Last Updated.

[P+J 47]

I noticed on My Case Status that the Last Updated section changed to 2/09/12 today. Is this what you guys refer to as a "touched?" What exactly does that mean? Is it something they would update just upon moving the file around?

Edited February 10, 2012 by Paul86

[P+J 47]

ha nevermind. Got my answer. I hope these "touches" continue. Even if it doesn't amount to much, it makes me feel that at least something is happening.

[jkelly07 120]

it was picked up looked at, moved,every time a file is touched it is scaned. called a touch.

[P+J 47]

thanks JKelly. It feels good to know something is being done with it right now. I'll keep my fingers crossed for some luck with the processing time.

[Oksana & Max 94]

Touches really mean nothing. As other poster mentioned it could be just a move from one pile to another. In my case I had no touches at all, and got my NOA2, in 4.5 month.

[titantom 2]

I noticed on My Case Status that the Last Updated section changed to 2/09/12 today. Is this what you guys refer to as a "touched?" What exactly does that mean? Is it something they would update just upon moving the file around?

Hi Paul... I saw your post and our timelines are almost identical. So I checked mine, also with the VSC, and mine was touched too on 2/9... Anything is good... better than the silence, so I am hoping for quick processing too. Maybe we are in the same box or shipment...

[P+J 47]

That is awesome to hear titantom. And I agree. Anything is better than silence. At least we know that our petitions aren't idling at the bottom of some pile or in a random box somewhere. I actually talked to my attorney today about preparing my financial documents, and he did say something very interesting. He has been in this business for a while (over 20 years), and he thinks that the current processing times for petitions at VSC are aligning with what he saw in 2008. There were some pretty fast approvals back in 08. He actually remembered a couple cases he handled in 08 that were filed at a time similar to ours and came through between early and mid March with NOA2. I actually found a couple of timelines on this website with similar results. Even in terms of the touches. Although there is a bit of randomness with it all when it comes to approval, I'm happy to know that it's at least in the realm of possibility.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

I noticed on My Case Status that the Last Updated section changed to 2/09/12 today. Is this what you guys refer to as a "touched?" What exactly does that mean? Is it something they would update just upon moving the file around?

It means the box containing your file was moved somewhere in the building. Scanning it updates the location of the file for internal controls.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

thanks JKelly. It feels good to know something is being done with it right now. I'll keep my fingers crossed for some luck with the processing time.

hate to break the news to you but likely nothing is being done. The box got moved.

I never did get a touch and our case is still listed as "initial review" Alla's citizenship is approved.

[Tim/Mav 305]

Being able to see your File was looked at does help your Sanity.

Ever watch Charlie Brown try and kick the football when Lucy holds the Ball ?

LoL.. Hang in there.

[didopage 337]

More informations about touches here: http://www.visajourney.com/wiki/index.php/Touches

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Being able to see your File was looked at does help your Sanity.

Ever watch Charlie Brown try and kick the football when Lucy holds the Ball ?

LoL.. Hang in there.

His file was not "looked at"

Some people imagine that your file is handled multiple times and passed from one to another person in an assembly line fashion with each person reviewing some part and approving it or passing it to the next, dutifully registering a "touch" each time.

Not so.

When your file arrives it is disassembled and put into one of their folders, so no matter what you did to present it, that is taken apart and the adjudicator never sees your little tabs and dividers. It then is assigned a number and placed in a box. It stays in that box until it is opened by an adjudicator sometime later and approved or an RFE issued in about 20 minutes, not more. That os for an I-129f. The I-751s are done at a rate of 11 per hour! (expected production)

For example when your petition is sent to VSC it goes to the receiving facility in St Albans where it is disassembled and boxed. The case number is assigned and a letter is generated to you (NOA1) It then sits there for some time. At some point the box is loaded on a truck and sent to the office in Essex Jct., VT (Technology Park) where the box is scanned to register it now being in Essex Jct. It then sits there for some time, maybe months, and then the box is assigned to an adjudicator and the box is scanned again and now registered as assigned. The box is stacked in the adjudicators office and sits there for sometime. No one has seen you file yet, despite two "touches"

The online update system is about 60% reliable, less than your local 5 day weather forecast. Our case is still listed as "initial review" and no touches.

