EAD Approved 2 Weeks Ago But Still No Card

[massy226 5]

My EAD/AP was approved 14 days ago. I received the official letters a few days after the electronic approval. However, there are been zero progress with the printing/mailing of the card. If I check the case status it still just says approved. 

 

I was told it takes usually 10-14 days after approval to receive the physical card so I'm getting quite worried. Has anyone else experienced delays?? 

[irishoxford 39]

If you didn't do biometrics, and your I-765 is riding on an I-130/I-485, and there's no past biometrics to use (from an ASC), then your card is most likely stuck at the NBC until they receive biometrics.  This non-production only seems to be affecting I-485 AOS (coming out of NBC).  

 

If you want my source for that, I've spoken to USCIS directly (multiple tier-2 officers), USCIS through my Senator's office (ongoing discussion), and USCIS through the Ombudsman.  I've communicated to USCIS that I think they should either waive biometrics for the moment for niche cases like ours (where approval predates biometrics), or allow the approval notices for certain dates to stand in lieu of employment authorisation until a little later in the year. 

 

I do not know why this is happening, by the way.  

 

Will update when I know more.  You're very welcome to call them though and speak to a tier-2 officer to confirm your own case.  

 

In the meantime though, if it makes you feel any better, you can check your employment status through E-Verify self-check.  Although you can't technically be employed without the EAD, seeing that I'm fine through E-Verify made me feel vaguely better.

IF you did your biometrics and the card is not being produced, make sure to look to see if your fingerprints were applied to your case history at egov.uscis.gov.  If they were, give it several more days (there have been a few instances of cases taking 2-3 weeks from approval to "card production ordered"/"card ordered" statuses).  



 

[massy226 5]

@irishoxford This is true I never did biometrics which is why I was shocked my EAD/AP was approved without it. What is NBC? 

 

I haven't had any luck speaking to anyone anytime I call USCIS. I don't have any interest in the EAD it is the AP I want more than anything. I don't want to work in the US I just want to keep my family together. My husband works in the NBA and is leaving for over 3 months. I want to be able to travel to Canada with our son for that duration but I can't without the physical card. 

[irishoxford 39]

Just now, massy226 said:

@irishoxford This is true I never did biometrics which is why I was shocked my EAD/AP was approved without it. What is NBC? 

 

I haven't had any luck speaking to anyone anytime I call USCIS. I don't have any interest in the EAD it is the AP I want more than anything. I don't want to work in the US I just want to keep my family together. My husband works in the NBA and is leaving for over 3 months. I want to be able to travel to Canada with our son for that duration but I can't without the physical card. 

Massy, check your egov.uscis.gov case status for your I-765 and look to see if they have applied fingerprints from any of your previous visas.  You should see that in your case history when you take a look there.  Update us here.  

   

[massy226 5]

@irishoxford

12 minutes ago, irishoxford said:

Massy, check your egov.uscis.gov case status for your I-765 and look to see if they have applied fingerprints from any of your previous visas.  You should see that in your case history when you take a look there.  Update us here.  

   

I just checked and all it says is approved, nothing else. I never had biometrics done but was told many EAD/AP are now being approved without them. 

[irishoxford 39]

5 hours ago, massy226 said:

@irishoxford

I just checked and all it says is approved, nothing else. I never had biometrics done but was told many EAD/AP are now being approved without them. 

Where's your nearest Application Support Centre (ASC)?  Also, when did you file?  

Just trying to guesstimate how long this might take for you.  

[massy226 5]

14 hours ago, irishoxford said:

Where's your nearest Application Support Centre (ASC)?  Also, when did you file?  

Just trying to guesstimate how long this might take for you.  

There's one about 15 miles from me. I filed in January. 

I don't understand why they would approved the EAD if it was reliant on biometrics. Wouldn't it state that in the approval notice?

[irishoxford 39]

5 hours ago, massy226 said:

There's one about 15 miles from me. I filed in January. 

I don't understand why they would approved the EAD if it was reliant on biometrics. Wouldn't it state that in the approval notice?

I honestly think USCIS is trying its best to balance out workload with waiting times.  

I think they thought the ASCs might be opened a little earlier to make these pre-biometric approvals a moot point (and that people wouldn't have to wait so long after approvals to get their biometrics done, and the card sent).  They maybe figured an approval notice would have been better than nothing (and might save some jobs from understanding employers whose verification/reverification process on the I-9s might *very* loosely interpret the DHS document for List C of the I-9 document requirements).  Obviously not much use if you're only trying to get Advance Parole.  

The alternative would have been no approval, no approval notice, and waiting for the biometrics regardless.  

 

Did your lawyer tell you not to go to biometrics or something?  You should have had an appointment before the ASCs closed given that you filed in January. 

  

Edited July 3, 2020 by irishoxford

[massy226 5]

15 hours ago, irishoxford said:

I honestly think USCIS is trying its best to balance out workload with waiting times.  

I think they thought the ASCs might be opened a little earlier to make these pre-biometric approvals a moot point (and that people wouldn't have to wait so long after approvals to get their biometrics done, and the card sent).  They maybe figured an approval notice would have been better than nothing (and might save some jobs from understanding employers whose verification/reverification process on the I-9s might *very* loosely interpret the DHS document for List C of the I-9 document requirements).  Obviously not much use if you're only trying to get Advance Parole.  

The alternative would have been no approval, no approval notice, and waiting for the biometrics regardless.  

 

Did your lawyer tell you not to go to biometrics or something?  You should have had an appointment before the ASCs closed given that you filed in January. 

