Any recent approvals out of the Texas Service Center

[James 2]

Has anyone else noticed they've changed the processing times from a date to "six months"?!

Not sure what you mean by that -- the processing time currently shown (or current as of Aug. 16) is February 13. Or do you mean how the processing time has been six months for some time now, moving up in one-month increments with every monthly processing time update?

You should be due to hear any day now, no?

When you look on the USCIS site for the current processing times:

https://egov.uscis.gov/cris/jsps/Processtim...eviceCenter=TSC

Instead of Feb. 13 it now says 6 months...

I bet it will stay at 6 months until hell freezes over too. Just a cheap trick to not having to report an exact date.... - but that's just my opinion.

Wow, I had not noticed that. Although I guess in fairness, there doesn't seem to be much difference -- it could just mean that they are currently processing applications with an NOA1 date of six months before the date of the processing time update. Then again, it could mean they have a license to weasel.

[tweety 1]

Anyone got any news? Still waiting - jumped the 6 months mark as of yesterday....

[Roster 0]

Anyone got any news? Still waiting - jumped the 6 months mark as of yesterday....

Hi All,

I applied my I-751 to TSC some time in Feb and got NOA dated 02/27/2007. Today i called Customer Support to find my status and told them my application passed over 6 months period as mentioned in TSC time lines.

She said that she is going to send a request to TSC, to find whats going on. And TSC is required to respond in next 45 days.

Lets see what happens.

[James 2]

I have a feeling TSC suffered a meltdown in June. People with January NOA1s had gotten June approvals, then all of sudden they started transferring I-751s to CSC at the beginning of July. And nobody (at least around VJ) still at TSC from February on has been approved since.

[fragile093 0]

And nobody (at least around VJ) still at TSC from February on has been approved since.

Make that end of January: NOA1 on 1/31, biometrics appointment on 3/3, case last touched on 3/11 ~ nothing since! I just called Customer Service and was told an interview is now required for all I-751's (yeah, right...) and all they could do for now was file a service request, but the system was down so I should call back in an hour. I guess I'll give it another try tomorrow. Seeing everyone is on the same boat is comforting, but I'm still a tad nervous about it since they managed to mess up my K1 petition big time back in the days... Gotta love the TSC!

[James 2]

And nobody (at least around VJ) still at TSC from February on has been approved since.

Make that end of January: NOA1 on 1/31, biometrics appointment on 3/3, case last touched on 3/11 ~ nothing since! I just called Customer Service and was told an interview is now required for all I-751's (yeah, right...) and all they could do for now was file a service request, but the system was down so I should call back in an hour. I guess I'll give it another try tomorrow. Seeing everyone is on the same boat is comforting, but I'm still a tad nervous about it since they managed to mess up my K1 petition big time back in the days... Gotta love the TSC!

Unfortunately, what USCIS is going to tell you is that you will get a response your service request within 45 days.

You have to wonder what's going on at TSC. How can another service center (CSC) take on additional I-751s from both TSC and NSC and then approve them in as little as six weeks, while still handling its own caseload?

[fragile093 0]

Unfortunately, what USCIS is going to tell you is that you will get a response your service request within 45 days.

Yeah I know. Been there, done that! It was 3 years ago, but the USCIS hasn't changed a bit since then I see. The "response after 45 days" thing has always been standard procedure. I'm not hoping for a quick approval or anything, I know better than that. I'm just doing what the USCIS website says, and letting them know my case has been pending for more than 7 months (6 months estimated time + 30 days). As long as they approve me before April it's alright with me!

[baunzerbrudi 0]

I heard the "every I751 needs an interview", too! Is there a change in procedure or are they simply misinformed?

[James 2]

Unfortunately, what USCIS is going to tell you is that you will get a response your service request within 45 days.

Yeah I know. Been there, done that! It was 3 years ago, but the USCIS hasn't changed a bit since then I see. The "response after 45 days" thing has always been standard procedure. I'm not hoping for a quick approval or anything, I know better than that. I'm just doing what the USCIS website says, and letting them know my case has been pending for more than 7 months (6 months estimated time + 30 days). As long as they approve me before April it's alright with me!

I wouldn't wait until April to do anything -- if I were you, and I haven't heard by the end of January, I would go ahead and file for naturalization. Then if your I-751 still isn't approved 7-8 months after that, my understanding is they will in almost all cases adjudicate the I-751 petition right at the naturalization interview.

[James 2]

I heard the "every I751 needs an interview", too! Is there a change in procedure or are they simply misinformed?

That sounds like a rumor. Although the statute ostensibly requires an interview, the pertinent administrative rule provides:

The director of the regional service center shall review the Form I–751 filed by the alien and the alien's spouse to determine whether to waive the interview required by the Act. If satisfied that the marriage was not for the purpose of evading the immigration laws, the regional service center director may waive the interview and approve the petition.

