Notice Undeliverable

[PandaMaker 24]

An update to our case status indicates that a notice for our I-485 and EAD has been returned by the USPS as undeliverable. We have never filed any forward or hold request with USPS, and called USCIS immediately to verify that they still have the correct address. I've lived here for over a year. My wife had previously received NOA1s and her SS card in the mail, at this address, with no problems.

We strongly believe these notices are for her biometrics appointment. The USCIS representative submitted a resend request and originally told us to wait 15 days, but now they are saying to wait 30 days. They won't tell us what kind of notice it is.

We have already spoken to the Post Office in person and also spoke to our courier. They've investigated and do not know why we didn't receive this mail. We've now taped our names inside our mailbox, just in case.

We also attempted to make an Infopass appointment, but keep getting a message that no appointment is available at the office near us (Los Angeles-area)

My understanding is that the biometrics notice states that it's abandonment of the application if the appointment is missed. If this is indeed a biometrics appointment letter, what other options do we have, other than wait?

Thanks all!

[Darnell 8,479]

a CSR cannot see returned mail pieces

but

an ISO, A Tier 2 Human, can .

when/if the Tier 2 Human sees the nix'd mail back from USPS, they can resend it to you,

if and only if

you are successful in getting an ISO and they verify you have nix'd postal mail.

In the interim - make a name card, with all names and all derivations of the names, tape it inside the mailbox where you live. You could also meet the route carrier sub-human 3 to 5 times over the week, introduce your spouse to that sub-human. IMO, that sub-human posing as a mail-carrier got it wrong, and there's no way to fix it or retrieve the mail instantly. All you can do at the USPS side is 1] put the name card in the box and 2] make a new friend with the sub-humans that carry your mail.

Now then, time and timings - lets assume for a moment, you were successful in getting an ISO, and they found yer returned mail, and they resent it to you. Now you might have a biometrics letter with a past-date on it - simply walk into the biometrics office with the letter and tell the security guard that USPS f'ed up on the delivery a month prior. That security guard will let you in, and you explain again to the human at ASC office about the USPS problem - they will let her handle the biometrics, no problem. USUALLY you have 30 days past the appointment date - after that USCIS declares things to be dead and you must start over.

Other time and timing bits - wait about 10 days from the 'knowing date' about the nix'd mail, then call into USCIS, get an ISO. The first human that you spoke with, prior (sorry, my assumption) was a CSR and they did a 'Service Request' on you. A Service Request on nix'd mail does nothing. No one works those. You need an ISO instead - an ISO will issue a resend order once it's actually there and you have spoken with them.

That's it, pretty much. USPS f-ups suck. They are avoidable, when using a name card, as the sub-human carrying the mail will read the name card and know something, in real time.

[Darnell 8,479]

ps - i see (now) that you've made a name card, so it's time to make a new friend, or a collection of new friends - those sub-humans that deliver mail to your address. I assume your spouse isn't so busy during the day, so she can hang out and wait for them, meet them, give them some cookies or donuts or even home-baked brownies.

A simple act of kindness, to these sub-humans, helps them remember names.

[QueenComley 295]

Do you live in an apartment complex? This sounds so random, but at the start of this process I was told that if I live In an apartment complex I must ensure that my mailbox has my name on it, otherwise any mail from USCIS can be returned. I have NO IDEA if this is true, but rather than take the risk I stuck my name on the inside and outside of my mail box. Can anyone else confirm if they have heard this before??

[Darnell 8,479]

name cards are important, I have written of it almost 4 years here now, as well as how to retrieve nix'd mail from USCIS.

advanced search tool, best used on a PC:

1. search terms -> 'ISO returned mail'

2. member name -> 'Darnell'

3. click on 'Display as posts'

and you'll see all I've written about it, here at VJ.

[PandaMaker 24]

Thanks for the replies!

Yes, I live in an apartment complex, with all the mailboxes in a centralized location. We immediately taped our names in the mailbox as soon as we were aware of this problem.

In reply to QueenComley, I can't say that it's an absolute necessity to do this, but it certainly will help, as we have learned. Again, my wife did receive her NOA1s for these applications, last month, and also her SS card, so at least in the beginning, there were no problems.

I've already met with my courier here last week and had a friendly non-confrontational conversation about our problem. He seemed nice enough and told me he will keep a good eye for us. I'll tell my wife to introduce herself as well. I also asked my mom in AZ to send my wife first class mail just to see if we will have further problems with her mail.

First thing Monday is 10 days, so I'll attempt to get a Tier 2 officer, and see if we can get the mail located and the resend expedited.

The best thing is, thanks for the reassurance that they can be lenient about this biometrics appointment at times. I know nothing's guaranteed, but there's hope now.

[Darnell 8,479]

hint: a CSR cannot see returned postal pieces in the computer. An ISO CAN see them, and issue a resend order. No service request required.

[PandaMaker 24]

Update: We called today and was transferred to a Tier 2 ISO. The wait was almost three hours, but we weren't going to hang up.

It turns out the notice was indeed for the biometrics appointment, and the appointment date was February 20th. He wouldn't resend, but he did put in a request for a reschedule and told is to wait up to 30 days from today to receive it in the mail. I guess even if he did resend, we'd be past that unofficial 30 day grace period anyway.

Here's hoping for a successful reschedule and no more mail problems in the future.

[Darnell 8,479]

bizarre, but ok - mischief managed, mostly.

Go Get Em, and Good Luck !

[PandaMaker 24]

Update: We received a notice for a biometrics appointment scheduled for the end of this month.

It looks like our journey is back on track. Thanks for the help!!!

[QueenComley 295]

Fantastic news

[Darnell 8,479]

Yay !