vine93
09-09 04:59 PM
I started from below and tried twice which went to VM . All of them took message and Thanks. Since they are getting many calles, Most of them not transferring to other person, Front desk person itself taking message.
Took 45 minutes to cover all of them but time well spent. GO IV GO...
_______________
House Judiciary Committee Members
Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) 202- 225-2906 - took the message
Howard L. Berman (D-Calif.) 202-225-4695 - took the message
Rick Boucher (D-Va.) 202-225-3861 - took the message
Chris Cannon (R-Utah)202- 225-7751 - took the message
Steve Chabot (R-Ohio) 202-225-2216 - My congressman, wanted me to leave a VM but I will try again. Called again and it went great.
Howard Coble (R-N.C.) 202-225-3065 - took the message but said we cannot give a response as I am not from his constituency.
Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.)202- 225-3265 - left a VM
John Conyers (D-Mich.), Chairman 202-225-5126 - called and spoke to a lady, she took the message but still tranferred to judiciary committe number, which no one picked.
Artur Davis (D-Ala.) 202-225-2665 (ALREADY COSPONSOR DO NOT CALL)
William D. Delahunt (D-Mass.)202- 225-3111 - left a VM
Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) 202-225-4755 - took the message
Tom Feeney (R-Fla.) 202-225-2706 - took the message
J. Randy Forbes (R-Va.)202- 225-6365 - took the message
Trent Franks (R-Ariz.)202- 225-4576 - took the message
Elton Gallegly (R-Calif.)202- 225-5811 - VM
Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) 202-225-3035 - took the message with the zipcode
Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.)202- 225-5431 - took the message
Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.)202- 225-8203 - took the message
Darrell Issa (R-Calif.)202- 225-3906 - took the message
Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-Texas)202- 225-3816 (ALREADY COSPONSOR DO NOT CALL)
Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) 202-225-1605 - VM
Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) 202-225-2676 - Took the address and details.
Ric Keller (R-Fla.)202- 225-2176 - took the message (said the bill is under judiciary and under review)
Steve King (R-Iowa)202- 225-4426 - DIDNT CALL HIM
Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.)202- 225-3072 (ALREADY COSPONSOR DO NOT CALL)
Dan Lungren (R-Calif.)202- 225-5716 - took the message
Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) 202-225-5635 (ALREADY COSPONSOR DO NOT CALL)
Mike Pence (R-Ind.) 202-225-3021 - took the message
Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.) 202-225-6676 (ALREADY COSPONSOR DO NOT CALL)
Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.)202- 225-4176 - VM
Robert C. Scott (D-Va.) (202) 225-8351 - took the message
Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) 202-225-5101 (ALREADY COSPONSOR DO NOT CALL)
Brad Sherman (D-Calif.) 202-225-5911 - took the message
Lamar S. Smith (R-Texas), Ranking Member 202- 225-4236 - took the message
Betty Sutton (D-Ohio) 202-225-3401 - took the message (didnt ask for anyting although I am from her state)
Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) 202-225-7931 - took the message with address
Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) 202-225-2201 - took the message, very nice lady asked about the bill in detail.
Melvin L. Watt (D-N.C.)202- 225-1510 (ALREADY COSPONSOR DO NOT CALL)
Anthony D. Weiner (D-N.Y.) 202-225-6616 - took the message, very nice guy asked in detail what the bill is about.
Robert Wexler (D-Fla.) 202-225-3001 - took the message, asked about the bill in detail.
WOOOHOO, my first time making all the calls. My confidence was sky high after the first 5 calls. Very much worth it.
..................................................
$470 till date
Took 45 minutes to cover all of them but time well spent. GO IV GO...
_______________
House Judiciary Committee Members
Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) 202- 225-2906 - took the message
Howard L. Berman (D-Calif.) 202-225-4695 - took the message
Rick Boucher (D-Va.) 202-225-3861 - took the message
Chris Cannon (R-Utah)202- 225-7751 - took the message
Steve Chabot (R-Ohio) 202-225-2216 - My congressman, wanted me to leave a VM but I will try again. Called again and it went great.
