February 2020 AOS Filers

[ourwildjourney 103]

3 minutes ago, Basil123 said:

I feel you and I am so sorry, you two are in this situation. I didn't walk in in March either because of a small cut in my thumb. I am still so mad at myself for not just trying. But also who thought they'd shut down in the middle of the week? 

 

I hope you will get appointment before the end of the month. But chances get slimmer by the day. It sucks

It’s Thursday. Even if an appointment comes in the mail tomorrow, it’s not going to be before the furlough. I feel so guilty even having her stuck in this mess of a country. This is an absolute mess. And totally preventable if they had just gone in order and used common sense. 

[Basil123 139]

5 minutes ago, ourwildjourney said:

It’s Thursday. Even if an appointment comes in the mail tomorrow, it’s not going to be before the furlough. I feel so guilty even having her stuck in this mess of a country. This is an absolute mess. And totally preventable if they had just gone in order and used common sense. 

I understand you're feeling that way, I can only imagine the pressure this puts on the petitioner as well. Just to give you some positive input on that, while I as the beneficiary am so frustrated, mad, financially stressed out, and depressed at times about USCIS & this country and the mess that is the government, I am also very grateful that I get to be here with my husband. Instead of being stuck in a different country from him, unsure of when we'd get to be together again. So don't feel too guilty, I'm sure your wife feels similarly.  

 

Oh also, one of my friends just found out she's scheduled for 8/28, and she has not received her appointment notice yet. So there's still a slim shimmer of hope

Edited August 13, 2020 by Basil123

[ourwildjourney 103]

4 minutes ago, Basil123 said:

I understand you're feeling that way, I can only imagine the pressure this puts on the petitioner as well. Just to give you some positive input on that, while I as the beneficiary am so frustrated, mad, financially stressed out, and depressed at times about USCIS & this country and the mess that is the government, I am also very grateful that I get to be here with my husband. Instead of being stuck in a different country from him, unsure of when we'd get to be together again. So don't feel too guilty, I'm sure your wife feels similarly.  

 

Oh also, one of my friends just found out she's scheduled for 8/28, and she has not received her appointment notice yet. So there's still a slim shimmer of hope

Thanks for this. And you are so right. It definitely has brought us closer as we go through this together as a team. 

[LilyKins 121]

17 minutes ago, ourwildjourney said:

It’s Thursday. Even if an appointment comes in the mail tomorrow, it’s not going to be before the furlough. I feel so guilty even having her stuck in this mess of a country. This is an absolute mess. And totally preventable if they had just gone in order and used common sense. 

First, let me say how sorry I am that this is happening. From one Canuck to another (honorary) Canuck, my husband and I are asking ourselves more and more if it's worth it to remain in the USA and actually focus on immigrating the other way around. For now, we're tied to the USA for his schooling (four years to go..) but we're considering eventually living in a Canadian border town and commuting across for work.

 

Secondly -- am I to understand that the USCIS furloughs will further delay biometrics appointment scheduling? I obviously missed something here!! I thought the ASCs are independent contractors and are thereby not subject to the furlough? Or are we talking further up the line -- no USCIS employee to trigger the scheduling of the biometrics? Clearly I don't really understand the workflow here 😣

[mvasantos 67]

10 minutes ago, LilyKins said:

First, let me say how sorry I am that this is happening. From one Canuck to another (honorary) Canuck, my husband and I are asking ourselves more and more if it's worth it to remain in the USA and actually focus on immigrating the other way around. For now, we're tied to the USA for his schooling (four years to go..) but we're considering eventually living in a Canadian border town and commuting across for work.

 

Secondly -- am I to understand that the USCIS furloughs will further delay biometrics appointment scheduling? I obviously missed something here!! I thought the ASCs are independent contractors and are thereby not subject to the furlough? Or are we talking further up the line -- no USCIS employee to trigger the scheduling of the biometrics? Clearly I don't really understand the workflow here 😣

I don't think they're contractors in the ASC, if the furlough happens everything will stop. They're barely moving now with the furlough they'll stop for sure.

[NKDL 150]

51 minutes ago, VIP_LadyLuck said:

That's weird. Did you check if both SSN cards have the same set of numbers?

Yeah same number...hey ill take it...now all i need is the combo card or a biometrics app since mine was scheduled day after lockdown began.... Baby steps I guess lol 

[ourwildjourney 103]

20 minutes ago, mvasantos said:

I don't think they're contractors in the ASC, if the furlough happens everything will stop. They're barely moving now with the furlough they'll stop for sure.

Exactly. Unfortunately even if Congress comes back after Labor Day and makes a deal that first week of September, the furloughs already will have been triggered. So everything closes down again. And, if this last shutdown and re-opening is any indication, the new appointments get scheduled fast by the computer and the rescheduled ones again go to the end of the line as humans reschedule at a snail’s pace. 
 

