OLD FEE/ NEW FEE... Happened to you?

[MATTOB 0]

Hi guys, it's me.

Listen, I need help here. Or at least opinions.

I filed my AOS I-130-I-485 concurrently and shipped it off 24th July 2007

RECEIVED 26th July 2007

Today I got the entire package sent back to me with a NOA that I need to pay the new fee, and paperwork telling me why

(after or on 30th new fee, before 30th, old fee.)

The received date on the NOA is 26th July 2007

Each page in the package has been stamped with 26th July 2007

They are asking me for the $1000+ fee instead of the $765 fee I originally paid. Check was returned also un-cashed (of course)

So i get on the phone with the USCIS. The first guy was unhelpful, told me to make an infopass appointment.

I call again:

This time I got a woman. She was helpful but only after a very annoying and quite rude start, paraphrased below

EL44: What is your case...etc etc

ME: I have had my case returned to me, they're asking for the new fee increase, It was sent in before the fee increase, shall i send it back with a cover letter and evidence and just try again?

EL44: No sir, there must be more information on the AOS.

ME: There isn't, just asking me to pay new increase

EL44: That cannot be right, there is more on the form, sir

ME: No, english is my first language, Ma'am and there is nothing else on this form, It's obviously a USCIS mistake, shall i Just send it back with a cover letter?

EL44: Words mean nothing, only facts (exact phrase)

ME: Oh, I agree, I will include the NOA which has the date on it, the mail USPS receipt, and also the postmarked package (the USCIS cut it off the original submission box and sent it back to me!! with the date on it!!)

ME: also, every page in this package has been electronically stamped with July 26th 2007

EL44: You can send it back but you may get it returned to you. Possibly someone made a booboo

ME: I know, you guys were under a huge crunch, and inundated with forms. I will send it back with all this evidence. Thank you for your time, I really appreciate your help (hehe)

So there you go, just wondering if anyone else has experience this, or if anyone has had similar NOA?

I hope this helps some people having similar problems

Should i include checks for each file individually or one overall check? Does it even matter?

I'm resubmitting the package tomorrow. I'm praying a mistake like this does not happen again.

Thank you for your time

[bszoom42 0]

I seem to recall reading about someone who who properly filed the an I-129F prior to a fee increase, and got rejected. He tried again and again to demonstrate that he was rejected for the wrong reason, as similar to what you are stating, he sent and they received the petition prior to the fee increase.

He ended up paying the fee increase because he decided it wasn't worth arguing with USCIS for the amount of money, especially since every time they rejected his package it was another couple weeks delay before he could be with his fiancee.

If this happened to me, I would also refile with the larger fee, as I wouldn't want to argue over the difference in money while my petition is not being processed or in queue. Now, once my petition is approved from USCIS (I'm out of their clutches) I would definitely send them a letter detailing what happened and asking for the difference in fee back.

Edited August 18, 2007 by bszoom42

[MATTOB 0]

You're probably correct, but I think I will give it one go. I'm in a position where waiting won't hurt me too much and I think just maybe this is straight forward enough to just go through without any hassle, but we shall see won't we, and if it DOES go through, then I am a case FOR resubmissions.

Thank you for your response!

[dcl766 0]

This is absolutely unacceptable. I would make an infopass appointment just for the satisfaction of being able to rub this in their faces. They always think they are right and make no mistakes. I would love to be there and see their faces and listen to their excuses for this ridiculous error. A monkey could do the job of some of these people and do a much better job too.

You know, wait a minute I take all this back. Errors happen, we are only human. But the rep you spoke to could have at least admitted that an error on their part was a possibiity (earlier in the conversation instead of arguing with you) and referred you to an officer to investigate the matter further and ultimately give you instructions on how to go about correcting THEIR mistake.

What a government, my God.

Now that I've written this we'll see if we get our package back that we mailed to beat the increase too.

Good luck! (and please let us know what happens)

Dave

Hi guys, it's me.

Listen, I need help here. Or at least opinions.

I filed my AOS I-130-I-485 concurrently and shipped it off 24th July 2007

RECEIVED 26th July 2007

Today I got the entire package sent back to me with a NOA that I need to pay the new fee, and paperwork telling me why

(after or on 30th new fee, before 30th, old fee.)