Howard Coble (R-N.C.) 202-225-3065 - took the message but said we cannot give a response as I am not from his constituency.
Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.)202- 225-3265 - left a VM
John Conyers (D-Mich.), Chairman 202-225-5126 - called and spoke to a lady, she took the message but still tranferred to judiciary committe number, which no one picked.
Artur Davis (D-Ala.) 202-225-2665 (ALREADY COSPONSOR DO NOT CALL)
William D. Delahunt (D-Mass.)202- 225-3111 - left a VM
Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) 202-225-4755 - took the message
Tom Feeney (R-Fla.) 202-225-2706 - took the message
J. Randy Forbes (R-Va.)202- 225-6365 - took the message
Trent Franks (R-Ariz.)202- 225-4576 - took the message
Elton Gallegly (R-Calif.)202- 225-5811 - VM
Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) 202-225-3035 - took the message with the zipcode
Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.)202- 225-5431 - took the message
Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.)202- 225-8203 - took the message
Darrell Issa (R-Calif.)202- 225-3906 - took the message
Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-Texas)202- 225-3816 (ALREADY COSPONSOR DO NOT CALL)
Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) 202-225-1605 - VM
Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) 202-225-2676 - Took the address and details.
Ric Keller (R-Fla.)202- 225-2176 - took the message (said the bill is under judiciary and under review)
Steve King (R-Iowa)202- 225-4426 - DIDNT CALL HIM
Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.)202- 225-3072 (ALREADY COSPONSOR DO NOT CALL)
Dan Lungren (R-Calif.)202- 225-5716 - took the message
Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) 202-225-5635 (ALREADY COSPONSOR DO NOT CALL)
Mike Pence (R-Ind.) 202-225-3021 - took the message
Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.) 202-225-6676 (ALREADY COSPONSOR DO NOT CALL)
Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.)202- 225-4176 - VM
Robert C. Scott (D-Va.) (202) 225-8351 - took the message
Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) 202-225-5101 (ALREADY COSPONSOR DO NOT CALL)
Brad Sherman (D-Calif.) 202-225-5911 - took the message
Lamar S. Smith (R-Texas), Ranking Member 202- 225-4236 - took the message
Betty Sutton (D-Ohio) 202-225-3401 - took the message (didnt ask for anyting although I am from her state)
Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) 202-225-7931 - took the message with address
Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) 202-225-2201 - took the message, very nice lady asked about the bill in detail.
Melvin L. Watt (D-N.C.)202- 225-1510 (ALREADY COSPONSOR DO NOT CALL)
Anthony D. Weiner (D-N.Y.) 202-225-6616 - took the message, very nice guy asked in detail what the bill is about.
Robert Wexler (D-Fla.) 202-225-3001 - took the message, asked about the bill in detail.
WOOOHOO, my first time making all the calls. My confidence was sky high after the first 5 calls. Very much worth it.
..................................................
$470 till date
wallpaper kristen stewart and robert
woowjj2004
09-13 01:40 PM
Hi All,
As I mentioned earlier, our dates became current from Sept 1st, got
1. Card production email on Sept 2nd
2. Got the "we mailed you a notice that we have approved " on Sept 9th
3. Finally Physical Cards Came on Sept 12th.
Both of us got the cards. Thanks for IV for keeping the hopes on GC.
Congratulations to the folks who are getting Greened and Best of Luck to all who are Waiting..
By the way, I changed jobs for twice after applying I485, and filed AC21.
--
WoowJJ
As I mentioned earlier, our dates became current from Sept 1st, got
1. Card production email on Sept 2nd
2. Got the "we mailed you a notice that we have approved " on Sept 9th
3. Finally Physical Cards Came on Sept 12th.
Both of us got the cards. Thanks for IV for keeping the hopes on GC.
Congratulations to the folks who are getting Greened and Best of Luck to all who are Waiting..
