2019 J1 WAIVER TIMELINE - New Applicants

[J1Issues 0]

46 minutes ago, Waiver 2019/2020 said:

Hello J1Issues,

 

We have similar timeline. I filed for J hardship based waiver late August 2019, got RFE on March and responded May 2020 and still no movement

 

Did you try raising a service request (SR)? if yes, what was the USCIS response to the SR?

Hello,

I called the customer service and they told me the current proccessing time is November and mine is December. But It was 4-6 months until a couple of weeks ago. So when I try to do a e-request, I receive the line below:

 

Your application or petition is currently within the posted processing times. An inquiry may not be created at this time. Further information about recent processing times can be viewed on the uscis.gov webpage.

 

I am not sure what other options would be a good to use.

[Waiver 2019/2020 0]

1 hour ago, J1Issues said:

Hello,

I called the customer service and they told me the current proccessing time is November and mine is December. But It was 4-6 months until a couple of weeks ago. So when I try to do a e-request, I receive the line below:

 

Your application or petition is currently within the posted processing times. An inquiry may not be created at this time. Further information about recent processing times can be viewed on the uscis.gov webpage.

 

I am not sure what other options would be a good to use.

Honestly, the point of the processing time is vaid

 

However, in the received RFE note, it is stated that if the USCIS didn't make a decision within 60 days, the applicant should call the customer service number

 

I think you can try to call the customer service again and argue that, per the RFE note, more than 60 days has passed since the USCIS received your response to the RFE and this should make you able to raise SR   

[PRIG 2]

On 8/11/2020 at 10:58 AM, no12name said:

I FINALLY got my favorable recommendation, 23 weeks after sending my documents (the delay might in parts be due to extremely bad timing as I initiated the process just before all the lockdowns happened). Hopefully everyone else's moves faster than mine.

 

Application package sent to St. Louis - March 2nd, 2020

Check cashed - March 9th

Embassy sent NOS - March 15th

Application package received in online system - April 30th

Embassy sent NOS again - May 15th

NOS received in online system - June 10th

Recommendation sent - August 10th

 

Mine is almost similar timeline. NOS received on DOS website -July 5th but to progress since then Still waiting for fav. recommendation:( but thanks for sharing your timeline!

 

[PRIG 2]

On 8/3/2020 at 11:45 PM, j1_nocwaiver said:

Do you have any update? I guess you have 20 days left. I hope you have got some news. 

My NOS got updated on July 5. Since then no progress . Still waiting for fav recommendation. I could see people with similar timeline already received fav. recommendation. processing times seems to vary with each individual case. Have you got your waiver yet?

 

[J1Issues 0]

On 8/15/2020 at 12:53 PM, Waiver 2019/2020 said:

Honestly, the point of the processing time is vaid

 

However, in the received RFE note, it is stated that if the USCIS didn't make a decision within 60 days, the applicant should call the customer service number

 

I think you can try to call the customer service again and argue that, per the RFE note, more than 60 days has passed since the USCIS received your response to the RFE and this should make you able to raise SR   

It says

Quote

If you have not heard from USCIS within 60 days of responding, you may contact the customer service

So the sentence is a little vague and they updated the status to the response to RFE was received. So they would probably argue that they responded but yet to take an action. I previously called the customer service and they said the processing time is November now and as I filed in December, I will probably be hearing from them within a month or so.

 

I will call them again with the 60-days responding argument. Did they send yours to DOS yet?

[Waiver 2019/2020 0]

1 hour ago, J1Issues said:

It says

So the sentence is a little vague and they updated the status to the response to RFE was received. So they would probably argue that they responded but yet to take an action. I previously called the customer service and they said the processing time is November now and as I filed in December, I will probably be hearing from them within a month or so.

 

I will call them again with the 60-days responding argument. Did they send yours to DOS yet?

Not yet!

 

After the RFE response was delivered to the USCIS, there is no movement

 

I have one more question, when your RFE was issued and when your RFE response was received, did your status on the USCIS case status tool was updated in both cases?  

 

I am asking because in my case, the status is always "your case has been received"

 

I knew about the RFE when I received it by mail and regarding the RFE response, I had to call the customer service number to confirm with the agent that the USCIS received my response and entered that into the system. it seems in my case that I can't rely on the case status tool for some reason   

[J1Issues 0]

1 hour ago, Waiver 2019/2020 said:

Not yet!

