Check defficiency notice

[Ketsuban 1,034]

So despite having more than enough funds in my husband's bank account, the check bounced for our I-130 and they are now sending us a "check deficiency notice" that we have to act upon before they'll process anything.

I guess they will actually be sending the petition back and we will need to re-do the paperwork.

Does anyone have experience with this happening?

[Hypnos 6,576]

If there were sufficient funds, why did the cheque bounce?

[Ketsuban 1,034]

If there were sufficient funds, why did the cheque bounce?

I honestly have no idea. My husband even received the NoA1 last week, email and hardcopy. The hardcopy states that $420 has been received and there is $0.00 balance due. I checked on the USCIS site this morning like I always do, and it had moved back to "Acceptance" due to "insufficient funds".

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

It could be a mistake and the update was supposed to go on another person's file.

Answering your question--when other's have gotten the petition back because they made the check out incorrectly, for example, they just write a new check and mail the original petition back with it.

[Ketsuban 1,034]

It could be a mistake and the update was supposed to go on another person's file.

Answering your question--when other's have gotten the petition back because they made the check out incorrectly, for example, they just write a new check and mail the original petition back with it.

I think it may be my husband's bank playing games or something. The charge was pending for a few days then vanished entirely. I want to stress again that he had more than enough money and no other huge payments went out that would take him under the amount needed. We're both very confused. He is going to contact his bank and the USCIS to see what can be done at this moment.

[Hypnos 6,576]

I don't doubt that it was a USCIS mistake; the level of ineptitude there in some small, but significant, areas is staggering.

Hopefully it will be smoother sailing once you're over this hiccup.

[Ketsuban 1,034]

I don't doubt that it was a USCIS mistake; the level of ineptitude there in some small, but significant, areas is staggering.

Hopefully it will be smoother sailing once you're over this hiccup.

We have a theory over what has happened.

When we sent the petition off, my husband feared that they would process the check before he was paid, so he called his bank to ask them to cover the check and he would pay them back. They agreed and said they would provide a temporary overdraft of $420 for a $30 fee. Phew, problem solved, we thought.

Well, we think the customer service rep somehow completely misinterpreted what he said, and instead cancelled the check and charged him a bounced check fee.

If they did do that, then I can think of a few things I would like to do to that customer service rep.

In any case... we're just going to wait for the invoice and/or petition to come back and send it off again with a money order this time around. I was freaking out this morning, but you know, all that's really happened is we've lost a couple of weeks and will just have to re-submit. No biggie.

[Ketsuban 1,034]

So just wanted to update on this:

Hubby received an invoice for $450.00 (the $420.00 fee plus a $30.00 admin fee for the bounced check) with a remittance slip attached to the bottom. He had the option to send that back with a check/money order, or alternatively, he could call the Burlington Finance Center and pay by card. He opted to pay by card to speed things up since he had 14 days from the day the invoice was printed to pay.

The reason the payment bounced was printed as "STOP PAYMENT/NOT AUTHORISED BY CUSTOMER", so hopefully my husband will put in a complaint with his bank.

e.gov still shows the "case suspended" notice, but I know it isn't a reliable source of info.

I hope this helps others who have this happen to them.

Forgot to add a crucial part: The petition wasn't sent back - USCIS still have it

Edited October 23, 2013 by Ketsuban