What should I ask?

[CanAmCharlotte 0]

I have an appointment with the Immigration Specialist at my Congresswoman's office tomorrow. It's been close to ten months since I sent my petition to the VSC (later transferred to the CSC). I need to feel like I'm doing something to get this darn thing approved so I can move on. OK this might sound like a really dumb question but what should I ask her to do? I know there are others out there who either went to their Congressman or Senator for help but did you ask them to do anything specific like request an official inquiry? I'm afraid I'm just going to get the party line about how it takes a year to get approved (oh no it doesn't) and that's why you get an extension letter for one year.

If anyone has used the help of an elected official, could you let me know how you handled it?

Thanks!

Jo-Anne

[AddyG 0]

I have an appointment with the Immigration Specialist at my Congresswoman's office tomorrow. It's been close to ten months since I sent my petition to the VSC (later transferred to the CSC). I need to feel like I'm doing something to get this darn thing approved so I can move on. OK this might sound like a really dumb question but what should I ask her to do? I know there are others out there who either went to their Congressman or Senator for help but did you ask them to do anything specific like request an official inquiry? I'm afraid I'm just going to get the party line about how it takes a year to get approved (oh no it doesn't) and that's why you get an extension letter for one year.

If anyone has used the help of an elected official, could you let me know how you handled it?

Thanks!

Jo-Anne

After my husband contacted ours on the phone, he was able to fill out and fax a consent form back (with all our details) allowing their office to inquire on our behalf. We never had attend anything. It was all done over the phone and the contact from their office would call us every Friday with updates. Ours sped up even though VSC told him/us that there was nothing to be donw and it was simply "awaiting processing" after 8 months. Mysteriously though, after the inquiry we were approved right away. Good Luck...

[CanAmCharlotte 0]

I have an appointment with the Immigration Specialist at my Congresswoman's office tomorrow. It's been close to ten months since I sent my petition to the VSC (later transferred to the CSC). I need to feel like I'm doing something to get this darn thing approved so I can move on. OK this might sound like a really dumb question but what should I ask her to do? I know there are others out there who either went to their Congressman or Senator for help but did you ask them to do anything specific like request an official inquiry? I'm afraid I'm just going to get the party line about how it takes a year to get approved (oh no it doesn't) and that's why you get an extension letter for one year.

If anyone has used the help of an elected official, could you let me know how you handled it?

Thanks!

Jo-Anne

After my husband contacted ours on the phone, he was able to fill out and fax a consent form back (with all our details) allowing their office to inquire on our behalf. We never had attend anything. It was all done over the phone and the contact from their office would call us every Friday with updates. Ours sped up even though VSC told him/us that there was nothing to be donw and it was simply "awaiting processing" after 8 months. Mysteriously though, after the inquiry we were approved right away. Good Luck...

Thanks for your help!

[jasminelily 1]

I have an appointment with the Immigration Specialist at my Congresswoman's office tomorrow. It's been close to ten months since I sent my petition to the VSC (later transferred to the CSC). I need to feel like I'm doing something to get this darn thing approved so I can move on. OK this might sound like a really dumb question but what should I ask her to do? I know there are others out there who either went to their Congressman or Senator for help but did you ask them to do anything specific like request an official inquiry? I'm afraid I'm just going to get the party line about how it takes a year to get approved (oh no it doesn't) and that's why you get an extension letter for one year.

If anyone has used the help of an elected official, could you let me know how you handled it?

Thanks!

Jo-Anne

After my husband contacted ours on the phone, he was able to fill out and fax a consent form back (with all our details) allowing their office to inquire on our behalf. We never had attend anything. It was all done over the phone and the contact from their office would call us every Friday with updates. Ours sped up even though VSC told him/us that there was nothing to be donw and it was simply "awaiting processing" after 8 months. Mysteriously though, after the inquiry we were approved right away. Good Luck...

Thanks for your help!

If you go to the Congresswoman's website, they most likely would have that consent form posted there already. Sometimes it's PDF file, sometimes you have to type in on the website itself and you can't print out. I've seen both format. If it's PDF, you can have that filled out before your meeting, plus copy your NOA, it would help to speed things up. Let us know the result, I may have to go down the same route in the future. Good Luck!

