How long can it all take

[Dette]

This has to be the most frustrating time for us.
After filing for Permanent Residency 3 years ago and going through the usual battery of paperwork and more paperwork we finally go to the USCIS website in December and find that we got approval.
The approval notice was apparently sent prior to Agust 6th 2006 but we never received it.
We asked for it to be sent again. We got a letter telling us that they had sent it but still no notice of approval arrived.
Our lawyer called them and asked to be updated. All he got was that they had sent our an approval notice prior to August 6th 2006.
We are now 6 months into being approved but have heard nothing at all from them to tell us when we can go to be interviewed to actually get the cards.

We thought once we were approved we would be thrilled and ready to get on with life here (we have been here 9 years now on an L1 visa)

Our current visa runs out at the end of June - what are we supposed to do - file for another visa and go through all that again or sit tight and wait for an appointment?

What a fiasco!

[tracifrost]

hi there, if i were you i would ask your lawyer to chase this up again, i know greencards do take some time to come through from inital approval, but i can understand your frustration. silly comment but check and check again they actually have the correct address!! we waited for an approval for our L1a visa and it went to the wrong address!
but congratulations at least now you can relax knowing you are now here legally and permanantly.

[Dette]

We know they have the correct address becasue they sent us the letter saying they had sent the notice!

Thanks for the congrats but we don't feel secure for a minute, we have approval but still have to go to the UK for our interview.

I guess we will just wait a while longer!

[Munish]

I would definitely check and check for the correct address. I had major nightmares with the USCIS in 2003 when I was on an F1 student visa. After finishing my studies I was entited to an OPT (which is really a work permit for one year). It got approved in July 2003. I had moved address at the time, and the BCIS (the name before it became the USCIS) sent it out. 2 weeks later it got returned. It took three attempts while at my new address and constant telephoning during this period and they kept making the same mistake. Luckily for me I was able to use my school who had a representative and was able to find out they had omitted the apartment number, which is why it kept getting returned.

In that time I was living couch to couch and had to move again. On the fourth attempt I submitted another change of address. It was quite simple - "331 F Street." However, when I called, because I was suspicious with my previous experience, they confirmed it had been sent, but to 311 F Street." They got the address wrong again. The EAD was sent back in the mail to Vermont Service Center (VSC). When the online notice came up, I immediately called and they sent out again, to the same address!!

I could go on, but eventually I got the EAD, but the whole process cost me four months of employment on a one year work visa and I lost a job offer for a permanent position because of it. If it was not for this experience I would be still living in the USA. Complete nightmare.

My advice

Call the USCIS. However, when you get through ask to be transferred to immigration officer after you explained what is happening. The first person on the phone will only know as much about your case as you do. It can take anything up to an hour to be transferred so be patient. Once you are transferred the immigration officer will have information about your address (which as you said should be correct) and also you can confirm what was the last action on your case was and what needs to be done to get your green card. This tends to be more helpful as you can then work out the next step. It is possible if the card was sent out it was mismailed or somehow lost, in which case they may ask you to fill a form a replacement green card. Even though the address is correct I would double check it with the immigration officer you are transferred to on the phone.

I hope this helps and good luck!

[peter gold]

It seems that the card was lost.The card is only evidence of your status. You are a LPR and no one can take that from you unless you commit serious crime. Just apply for a replacement card.Download form from USCIS site

[Dette]

Peter, how can we replace a card we never received?
We have not had our interview so they would not have issued a card. It is the approval notice and then the interview we are waiting for.

We have an appointment on Monday at the cattle market they call the Immigration service in Tampa. Hopefully if we speak to a person face to face they might be able to tell us something cencrete and confirm our residency status.

We have no rights as PRs until we get that card which then will give me and the kids an SSN. Then they can finally try to get a part time job or qualify for scholarships. We can file FAFSA, get homestead exemption, not renew our driving licenses every few weeks etc etc etc.

[peter gold]

After the approval notice they mail the cards to the address you gave.
In 1988 this happened to us and we discovered the cards were lost and applied and received replacement cards.
Takke app notice with you which will have an A no on it That is your number for life as a LPR The card is just a travel warrant you need to get back in to the US and proves your status.
Feel free to call me at home 941 486 1677 or cell 941 914 1265 I am on the west coast. I know Lakeland very well as our friend Angela (now back in Cheshire) started the British tea room just opposite the library.
Ran many races in derbyshire as well

[Dette]

I know Angela. I hope she is doing OK - I miss the tea shop. They are still trying to sell it - any takers?