By the way, I changed jobs for twice after applying I485, and filed AC21.
--
WoowJJ
Kalpen
06-20 09:31 AM
Hi,
I am filing up form 485 and on Part 3 Section - Processing Information, there is a question asking for Nonimmigrant Visa Number.
Any clue about this?
Thanks in advance,
Kalpen
I am filing up form 485 and on Part 3 Section - Processing Information, there is a question asking for Nonimmigrant Visa Number.
Any clue about this?
Thanks in advance,
Kalpen
2011 Robert Pattinson and Kristen
eb3_nepa
07-10 09:50 AM
Why would they think like that?, USCIS made a mistake. They tried to cover (by making visas unavailable) their ass to save their jobs. Thats why we have congress to help us out.
For USCIS its a bad publicity.
We have congress "helping us out" by doing WHAT exactly?? So far we have exactly ONE congresswoman who made a statement. After that no one has even BOTHERED to do anything.
It may be bad publicity for the USCIS, but guess what? NO ONE GIVES A S**T. The USCIS is an INDEPENDANT body and it made a MISTAKE. Everyone makes mistakes, remember?
For USCIS its a bad publicity.
We have congress "helping us out" by doing WHAT exactly?? So far we have exactly ONE congresswoman who made a statement. After that no one has even BOTHERED to do anything.
It may be bad publicity for the USCIS, but guess what? NO ONE GIVES A S**T. The USCIS is an INDEPENDANT body and it made a MISTAKE. Everyone makes mistakes, remember?
more...
fatjoe
10-26 03:52 PM
Hi meghanap: Thanks for your useful info.
I am the primary applicant. Mine and kid's case is at TSC, but my spouse's case transferred to Detroit offcie , for the interview. We had the interview 4 months ago, and the DAO said that she would recommend my spouse's case for approval, however it has to wait until the approval of my app. My kid and I got the approval on Oct 22.
So, now do I have to take an infopass, and request for the yellow form to get approval on the case. Do we get approval from local USCIS office itself or will it come back to TSC? Do you know how long would it take for the approval to come. Or can I call Senator, Ombudsmand, ans start all those cr.. again.
Hi,
This info is for the cases who had the interview local USCIS offices where they live.
After interview ,pls take info pass for every 2 or 3 weeks and when you meet infopass officer, please fill up one yellow form (this form used to send any request to any other department who handled 485 cases.) to adjudicate your case.Make sure you give your i-485 copies and i-140 copies, You can write at least 5 or 6 sentences at the end of the yellow form to supervisor epalining when u r intervew is completed ,,u r PD is current etc etc.
The way it works like this :
The dept that takes care i-485 interviews is different from the dept infopass officers in local office.Even though they are in same office, the only way infopass officers can send request the 485 dept is using the yellow form..Pls request for it. Then most of the times info pass officer fils up the form and you will add any additional info at the end of the form. Then infopass officer will send the form to 485 dept supervisor.Supervisor will see the yellow form..if you are lucky he/she wil take action imediatly..otherwise go again after 2 weeks..Request the info pass officer twice or thrice..
This helped me...
I am the primary applicant. Mine and kid's case is at TSC, but my spouse's case transferred to Detroit offcie , for the interview. We had the interview 4 months ago, and the DAO said that she would recommend my spouse's case for approval, however it has to wait until the approval of my app. My kid and I got the approval on Oct 22.
So, now do I have to take an infopass, and request for the yellow form to get approval on the case. Do we get approval from local USCIS office itself or will it come back to TSC? Do you know how long would it take for the approval to come. Or can I call Senator, Ombudsmand, ans start all those cr.. again.
Hi,
This info is for the cases who had the interview local USCIS offices where they live.
After interview ,pls take info pass for every 2 or 3 weeks and when you meet infopass officer, please fill up one yellow form (this form used to send any request to any other department who handled 485 cases.) to adjudicate your case.Make sure you give your i-485 copies and i-140 copies, You can write at least 5 or 6 sentences at the end of the yellow form to supervisor epalining when u r intervew is completed ,,u r PD is current etc etc.
