Asylee adjustment cut-off date

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That\'s correct. I\'m hoping that if more Congressmen/women cosponsor this Bill, and more asylees/interest groups get involved in lobbying for this Bill the Subcommittee members will get back on it once again. AS we both know, the last activity for this Bill was on May 9th; a hearing took place. If this Bill is to become a law by the beginning of forthcoming fiscal year the Subcommittee members should be already voting on this Bill by now.
  Forgive me if I sound abit sarcastic, but I think the INS wants to solve the asylee GC problem with cheap quick fixes (like giving us regular SS cards etc) rather than increasing the limit on the quota.
 
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ma2,

 When I applied my I-485 in 1996 the average waiting time for asylee I-485 in Texas is 35-40 months. Any INS officer will tell you that they cannot guarantee on the processing time and that they can only give you estimate processing time.
 Like Alanpero and I have repeatedly pointed out in this board, the main problem with asylee GC processing time is the 10,000 approvals per year quota set by the IMM96 immigration Act. Alanpero found some statistics that shows approximately 2X number of asylees apply for I-485 since 1996. So as you can imagine the quota system is creating VERY congested bottleneck of asylee I-485 applicants.
 
  I\'m really surprised by the answer you got from INS automated voice mail service. I think Alanpero will concur that 375-400 days of processing time for Asylee I-485 is TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE. I\'m not saying it cannot be impossible because certain categories of asylees are exempt from 10,000 approvals per year quota: such as Syrian Jew asylees,..and other categories I am not aware about. Also keep in mind that sometimes a rookie INS officer who did not do his homework will confuse asylee with REFUGEE status. Refugees does not have quota on GreenCard approvals and most get their GC in one year.
  It is true what you heard about Employment based GCs though. It takes approximately 1 to 2 years if the applicant meets all criteria requested by the INS.
So to answer your questions objectively:
(1) INS hardly make "good mistakes". When they make mistakes they usually have negative results on the applicant. And even if the application center has mislabeled your case as EB they will find it out in later stages of the process. i.e like when it comes to finger print, interview they will ask you for employment sponsorship letters etc. So, Try to talk with a real INS officer at the NSC. They have 1800 number. Be sure to clearly say you have applied for I-485 under the asylee status.
(2) It is most likely to be a mistake. Unless you belong to a special category of asylees that is exempt from the 10,000/year quota. I assure you that 90% of asylees don\'t belong to those special groups.
(3) My case is different from yours because back in 1996 we had to file I-485 at local INS office. And I have already been through the finger printing and personal interview. Right now I am just "sitting back" and waiting for my GC because of the 10,000/year quota system.

  I suggest that you also make a written inquiry to the NSC or the office where you filed your I-485 application. They will reply you with a letter saying how long the ESTIMATED wait time for your case will be. Once you get the answers on the paper you can be sure that you did not misunderstand the answers or INS put you in the wrong category.

 Anyhow.....good luck with your case. If you\'re lucky the Senate Immigration Subcommittee will pass HR1560 Bill and will get faster processing time. That Bill is our only hope for the time being.
 
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Confused about I-485 processing Date

Hi Everyone(Alanpero, Jack)--- I applied my 485 on January 2001(as a asylee). I called yesterday to INS (ph-402-323-7830) to chake my case status and they told me(automated answering mecine) it will take 375-400 days.I was so excited after that-hahha. Then i told my friend to chake his status he applied his 485(EB)on August 2000 But his catagori is Employment Based.And when he call INS that phone no. the automated answering mecine told him it will take 375-400 days.But he already did his Fingerprint on april.----
(1)So i am confuse that did INS put my adjustment application on EB catagori? ( I wish thats way get GC early -- hahahha)
(2) Why his and mine are same time frame?
(2)OR that date time really matter----IF you guys call INS and chake status your case let me know if you get same answer like me.
 
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Thank\'s Jack
For your Information.I am really confused now and I don\'t want to scrwed up with INS it will delayed my processing. So I think better wait and see. But other thing is a am not Refugee-- I seek Political Asylem here 1993 and Judge approved my Asylem 1999.So i applyed as a Asylee And i am not from Syria nethir I am Jews.I am from south east Asia near India.
So all the Asylee get now same time frame like me 375-400 days?

