i-751 April 2016 Filers - Part 2 (merged)

[Sukie 1,459]

2 hours ago, lucybelle said:

APPROVAL LETTER!!

 

AHHHHH!!!

 

Time to break open that box of wine! (Psych, it was already open! Haha)

 

Date of decision April 26. Letter arrived May 4. (NOA date- April 28)

LUCYBELLE!!!!!!!!!

 

FINALLY!!!!!

 

[lucybelle 453]

 

LUCYBELLE!!!!!!!!!

 

FINALLY!!!!!

 

 

Thanks for cheering me on!

 

So when do you guys go to OZ? I was wondering about the whole "don't travel til you get your new card" thing. My esposo has work travel not next week but the week after. He can't really not go... so... yeah... Are there stories of people traveling between approval & receiving new GC?

[Sukie 1,459]

 

 

Thanks for cheering me on!

 

So when do you guys go to OZ? I was wondering about the whole "don't travel til you get your new card" thing. My esposo has work travel not next week but the week after. He can't really not go... so... yeah... Are there stories of people traveling between approval & receiving new GC?

We leave May 30th.  Now that the GC is in hand, we won't have to worry.  We couldn't get our citizenship biometrics done before we were schedule to leave, so we'll file for citizenship about half-way through August.  That is, if my spouse decides to file.  She's pretty upset about what is happening in the US right now.  I hate to tell her that it's happening in Australia, too.

 

I read (wish I could point you to it) that someone traveled with 1) expired GC;  2) ROC NOA1;  3) Biometrics letter and 4) Approval letter.  He was successful in getting back into the country with no issues.  Your esposo knows how to talk it through.

 

It's about three weeks from approval date to Green Card in hand.  And if your "Card was mailed" date is a Friday, they won't REALLY mail the card until Monday!

 

I think that is why they tell you it takes 2 business days to be able to tell you the tracking number....the status changes a good 24 hours before the card is sent to the Post Office.

 

PS:  If you are trying to find out your tracking number, and you don't want to wait forever on the phone, CALL THE MINUTE USCIS OPENS!  You have to get to a Tier 2 agent.  Tier 1 cannot see the info.  We called at 12:30 p.m. and they promised a callback in 166 minutes.  They were pretty spot on re: the callback time (and the actual GC holder has to be present on the phone).  But if you call after 3 p.m., fuggedaboudit (for you non-New Yorkers - that's "forget about it"). They turn off the transfer-to-tier-2 system when the queue is stacked until 6 pm, and that happens around 3 p.m.-ish.  (all times are Eastern Time Zone)

 

Sukie in NY

Edited May 5, 2017 by Sukie
additional info

[Skribs 6]

 

Many peoples' status does not change when you are approved.  Our status did not change until we got "Your card is being produced".  It took about 3-4 days until we got "Your card has been mailed."  But...even though our "card was mailed" on April 28th, it did not leave the facility until May 1st.  Our tracking info (took me 3 days to get this!) says it is on the mail truck and will be delivered today.  (AND IT WAS!  THE CARD IS NOW IN HAND!!!!)

 

So...we were approved as of April 13th, and we will get the card on May 4th.  About 3 to 3.5 weeks from approval to card received.

 

Sukie in NY

Congrats Sukie! I have been checking back regularly for your approval. I'm so glad you have this now as I'm sure it's a huge weight off your mind in your plans traveling to Australia soon. Safe travels!

[Cowface 5]

 

APPROVAL LETTER!!

 

AHHHHH!!!

 

Time to break open that box of wine! (Psych, it was already open! Haha)

 

Date of decision April 26. Letter arrived May 4. (NOA date- April 28)

Woot woot, congratulations!!

[sphinx7 0]

Well,  just called them. NOA 4/28/16. I was told the bulletin shows current date of Feb so I am not out of processing time. I told them this is incorrrect - the bulletin is 2 months back, so the avg wait time according to this is a year and that I am past a year. This did not work, I was told to get my stamp done (which I already have). I then asked to speak to a tier 2, current wait time is almost 3 hours. Waiting for a call back now.

