Expedited I-131: Asked for proof but fax number doesn't work

[mr-mrs_Ho 0]

Hello all,

This is my first post on VJ. This site has been helpful in guiding us ever since our first step of applying K-1 Visa.

I'm now in the process of adjust status to green card after getting married with my fiance (now husband) on April 19. We filed the package of I-485 along with the AP (I-131 and I-765) on April 29. The package was received on May 1 for the AP and May 5 for the I-485. I need to travel to my home country to prepare for our holy matrimony and wedding reception which will be held in Oct. I had my biometric taken on May 22 and the next day, I called USCIS National Customer Service Center to request to expedite my I-131 over the phone on May 23.

Then I received an e-mail from USCIS on May 24 saying that my case was reviewed and they need additional information to make the decision. They asked me to send proof of financial loss (since I told them over the phone that all the payments that have been paid for our wedding are non-refundable) via fax to a specific number. I have made several attempts to fax the documents over with no luck. The number keeps ringing with no answer. I tried to call the USCIS Customer Service twice but they said they have no solution at the moment, asked me to wait as they were forwarding my call to another senior customer service, but after few seconds of waiting time, the connection was somehow terminated.

So my questions are:

1. Has anyone ever been in a similar situation?

2. Can I just mail the documents instead? I noticed there's an address of USCIS National Benefits Center in Lee's Summit, MO written on the head of the e-mail.

3. Any other suggestion for me? I have my ticket on June 15 and I'm so afraid that I couldn't make it (I bought return ticket when I flied to U.S under my K1 Visa because it's way cheaper than one-way ticket).

 

Thank you in advance.

[Cyberfx1024 7,980]

11 minutes ago, mr-mrs_Ho said:

Hello all,

This is my first post on VJ. This site has been helpful in guiding us ever since our first step of applying K-1 Visa.

I'm now in the process of adjust status to green card after getting married with my fiance (now husband) on April 19. We filed the package of I-485 along with the AP (I-131 and I-765) on April 29. The package was received on May 1 for the AP and May 5 for the I-485. I need to travel to my home country to prepare for our holy matrimony and wedding reception which will be held in Oct. I had my biometric taken on May 22 and the next day, I called USCIS National Customer Service Center to request to expedite my I-131 over the phone on May 23.

Then I received an e-mail from USCIS on May 24 saying that my case was reviewed and they need additional information to make the decision. They asked me to send proof of financial loss (since I told them over the phone that all the payments that have been paid for our wedding are non-refundable) via fax to a specific number. I have made several attempts to fax the documents over with no luck. The number keeps ringing with no answer. I tried to call the USCIS Customer Service twice but they said they have no solution at the moment, asked me to wait as they were forwarding my call to another senior customer service, but after few seconds of waiting time, the connection was somehow terminated.

So my questions are:

1. Has anyone ever been in a similar situation?

2. Can I just mail the documents instead? I noticed there's an address of USCIS National Benefits Center in Lee's Summit, MO written on the head of the e-mail.

3. Any other suggestion for me? I have my ticket on June 15 and I'm so afraid that I couldn't make it (I bought return ticket when I flied to U.S under my K1 Visa because it's way cheaper than one-way ticket).

 

Thank you in advance.

Honestly I hate to bust your bubble but I doubt they will expedite your I-131 because there is no serious hardship at all just plane ticket costs. The average time right now is about 90 days to get this approved.

[Boiler 46,122]

Please keep us updated, you may be setting a new precedent.

[mr-mrs_Ho 0]

Hi, a small update about my case:

I tried to call the national customer service center again this morning and they called me back after an hour or so. The last lady was very helpful. She advised me to mail all the documents to the address written on the head of the e-mail, and also e-mailing the lockbox support and make sure they know I am emailing because the fax was not going through. She also suggest me to keep trying to fax the documents over the weekend when it might be less busy. I told her I even have tried faxing in the midnight but still no luck, which maybe caused by an error from the fax machine? I don't know. But she said, "maybe, because you're not the only one having this trouble"

Well, I've sent the mail package and e-mail. Keeping my finger crossed now!

[Summer321 0]

I had the exact experience as you! It's so frustrating that they gave us a fax number that don't even work for expedite request! I have been fax them for 3 days since I got the email, and each day 5-6 times from morning till night, none of them went through.

