March 2019 AOS Filers -- Part 2

[SusannZ 111]

13 minutes ago, Nicola and Jordan said:

Look what happened!!!!! I’m in Manhattan, NYC so was not expecting this for a few more months!!! Maybe they have outsourced me to another FO who knows but I’m just happy!! 

Our office had a 33 month processing time so I wasn't expecting to be called either! But yay so exciting! 

[NewCitizen23 313]

1 hour ago, Nicola and Jordan said:

Look what happened!!!!! I’m in Manhattan, NYC so was not expecting this for a few more months!!! Maybe they have outsourced me to another FO who knows but I’m just happy!! 

Omg I’m so happy for you!!! Keep us posted!

[Shawn_Lock 36]

Awesome News !  Good luck !

[Nicola and Jordan 668]

Thanks everyone! How long did it take approx to receive the letter after the status changed? 

[SusannZ 111]

2 hours ago, Nicola and Jordan said:

Thanks everyone! How long did it take approx to receive the letter after the status changed? 

About a week. 

[Shawn_Lock 36]

Received notice on Friday. Letter showed up on the next Wednesday. 

[NewCitizen23 313]

3 hours ago, Nicola and Jordan said:

Thanks everyone! How long did it take approx to receive the letter after the status changed? 

My status changed on December 17th and I got the letter on Christmas Eve.

[SusannZ 111]

17 hours ago, Shawn_Lock said:

Received notice on Friday. Letter showed up on the next Wednesday. 

I see you're from CT too! I'm in Norwalk. 

[Shawn_Lock 36]

Yes from from South Windsor. It has been good to see that the Hartford office is processing much faster than I expected. I was thinking 2 - 2.5 years of waiting based off their original processing times. 
Best of luck to you ! 

[SusannZ 111]

4 hours ago, Shawn_Lock said:

Yes from from South Windsor. It has been good to see that the Hartford office is processing much faster than I expected. I was thinking 2 - 2.5 years of waiting based off their original processing times. 
Best of luck to you ! 

Thanks, to you as well. I was expecting much longer processing for our office but I'm glad it's moving along. 

[rye_212 126]

On 11/16/2019 at 8:59 PM, rye_212 said:

Good news and bad news from me.

 

Good is that they have suddenly scheduled the GC interview.  Haven't got the letter yet but based on others I expect late December.  That wasn't forecast to happen in Dallas until 14 months after our March 2019 application, so next May.  

 

But the BAD news is that I am currently in Europe on my Advance Parole .... and my AP card was stolen.   Its a new nightmare.  USCIS say contact the embassy.  Two different Embassies say they only deal with Legal Residents and Citizens.  The USCIS page says there is no process for lost AP docs (https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual/volume-11-part-a-chapter-3) and to contact the European Field office in Rome.  Rome have responded to my email saying to file a new I-131 with expedited request.  

 

As usual, the main source of comfort are threads on here from others in the same situation.  Seems like Customs-Border-Patrol will accept me with evidence of my problem (police report etc). But I have to persuade the airline to let me fly - when they are at risk of a big fine if I was rejected by CBP.    Threads I have read:

 

 

I will provide more updates when I have resolved the issue.  

 

 

So, to update on this - my stolen AP card in mid-November.   The US Embassy don't help non-greencard holders.  There isn't a standard USCIS process for handling the exceptional case of lost AP cards.  USCIS Customer support advised me - incorrectly - to submit a 131a to the Embassy - which is a request for a lost greencard.   The USCIS international office in London intervened to cancel this application - after I had pad $550.  London then facilitated me to re-apply for an AP card using 131 again, but via the express "Humanitarian" office.  Another $550, stating my reasons for humanitarian needs ("theft").  They said the process would take a few weeks.   But figuring all that out was an incredibly stressful week, with lots of steps that I can't even bother documenting.   

