Govt ShutDown_PostOffice holding documents for pickup?

[JWaiver_2019 21]

Hi, I am new to this forum and sharing my experience with you guys who may be in same boat with me. I believe J1 Waiver processing is affected partially with shut down too, not sure but this is happening with me:

I just sent documents package after online application submission and getting case number, to the below address as per instructions:

 

Department of State J-1 Waiver
P.O. Box 979037
St. Louis, MO 63197-9000

 

I was tracking USPS and just got message that "Your item arrived at the SAINT LOUIS, MO 63197 post office at 9:47 am on December 28, 2018 and is ready for pickup."

I didn't request for signature or any other service except flat rate envelope tracking. So I am not sure why status is saying "Ready for Pick Up". Is it normal or due to shut down thing there is a backlog of mails in their mail boxes.

I am trying to contact USPS but wait times are more than 40 minutes on customer care line. So I thought to check with other applicants' experience if they faced similar thing in past?

Any idea?

 

[MsNina 184]

2 hours ago, JWaiver_2019 said:

Hi, I am new to this forum and sharing my experience with you guys who may be in same boat with me. I believe J1 Waiver processing is affected partially with shut down too, not sure but this is happening with me:

I just sent documents package after online application submission and getting case number, to the below address as per instructions:

 

Department of State J-1 Waiver
P.O. Box 979037
St. Louis, MO 63197-9000

 

I was tracking USPS and just got message that "Your item arrived at the SAINT LOUIS, MO 63197 post office at 9:47 am on December 28, 2018 and is ready for pickup."

I didn't request for signature or any other service except flat rate envelope tracking. So I am not sure why status is saying "Ready for Pick Up". Is it normal or due to shut down thing there is a backlog of mails in their mail boxes.

I am trying to contact USPS but wait times are more than 40 minutes on customer care line. So I thought to check with other applicants' experience if they faced similar thing in past?

Any idea?

 

No. This means the post office will transger it to the right post office box. Dont worry.

[JWaiver_2019 21]

Thanks MsNina! This is helpful response.

 

I want to update as well that I called USPS and after 1hour 15min wait time (due to Christmas/New Year season I believe), I was able to talk to customer care and they informed me that this status means it has been delivered and they need to pick up now. There will be no change in status like "delivered" and this is final status from USPS. I trust this information provided!

 

So it makes sense to me now that there is no need to be worried  since there is no link with current federal shutdown thing.

As per other posts and shared experience, I will wait for another week or little longer to check status update if documents have been received by DoS.

[MsNina 184]

On 12/28/2018 at 3:36 PM, JWaiver_2019 said:

Thanks MsNina! This is helpful response.

 

I want to update as well that I called USPS and after 1hour 15min wait time (due to Christmas/New Year season I believe), I was able to talk to customer care and they informed me that this status means it has been delivered and they need to pick up now. There will be no change in status like "delivered" and this is final status from USPS. I trust this information provided!

 

So it makes sense to me now that there is no need to be worried  since there is no link with current federal shutdown thing.

As per other posts and shared experience, I will wait for another week or little longer to check status update if documents have been received by DoS.

That is wierd..because i also had the same status. And it was updated to delivered. Where did you send it?

[JWaiver_2019 21]

8 hours ago, MsNina said:

That is wierd..because i also had the same status. And it was updated to delivered. Where did you send it?

 

I sent it to the following postal address, as mentioned in DoS application packet instructions, downloaded soon after submission of online forms for case number, and I used USPS Flat Rate Envelop to send all required documents with money order:

 

Department of State J-1 Waiver
P.O. Box 979037
St. Louis, MO 63197-9000

 

May be I can call USPS again to check opinion of other customer care operator, if you had different situation? I also believe it should be changed to delivered otherwise how may I know that documents have been received successfully. My mistake, I should have used other guaranteed service!

[MsNina 184]

On 12/30/2018 at 9:15 PM, JWaiver_2019 said:

 

I sent it to the following postal address, as mentioned in DoS application packet instructions, downloaded soon after submission of online forms for case number, and I used USPS Flat Rate Envelop to send all required documents with money order:

 

Department of State J-1 Waiver
P.O. Box 979037
St. Louis, MO 63197-9000

 

May be I can call USPS again to check opinion of other customer care operator, if you had different situation? I also believe it should be changed to delivered otherwise how may I know that documents have been received successfully. My mistake, I should have used other guaranteed service!

Sorry for the late reply. I am not sure what is happening here..but it should be delivered. And it has nothing to do with government shut down..usps is private ..not federal...and government agencies still have to pick up the mail..

[JWaiver_2019 21]

3 hours ago, MsNina said:

Sorry for the late reply. I am not sure what is happening here..but it should be delivered. And it has nothing to do with government shut down..usps is private ..not federal...and government agencies still have to pick up the mail..