 

So here are what I did: 

 

1. I called the service center and got a tier 2 officer call back, she was surprised that it didn't work so she contacted that number too, still not working. Then she said there is nothing she can do from her end but suggest me to email this situation to SCOPSSCATA@uscis.dhs.gov, which is like a headquarter for unresolved issues. I did, no response for 2 days and still wasting...but I suggest you email it to them too and hopefully the more we report then they will start to notice this problem.

 

2. I walked in to an USCIS field office today in SF. The officer was shocked that they still need to use fax these days instead of email! Then he called the National Benefit Center, and told me that to fax to a different number, 8162512771, I checked and it's Lee's Summit's number but probably a different department. So I filed my files and it went through immediately!!

 

So I'm not positive will this work or not, I don't even know who will response to me next at this point. Hopefully it will work out soon so I can visit my sick grandma

 

Please keep your post updated and I will do so too! Good luck to everyone who is on the same boat!

Edited May 26, 2017 by Summer321

[Ebunoluwa 6,136]

Why not make an info pass and request an emergency travel document in person by requesting to speak to an immigration officer,

not just anyone at the desk.

[Villanelle 4,122]

You need biometrics done before AP can be issued as well.

 

[Ywalker25 1]

Hello, Everone i just need to ask this question. My husband came over with a k 1visa now he has done bio April 19 of this year. He has a job offer we call to see if they could expedite the e a d card we got a email they review now they need additional information which is financial loss plus job offer letter my question iam the one to show financial loss because seeing iam the one working my bills is stacking up on me really badly i dont know if it is me or him to have financial loss thank you for answers i dont know if iam in the right form

[mr-mrs_Ho 0]

On 5/26/2017 at 11:34 AM, Summer321 said:

I had the exact experience as you! It's so frustrating that they gave us a fax number that don't even work for expedite request! I have been fax them for 3 days since I got the email, and each day 5-6 times from morning till night, none of them went through.

 

So here are what I did: 

 

1. I called the service center and got a tier 2 officer call back, she was surprised that it didn't work so she contacted that number too, still not working. Then she said there is nothing she can do from her end but suggest me to email this situation to SCOPSSCATA@uscis.dhs.gov, which is like a headquarter for unresolved issues. I did, no response for 2 days and still wasting...but I suggest you email it to them too and hopefully the more we report then they will start to notice this problem.

 

2. I walked in to an USCIS field office today in SF. The officer was shocked that they still need to use fax these days instead of email! Then he called the National Benefit Center, and told me that to fax to a different number, 8162512771, I checked and it's Lee's Summit's number but probably a different department. So I filed my files and it went through immediately!!

 

So I'm not positive will this work or not, I don't even know who will response to me next at this point. Hopefully it will work out soon so I can visit my sick grandma

 

Please keep your post updated and I will do so too! Good luck to everyone who is on the same boat!

Sorry for the late reply. Finally the fax went through on the same date as I mail and e-mail them. I sent fax to the number they gave me in the e-mail. It was so weird that the number instantly work after my last call to USCIS customer service.

The other thing that I'm wondering now is if we should get the congressmen involved for this expedited request as some of the members do in this case. :S

[mr-mrs_Ho 0]

On 5/26/2017 at 9:17 PM, Ebunoluwa said:

Why not make an info pass and request an emergency travel document in person by requesting to speak to an immigration officer,

not just anyone at the desk.

I tried to look at available appointment in LA but the website said that currently there's no available appointment.

 

On 5/27/2017 at 11:44 AM, Damara said:

You need biometrics done before AP can be issued as well.

 

I already have it done as soon as I get the notice (it's even before the bio appointment date)

[mr-mrs_Ho 0]

On 5/28/2017 at 6:23 PM, Ywalker25 said:

Hello, Everone i just need to ask this question. My husband came over with a k 1visa now he has done bio April 19 of this year. He has a job offer we call to see if they could expedite the e a d card we got a email they review now they need additional information which is financial loss plus job offer letter my question iam the one to show financial loss because seeing iam the one working my bills is stacking up on me really badly i dont know if it is me or him to have financial loss thank you for answers i dont know if iam in the right form

i think you can send them the job offer letter and your bills. Not sure about it but if I were you, that's what I was going to do. And also (maybe) with a cover letter explaining the situation.

[Ywalker25 1]

Thank you for respond .

[mr-mrs_Ho 0]

I just got my AP document in hand! Yayy!! Thanks GOD!

[billa007 5]

On 5/30/2017 at 1:18 PM, mr-mrs_Ho said:

I mail and e-mail them

Where did you mail them and what is their email address?