 

However, the Humanitarian approval wasn't issued in time for my flight!  So I just went to Dublin airport with my AP card photocopies, police report etc.  I had already advised the airline that I would be doing this.  The checkin supervisor allowed me to checkin - without referring to any US authorities.  But in Dublin US immigration happens before you fly, so I guess that makes the airline more open to this.  At immigration, they reviewed my issue and admitted me.  Warned me that I could not travel again without a re-entry doc (eg another AP card, or greencard).

 

Two days after arriving back in USA, Humanitarian communicated that they had approved my 131 application and that I should visit an Embassy to collect a one-off "boarding foil" to allow me to re-enter.   The same doc that USCIS London had intervened to prevent in the first place!  Lets just say I know how to spell bureaucracy!

 

In the middle of the crisis we were called to our green-card interview for mid December.  This was 8 months after applying, instead of the 14 months projected.  Luckily it was scheduled for 2 days after my scheduled arrival. I included that info in the Humanitarian application.

 

HOWEVER, when we attended for interview in Dallas we were told that they couldn't proceed.  They said our file was locked elsewhere.  Turns out, it had been sent to the Humanitarian office.  USCIS Dallas didn't  understand what had happened until we explained.  They didn't have any clear advice on what to do next, just told us to go away and try calling our congressman! We reached out to various offices asking for the file to be returned to Dallas, and in the end it arrived back in Dallas a the end of December.  No-one can tell us how long we will now have to wait for Dallas to get around to scheduling a new interview.  Or worst case, they forget it because its in another exception case that they don't have a process for handling.   

 

So Im down $2200 - $1100 to US Govt depts, $500 to airline for rescheduling, $600 for a replacement phone.  The thief got a phone which Apple bricked.  And I got my greencard interview cancelled. for more delays.  I think the Irish expression "sweet mother of Jesus" is applicable.   

 

[HRQX 4,145]

1 hour ago, rye_212 said:

The same doc that USCIS London had intervened to prevent in the first place!  Lets just say I know how to spell bureaucracy!

Wow! What a bureaucratic nightmare. Seems the common path is to figure out humanitarian parole:

But with no official website with info about the process and embassy employees that probably rarely know what humanitarian parole is, it's a headache.

1 hour ago, rye_212 said:

No-one can tell us how long we will now have to wait for Dallas to get around to scheduling a new interview.  Or worst case, they forget it because its in another exception case that they don't have a process for handling.

Hopefully they don't screw it up and issue a new appointment without a long wait. My case is very different, but unfortunately it's stuck after my interview in San Francisco. They issued a RFE after the interview and they received my RFE response in June 2019, before the response deadline: https://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/704424-what-to-take-to-aos-interview-father-of-22-yo-usc/?do=findComment&comment=9777529 My case hasn't moved since.

[rye_212 126]

On 11/19/2019 at 10:48 PM, americaninlove said:

OMG this is so horrible. Are you flying through Dublin? They do the customs check there and it's a breeze. I would think with copy of the AP paperwork and the police report that you might have a chance? I am so sorry for you. I honestly cannot even imagine...

Yes, that is what happened.  See explanation just posted. 

[americaninlove 381]

On 1/10/2020 at 7:30 AM, Nicola and Jordan said:

Look what happened!!!!! I’m in Manhattan, NYC so was not expecting this for a few more months!!! Maybe they have outsourced me to another FO who knows but I’m just happy!! 

YAY!! Finally it seems even the long waits are coming to an end!!

[americaninlove 381]

10 minutes ago, rye_212 said:

Yes, that is what happened.  See explanation just posted. 

OMG my husband and I were just talking about you because he went to Ireland for the holidays and when he came back it reminded me that I had no idea whether you were ever able to come back!! I'm SOOOOO sorry for all of this mayhem. Beyond horrible. Obviously too easy to say, but, it's only money (sigh). And at least you are well versed in hounding the government for answers, so I'm praying for a quick rescheduling of your GC appointment. What a nightmare.