The way it works like this :
The dept that takes care i-485 interviews is different from the dept infopass officers in local office.Even though they are in same office, the only way infopass officers can send request the 485 dept is using the yellow form..Pls request for it. Then most of the times info pass officer fils up the form and you will add any additional info at the end of the form. Then infopass officer will send the form to 485 dept supervisor.Supervisor will see the yellow form..if you are lucky he/she wil take action imediatly..otherwise go again after 2 weeks..Request the info pass officer twice or thrice..
This helped me...
SunJoshi
12-31 03:22 PM
Hey Guyz,
Nice to see the heroes of the last fight together again. I was a little confused with the different forums but looks better now. The PDF doc link above for Comprehensive Immigration Bill (Feb-06) is not working can you please post the full link.
Best regards,
Irshad.
Irshad welcome!
Gear up for another dogfight :-)
Nice to see the heroes of the last fight together again. I was a little confused with the different forums but looks better now. The PDF doc link above for Comprehensive Immigration Bill (Feb-06) is not working can you please post the full link.
Best regards,
Irshad.
Irshad welcome!
Gear up for another dogfight :-)
more...
bmoni
09-14 06:29 PM
Jungalee,
Excellent draft. Do we have list of all the email addresses of house committee
I couldn't find it online all i could find is https://forms.house.gov/wyr/welcome.shtml
If anyone could find or direct us to a link for all the email addresses that could be great. Lets do a email campaign in parallel with calling.
Excellent draft. Do we have list of all the email addresses of house committee
I couldn't find it online all i could find is https://forms.house.gov/wyr/welcome.shtml
If anyone could find or direct us to a link for all the email addresses that could be great. Lets do a email campaign in parallel with calling.
2010 2011 hair Robert Pattinson
smuggymba
08-18 09:22 AM
Landed in this country on Aug-16-1997 for Masters. Today myself and my wife both got CPO mail/text message. Thanks IV community and good luck to all. I will be doing my part to make this system better!!!
Details:
PD: 04 Jan 2006, EB2 I
RD: 07 Jul 2007, TSC (I-140 was with NSC, but the attorney sent it to TSC in the july 2007 fiasco)
ND: 27 Aug 2007, NSC
Didn't do anything in 2008 and decided to do everything possible this time around.
Aug 3 - Primary I-485 SR,
Aug 5- Primary EAD SR,
Contacted Congress Woman on Aug 9 - Didn't get any useful info. I think, being in bay area, they might have been flooded with these requests.
Aug 10 - Opened an Infopass for Aug 18
Aug 16, 8:30 am - Dependent SR
Aug 16, 9:30 am - Called the customer service for primary's status - got the standard response that they sent a mail (which i didn't get) asking me to wait for 60 days.
Aug 16, 10:15 am - Wife called me to inform the good news, the online status change.
Aug 16, 10:18 am - got the text message (which just said "check your status online").
Aug 16: Got the CPO mail (time stamped 10:18am)
Guys (and Gals), Hang in there and you will have your independence soon.
Regards,
Yet Another Greencard Wait (not anymore :)
Please donate some $$$$ to IV.
Details:
PD: 04 Jan 2006, EB2 I
RD: 07 Jul 2007, TSC (I-140 was with NSC, but the attorney sent it to TSC in the july 2007 fiasco)
ND: 27 Aug 2007, NSC
Didn't do anything in 2008 and decided to do everything possible this time around.
Aug 3 - Primary I-485 SR,
Aug 5- Primary EAD SR,
Contacted Congress Woman on Aug 9 - Didn't get any useful info. I think, being in bay area, they might have been flooded with these requests.
Aug 10 - Opened an Infopass for Aug 18
Aug 16, 8:30 am - Dependent SR
Aug 16, 9:30 am - Called the customer service for primary's status - got the standard response that they sent a mail (which i didn't get) asking me to wait for 60 days.