[CanAmCharlotte 0]

I have an appointment with the Immigration Specialist at my Congresswoman's office tomorrow. It's been close to ten months since I sent my petition to the VSC (later transferred to the CSC). I need to feel like I'm doing something to get this darn thing approved so I can move on. OK this might sound like a really dumb question but what should I ask her to do? I know there are others out there who either went to their Congressman or Senator for help but did you ask them to do anything specific like request an official inquiry? I'm afraid I'm just going to get the party line about how it takes a year to get approved (oh no it doesn't) and that's why you get an extension letter for one year.

If anyone has used the help of an elected official, could you let me know how you handled it?

Thanks!

Jo-Anne

After my husband contacted ours on the phone, he was able to fill out and fax a consent form back (with all our details) allowing their office to inquire on our behalf. We never had attend anything. It was all done over the phone and the contact from their office would call us every Friday with updates. Ours sped up even though VSC told him/us that there was nothing to be donw and it was simply "awaiting processing" after 8 months. Mysteriously though, after the inquiry we were approved right away. Good Luck...

Thanks for your help!

If you go to the Congresswoman's website, they most likely would have that consent form posted there already. Sometimes it's PDF file, sometimes you have to type in on the website itself and you can't print out. I've seen both format. If it's PDF, you can have that filled out before your meeting, plus copy your NOA, it would help to speed things up. Let us know the result, I may have to go down the same route in the future. Good Luck!

Yes I will definitely report back. I had already sent her the privacy waiver by the time I made the appointment but I have filled out another one to bring with me so she doesn't have to search high and low for it. I'm bringing everything I sent with the petition in case she wants to see it. I figure the easier I make it for her to do her job, the better!

[marathiboy 0]

Jo-Anne,

I am also a 2/25 trasferee, Please let us know what happes!

Good luck

s

I have an appointment with the Immigration Specialist at my Congresswoman's office tomorrow. It's been close to ten months since I sent my petition to the VSC (later transferred to the CSC). I need to feel like I'm doing something to get this darn thing approved so I can move on. OK this might sound like a really dumb question but what should I ask her to do? I know there are others out there who either went to their Congressman or Senator for help but did you ask them to do anything specific like request an official inquiry? I'm afraid I'm just going to get the party line about how it takes a year to get approved (oh no it doesn't) and that's why you get an extension letter for one year.

If anyone has used the help of an elected official, could you let me know how you handled it?

Thanks!

Jo-Anne

After my husband contacted ours on the phone, he was able to fill out and fax a consent form back (with all our details) allowing their office to inquire on our behalf. We never had attend anything. It was all done over the phone and the contact from their office would call us every Friday with updates. Ours sped up even though VSC told him/us that there was nothing to be donw and it was simply "awaiting processing" after 8 months. Mysteriously though, after the inquiry we were approved right away. Good Luck...

Thanks for your help!

If you go to the Congresswoman's website, they most likely would have that consent form posted there already. Sometimes it's PDF file, sometimes you have to type in on the website itself and you can't print out. I've seen both format. If it's PDF, you can have that filled out before your meeting, plus copy your NOA, it would help to speed things up. Let us know the result, I may have to go down the same route in the future. Good Luck!

Yes I will definitely report back. I had already sent her the privacy waiver by the time I made the appointment but I have filled out another one to bring with me so she doesn't have to search high and low for it. I'm bringing everything I sent with the petition in case she wants to see it. I figure the easier I make it for her to do her job, the better!

[CanAmCharlotte 0]

Jo-Anne,

I am also a 2/25 trasferee, Please let us know what happes!

Good luck

s

We have almost identical dates so maybe there is something about this group. I think there are about seven or eight of us on this forum with basically the same I-751 timeline and transfer dates still to be approved. I like to assume they are sitting in a pile on someone's desk who just returned from an extended holiday. If it's anything like government from where I hail, nobody touched their work while they were gone. But enough's enough! Let's get cracking people!