8 C.F.R. § 216.4(b)(1).

I find it hard to believe that USCIS now thinks it is impossible for a service center director (really, one of the adjudicators) to be satisfied that any petition was not for the purpose of evading the immigration laws. In fact, I believe USCIS would probably have to go through rulemaking to amend this rule if it wanted to eliminate the service center's discretion to waive interviews.

[fragile093 0]

I wouldn't wait until April to do anything -- if I were you, and I haven't heard by the end of January, I would go ahead and file for naturalization. Then if your I-751 still isn't approved 7-8 months after that, my understanding is they will in almost all cases adjudicate the I-751 petition right at the naturalization interview.

My plan exactly! That's why I'm not worried in the least.

For the record, I called them back yesterday as instructed and my call was escalated to some sort of supervisor because the operator said she wasn't allowed to start a service request (???). Anyways, I had to talk to this *really* rude lady whose only interest was ending the call as fast as she could. She kept interrupting me from the start and claiming the processing time isn't 6 months but a year, so my case will probably be adjudicated around the end of January (which is about a year after my NOA1 date). "It says it right there on your extension letter, ma'am" ~ well, yeah, too bad the USCIS website says 6 months! The extension is a completely different matter! She added she didn't see any need to request anything at this point in time, and basically hung up on me. Makes perfect sense... not! Oh well, at least it made for a good chuckle. TSC, sheesh! Now that I got to experience their customer service first hand I see why my husband would get so frustrated when he had to deal with them three years ago...

This proves they aren't even aware of their own rules, as usual. This applies to the interview thingie as well! As James said, there is no such thing as a mandatory interview for adjustment of status, unless your case is really shaky or you get selected for quality control. No need to worry about that! B)

[tweety 1]

I wouldn't wait until April to do anything -- if I were you, and I haven't heard by the end of January, I would go ahead and file for naturalization. Then if your I-751 still isn't approved 7-8 months after that, my understanding is they will in almost all cases adjudicate the I-751 petition right at the naturalization interview.

My plan exactly! That's why I'm not worried in the least.

For the record, I called them back yesterday as instructed and my call was escalated to some sort of supervisor because the operator said she wasn't allowed to start a service request (???). Anyways, I had to talk to this *really* rude lady whose only interest was ending the call as fast as she could. She kept interrupting me from the start and claiming the processing time isn't 6 months but a year, so my case will probably be adjudicated around the end of January (which is about a year after my NOA1 date). "It says it right there on your extension letter, ma'am" ~ well, yeah, too bad the USCIS website says 6 months! The extension is a completely different matter! She added she didn't see any need to request anything at this point in time, and basically hung up on me. Makes perfect sense... not! Oh well, at least it made for a good chuckle. TSC, sheesh! Now that I got to experience their customer service first hand I see why my husband would get so frustrated when he had to deal with them three years ago...

This proves they aren't even aware of their own rules, as usual. This applies to the interview thingie as well! As James said, there is no such thing as a mandatory interview for adjustment of status, unless your case is really shaky or you get selected for quality control. No need to worry about that! B)

... that was the supervisor being so rude?... oh my, I really start to get a bad feeling about this whole thing will they ever approve us?!

Tanja

Edited September 12, 2007 by tweety

[fragile093 0]

... that was the supervisor being so rude?... oh my, I really start to get a bad feeling about this whole thing will they ever approve us?!

Tanja

Yep, or at least that's what the operator called her before my call was transferred. What made me cringe wasn't the fact that she was so arrogant, but her non-existent knowledge of the whole process and especially her unwillingness to listen to what I had to say. But from my (an my husband's) experience so far, that description fits about 95% of the USICS operators, so no surprises there. At least it's not like one can't work, travel or be with their SO while the application is pending, all that matters is that they approve it before the extension is up... and I'm pretty sure that will happen.

[designermedusa 0]

fragile, have you contacted your Senator or Congressperson yet? Wishing all the TSCers luck.

Edited September 13, 2007 by designermedusa

[fragile093 0]

fragile, have you contacted your Senator or Congressperson yet? Wishing all the TSCers luck.

No, I haven't, nor I feel the need to do it at this point. I know I have that option, as we took advantage of it big time when we had problems with the K1 visa application back in 2004. This is a different matter though: the fact the application is still pending doesn't limit my life in any way. Heck, as James said, it won't even get in the way of the naturalization process when the time comes! I have no problem with giving the TSC more time to get to my case. In fact, I'd rather have them work on our petitions than waste time to answer an inquiry from my Senator.