[RemoteControl 1]

Congrats to everyone!

 

No news here on my end. My wife and I are still waiting. Case was received on 4/15/16, and nobody can tell us anything. We spoke to a tier 2 agent, and they said we should hear something in the next 35 days. We made an infopass appointment to get the i-551 stamp and the agent said that we're not outside the normal processing time and it can take up to 2 years. 

 

This is some straight up BS. Nobody can give us an update as to where our package is!? First they spelled my wife's name wrong when inputting out info into the system (we had to get the 551 stamp the first time because of the mistake). Then after we got that corrected, they didn't add our apartment number when we changed addresses (just found this out last week). Now we are over a year and nothing from USCIS, when obviously the wait time is about a year for most other people. The agents we spoke to in person and on the phone said nothing has even been mailed to us yet. They were able to check that, because we were worried about our address being wrong. 

 

We did notice and odd thing, though. When adjusting out address for the second time, we put in our receipt number that we have been using to check our case status online. This was the number on the lower right of our receipt next to where it says CRI-89. The website says that the receipt number entered is not recognized. So we tried our other receipt number on the same receipt on the lower left of our notice next to where it says I751. That worked to change our address. However, when checking out case status, that number isn't recognized. 

 

No idea what to do anymore, but at least my wife has a fresh i-551 so we can have our child in peace next month.

 

EDIT: Would it make sense to just file the N-400 now instead of waiting for the answer on the I751? Does the N-400 depend on approval of the I751?

Edited May 5, 2017 by RemoteControl

[sphinx7 0]

 

Congrats to everyone!

 

No news here on my end. My wife and I are still waiting. Case was received on 4/15/16, and nobody can tell us anything. We spoke to a tier 2 agent, and they said we should hear something in the next 35 days. We made an infopass appointment to get the i-551 stamp and the agent said that we're not outside the normal processing time and it can take up to 2 years. 

 

This is some straight up BS. Nobody can give us an update as to where our package is!? First they spelled my wife's name wrong when inputting out info into the system. Then after we got that corrected, they didn't add our apartment number when we changed addresses (just found this out last week). Now we are over a year and nothing from USCIS, when obviously the wait time is about a year for most other people. The agents we spoke to in person and on the phone said nothing has even been mailed to us yet. They were able to check that, because we were worried about our address being wrong. 

 

We did notice and odd thing, though. When adjusting out address for the second time, we put in our receipt number that we have been using to check our case status online. This was the number on the lower right of our receipt next to where it says CRI-89. The website says that the receipt number entered is not recognized. So we tried our other receipt number on the same receipt on the lower left of our notice next to where it says I751. That worked to change our address. However, when checking out case status, that number isn't recognized. 

 

No idea what to do anymore, but at least my wife has a fresh i-551 so we can have our child in peace next month.

 

EDIT: Would it make sense to just file the N-400 now instead of waiting for the answer on the I751? Does the N-400 depend on approval of the I751?

I'm in the same boat kinda. I was told I can file n-400 but prior to my n-400 interview, my I-751 would have to be adjudicated. I've read also that by filing n-400, it kind of forces them to adjudicate your i-751, esp if your already eligible.  Someone on this forum shared a link with me of a lot of people doing this successfully. 

 

I spoke to a tier 2 and I was told same thing you were. I'm still within processing time, no update,  get a stamp etc etc. 

[Bueso 2]

Someone knows if a forum for N400 may 2017 fillers is available now?

[Sukie 1,459]

 

I'm in the same boat kinda. I was told I can file n-400 but prior to my n-400 interview, my I-751 would have to be adjudicated. I've read also that by filing n-400, it kind of forces them to adjudicate your i-751, esp if your already eligible.  Someone on this forum shared a link with me of a lot of people doing this successfully. 