Wish you get your Green-Card as soon as possible.
 
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Hi Jack, I read yesterday the minutes of a meeting between AILA (American Immigration Lawyers Association) and INS held on March 31 that was posted in the Internet. And, in that minutes INS says that they are not opposed to increase the quota. Also, as I posted in a previous message, by the end of March I talked to an INS IIO, she was unusually friendly, and advised me to contact my congressman and ask for his support to change the legislation. So, after all they are not such a bad guys.
 
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Like I have already suggested, write to the INS and ask for current case status of your application. They will reply with all the answers you need.

 How comes it took 6 years (1993 and 1999) for the INS to process your asylum application?

 Under the current system it is not possible for an asylee to get GreenCard in 375-400 days. Fastest processing time I\'ve seen is 3 to 4 years. I am waiting for Alanpero to concur with me on this.
 
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Hi Alanpero,

 You are right: the INS neither approve or oppose the HR1560 Bill. They just carry out whatever laws Senate approves and the President signs. Actually the folks who oppose the HR1560 Bill is a private interest group called the Federation of American Immigration Reforms or something like that.

  I also notice in my recent dealings with the INS that their officers behave more politically correct than they did before. If you read the testimonies given by some asylees during HR1560 hearings you will find that INS officers treat asylum seekers harshly at Airports, border posts etc. I believe it took some law suits ( like the one AILA is preparing right now) to make INS the way it is today.
 
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Hi jack, there is nothing to worry on this. As I explained to ma2 that message is meaningless. The machine doesn\'t identify what type of I-485 is, and gives the same answer to everybody. I am also getting the same message since I applied with the time date changing from time to time. As ma2 I am getting 375-400, and know that it is not true. It\'s hard to believe could mislabel it as EB. If they don\'t issue his Refugee Travel Document, that would be a sign that something is wrong
(3) This is right. Since July 98 all asylees started filing I-485\'s in NSC and after they receive the appliation INS sends a notice explaining how long it usually takes to process the application and they also provide a phone number where to call. Applicants like you didn\'t get this "privilege" because you filed at local INS offices and this procedure was developed back then.
On this regard, life is a little bit easier for asylees that filed I-485 after July 98.
One more thing about your recent posting in other discussion. That litigation is being promoted by AILF, which as far as I know, is a different organization from AILA, though I have just found that AILA is also conducting other litigations. To sue seems to be like the favorite sport for some people in this country!!
 
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That\'s right Jack. I already responded m2 in the discussion he/she opened. And, as said below there is nothing to worry in this case or to be confused about. M2 you can check my response in the discussion you created. Regards
 
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I remember when I called the local INS office in 1997 to inquire about my case the officer who picked up the phone just hanged it up without answering a word about my case. When I visited the INS office they have a big notice posted on the entrance "We are not taking any inquiries from people who filed I-485 before August 1994." If you write to the office they will simply disregard your letter. That\'s how bad things were in 1996 to 1998.

 Since 2000 I\'ve seen so much improvements in INS\'s relations with it\'s clients. Phones are answered more quickly, officers treat immigrants with a little more respect etc. But it hurts me to know that most asylum seekers are treated like criminals at airports, border posts and immigration detention centers.
 
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Dear Jack & Alanpero:

Your recent posting reminds me to ask you one question. I want o visit Canada for a conference and meeting friends. Do you think I will have problems? I have Travel Documents and visa on it. I am also planing to visit Europe to deliver some lectures. Again do you think I will have any problem. Jack\'s mail has made me scared as he mentioned that asylees are treated like criminals. Please help me in understanding if he is being too modest in telling the problem or its reality.
 
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Your I-485 application is still pending right? I was told by a friend that asylees no longer require to apply for advance parole before they travel outside of the US. But you will still need to obtain Refugee travel Document RTD. But don\'t take my word for it though. Call INS, consulates and check everything before you leave the US.