The received date on the NOA is 26th July 2007

Each page in the package has been stamped with 26th July 2007

They are asking me for the $1000+ fee instead of the $765 fee I originally paid. Check was returned also un-cashed (of course)

So i get on the phone with the USCIS. The first guy was unhelpful, told me to make an infopass appointment.

I call again:

This time I got a woman. She was helpful but only after a very annoying and quite rude start, paraphrased below

EL44: What is your case...etc etc

ME: I have had my case returned to me, they're asking for the new fee increase, It was sent in before the fee increase, shall i send it back with a cover letter and evidence and just try again?

EL44: No sir, there must be more information on the AOS.

ME: There isn't, just asking me to pay new increase

EL44: That cannot be right, there is more on the form, sir

ME: No, english is my first language, Ma'am and there is nothing else on this form, It's obviously a USCIS mistake, shall i Just send it back with a cover letter?

EL44: Words mean nothing, only facts (exact phrase)

ME: Oh, I agree, I will include the NOA which has the date on it, the mail USPS receipt, and also the postmarked package (the USCIS cut it off the original submission box and sent it back to me!! with the date on it!!)

ME: also, every page in this package has been electronically stamped with July 26th 2007

EL44: You can send it back but you may get it returned to you. Possibly someone made a booboo

ME: I know, you guys were under a huge crunch, and inundated with forms. I will send it back with all this evidence. Thank you for your time, I really appreciate your help (hehe)

So there you go, just wondering if anyone else has experience this, or if anyone has had similar NOA?

I hope this helps some people having similar problems

Should i include checks for each file individually or one overall check? Does it even matter?

I'm resubmitting the package tomorrow. I'm praying a mistake like this does not happen again.

Thank you for your time

[MATTOB 0]

I forgive them, Dave, but you're right, things like this shouldnt happen but I guess if you heard people all day making silly mistakes (from both ends) you get what we call a government. A government is a Ford motorcar, most of the pieces are missing or below par but somehow the thing keeps moving. (sometimes)

I will let you know what happens but i was not meaning to scare anyone

thank you and godbless

matt

[Sand 5]

OMG

[MATTOB 0]

yep

[zqt3344 21]

Hi guys, it's me.

Listen, I need help here. Or at least opinions.

I filed my AOS I-130-I-485 concurrently and shipped it off 24th July 2007

RECEIVED 26th July 2007

Today I got the entire package sent back to me with a NOA that I need to pay the new fee, and paperwork telling me why

(after or on 30th new fee, before 30th, old fee.)

The received date on the NOA is 26th July 2007

Each page in the package has been stamped with 26th July 2007

They are asking me for the $1000+ fee instead of the $765 fee I originally paid. Check was returned also un-cashed (of course)

So i get on the phone with the USCIS. The first guy was unhelpful, told me to make an infopass appointment.

I call again:

This time I got a woman. She was helpful but only after a very annoying and quite rude start, paraphrased below

EL44: What is your case...etc etc

ME: I have had my case returned to me, they're asking for the new fee increase, It was sent in before the fee increase, shall i send it back with a cover letter and evidence and just try again?

EL44: No sir, there must be more information on the AOS.

ME: There isn't, just asking me to pay new increase

EL44: That cannot be right, there is more on the form, sir

ME: No, english is my first language, Ma'am and there is nothing else on this form, It's obviously a USCIS mistake, shall i Just send it back with a cover letter?

EL44: Words mean nothing, only facts (exact phrase)

ME: Oh, I agree, I will include the NOA which has the date on it, the mail USPS receipt, and also the postmarked package (the USCIS cut it off the original submission box and sent it back to me!! with the date on it!!)

ME: also, every page in this package has been electronically stamped with July 26th 2007

EL44: You can send it back but you may get it returned to you. Possibly someone made a booboo

ME: I know, you guys were under a huge crunch, and inundated with forms. I will send it back with all this evidence. Thank you for your time, I really appreciate your help (hehe)

So there you go, just wondering if anyone else has experience this, or if anyone has had similar NOA?

I hope this helps some people having similar problems

Should i include checks for each file individually or one overall check? Does it even matter?

