Asking for advice/assistance. NOA2 has yet to arrive, and it has been 1 year and 4 months.

[Oublieux 6]

I have signed up for an account here because I would like to ask for the community's advice on how I can best get more insight into the status of my application. It has been a frustrating process considering that I have done my due diligence and have been meticulous with my application and follow-ups, but I am being hit with multiple delays with little or no explanation. It's also disheartening considering that I was closely following the September 2018 Filers thread, and that seems to have long since died down as the majority have already received their NOA2's.

 

The timeline of events is as follows:

• Filed for I-130 the beginning of September 2018.
• Received NOA1 September 10, 2018.
• In May 2019, I requested an inquiry over the phone as my application was out of normal processing times and received a notice in the mail stating that my application was delayed and undergoing additional review and to wait up to 60 days.
• After 60 days, I followed up in August and September 2019. It was only in September 2019, after several phone calls, that I was informed that the USCIS had apparently mailed me an RFE back in April 2019.
  • I had been checking my home mailbox every day and never received the RFE mail.
  • The online case status on both USCIS websites never reflected that an RFE was sent.
  • I was not informed of the RFE despite having called in May, August, and September 2019--it is baffling that they never mentioned the RFE during these times and even stated that the application was undergoing additional review.
• Out of "courtesy" the USCIS mailed another RFE, which I received in late September 2019/early October 2019.
  • The RFE indicated that I needed to send a copy and translation of my marriage certificate despite having already sent this in my initial filing, which also left me frustrated.
• Sent RFE in mid-October 2019.
• Received a notice in late October 2019 that the RFE was received and that my application was being worked on again.
  • It is at this point one of the USCIS case status websites showed that an RFE was received. The other still shows the same message as when my NOA1 was received.
• In December 2019, I requested another inquiry over the phone as the RFE and application review was, once again, over the allotted 60 days.
• I called again today, and the current situation is that my application is delayed and undergoing additional review again, which entails another 60 day wait period. Of course, I have extreme doubts due to having never been informed for the initial RFE back in April 2019 despite doing my due diligence in following up and the unreliable case status tracker.

 

At this point, what can I do? I have been in touch with Tier 2 representatives before, and they are equally of little help. Would obtaining an immigration lawyer potentially expedite this or lead to the application being reviewed in a more timely manner? Any help would be really appreciated.

 

Thank you.

[USS_Voyager 1,972]

8 minutes ago, Oublieux said:

Would obtaining an immigration lawyer potentially expedite this or lead to the application being reviewed in a more timely manner?

No that wouldn't do anything. You want to get in contact with your local Senator or House representative's office. They all have an immigration liaison. They can make some noises for you. That's where you want to go. 

[Oublieux 6]

1 hour ago, USS_Voyager said:

No that wouldn't do anything. You want to get in contact with your local Senator or House representative's office. They all have an immigration liaison. They can make some noises for you. That's where you want to go. 

Thank you. I will definitely give this a shot in the meantime.

[Oublieux 6]

On 1/3/2020 at 11:25 AM, USS_Voyager said:

No that wouldn't do anything. You want to get in contact with your local Senator or House representative's office. They all have an immigration liaison. They can make some noises for you. That's where you want to go. 

I've emailed both Senators within my state and will also give them a call if possible. Are there any other courses of action I can be taking?

[Lil bear 4,210]

48 minutes ago, Oublieux said:

I've emailed both Senators within my state and will also give them a call if possible. Are there any other courses of action I can be taking?

Put in a request with the Ombudsman ... takes some 45 days for your case to be looked at ,... but they are the official “heavies” in this and MAY be able to get some information or movement. 
https://www.dhs.gov/topic/cis-ombudsman

Edited January 6, 2020 by Lil bear

[Oublieux 6]

16 hours ago, Lil bear said:

Put in a request with the Ombudsman ... takes some 45 days for your case to be looked at ,... but they are the official “heavies” in this and MAY be able to get some information or movement. 
https://www.dhs.gov/topic/cis-ombudsman

Thank you so, so much. I will definitely be sending an e-mail to the Ombudsman as well. I know it's a big "maybe," but I'd rather exhaust all my options.

[saladboye 166]

18 hours ago, Oublieux said:

I've emailed both Senators within my state and will also give them a call if possible. Are there any other courses of action I can be taking?

Pro Tip: Fax them.

 

Seriously both your senetors and also your congressman.

[Oublieux 6]

1 hour ago, saladboye said:

Pro Tip: Fax them.

 

Seriously both your senetors and also your congressman.

Great idea, I'll definitely do this, too. I can take from the e-mail template I've been using to explain my situation and also use it to fax them.

[Eugenia2017 28]

5 minutes ago, Oublieux said:

Great idea, I'll definitely do this, too. I can take from the e-mail template I've been using to explain my situation and also use it to fax them.

Long process ! You can also review the Processing time in the service center that has your case. Mine's in Nebraska and the maximum time is 16 months.

[Oublieux 6]

On 1/3/2020 at 11:25 AM, USS_Voyager said:

No that wouldn't do anything. You want to get in contact with your local Senator or House representative's office. They all have an immigration liaison. They can make some noises for you. That's where you want to go. 

 

On 1/5/2020 at 7:44 PM, Lil bear said:

Put in a request with the Ombudsman ... takes some 45 days for your case to be looked at ,... but they are the official “heavies” in this and MAY be able to get some information or movement. 
https://www.dhs.gov/topic/cis-ombudsman

 

On 1/6/2020 at 1:45 PM, saladboye said:

Pro Tip: Fax them.

 

Seriously both your senetors and also your congressman.

 

Thank you, everyone. I'm not sure if any of the actions I took based on your recommendations were the cause or it was just fortunate timing, but I finally received a NOA2 this past Monday on 1/13!