Help!!! Others getting approved!!!

[Maeri 1]

I really don't understand what really is going on with the process in Minnesota. Have been reading/seeing a lot of couple getting approved before us. going through their timeline seeing that it took them just 3-5 months from date of filing to getting approved in Minnesota. Its been 9 months still nothing from USCIS. Am so confuse, i really don't know what to do!

Can someone please advice me on what to do next? is so depressing.

Edited December 31, 2012 by Mary & Greg

[Kathryn41 3,205]

You could 'try' calling the 1-800 information number and ask to speak to an Immigration officer saying your petition is outside of the normal processing times and you want to find out why, and if they require further information from you. The person who answers the phone is not able to answer your questions, although they will try. They are not immigration officials - just Call Center employees working off of a script. You want them to forward your call to the second tier, to someone who actually can access your computer file and see if there is anything listed that can explain the delay. If you are not able to get to an Immigration Officer (Tier one people are very good at running interference to stop calls from actually reaching real immigration staff so you may not get forwarded), you could make an Infopass appointment with your closest USCIS office and ask them for an update on your case status in person. Bring with you all of the documentation you had submitted with the AOS and any additional supporting documentation you have up to this date that shows how the two of you have co-mingled your financial, personal and social lives. This may - or may not - help you move the process along but it may give you an idea of why there is a delay.

There does not seem to be a rhyme or reason for why some petitions get processed faster than others. It may be that yours is sitting on the desk of some Immigration officer who has been assigned to processing other visas right now and will get back to the waiting 'pile' when he/she finishes those. It could be that there was some sort of name hit or delay on the FBI security search and they are doing further investigations based upon that 'hit'. It could be that those who were approved so quickly were pulled from the waiting pile for 'training purposes' and so were processed out of order. It could be that your file is waiting for a transfer to CSC to receive a green card without an interview.

I can appreciate your frustration. My AOS petition took 23 months to be approved - and it ended up being approved without an interview. I have no idea why it took so long as it was more than twice as long as the average waiting processing time for everyone else. We received no RFE and there was never any explanation, although I suspect it did get 'lost' on someone's desk for a while as well. If I had known about the Infopass option, I would have made one at the time. It might have shaken the petition free of whatever black hole it had fallen into, earlier than it was.

Good luck.

Edited December 31, 2012 by Kathryn41

[Segers2012 1]

I really don't understand what really is going on with the process in Minnesota. Have been reading/seeing a lot of couple getting approved before us. going through their timeline seeing that it took them just 3-5 months from date of filing to getting approved in Minnesota. Its been 9 months still nothing from USCIS. Am so confuse, i really don't know what to do!

Can someone please advice me on what to do next? is so depressing.

Wow, 9 months and no word from USCIS? I don't know where your other half is coming from (country) but you should call USCIS and ask what's going on. It is free, so just pick up the phone and buzz them. Make sure you have your Receipt # handy. Best of luck! xxx

[bigdog 376]

If an info pass or a call for status does not resolve it, try the ombudsman's office. Ours was 10 months with an interview.

[cobblebach 2]

I really don't understand what really is going on with the process in Minnesota. Have been reading/seeing a lot of couple getting approved before us. going through their timeline seeing that it took them just 3-5 months from date of filing to getting approved in Minnesota. Its been 9 months still nothing from USCIS. Am so confuse, i really don't know what to do!

Can someone please advice me on what to do next? is so depressing.

Katheryn gave very good advice. I know it's hard to wait, we've been waiting since July '11. Heck it took almost a year to get our fiancé visa approved. I'm not sure it it's just MN, or if it's just the ineptitude of the California Service Center. I think it's just ineptitude. Write your congressman, request information, and just hang on and wait. As long as you are here and with your loved one, try not to worry. God Bless.

[Highyella72 11]

Katheryn gave very good advice. I know it's hard to wait, we've been waiting since July '11. Heck it took almost a year to get our fiancé visa approved. I'm not sure it it's just MN, or if it's just the ineptitude of the California Service Center. I think it's just ineptitude. Write your congressman, request information, and just hang on and wait. As long as you are here and with your loved one, try not to worry. God Bless.

Its not the CSC only. I am at the VSC and have been waiting more than 9 months for my CR1. I filed March 29, 2012...... I have contacted my congressman and he is also getting the same response as me. Nothing is being accomplished and I keep hearing you case is with an officer and is currently being reviewed. For months now I have heard the same thing. Good luck and hopefully yours will come soon.

