J1 waiver 2020 NOS update timeline

[Mlle_Wanderlust 3]

21 minutes ago, Bellmag said:

My DS2019 expires om May, 01 2021 ;((((. I did contacted the DoS after 20 week of application (late February) I received an email form then saying that my application is complete and that they will process it as soon as possible. I had also contacted them last week but did not have any answer.

 

Both the local congressman and the senator offices send a request for my application but still no replay.

 

When is your DS2019 expiring ??? how log it has been since you process started  

OMG this is bad

 

I applied in November, documents got uploaded in January and NOS on 9th February-nothing since

DS expires in October 2021 but takes a while to file H1B

Also I realised now that I made an error in filling the DS 3035 ( the end date of one of my DS 2019s) was corrected by adobe to reflect the date the application was being filled!

I just saw that and I am not writing to them since they might complicate issues. They have my DS 2019s and can check the last date

 

I am panicking and can't think of how to handle this.

 

 

 

 

[Mlle_Wanderlust 3]

3 hours ago, ps_j1 said:

Here's a follow-up email to senator rep:

 

Good luck. 

Have you contacted the senator earlier? since you said it was a follow up email

Also, did you ever reach out to DoS and/or the congressman?

I don't know which one is most effective

 

Also, since you reached the 16 week mark in March since your NOS was uploaded, it may be the 'natural' processing that did it?

 

[Bellmag 1]

1 minute ago, Mlle_Wanderlust said:

OMG this is bad

 

I applied in November, documents got uploaded in January and NOS on 9th February-nothing since

DS expires in October 2021 but takes a while to file H1B

Also I realised now that I made an error in filling the DS 3035 ( the end date of one of my DS 2019s) was corrected by adobe to reflect the date the application was being filled!

I just saw that and I am not writing to them since they might complicate issues. They have my DS 2019s and can check the last date

 

I am panicking and can't think of how to handle this.

 

 

 

 

I think that it is the right call to contact then about the error. I would let then check it since they have the hard copies of your documents. I have started my application in marsh but because on the shutdown due to the pandemic my home country embassy was not able to provide me with the NOS before August. 

 

I think that in your case you still have time especially if you are applying with premium processing for H1b.

 

I cross fingers for you

 

 

[Mlle_Wanderlust 3]

6 minutes ago, Bellmag said:

I think that it is the right call to contact then about the error. I would let then check it since they have the hard copies of your documents. I have started my application in marsh but because on the shutdown due to the pandemic my home country embassy was not able to provide me with the NOS before August. 

 

I think that in your case you still have time especially if you are applying with premium processing for H1b.

 

I cross fingers for you

 

 

You mean I did the right thing by not contacting them about the error? Or should I take a risk of restarting the whole thing and waiting for another infinity  

[Bellmag 1]

Just now, Mlle_Wanderlust said:

You mean I did the right thing by not contacting them about the error? Or should I take a risk of restarting the whole thing and waiting for another infinity  

No, I mean you did the right thing. I would have done so. I am pretty sure that if need be they will ask you for more clarifications. 

[Mlle_Wanderlust 3]

Just now, Bellmag said:

No, I mean you did the right thing. I would have done so. I am pretty sure that if need be they will ask you for more clarifications. 

I hope it doesn't result in denial or refusal

 

It is clearly the most stressful time of our lives

 

I hope and pray we both get the FR soon. Keep me posted please

[Bellmag 1]

Just now, Mlle_Wanderlust said:

I hope it doesn't result in denial or refusal

 

It is clearly the most stressful time of our lives

 

I hope and pray we both get the FR soon. Keep me posted please

Thanks,

 

I will keep you posted, I promise.

[ps_j1 0]

19 hours ago, Mlle_Wanderlust said:

Have you contacted the senator earlier? since you said it was a follow up email

Also, did you ever reach out to DoS and/or the congressman?

I don't know which one is most effective

 

Also, since you reached the 16 week mark in March since your NOS was uploaded, it may be the 'natural' processing that did it?

 

Yes, I had contacted DOS via senator rep after 16th week, I got a generic response from DOS last thursday. This Wednesday, I asked senator rep to expedite and yesterday I got the response. 

 

It may have takes its due course but we won't know.  Its better to jump and scream when you have time than to complaint about a Kafkaesque bureaucracy.

[HKAD 5]

Dear All,

 

Going through some earlier posts, it seems some people were able to get the FR between 2-3 weeks after the NOS showed up on the website. However, it is not the same for my case. My documents showed up on the 26th Feb, with the NOS showing up on the 8th March. The funding source is through the PI grant so it does not count as a US government funding. It is the case where the subject falls under the skill list of the country (India). Does any one here with similar case structure know the approximate time for receiving the FR from the DOS after the NOS update  ?