Aug 16, 10:15 am - Wife called me to inform the good news, the online status change.
Aug 16, 10:18 am - got the text message (which just said "check your status online").
Aug 16: Got the CPO mail (time stamped 10:18am)
Guys (and Gals), Hang in there and you will have your independence soon.
Regards,
Yet Another Greencard Wait (not anymore :)
Please donate some $$$$ to IV.
more...
sundarpn
02-16 09:59 PM
R u going to Nogales or just called to inquire???
Nogales embassy number: 52-631-3118150
I called just to enquire. I am hoping that the PIMS is centralized so if they were able to pull it up, so will any other consulate.
Nogales embassy number: 52-631-3118150
I called just to enquire. I am hoping that the PIMS is centralized so if they were able to pull it up, so will any other consulate.
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funny
09-09 04:27 PM
Done. Called *.*
Only Five Pages so far....We needmore guys....Cut short your lunch/break time and Call the numbers..
Only Five Pages so far....We needmore guys....Cut short your lunch/break time and Call the numbers..
more...
pat123
09-20 12:18 PM
Hello axp817
I had soft LUD's yesterday (9/19) on all I-485 applications in my family and on the (July 2007) EAD's for my spouse and me. My PD is May-30 2006, so I'm wondering if they are looking at low-hanging fruit for the next month (or to hang the fruit!)
Hi hinvin66,
What is your I 485
NOTICE DATE? IS It 9/18/2007?
I had soft LUD's yesterday (9/19) on all I-485 applications in my family and on the (July 2007) EAD's for my spouse and me. My PD is May-30 2006, so I'm wondering if they are looking at low-hanging fruit for the next month (or to hang the fruit!)
Hi hinvin66,
What is your I 485
NOTICE DATE? IS It 9/18/2007?
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yabadaba
01-24 12:44 PM
wow...u guys have made my decision easier...better to go via ny directly to mumbai
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iv_only_hope
01-11 03:32 PM
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/stories/DN-immigration_11bus.ART0.State.Edition2.37b4ce6.html
tattoo Rob and Kristen in Therapy!
srgadi
09-10 07:22 PM
Do you get emails when you get soft LUDs ?
No, you don't e-mails or SMS for soft LUDs
No, you don't e-mails or SMS for soft LUDs
more...
pictures pattinson dating 2011.
tempy
09-08 11:09 PM
Got CPO email this afternoon. I did not get any other emails (like welcome or decision emails) before this email. Is that normal to send the CPO email before sending the decision notice email?
Thanks,
Tempy
Thanks,
Tempy
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sheela
09-11 09:27 PM
I will call as many
more...
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cse_us
03-25 04:53 PM
!!!!!
I knew friends in Kaiser who were hired on H1 and got GC through Kaiser..
How the hell can they justify filing new GCs, but not accepting EAD!?
Kaiser stopped hiring on H1 since 2003. They used to hire on EADs until last week.
I knew friends in Kaiser who were hired on H1 and got GC through Kaiser..
How the hell can they justify filing new GCs, but not accepting EAD!?
Kaiser stopped hiring on H1 since 2003. They used to hire on EADs until last week.
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mchundi
01-01 02:54 PM
Good question. The bill is expected to be on the floor of the Senate and House for debate in Feb-06. Learning from S1932, it is my guess that the soonest bill could be law is 2-3 months. So we may be looking at something like April/May-06. But nothing is for sure at this time. It is possible that the debate may be dragged on till third quarter of 2006. We should start the activity to communicate with the law makers right now and continue to convey the right message if we want anything good to come out of the new bill.
The delay with S-1932 was due to other controvertial issues. As for the immigration provisions, i doubt if any law maker insisted on them being part of the bill. Most of the bickering was about oil drilling and patriot act. This time Patriot act will compete for senate time if it is not resolved by feb. Once the immigration bill is introduced, it should not take more than 2 weeks get it to vote and another week for conference committee.