 

I spoke to a tier 2 and I was told same thing you were. I'm still within processing time, no update,  get a stamp etc etc. 

I'm a little uncertain about this, but I think what happens is that when you file the N-400 prior to I-751 adjudication, your I-751 file is shipped to your local ASC, and the decision is made there so that the N-400 is processed right after that.  So that gets it out of USCIS' work stack, but loads it onto your local ASC.  It is my understanding that the N-400s are checked at USCIS but worked at your local office.  Can someone verify that?  Do you get a "Your file has been transferred to XXXXXXXX, XX" message?

 

I'm not sure if this is how it currently happens, but based on reading another person's journey, that seemed to be the way it worked.  That's why we did NOT file the N-400 as soon as we were eligible - as we were afraid it would actually delay the I-751 part, even though it would get us in line for the N-400 as quickly as possible.

 

I think as long as you are not having to travel outside the country any time in the next 8-12 months, there is no downside of sending in the N-400 if your I-751 has not been adjudicated.

 

Sukie in NY

[Mtro 0]

 

Congrats to everyone!

 

No news here on my end. My wife and I are still waiting. Case was received on 4/15/16, and nobody can tell us anything. We spoke to a tier 2 agent, and they said we should hear something in the next 35 days. We made an infopass appointment to get the i-551 stamp and the agent said that we're not outside the normal processing time and it can take up to 2 years. 

 

This is some straight up BS. Nobody can give us an update as to where our package is!? First they spelled my wife's name wrong when inputting out info into the system (we had to get the 551 stamp the first time because of the mistake). Then after we got that corrected, they didn't add our apartment number when we changed addresses (just found this out last week). Now we are over a year and nothing from USCIS, when obviously the wait time is about a year for most other people. The agents we spoke to in person and on the phone said nothing has even been mailed to us yet. They were able to check that, because we were worried about our address being wrong. 

 

We did notice and odd thing, though. When adjusting out address for the second time, we put in our receipt number that we have been using to check our case status online. This was the number on the lower right of our receipt next to where it says CRI-89. The website says that the receipt number entered is not recognized. So we tried our other receipt number on the same receipt on the lower left of our notice next to where it says I751. That worked to change our address. However, when checking out case status, that number isn't recognized. 

 

No idea what to do anymore, but at least my wife has a fresh i-551 so we can have our child in peace next month.

 

EDIT: Would it make sense to just file the N-400 now instead of waiting for the answer on the I751? Does the N-400 depend on approval of the I751?

My i751 delivered on April 7 2016 and they mistyped my name 3 times not kidding 3 times!

And still no update whatsoever. Called uscis and officer just gave me the same info that already available on uscis website.

So I will wait few weeks before my 1 year extension expires (may 13) and request stamp appointment. Nothing else to do! 

[OkamiMars 0]

AAAAHHH!!! I FINALLY RECEIVED MY APPROVAL LETTER TODAY! I am literally crying with what is most likely relief! 

 

Date of decision: 05-02-2017 (on my birthday, of all days!)

 

Date received: 02-06-2017

 

You can see the NOA date in my timeline.

 

 

[nightingalejules 678]

 

AAAAHHH!!! I FINALLY RECEIVED MY APPROVAL LETTER TODAY! I am literally crying with what is most likely relief! 

 

Date of decision: 05-02-2017 (on my birthday, of all days!)

 

Date received: 02-06-2017

 

You can see the NOA date in my timeline.

 

 

What a great birthday present! Congratulations!

[St.James-One 14]

 

AAAAHHH!!! I FINALLY RECEIVED MY APPROVAL LETTER TODAY! I am literally crying with what is most likely relief! 

 

Date of decision: 05-02-2017 (on my birthday, of all days!)

 

Date received: 02-06-2017

 

You can see the NOA date in my timeline.

 

 

Congrats fellow Alabamian!

[Angelbijoi 2]

We got the approval today! I feel like a huge weight off my shoulders. Whew! 

Our date of decision  was May 3, 2017.