calling uscis

[lovinghim18 4]

So everytime I call USCIS to get information on where my case is, all they can tell me is "you're in the initial review, and it's good to be there and the only way for you not to be in intial review is to get an RFE or have a decision made." But I'm like, ok but what is going on with my case? and all they can tell me is that I'm within the 5 months period and I should have a decision made by march 4th...I'm like really that's it they can't tell you wether they are still doing background checks or anything...they are no help and being paid for nothing!!!!

More over, how is it that some people are able to know what's going on with there case, while others are oblivious...and also how are some people able to see when there case is touched, and others not (I did go on uscis and sign up for case updates and turned on moble alerts as well as emails)...... You have to have a strong heart and mind to play this game with USCIS....UGGGHHHHH... I just want it to be over...tooo stressed!!!!

[worth_the_wait 12]

The lack of communication is a constant source of frustration for many many people who are going through the Visa process. Personally I had to wait 60 days for my case to even show up on their site. I signed up for email and text messages and did get those as soon as my status changed on their website. It will do you no good to call them before the 5-6 months is completed. They will not tell you anything about your case. Just one day, you'll wake up and get a text/email giving you a notification that something has happened to your case. Until then, I recommend to stop checking their website, stop calling them and just find a way to kill your time while you are waiting.

My suggestion would be to look forward at the rest of the journey and focus on the things that you can have control over like getting your documents in order, how to document your ongoing relationship, order your tax transcripts for your affidavit of support (mine took about a month to get to me and now that it is tax season they might take longer after you request them) letter from your employer etc. anything to get you ready for the next steps AFTER USCIS.

I can remember many days hanging up the phone in tears from frustration and realizing all I could do is wait. Just remember, each day that passes is one day closer to getting news on your case.

Oh and by the way, my case never showed that it was touched.

Chin up and Good Luck!

Edited February 2, 2012 by worth_the_wait

[Barbie_Vazquez 10]

So everytime I call USCIS to get information on where my case is, all they can tell me is "you're in the initial review, and it's good to be there and the only way for you not to be in intial review is to get an RFE or have a decision made." But I'm like, ok but what is going on with my case? and all they can tell me is that I'm within the 5 months period and I should have a decision made by march 4th...I'm like really that's it they can't tell you wether they are still doing background checks or anything...they are no help and being paid for nothing!!!!

More over, how is it that some people are able to know what's going on with there case, while others are oblivious...and also how are some people able to see when there case is touched, and others not (I did go on uscis and sign up for case updates and turned on moble alerts as well as emails)...... You have to have a strong heart and mind to play this game with USCIS....UGGGHHHHH... I just want it to be over...tooo stressed!!!!

Sorry to hear this. Its sad all this waiting we all have to do to bring our loved ones here. Is it too soon to ask for a service request? Or do you have to wait another month? I see VSC has been approving October petitions.

[didopage 337]

So everytime I call USCIS to get information on where my case is, all they can tell me is "you're in the initial review, and it's good to be there and the only way for you not to be in intial review is to get an RFE or have a decision made." But I'm like, ok but what is going on with my case? and all they can tell me is that I'm within the 5 months period and I should have a decision made by march 4th...I'm like really that's it they can't tell you wether they are still doing background checks or anything...they are no help and being paid for nothing!!!!

More over, how is it that some people are able to know what's going on with there case, while others are oblivious...and also how are some people able to see when there case is touched, and others not (I did go on uscis and sign up for case updates and turned on moble alerts as well as emails)...... You have to have a strong heart and mind to play this game with USCIS....UGGGHHHHH... I just want it to be over...tooo stressed!!!!

There is nothing more USCIS can tell you. You are still in their processing time, which is 5 months. Don't imagine it's been 4 months that they are working on your case, there is just a lot of petitions and yours is sitting on one desk. When an adjudicator will work on it, it will take him/her something like 20 min, that's all.

If you signed up for an account on the USCIS website, you CAN see if your case was touched. Just look on the "last update date" column. But a "touch" doesn't mean anything, some case never get touched, some others like 5 times, but it really doesn't mean anything. Please look at this link: http://www.visajourney.com/wiki/index.php/Touches

My conclusion: There is no reason to be angry about USCIS answers… What they tell you is completely legitimate. You can start to be "upset" if there's no decision made after the 5 months mark, but for now, stop calling USCIS, just relax and study the post-NOA2 process.