I'm resubmitting the package tomorrow. I'm praying a mistake like this does not happen again.

Thank you for your time

CALL OR GO SEE YOUR US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE or US SENATOR NOW, and take everything with you to show them what happened and have them do a Congressional Inquiry, you will be amazed at how quickly this little "booboo" will suddenly get cleared up and fixed for you. USCIS is a total absolute joke, of course you have to realize that the current US administration sets the tone for how they are run and well, it is also an absolute joke, just like monkey see monkey do, as you may not know it was this current president and his administration that pushed through these new fee increases at the beginning of this year and the president signed off on them, when they cannot even handle the workload they currently have anyway!

[Caladan 19]

I'm not sure a Congressional inquiry would help more than an Infopass appointment. In thirty days the Congressman will get back to you and say, uh, they rejected your package for improper fees mistakenly.

Was your application complete? It doesn't make sense that they'd accept hundreds of other applications on the old fee and reject yours. It's not like they don't know about the fee increase and the deadline, so I'm thinking maybe they rejected it for a missed signature or form and included the information about the new fees without explaining what went wrong.

[Cécy 44]

Well, I heard that this happened on previous fee increase. Give it a try if you can, but if it doesn't work, just use the opportunity to ask for the EAD and AP at the same time since at least the fee will be included with it.

Good luck and keep us updated.

[featherB 1]

I seem to recall reading about someone who who properly filed the an I-129F prior to a fee increase, and got rejected. He tried again and again to demonstrate that he was rejected for the wrong reason, as similar to what you are stating, he sent and they received the petition prior to the fee increase.

He ended up paying the fee increase because he decided it wasn't worth arguing with USCIS for the amount of money, especially since every time they rejected his package it was another couple weeks delay before he could be with his fiancee.

Yup, and I'm pretty sure that was Yodrak - I'll see if I can find one of the posts where he mentions it.

Definitely at least try to get them to accept the package with the original fee though - hopefully someone with a semi-functioning brain will process it this time... if you attach a cover letter pointing out exactly why they are wrong and you are right, surely it can't be that difficult for them to grasp!

[John & Annie 0]

CALL OR GO SEE YOUR US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE or US SENATOR NOW, and take everything with you to show them what happened and have them do a Congressional Inquiry, you will be amazed at how quickly this little "booboo" will suddenly get cleared up and fixed for you. USCIS is a total absolute joke, of course you have to realize that the current US administration sets the tone for how they are run and well, it is also an absolute joke, just like monkey see monkey do, as you may not know it was this current president and his administration that pushed through these new fee increases at the beginning of this year and the president signed off on them, when they cannot even handle the workload they currently have anyway!

Please do not bring your politics into this. You have no idea how this works by your statement. Being that USCIS is a self funding agency with no further help from the budget, they initiated the fee increase by mandate to function. The increase had nothing to do with a Presidential signature, it was approved after going through a public notice procedure.

The people at USCIS are idiots, plain and simple. They were idiots before GW and they will be idiots after GW.

[MATTOB 0]

Nothing in the package is wrong, I got three NOA for the I-130, the I-148 and the I-765 telling me that the correct fee is the increased fee.

I've written a cover letter and included the mail receipt, the NOA's own received date circled in red, etc

I'm sending back today, one question though, should i include a check that covers all these costs or individual checks for each file?

Thanks, and i'll keep you posted

p.s

The uscis completely tore apart my package, and sent it back backwards, stapled together all wrong, my grampa's birth certificate was attached to my G-325a and my photo's were half gone, and my sponsors' tax returns were all attached to the wrong names. Took me an hour to reassemble the package. Grr

Edited August 18, 2007 by MATTOB

[Mags 112]

So, you actually got a NOA for all three applications? Yet they have still sent the package back? If you have the NOAs and they no longer have the application, I can't see how they hope to process your case any more.

Personally, I'd have taken the hard copy NOAs and the original returned package with me to an infopass appointment, just to see them try to explain it away.

Well, I wish you luck anyway and keep us posted!

Edited August 18, 2007 by Mags

[MATTOB 0]

ah, i don't know anymore, it's a real pain the ####### whatever way you look at it