Oh the Mystery of the "Touch"!!!

[gracedmendola 0]

Ok VJ Team, Anyone want to hypothesize about this recent turn of events with me: :hehe:

NOA-1 date was March 3rd. No activity, e-mail, touch, or sign of hope since then. Expected. In the meantime, I've been busy with researching and learning all I can about this process. Read in one of the threads about a woman who had lined up letters from her US Rep and Senator, to use in case "the time came" - after the 6 month mark of waiting to hear from the USCIS. I know there is a huge ? and some nay saying as to if getting your State's politicians involved really does anyone any good at all, but since I have this down time, I thought "What the heck?" and asked both my Rep and Senator's immigration aides for such letters. Total annoyance ensues. Neither provide a letter, both call USCIS on my behalf, then call me to let me know that I'm inside of normal processing times and there's nothing they can do right now. Duh! Of course they presented it to me like the general six month timeline was new information, when I had made it clear to them when I requested the letters that I am not yet outside of normal process times, and just kinda covering my bases for the future...(I will be out of the country back with my fiance whenever the USCIS notifies...)

Just checked my online case status this weekend, and the day the Senator's office called to notify me they had inquired after my case and that they weren't able to "help" me right now is the first and only time I've gotten a touch...

Hmmm. Now the guessing game begins. WHAT HAPPENED? Did they pull my file out and put a huge negative question mark on it? Has this put my file on top of a pile? Was in it process, and now pulled out of being looked at?Did this put me in a special box in the corner of files that have been called about that are in normal processing, and thus don't need any attention now, only to be left there for months and months? Do I go to a "punishment" pile of files for having the Senator's office meddle? Don't think I'll ever know...

This is the insanity that happens in my mind with the waiting game and the mysterious ways of the USCIS... Fun times! Grace

[NatPatBen 3]

Why did you involve your representatives when you just filed in March????

[Hell0W0rld 10]

read your timeline and leaver your reps alone, they have other things to do, it's only been 2 months....

Based on timeline data, your I129f may be adjudicated between July 6, 2009 and July 31, 2009*.

you can bother your reps if you waited 5 or 6 months...

this process requires patience, everybody needs to wait in line and nobody get's special treatment just because they contacted their "reps"

[Jauque 1]

Just checked my online case status this weekend, and the day the Senator's office called to notify me they had inquired after my case and that they weren't able to "help" me right now is the first and only time I've gotten a touch...

I sincerely doubt that your case will be "punished" for having called your rep or senator. Your rep/senator might be less responsive or helpful in the future if you actually do fall outside the timelines. Boy who cried wolf kind of thing, but thats just my opinion.

I would assume the touch was from your senators office calling as you stated. They likely looked at it long enough to realize you're within the normal timeline and then closed it.

But again just my opinion. I think for the future, wait until your outside the normal wait times before calling your rep and/or senator.

Good luck and I wouldn't worry about it!

[gracedmendola 0]

I wasn't hoping for special treatment, or for my reps to really get involved with the USCIS at this stage, just for letters to use AFTER the six month date passes...I'll be out of the US, and it will be harder to sort everything then...you have to sign a privacy release and such. It was recommended to me to have their help lined up FOR LATER, and that writing letters in this vein is standard. I certainly did not ask them to call the USCIS, and did not expect them to as I made it explicitly clear to them that I was within normal processing times and the letter would be utilized AFTER the six month mark. This important information was apparently completely lost on them.

[Hugglebuggles 60]

From my understanding, touches are normally recorded after someone working inside the USCIS accesses your information. Therefore, if you were to call the department of state for example, which can give you updated information on your case, they would pull up your information on the computer and thus a "touch" would occur. So when someone from your senator/state reps office contacted USCIS for information about your case, it is expected that they induced a "touch" as your information was accessed. This isn't any reason to be concerned! While our case was being transferred from the NVC and to the embassy in Ottawa, we called DOS several times for information regarding where our case was, when it was being transferred, and then when we would expect to receive our interview date. This caused us no problems! Its always good to be informed, weather you are calling yourself or having someone call on your behalf (which is all your senators office really did).

You were just planning ahead and there was some communication problems, no harm done! Good luck on getting a speedy approval

[It's me 1]

read your timeline and leaver your reps alone, they have other things to do, it's only been 2 months....

Based on timeline data, your I129f may be adjudicated between July 6, 2009 and July 31, 2009*.

you can bother your reps if you waited 5 or 6 months...

this process requires patience, everybody needs to wait in line and nobody get's special treatment just because they contacted their "reps"

i agree