[marathiboy 0]

Well,

After I saw your post, I got motivated and fax the form I found on my senator web site (Jim Webb). Lets see what happens... I will keep you posted..

s

[CanAmCharlotte 0]

Update: I saw the Immigration Specialist at Congresswoman Sue Myrick's office (North Carolina) this morning. Upon entering her office she said, "Oh yeah, I need to fax California." I wasn't even sure if she was referring to me or just thinking out loud! I was half expecting to have to beg her to make an official inquiry. I didn't have to say a thing. She busily wrote the cover sheet of a fax (she wrote "need update--lengthy processing time!!!" as the subject matter). I offered her photocopies of my NOA, my temporary greencard, the letter saying my file had been transferred from VSC to CSC, and the receipt from my biometrics. She was pleased that I brought these things and took them all. She attached them to a letter she had written on my behalf (on Congress of the United States House of Representatives letterhead....very official looking) and faxed them off to the CSC while I sat there. She then gave me a copy of the cover sheet and the letter she had written. North Carolina is a state that in recent years has attracted a lot of immigrants and I got the impression she does this type of thing all the time. She assured me that there is absolutely no rhyme or reason why one person gets approved in 60 days while another takes a year or more. Hopefully this will jostle the cobwebs off my file. The downside to all of this is that she said she might not hear anything back for two weeks. Agh! Maybe in the meantime I will get my approval but I won't hold my breath.

I'm telling you this because I feel if your petition has not been reviewed in the published processing times, you have every right to get your elected representative involved. Remember they are civil servants; elected to serve you the constituent.

[Triniwaiting 0]

Update: I saw the Immigration Specialist at Congresswoman Sue Myrick's office (North Carolina) this morning. Upon entering her office she said, "Oh yeah, I need to fax California." I wasn't even sure if she was referring to me or just thinking out loud! I was half expecting to have to beg her to make an official inquiry. I didn't have to say a thing. She busily wrote the cover sheet of a fax (she wrote "need update--lengthy processing time!!!" as the subject matter). I offered her photocopies of my NOA, my temporary greencard, the letter saying my file had been transferred from VSC to CSC, and the receipt from my biometrics. She was pleased that I brought these things and took them all. She attached them to a letter she had written on my behalf (on Congress of the United States House of Representatives letterhead....very official looking) and faxed them off to the CSC while I sat there. She then gave me a copy of the cover sheet and the letter she had written. North Carolina is a state that in recent years has attracted a lot of immigrants and I got the impression she does this type of thing all the time. She assured me that there is absolutely no rhyme or reason why one person gets approved in 60 days while another takes a year or more. Hopefully this will jostle the cobwebs off my file. The downside to all of this is that she said she might not hear anything back for two weeks. Agh! Maybe in the meantime I will get my approval but I won't hold my breath.

I'm telling you this because I feel if your petition has not been reviewed in the published processing times, you have every right to get your elected representative involved. Remember they are civil servants; elected to serve you the constituent.

I hope you hear something faster than 2 weeks.Maybe the lazy CSC employees will realize what drawer your case is and be embarassed that you have been pending for so long and approve you.Anything that will gain their attention into action is best.

[USCIS_VICTIM 0]

I think USCIS doesn't give a ####### about anything we can possibly do...They have been getting these senatorial inquiries and everything everyday for years....They probably became immune to it by now....I betcha they will the run around to the senators as well...

I feel like we are beating a dead horse here...

[antda 13]

Hi CanAmCharlotte and Everyone,

As I posted before here on VJ, this is what happened to me and how I dealt with such when I asked my Congressperson (who then referred me to their "Immigration Expert") to further expedite my I-751 case, after 8+ months of waiting.....

Congressional Intervention, after 8 months+ waiting (April 13 2009)

I-751: Congressional Inquiry and Pregnancy Stuff…, Ant's "Next Step", after 8+ months of I-751 waiting!

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...c=191796&hl=

And about 2 days later....after an "official inquiry"....I was approved (April 15 2009), with the "approval letter" received in the mail via USPS (April 18 2009) 3 days later....(which I'm happy about, by the way.... )

But....I'm still waiting for the actual plastic 10yr green card for the last month or so (which puts my actual completion waiting timeline for the I-751 at 9 months or so)....Oh well...

Nevertheless, I encourage you and everyone else to contact their local Congressperson, Senator, etc. for intervention, as it sure helped for me, and I hope it will help you all too for any difficulties you are experiencing.