We don’t even have any movement on EAD or anything. Just crickets as we watch the May, June, and July filers speed through. It’s not a conspiracy. It’s just a mess. 

[fabianafcm 34]

I just got an update for my I-485. I did biometrics on Tuesday (08/11), I-765 and I-485 changed from case was received to fingerprints taken and now the I-485 just updated for case is ready for an interview. I wonder if I will get an interview before getting the combo card.. but with the furloughs probably not. 

[LilyKins 121]

7 minutes ago, ourwildjourney said:

Exactly. Unfortunately even if Congress comes back after Labor Day and makes a deal that first week of September, the furloughs already will have been triggered. So everything closes down again. And, if this last shutdown and re-opening is any indication, the new appointments get scheduled fast by the computer and the rescheduled ones again go to the end of the line as humans reschedule at a snail’s pace. 
 

We don’t even have any movement on EAD or anything. Just crickets as we watch the May, June, and July filers speed through. It’s not a conspiracy. It’s just a mess. 

This is absolutely a mess, and very devastating to hear. People's lives are on the line here -- not just the beneficiaries, but the USC petitioners too. Some of you are facing such a heavy weight trying to support both you and your spouse with no clear end in sight. At least, I know that's what my husband faced. Not to mention COVID layoffs for petitioners and how that can throw a whole other wrench into the process (both emotional stress and I-864 stress, if the beneficiary cannot work due to a lack of biometrics/EAD/USCIS bureaucracy). My heart goes out to those in this situation.

 

I know that we are waiting for my GC to make some significant decisions/changes regarding career paths, and it's frustrating to think that I could waste up to two more years because of this horribly inefficient process.

 

Unrelated to us here, as spouses, my coworker is here on a J1 as a post-doc researcher, and his wife was to be joining him this summer. They're also now forced to be apart indefinitely due to COVID/USCIS delays. I recognize that it is different, given that neither of them are USCs, but it breaks my heart to see such hardship forced on people (all of us included).

 

 

1 minute ago, fabianafcm said:

I just got an update for my I-485. I did biometrics on Tuesday (08/11), I-765 and I-485 changed from case was received to fingerprints taken and now the I-485 just updated for case is ready for an interview. I wonder if I will get an interview before getting the combo card.. but with the furloughs probably not. 

 

Congratulations!! Another positive note for a fellow Feb filer  

Edited August 14, 2020 by LilyKins

[Sarge2155 4,587]

41 minutes ago, VIP_LadyLuck said:

Excellent! I'm going to the SSA office on Monday to update my name and to DMV to apply for a state ID.

Is your local SSA office open  for face to face visits or do you have a appointment?

[Cornflake 108]

42 minutes ago, fabianafcm said:

I just got an update for my I-485. I did biometrics on Tuesday (08/11), I-765 and I-485 changed from case was received to fingerprints taken and now the I-485 just updated for case is ready for an interview. I wonder if I will get an interview before getting the combo card.. but with the furloughs probably not. 

Unfortunately, it can take up to one year or more between "case is ready for an interview" to "interview scheduled". 

I got notification "case is ready for an interview" almost two months ago, and I don't expect anything anymore .

[mvasantos 67]

39 minutes ago, Cornflake said:

Unfortunately, it can take up to one year or more between "case is ready for an interview" to "interview scheduled". 

I got notification "case is ready for an interview" almost two months ago, and I don't expect anything anymore .

I mean as long as you have your EAD you can start a life and work already, the green card is important but the ead is something that can make you have your life while waiting for GC. I'd be happy to have my EAD now and later one worry about the GC.

[MIBogdan 48]

Unexpectedly at all, my family EAD cases (FPs taken on Aug 5, "Card Ordered" issued same day) changed today to "card mailed". Not sure it matters at all but this update was surprising

I was not expecting this to happen until end of August

Edited August 14, 2020 by MIBogdan

[fromsweden 197]

22 minutes ago, MIBogdan said:

Unexpectedly at all, my family EAD cases (FPs taken on Aug 5, "Card Ordered" issued same day) changed today to "card mailed". Not sure it matters at all but this update was surprising

I was not expecting this to happen until end of August

Why unexpected? Seems like it’s been about 2 weeks from fingerprints to card mailed. Are you surprised because it never went to being produced?

[MIBogdan 48]

10 minutes ago, fromsweden said:

Why unexpected? Seems like it’s been about 2 weeks from fingerprints to card mailed. Are you surprised because it never went to being produced?

this is not 2 weeks or more that I was expecting, honestly I  was  expecting this to happen end of August. This event surprised me to be honest

Edited August 14, 2020 by MIBogdan