J1 waiver 2020 NOS update timeline

[JMCPMT 1]

Hi everyone,

 

First, wanted to say thank you all for sharing your experiences, it's been helpful to see as I wait for my situation to unfold. 

 

Unfortunately, I have not been as lucky. Thought I would share my timeline for everyone, even though it is not particularly inspiring or hopeful

• Submitted the J1 waiver application in June.
• NOS from the French Embassy took a long time, but was sent in November, and received in late November.
• Case was completed in late December when my sponsor views from NIH were submitted. Although this does not show up, it has been confirmed by my lawyer and an MD senator.
• J1 expired on February 7th, and grace period ends this Friday, March 7th
• In January, I contacted the MD senators, and they contacted DOS to expedite, but DOS refused the expedition, but confirmed that the case was complete.
• Last week, I submitted a letter from my PI indicating how much the lab needs me.

Nervously checking every day, envious of @dm2003's situation. I believe I have one of the tightest deadline situations, but it has not resolved, so that may clash with the theory that your deadline helps the situation.

 

Good luck to everyone!

[Oriol 4]

Hello @JMCPMT,

 

Yeah, with all due respect, I would definitely class you within the "horror stories" category. I wonder if the fact that you received US federal funds had an impact, although I would  have expected medical personnel and researchers to be "bumped up." Also, sometime ago someone mentioned that this waiver procedure might perhaps be the one and only in which coming from a poor country actually helps: in your case I also wonder if "rich" countries like France are getting low priority.

Still, I would emphasize that all the patterns that we have attempted to identify here have had their counterexamples, and so the real bottom line is that nobody knows what inscrutable internal dynamics are at play. Maybe it really boils down to individual officers and their wildly different paces of work.

I wish you a speedy resolution for your case.

[dm2003 3]

@JMCPMT

Sorry to hear that you've been through lots of roughness.

I really had no idea how DoS gave me the FR after only 2 weeks. I assumed that it would take me till the end of April to get it from what I saw with many members here.

I am around 1 week after @Oriol in regard of processing timeline but when Oriol get a scanned copy of the FR from DoS, I still do not have any.

I assume that my processing center will be Vermont as well but still it got out of the pattern.

There are many things we do not know and do not share in common for our background.

Hope you can get positive results JMCPMT and the likes to all others.

 

 

[Mlle_Wanderlust 3]

2 hours ago, Oriol said:

Hello @JMCPMT,

 

Yeah, with all due respect, I would definitely class you within the "horror stories" category. I wonder if the fact that you received US federal funds had an impact, although I would  have expected medical personnel and researchers to be "bumped up." Also, sometime ago someone mentioned that this waiver procedure might perhaps be the one and only in which coming from a poor country actually helps: in your case I also wonder if "rich" countries like France are getting low priority.

Still, I would emphasize that all the patterns that we have attempted to identify here have had their counterexamples, and so the real bottom line is that nobody knows what inscrutable internal dynamics are at play. Maybe it really boils down to individual officers and their wildly different paces of work.

I wish you a speedy resolution for your case.

No, 'poor' countries are equally unlucky in this process. I have been waiting for 4 months now

 

Coming to USCIS, I have heard that they process it within a few weeks of getting the FR from DOS

Have any of you @dm2003 or @vincee received anything yet?

Do we have to start a case with the USCIS or is it done automatically once the DoS send their recommendation?

 

Thanks a lot

[Mlle_Wanderlust 3]

3 hours ago, JMCPMT said:

Hi everyone,

 

First, wanted to say thank you all for sharing your experiences, it's been helpful to see as I wait for my situation to unfold. 

 

Unfortunately, I have not been as lucky. Thought I would share my timeline for everyone, even though it is not particularly inspiring or hopeful

• Submitted the J1 waiver application in June.
• NOS from the French Embassy took a long time, but was sent in November, and received in late November.
• Case was completed in late December when my sponsor views from NIH were submitted. Although this does not show up, it has been confirmed by my lawyer and an MD senator.
• J1 expired on February 7th, and grace period ends this Friday, March 7th
• In January, I contacted the MD senators, and they contacted DOS to expedite, but DOS refused the expedition, but confirmed that the case was complete.
• Last week, I submitted a letter from my PI indicating how much the lab needs me.

