J1 Hardship Waiver 2021-2022 Timeline

[metehan 3]

My O1 got denied last month. I am re-filing it now.

[Hanijani 8]

Had you gotten RFE? I have gotten RFE. 
what speciality are you? I am Pathologist with 2 fellowships. I do not have very great research, have many poster and abstracts but few real articles. They have sent an RFE objecting on everything. Even the contract and salary. 

[Sabina Bart 28]

17 minutes ago, Hanijani said:

Had you gotten RFE? I have gotten RFE. 
what speciality are you? I am Pathologist with 2 fellowships. I do not have very great research, have many poster and abstracts but few real articles. They have sent an RFE objecting on everything. Even the contract and salary. 

Who sent RFE? Uscis? They sent RFE to me as well, and I had to add literally extra information and more statements. They reviewed it very fast like 8 days only it took them. 

[Hanijani 8]

34 minutes ago, Sabina Bart said:

Who sent RFE? Uscis? They sent RFE to me as well, and I had to add literally extra information and more statements. They reviewed it very fast like 8 days only it took them. 

Yes USCIS, for O1 visa. 
you talking about O1?

[Sabina Bart 28]

3 minutes ago, Hanijani said:

Yes USCIS, for O1 visa. 
you talking about O1?

Oh I meant USCIS, they sent me last year RFE for my hardship case. I literally had to built a new case with extra documents, sometimes I wonder if they lost the original docs.

[Hanijani 8]

1 minute ago, Sabina Bart said:

Oh I meant USCIS, they sent me last year RFE for my hardship case. I literally had to built a new case with extra documents, sometimes I wonder if they lost the original docs.

They sent RFE to my hardship case as well. But right now my O1 case has gotten RFE. And i am not sure of the approval rate after RFE. 

[ErinK 35]

4 hours ago, Hanijani said:

They sent RFE to my hardship case as well. But right now my O1 case has gotten RFE. And i am not sure of the approval rate after RFE. 

I hear it depends on the USCIS center your O-1 application goes to. A lawyer told me the Vermont center is very strict. They issue a lot of RFEs and have a high rejection rate for O-1

[Wyboxcx 49]

4 hours ago, Sabina Bart said:

Oh I meant USCIS, they sent me last year RFE for my hardship case. I literally had to built a new case with extra documents, sometimes I wonder if they lost the original docs.

USCIS is issuing RFEs to the majority of hardship cases these days, asking for documents already submitted with the initial filing.I received an RFE that considerably slowed down the process and the crazy thing was that my RFE was identical to an RFE received by someone else during the same time. I suspect that USCIS is using RFEs as a strategy to further delay hardship cases. I was able to overcome the RFE by basically sending them a new application but the other person's response was not enough and they had their hardship case denied by USCIS! 

[Hanijani 8]

2 hours ago, ErinK said:

I hear it depends on the USCIS center your O-1 application goes to. A lawyer told me the Vermont center is very strict. They issue a lot of RFEs and have a high rejection rate for O-1

My case is at Vermont too. 

[ErinK 35]

Has anyone provided DoS with their updated DS2019 once they extended their J-1 status? Is it necessary? Can it complicate things further?

[J1 Physician 4]

Does DOS always reply to your expedited request email even if they are rejecting it?

[Hanijani 8]

On 11/22/2022 at 2:59 PM, PeterW said:

Thank you for your suggestion! I am pursuing an O1. But it is under RFE. Hopefully it will be approved at the end. Otherwise, it will be super difficult for our family.

Hey PeterW, What was the outcome of your O1? I hope you are still checking this forum. 

[Hanijani 8]

16 hours ago, ErinK said:

Has anyone provided DoS with their updated DS2019 once they extended their J-1 status? Is it necessary? Can it complicate things further?

I have a new DS (boards extension of J1). I am not updating DOS on Ds. My lawyer said once forwarded from USCIS, DOS doesn't care where we are. 

[Hanijani 8]

Somebody was asking they did not receive the recommendation letter from DOS.

[Mickey344 14]

41 minutes ago, Hanijani said:

Somebody was asking they did not receive the recommendation letter from DOS.

@HanijaniWhere did you get this communication from?