If it helps your sanity to check something that is not reliable and not an indicator of anything in particular...OK.

Better to spend time preparing for your fiancee.

Edited February 12, 2012 by Gary and Alla

[L+T 71]

His file was not "looked at"

Some people imagine that your file is handled multiple times and passed from one to another person in an assembly line fashion with each person reviewing some part and approving it or passing it to the next, dutifully registering a "touch" each time.

Not so.

When your file arrives it is disassembled and put into one of their folders, so no matter what you did to present it, that is taken apart and the adjudicator never sees your little tabs and dividers. It then is assigned a number and placed in a box. It stays in that box until it is opened by an adjudicator sometime later and approved or an RFE issued in about 20 minutes, not more. That os for an I-129f. The I-751s are done at a rate of 11 per hour! (expected production)

For example when your petition is sent to VSC it goes to the receiving facility in St Albans where it is disassembled and boxed. The case number is assigned and a letter is generated to you (NOA1) It then sits there for some time. At some point the box is loaded on a truck and sent to the office in Essex Jct., VT (Technology Park) where the box is scanned to register it now being in Essex Jct. It then sits there for some time, maybe months, and then the box is assigned to an adjudicator and the box is scanned again and now registered as assigned. The box is stacked in the adjudicators office and sits there for sometime. No one has seen you file yet, despite two "touches"

The online update system is about 60% reliable, less than your local 5 day weather forecast. Our case is still listed as "initial review" and no touches.

If it helps your sanity to check something that is not reliable and not an indicator of anything in particular...OK.

Better to spend time preparing for your fiancee.

Thank you for the information. I have a question. My "receipt number" is not available in case status. I called about this 1 week after getting receipt, call was escilated to officer because initial person could not see my case either... and she said due to computer glitch my case is not available in the public database (ie my case status), though she could see it. I asked if this affects processing and she said no. It is just bummer i cannot get data about file, or know if there is RFE pending or anything. Anyone ever hear of this? I don't see any discussion about this and everyone seems to get updates...? and what is this glitch as to why i cannot get update or see my status? She said call back in a month, so i will call next week to get status

[didopage 337]

Thank you for the information. I have a question. My "receipt number" is not available in case status. I called about this 1 week after getting receipt, call was escilated to officer because initial person could not see my case either... and she said due to computer glitch my case is not available in the public database (ie my case status), though she could see it. I asked if this affects processing and she said no. It is just bummer i cannot get data about file, or know if there is RFE pending or anything. Anyone ever hear of this? I don't see any discussion about this and everyone seems to get updates...? and what is this glitch as to why i cannot get update or see my status? She said call back in a month, so i will call next week to get status

A lot of people has the same problem (make a research on the VJ search bar), the USCIS "check status" tool is very unreliable. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. If the operator told you she can see your case, no need to worry. In the case you have a RFE, seeing it on the "check status" tool would not be very useful because you would not know what is the exact reason of the RFE (if it can "console" you). You only know it when you receive the hardcopy by mail.

PS: Have you filed for the K-1 petition? If yes, please update your profile, it's on F-1 visa right now. Also, I guess you received your first notice of action already, so you can update your timeline with your NOA1 date and put the correct service center (either Vermont or California, it's mentioned on the bottom left of your notice). Thanks.

Edited February 12, 2012 by didopage

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Thank you for the information. I have a question. My "receipt number" is not available in case status. I called about this 1 week after getting receipt, call was escilated to officer because initial person could not see my case either... and she said due to computer glitch my case is not available in the public database (ie my case status), though she could see it. I asked if this affects processing and she said no. It is just bummer i cannot get data about file, or know if there is RFE pending or anything. Anyone ever hear of this? I don't see any discussion about this and everyone seems to get updates...? and what is this glitch as to why i cannot get update or see my status? She said call back in a month, so i will call next week to get status

There is no data to get and the only thing you could see IF it was working correctly is if you got an RFE or not, it does not tell you what it is for, for example. It is a useless system and you have lost nothing. About 40% of the time the system does not work.