Does filing online makes for a quicker process?

[geowrian 22,337]

17 minutes ago, OnAJourney said:

Lockbox addresses are based on the State petitioner lives in. So in that case, you know exactly which service center your case is at. From there, if they transfer the cases for various reasons - that's a different story and they do inform you about it. 

Lockboxes and service centers are separate. What lockbox you send a form to has no bearing on the service center that gets assigned the case. It will always be transferred from the lockbox to a service center as the lockbox does not adjudicate forms.

Edited November 20, 2019 by geowrian

[OnAJourney 3]

19 minutes ago, MJY said:

Few questions?

 

Regarding the passport photo, how did you guys submit it online?  

 

Also, can we pay via cc the 535 usd fee?

For my pictures, I had CVS give me electronic copy of my 2x2. For my wife's, I scanned it in and then cropped it so it was exactly 2x2 before I uploaded it. 

 

Yes, you can pay via CC, debit card or bank account. It gives you the payment confirmation and your Receipt # right away. 

[OnAJourney 3]

15 minutes ago, geowrian said:

Lockboxes and service centers are separate. What lockbox you send a form to has no bearing on the service center that gets assigned the case. It will always be transferred from the lockbox to a service center as the lockbox does not adjudicate forms.

That's interesting because my sister had sent her husband's to Vermont lockbox (few years ago) and her service center was also Vermont. 

[geowrian 22,337]

7 minutes ago, OnAJourney said:

That's interesting because my sister had sent her husband's to Vermont lockbox (few years ago) and her service center was also Vermont. 

That is a possible result.

[MJY 13]

20 minutes ago, OnAJourney said:

For my pictures, I had CVS give me electronic copy of my 2x2. For my wife's, I scanned it in and then cropped it so it was exactly 2x2 before I uploaded it. 

 

Yes, you can pay via CC, debit card or bank account. It gives you the payment confirmation and your Receipt # right away. 

Did you write anything for the passport photos?  

[OnAJourney 3]

14 minutes ago, MJY said:

Did you write anything for the passport photos?  

I did not. 

 

Also, just a quick update - I saw the Receipt notice online just now and the case is assigned to Potomac Service Center. 

[MJY 13]

1 hour ago, OnAJourney said:

I did not. 

 

Also, just a quick update - I saw the Receipt notice online just now and the case is assigned to Potomac Service Center. 

Good or bad?

[OnAJourney 3]

26 minutes ago, MJY said:

Good or bad?

I don't know how the other centers are doing but Potomac processing time is 7 to 9 months - which is anyway average if there aren't any RFE's etc. 

 

I was reading yesterday that people with Receipt number starting with IOE are getting approved much quicker than even the processing time listed online. 

[INF 96]

1 hour ago, OnAJourney said:

I did not. 

 

Also, just a quick update - I saw the Receipt notice online just now and the case is assigned to Potomac Service Center. 

I was wondering did you get any errors on entering your current employment. It does not let my husband proceed without an end date on his current employment. We have called USCIS multiple times with no help other than to fill out the paper copy way. I would prefer online!

[OnAJourney 3]

7 minutes ago, INF said:

I was wondering did you get any errors on entering your current employment. It does not let my husband proceed without an end date on his current employment. We have called USCIS multiple times with no help other than to fill out the paper copy way. I would prefer online!

lol, don't you love that? 

 

For employment - I used the date of filing so it's "current" as you can't put "Present" or anything as such online, which you can on the paper form. 

[MJY 13]

47 minutes ago, INF said:

I was wondering did you get any errors on entering your current employment. It does not let my husband proceed without an end date on his current employment. We have called USCIS multiple times with no help other than to fill out the paper copy way. I would prefer online!

I called too.

 

Seems like they don't really have the answers to many questions...

[MJY 13]

42 minutes ago, OnAJourney said:

lol, don't you love that? 

 

For employment - I used the date of filing so it's "current" as you can't put "Present" or anything as such online, which you can on the paper form. 

So basically, xx-xx-xxxx to 11-20-2019

[OnAJourney 3]

2 minutes ago, MJY said:

I called too.

 

Seems like they don't really have the answers to many questions...

Anything that asks for end date, put in the day you're filing so it's the most current date. 

 

I actually don't think that many of the USCIS employees even realize that the online system will customize the form as you fill it out to only ask for relevant information. Paper form has too many fields that aren't really required. 

[OnAJourney 3]

8 minutes ago, MJY said:

So basically, xx-xx-xxxx to 11-20-2019

Yes. That's what I did. Same thing for the physical address. 

[INF 96]

12 minutes ago, OnAJourney said:

Anything that asks for end date, put in the day you're filing so it's the most current date. 

 

I actually don't think that many of the USCIS employees even realize that the online system will customize the form as you fill it out to only ask for relevant information. Paper form has too many fields that aren't really required. 

Thank you so much. Did you also put in your current address as part of petitioner 5 year address history?