August 2020 - AOS Filers

[LBee1592 17]

18 minutes ago, Bigtuna said:

how can you know if a letter is coming to your place? I ve been waiting 35 days and no NOA, so Im about to contact USCIS

My packet was received on the same day as yours and I am still waiting for the physical NOA. I think that, considering the USPS delays, there is no reason to freak out yet so I'm going to wait a little longer. 

[LBee1592 17]

19 minutes ago, mogiftney said:

They’ll definitely issue an RFE to everyone who filed before OCT. 13th 2020 who didn’t include the I-944, I read that on the USCIS website so I’d definitely plan as if it will absolutely be guaranteed to happen. I also wonder when we will receive the RFE’s as my wife is currently uninsured and open enrollment doesn’t start until November 1st, it would be amazing if we could have her insured before the I-944 is sent off so we can state that in the I-944 and strengthen our case.

This is my exact situation! I really want to have enough time to be added to my husband's insurance during open enrollment and I hope that I don't get the RFE before that (even if in a way I wish things would move really fast)

[Bigtuna 34]

1 minute ago, LBee1592 said:

My packet was received on the same day as yours and I am still waiting for the physical NOA. I think that, considering the USPS delays, there is no reason to freak out yet so I'm going to wait a little longer. 

Ya I guess so. Im not freaking out because I know we are going to need lots of patience, but I was wondering if we should just follow the USCIS instructions that they gave us in the SMS notice (if you dont recieve your notice in your mail by september 19th, contact USCIS at www.uscis....)

[LBee1592 17]

Just now, Bigtuna said:

Ya I guess so. Im not freaking out because I know we are going to need lots of patience, but I was wondering if we should just follow the USCIS instructions that they gave us in the SMS notice (if you dont recieve your notice in your mail by september 19th, contact USCIS at www.uscis....)

I didn't follow that. I think it's an automated thing based on general processing times pre-covid so I'll wait longer and yes you're right, lots of patience, even if I'm not good at it lol

[mogiftney 144]

1 minute ago, LBee1592 said:

This is my exact situation! I really want to have enough time to be added to my husband's insurance during open enrollment and I hope that I don't get the RFE before that (even if in a way I wish things would move really fast)

Aw. Well, good luck to us! If I’m not able to get her a plan by the time I need to respond to the RFE, we’re planning on putting “I will soon enroll” and hoping that they understand that open enrollment is coming up soon. At the very least, she will have it by the interview.

 

Does anyone know if we have a set amount of time to respond to the RFE?

[mogiftney 144]

2 minutes ago, Carolina G said:

Those instructions are no longer relevant due to Covid and USPS delays. You will get your notice it will just take some time. I have the same timeline as you expected mail by sept 19. They most like mailed your notices when you received the text message so give it up to 15 days from that date 

You’re right. Today is the date that they said I should contact them if I don’t receive it by now on the case tracker, and I haven’t received it today but my informed delivery says it will come in a few days. 

[LBee1592 17]

23 minutes ago, mogiftney said:

You’re right. Today is the date that they said I should contact them if I don’t receive it by now on the case tracker, and I haven’t received it today but my informed delivery says it will come in a few days. 

How do you see that? I mean, I am only able to see what's coming today, not in a few days.. 

[partyintheUSA 86]

26 minutes ago, mogiftney said:

Aw. Well, good luck to us! If I’m not able to get her a plan by the time I need to respond to the RFE, we’re planning on putting “I will soon enroll” and hoping that they understand that open enrollment is coming up soon. At the very least, she will have it by the interview.

 

Does anyone know if we have a set amount of time to respond to the RFE?

I'd be really surprised if you didn't have time to enroll before the RFE, especially if no one has received one in the next two to three weeks.

 

Given the administration's prioritization of 944 there's probably at least some internal momentum to send the RFEs out ASAP, but that comes at an operational cost that I'm not sure USCIS has bandwidth for right now.

 

Unless they've been recording a master list of 944 deficient packages when processed at the lockbox in anticipation of this, I think the RFEs are going to need to be handled at the local office level, probably on an app-by-app basis, and those are all kinds of backed up. And given the volume of information requested, I think the response timeline will be more than 30 days, possibly even "bring to interview" like the medical (although that's also unlikely for the same reason).

 

Basically I think the chance of you receiving a 30-day RFE for this in the next week is pretty small. It's possible, but I think small. So you should be able to enroll November 1st.

 

And if you don't receive an RFE by the election, depending on the winner, may not receive one at all. (Biden's promise is to abolish the 944 and I can't imagine the USCIS wanting to collect paperwork that it knows will probably be useless in a matter of months, but maybe they'll be looking to reject up until the last days. Who knows.)

[LBee1592 17]

19 minutes ago, Carolina G said:

Lmao why create more anxiety! 

