J-1 Waiver Timelines 2016

[Javilasardar 10]

Hi, is anyone here waiting to receive approval on their I-612 from the USCIS? My case is based on 'no objection' and it may be helpful for some of us if we post our timelines here. I received my receipt notice in early January (dated Jan. 4th, hardcopy received Jan. 7th). Complete silence since then...

Edited February 2, 2016 by jayess21

[teeak 224]

Have you contacted USCIS to know the status of the case?

[Javilasardar 10]

Have you contacted USCIS to know the status of the case?

Yes, after waiting over 30 days since USCIS receipt date, I called them up today. I was able to talk to the immigration officer, who informed me that the center processing my case (i.e. Vermont) is currently processing those received in November (!). This sunk my heart. It is however not clear if those cases are based on 'no objection' or 'hardship,' etc. The latter takes longer at USCIS. I placed a request for expedited processing by phone, which he was quite willing to do. I was informed that USCIS will inform me within 5 calendar days if it will accept the expedited processing request.

My question is has anyone placed an expedited processing request by phone? Has that worked? Does the USCIS ask for supporting evidence or does it just turn the request down without asking for any evidence?

[medicalguy 11]

I went through exceptional hardship waiver, but for what it is worth my timeline is in my signature.

[Javilasardar 10]

I went through exceptional hardship waiver, but for what it is worth my timeline is in my signature.

Thanks so much!

I am happy to report that my J-1 waiver application has just been approved. And thus a 9.5 months journey draws to a close. What a relief! Also, glad that I have the approval before receiving a J1-related RFE for my AOS application.

[teeak 224]

Congrats! Maybe that expedite request nudged them to adjudicate it!

[Javilasardar 10]

Congrats! Maybe that expedite request nudged them to adjudicate it!

Thanks. May be...

[researcher_br 0]

Hi All,

Just want to share my timeline for J1 waiver application based on no-objection.

For the newbies, the process is not hard, I recommend if you have experience in grant applications I suggest that you should do it yourself. I did with a lawyer and it was a sequence of mistakes and waste of my precious time and money.

The total process for receiving the favorable recommendation was about two months including the lawyer mistake of not sending the Form G-28 (only if you are using a lawyer) with the initial application and requesting the non-objection only in February, way later than it should be. His mistakes cost me at least one month in delays.

***********************************************************

J1 waiver timeline based on non-objection

Documents received by DOS - February 17, 2016

No Objection Statement - March 08, 2016

Incomplete Information Letter - March 21, 2016

Update documents received - April 13, 2016

Favorable recommendation sent - April 21, 2016

*************************************************************

Edited April 22, 2016 by researcher_br

[SoM11 1]

Hi there,

I wanted to share my timeline with you regarding my J1 waiver application based on No-objection. It's been 7 months that I'm waiting and it's not done yet. 7 looong months....

-I sent all my documents to DOS on 10/08/2015

-I applied to my embassy (French embassy) for No objection letter on 10/23/2015

-Documents received by DOS on 10/29/2015

-No-objection letter sent by French embassy to DOS on 12/09/2015

-On 1/16/2016 still no sign of no-objection letter on DOS website, so I emailed DOS and they gave me a fax number so that the french embassy can resend the no-objection letter.

-No-objection statement received on 12/16/2015 magically appears on DOS website on 1/17/2016. So weird... either they've lost the letter or they forgot to update their website???

-Sponsor views requested on 03/08/2016.

-Sponsor views (unacceptable) received on 4/05/2016. I started to freak out and emailed my old sponsors. They said to me that they sent a favorable recommendation to DOS but sometimes the word "unacceptable" appears due to a glitch in DOS system!!!

-Favorable recommendation sent on 4/08/2016

So today (4/26/2016), I still haven't heard from USCIS. I didn't receive the receipt notice or favorable DOS recommendation.

It would be great if people in the same situation could share their 2016 timeline.

Thanks!

[raghunath 0]

Your comment is awaiting moderation.

Incomplete information letter sent June 14, 2016
No Objection Statement Received June 14, 2016
Fee Received June 1, 2016
Form DS-3035 Received June 1, 2016
Form DS-2019 Received June 1, 2016
Passport Data Page Received June 1, 2016
Statement Of Reason Received June 1, 2016

My case has received by Dos on June 1st 2016. DoS also received NOS on June 14, 2016. However, on the same day, it has been updated as “incomplete information letter sent”. Anybody have any idea about this “incomplete information letter sent”? I have not received anything from DoS yet.
Thanks
Raghu

[soc 0]

Hi, is anyone here waiting to receive approval on their I-612 from the USCIS? My case is based on 'no objection' and it may be helpful for some of us if we post our timelines here. I received my receipt notice in early January (dated Jan. 4th, hardcopy received Jan. 7th). Complete silence since then...