[Mlle_Wanderlust 3]

2 hours ago, HKAD said:

Dear All,

 

Going through some earlier posts, it seems some people were able to get the FR between 2-3 weeks after the NOS showed up on the website. However, it is not the same for my case. My documents showed up on the 26th Feb, with the NOS showing up on the 8th March. The funding source is through the PI grant so it does not count as a US government funding. It is the case where the subject falls under the skill list of the country (India). Does any one here with similar case structure know the approximate time for receiving the FR from the DOS after the NOS update  ?

I am in the same boat.

No government funding , university sponsors (changed my program sponsor on the same J1 program)
I sent my documents on 24th November 2020 and they were delivered on 28th November, however they were uploaded on 12th January 2021 and the NOS was uploaded on 9th February 2021

I have written to the DoS 3-4 times and they said expedited processing was for humanitarian or significant US government interest. My future PI who is the Chair sent a letter which I emailed them and within 15 minutes , the visa specialist I unfortunately always come across when emailing them decided within 15 minutes that although my application was complete it did not "rise to the level of humanitarian or US government interest"

Contacting the Congressman didn't get me anywhere either

 

We are the unfortunate ones who didn't get the waiver even after 2 months or more

[HKAD 5]

8 minutes ago, Mlle_Wanderlust said:

I am in the same boat.

No government funding , university sponsors (changed my program sponsor on the same J1 program)
I sent my documents on 24th November 2020 and they were delivered on 28th November, however they were uploaded on 12th January 2021 and the NOS was uploaded on 9th February 2021

I have written to the DoS 3-4 times and they said expedited processing was for humanitarian or significant US government interest. My future PI who is the Chair sent a letter which I emailed them and within 15 minutes , the visa specialist I unfortunately always come across when emailing them decided within 15 minutes that although my application was complete it did not "rise to the level of humanitarian or US government interest"

Contacting the Congressman didn't get me anywhere either

 

We are the unfortunate ones who didn't get the waiver even after 2 months or more

Good to know that the time interval could be between 2 weeks to more than 2 months for simple cases as ours. This makes me think that there is a human efficiency/inefficiency aspect to all this and it really depends how the person assigned deals with your case !!! Since, I know now it could be more than two months I will just not think about it and wait..

 

Thanks for you message by the way. Since your NOS was updated on the 9th Feb, you might get your FR in the coming month. All the best 

[vella-lee 0]

 

This is my timeline.

I'm still waiting for FR. I wonder if it's good to just wait or ask them for expedite inquiry.

[Pizookie 52]

7 hours ago, vella-lee said:

 

This is my timeline.

I'm still waiting for FR. I wonder if it's good to just wait or ask them for expedite inquiry.

Thanks for sharing. When did you mail your waiver application to DOS? And when did your embassy actually send the NOS?
I think the DOS calculates 12-16 weeks from the date NOS is shown as received, so you probably have to wait a few more months.

 

                                                                   
My Case:

Case mailed: 3/12/21
Case delivered: 3/17/21
Check dashed: 3/18/21
NOS sent: 3/27/21
NOS sent again: 3/30/21
——PENDING——
Files marked as received:
NOS marked as received:
Favorable Recommendation:

 

[Fictions 4]

Hi Everyone,

 

I recently submitted my NOS waiver request. I sent all the documents to DOS and my Embassy on March 15th. Website still shows nothing . I know it typically takes at least a month to see an update on the website though.

 

They'll probably request sponsor views for my case since I was a Fulbright student back in 2014 but fully funded by my home government who has already issued a NOS which I forwarded to my embassy in Washington. The sponsor on my DS-2019 says "D.O.S. (Fulbright Student)". I also already talked to the Fulbright Commission in my country and they said they will not object to my waiver application. I also talked to the IIE which is the nexus between the US and the Fulbright Commission in my country I believe but they said they have no say on this.

 

I know the Fulbright Commission in the country is just a random administration but do they get reached out at all by DOS? Do you guys have any other tips for Fulbright cases? I've been reading the posts and I know it's very unlikely to get a FR in these cases. I also read that some people wrote to their congressmen. What is that all about? Would that help?

 

I hope my Statement of Reason is strong enough. I basically tried to emphasize that no US funds were involved, leaving the country would cause extreme hardship to me, and that by staying here US institutions would highly benefit from my work.

 

Thank you!

Edited April 3, 2021 by Fictions

[vella-lee 0]

I don't know when my embassy send my NOS.

But My friend sent the document on the same day as me there.

She already got the FR.