Online status is now RFE... can I find out before I get letter?

[Hiker 9]

Thanks... I'll try to relax.

[bigdog 376]

After waiting nearly 5 months, the online status is today set to RFE. But, I can't find out what it is until I get the letter. I'm on vacation next week so I won't even be around to receive the letter, causing more delays. Is there any way to figure out now what it is they want?

Take a deep breath, It will take a week for the letter, you will have ample time to respond. We got one wanting a copy of the divorce decree not dissolution (attorney did not know the difference). Responded approved immediately.

[Michael & Amy 3]

You might consider an online mail forwarding service... I'm planning to use one like this when I have to travel for a month soon. Forward it there, they will scan it, you can read it online.

http://www.earthclassmail.com/

[spikedog 2]

First off, relax. It's probably simple and won't take that long to fix and resend any info. Plus, many of the RFE's are processed really fast. Mine took 3 days! Just remember, they are working on your petition and will be approving it soon

In my case, I needed more onfo about meeting. I failed to include any real primary evidence, like passport stamps and ticket reciepts.

Good luck,

Jim

Edited August 31, 2011 by spikedog

[Casprd 167]

Thanks... I'll try to relax.

That's the most important thing. This whole process can put you in the hospital, on meds or both if you aren't careful. I'm stressed out just from reading your posts so I can imagine how frantic you are.

Now, expect to get the letter in about 10 days or so. The mail is the mail so don't expect it to come any sooner. You will have a set amount of time, usually around 45 days (they give some time to take in to account snail mail) to respond so if you're only gone for a week then no worries. It could be something as simple as forgetting to sign a form or the form being signed in black ink so they can't tell it is the original. Or worse something that you sent but it got misplaced on their end. Best bet is to sit down with the checklist and go through everything you sent. You did keep a copy of everything right? Now once you've checked off that all the normal stuff was sent start making a list of the abnormal stuff. You mentioned a previous marriage. Was she an immigrant also and was their a petition involved? Any criminal record that might need some documentation? Things along those lines. Could be any of a number of things but USCIS is pretty straight forward as they are mainly checking that everything is in order. You can always post a list of the things you sent here and a second set of eyes might see something that you missed.

Bottom line is it is a minor hiccup and in many ways it is a good thing. You know your petition is being actively worked and as soon as you respond to the RFE things will move forward.

[Moomin 292]

That's not good!

I'm really worried about this... I was extremely thorough... if I had the evidence, I sent it already. There is nothing left I could send, except send the same stuff again. And I sent a lot... multiple boarding passes for every flight and ferry we took together, passport stamps, Facebook and Yahoo chats listings, every picture of both of us (14 of them... all in different places, different clothes, a couple with her family), receipts at 3 different hotels, photocopies of cards we mailed each other. We don't do phone calls(just YM video calls) so I can't send those. There really is nothing left to send other than actually sending every recorded facebook and YM chat... but I figured they would not appreciate getting a box mailed to them with 5000 printed pages in it.

To the underlined; Exactly. And not only will they not appreciate it, it will not be accepted as proof of having met. The same goes for the bold part. You have sent proof of meeting each other, not knowing each other. It's not always a negative thing to frontload but the primary evidence drowns among chatlogs and mails.

Regarding the RFE: It can be anything expected or unexpected. Something that isn't signed, proof of you being USC, an unchecked box, USCIS lost your passport pictures etc. Like someone else mentioned, you're at the final stop with USCIS for now - the waiting from an RFE to NOA2(actually NOA3 since the RFE was a notice of action too) is more likely a matter of weeks.