Wyboxcx

these days the general advice is to file your i-485 with the medical. The medical is valid indefinitely so there is no reason not to include it. Waiting to get an RFE for it is a waste of time!

You can have it sent to the U.S. embassy in London and pick it up there.

Filed July 26th 2024, so far only EAD approved.They are reusing my biometrics. I am slightly disappointed that I didn't get a combo card as I really miss my family but at least we got something.

Did you at least get an RFE for waiver approval before the denied your I-485? How long did you have to wait for the whole AOS? I don’t think motion to reopen is effective tbh. Many lawyers recommend just filing a new stronger case .

Sorry to hear. That is definitely not normal to have to wait this long for favorable recommendation from USCIS after DOS approval. I would suggest you reach out to your senator and have them submit an inquiry with USCIS along with a copy of the DOS approval letter. They must locate your approval. regarding the rejection of the I-485, this scenario is exactly why so many lawyers recommend against filing it while waiting for the waiver simply because you are INELIGIBLE to file for I-485 without the final USCIS approval. Just because some people managed to somehow slip through the system and get approved for I-485 while simultaneously filing I-612 doesn’t mean it will be the case for everyone. The law is clear in this regard: no adjustment of status without an approved waiver first. Unfortunately you will have to refile now and pay the fees again but make sure you have your USCIS waiver approval in hand first. Good luck!

We are still waiting….

Thank you for letting me know, at least I can be mentally prepared for this.

Hi, My attorney filed my AOS package with the Lewsiville lockbox on 05/24 and we have confirmation it was received. I have been waiting since then and USCIS hasn't sent me any receipt notices or even charged our credit card, we are starting to worry because based on what we are seeing online USCIS is typically very quick to process receipt notices and issue biometrics appointments, usually no more than a week or so after filing. I was wondering if anyone else is on the same boat and what is going on at the Dallas/Lewisville lockbox? Are they backlogged now with even the issuing of receipt notices?!

Here: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-statistics/nonimmigrant-visa-statistics.html but the latest statistics published are from 2021

Just US citizen, No kids

Yes. In my case USCIS was really brutal. Made me wait 10 months before issuing a ridiculous RFE asking me to submit documents I already sent with my initial application. Then they waited until it was exactly one year to forward it to DOS. honestly waiting 1,5 years at DOS stage is too much. You definitely need to sue them to get your decision. I was prepared to sue them. I know it is expensive but as a matter of principle they should not be doing this. Some people say “ oh well a waiver is a privilege not a right”. While it is true it’s up to DOS to grant it, they must decide within a reasonable amount of time. That is the law. Excessive delays are happening because these governments bureaucrats are not being challenged to follow the law. as for the letter of representation, I am not sure. I guess it’s a different way to register form G-28 in their system.

Thank you. I was so nervous and prepared for a NFR honestly. But I was so sick and tired of the word “pending” that I wanted a decision, any decision at this point. I will never understand why they make us wait between Sponsor views received and Final recommendation. But who knows, I am glad this nightmare is finally over and I can focus on other things. Good luck everyone! i will stay on the forum for a while to offer help if it’s needed.

The time has come for me to share this with you and hopefully give you some hope in this seemingly never ending nightmare. After what felt like eternity, my hardship waiver was approved yesterday. I was Fulbright and received US government funding. I tried to expedite and DOS didn’t respond. I was eligible for both persecution and hardship and didn’t know that you can’t apply for both so I did, but the hardship waiver ended up being decided faster. It was crucial to combine factors from both grounds for the waiver to win the case. You can see my timeline here .

USCIS is issuing RFEs for hardships all the time these days. Even when the case is very strong and sometimes they ask for documents you already submitted. It’s their way of delaying your case even more and taking more time . Just send them what they asked

I feel you 100 %. I wonder if they gather a number of cases with government funding and deliberate over them during the same meeting, or if each case is decided separately.

It’s honestly ridiculous. This process has traumatized me. I just want a decision. Any decision at this point!!

Unfortunately cases with government funding are still pending from May 2023…

I am currently waiting on the final recommendation. Also Fulbright and the DOS received my sponsor views back on March 10. Thank you for sharing your timeline!

Congratulations. That’s awesome!! You must be very relieved. Just a question: how long did you wait between Sponsor views received and the recommendation?

They have become far more common than most people will make you believe these days. The truth is no one knows how DOS makes such decisions as their process is a black box.

This is heartbreaking

Yeah I saw it’s back and was hoping for a status update but it’s still stuck on pending 😭

Is the J-1 visa waiver status website working for you guys? I just tried to check my status and it is not showing anything. I tried to see if there is any scheduled update announcement but didn’t see anything. Just want to make sure it’s not just me?

Yes. More than a month now. I would understand it since I am Fulbright. However, I literally just saw someone else’s case who was on Fulbright get a decision in less than a month from the date they requested sponsor views. While I am still waiting. I don’t get it. They need to be consistent

Nope. Still waiting. I never hated the word “pending” more in my life