello All September VSC filers: Bringing this to a more current page so we can start complete our NOA2 dates

Oh, I can't wait to start hearing more good news from September people! Good luck to all still waiting. If someone is already past 5 months and is alerting their representatives etc., please share the info as well.

OMG Yankee Love, believe me--I've been THAT girl at the airport, so hysterical, I could barely hand my passport to the ticket agent.

Oh, Nikki, I am crying just from reading your post. I'll be THAT girl in two weeks. I'm flying out on Thursday to meet my other half...for 9 days, and than I need to be back in the states. Last time was the first week of October. So excited we can be together after three months apart...and yes, you're right, one should NEVER think about the trip back before the morning of the return flight.

Hope this damn character-building exercise will be over for all of us soon!

Thank you for letting us know. Please-please, also give us the date of your NOA1 - this info would be so helpful for us, still waiting for NOA2. Sorry, can't help with your actual question, hope someone else on this forum will. Best of luck - may 2011 be the year your dreams come true.

Happy New Year to all! Hope our dreams come true in 2011!

She must think we're very naive lol because she said VSC is different and it is a 7 month processing time.

I suspect that is an indication, that they are about to change their "time estimate" from 5 to 7 months....the worst thing is - I don't see if there is anything we can do about it...\

Sasha and I have agreed to meet in Moscow

Ouch, I wish I could go to Moscow for Christmas too to be with my loved one. Didn't work out though, so we're meeting in Egypt in mid-January instead...at some point I was hoping that we'll receive NOA2 before that, and that I'll have to cancel the trip. I'm glad I didn't - now it seems like we will not be through with this process until late spring or summer.

Good luck to you - hope you'll get your NOA2 for Christmas (or at least for the Orthodox christmas on Jan. 7th).

Congratulations!!! Yes, please update your timeline, to give us all some hope. Good luck with the rest of the process.

Thanks, Ameribrit. Good luck to you!

Hello, I just joined this forum - in need of some community and moral support. Our NOA1 date - Sept. 20th, 2010. We're lucky to be able to spend 3-4 hours on skype daily, but still this waiting drives me insane.

Good luck to everyone here - here's hoping that we'll be with our loved ones by summer.