Lost at what else I should do — waiting for advanced parole w/pending AOS with planned travel

[tstuver2000 0]

On June 15th, we filed for advanced parole along with the AOS application, planning holiday travel to see her family for the first time in over a year. We're planning on traveling December 24th, and we already had to buy plane tickets or they'd be too expensive.

 

At the time, all the estimates I was seeing on the USCIS site showed about a 2-3 month processing for advanced parole, which left more than enough time.

 

It has now been over 5.5 months and we have not received approval. I filed an inquiry a few weeks ago and received a notice in the mail that it was still being processed with no other helpful information whatsoever. I can't set up an InfoPass appointment at my local USCIS office, as they've all been filled for the next 14 days. The USCIS customer service line is completely unhelpful. There's no other way to contact the local field office, and it wouldn't qualify for emergency travel anyways.

 

What can I do? My wife is going to be devastated if we can't go. Thanks for your advice, everyone!

[JFH 12,191]

Are the tickets refundable? 

 

Otherwise her her family will have to come visit you instead.

 

Or she can visit the family but not return to the US.

 

Those are your only choices. 

[tstuver2000 0]

Tickets are not refundable, but we haven't spent anything else on the trip yet. We knew there was a chance we'd lose the tickets, but we got a great deal on them so we're not entirely worried about that. Unfortunately, her family is not able to travel to us.

 

I'm open to any other ideas about how I can contact USCIS about this, but they're so horrible to work with.

 

Just from everything that I've seen here on VJ and on the USCIS site, it seems completely unheard of for it to take 5 months. That's completely unreasonable

[BuiQuang 95]

16 minutes ago, tstuver2000 said:

Tickets are not refundable, but we haven't spent anything else on the trip yet. We knew there was a chance we'd lose the tickets, but we got a great deal on them so we're not entirely worried about that. Unfortunately, her family is not able to travel to us.

 

I'm open to any other ideas about how I can contact USCIS about this, but they're so horrible to work with.

 

Just from everything that I've seen here on VJ and on the USCIS site, it seems completely unheard of for it to take 5 months. That's completely unreasonable

sorry, but there nothing u can do.  us warns not to make nonrefundable travel plan without travel document in hand.  wanting us government to do something for u after us government warn u not to do it is also completely unreasonable. 

[tstuver2000 0]

2 minutes ago, BuiQuang said:

sorry, but there nothing u can do.  us warns not to make nonrefundable travel plan without travel document in hand.  wanting us government to do something for u after us government warn u not to do it is also completely unreasonable. 

 

The nonrefundable travel is not really a concern — it's not a big deal for us to lose money on the tickets. We didn't spend anything else.

 

I feel like I'm not being unreasonable in giving over 6 months advanced notice on travel and trying to allow my wife to see her family. IF they can't approve that, okay. But with having no way to contact USCIS to get a specific answer other than "your case is pending" is just horrible. I understand your point about not planning travel, but I don't feel we're being unreasonable.

[BuiQuang 95]

for people on vj long time, we see people make travel plan with no travel document all the time.  they all think what they done is not unreasonable.  no on on vj long time would agree.  we see all before.  follow the us governement instruction and do not make travel plan without travel document in hand.  

this advice not for u.  it for other people who will read this thread and are thinking like u about buying ticket with no travel document.  they can end up like u.  

Edited December 2, 2017 by BuiQuang

[tstuver2000 0]

Just now, BuiQuang said:

for people on vj long time, we see people make travel plan with no travel document all the time.  they all think what they done is not unreasonable.  no on on vj long time would agree.  we see all before.  follow the us governement instruction and do not make travel plan without travel document in hand.  

Thanks. I understand your point and that this is nothing new, just really really frustrated towards USCIS. My wife will be heartbroken if we don't hear back in the next couple weeks. I appreciate your time.

[BuiQuang 95]

Just now, tstuver2000 said:

Thanks. I understand your point and that this is nothing new, just really really frustrated towards USCIS. My wife will be heartbroken if we don't hear back in the next couple weeks. I appreciate your time.

good luck.  maybe she get in mail soon before trip

[tstuver2000 0]

1 minute ago, BuiQuang said:

good luck.  maybe she get in mail soon before trip

Appreciate it! We're hoping.

[Ebunoluwa 6,136]

Contact your senator on Monday to make an inquiry, it may rattle their cage to continue processing it if per chance it is laying on 
someone's desk but it does currently take 4-5 months.
Or make an infopass requesting emergency travel but visiting family in your situation is not really an emergency, but worth a try.
Did you file for EAD too? If yes then you could have requested an expedite for it with a job offer and received your EAD/AP combo 
card sooner.
Hope you will get it soon.