Filed December 2012

[rutten 0]

Some info for starters:

I filed for I-130 at the very beginning of December 2012 as a British husband of a U.S. citizen. As of October 27th 2013, I'm still in Initial Review on the USCIS website... My wife called USCIS at the 5 month mark and the 7 month mark and they basically said that they had received the package, there are no updates and we just have to wait. My receipt number begins with MSC, if that has any relevance?

It will be 11 months since filing soon... Now, is this normal? Or just the norm at the moment? If it is neither, is there anything we can do? Anything at all?

We're at the point now of just throwing our hands up in the air and saying 'it comes through when/if it comes through' and we try to steer clear of the subject when we Skype because it upsets us too much...

Thank you for your help in advance.

[Oki_Surf 0]

I completely feel your pain. I too called USCIS and they told me, we got your petition - now you gotta wait. How long, I asked. Don't know, they answered.

When while my wife and kids are waiting for me in Japan. Frustrating doesn't describe what we are feeling!

[JA_Martinez 81]

this is so much worse than horrible. i contacted my congressman this past week to do a congressional inquiry....guessing they won't get any further, but what the heck, what do we have to lose. i can't even imagine from all your posts how long it will be before we can get back together (my husband is also in Japan, Oki_Surf), that they can't move you forward with children is so way beyond comprehensible. this clearly says exactly what we're all assuming to ge the case, that they are literally just working files when they get them....not by any stretch are the picking through them and prioritizing.....guess that wouldn't be an easy task either but i feel so badly for those of you out there waiting and waiting with children far away from you. makes my stomach hurt for you. i'm so so sorry.

[jane21 11]

Some info for starters:

I filed for I-130 at the very beginning of December 2012 as a British husband of a U.S. citizen. As of October 27th 2013, I'm still in Initial Review on the USCIS website... My wife called USCIS at the 5 month mark and the 7 month mark and they basically said that they had received the package, there are no updates and we just have to wait. My receipt number begins with MSC, if that has any relevance?

It will be 11 months since filing soon... Now, is this normal? Or just the norm at the moment? If it is neither, is there anything we can do? Anything at all?

We're at the point now of just throwing our hands up in the air and saying 'it comes through when/if it comes through' and we try to steer clear of the subject when we Skype because it upsets us too much...

Thank you for your help in advance.

you are not alone, my husband also filed on december 27, 2012 and we are still initial review!!

[rutten 0]

Thank you for the kind words. I know nobody should be in this situation, but it is comforting to know that we're not the only ones. Hopefully there will be a happy ending to our nightmares...

[K and P 0]

Some info for starters:

I filed for I-130 at the very beginning of December 2012 as a British husband of a U.S. citizen. As of October 27th 2013, I'm still in Initial Review on the USCIS website... My wife called USCIS at the 5 month mark and the 7 month mark and they basically said that they had received the package, there are no updates and we just have to wait. My receipt number begins with MSC, if that has any relevance?

It will be 11 months since filing soon... Now, is this normal? Or just the norm at the moment? If it is neither, is there anything we can do? Anything at all?

We're at the point now of just throwing our hands up in the air and saying 'it comes through when/if it comes through' and we try to steer clear of the subject when we Skype because it upsets us too much...

Thank you for your help in advance.

I filed around in Jan 2013 and around the 8 or 9 month mark I hired a lawyer to infopass and contact the congressional liaison at the field office. Contacting the liaison was the most helpful and my petition was approved three weeks later.

[rutten 0]

Congressional liaison?