Thanks for supportive response and I believe for the same. But there is strange message on tracking site for me today. I can share here:

This is the today's changed status on USPS tracking page:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Status

Delivery Attempt: Action Needed

 

Reminder to Schedule Redelivery of your item before January 11, 2019

This is a reminder to arrange for redelivery of your item before January 11, 2019 or your item will be returned on January 12, 2019. You may arrange redelivery by using the Schedule a Redelivery feature on this page or may pick up the item at the Post Office indicated on the notice.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It looks USPS attempted delivery and left notice for USCIS. I will wait for few more days to see if it is delivered/picked up or not otherwise planning to intercept delivery for return and send it back using Fedex or other courier on another address. I should have used FedEx earlier!

 

I am not sure if this has happened with anyone else since I am more curious to know due to shutdown situation that I believe shouldn't be reason but this delay is happening since December 28th 2018 (First delivery attempt by USPS). Also, I am unable to see USCIS updates on other forums these days. Fingers crossed.

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

All operations are as per normal at USPS. This is not shutdown related. 

I would note that it arrived on a Friday and there has been a weekend and a federal holiday inbetween. 

[JWaiver_2019 21]

1 minute ago, SusieQQQ said:

All operations are as per normal at USPS. This is not shutdown related. 

I would note that it arrived on a Friday and there has been a weekend and a federal holiday inbetween. 

Makes sense! I hope so!

Considering responses, I have planned to wait and see for update in few days.

My only confusion, surfaced again, was regarding USCIS staff who picks mail (if they are under shutdown order too), and when I saw new USPS tracking message today, why USCIS didn't pick mail and USPS had to leave notice for them (as per today's tracking message) ...

But it seems from various forums (am doing research) that USPS tracking is not of high quality and this has happened with other applicants in past years as well but they got status change in 2 business days. So am expecting something updated by end of the week. Will keep posted here.

 

[JWaiver_2019 21]

Update:

Still my package is stuck with USPS. I have contacted all available resources and now trying to get it back and send by Fedex. No success. I got call from local Saint Louis office after registering complain asking me if I want to reschedule delivery and I was asking them why they didn't leave envelop in PO Box for them to pick since I didn't request for additional services (receipt/signature). So I am clear my envelop is part of USPS mishandling and lesson learned, use Fedex service (better than USPS and UPS) for your important mails and keep tracking and follo up until gets delivered. Each individual case is different so follow yourself.

I will cancel money order and send another packet if this remains unresolved until Monday, no other choice for me.

Note: There is no update on J1 online portal so I will not assume that it has been picked up and sleep.

 

I hope this will be helpful for those planning to send their documents.

Thanks

[JWaiver_2019 21]

Update:

USPS has lost my package! So I am sending another package using Fedex Express service!

[JWaiver_2019 21]

Update:

I didn't lose hopes and kept sending emails and contacting USPS using all available sources, and finally got email from St.Louis post office confirming in written that my mail has been delivered with following exact note:

 

91149011598XXXXXXXXXXX was received in the delivery unit on December 28, 2018 at xxxx but instead of scanning the mail delivered the employee incorrectly scan the mail piece available for pickup.  Your mail piece was delivered on December 28, 2018 at xxxx. 

 

This is my experience for this forum's record and for future applicants to learn. 

But I can not see status update for my documents on J1status website.

 

So postal services and package delivery is in normal status during the ongoing shut down. 

[JK2019 1]

Jwaiver2019, I have similar issue with my I751 filing to the Dallas PO box.  Just received the same action needed notice from USPS today.  My package arrived on Tuesday and it's been 2+ days now.  Getting very worried.  Don't know whether to wait, reschedule or let the package come back.  How were you able to contact the destination post office?  Appreciate any insight or tips. 

[JWaiver_2019 21]

3 hours ago, JK2019 said:

Jwaiver2019, I have similar issue with my I751 filing to the Dallas PO box.  Just received the same action needed notice from USPS today.  My package arrived on Tuesday and it's been 2+ days now.  Getting very worried.  Don't know whether to wait, reschedule or let the package come back.  How were you able to contact the destination post office?  Appreciate any insight or tips. 

Hi JK2019,

 

In my case, packet was actually delivered but scanned incorrectly for the mail piece available for pickup instead of delivered by USPS staff. And I found later that DOS also updated my documents after 7 weeks and this was true. I can share post office email below:

----------------------------------

Thank you for contacting the United States Postal Service.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX92 was received in the delivery unit on December 28, 2018 at 0940 but instead of scanning the mail delivered the employee incorrectly scan the mail piece available for pickup.  Your mail piece was delivered on December 28, 2018 at 0947.

Thank you for the opportunity to address this matter with you. Please accept our sincere apology for any inconvenience this matter may have caused you.

Sincerely,

----------------------------------

 

This is usual with most of location that status is updated for pick up first (my experience with other location too) and later it is changed to delivered in a day o 3 days. So you may need to wait and see for a week and then the best way is to find local post office number (Dallas PO Box) and call them directly. The same thing may be advised to you by USPS customer care, as happened in my case. If you don't get status update in a week, file a complain on USPS website and they will respond to your complain in 1-2 days and you may get call from local post office too.

 

Conclusion: Wait for a week, call local post office and if nothing works then submit complain online to customer care (available on USPS website).