2019 J1 WAIVER TIMELINE - New Applicants

[Wanny 1]

Hey guys.. I finally got an update on the website..

thought it was gonna take more than 6weeks but ended up little bit over 3weeks to get a favorable recommendation...

No US government funding but I had a sponsor fund from state university for a partial tuition waiver($4000)

 

Hope this helps.. cuz now I know how stressful this can be..!! 

[Serhat 1]

I called USCIS. They told me that they sent my aproval notice 13th of June but wrong address. I am not able to see my approval notice online as well. Can I apply another visa or i need to wait my mail?

[AB2019 1]

12 hours ago, Illy said:

Update! I actually received the waiver in the mail today! Although the online websites (both my.uscis and case status) are not updated..

The notice is dated June 25, so USCIS took 20 days from the receipt date June 5.

 

 

Congratulations. 

[Tissa 15]

On 6/27/2019 at 10:40 PM, cmsk said:

Hey all! What is a reasonable timeline to get a favorable recommendation from DOS?

My case is supposed to be straight forward and no govt funding, etc, I only got the restrisction based on skills list. It's been already 5 weeks since they updated receiving all my documents, including NOS, and still no updates of favorable recommendation on the DOS website.

 

Is there any action that I could take proactively at this point or just keep waiting?

 

Also - I now have a wedding license to support my case. Is it still possible/makes sense to send documents to my case at this point?

April 7th-June 24 was the timeframe for us

[NOS-Apr-Jun2019 1]

Hi guys,
I found it tremendously helpful to browse this forum while my J1 two-year no objection waiver was pending. Thanks to everyone posting their timelines in the past. I also wanted to share my timeline quickly (TLDR: after DOS received all documents, total processing took ~8 weeks. The DOS part took ~5 weeks. The USCIS part took ~3 weeks):

 

Here the dates:

_______________________________

April, 12, 2019  Sent document package to DOS
April, 12, 2019  Sent documents for No Objection Statement to my embassy
April, 22, 2019  Check was cashed by DOS (does not appear on tracking page yet)

 

May, 6, 2019  USPS tracking indicates that "No Objection Statement" is received by DOS

May, 8, 2019  Firs data appears on the online waiver tracking website:
   Fee  Received
   Form DS-3035  Received
   Form DS-2019  Received
   Passport Data Page  Received
   Statement Of Reason  Received
   
May, 30, 2019  Since NOS does not appear in online tracking (but was received May 6 according to my embassy), I email 212ewaiver early morning
May, 30, 2019  Receipt of "No Objection Statement" appears on the waiver tracking website. Probably coincidence and nothing to do with my email.
   No Objection Statement  Received

 

June, 11, 2019  Status on waiver tracking website indicates "Favorable Recommendation"
   Recommendation  Sent
 

June, 17, 2019  Receive reply to my email to DOS on May, 30, 2019 with an explanation for the delay (backlog) and saying that my case was forwarded to USCIS.
June, 17, 2019  Received return envelope from DOS with the notice that my case was forwarded to USCIS in the mail

June, 24, 2019  Received I-797C from USCIS in the mail (indicating that my case has been received)

June, 25, 2019  Open myUSCIS account (also hows that my case was received)

June, 29, 2019  Received I-797 Approval Notice in the mail. (myUSCIS has not been updated).

_______________________________

Basic stats:
DOS all documents received till USCIS Approval notice:
7 weeks 5 days (or 54 days)

DOS all documents received till recommendation sent to USCIS (i.e. the DOS part):
5 weeks 1 day (or 36 days)

DOS sent recommendation till USCIS Approval notice (i.e. the USCIS part):
2 weeks 4 days (or 18 days)

Good luck, everybody!

[Tango_80 0]

On 6/28/2019 at 8:58 AM, Serhat said:

I called USCIS. They told me that they sent my aproval notice 13th of June but wrong address. I am not able to see my approval notice online as well. Can I apply another visa or i need to wait my mail?

Which number do you call to talk about J1 waiver status?

[kash88 1]

Hey guys,

 

Here's my timeline so far. Straightforward case based on No objection with No government funding involved. I was just wondering how much more time it will take for a favorable recommendation followed by USCIS as my deadlines are extremely tight, I have to start my new job in 20 days !! It seems impossible, but keeping my fingers crossed!! I'll keep y'all posted

 

[tendrementchoco 6]

On 6/26/2019 at 4:16 AM, Tissa said:

So I just wanted to share my timeline. We did a hardship waiver. Government funding was involved (Fulbrught) and we also had an RFE after 14 months of waiting...

