Email advice from Mike and Gracey (In relation to my first POST)...

[graciemike 0]

Everyone, here's my email for Gracey after I got the RFE and her reply as well as Mike's email...Please read on for more info...

SAME PAGE WITH YOU

Hello there,

It's very funny to think that I of the same name with you and probably your hubby with mine stepped into the same situation. Well I am Grace and my fiance name is also Michael, Mike for short. The main reason I send you email is because we have the same situation. I think we're not just lucky to have the lawyer filing for our petition. My fiance on the other hand is currently in Iraq and finishing up his deployment. We were hiring a lawyer which also didn't care about our application. Now, just today I was very disappointed because I was waiting patiently for the result of our application yet, I got a notice asking for an additional evidence which will delay our application...RFE...I was very very disappointed. I know I am not alone with this situation and I've been looking your profile since I became member of VJ's, I just didn't thought I could be in your situation, and now I am! :-)

I would like to ask some advice from you since you have already experience this thing. Please tell us what to do. What errors your application had? I know our RFE will be sent to my fiance mom and I still want the lawyer to finish up his mess. He asked us to send the RFE to him ASAP, do you think it's a good idea? He's a lawyer from Hawaii and my fiance told him before that if he's not doing well on our case he will look for ways to file a complaint with him regarding his performance. He did not answer my inquiries and all not unless my fiance would send him an email. He's a damn lawyer....

What evidence does the USCIS needs from you and how long it takes to receive this notice? Please help us... I am really really down and sad.

God bless to your interview and I hope everything goes well. I know it will. We just have to trust God in everything. I know I have to be possitive despite of this, I am just disappointed with what the lawyer has done....

Have a great day and congratulations to both of you!

GracieMike:-)

Here's Gracey's reply:

Dear Gracie,

Thank you for your email. To start off my, let me give you a big heartfelt hug. Please know that I share with your emotion on this situation.

I think there is no need to tell you our VJ story, as you may have already read everything, including the responses we got from our fellow VJers. The people here have genuine concern for us, not like our hired attorneys, who are just good in the beginning. As soon as you have paid them, they won't bother to show the least bit of concern.

I am pretty sure you agree with me that:

The reason why filers opt for legal advice/service is to eliminate the possibility of mistakes. We want to make sure that everything goes smoothly, BECAUSE WE DO NOT WANT DELAYS. A lawyer's role is to check all the documents and ensure completeness and correctness PRIOR to filing, so that the case will NOT be blocked by an RFE.

Now you and I and our two Michaels are actual walking proof that attorneys could really harm rather that facilitate smooth sailing of a case. But what can we do? We only wanted the best, and at the time we were starting, it seemed that to pay extra to an "expert" will get us worry-free. Now we cannot undo that, it is too late.

Let me tell you what Mike and I did (and it sure worked fine):

1. Be extra nice to your attorney. You probably hate it, but really, you are trapped in that situation where you and Mike will have to kiss your atty's butt. See, if you diss him/her, you won't get his cooperation, and you will end up waiting longer. So just play nice to the atty and politely "request" him to send the ORIGINAL RFE to Mike's address via express mail, and tell him that you will just mail the RFE compliance directly (from petitioner to CalifServiceCenter), to save time and money.

2. DO NOT SEND THE RFE BACK TO THE LAWYER! Once you get the RFE and have the documents ready, send it directly to the CSC using express mail, but there is something you need to write on the envelope. I will ask Mike tonight, ok? It is very important.

3. at this point you wait again. But don't worry, CSC will pick up and resume quick, you'll see.

Ok now for the possible "things" they ask for in the RFE. I say "things" because it doesn't necessarily mean major documents. Check if you have submitted the documents lised here: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...mp;page=k1guide

If you have, then and RFE could probably be as little as a missing signature, or, in our case, Mike didn't have passport-style photos (which is a slap in the atty's face because how can he miss this? we even asked him over and over about it. he said it's not needed. darn!)

As for the time it the whole RFE thing delayed us, please check our homepage: http://mikeandgracey.com/

Gracie, do stay prayerfully positive. It will be an exhilirating feeling once your case lands in the NVC. From then, things will be flying, they say.

For now, just be nice to your atty (yeah, it sucks!) to just get that RFE. After that, you don't ever have to communicate with him anymore. No use firing him or telling him of your complaints - it will just give you a headache.