My Q was even if some law is passed will the uscis wait till oct to implement any proposed changes.
I was curious as to how this works because it might be tough for me to stick with my current company for 1 1/2 years more to get portability.
Ofcourse we will try our best but somethings r not in our hands.
--MC
The delay with S-1932 was due to other controvertial issues. As for the immigration provisions, i doubt if any law maker insisted on them being part of the bill. Most of the bickering was about oil drilling and patriot act. This time Patriot act will compete for senate time if it is not resolved by feb. Once the immigration bill is introduced, it should not take more than 2 weeks get it to vote and another week for conference committee.
My Q was even if some law is passed will the uscis wait till oct to implement any proposed changes.
I was curious as to how this works because it might be tough for me to stick with my current company for 1 1/2 years more to get portability.
Ofcourse we will try our best but somethings r not in our hands.
--MC
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aadimanav
01-03 12:55 AM
Source:
http://www.metrocorpcounsel.com/current.php?artType=view&artMonth=January&artYear=2008&EntryNo=7723
Delay In The Age Of Security - Employee Green Card Woes
Geoffrey Forney
WolfBlock
Geoffrey Forney is an Associate in WolfBlock's Employment Services Practice Group and is a member of the group's Immigration Services Team. Geoffrey handles all aspects of immigration and nationality law, including employment- and family-based immigration, removal (deportation) defense and asylum.
Many human resources representatives who handle immigration matters are well aware that dealing with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) can be confusing and at times frustrating. The agency has volumes of regulations, policies, decisions and guidelines governing the admission and employment of foreign nationals. Understanding the agency's requirements can be an overwhelming task. In addition, the agency's decision process is often obscure, leaving employers and foreign nationals guessing about the procedures that affect them directly.
Added to the confusion is the baffling situation of the excessively long-delayed adjudication of green card and naturalization applications. Employers spend a lot of time and money to sponsor valued foreign national employees only to find that the last stage of the process (adjustment of status or "green" card) is bogged down within a quagmire of endless and seemingly unexplainable delay. Applicants for green cards can face delays up to seven years or more. From an HR perspective, the situation is frustrating: all of the employee's appropriate paperwork has been filed, but the USCIS simply refuses to act on the application. Employers and foreign nationals make inquires with the USCIS only to be told that their applications are being held up because of "security" issues.
What "security" issues? Many foreign nationals are upset by this response, because they know that they have never had any contacts with law enforcement. Just because a foreign national is caught in security clearance delays does not necessarily mean that the person has had problems with law enforcement authorities. In the vast majority of cases, it simply means that the foreign national's name matches in some way a name in an FBI administrative file. Only after the USCIS confirms that the foreign national is not the same individual who is listed in the FBI administrative file will the USCIS proceed with the adjudication of the green card or naturalization application. It sounds simple enough, so why does this process take so long?
Congress requires the USCIS to perform criminal background checks on foreign nationals applying to become permanent residents (green card holders) or naturalized citizens of the United States. In addition to the Congressionally mandated criminal background check, DHS performs two other background checks on foreign nationals applying for green cards or citizenship. The criminal background check is a relatively easy and fast check: the USCIS obtains a fingerprint impression from the foreign national and checks this fingerprint image against the FBI's Criminal Master File. This check is usually completed within 48 hours, as it is largely a computer automated system. The second type of check, the Interagency Border Inspection System (IBIS) check, is also very quick. The IBIS check is based on a database containing information from 26 different federal agencies that includes information on persons of "interest" to law enforcement. This check is usually completed immediately upon entering the foreign national's name into a computer database.