Peter they mail the actual cards before they do the interview? What then is the point of the interview? We have to go to the Uk for that because of the way our lawyer did the filing (it was supposed to be faster this way hah!_

[peter gold]

As far as I knew she had sold the shop but not spoken with her for a while
Did we meet you at Angla's 50th party?
If you still need an interview then cards will not be mailed. Do you have an A no You will get a stamp in your passort pending cards being mailed. Get Atty to chase up London interview date and to confirm that you will not be out of status after June. I dont think you will as visa has been approved. You go to London for the issue of the visa (stamp in the passport) then cards follow.

[Allan Oakley]

From the time we recieved our letters to the time we actual held a GC took two years. My sons recieved theirs first after 3 months.My wife after 14 and mine took 25 months. All during that period my immigration lawyer told us to never worry as he gave us a simple way to have a temp.GC.That was to have the office at Orlando's Tradeport to stamp that number in our passports and sign that say it was a temp. stamp. At that point we came and went from all over the place and at every border crossing they recognised that we had our GC's.

[charliesmum]

I met the lady from Lakeland that you are talking about, at a Yard Sale my friend and I had last year. She came with a t shirt saying Yard Sale Goddess or something like that on and when I commented and she answered, we both realised she was english. Very nice lady - she said she was travelling back and forth and selling the T Shop.

If I had the money I could have been interested - always fancied that - probably the wrong time at the moment.

Zoe

[peter gold]

She went back as all her kids and grandchildren were in the UK

[Dette]

Well here's some news that takes the cake.

DH went to the immigration office in Tampa today. They ascertained that we have never been given approval so the web site and subsequent letter telling us that approval was sent to us are totally false.

Not only are we back to square one we are at minus one. Now we enter our 3rd year of waiting to get approval. My daughter summer jo b has gone out the window as has any chance of filing Fafsa to help them through college.

I sometimes just want to throw up!!

[peter gold]

what can we say ???

[Munish]

What????? Dette, I would print off the online version and call the USCIS national customer service and ask to be tranferred to an immigration officer immediately (this can take about an hour so put the phone on speaker phone) to find out exactly where you stand and what the hell is going on. It may not help, but if you have not already done so it is at least worth a shot.

[Dette]

We did that. They tell us that the letter we were sent is an automatic response and they are aware that it is an error.

They can not tell us any more - we are still in review and will probably have to file a visa extension.

I would love to know what they are reviewing - the last info we gave them was 2 years ago and they have done all the background checks - allegedly!

Thanks for your support. It has been a real help to me being able to talk to you and have you actually understand.

[Munish]

I'm sorry it did not help. But I do understand your frustration with trying to talk with the USCIS. Have you tried the USCIS Ombudsman? I do not know how helpful this will be but they he is supposed to follow up cases where there are unsual problems and emergency situations.

See http://www.dhs.gov/ximgtn/programs/editorial_0497.shtm

[Dette]

Thank you. We will certainly look into that.
It seems we fit most of the criteria to file a case.

[Susie]

Hello Dette

On your application for green card you will have two dates,

The first date is the receipt date, this is the day the USCI intakes your paperwork

The other date is your priority date,

Can you tell me what this date says ?

If you are past 30 days over the priority date you can request a case status enquiry.

It may be better for you to book appointment with your Senator or congressman to chase up your file. They have a special e-mail address at service centre and they are more likely to get answers to your questions than you

Worth a try

[v2002]

Our current visa runs out at the end of June - what are we supposed to do - file for another visa and go through all that again or sit tight and wait for an appointment?
Sorry to know your situation... be rest assured this is not the first time the USCIS website system showed approval in "Error". Uscis website is known for these blunders.
As a L visa holder and AOS pending you do have a choice to just be on AOS pending .... or also have a visa renewal.... in case you take the visa renewal ... all you need is to file for extension, dont worry about the stamp as you can always use advance parole for going out.Keep up the hope....there are people waiting for GC for over 7 to 8 years, I guess thats Normal with USCIS.

[Dette]

What is AOS?

[peter gold]

Adjustment of status when changing visas, usually from non immigrant e.g E2 to immigrant ..lawful perm res green card

[Dette]

We have been in contact with our senator and the ombudsman. Hopefully someone can do something!