485 Interview but not stamped, need visa number

T

tmacynt

New Member
Hi, anyone had experiences of going through I-485 interview smoothly but did not get passport stamped? (NIW concurrent filed Feb 2003 to VSC)

My wife and I went for interview at Manchester, NH mid Janurary, 2005. We were asked all the regular questions by an officer. We also had a new finger print. At the end of the interview, the officer said "I approved your application. However, we need to request a visa number. That only takes a few days. You should receive a letter from us in the mail soon." He also told us that we may come in to stamp the passport upon receiving the letter.

20 days have passed and nothing happened. We went to the office twice since then, and each time the only answer we got was :"Anything can happen, your case is under supervisor review, which means it's not approved". This is only getting more and more frustrating. Had we got passports stamped, we could have gone back to home country, and sit assured that the long process is coming to an end. Now we still have nothing...

Any similar experience please share to this thread or any comments. Thanks my friends on this forum.
 
Hi,
I saw somewere in this forum this is copy of that.



#20 20th January 2005, 04:17 PM
xpadre
Registered User Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: ca
Posts: 37

Approved

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__________________
xpadre
WAC-02-280-55xxx 245I CASE
ND-9/18/02
RD-9/13/02
1stFP-10/18/02
1stEAD-4/14/03
2ndEAD-4/14/04
2nd FP-7/24/04
TRANS TO LA OFFICE-8/13/04
FOR INTERVIEW 10/13/04
interviewed 10/13/04 no stamp pending fbi name check
12/21/04-info pass to inquire case
12/22/04-received approval notice with 12/7/04 approval stamp
1/15/05-received welcome notice
1/19/05-received green card
 
Hi nitinkumar, thanks. This news brings some comfort. Just don't understand how visa number can possibly be an issue - never heard of it. Everyone gets the passport stamped at interview, even when calling the USCIS I have the same answer!
 
I had the same experience on Feb-24-2005, I had my interview smoothly and the Immigartion officer said " I will approve the case" and asked us to wait outside for 10 minutes for the visa number. He came back after 10 minutes and said that my case number's priority date is June-03-2002 and the State Department is processing the Visa's with priority date of March-01-2002.

Thanks
Vamshi
 
Hi polamv,

Did you also interview at Manchester, NH site? I am not sure about the priority date. My case is EB2nd and the visa number is C which means current (see Visa Bulletin from Department of State at http://travel.state.gov/visa/frvi/bulletin/bulletin_2111.html). So if you are family based GC application you might be limited by priority date. However, if you are 1st and 2nd employment based application, all visa numbers are current.

Thanks,
 
Hi,
Thanks for the reply, I was interviewd in Boston and my case is EB3 and the Dept. Of State is processing the applications with priority date of March-01-2002 and mine is June-03-2002.

Thanks
Vamshi
 
Hello TMACYNT

After reading your post and some other posts, I find I have been fortunate.

I had taken my lawyer with me for the interview as I did not want to go through any hassle of this kind. Please check my detailed post after my interview in "Transferred to Hartford" forum.

After the interview, my immigration officer (he was quite cordial and professional otherwise) said the same thing and my lawyer had snapped at him for not doing his homework in advance. Meaning he should have known if the visa numbers in EB2 categories were current or not. My lawyer without waiting for any answer from us said they have taken the day of to finish this ordeal. They will wait as long as it takes for you to verify with Dept of State for the visa number availability. It really does not take more that 5 to 10 minutes for them to check the visa number availability. But bec's they have to finish a certain number of interviews in a day, that is why some of them follow this method.

I hope they follow a standardized process and finish the ordeal for us in a single interview.

Wish you all the best.

Mike Metal
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Hi Mike,
Congrats on the success of the Green Card. After reading your post i think you are in EB2 category and fortunatley the dates are current under that category. I think for the people in EB3 should wait for couple more months for the approval.

I wish you good luck and great succcess in your life.

Vamshi
 
I think it's time for me to update the smiling icons. After several visits to the Manchester office, there's no chance of finding the case status. My lawyer told me that the USCIS officer failed to do his homework before the interview. He suggested that I sit tight for 4 to 6 months, and by then if nothing happens, I should contact one of NH congressional office. I even wrote a letter to the "supervisor in charge" in that office. Occassionally, my wife talked to one of her friends about our case. She suggested that I insist in seeing the officer's supervisor when I visit. So I did. I got quite tough yet polite this time. The same officer sitting on the other side of the window finally softened, and his supervisor came out. She explained that they have shortage in officers handling 485 cases. I felt being respected enough with that answer.

The next day, my case was approved, as indicated by the letter we received 3 days later. We got passports stamped, and the stone is now on the ground. It's a mystery whether it's my letter or my strong attitude that has helped, or it was simply on their schedule that I got my passport stamped two months after the interview.

Truly appreciate it my friends Mike Metal, Vamshi, and nitinkumar for the replies.

Wish you all the best.

tmacynt

NIW case concurrent filing
ND-2/27/03
RD-2/25/03
1stFP-5/03
I140 approval: 8/2004
TRANS TO Manchester, NH OFFICE-9/2/04
Letter for INTERVIEW 11/2004
interviewed 1/18/05 with no stamp: requesting visa number
3/18/05-received approval notice
3/21/05 got passport stamped
Waiting for plastic card...
 
Congratulations tmacynt

I understand your anguish. In general, it would take about 3 weeks or so for you to get the plastic card in hand. The way the process seems to work is that after stamping the papers at the local office it goes back to Vermont Regional Processing Center for issuance of card and creation of I181 notice (2 copies) - called Creation of Recrd of Lawful Permanent Residence. This notice for the first time says the word "WELCOME TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA". In most cases, the I-797(Notice of Action) for I-181 and plastic card should arrive the same day, but in some cases they arrive on different dates! No need to try to figure the logic. It could be the mail delay or delay on the part of the workers at USCIS! So hang tight, the tough journey is almost over.

There is one doubt about the process - "Do they have the regulatory authority to make you wait for stamping?". Personally I dont think they have the authority by law. USCIS regulations may give them some authority, but most likely scenario may be that they try to finish their quota of work(!) and then never find enough time to go back and stamp the passport or send you letter to come for stamping. Also the delay can be attributed to retrogression of EB3 category.

My wife and my approval notices arrived on different days (4 days apart) making you wonder if someone goofed or delay in mail or other possibilities. I am still waiting for the last thing the card for my wife.

Wish you all the best and good luck to rest. Enjoy your new found freedom. Soon, life may seem a bit different.

Miek Metal
 
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