The problem arises with the third and final background check, known as the "name check." Although Congress does not require name checks, in 2002 legacy INS began requesting name checks for all green card and citizenship applications as part of its post-9/11 heightening of security. A "name check" is performed by taking every permutation of the foreign national's full name and comparing those various permutations against the FBI's "Universal Index," which references the FBI's Central Records System, a voluminous archive of administrative, personnel and investigative files. Of course, foreign nationals with common names will usually "match" an FBI file. In addition, a foreign national's name need not necessarily match a "main" file name, containing, for example, a suspect's name, but may match "reference" names, including informants and witnesses. Hence, the universe of possible matches is very large.
Although the FBI usually responds to a USCIS request for a name check within two weeks, if there is a "hit" or match between one or more permutations of the foreign national's name, a more extensive search must be completed. If a secondary search does not clear the foreign national's name, the USCIS requests a manual investigation of the relevant FBI case files. Since a "match" ultimately leads to a manual inspection of physical files. The process is time and labor intensive. One of the main reasons for the excessive delays in this arena is the lack of resources devoted to the manual inspection of files. To date, the USCIS and FBI currently have more than 340,000 cases in the name check backlog, according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman.
As a result, a foreign national stuck in the name check backlog can expect to wait a very long time - a matter of years - before expecting a final adjudication of his or her application for a green card or citizenship. In some cases, a final resolution never occurs. It is not unusual to find applicants with unresolved cases that are more than five years old.
Recently, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman cited "name check" delays as a major problem for the agency in his 2007 annual report. The Ombudsman questioned the utility and effectiveness of the name check process, noting that "[n]ame check[s] are not conducted by the FBI as part of an ongoing investigation or from a need to learn more about an individual because of any threat or risk perceived by the FBI." Furthermore, the Ombudsman suggested that the name check program does not comply with DHS Secretary Chertoff's risk management modeling, because the cost of name checks far outweighs the purported national security benefit: "Considering the protection the FBI name check provides, the cost of government resources used, and mental and actual hardships to applicants and their families, USCIS should reassess the continuation of its policy to require FBI name checks in their current form." Notwithstanding the Ombudsman's criticism of the name check program, other high-level USCIS officials continue to support the process, so it appears that name checks will remain a part of green card and naturalization applications.
(Part 2 in the next post below)
http://www.metrocorpcounsel.com/current.php?artType=view&artMonth=January&artYear=2008&EntryNo=7723
Delay In The Age Of Security - Employee Green Card Woes
Geoffrey Forney
WolfBlock
Geoffrey Forney is an Associate in WolfBlock's Employment Services Practice Group and is a member of the group's Immigration Services Team. Geoffrey handles all aspects of immigration and nationality law, including employment- and family-based immigration, removal (deportation) defense and asylum.
Many human resources representatives who handle immigration matters are well aware that dealing with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) can be confusing and at times frustrating. The agency has volumes of regulations, policies, decisions and guidelines governing the admission and employment of foreign nationals. Understanding the agency's requirements can be an overwhelming task. In addition, the agency's decision process is often obscure, leaving employers and foreign nationals guessing about the procedures that affect them directly.
Added to the confusion is the baffling situation of the excessively long-delayed adjudication of green card and naturalization applications. Employers spend a lot of time and money to sponsor valued foreign national employees only to find that the last stage of the process (adjustment of status or "green" card) is bogged down within a quagmire of endless and seemingly unexplainable delay. Applicants for green cards can face delays up to seven years or more. From an HR perspective, the situation is frustrating: all of the employee's appropriate paperwork has been filed, but the USCIS simply refuses to act on the application. Employers and foreign nationals make inquires with the USCIS only to be told that their applications are being held up because of "security" issues.
What "security" issues? Many foreign nationals are upset by this response, because they know that they have never had any contacts with law enforcement. Just because a foreign national is caught in security clearance delays does not necessarily mean that the person has had problems with law enforcement authorities. In the vast majority of cases, it simply means that the foreign national's name matches in some way a name in an FBI administrative file. Only after the USCIS confirms that the foreign national is not the same individual who is listed in the FBI administrative file will the USCIS proceed with the adjudication of the green card or naturalization application. It sounds simple enough, so why does this process take so long?
