Expedite Request Causing Hold Up?

[MickeyB 15]

We are April filers. We filed an expedite back May 12, which we never heard back about. I called two weeks after the request & they told me to call back in a month. We decided if we hadn't heard back by then we wouldn't even bother calling because in NOA2s for April filers would start rolling in at the end of June.

Anyways so NOA2s have started rolling in & most around me have either been approved or RFEs sent. I know I still have plenty of time to get it, I just wondered if anyone knew if that request for expedite & not hearing back could cause a delay for us?

& if so is there anything I should do?

[Taylor93 20]

What was your expedite request for? Did the email you asking to fax supporting documentation?

[MickeyB 15]

What was your expedite request for? Did the email you asking to fax supporting documentation?

Yes we faxed in the supporting documentation

When was your NOA1? We had our NOA1 April 11 and NOA2 June 28, but there are still many petitions with NOA1 before ours that have not received NOA2 yet.

NOA1 was April 12th. I know it's in no order and we could be one of those that isn't approved until July or August, but I just thought about this and wanted to see if anyone had any insight since I noticed the ones around me approved or with RFEs. Edited June 30, 2016 by MickeyB

[Penguin_ie 5,993]

There is some anectodal evidence on VJ of denied expedites (which you often hear nothing about) delaying a case, but not by much; 2-3 weeks at the most. This is because they work on cases a but like an assembly line; when you request an expedite, they pull your case out of the queue and look at it, and then put it back not where it was, but where they are now, so while "further down".

If you feel you have a strong case for expedite, you can request again at NVC stage, and at the embassy.

[MickeyB 15]

There is some anectodal evidence on VJ of denied expedites (which you often hear nothing about) delaying a case, but not by much; 2-3 weeks at the most. This is because they work on cases a but like an assembly line; when you request an expedite, they pull your case out of the queue and look at it, and then put it back not where it was, but where they are now, so while "further down".

If you feel you have a strong case for expedite, you can request again at NVC stage, and at the embassy.

Since we never got a formal denial, should I call to cancel the request for expedite? Or even without a formal denial it was still denied and should be back in queue?

[Penguin_ie 5,993]

Since we never got a formal denial, should I call to cancel the request for expedite? Or even without a formal denial it was still denied and should be back in queue?

No need to cancel it, they simply didn't grant it, it will be back in the queue by now.

[MickeyB 15]

No need to cancel it, they simply didn't grant it, it will be back in the queue by now.

Okay perfect, that's all I wanted to be sure of. Thanks for your help!

[Shauneg 762]

Yes we faxed in the supporting documentation

NOA1 was April 12th. I know it's in no order and we could be one of those that isn't approved until July or August, but I just thought about this and wanted to see if anyone had any insight since I noticed the ones around me approved or with RFEs.

I know it won't help you but my expedite was requested, received, I got an email asking for evidence, I sent it within the hour in an email, got another received email, and approval shortly after.......all on the same day. I know it usually doesn't happen that fast but yours it a bit too long.

[Pennycat 880]

You won't know one way or the other until your NOA2 comes in. No one really knows how it works, and VJ doesn't track expedite requests and the statistics. The K1s are such a short timeline (relative to all the rest) that I suppose it's possible that an expedite request could actually set you back, but it's unlikely. Did they email you at all after the expedite request? We put in an expedite request based on a medical issue. I didn't expect to get it, and we didn't (I received an email response a day or two later), and we got our NOA2 on the earlier side of normal for what was happening at the time.

The only reason I'd think it would be possible is that I picture it as if your request warranted them pulling your file. I think for most, they just read whatever you send in and say no, like they did with us, and for some they at least look into it, which would mean getting the physical file and doing something with it. In that case, I'd assume that your file has to go to whatever person or office handles the expedites. Who knows if they've got a huge stack of them (remember, most visa petition timelines are in months and years, not weeks, so waiting a month for your turn at the expedite office still speeds things up for them, but could slow it down for K1s, so in theory you could get the expedite but it's still slower than normal speed--- I sincerely doubt that this is the case but anything is possible, and that's how it would happen). The other big question mark if your file gets pulled is if/when the expedite is rejected if they put you back in your place in line or at the end? I doubt they'd put the files back at "the end" but again, who knows. It is USCIS after all.