[VanessaTony 3,567]

I really don't understand what really is going on with the process in Minnesota. Have been reading/seeing a lot of couple getting approved before us. going through their timeline seeing that it took them just 3-5 months from date of filing to getting approved in Minnesota. Its been 9 months still nothing from USCIS. Am so confuse, i really don't know what to do!

Can someone please advice me on what to do next? is so depressing.

There's nothing you can do but wait. Friend of mine is at the St. Paul office and she's found out that there's just a bit of a backlog. She's been waiting a while as well.

I see you just filed your EAD in December 2012. You could try asking for an expedite on that if you need to be working or whatever. This is a good reason why you should file for the EAD and AP (if you don't have overstay) at the same time as AOS.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Topic has been moved from AOS from Family Based Visa to AOS from Work, Student and Visitor based Visa forum as the OP is adjusting from a student visa.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Moderator hat off . . it sounds like you have done everything that is doable at this point in time. Since you are adjusting from a student visa from a country which has had a high degree of fraud associated with it, it may be that the security checks are taking longer than usual as they are trying to be very sure this is likely to be a valid relationship. I know it isn't comfortable to learn that USCIS does scrutinize applicants from certain countries more strenuously than from others, but it is a reality. Nigeria is one of those countries that often gains a 'closer' look. There may also be other 'red flags' that you don't know about that have come up in the security check so they are double checking those.

Since you are adjusting from a non-family based visa, you will have an interview. Interviews can sometimes take longer to schedule, especially in smaller local USCIS offices, since they have to process a lot of different types of visas and immigration petitions/documents with a smaller number of immigration officers available. I really suspect that it is a combination of these circumstances that is leading to your processing time taking longer than usual.

Hang in there, keep collecting your evidence that this is a valid and loving marriage, and start preparing for your interview. The good news is that you are together for this process rather than having to wait separated by thousands of miles of ocean and that your partner was able to be approved for a student visa from Nigeria to begin with. That will definitely be in your favour.

Edited January 1, 2013 by Kathryn41

[eagle+eyed 8]

I hear you OP We filed in April for green card, husband came here in January on K-1... still waiting on that green card! We're in Minnesota too... and seeing everyone else getting through few months ago! It's the waiting game...

[Xanax 349]

To me it sounds like your application is going through AP with such a long wait. Is your application in AP (administrative processing), IE/ extra background checks etc? Do you know?

If I were you, I would call USCIS on the 800 number and ask to speak to a tier 2 person. When I called I would just answer all the tier 1 questions and then I would say "I know you really want to help and I know you can only give me so much information so please transfer me to a tier 2 representative or your supervisor". They always did but I always had to wait on the phone for between 5-45 minutes for said person. "Ask is my case in administrative processing?, if not why have I been waiting 9 months when the approximated priority date for St Paul is June 02?" "If not can I please request an expedite based on my case being before the current priority date?"

I also WOULD NOT make an info pass appointment at Saint Paul. My husband and I brought all our documents, I-797's , everything... and the USCIS agent looked at us , asked what we filed (did not look at our mountain of paperwork or any of it at all) and when and then basically told us she could not tell us anything and would not even look up our case on her computer or anything! It was unbelievably frustrating and she did not even attempt to look into our case. We had much better luck/ service via the 800 number.

Edited January 2, 2013 by Xanax

[Xanax 349]

St Paul (MN) Priority dates

It says this on their site , right below the processing times:

IMPORTANT: If your receipt notice date is earlier then the processing date shown, we suggest you call our USCIS Customer Service Office at 1-800-375-5283 for assistance.

When / if you do call, I advise to be as clear , concise and forceful (as you can without being rude) or you may get the run around.

[Maeri 1]

Thanks a lot guys. I already schedule an infopass for Friday hoping something good is gonna come out of it!

[Xanax 349]

Thanks a lot guys. I already schedule an infopass for Friday hoping something good is gonna come out of it!

Don't be upset if they are no help at all. I warned you

[travelfairy 22]

I'm in MN too and everything is going super slowly. I'm beginning to think we should have a Meetup for AOS filers dealing with the Saint Paul office!

[eagle+eyed 8]

YES!!!!!!!

On January 5, 2013, your I485, APPLICATION TO REGISTER PERMANENT RESIDENCE OR TO ADJUST STATUS was approved.

Minnesota--- they working on a Saturday!!