This is especially more so when your case is out of the "processing times", as they "promised" to meet their goal of processing I-751s "within 6 months", and to not meet that goal/promise isn't right to the "paying customer", especially when one has to pay so much for it, and yet get so little use out of it. Bad customer service from the USCIS, indeed!

Overall, regardless of immigration and personal situation, I think justice is needed for all who are going through this immgration process. We all need "better USCIS customer service", right?

And yes, even if it means getting the "elected officials" involved! After all, we vote (or will vote when we get US Citizenship) for them to work on our behalf, so why not ask them for help when needed?

Good luck with the rest of your immigration journeys!

Ant (Finished for I-751, Still waiting for Card, Still waiting for Baby...)

I have an appointment with the Immigration Specialist at my Congresswoman's office tomorrow. It's been close to ten months since I sent my petition to the VSC (later transferred to the CSC). I need to feel like I'm doing something to get this darn thing approved so I can move on. OK this might sound like a really dumb question but what should I ask her to do? I know there are others out there who either went to their Congressman or Senator for help but did you ask them to do anything specific like request an official inquiry? I'm afraid I'm just going to get the party line about how it takes a year to get approved (oh no it doesn't) and that's why you get an extension letter for one year.

If anyone has used the help of an elected official, could you let me know how you handled it?

Thanks!

Jo-Anne

Edited May 6, 2009 by AntandD

[CanAmCharlotte 0]

Hi Ant,

From your lips to God's ears! I sincerely hope using my Congresswoman to move my case along will have some effect as yours seemed to. I suppose my only recourse if this doesn't work is to file for naturalization as soon as I'm eligible (July 17).

Do you think they have it in for Canadians?....just kidding....but seriously it would be great if we could track petitions that have gone past the standard processing times by the immigrant's nationality and by type of visa (mine is a CR1). I would be interested to know these statistics to see if there are any patterns. The problem is, this forum has members that drop in and out, not to mention for every person on this forum, there are probably a thousand who are going it alone.

Keep the faith, eh?

Jo-Anne

Hi CanAmCharlotte and Everyone,

As I posted before here on VJ, this is what happened to me and how I dealt with such when I asked my Congressperson (who then referred me to their "Immigration Expert") to further expedite my I-751 case, after 8+ months of waiting.....

Congressional Intervention, after 8 months+ waiting (April 13 2009)

I-751: Congressional Inquiry and Pregnancy Stuff…, Ant's "Next Step", after 8+ months of I-751 waiting!

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...c=191796&hl=

And about 2 days later....after an "official inquiry"....I was approved (April 15 2009), with the "approval letter" received in the mail via USPS (April 18 2009) 3 days later....(which I'm happy about, by the way.... )

But....I'm still waiting for the actual plastic 10yr green card for the last month or so (which puts my actual completion waiting timeline for the I-751 at 9 months or so)....Oh well...

Nevertheless, I encourage you and everyone else to contact their local Congressperson, Senator, etc. for intervention, as it sure helped for me, and I hope it will help you all too for any difficulties you are experiencing.

This is especially more so when your case is out of the "processing times", as they "promised" to meet their goal of processing I-751s "within 6 months", and to not meet that goal/promise isn't right to the "paying customer", especially when one has to pay so much for it, and yet get so little use out of it. Bad customer service from the USCIS, indeed!

Overall, regardless of immigration and personal situation, I think justice is needed for all who are going through this immgration process. We all need "better USCIS customer service", right?

And yes, even if it means getting the "elected officials" involved! After all, we vote (or will vote when we get US Citizenship) for them to work on our behalf, so why not ask them for help when needed?

Good luck with the rest of your immigration journeys!

Ant (Finished for I-751, Still waiting for Card, Still waiting for Baby...)

I have an appointment with the Immigration Specialist at my Congresswoman's office tomorrow. It's been close to ten months since I sent my petition to the VSC (later transferred to the CSC). I need to feel like I'm doing something to get this darn thing approved so I can move on. OK this might sound like a really dumb question but what should I ask her to do? I know there are others out there who either went to their Congressman or Senator for help but did you ask them to do anything specific like request an official inquiry? I'm afraid I'm just going to get the party line about how it takes a year to get approved (oh no it doesn't) and that's why you get an extension letter for one year.

If anyone has used the help of an elected official, could you let me know how you handled it?