  And you MISUNDERSTAND or MISINTERPRET my postings Raja. What I said was the "asylum seekers" (NOT ASYLEES) get treated like criminals at airports, immigration detention centers etc. And these are the facts that were testified by the victims infront of the Senate Subcommittee (please read the testimonies).

  That\'s one of the problems with participating in this newsgroup. Eventhough myself and Alanpero use grammatically and idiomatically correct English language people still misinterpret our messages and eventually leading to wrong conclusions.

  I would appreciate an apology.
 
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Hi Rajarani, I reponded to thsi question before. Check messages in other discussions. Trying to summerize what was answered: I traveled to Canada before and, what you have now, RTD with Canadian visa stamped, is all I finally needed. To go to Europe you most likely will need a visa stamped in your RTD to be admitted in most of the european countries. Sometime ago INS published an advisory travel notice for I-485 applicants. According to the original notice seemed that an advance parole was required in addition to RTD, but apparently, some time after they added some explanatory notes stating that finally the AP is not required. If I were you, before traveling I would do the following: first check in this portal answers to your questions already posted, second check in INS web site whatever is published about documents required before traveling, and third after being informed of applicable regulations, consult with an attorney specialized in immigration matters and even get a second opinion. It is not going to take too much time nor to cost too much money. Good luck
 
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I notice that INS as an organization and it\'s officers are slowly becoming more and more politically correct along the timeline. That\'s a positive development.
 
 Sometimes when I\'m sitting and waiting in the guest lounge of INS office I pay attention to how things are going with other people. And sometimes it\'s hard to blame the INS officers for not being too polite or patient(they\'re human beings too). I often see the communication process being broken down because some immigrants can\'t express their questions objectively. Put yourself in the shoes of the INS officer: you have to deal with hundreds of people like that. So, unless you\'re an extremely patient person like a Saint your anger is bound to kick in at some point.
  So please do your homework and keep your questions brief and objective before going to the INS office. And most forms can be downloaded on the net these days.
 
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It makes me so mad. Here we are helping people in this board sharing our knowledge and experiences. We don\'t get pay a single penny for this service ( I don\'t expect to get any) , we do it just out of compassion. And yet people misinterpret our messages, criticize for minor inaccuracies (HELLO! there is a disclaimer in the very beginning page of this web site, please READ it first).

 I\'ve said it before and I\'ll say it again, "This board is not a cheap alternative to a professional legal assistance."
 
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That\'s right Jack. I also understood you were talking about asylum seekers, but didn\'t want to make a comment on that waiting for you to clarify that point. We have to take into account that this long term waiting process, is very stressful and it has also happened to me, that I have misinterpreted what certain regulations are really stating. Spending year after year waiting for something to happen, and not lose what you already got, is a painful and stressful process.
 
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DISCLAIMER: I am not a lawyer (or even play one on TV) and what I post in this discussion board are strictly my own opinions. If you do not understand what I am saying or not clear on the subject SIMPLY disregard my messages.

Another suggestion I would like to make is don\'t travel outside of this country while your I-485 is pending; unless of course it is a life and death matter.
 
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Dear Jack:
Thanks for being so compassionate. I did not put forward any negative comments on you. It looks like you are taking too much out my message. I just had some minor clarifications and you had just misled yourself. Compassionate people don\'t get angry like you. If my apology makes you happy, then I apologies for at least 100 times for raising a minor concern. We don\'t want to loose you or make you unhappy. So don\'t worry and be happy. I am glad that you have clarified the concern that I raised.
 
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Yep , pretty bad. In fact it was miserable. I mentioned once that the local INS office did not return a receipt acknowledging the acceptance of my I-485 application. When I visited the office and inquired about it in person they told me "Did you include a self addressed stamped envelope in the application?" I was like .."Well.. is it mentioned in the I-485 filing instruction sheet?" In fact it is not mentioned in there.
 Eventually I was told that money order receipt should be regarded as my I-485 application receipt.
  WTF!
  And yep, I told every little detail of that incident in my letter to the Senators.
 
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