Thanks again for your email. I will show this to Mike tonight when comes back online. Thank you so much for your well wishes and we send you back the same.

xoxo,

Gracey

PS: I love that we have the same pretty and handsome names

And Mike's (Gracey's hunny) follow-up advice

Hi Gracie - This is Mike I'm Graceys hunny. I've read your correspondence with Gracey and I just want you and Mike to know that if done the way I'm about to outline that your case will not on average be delayed more than 10-12 day's. CSC seems to be a lil quicker with RFE's than VSC. As you may or may not already know attorneys have no control over the speed at which your petition is processed once it leaves their office and is sent to the service center. In just about every case they slow down processing for several reasons. Here are a few pointers concerning attys to keep in mind.

Attorneys rarely prepare the petition themselves. This is usually farmed out to someone else on their staff, usually an aid that lacks personal or professional experience and frankly doesn't have the care necessary to ensure everything is prepared correctly and the attorneys often times do not follow up on it prior to it being sent to make sure everything is correct. When you pay an attorney to prepare your I-129f (K1) that is all you are paying for. In other words all they are doing is putting all the documents that you sent them in an envelope and sending it to the the CSC. Immigration attorneys are necessary for complex immigration cases, but not for a simple I-129f petition. We had to also learn this all the hard way.

I could go on and on about attorneys, but none of this is going to help your current situation. Here is what you need to do starting NOW.

Ask Michael the first chance you get if he ever signed a release for all mailing notices to be sent to your representative (attorney). Just about always attorneys will make you sign this. So more than likely your RFE will be sent to him rather than you. There are two things that we want to accomplish before we can tell the attorney anything nasty. First we must get the original RFE in hand (a copy might work, but don't chance it). Second we need the original approval letter (NOA2). This means since the attorney will likely be the one getting both of these you have to be nice to him and try to undo any past negative threats you have made against him. Remember your fate rests in his hands along with the USCIS, NVC, CO, ect.

If you do not receive the RFE in a reasonable amount of time (3-5 business days) then it went to his office and we must get it! So politely ask him to overnight mail it to you. We don't want to take a chance on him sitting on it for weeks before he sends back whatever it is they are needing, not to mention the time and money you loose mailing it back. Now one thing I just now thought of is Mike is in the gulf and I can't remember if there was anything on it to sign, but I don't believe there was so ask the attorney this before he mails it out to you along with what it is they are needing so you can have this ready to send to the CSC the same day you get the RFE from him.

IMPORTANT: Mail it out next day mailing service keeping the tracking info and write on the envelope using a magic marker in big bold letters ...."RFE REPLY ENCLOSED" along with your CASE RECEIPT NUMBER.

***THIS DOES NOT HAVE TO BE MAILED BY THE ATTORNEY***

CSC will pick your case back up for processing in an average of 12 days from the date it was delivered to them. The online case status page has not been working properly at all lately so don't rely on this. Call USCIS often to check if it has resumed processing. Here is a trick I have learned after many dozens of calls I have made to them. Mike needs to be the one to do this if he is able because level 2 support will not give you the info you need. After you get the option menu press (1) for english (2) for question about your case (3) for NOT knowing your receipt number. Option (3) will get you a level 1 support person. This first level of support is useless all they will do is read from the online case status page which I'm sure you have read a million times. Mike will need to REQUEST to be transfered to level 2 support. I usually just tell them that their online case status page is not dependable and want to be transfered to an officer (LV2)....This always works for me.

Once they resume your case you will be approved in no time. My best advise is learn everything you can from the forums on VJ and make friends here on VJ. Your support group for July filers is located here

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...029&st=1215

Another great resource is Igors list (VJ member with updated approvals and other info every 3 hours)

http://cse.ssl.berkeley.edu/igor/vjdata/default.aspx

You can use Igors list as well as the master timeline page to see how long it took others to get their RFE replies as well as their approvals. Here is the link to the master timeline page (10,000 + records available)

http://www.visajourney.com/timeline/k1list...?cfl=&op3=1

People at VJ are great. We recognise the fact that we are all in this together feeling the same pain so you are not alone! Gracey and I are always happy to help in any way we can so don't ever hesitate to ask us anything OK. Just get that RFE and NOA2 from your attorney and you will be finished with him and the USCIS. Your case will then be at NVC for about a week then on to Manila where you will have your interview/visa in no time!!!

Hang in there!

Hearts and Prayers,

Mike&Gracey

[mikelovesgracey 0]

Hi Gracie and Mike,

Welcome aboard the WWW - the wonderful world of waiting!

It truly is wonderful to have to wait, because it is the waiting (along with all the heartbreaking mishaps) that will make the completion of your journey extra meaningful!

Things will eventually fall in place for you and when they do, your joy will put you on cloud 9.

Thank you for posting our message exchange. I'm pretty sure other filers can benefit from this. Experience is the best teacher, they say. But we say: Another's experience is by far the better teacher - it's the bestest!

Love and prayers,

Mike and Gracey

Edited November 19, 2008 by mikelovesgracey