Biometrics

[reach449 2]

Hi Everyone,

We never received an appointment for our biometrics after 60 days of waiting. I finally called USCIS and told them. After a few days we received the email below from the USCIS stating that my wife's biometrics was current and she doesn't need one. They also stated that we would not get a refund for the biometrics.

I am glad that the USCIS answered our request for information so quick, but I am a little torqued about paying the $85.00 for the biometrics and not needing it; then the USCIS telling me they are not going to refund it. What a SCAM!

Is this a normal occurance? Do people pay for the biometrics and then the USCIS tells them they don't need it? I have also heard that some of my wife's friends sent their 751 package and the next communication they got was the 10 year green card in the mail. Does this happen or is my wife getting bad info? Do you think I have a chance of getting a refund on my $85.00?

Thanks for all of your info ahead of time.

Reach449

PORTION OF EMAIL FROM USCIS:

The status of this service request is:

A review of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) records

indicates that your biometric information is current and it is not necessary

for you to appear at an Application Support Center (ASC) for a biometrics

appointment at this time. The biometrics fee will not be refunded. USCIS

will contact you if updated biometric information or any other additional

information is needed to process your petition.

If you have any further questions, please call the National Customer Service

Center at 1-800-375-5283.

Please remember: By law, every person who is not a U.S. citizen and who is

over the age of 14 must submit Form AR-11 AND notify this office of their

change of address, within 10 days from when they move (persons in "A" or "G"

nonimmigrant status are exempt from this requirement). To notify this

office of a move, visit our website at: www.uscis.gov or call the National

Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5283. The Form AR-11 can be downloaded

from our website or you can call the National Customer Service Center at

1-800-375-5283 and we can order one for you. Instructions for filing the

Form AR-11, including mailing instructions, are included on the Form.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

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13:33:00

[milimelo 4,236]

You won't get the money back.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Hi Everyone,

We never received an appointment for our biometrics after 60 days of waiting. I finally called USCIS and told them. After a few days we received the email below from the USCIS stating that my wife's biometrics was current and she doesn't need one. They also stated that we would not get a refund for the biometrics.

I am glad that the USCIS answered our request for information so quick, but I am a little torqued about paying the $85.00 for the biometrics and not needing it; then the USCIS telling me they are not going to refund it. What a SCAM!

Is this a normal occurance? Do people pay for the biometrics and then the USCIS tells them they don't need it? I have also heard that some of my wife's friends sent their 751 package and the next communication they got was the 10 year green card in the mail. Does this happen or is my wife getting bad info? Do you think I have a chance of getting a refund on my $85.00?

Thanks for all of your info ahead of time.

Reach449

PORTION OF EMAIL FROM USCIS:

The status of this service request is:

A review of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) records

indicates that your biometric information is current and it is not necessary

for you to appear at an Application Support Center (ASC) for a biometrics

appointment at this time. The biometrics fee will not be refunded. USCIS

will contact you if updated biometric information or any other additional

information is needed to process your petition.

Well, that is interesting. Fingerprints are supposed to be valid for 15 months yet the removal of conditions are to take place 90 days before the expiry of the 2 year card so at the very least that would be 21 months. Did your wife re do her biometrics recently for some reason? I have never heard of this happening before except for one case where the green card had been lost and they requested new biometrics when they sent in the request for a replacement. The biometrics were less than 15 months old when they filed to Remove Conditions. There have been a few cases where Citizenship applicants did not have to redo biometrics as they were told theirs were still valid, although most people end up redoing them even though they are within the 15 month time period. Regardless, whether you redo biometrics or not, you won't be getting a refund. That word is unknown in USCIS' vocabulary.

Yes, it is very common just to receive the 10 year card in the mail without any other type of communication - except the biometrics. Very few people end up having interviews for the Removal of Conditions so this is the norm. The major exception is when someone receives a Request for Further evidence (RFE), otherwise you just receive the card.

[reach449 2]

Well, that is interesting. Fingerprints are supposed to be valid for 15 months yet the removal of conditions are to take place 90 days before the expiry of the 2 year card so at the very least that would be 21 months. Did your wife re do her biometrics recently for some reason? I have never heard of this happening before except for one case where the green card had been lost and they requested new biometrics when they sent in the request for a replacement. The biometrics were less than 15 months old when they filed to Remove Conditions. There have been a few cases where Citizenship applicants did not have to redo biometrics as they were told theirs were still valid, although most people end up redoing them even though they are within the 15 month time period. Regardless, whether you redo biometrics or not, you won't be getting a refund. That word is unknown in USCIS' vocabulary.

Yes, it is very common just to receive the 10 year card in the mail without any other type of communication - except the biometrics. Very few people end up having interviews for the Removal of Conditions so this is the norm. The major exception is when someone receives a Request for Further evidence (RFE), otherwise you just receive the card.

Kathryn41,

Thanks for your prompt answer. To answer your question we did not re-do her biometrics. The only biometrics that was done was her original one in or around January 2008.

Yeah, I figured that we wouldn't get a refund. I guess the USCIS keeps her photo on a database somewhere to use if they issue the 10 year green card? Maybe all of this is a blessing in disguise and the next thing we will hear from them is getting her card. We will just wait and see.

Thanks again,

Reach449

[Yurika & Jim 77]

I saw October CSC filer thesnowman approved without bio too. And he received card on 12/10.

Sorry about the fee, but you'll be OK without bio

VJName...............Date of I-751........NOA1 Date......Biometrics......Approved....

THESNOWMAN.........10/10/09...........10/20/09.........--/--/--...........12/04/09.... without BIO

[w8inglongtime 29]

Hi Everyone,

We never received an appointment for our biometrics after 60 days of waiting. I finally called USCIS and told them. After a few days we received the email below from the USCIS stating that my wife's biometrics was current and she doesn't need one. They also stated that we would not get a refund for the biometrics.

I am glad that the USCIS answered our request for information so quick, but I am a little torqued about paying the $85.00 for the biometrics and not needing it; then the USCIS telling me they are not going to refund it. What a SCAM!

Is this a normal occurance? Do people pay for the biometrics and then the USCIS tells them they don't need it? I have also heard that some of my wife's friends sent their 751 package and the next communication they got was the 10 year green card in the mail. Does this happen or is my wife getting bad info? Do you think I have a chance of getting a refund on my $85.00?

Thanks for all of your info ahead of time.

Reach449

PORTION OF EMAIL FROM USCIS:

The status of this service request is:

A review of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) records

indicates that your biometric information is current and it is not necessary

for you to appear at an Application Support Center (ASC) for a biometrics

appointment at this time. The biometrics fee will not be refunded. USCIS

will contact you if updated biometric information or any other additional

information is needed to process your petition.

If you have any further questions, please call the National Customer Service

Center at 1-800-375-5283.

Please remember: By law, every person who is not a U.S. citizen and who is

over the age of 14 must submit Form AR-11 AND notify this office of their

change of address, within 10 days from when they move (persons in "A" or "G"

nonimmigrant status are exempt from this requirement). To notify this

office of a move, visit our website at: www.uscis.gov or call the National

Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5283. The Form AR-11 can be downloaded

from our website or you can call the National Customer Service Center at

1-800-375-5283 and we can order one for you. Instructions for filing the

Form AR-11, including mailing instructions, are included on the Form.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

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Checked by AVG - www.avg.com

Version: 9.0.730 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2639 - Release Date: 01/22/10

13:33:00

Sorry REACH449. USCIS does not have the word refund in their language. They are happy to take our money but reluctant to give back.