Congressional Inquiry - Feedback

[naijaSweetHeart 1]

Does anyone know the procedure for congressional inquiry? I sent in a release form last week to my congressman.

When I called today to follow up, the lady I spoke to told me they have my release form and that it will go out next week when the volunteers come. She also told me that USIS will respond to them and also send me a copy.

I find this really weird based on what I have been reading from fellow members.

Is this right or I was given the wrong information.

Could any experience member help in sharing their experience?

Thanks for viewing….

NSH

[payxibka 10,045]

Each congressional office sets up the "liason" program/process themselves... so how the Senator's office from California does it could be quite different than the congressperson's office from florida, etc....

[Lohninck 2]

Does anyone know the procedure for congressional inquiry? I sent in a release form last week to my congressman.

When I called today to follow up, the lady I spoke to told me they have my release form and that it will go out next week when the volunteers come. She also told me that USIS will respond to them and also send me a copy.

I find this really weird based on what I have been reading from fellow members.

Is this right or I was given the wrong information.

Could any experience member help in sharing their experience?

Thanks for viewing….

NSH

When I sent in a fax to my local Congressman, an assistant called me within a few hours of receiving it and said they had to send me a release form as well. I got it two days after the phone call and sent it back the same day. It took them a few days to pick up the case and work on it, but after the immigration specialist got on the case she talked to VSC or USCIS or whomever and said they had moved the case to an adjudicator's desk. No progress since, but hopefully it lit a fire under their butts. So, I guess these things take time and some are just faster than others. Good luck, fellow Jan filer.

[ScottThuy 140]

You have gone about it the right way.. depending on the rep it could be a week or two before they get back to you... But you have not reached the processing time for USCIS yet so they will only tell the rep they are working on files from 5 or 6 months ago and to tell you to inquire again after the processing time has passed...

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

Starting an inquiry before you are past the posted USCIS processing times will have no affect on your petition. This is one of the areas where you just have to wait things out until you are past the posting processing times. When you are dealing with Nigeria you may hold off until you are dealing with Lagos then you will have plenty of reasons for getting them involved.

[Darnell 8,478]

Pardon, NOA-1 date is 2010-02-05. Why would you set up any inquiry at this point? The USCIS posted monthly guidelines say '6 months', and yer under 6 months.

IMO, yer prepping to waste someone's time.

[naijaSweetHeart 1]

Thanks to everyone who shared their thoughts on this issue. I know that it has not past the processing time but we must understand that the posted dates is just logic. Has anyone stop to reason why some application get approved way before others? Judging by the rate these applications get approved it is just common sense to know that there might be a problem if an application is staying to long.

[ScottThuy 140]

You have yet to stay too long... The cases are grabbed in piles by the clerks reviewing the files and its the luck of the draw unless there is some issue with the file... in which case it could take a year or more to get through USCIS....

As others have said, you are potentially burning a bridge before it is needed by having the congressional liason make an inquiry at this date....

This is a long process and logic does not apply... patience is a requirement...

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

Some people may get approved ahead of the posted dates. But until your petition reaches that date the only answer you or a congressman will receive is that you are within the processing times and call back after 60 days if you have not received any update before then. There are some checks on the US citizen that happen during the petition stage and some people have had those checks already done by another agency because of where they work. Also name checks go faster if you have a unique name and slower if you name and age match a bad person because they will check to make sure you are not that bad person. When I was in the petition stage "IGORS LIST" was a pretty good predictor.

Thanks to everyone who shared their thoughts on this issue. I know that it has not past the processing time but we must understand that the posted dates is just logic. Has anyone stop to reason why some application get approved way before others? Judging by the rate these applications get approved it is just common sense to know that there might be a problem if an application is staying to long.

[Darnell 8,478]

Thanks to everyone who shared their thoughts on this issue. I know that it has not past the processing time but we must understand that the posted dates is just logic. Has anyone stop to reason why some application get approved way before others?

I understand yer POV, but, alas, USCIS won't care if it's less than 6 months.

Also, an immigration liason staffer at yer US REP's office will 'know enough' to check yer NOA-1 date, and tell you - 'It's not been 6 months, I won't check anything for you'.

IMO, yer setting yerself up to fail, if prior to the 6 month PUBLISHED window.

That window changes, over time, you betcha - but - when you choose to 'go forth' on something like this -

you are wasting the time of a human, who's time is better spent on someone who case processing time is OUTSIDE the window.

Do you really want to do that ?

[naijaSweetHeart 1]

I understand yer POV, but, alas, USCIS won't care if it's less than 6 months.

Also, an immigration liason staffer at yer US REP's office will 'know enough' to check yer NOA-1 date, and tell you - 'It's not been 6 months, I won't check anything for you'.

IMO, yer setting yerself up to fail, if prior to the 6 month PUBLISHED window.

That window changes, over time, you betcha - but - when you choose to 'go forth' on something like this -

you are wasting the time of a human, who's time is better spent on someone who case processing time is OUTSIDE the window.

Do you really want to do that ?

Next time if you don't have any new idea to contribute, save your time. You have not said anything that most VJ members don't know. The only difference is it lacks logic. FYI. Inquiry does not result in failure or success and to claim that one is setting themselves up for failure is pure lack of understanding of the subject matter.

Bless..

NSH

[Deputy Purple 1,294]

Next time if you don't have any new idea to contribute, save your time. You have not said anything that most VJ members don't know. The only difference is it lacks logic. FYI. Inquiry does not result in failure or success and to claim that one is setting themselves up for failure is pure lack of understanding of the subject matter.

Bless..

NSH

Ninja, calm down...

How are you setting yourself up to fail? Here goes:

If you're expecting to actually get some useful information by inquiring BEFORE the posted timeline then you will fail. At this point all USCIS will give anyone is "Check back in 60 days if you haven't heard anything and are outside the posted timeline."

If the congressional office is irritated that you know the posted timeline and still want them to check things for you then you may get shuffled to the bottom of their pile. In the event something goes awry at a later date in your process they may not be to eager to help you. Sure they'll look into it but will it get the same attention it would have if you'd been more patient now? Granted nobody can say for certain but why risk it?

As stated this process is uncaring and mechanical. There is nothing logical (or emotional for that matter) about it. USCIS has a process and that process is followed, period.

Edited June 7, 2010 by Bob 4 Anna

[Darnell 8,478]

When I called today to follow up, the lady I spoke to told me they have my release form and that it will go out next week when the volunteers come. She also told me that USCIS will respond to them and also send me a copy.

This is the STANDARD PROCEDURE.

[ScottThuy 140]

Next time if you don't have any new idea to contribute, save your time. You have not said anything that most VJ members don't know. The only difference is it lacks logic. FYI. Inquiry does not result in failure or success and to claim that one is setting themselves up for failure is pure lack of understanding of the subject matter.

Bless..

NSH

Look at your congressman as a gun... you only have so many bullets... if you use them up early on.. they may not be there when you really need them 6 months from now... Thats what he meant by setting oneself up to fail... As I said before.. logic does not apply to the immigration system... If you try to apply logic you will just be causing yourself additional stress trying to make sense of something that is senseless...

Rest assured that Darnell has a complete grasp on the subject matter and that this is a public forum in which you have posted to get feedback from other members... Waiting can be very stressful, but don't vent on other members if you dont like the responses...

Also, By using the congressional liason (public resource) now, they may be wasting time on your case which is within current processing times, that another case which has been in AP for over a Year could benefit from...