Thanks!

Jo-Anne

[antda 13]

Hi CanAmCharlotte,

I hope that contacting our cogresswoman works for you too. And yes, do keep us updated as to what happens to your case. As you said, worst-case scenario, you can always apply for naturalization when you are eligbile for such, and thus will "force" action to be taken on your I-751 case if it hasn't been approved by then yet.

Lol...maybe they do have a thing for Canadians...but then again....maybe not...

Nevertheless, being Canadian can be seen as an advantage, as we "friendly northern neighbours" are overall seen positively by Americans. We Canadians cause no harm....

By the way, if you don't mind me asking, which part of Canada were you from before? What a co-incidence, that we are both Canadians! As well, I have extended family that live near Charlotte, NC too (though I live in New York State)....

Funny, this reminds me of when I went for my AOS inteview, and the immigration officer asked me "Why did you get B2 Visitor's Visa in your passport when you came here to the USA? I thought they don't issue those to Canadians (note: Canadians are exempt from such visas when visiting the USA)?" To which I said, "I don't know, you tell me...."

Funny too, that a lot of Americans assume that because we're Canadians that we are "automatically" US Citizens when we get married...yeah I wish.......(they why the heck would I be wasting my time and money with the USCIS?)

I'm curious too, as to the actual standard processing times by immigrant's nationality and type of visa. By the way, I think you can search for some of those statistics here on VJ, with the "timelines" options. That should be of some help in your search there, even though it is only a small number of people listed there.

By the way, my visa type was a CR6 (what's the difference between that and a CR1..I have no idea) for the 2yr green card (3 months waiting), my status is now a CR6 for the 10yr green card (9 months waiting), and my nationality is Canadian...if anyone else is interested in knowing and keeping track for statistics...

I agree, keep up the faith! Good luck on the rest of your immigration journeys too!

Ant (Finished for I-751, Still waiting for 10yr Card, Still waiting for Baby...)

Hi Ant,

From your lips to God's ears! I sincerely hope using my Congresswoman to move my case along will have some effect as yours seemed to. I suppose my only recourse if this doesn't work is to file for naturalization as soon as I'm eligible (July 17).

Do you think they have it in for Canadians?....just kidding....but seriously it would be great if we could track petitions that have gone past the standard processing times by the immigrant's nationality and by type of visa (mine is a CR1). I would be interested to know these statistics to see if there are any patterns. The problem is, this forum has members that drop in and out, not to mention for every person on this forum, there are probably a thousand who are going it alone.

Keep the faith, eh?

Jo-Anne

Edited May 7, 2009 by AntandD

[Immigrant2009 0]

Hi Ant,

From your lips to God's ears! I sincerely hope using my Congresswoman to move my case along will have some effect as yours seemed to. I suppose my only recourse if this doesn't work is to file for naturalization as soon as I'm eligible (July 17).

Do you think they have it in for Canadians?....just kidding....but seriously it would be great if we could track petitions that have gone past the standard processing times by the immigrant's nationality and by type of visa (mine is a CR1). I would be interested to know these statistics to see if there are any patterns. The problem is, this forum has members that drop in and out, not to mention for every person on this forum, there are probably a thousand who are going it alone.

Keep the faith, eh?

Jo-Anne

Hi CanAmCharlotte and Everyone,

As I posted before here on VJ, this is what happened to me and how I dealt with such when I asked my Congressperson (who then referred me to their "Immigration Expert") to further expedite my I-751 case, after 8+ months of waiting.....

Congressional Intervention, after 8 months+ waiting (April 13 2009)

I-751: Congressional Inquiry and Pregnancy Stuff…, Ant's "Next Step", after 8+ months of I-751 waiting!

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...c=191796&hl=

And about 2 days later....after an "official inquiry"....I was approved (April 15 2009), with the "approval letter" received in the mail via USPS (April 18 2009) 3 days later....(which I'm happy about, by the way.... )

But....I'm still waiting for the actual plastic 10yr green card for the last month or so (which puts my actual completion waiting timeline for the I-751 at 9 months or so)....Oh well...

Nevertheless, I encourage you and everyone else to contact their local Congressperson, Senator, etc. for intervention, as it sure helped for me, and I hope it will help you all too for any difficulties you are experiencing.

