Expedited Advance Parole Question

[slavina 0]

Hello everyone, I am new to this forum and hope someone could help me with answers to my questions. I filed I-130, I-485, I-765 and I-131 on Sep 21 and just received the official receipts dated Sep 28. My request for Advance Parole was expedited, since my job requires me to constantly travel abroad and I was advised on the phone by USCIS officer to file expedited request for Advance Parole ( I attached a letter explaining together with proof) and that I would hear from them within 5 days. I have not heard back from them, the case status online says that it is being processed. I looked at the infopass appointments, but it seems like you can only make an appointment if you have waited for 45 days. Has anyone been through the same situation? I have to travel to Europe in two weeks and need to figure out what to do. Thanks for your answers!

[Krikit 1,163]

You can go ahead and book the InfoPass appointment anyway.

Welcome to VJ.

[slavina 0]

You can go ahead and book the InfoPass appointment anyway.

Welcome to VJ.

Thank you, Krikit! What confuses me though is that there is only 4 kinds of appointments, in which you can get an infopass appointment:

1.Order from Immigration Court - If you were directed to us for processing based on an order from the Immigration Judge. You must bring all documents required in the post order instructions given to you by the court.

2.Case Processing Appointment - If you received a notice to go to your local office for further case processing.

3.EAD inquiry appointment - If your I-765 employment authorization application has been pending for more than 90 days.

4.Case Services follow-up appointment - If it has been over 45 days since you contacted NCSC and have not received a response to your inquiry. You must bring the Service Request ID Number related to your inquiry to the appointment.

And neither applies to my case...Not sure what to do...

[Krikit 1,163]

I'd pick 2 or 4. They can deal with it when you get there. There was an officer standing behind the intake clerk when I went in, who dealt with me directly after they asked me to explain the reason for my visit. If you remember, maybe ask them why there's no option for "other" on the online appointment system. lol. I'm guessing they're trying to keep the impatient filers traffic down.

[ikarus 1]

( I attached a letter explaining together with proof) and that I would hear from them within 5 days. I have not heard back from them, the case status online says that it is being processed. I looked at the infopass appointments, but it seems like you can only make an appointment if you have waited for 45 days. Has anyone been through the same situation? I have to travel to Europe in two weeks and need to figure out what to do. Thanks for your answers!

We filed for expedited AP on the phone; we called on a friday afternoon and we were told we would hear back in five days. We actually got a letter in the mail with the approval the following friday.

Prior to our phone call, we did an infopass appointment to try to get the AP at the local office and yes, when you show up, you tell the officer you're there for an AP. Once we talked to a clerk, he didn't give a damn about our request and told us it couldn't be done at the local office. He went on to say that the only way AP's were done was mailing them in. Obviously he was wrong as we ended up applying through the phone.

My point to you is that even if you make the infopass appointment, you might be dismissed with no info, so be ready to either come back, or request to speak to another clerk. If I were you, I would call and try to find out what happened to the AP; and if they tell you that they don't know, call again until somebody responds; we called in about 3 times and 2 times on the phone we were told we couldn't apply for the AP on the phone; on the 3rd time, as soon as we said we wanted to apply for the AP, the lady took in our data and done deal.

Edited October 4, 2009 by ikarus

[InTransit 0]

( I attached a letter explaining together with proof) and that I would hear from them within 5 days. I have not heard back from them, the case status online says that it is being processed. I looked at the infopass appointments, but it seems like you can only make an appointment if you have waited for 45 days. Has anyone been through the same situation? I have to travel to Europe in two weeks and need to figure out what to do. Thanks for your answers!

We filed for expedited AP on the phone; we called on a friday afternoon and we were told we would hear back in five days. We actually got a letter in the mail with the approval the following friday.

Prior to our phone call, we did an infopass appointment to try to get the AP at the local office and yes, when you show up, you tell the officer you're there for an AP. Once we talked to a clerk, he didn't give a damn about our request and told us it couldn't be done at the local office. He went on to say that the only way AP's were done was mailing them in. Obviously he was wrong as we ended up applying through the phone.

My point to you is that even if you make the infopass appointment, you might be dismissed with no info, so be ready to either come back, or request to speak to another clerk. If I were you, I would call and try to find out what happened to the AP; and if they tell you that they don't know, call again until somebody responds; we called in about 3 times and 2 times on the phone we were told we couldn't apply for the AP on the phone; on the 3rd time, as soon as we said we wanted to apply for the AP, the lady took in our data and done deal.

What phone number did you call to apply for the expedited AP? I got an NOA in the mail today saying my wife's I-485 has been transferred to the California Service Center for processing. Their processing time for the AP is 3mo, and my wife really wants to go home to Canada for Christmas, but we're afraid she won't get the AP in time. We filed a standard AP, along with an I-485, and EAD. The Chicago Lockbox received it on 9/18/09. Notice of Transfer to CSC is 10/5/09. Thanks for any advice you can provide.