 

After the RFE response was delivered to the USCIS, there is no movement

 

I have one more question, when your RFE was issued and when your RFE response was received, did your status on the USCIS case status tool was updated in both cases?  

 

I am asking because in my case, the status is always "your case has been received"

 

I knew about the RFE when I received it by mail and regarding the RFE response, I had to call the customer service number to confirm with the agent that the USCIS received my response and entered that into the system. it seems in my case that I can't rely on the case status tool for some reason   

 

Yes both updated in the system. But nothing since then. The DOS part is gonna be another mystery but hopefully everything gets faster.

[Prickles 0]

Hello, here's my timeline:

 

Docs received by DoS in St. Louis: 06.19.20

Check cashed by DoS: 06.23.20

NOL from Embassy sent: 07.21.20

Docs shown as received by DoS: 08.11.20

NOL shown as received by DoS: 08.16.20

[heonss 19]

On 8/15/2020 at 10:50 AM, Veronikac said:

I received it to my US address.

I have put my home country address in two self-addressed envelope since I was already outside the US and seeking for K-1 visa. I am starting to think the decision i made was a mistake. Do USCIS or DOS only send their documents to US address? I have been searching for relevant information online on this matter but no luck. 

[Veronikac 15]

32 minutes ago, heonss said:

I have put my home country address in two self-addressed envelope since I was already outside the US and seeking for K-1 visa. I am starting to think the decision i made was a mistake. Do USCIS or DOS only send their documents to US address? I have been searching for relevant information online on this matter but no luck. 

I do not have a personal experience with this but USCIS is sending the letters also outside the US. My colleague is from Spain he also filled for waiver several years back. That time, his J1 visa expired earlier than his waiver was approved and for that reason he went back to Spain. He received the USCIS approval to his Spain address (he did change of address from US to Spain one once his J1 expired). However, the letter was very late. I guess it make sense that it will take more time to receive the letter in foreign country compared to people in the US. Hope that you will receive your letter soon! Maybe you can try to call USCIS and ask them if your name is in the system and to confirm with them that they sent in.

Edited August 19, 2020 by Veronikac

[heonss 19]

6 hours ago, Veronikac said:

I do not have a personal experience with this but USCIS is sending the letters also outside the US. My colleague is from Spain he also filled for waiver several years back. That time, his J1 visa expired earlier than his waiver was approved and for that reason he went back to Spain. He received the USCIS approval to his Spain address (he did change of address from US to Spain one once his J1 expired). However, the letter was very late. I guess it make sense that it will take more time to receive the letter in foreign country compared to people in the US. Hope that you will receive your letter soon! Maybe you can try to call USCIS and ask them if your name is in the system and to confirm with them that they sent in.

Thank you very much for sharing! It’s much relieving to hear. Guess I should wait for longer than the usual time.

[MZQ 0]

My case number just showed up in the system!

 

My timeline so far:

Documents sent to DoS: June 29, 2020

Documents received at St. Louis PO Box: July 2, 2020

Case number showed up on DoS website: Aug 19, 2020

My embassy is still processing my NOS. I hope they send it soon. My DS2019 expires March 31, 2021.

🤞

[no12name 0]

Has anyone tryied to call USCIS to find out their receipt number (in order to be able to track the case status)? If yes, what is the trick to get past the computer voice that asks you for that exact number?

[Shib 1]

On 8/15/2020 at 5:24 PM, PRIG said:

Mine is almost similar timeline. NOS received on DOS website -July 5th but to progress since then Still waiting for fav. recommendation:( but thanks for sharing your timeline!

 

I got a letter from uscis i797c notice of action. it sates that they have received my application from dos on 8.12.20. Lets hope for the best. I will keep you guys posted.

[BaiLong 1]

5 hours ago, no12name said:

Has anyone tryied to call USCIS to find out their receipt number (in order to be able to track the case status)? If yes, what is the trick to get past the computer voice that asks you for that exact number?

The Number is on your application pdf.

But it’ll take a couple of weeks until you’ll see anything on the tracking website.