Congress requires the USCIS to perform criminal background checks on foreign nationals applying to become permanent residents (green card holders) or naturalized citizens of the United States. In addition to the Congressionally mandated criminal background check, DHS performs two other background checks on foreign nationals applying for green cards or citizenship. The criminal background check is a relatively easy and fast check: the USCIS obtains a fingerprint impression from the foreign national and checks this fingerprint image against the FBI's Criminal Master File. This check is usually completed within 48 hours, as it is largely a computer automated system. The second type of check, the Interagency Border Inspection System (IBIS) check, is also very quick. The IBIS check is based on a database containing information from 26 different federal agencies that includes information on persons of "interest" to law enforcement. This check is usually completed immediately upon entering the foreign national's name into a computer database.
The problem arises with the third and final background check, known as the "name check." Although Congress does not require name checks, in 2002 legacy INS began requesting name checks for all green card and citizenship applications as part of its post-9/11 heightening of security. A "name check" is performed by taking every permutation of the foreign national's full name and comparing those various permutations against the FBI's "Universal Index," which references the FBI's Central Records System, a voluminous archive of administrative, personnel and investigative files. Of course, foreign nationals with common names will usually "match" an FBI file. In addition, a foreign national's name need not necessarily match a "main" file name, containing, for example, a suspect's name, but may match "reference" names, including informants and witnesses. Hence, the universe of possible matches is very large.
Although the FBI usually responds to a USCIS request for a name check within two weeks, if there is a "hit" or match between one or more permutations of the foreign national's name, a more extensive search must be completed. If a secondary search does not clear the foreign national's name, the USCIS requests a manual investigation of the relevant FBI case files. Since a "match" ultimately leads to a manual inspection of physical files. The process is time and labor intensive. One of the main reasons for the excessive delays in this arena is the lack of resources devoted to the manual inspection of files. To date, the USCIS and FBI currently have more than 340,000 cases in the name check backlog, according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman.
As a result, a foreign national stuck in the name check backlog can expect to wait a very long time - a matter of years - before expecting a final adjudication of his or her application for a green card or citizenship. In some cases, a final resolution never occurs. It is not unusual to find applicants with unresolved cases that are more than five years old.
Recently, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman cited "name check" delays as a major problem for the agency in his 2007 annual report. The Ombudsman questioned the utility and effectiveness of the name check process, noting that "[n]ame check[s] are not conducted by the FBI as part of an ongoing investigation or from a need to learn more about an individual because of any threat or risk perceived by the FBI." Furthermore, the Ombudsman suggested that the name check program does not comply with DHS Secretary Chertoff's risk management modeling, because the cost of name checks far outweighs the purported national security benefit: "Considering the protection the FBI name check provides, the cost of government resources used, and mental and actual hardships to applicants and their families, USCIS should reassess the continuation of its policy to require FBI name checks in their current form." Notwithstanding the Ombudsman's criticism of the name check program, other high-level USCIS officials continue to support the process, so it appears that name checks will remain a part of green card and naturalization applications.
(Part 2 in the next post below)
gst76
02-25 02:02 PM
Veeru123,
What number did you call DOS at? I am also going to India and want to make sure my info is there in PIMS database.
Thanks in advance.
What number did you call DOS at? I am also going to India and want to make sure my info is there in PIMS database.
Thanks in advance.
amsgc
06-16 12:33 PM
Thanks gcnirvana.
I have a copy of my approved I-140, and the only number I see on it is Receipt Number at the top left side of the notice. It reads like LIN-xx-xxx-xxxxx.
Is this the A# number you are referring to?
That is your receipt number. In my case, the A# is in the box that has the name of the beneficiary.
Ams
I have a copy of my approved I-140, and the only number I see on it is Receipt Number at the top left side of the notice. It reads like LIN-xx-xxx-xxxxx.
Is this the A# number you are referring to?
That is your receipt number. In my case, the A# is in the box that has the name of the beneficiary.
Ams
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