You're just a few days beyond the VJ estimate. The estimates are averages/ballpark, and some will be faster and some will be slower--for no external factors other than that's just how math works. Put in external factors like individual staff workload/efficiency/time off, individual case complications (anecdotally, I've noticed that people from VWP countries who have been the US many times come in on the longer side of normal, and I wonder if that's because they need to consult CBP for entries and exists or something like that), and there's a fairly wide range (I'd say plus or minus 2 weeks from the VJ estimate). I still think you'll hear in the next 2 weeks or so.

It is really strange that you haven't heard about the expedite request at all. Not even an acknowledgement of receipt? Nothing at all?

[MickeyB 15]

You won't know one way or the other until your NOA2 comes in. No one really knows how it works, and VJ doesn't track expedite requests and the statistics. The K1s are such a short timeline (relative to all the rest) that I suppose it's possible that an expedite request could actually set you back, but it's unlikely. Did they email you at all after the expedite request? We put in an expedite request based on a medical issue. I didn't expect to get it, and we didn't (I received an email response a day or two later), and we got our NOA2 on the earlier side of normal for what was happening at the time.

The only reason I'd think it would be possible is that I picture it as if your request warranted them pulling your file. I think for most, they just read whatever you send in and say no, like they did with us, and for some they at least look into it, which would mean getting the physical file and doing something with it. In that case, I'd assume that your file has to go to whatever person or office handles the expedites. Who knows if they've got a huge stack of them (remember, most visa petition timelines are in months and years, not weeks, so waiting a month for your turn at the expedite office still speeds things up for them, but could slow it down for K1s, so in theory you could get the expedite but it's still slower than normal speed--- I sincerely doubt that this is the case but anything is possible, and that's how it would happen). The other big question mark if your file gets pulled is if/when the expedite is rejected if they put you back in your place in line or at the end? I doubt they'd put the files back at "the end" but again, who knows. It is USCIS after all.

You're just a few days beyond the VJ estimate. The estimates are averages/ballpark, and some will be faster and some will be slower--for no external factors other than that's just how math works. Put in external factors like individual staff workload/efficiency/time off, individual case complications (anecdotally, I've noticed that people from VWP countries who have been the US many times come in on the longer side of normal, and I wonder if that's because they need to consult CBP for entries and exists or something like that), and there's a fairly wide range (I'd say plus or minus 2 weeks from the VJ estimate). I still think you'll hear in the next 2 weeks or so.

It is really strange that you haven't heard about the expedite request at all. Not even an acknowledgement of receipt? Nothing at all?

Yeah I'm not concerned that we haven't received it yet, I know processing times can vary and we are still on the short end of things. I just started thinking about the expedite and not hearing anything at all back after we faxed in our information. I just didn't want our file to be sitting in another pile waiting since we never heard anything back.

[Pennycat 880]

Yeah I'm not concerned that we haven't received it yet, I know processing times can vary and we are still on the short end of things. I just started thinking about the expedite and not hearing anything at all back after we faxed in our information. I just didn't want our file to be sitting in another pile waiting since we never heard anything back.

Right that, your file sitting in another big pile is one way that an expedite could make you go slower than normal processing--if the expedite pile is bigger than the K1 pile. In *theory* possible because of the sheer volume of petitions, but I really, sincerely doubt it.

It is strange that you haven't heard back though. I just looked at my email history. I heard back within 48 hours (asked 4/9, got an email the morning of 4/11-- a Saturday). Maybe check your spam filter? Search your inbox? Because if you were rejected, you'd have heard, and if they're going to expedite, you'd think they'd (a) tell you and (b) actually do it. The problem with actually doing it is again the K1s relatively short timeframe. Hard to go much faster.... I wouldn't recommend calling because they are useless and cause more problems than they solve. I'd say maybe wait another week or two (take into account the long weekend) and then start calling because at that point you'd be in this weird middle ground of you're still well within "normal" time (the 5 months they give themselves) but on the longer end of reality processing times (VJ stats) and have an outstanding expedite request.

[TBoneTX 45,266]

A hijack post has been split from this thread and given this topic title: "How Do I Request an Expedite? [split topic]"

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