Attended FP at Newark on 04/08/2005

raaj97

Registered Users (C)
My wife and I attended Finger Prints at Newark Center on 04/08/2005. Here is our experience.

Our appointment was scheduled for 04/08/2005 @ 2PM, since we heard lot about this center turning down the people once the center completed FPs for 800 people, we went there at around 9.30 AM. Our two kids, 8 years old daughter and infant son accompanied us. I-485s have been filed for me, wife and my daughter and my son born in US. Since she is under 14, she doesn't need Finger Prints and I thought if center allow she could attend Biometrics (Digital Photo, digital signature and one index finger print), though no notice we received for her in this regard. I just wanted to give a try. But the center says process will be done only if the notice is issued.

By the time we reached at 9.30 am, people kept on coming with different scheduled timings. No one was outside of the building at this time. At the entrance inside the building one security personal was checking the notices and streamlining the queue in the adjacent big hall. We were not allowed as our appointment time was 2pm and he asked to come back at 11 AM. Since the morning was breezy and cold we stayed back inside building near entrance. We waited in standing for one and half hour and at 11 am we were allowed into the regular queue. Totally we spent in waiting more than five and half hours out of which we sat less than 2 hours rest of the time in standing. Since our kids were with us, we had a tough time with our infant son. Standing in the queue with infants was really a difficult but no other option.

In the first leg we waited in the queue in the ground floor for about one and half hour. Slowly moved to the upper floor through stairs along with queue.

In the second leg we were seated in a room ( around 50 people seated at a time waiting for furthur moving forward)

In the third leg, again entered another queue, at this point forms were given to be filled with details like our name, dob, alien number, address. Simple to fill. Here our IDs were verified. Documents needed FP notice and EAD card(if you have) or passport or Driving License.

In the fourth leg, after waiting for more than an hour in the queue entered a big hall. Before entering in this hall, at the counter our filled forms were checked, verified and signed by a ASC official. Here we were given token numbers and three officials sit here to verify our hands too.

In the last and fifth leg, numbers were called for finger printing process. We were given token numbers at around 2PM. By this time already more than 400 people were done with their FPs. The FP process was cool and nothing to worry. ASC people were doing their job excellent and in a pleasant way. No hurry no rushing. After our 10 fingers were done FP process, manager checked the quality of the images and validated them. After this biometrics were done at the another system located beside the regular FP machine. In the biometrics our digital photo, ditial signature and index finger print were done. The whole process took less than 15 minutes. LUDs updated online already.

We were out by 3.30 PM. It took more than five and half hours since we entered and out after completion of the process. The only negative point we observed was, since we and some more people having kids and babies it was hard time with out any kind of snack or drinks for them for long time. There were posters saying these are prohibited and no kid appeared having any kind of these stuff.

My advise for the people going to this ASC, be prepared to wait for long hours standing in queue if you have kids, a bit difficult. Also if you have afternoon appointment, no matter go to the center atleast 3 hours in advance to avoid being turned down. If you have appointment after 12.30 pm or 1pm go there around 10.30 am to make sure you will be in. Let me know if anyone has any questions about FP at this center.

Also, use hand creams Eucerin and Corn Husker's Lotion. They worked wonders for us.
 
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