This is especially more so when your case is out of the "processing times", as they "promised" to meet their goal of processing I-751s "within 6 months", and to not meet that goal/promise isn't right to the "paying customer", especially when one has to pay so much for it, and yet get so little use out of it. Bad customer service from the USCIS, indeed!

Overall, regardless of immigration and personal situation, I think justice is needed for all who are going through this immgration process. We all need "better USCIS customer service", right?

And yes, even if it means getting the "elected officials" involved! After all, we vote (or will vote when we get US Citizenship) for them to work on our behalf, so why not ask them for help when needed?

Good luck with the rest of your immigration journeys!

Ant (Finished for I-751, Still waiting for Card, Still waiting for Baby...)

I have an appointment with the Immigration Specialist at my Congresswoman's office tomorrow. It's been close to ten months since I sent my petition to the VSC (later transferred to the CSC). I need to feel like I'm doing something to get this darn thing approved so I can move on. OK this might sound like a really dumb question but what should I ask her to do? I know there are others out there who either went to their Congressman or Senator for help but did you ask them to do anything specific like request an official inquiry? I'm afraid I'm just going to get the party line about how it takes a year to get approved (oh no it doesn't) and that's why you get an extension letter for one year.

If anyone has used the help of an elected official, could you let me know how you handled it?

Thanks!

Jo-Anne

Hi CanAmCharlotte,

I hope that contacting our cogresswoman works for you too. And yes, do keep us updated as to what happens to your case. As you said, worst-case scenario, you can always apply for naturalization when you are eligbile for such, and thus will "force" action to be taken on your I-751 case if it hasn't been approved by then yet.

Lol...maybe they do have a thing for Canadians...but then again....maybe not...

Nevertheless, being Canadian can be seen as an advantage, as we "friendly northern neighbours" are overall seen positively by Americans. We Canadians cause no harm....

By the way, if you don't mind me asking, which part of Canada were you from before? What a co-incidence, that we are both Canadians! As well, I have extended family that live near Charlotte, NC too (though I live in New York State)....

Funny, this reminds me of when I went for my AOS inteview, and the immigration officer asked me "Why did you get B2 Visitor's Visa in your passport when you came here to the USA? I thought they don't issue those to Canadians (note: Canadians are exempt from such visas when visiting the USA)?" To which I said, "I don't know, you tell me...."

Funny too, that a lot of Americans assume that because we're Canadians that we are "automatically" US Citizens when we get married...yeah I wish.......(they why the heck would I be wasting my time and money with the USCIS?)

I'm curious too, as to the actual standard processing times by immigrant's nationality and type of visa. By the way, I think you can search for some of those statistics here on VJ, with the "timelines" options. That should be of some help in your search there, even though it is only a small number of people listed there.

By the way, my visa type was a CR6 (what's the difference between that and a CR1..I have no idea) for the 2yr green card (3 months waiting), my status is now a CR6 for the 10yr green card (9 months waiting), and my nationality is Canadian...if anyone else is interested in knowing and keeping track for statistics...

I agree, keep up the faith! Good luck on the rest of your immigration journeys too!

Ant (Finished for I-751, Still waiting for 10yr Card, Still waiting for Baby...)

Hi Ant,

From your lips to God's ears! I sincerely hope using my Congresswoman to move my case along will have some effect as yours seemed to. I suppose my only recourse if this doesn't work is to file for naturalization as soon as I'm eligible (July 17).

Do you think they have it in for Canadians?....just kidding....but seriously it would be great if we could track petitions that have gone past the standard processing times by the immigrant's nationality and by type of visa (mine is a CR1). I would be interested to know these statistics to see if there are any patterns. The problem is, this forum has members that drop in and out, not to mention for every person on this forum, there are probably a thousand who are going it alone.

Keep the faith, eh?

Jo-Anne

AntandD,

Glad to See you back on VJ. Seems like you are calmly waiting for the card in mail now .

Jo-Anne,

Wish you good luck for your inquiry. I have seen this a lot on VJ that Congressman or Senator inquire works like a charm and the applicant gets approved in a week or 2 or latest in a month's time. I hope you get approved soon.

I have a feeling your approval letter is on it's way. Keeping my fingers crossed for you .