Oh I just thought I wasn't using the Informed delivery service the right way, that's all 

 

I'm new to this service lol 

[mogiftney 144]

54 minutes ago, LBee1592 said:

How do you see that? I mean, I am only able to see what's coming today, not in a few days.. 

in my informed delivery email it just says “Coming soon” at the top and the picture of my mail is under that

[Cilllah 482]

2 hours ago, mogiftney said:

They’ll definitely issue an RFE to everyone who filed before OCT. 13th 2020 who didn’t include the I-944, I read that on the USCIS website so I’d definitely plan as if it will absolutely be guaranteed to happen. I also wonder when we will receive the RFE’s as my wife is currently uninsured and open enrollment doesn’t start until November 1st, it would be amazing if we could have her insured before the I-944 is sent off so we can state that in the I-944 and strengthen our case.

Yeah it is coming but I wonder when! I already have my credit report, my education evaluation, health insurance and financial stuff from the AOS form so I mostly have everything and so I think that I am just going to wait until I see my status change to they have sent an RFE. Even then I will have time to fill out both forms before it comes.. My three year old has nothing so hers won't take long! I am planning like it is happening as I already have the tricky things and the table of contents written out. I just need to put it together. Just being chill about it right now.

[Cilllah 482]

1 hour ago, partyintheUSA said:

I'd be really surprised if you didn't have time to enroll before the RFE, especially if no one has received one in the next two to three weeks.

 

Given the administration's prioritization of 944 there's probably at least some internal momentum to send the RFEs out ASAP, but that comes at an operational cost that I'm not sure USCIS has bandwidth for right now.

 

Unless they've been recording a master list of 944 deficient packages when processed at the lockbox in anticipation of this, I think the RFEs are going to need to be handled at the local office level, probably on an app-by-app basis, and those are all kinds of backed up. And given the volume of information requested, I think the response timeline will be more than 30 days, possibly even "bring to interview" like the medical (although that's also unlikely for the same reason).

 

Basically I think the chance of you receiving a 30-day RFE for this in the next week is pretty small. It's possible, but I think small. So you should be able to enroll November 1st.

 

And if you don't receive an RFE by the election, depending on the winner, may not receive one at all. (Biden's promise is to abolish the 944 and I can't imagine the USCIS wanting to collect paperwork that it knows will probably be useless in a matter of months, but maybe they'll be looking to reject up until the last days. Who knows.)

Oh, man. I have everything that I need for the I-944 and I was hoping to get my RFE soon so I can send it back off and be done with it so I can continue on in the process as I really hate being in limbo like this. You raise good points though. My main worry is how the I-944 RFE will impact getting my EAD/AP combo card as I really want my SSN and to be able to work. I don't mind the green card taking ages if I have that.

[partyintheUSA 86]

2 minutes ago, Cilllah said:

Oh, man. I have everything that I need for the I-944 and I was hoping to get my RFE soon so I can send it back off and be done with it so I can continue on in the process as I really hate being in limbo like this. You raise good points though. My main worry is how the I-944 RFE will impact getting my EAD/AP combo card as I really want my SSN and to be able to work. I don't mind the green card taking ages if I have that.

 

A file that is deficient with respect to the 944 may very well "freeze" the 485,  but I don't think they'll halt processing an EAD/AP application for a few reasons:

 

First, the outstanding 944 is most directly linked to and impacts the processing of the 485, and USCIS already allows the EAD/AP to be processed with incomplete/deficient/in process 485s (outstanding medical).

 

Second, the primary goal of the 944 (at least as its stated) is to make sure that immigrants are not going to become financial drains on the US. So processing apps in a way that prevents immigrants who are capable of obtaining employment, paying taxes, and not requiring services from taking steps to do exactly that doesn't make sense from a policy perspective.

 

So at the end of the day I don't think any of us are in any more limbo now than we were before this decision came out. There may be a little delay to the 485 and eventual AOS if our AOS applications get "leapfrogged" during the RFE process, but honestly everything is so backed up already courtesy COVID that this will probably just give them some time to work on existing applications while 944s are submitted.

[mogiftney 144]

50 minutes ago, Cilllah said:

Oh, man. I have everything that I need for the I-944 and I was hoping to get my RFE soon so I can send it back off and be done with it so I can continue on in the process as I really hate being in limbo like this. You raise good points though. My main worry is how the I-944 RFE will impact getting my EAD/AP combo card as I really want my SSN and to be able to work. I don't mind the green card taking ages if I have that.

You can still get your social security number without even submitting your AOS package first or marrying first. My wife has her social security card. 

Edited September 24, 2020 by mogiftney

[mogiftney 144]

59 minutes ago, Cilllah said:

Yeah it is coming but I wonder when! I already have my credit report, my education evaluation, health insurance and financial stuff from the AOS form so I mostly have everything and so I think that I am just going to wait until I see my status change to they have sent an RFE. Even then I will have time to fill out both forms before it comes.. My three year old has nothing so hers won't take long! I am planning like it is happening as I already have the tricky things and the table of contents written out. I just need to put it together. Just being chill about it right now.

It won’t be bad. You have what you need. Now it’s out of your hands and all you can do is play the waiting game. *queue the jeopardy music*

 

And of course if you want something to do to feel productive you can always complete the forms now and look over them upon sending them off. I already completed mine, I’m just awaiting some supporting documentation. The form really isn’t that confusing in comparison to every other confusing form the USCIS puts out. 

Edited September 24, 2020 by mogiftney