  

Yes you are right, I did have one in March and our lawyer told me not to go. My immigration is a complete disaster because our lawyer is THE WORST. My husband coaches in the NBA and we were recommended this "top immigration lawyer" based out of NYC. This past January 2020 we found out her and her firm messed up and our time to file for my AOS was JUNE 2019. They missed it on the bulletin?! We had put our trust in her (our fault) and she completely failed. She filed right away, then upon receiving the receipts for that filing she realized they checked the wrong box that stated my husband is an American (he is not, he is a Canadian with a green card). We had to file AGAIN. I got a biometrics for that filing #1 for early March, she told me not to go and to wait for the biometrics for the second filing. Then COVID hit. 

The reason I'm so desperate for this AP is because my husband is leaving for the NBA Orlando bubble next week. I'll be alone with our baby for a couple of months without any friends or family. To really make it complicated where we're from in Canada has no cases of COVID and things are pretty much back to normal there. My cousin was the RCMP officer killed in the Nova Scotia shooting in April and our family wasn't able to get together due to COVID. But now they are all together and I'm told I can't even get an emergency travel appt without biometrics either. 

This has turned into more of a vent lol I'm aware a lot more immigrants have it way worse but it's just such an unnecessary mess. I don't even want to take a job from an American. I quit my job and abandoned my h1-b before the pandemic and even trained my American replacement for 2 weeks!! 

 

 

[Rearviewmirror 397]

5 hours ago, massy226 said:

Yes you are right, I did have one in March and our lawyer told me not to go. My immigration is a complete disaster because our lawyer is THE WORST. My husband coaches in the NBA and we were recommended this "top immigration lawyer" based out of NYC. This past January 2020 we found out her and her firm messed up and our time to file for my AOS was JUNE 2019. They missed it on the bulletin?! We had put our trust in her (our fault) and she completely failed. She filed right away, then upon receiving the receipts for that filing she realized they checked the wrong box that stated my husband is an American (he is not, he is a Canadian with a green card). We had to file AGAIN. I got a biometrics for that filing #1 for early March, she told me not to go and to wait for the biometrics for the second filing. Then COVID hit. 

The reason I'm so desperate for this AP is because my husband is leaving for the NBA Orlando bubble next week. I'll be alone with our baby for a couple of months without any friends or family. To really make it complicated where we're from in Canada has no cases of COVID and things are pretty much back to normal there. My cousin was the RCMP officer killed in the Nova Scotia shooting in April and our family wasn't able to get together due to COVID. But now they are all together and I'm told I can't even get an emergency travel appt without biometrics either. 

This has turned into more of a vent lol I'm aware a lot more immigrants have it way worse but it's just such an unnecessary mess. I don't even want to take a job from an American. I quit my job and abandoned my h1-b before the pandemic and even trained my American replacement for 2 weeks!! 

 

 

I've been through a fair few US visa processes (J1, F1, H1-B, L1, now green card) and all I can say is my heart goes out to you. It's an unbelievably stressful time when so much of your life/freedom of movement is impacted and when the process is completely outside of your control. That also really stinks in terms of your lawyer's terrible performance. I would very much hope they have given you a significant refund/are doing the remainder of your case for free. Regardless, it might be worth looking into another lawyer for the remainder of your case - a better lawyer will be able to advise you on whether you have any grounds to expedite your case. 

 

Keep your chin up, I know this is very stressful and hard but you'll get through it and a a time will come when you never have to worry about this stuff again.

[massy226 5]

On 7/4/2020 at 2:59 PM, Rearviewmirror said:

I've been through a fair few US visa processes (J1, F1, H1-B, L1, now green card) and all I can say is my heart goes out to you. It's an unbelievably stressful time when so much of your life/freedom of movement is impacted and when the process is completely outside of your control. That also really stinks in terms of your lawyer's terrible performance. I would very much hope they have given you a significant refund/are doing the remainder of your case for free. Regardless, it might be worth looking into another lawyer for the remainder of your case - a better lawyer will be able to advise you on whether you have any grounds to expedite your case. 

 

Keep your chin up, I know this is very stressful and hard but you'll get through it and a a time will come when you never have to worry about this stuff again.

Thank you for the kind, encouraging words. It really is never ending it feels like. I already missed my Grandmother's funeral back when I got the RFE for my h1-b. It's so frustrating to be a mere hours drive to the Canadian border and my entire family and I can't go without giving up my life here. I know I also have it easy compared to most immigrants. Happy to have found this forum  

[hui12345 0]

same here, wait over 3 weeks, still no card, even though i already done biometrics. Hope uscis can do better in explanation and mail card quickly. it is very frustrating in waiting without any certainty. feel so bad when things out of control. have to keep hope and maybe have a plan B. 

[cw01 0]

Mine was approved back in May and I've been waiting for almost 60 days and still haven't gotten my card...My congressman asked for me and they said it was because of biometrics. My local ASC will be open on July 27th and no one knows how much more delay will come even after I do the biometrics then...

I'm so desperate because I really don't want to lose my current job offer

[Rearviewmirror 397]

1 hour ago, cw01 said:

Mine was approved back in May and I've been waiting for almost 60 days and still haven't gotten my card...My congressman asked for me and they said it was because of biometrics. My local ASC will be open on July 27th and no one knows how much more delay will come even after I do the biometrics then...

I'm so desperate because I really don't want to lose my current job offer

Can you please add your timeline?

[Cornflake 108]

I'm not sure if it's a legit information, but here the story from The Washington Post regarding EAD and Green cards https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/how-the-trump-administration-is-turning-legal-immigrants-into-undocumented-ones/2020/07/09/15c1cbf6-c203-11ea-9fdd-b7ac6b051dc8_story.html

Quote "Some 50,000 green cards and 75,000 other employment authorization documents promised to immigrants haven’t been printed, USCIS said in a statement. The agency said it had planned to escalate printing but that it “cannot speculate on future projections of processing times.”