Edited February 2, 2012 by didopage

[Grant PDX 183]

The people you are talking to on the phone are not the people adjudicating cases. They are a paid telephone service. They have a list of answers to a number of questions, but don't have any detailed information. If it feels like you are talking to a brick wall, you basically are. Until your case is at the top of the stack you won't hear anything. If everything is complete and meets their criteria, you get a NOA2 and it moves to the next step. If not you generally get and RFE. But as others have noted, until it's at the top of the stack there is no information to give you.

It's frustrating for all of us. But it's part of the process we entered into, willingly. I agree it's more agonizing than many of us might have anticipated, but it's the process we have.

Best of luck! As someone else said, keep yourself occupied doing something else as much as possible. This week I'm keeping myself occupied reading a lot of positive stories on VJ. Even though mine is a long way off, seeing other people getting results at least lets me know that things ARE moving, albeit slowly.

[wissnan4ever 10]

So everytime I call USCIS to get information on where my case is, all they can tell me is "you're in the initial review, and it's good to be there and the only way for you not to be in intial review is to get an RFE or have a decision made." But I'm like, ok but what is going on with my case? and all they can tell me is that I'm within the 5 months period and I should have a decision made by march 4th...I'm like really that's it they can't tell you wether they are still doing background checks or anything...they are no help and being paid for nothing!!!!

More over, how is it that some people are able to know what's going on with there case, while others are oblivious...and also how are some people able to see when there case is touched, and others not (I did go on uscis and sign up for case updates and turned on moble alerts as well as emails)...... You have to have a strong heart and mind to play this game with USCIS....UGGGHHHHH... I just want it to be over...tooo stressed!!!!

I feel you on ALLLL of this.. I myself have just stop calling and said eff it! It was stressing me out and as well as putting a strain on me and my fiance but really what can we do Nothing. At least they told you March 4th as with me they just said they are working on August 21st and call back in 2 weeks whatever Iam not doing neither. Since I see they told you march 4th if nothing happens by than I will call back. It's not easy waiting it SUCKS especially after seeing people after you approved. But keep your head up!

[Hank_ 9,174]

So everytime I call USCIS to get information on where my case is, all they can tell me is "you're in the initial review, and it's good to be there and the only way for you not to be in intial review is to get an RFE or have a decision made." But I'm like, ok but what is going on with my case? and all they can tell me is that I'm within the 5 months period and I should have a decision made by march 4th...I'm like really that's it they can't tell you wether they are still doing background checks or anything...they are no help and being paid for nothing!!!!

More over, how is it that some people are able to know what's going on with there case, while others are oblivious...and also how are some people able to see when there case is touched, and others not (I did go on uscis and sign up for case updates and turned on moble alerts as well as emails)...... You have to have a strong heart and mind to play this game with USCIS....UGGGHHHHH... I just want it to be over...tooo stressed!!!!

Your NOA1 is October.... go grab a book, relax. 5 months is an average and you haven't even reached that point yet.

Edited February 2, 2012 by Hank_Amy

[stefan y karen 23]

I would liken the waiting process with the USCIS to having a staring contest with a portrait at an art museum. In other words, you're going to lose. All you can do is wait. Yes, I know it sucks and I made ALL the same calls you did and sent letters to my senators and congressmen and even the white house and it speeded up absolutely NOTHING. When I would wait in their offices, they would call the USCIS and get the EXACT SAME unfathomable responses I would get myself off the internet. I even scheduled an Infopass meeting off the website, and drove three hours for the appointment for the lady in the immigration office to print off the processing timelines, circle them with a highlighter and hand them to me. Seriously, it stinks. To make it through the endless waiting some people go to the gym, some people go to the bar, some people stay home and cry all night with their fiances on skype. But EVERYONE ends up waiting. Well, except those folks who get approved in two weeks and I am convinced that God lets those folks happen just to drive the rest of us nuts!