Edited October 8, 2009 by InTransit

[Chris Me lil D 17]

Welcome to VJ, please create and here: http://www.visajourney.com/timeline/profile.php?id=74206

Good luck

[slavina 0]

So I ended up calling on Monday and they asked me to fax proof of my emergency reasons...I did and this morning I saw online that it's been approved!!!yay!

I am wondering if I can travel abroad with AP before my biometrics appointment though? Anyone know?

Thanks!

[ikarus 1]

What phone number did you call to apply for the expedited AP? I got an NOA in the mail today saying my wife's I-485 has been transferred to the California Service Center for processing. Their processing time for the AP is 3mo, and my wife really wants to go home to Canada for Christmas, but we're afraid she won't get the AP in time. We filed a standard AP, along with an I-485, and EAD. The Chicago Lockbox received it on 9/18/09. Notice of Transfer to CSC is 10/5/09. Thanks for any advice you can provide.

Slavina,

First of all, do you have your biometrics appointment in hand? cause you could do a walk in before your appointment...

About traveling abroad before doing the biometrics...when we spoke to the USCIS person on the phone, she specifically told us to make sure that we had our biometrics done before we applied for the expedited ap, otherwise that would delay the AP; funny thing is that same person told us that we couldn't expedite the AP through the phone, but we had to mail the request in. But because of her, we did a walk in for the biometrics first, and then we called to get the AP expedited. The AP itself only has your picture, but no fingerprints on it, but I don't know if they use biometrics info to issue it; but what was clear to us, was that we needed to have the biometrics done before AP could be issued. The USCIS gives all types of conflicting info, I tell you.

InTransit,

On the documentation you receive, such as the NOA, there is a phone number that starts with 1-800....don't have those forms with me, but is the customer service number, and then you have to navigate through a series of menus to talk to somebody about the AP. Way back in february, I posted details on how I made it through the phone call. Maybe you can search for my posts, or do a search on 'advance parole' and look for my posts.

Like you, our case got transferred to CSC and we received the greencard in 2.5 months; so you could be just fine, but given the holidays in between now and xmas, maybe applying for the expedited ap is not a bad idea.

[slavina 0]

Thanks Ikarus!

I checked online and it says that my AP was already approved and mailed to me. I did call and they expedited it, so it was approved within 3 days. What I am not sure about is whether I can leave the country before I've had my biometrics done. It seems like biometrics are only required for Re-entry permit and Refugee travel docs, but not for AP. Now that I see that you can just walk in, I might try...Do you just show up and explain you wanted to have it done earlier? Also, I was wondering whether I need any other document in order to travel, or AP is enough. I was on O-1 Visa, but it expired 2 days ago...I will also try to call them, but as you said their answers are often conflicting.

Thanks!

[slavina 0]

In Transit,

I called the 1800 number on the Notice they sent me, then I pressed the option for a problem with my form, so i could get a representative and got one within a minute, Good luck!

[ikarus 1]

Thanks Ikarus!

I checked online and it says that my AP was already approved and mailed to me. I did call and they expedited it, so it was approved within 3 days. What I am not sure about is whether I can leave the country before I've had my biometrics done. It seems like biometrics are only required for Re-entry permit and Refugee travel docs, but not for AP. Now that I see that you can just walk in, I might try...Do you just show up and explain you wanted to have it done earlier? Also, I was wondering whether I need any other document in order to travel, or AP is enough. I was on O-1 Visa, but it expired 2 days ago...I will also try to call them, but as you said their answers are often conflicting.

Thanks!

Walk-in appointments are a breeze, as long as the center where you go is not busy. You just show up and tell the person that you have an appoitment for such and such day, but wanted to do it earlier; they will say, yes, you can do it, or no, we are busy at the moment. Most of the times if they are busy, they will tell you when is the best time to do a walk in for that particular office. So yes, all you have to say is, I want to do mine earlier. And if they say you cannot do it, ask when is the best time to do a walk in. Nothing to it.

To travel, yes, you just need the ap; however, if you're a female that took the husband's name, then you also need your marriage certificate.

And yes, they give you all types of conflicting answers; I would say, if you can, do the biometrics appointment since is not hard to do.

[aftabk27 0]

did you provide documented evidence of the emergency or just talked over the phone with the USCIS rep?

[Otto 83]

did you provide documented evidence of the emergency or just talked over the phone with the USCIS rep?

I'm not sure any of the original participants of this thread (from 2009) will respond or not but, USCIS will probably want to see documented evidence to support any claim for expedited/emergency AP. They're not usually in the habit of granting such AP just by a conversation.

[Krikit 1,163]

Yes, I had to provide documented evidence.