I finally got my approval email on 4/27, 5 years 16 days after filing my I485. My case was stuck in the name check process for over 3 years. I used to be very active in this forum since 2002, but the past couple of years, I just tuned off as the frustrations were beginning to eat me. Here's a gist of what I did, should it be of any use to someone in the same situation.
I got an RFE for a current employment letter in December 2003, and nothing moved after my reply. So I check with the FBI and found that my name check was pending (since 12/31/03, while my wife's cleared 12/30/02). I contacted my congressman (a bigwig republican) who checked on my behalf regularly. At one stage his office called me to tell me that they were taking up my case to show how inefficient the system was. But a few months later, I got a letter from the congressman saying that since my case is pending name check, he can't do anything more, and haven't heard from him since. It was maddening!
Last summer I wrote my Senator, and the Ombudsman. The senator replied immediately saying that everything is fine, and once my priority date becomes available, my case will be adjudicated. I had not followed the visa bulletin (EB2 was current when I applied and it never crossed my mind that EB2 could retrogress). So I was hopefully waiting for Oct 06. But again nothing happened after Oct 06.
I finally got a reply from the ombudsman office this Feb/Mar. They said my name check was still pending, and nothing can be done till that is cleared. They assigned a case number and asked me to contact them in 6 months if I don't hear anything from the USCIS by then. I don't know if they initiated anything that sped up my case, but I am thankful that it's all behind me now.
Everyone I used to interact on this board have long gotten their cards, and moved on. I don't recognize user ids these days. But I am happy to see this forum still going strong. It certainly has helped me a lot. Thank you Mr. Khanna.
To all those who are stuck like me, hang in there. And don't let your frustrations build to a point where you become dysfunctional. All the best and God bless.
I got an RFE for a current employment letter in December 2003, and nothing moved after my reply. So I check with the FBI and found that my name check was pending (since 12/31/03, while my wife's cleared 12/30/02). I contacted my congressman (a bigwig republican) who checked on my behalf regularly. At one stage his office called me to tell me that they were taking up my case to show how inefficient the system was. But a few months later, I got a letter from the congressman saying that since my case is pending name check, he can't do anything more, and haven't heard from him since. It was maddening!
Last summer I wrote my Senator, and the Ombudsman. The senator replied immediately saying that everything is fine, and once my priority date becomes available, my case will be adjudicated. I had not followed the visa bulletin (EB2 was current when I applied and it never crossed my mind that EB2 could retrogress). So I was hopefully waiting for Oct 06. But again nothing happened after Oct 06.
I finally got a reply from the ombudsman office this Feb/Mar. They said my name check was still pending, and nothing can be done till that is cleared. They assigned a case number and asked me to contact them in 6 months if I don't hear anything from the USCIS by then. I don't know if they initiated anything that sped up my case, but I am thankful that it's all behind me now.
Everyone I used to interact on this board have long gotten their cards, and moved on. I don't recognize user ids these days. But I am happy to see this forum still going strong. It certainly has helped me a lot. Thank you Mr. Khanna.
To all those who are stuck like me, hang in there. And don't let your frustrations build to a point where you become dysfunctional. All the best and God bless.