Uncertain Status

[rob40 0]

Hey all,

Me and my Fiance are beginning to grow very stressed over the K-1 Visa process, and I'm hoping some of the people here can provide a little insight. My apologies if this has been asked and answered before, but I couldn't really find anything after quite a bit of searching (and not just on this website!)

For some background:

May 28, 2013 - Petition mailed

June 04, 2013 - NOA1, Current processing times listed at 5 months

August 09, 2013 - RFE1

August 28, 2013 - RFE Response Received, told there would be a decision or update within 60 days

Oct 27th, 2013 - 60 day mark passes

Nov 1st, 2013 - Outside normal processing times, request for update submitted via phone

Nov 14th, 2013 - Email update stating that we are within the normal processing time (which is and has remained 5 months)

A couple of other things:

1. When I contacted them by phone, they could not locate the case based on my receipt number at first (I gave them the correct one, and I'm not sure what changed that allowed them to find it). This really worries me.

2. http://www.visajourney.com/timeline/ (Unofficial, I know) Currently says that applications with a NOA1 date of July 23rd are being processed, while ours is June 4th. We have no outstanding RFE or anything else on our end that would hold the case up.

Anyways, the big thing for us is that we just want to know that there isn't a problem or the case hasn't been lost on the bottom of the pile (again, the problem locating our details really concerns me here). I totally understand that everyone is a special snowflake and we can't jump ahead in the line and that's fine (as much as it sucks), but we're hearing that we are outside normal processing times from USCIS Customer Service, and then that we aren't from the agency a few days later, and we're nearly two months behind the current processing time. How can we find out if there's an issue? (the USCIS website just lists RFE Response Review).

Any more importantly, though I strongly suspect it's a pipe dream, is there anything we can do to get things moving?

[emily.carles 1]

Question: Am I understanding you correctly that your case has moved from the USCIS to the NVC? If it is at the NVC this is what I suggest: Call and ask to speak with a supervisor. There shouldn't be any resistance although it may take some time to get through to one. If they tell you the supervisor is busy call back at another time to try and catch one. But get on the phone with a supervisor. Tell them everything you put here and be strong.

I had a problem where they lost our Police Certificate and outright told me they didn't have it. I called and spoke to a supervisor and they put my case for review which takes up to 15 business days to accomplish. At the end of the 15 business days I called again and they had found the paper and our case was complete.

Moral of the story: keep calling and be confident and strong but polite.

Best of luck!

[Hypnos 6,578]

You can try contacting the DHS Ombudsman: https://cisomb.dhs.gov/oca/form7001.aspx

[Gosia & Tito 199]

Hey all,

Me and my Fiance are beginning to grow very stressed over the K-1 Visa process, and I'm hoping some of the people here can provide a little insight. My apologies if this has been asked and answered before, but I couldn't really find anything after quite a bit of searching (and not just on this website!)

For some background:

May 28, 2013 - Petition mailed

June 04, 2013 - NOA1, Current processing times listed at 5 months

August 09, 2013 - RFE1

August 28, 2013 - RFE Response Received, told there would be a decision or update within 60 days

Oct 27th, 2013 - 60 day mark passes

Nov 1st, 2013 - Outside normal processing times, request for update submitted via phone

Nov 14th, 2013 - Email update stating that we are within the normal processing time (which is and has remained 5 months)

A couple of other things:

1. When I contacted them by phone, they could not locate the case based on my receipt number at first (I gave them the correct one, and I'm not sure what changed that allowed them to find it). This really worries me.

2. http://www.visajourney.com/timeline/ (Unofficial, I know) Currently says that applications with a NOA1 date of July 23rd are being processed, while ours is June 4th. We have no outstanding RFE or anything else on our end that would hold the case up.

Anyways, the big thing for us is that we just want to know that there isn't a problem or the case hasn't been lost on the bottom of the pile (again, the problem locating our details really concerns me here). I totally understand that everyone is a special snowflake and we can't jump ahead in the line and that's fine (as much as it sucks), but we're hearing that we are outside normal processing times from USCIS Customer Service, and then that we aren't from the agency a few days later, and we're nearly two months behind the current processing time. How can we find out if there's an issue? (the USCIS website just lists RFE Response Review).

Any more importantly, though I strongly suspect it's a pipe dream, is there anything we can do to get things moving?

I'd say not to worry too much. USCIS is famous for their warped timelines, not finding cases, etc.

If you did get a notice that RFE was received, that is good. With USCIS, in most cases, no news is good news; whe you do get something is likley to be the NOA2 approval.

If you feel you want to still be active in doing something, contact your representative. Many here will say it's useless, some other would swear by it. Our particular case was that I did contact Rep. Cornyn (I'm also in Texas), I send his office a letter stating the facts of our case, with an authorization to check (it's all in his web site); couple of days letter I got a note that they were contacting USCIS; day letter I got a form letter, and 2 days letter I get our petition approval notice by e-mail, Paper one showed up a few days later. Coincidence? Perhaps, but at least I felt I was actively doing what I could.

Others here will tell to just wait patiently, and they are not wrong, patience is the name of the game here.

[rob40 0]

Thanks all for the replies.

Emily:

Our case has not been moved to the NVC. From my understanding when that happens, things will begin to move pretty quickly.

Hypnos:

Thanks for the link to the Ombudsman. I hadn't seen that before so I'll definitely look into it and see if it will help us.

Gosia and Tito:

I've heard the line about no news being good news before. Ultimately I believe it to be true, but that doesn't make it easier to hold down the concern when you're in the middle of a no news period. Our local representative is Pete Sessions, and I had actually gotten the paperwork together to send off to him a couple days ago but I thought I would see if anyone else had any insight first. I think I'll send it off tomorrow.

The replies here are reassuring, and we appreciate them greatly. Thank you all!

[TBoneTX 46,443]

*** Thread moved from K-1 Process forum to the K-1 Case Progress subforum. ***

[janet&adonis 57]

You can also get in touch with your local congressman or senator. They usually get things moving