Nervously checking every day, envious of @dm2003's situation. I believe I have one of the tightest deadline situations, but it has not resolved, so that may clash with the theory that your deadline helps the situation.

 

Good luck to everyone!

Really sorry to know about this

 

Comme on dit-c'est vachement de la merde!!

 

I am not sure why you needed sponsor views? Was your postdoc funded by any university or was it by a US government funding?

 

[JMCPMT 1]

14 minutes ago, Mlle_Wanderlust said:

 

I am not sure why you needed sponsor views? Was your postdoc funded by any university or was it by a US government funding?

Yes, I worked at NIH, which is US government. Yeah, it's stressful

[dm2003 3]

42 minutes ago, Mlle_Wanderlust said:

No, 'poor' countries are equally unlucky in this process. I have been waiting for 4 months now

 

Coming to USCIS, I have heard that they process it within a few weeks of getting the FR from DOS

Have any of you @dm2003 or @vincee received anything yet?

Do we have to start a case with the USCIS or is it done automatically once the DoS send their recommendation?

 

Thanks a lot

@Mlle_Wanderlust

It is true that we have seen several members here got USCIS notices (either approved or received) after averagely 11 to 14 days.

I have not yet received anything from either. @Oriol had a scanned version of FR letter from DoS which I didn't have yet (based on similarity in processing timeline, but not 100% sure)

@vincee any positive feedbacks from your side?

Thank you all

Wish everyone the best.

[Aramcod 0]

On 2/26/2021 at 6:17 PM, KYZ said:

@Aramcod Nope, still as is... We decided not to contact the DOS, after our lawyer strongly opposed... Anything from your side? 

I am in my 27th week. I have emailed them for the fourth time. They just reply but the problem is the response is pre-made and doesn't give any specific information about your case. They just told me it might even take longer than the normal processing time. I don't know, I'm so confused what's this long delay for. Hope you we get our FR soon. 

[vincee 2]

@Mlle_Wanderlust my case was approved by USCIS Vermont after a week plus of receiving a favorable recommendation on my case.

[Oriol 4]

On 2/24/2021 at 11:56 AM, talboth said:

Hi @Oriol did you contact DOS for the electronic copy of the FR or sent it to you voluntarily?

Thanks!

Hi @talboth,

 

Sorry for this late reply, I must have missed somehow your question. I did not request the scan of the FR; it came unprompted.

 

Good luck!

[talboth 0]

18 hours ago, Oriol said:

Hi @talboth,

 

Sorry for this late reply, I must have missed somehow your question. I did not request the scan of the FR; it came unprompted.

 

Good luck!

Hi @Oriol,

 

      Great. Thanks. Have you heard back anything from USCIS? I received FR about a week after you and now waiting for communication from USCIS. I have not received scanned or mailed copy of the FR yet. 

 

[dm2003 3]

5 minutes ago, talboth said:

Hi @Oriol,

 

      Great. Thanks. Have you heard back anything from USCIS? I received FR about a week after you and now waiting for communication from USCIS. I have not received scanned or mailed copy of the FR yet. 

 

@talboth

Did you get your FR on Feb 22?

Below is my timeline. I have nothing left so far. 
@Oriol  is from California, I am from South Carolina, and you?

[talboth 0]

2 minutes ago, dm2003 said:

@talboth

Did you get your FR on Feb 22?

Below is my timeline. I have nothing left so far. 
@Oriol  is from California, I am from South Carolina, and you?

Hi @dm2003,

 

     Yes. I got it at that date. I am from Illinois. 

[dm2003 3]

@talboth

We both are from states which are closer to Vermont Center than California.

@vincee, would you mind sharing which state you are from?

This can provide some assumption how distance from where we are to Vermont can influence approval notice from USCIS.

Thanks and wish us here all the best.

[Oriol 4]

Hi @talboth,

 

Nothing from USCIS yet. I messaged privately @food_fanatic, who kindly gave me the following info:

 

-They called +18003755283 about 3 months after FR, but "one month should be enough."

-"It's an automated answering bot," but one "can use https://www.stilt.com/blog/2020/07/how-do-i-speak-to-a-live-person-at-uscis/ to get to a real person." Then hopefully they can give you your case number and you can track online.

 

Good luck, and let's keep each other posted!