Hello Jayess,

Thank you for sharing your experience. I was surprised to see that you asked for the response of an I-612 but you filed for No Objection, which I understand only requires form DS-3035. I haven't received anything since the DoS sent a recommendation to USCIS and now wonder if they are expecting an I-612 too or something. Can you please explain? I'd appreciate that very much.

Best wishes

[plinioandrade 0]

Good afternoon,

I'm Brazilian and I went to the U.S. in August 2013 and moved back to Brazil in December 2013. I participated in the Brazilian Government`s program called 'Science without Borders' (Ciência sem Fronteiras). I started my J-1 Waiver process as soon as I got in Brazil (January 2015) but CAPES (the Brazilian Government sponsor) just gave me the No Objection letter in July 2016. So, I would like to share with you guys my current timeline and I would like to ask those who already got their final Waiver letter some questions:

• How was the Favorable Recomendation sent to your address? Did they use the self addressed envelope? Did you guys got it while in the USA or in your home country?
• How was the USCIS receipt received? Self addressed envelope or just a common post office letter?
• How was the final Waiver lettter received? Self addressed envelope?
• How long did it take since the Favorable Recommendation letter until the final Waiver Letter?

Here is my current Timeline:

Department of State Advisory Opinion Finding: Favorable Recommendation
Item Action Date

• Recommendation Sent July, 28 2016
• No Objection Statement Received July, 08 2016
• Fee Received January, 20 2015
• Form DS-3035 Received January, 20 2015
• Form DS-2019 Received January, 20 2015
• Passport Data Page Received January, 20 2015
• Statement Of Reason Received January, 20 2015
• Other Received January, 20 2015

Edited August 8, 2016 by plinioandrade

[plinioandrade 0]

Good night,

I'm so frustrated with USCIS Customer Representatives. Every time I call USCIS trying to get the Receipt Number for my process they have no idea of what I'm talking about. I tell them I filed the DS-3035 and the only thing they say is: "This isn't a USCIS form. You need to contact the Department of State".

I explain to them that the process starts in the Department of State but I already got my Favorable Recommendation and it says the case was forward to the USCIS and that I need to contact USCIS to know about my case. It looks like they don't know about the No Objection process. They always ask me if I filed the I-612. Looking online in the I-612 form webpage it is clear that I don't need to file it if I'm applying for a No Objection Waiver.

I don't think I'm getting my Receipt Notification by post mail because I just sent ONE self-addressed envelope and the address on the envelope doesn't match the address of my DS-3035.

Can someone advice me what to do now?

Sincerely,

[plinioandrade 0]

So guys, I got good news.

Eventually I realized that USCIS deal just with I-xxx forms and I realized that once the Department of State sends the Favorable Recommendation to UCSIS an I-612 form is assigned to it. So, if you call USCIS to know about your process just tell them that you filed the I-612 to get your receipt number. I told the Customer Representative that I've filed the I-612, my Full Name, my Date of Birth and my address and he found my receipt number.

As I was expecting I accessed USCIS Case Status webpage and it says they got my case on August 1st and they mailed me a notice.

I never got the notice because my Brazilian address was defined as my mailing address. Maybe the notice is still coming. Anyway, I changed the mailing address to an American address then the final waiver document is going to be received faster. Now I'm waiting for the final decision.

Sincerely,

[larissaf 1]

Hello Plinio,

I am also a former CSF student, and we are in the same boat. I did get the DoS letter via email, though. Let me share my timeline with you, and I am still waiting on USCIS as well, really stressful.

Recommendation Sent July, 05 2016

Fee Received June, 02 2016

Form DS-3035 Received June, 02 2016

Form DS-2019 Received June, 02 2016

No Objection Statement Received June, 02 2016

Passport Data Page Received June, 02 2016

Statement Of Reason Received June, 02 2016

I recently got the letter from USCIS and another one from the DoS, that just says what we already know. The USCIS received my process on July 12. Until now, I haven't heard anything, and it took about 20 days to get those two letters at my Brazilian address. Hope to come here with good news soon.

Trying to answer your questions, I don't know what they do with the self-addressed envelopes, but don't worry, they will send all the mail to the current address that you provided them. The newest person that I know that got the waiver is also from Brazil, and she waited 33 days between the DoS Favorable Recommendation and the USCIS decision.

Edited August 12, 2016 by larissaf