DCF China. IV packet lost at Point of Entry? Delayed Green Card?

[coyome 1]

Dear Friends,

 

Want to write a forum post to figure out what to do next. My wife, Molly, and I are a little upset right now. After waiting close to four months for her green card to arrive, we get a letter today saying the IV Packet was not submitted at the Point of Entry which was San Francisco Airport on June 21, 2021. We were approved in January 2021 in Guangzhou, China using the DCF process. We received an CR-1 immigrant visa in her passport. The American Consulate also gave us a huge IV brown packet like two inches thick with all our paperwork, tax stuff, proof of relationship, birth certificates, and a number of other documents I can't even remember other than it took like an eternity to collect it all. We were instructed not to open it and give it to Customs and Border Patrol officers upon entry to USA, which we did on June 21st, 2021.

 

The last two months we have been waiting for green card to arrive which was promised within three months of entry. After four months, we got on the phone and miraculously got to speak with a real UCIS agent who said there was some delay. They reassured us as long as the 551 stamp was in Molly's passport she has legal residence status for one year after entry.

 

Well we get a letter today. saying that quote "USCIS has not recieved your Department of Sate issued IV Packet, which should have been submitted by the Port of Entry when you entered the United States. USCIS requires a completed Immigrant Visa Packet to process your Permanent Resident Card. To have your IV Packet recreated you must visit your local USCIS Field Office."

 

Then a bunch of instructions on making a new appointment, taking more proof of identity documents etc. The local field offices will then reconstruct the IV Packet, biometrics need to be taken, and then all this stuff further sent to Texas office.

 

You gotta be kidding me! Well, I guess we need to start going through this process, ASAP, but I'm livid! 

 

Well, not sure what we can do next other than go through the recommended steps. Any experiences or suggestions would be appreciated.

 

Gary and Molly

 

********

 

Met in Suzhou, China 2014

Married in Suzhou, China 2019 

October 2019 Petitioned for CR-1

2020 Covid delays

2021 January Interview and CR-1 Approval in Guangzhou, China

June 2021 Arrived in USA

 

 

 

 

 

[coyome 1]

Dear Friends and VisaJourney,

 

I do want to give a big thank you for this website and all that have contributed to this over the years. 

 

We briefly used a lawyer, then, after seeing the detailed instructions including forum posts, decided to do the whole process ourselves. This website and guides were very useful in achieving our success in the DCF process as an expat living in China. The US Consulate in Guangzhou was efficient, clean, and orderly. We had initial approval for the petition I-130 in like 6 days. Reading through VisaJourney as well as USCIS website was essential in preparing our required documents. 

 

However, our experience after we have arrived in USA is a little different as seen above.

 

Gary and Molly

[millefleur 5,046]

1 hour ago, coyome said:

Well we get a letter today. saying that quote "USCIS has not recieved your Department of Sate issued IV Packet, which should have been submitted by the Port of Entry when you entered the United States. USCIS requires a completed Immigrant Visa Packet to process your Permanent Resident Card. To have your IV Packet recreated you must visit your local USCIS Field Office."

Unfortunately USCIS can lose things. Yes, it's infuriating but if they're telling you to come in for an appointment, that's all you can do. Hopefully you live close to a USCIS field office and it's not a pain to have to go there.

 

Make the appointment, bring everything in that they ask for, re-do the biometrics (you'll probably have to pay a fee for that, it is what it is 😕 - maybe consider arguing to have it waived since they are the once who lost it) and then just wait it out. There's really nothing else you can do except follow the instructions USCIS has given you.

 

If this drags out beyond the I-551 stamp validity, they can issue another one at the field office. Just ask/express concern and she'll get one that looks like this:

 

[millefleur 5,046]

**Moved from DCF Discussion to General Immigration-Related Discussion; OP is already in the US and is waiting for GC**