A decision cannot yet be made about your application

[inme1122]

My case based on 5 years after green card
Went for interview at Baltimore office

The officer told me she couldn't make decision because she doesn't have my H1B information.
She told me everything else is ok.00
Told me to wait about 4-5 weeks before checking status.

did anyone have similar experience?

 

[BigJoe5]

My case based on 5 years after green card
Went for interview at Baltimore office

The officer told me she couldn't make decision because she doesn't have my H1B information.
She told me everything else is ok.00
Told me to wait about 4-5 weeks before checking status.

did anyone have similar experience?

What? Your H1B information?

Perhaps you had more than one employment-base immigrant petition and have multiple A-files? Does that sound more like it?

 

[inme1122]

What? Your H1B information?

Perhaps you had more than one employment-base immigrant petition and have multiple A-files? Does that sound more like it?

No just one employer. Was still working for same employer 2 years after greencard.
and only one petition

yes she told me she didn't have my H1B information so she can't make decision.
I offered her H1b approvals I had, and she said, she needs to see the whole application which she told me she needs to get it from different office.

 

[BigJoe5]

No just one employer. Was still working for same employer 2 years after greencard.
and only one petition

yes she told me she didn't have my H1B information so she can't make decision.
I offered her H1b approvals I had, and she said, she needs to see the whole application which she told me she needs to get it from different office.

The major possible issue that I can see is the officer is trying to determine IF you filed your I-485 at a time when the H1B had lapsed.

Otherwise, you may be dealing with someone who is fishing for fraud or is not so bright.

 

[inme1122]

The major possible issue that I can see is the officer is trying to determine IF you filed your I-485 at a time when the H1B had lapsed.

Otherwise, you may be dealing with someone who is fishing for fraud or is not so bright.

There were no laps of any kind, pretty much straight forward case.
I think your guess is correct either she is fishing for fraud, or not so bright. Most likely its the later.

 

[inme1122]

After waiting for 45 days I made infopass, and talked to an officer, she told me the h1b file has been requested but hasn't arrived, so again at 90 days made another appointment. The officer at the window told me the file has arrived. She told me she wasn't sure why h1b was requested. She asked me whether I changed job during the greencard. I told her I was working for same employer until 2years after the green card. So told me she is going to check with her supervisor. She goes inside and comes back, after looking at my application for 1/2 hr she calls me and tells me she is going to approve the case and told me I should be getting oath letter in mail.
Basically the IO wasted my 3/4 month for nothing.

 

[Kshitij]

That's so odd. Which DO was that?

 

[BigJoe5]

After waiting for 45 days I made infopass, and talked to an officer, she told me the h1b file has been requested but hasn't arrived, so again at 90 days made another appointment. The officer at the window told me the file has arrived. She told me she wasn't sure why h1b was requested. She asked me whether I changed job during the greencard. I told her I was working for same employer until 2years after the green card. So told me she is going to check with her supervisor. She goes inside and comes back, after looking at my application for 1/2 hr she calls me and tells me she is going to approve the case and told me I should be getting oath letter in mail.
Basically the IO wasted my 3/4 month for nothing.

I urge you to write up your experience and send a letter (after you take the Oath) to the Field Office Director, the District Director, and if they have a Community Relations Officer to cc that person too and maybe some others. [You should wait until you are done so they don't move your file around and screw up again.]

You could help identify a training need in your local office and perhaps additional offices.

District Director addresses: http://www.uscis.gov/USCIS/Outreach...er 2011/District Office Mailing Addresses.pdf

Northeast Region: USCIS-NER-Community-Relations@dhs.gov
Headquarters: Public.Engagement@dhs.gov

"PublicAffairs, CISOmbudsman" <cisombudsman.publicaffairs@dhs.gov>, "cisombudsman" <cisombudsman@dhs.gov>, cisombudsman.cases@dhs.gov,

 

[Triple Citizen]

An applicant's complete A-file is needed to be reviewed before the N-400 can be approved. I am pretty sure that is what held up your N-400 approval.

After waiting for 45 days I made infopass, and talked to an officer, she told me the h1b file has been requested but hasn't arrived, so again at 90 days made another appointment. The officer at the window told me the file has arrived.

 

[Marusia_GC]

What is A-file? Is this is the set of all the documents that were received by USCIS when a person was going through the "green card" application? Is it possible somehow to avoid such situation from the side of applicants for Naturalization, or it is solely the responsibility of IOs?

 

[BigJoe5]

What is A-file? Is this is the set of all the documents that were received by USCIS when a person was going through the "green card" application? Is it possible somehow to avoid such situation from the side of applicants for Naturalization, or it is solely the responsibility of IOs?

Your A-file is your main immigration file. It is identified by your A# (the same one on your greencard). Most folks refer to it as the Alien file (but it is really an Administrative file).

Each petition and application is assigned a receipt number but the "person" is supposed to only get one A#. When folks have multiple immigration cases (I-130s, I-140s, old Deportation/Removal/Exclusion cases and perhaps asylum claims) they could get assigned more than one A# (biometrics is slowly ending that possibility) and whenever this is discovered then all A-files must be tracked down and consolidated.

Certain forms may be placed in a receipt file and might be placed in the A-file at some point but many will not. Other form MUST be placed in the A-file (I-485, I-130 or I-140 (if it gets used), the actual Immigrant Visa packet one brings with them from abroad, I-589 (asylum) or I-590 (refugee), N-400, N-470, N-300 (rarely ever filed), or N-600 (or N-600K or old N-643)).

Forms used for non-immigrant visas and Interim benefits (I-131 and I-756) rarely end up in an A-file except for a small percentage of cases. The I-129F and I-539 V-Supplement as well as S, U and T petitions and applications and maybe some O-1s and long-term L-1s and H1-Bs might end up having their receipt files consolidated into their A-files.

That ends today's lesson!