Reasons for Excessive K1 Delay

[JamieCO1 1]

Our K1 Fiancé application was filed in May 2021. After numerous changes in the expected date, they finally started May files. We waited and waited....nothing. Finally reached the Aug date to file an inquiry, but the site just states we should hear in 30 days. I can see in Case tracker there are a handful of us still waiting from

5/18/21. Any ideas on what is causing our random cases to be left behind? BTW, ours is a pretty simple case, 1 year together in US, 3 years loving together in Italy, US citizen child together, no divorces, no criminal, meet financial requirements. So confused and depressed....any insight would be appreciated!

 

[CaLi90 56]

14 minutes ago, JamieCO1 said:

Our K1 Fiancé application was filed in May 2021. After numerous changes in the expected date, they finally started May files. We waited and waited....nothing. Finally reached the Aug date to file an inquiry, but the site just states we should hear in 30 days. I can see in Case tracker there are a handful of us still waiting from

5/18/21. Any ideas on what is causing our random cases to be left behind? BTW, ours is a pretty simple case, 1 year together in US, 3 years loving together in Italy, US citizen child together, no divorces, no criminal, meet financial requirements. So confused and depressed....any insight would be appreciated!

 

My spouse and I also had a long wait, our K1 was filed Dec 2019, and only approved September 2021 (almost 2 years), the USCIS were missing a whole bunch of December applicants and went straight onto January/February/March. Ours was also a straightforward case.

Unfortunately sometimes the USCIS does not process in order, and as I know, it’s very frustrating! We also filed a couple enquiries and were told we would hear back to answer our question within 60 days. I don’t think there’s anything particular holding the K1’s up, more that some cases just get missed and not handled until months after. I wish every case would get handled in order but that isn’t always the way!

 

BTW our second enquiry seemed to get our petition moving but still had to wait a couple of months from that. 

I hope your enquiry speeds it up and you hear some good news shortly though!

Edited August 20, 2022 by CaLi90

[TBoneTX 45,319]

Welcome to the forum.

 

This is frustrating.  You can wait interminably on hold to speak with USCIS, insisting to the front-line screeners that you want escalation to the next tier.  When that occurs, start by saying how glad you are to be talking to someone whom you know can help you.  Ask precisely where your petition is within USCIS, and ask if it can be moved to the next place where it needs to go.  If it's security checks, they take as long as they take, period.  If it's not security checks, earnestly remind the officer that it's out of processing time and you'd really appreciate his/her help.  These second-tier officers can see what the front-line screeners cannot, so regard the former as allies.

 

Another option is to file an inquiry through your U.S. Congressman.  There's a release form to fill out, and the immigration liaison will then inquire to USCIS, with an answer generally expected in a couple of weeks.  It will be faster to reach your Congressman's office than to get through to USCIS, but the first method above (assuming that you're escalated) may be a bit more effective -- you're speaking with someone who can actually do something and not be put off.

 

Back in my day, I was among the very last of my monthly filing group to see action.  After I called USCIS and was escalated, I was told that the petition file was sitting on the processing floor at a transfer station.  I asked the officer if he could get it moved to the next place it had to go, and soon thereafter we got the approval.

 

Keep us closely apprised as to your results.

---

Thread is moved from the K-1 Process forum to the K-1 Case Progress subforum.

Edited August 20, 2022 by TBoneTX

[TBoneTX 45,319]

Here's a link to my full K-1 story, for potential solace:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/410945-k-1-journey-completed/

[Doggy_11 2]

37 minutes ago, TBoneTX said:

Welcome to the forum.

 

This is frustrating.  You can wait interminably on hold to speak with USCIS, insisting to the front-line screeners that you want escalation to the next tier.  When that occurs, start by saying how glad you are to be talking to someone whom you know can help you.  Ask precisely where your petition is within USCIS, and ask if it can be moved to the next place where it needs to go.  If it's security checks, they take as long as they take, period.  If it's not security checks, earnestly remind the officer that it's out of processing time and you'd really appreciate his/her help.  These second-tier officers can see what the front-line screeners cannot, so regard the former as allies.

 

Another option is to file an inquiry through your U.S. Congressman.  There's a release form to fill out, and the immigration liaison will then inquire to USCIS, with an answer generally expected in a couple of weeks.  It will be faster to reach your Congressman's office than to get through to USCIS, but the first method above (assuming that you're escalated) may be a bit more effective -- you're speaking with someone who can actually do something and not be put off.

 

Back in my day, I was among the very last of my monthly filing group to see action.  After I called USCIS and was escalated, I was told that the petition file was sitting on the processing floor at a transfer station.  I asked the officer if he could get it moved to the next place it had to go, and soon thereafter we got the approval.

 

Keep us closely apprised as to your results.

---

Thread is moved from the K-1 Process forum to the K-1 Case Progress subforum.

hi,  I have a NOA1 of June 14 2021, last month I spoke to a T2 officer (this was before our case inquiry date) and I asked them multiple times can you just tell us where our application is, is it in a pile, is it on someone's desk, just tell us if it is in line to be processed because I am scared they have lost our application, the officer did not help at all, he kept saying we are just a call center and not the California processing center and they have no way to check where our case is.

 

Its been a while now and like 70% of June filers have been processed and our is still not processed.

 

My inquiry date is coming in Sep 10, can I call again now and try what you said or should I wait until inquiry date

[TBoneTX 45,319]

Call anytime you like.  Contact your Congressman's office, too!

[SteveInBostonI130 3,459]

Squeaky wheel gets the grease.

 

Normally I advocate to just wait it out, but in your case where it is outside normal processing time, contact as many times and as many people as you can.  USCIS phone, inquiry, congressman, etc.

[JamieCO1 1]

10 hours ago, TBoneTX said:

Here's a link to my full K-1 story, for potential solace:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/410945-k-1-journey-completed/

Thank you so much, we are going to try calling Monday, but hearing stories from others definitely helps. I know our family has a rare benefit of being able to visit with ESTA, so many are physically separated for years. I'd probably be a little less psycho if I didn't have a toddler who I expected to be apart from for a couple of months.  He wasn't yet 2 when we filed and was barely 2 when I flew back to the US. He just turned 3 and is really struggling when he does back to italy with Mama. 

I really appreciate hearing from the other journeys here and am grateful for the board expertise. Thank you!

 

[Mbfernandes 95]

51 minutes ago, JamieCO1 said:

Thank you so much, we are going to try calling Monday, but hearing stories from others definitely helps. I know our family has a rare benefit of being able to visit with ESTA, so many are physically separated for years. I'd probably be a little less psycho if I didn't have a toddler who I expected to be apart from for a couple of months.  He wasn't yet 2 when we filed and was barely 2 when I flew back to the US. He just turned 3 and is really struggling when he does back to italy with Mama. 

I really appreciate hearing from the other journeys here and am grateful for the board expertise. Thank you!

 

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