Hello, I am also a Fulbright and they requested sponsor views on June 12th but I don't know who they tried to reach out. I have three different sponsor on my DS-2019 (Department of State, National Fulbright Commission and Host University), is it the same case for you? Do you know who your sponsor is and who they requested their views from? Thanks a lot!

[Tissa 15]

4 hours ago, tendrementchoco said:

Hello, I am also a Fulbright and they requested sponsor views on June 12th but I don't know who they tried to reach out. I have three different sponsor on my DS-2019 (Department of State, National Fulbright Commission and Host University), is it the same case for you? Do you know who your sponsor is and who they requested their views from? Thanks a lot!

To be honest I don't know exactly who my sponsor is. But they know exactly who to reach out to, so don't worry. They know who sponsors Fulbright. We used a lawyer for the entire process and our lawyer said to us that when it gets to this stage there is nothing anyone can do because USCIS or DOS will not release any information about what kind of information they are requesting and reviewing. Not even our lawyer could make a request about what USCIS asked from DOS as far as review goes and vice versa. Just have to wait and see. As you see from my timeline, it took a while to get the favorable recommendation. I see other timelines on here where people heard back within just a couple of weeks. Not in our case. 

 

Edited July 3, 2019 by Tissa

[eliottreid 9]

I was asked to email or fax them the number of days I spent in my home country. I emailed them. Do you think it's going to delay my application even more? 
Did you write down this in your application? I didn't cuz I didn't see it anywhere that we had to.
At least I know they're looking into it now and they're not saying NO right away lol.

Edited July 4, 2019 by eliottreid

[tendrementchoco 6]

16 hours ago, Tissa said:

To be honest I don't know exactly who my sponsor is. But they know exactly who to reach out to, so don't worry. They know who sponsors Fulbright. We used a lawyer for the entire process and our lawyer said to us that when it gets to this stage there is nothing anyone can do because USCIS or DOS will not release any information about what kind of information they are requesting and reviewing. Not even our lawyer could make a request about what USCIS asked from DOS as far as review goes and vice versa. Just have to wait and see. As you see from my timeline, it took a while to get the favorable recommendation. I see other timelines on here where people heard back within just a couple of weeks. Not in our case. 

 

Hi @Tissa thank you so much for the details. I am also using a lawyer for the entire process too. I saw your timeline but I least you sponsor views were received very quickly. It is not the case for me sadly or at least the website does not reflect it yet. Fingers crossed! Congratulations to you!

[tendrementchoco 6]

3 hours ago, eliottreid said:

I was asked to email or fax them the number of days I spent in my home country. I emailed them. Do you think it's going to delay my application even more? 
Did you write down this in your application? I didn't cuz I didn't see it anywhere that we had to.
At least I know they're looking into it now and they're not saying NO right away lol.

Hi @eliottreid! I think they are trying to evaluate if you spent a responsible time back in your home country, even if you did not go back to your home country for 2 years in a row. In my own statement, I did write that I had already spent a significant amount of days in my home country (all breaks), and that I will finish my 730 days at home this very summer. I wish you all the best! Fingers crossed!

[Tissa 15]

2 hours ago, tendrementchoco said:

Hi @Tissa thank you so much for the details. I am also using a lawyer for the entire process too. I saw your timeline but I least you sponsor views were received very quickly. It is not the case for me sadly or at least the website does not reflect it yet. Fingers crossed! Congratulations to you!

It actually took a month before it was updated on their website about the sponsor views! So may be yours have been received but they haven't updated it in the system yet

[tendrementchoco 6]

56 minutes ago, Tissa said:

It actually took a month before it was updated on their website about the sponsor views! So may be yours have been received but they haven't updated it in the system yet

Hi @Tissa that's so nice of you to take the time to reply! You're right, I need to be patient. My whole career depends on their decision and the clock is ticking as I would need to be back in the US at the very beginning of September to start the semester teaching at my university. Let's keep positive!

[eliottreid 9]

On 7/4/2019 at 1:11 AM, tendrementchoco said:

Hi @eliottreid! I think they are trying to evaluate if you spent a responsible time back in your home country, even if you did not go back to your home country for 2 years in a row. In my own statement, I did write that I had already spent a significant amount of days in my home country (all breaks), and that I will finish my 730 days at home this very summer. I wish you all the best! Fingers crossed!

Thank you, I only spent 6 months :( but hopefully that wouldn't be a reason to reject me.