[Chynna/gapamix 11]

Hey mani0118,

Don't get to frustrated at this point in time because there is much more waiting to come. If you don't get anything by the date they stated then by all means file a service request if it has been longer than 5 months. The USCIS website is good but it doesn't always give timely updates. It did work for me, I recieved a text and an email and it would document each time my case was touched. Basically utilize VJ as the great resource it is and use the strategies wisely and by all means use them when you need to. Keep busy. Heck plan your wedding, that should take your mind off the waiting.

Chynna

[Rujby 23]

The website is not updated at all. I was checking it everyday from the beginning til my approval.It is under" RFE Response Review " Since January 19th after we sent them a document related to the RFE they sent to us. Until now, it still remain on the same status but my wife received a letter from USCIS informing us that our case has been approved and Forwarded to NVC since January 25th. This morning again i checked the website it is not update. So they are chances that your case case has been touched and nothing show on the website. My wife and i subcribed to text message and email notification to any update about our case. until now, we have not received any email/text about our approval....

[lovinghim18 4]

Sorry to hear this. Its sad all this waiting we all have to do to bring our loved ones here. Is it too soon to ask for a service request? Or do you have to wait another month? I see VSC has been approving October petitions.

No I don't believe I can, but it's not the time...I'm just curious to know what's going on with it,WHHICH i CAN'T GET AN ANSWER TO...

[lovinghim18 4]

Hey mani0118,

Don't get to frustrated at this point in time because there is much more waiting to come. If you don't get anything by the date they stated then by all means file a service request if it has been longer than 5 months. The USCIS website is good but it doesn't always give timely updates. It did work for me, I recieved a text and an email and it would document each time my case was touched. Basically utilize VJ as the great resource it is and use the strategies wisely and by all means use them when you need to. Keep busy. Heck plan your wedding, that should take your mind off the waiting.

Chynna

To be honest, it's not the waiting(but of course I want it to be over with) but I just want to know if my case is being looked at, and what's going on with it, but it's frustrating how they can't tell me that. As far as the wedding planning go, I'm pretty sure I'm doing the court wedding and then plan a church wedding later on, with how uscis is working that's the best advice I can give to fellow k1 visa filers...I had plans on having my wedding on march 18...but really??? that's not possible now...

[lovinghim18 4]

I would liken the waiting process with the USCIS to having a staring contest with a portrait at an art museum. In other words, you're going to lose. All you can do is wait. Yes, I know it sucks and I made ALL the same calls you did and sent letters to my senators and congressmen and even the white house and it speeded up absolutely NOTHING. When I would wait in their offices, they would call the USCIS and get the EXACT SAME unfathomable responses I would get myself off the internet. I even scheduled an Infopass meeting off the website, and drove three hours for the appointment for the lady in the immigration office to print off the processing timelines, circle them with a highlighter and hand them to me. Seriously, it stinks. To make it through the endless waiting some people go to the gym, some people go to the bar, some people stay home and cry all night with their fiances on skype. But EVERYONE ends up waiting. Well, except those folks who get approved in two weeks and I am convinced that God lets those folks happen just to drive the rest of us nuts!

LOL, that's funny....but seriously how does that happen? you send a thick package of everything and more, and you still wait forever...but everyone is misunderstanding me...my problem is I jsut want to know what's going on, are they looking at it, what is going on at this time, and all I get is that generic answer..Ughhh that is annoying....but it does seem like forever though, and you try to encourage yourself and the funny thing is every day I wake up I check my phone to see if I got a text message lol...but we will be approve one day right? lol

[lovinghim18 4]

Your NOA1 is October.... go grab a book, relax. 5 months is an average and you haven't even reached that point yet.

I understand, but wouldn't you like to know where your case is in the process, I'm not complaining about the time, although I would like it to be over with, I'm just curious that's all...

[lovinghim18 4]

I feel you on ALLLL of this.. I myself have just stop calling and said eff it! It was stressing me out and as well as putting a strain on me and my fiance but really what can we do Nothing. At least they told you March 4th as with me they just said they are working on August 21st and call back in 2 weeks whatever Iam not doing neither. Since I see they told you march 4th if nothing happens by than I will call back. It's not easy waiting it SUCKS especially after seeing people after you approved. But keep your head up!

It does, especially for you I Know it's tough...but I know you'll be approved soon, you just have to, aren't you going on 6 months now?