this_processing_kills_me
Registered Users (C)
Everyone,
Got the mail from USCIS-CSSO that my case has been finally approved on Aug 16th.
A heartiest thanks to everyone on this board for sticking around and providing updates on their cases. I stopped posting for a while (for a year or so, I think) during this long haul, after having submitted myself to the mercy of INS, but I am glad that this process is over.
485 process began in Mar 2002. I had to push the attorney to file it in the first place (they were sitting on it for a while). First FP took longer than everyone else to arrive (finished in Oct 2002). I remember sending in lot of faxes for that darn notice to materialize. Then as my bad luck would have had it, the freaking JIT dates slowed down to a drag. I stopped caring for a year or so. I started caring only after the date moved beyond my Notice Date. Once again, the all-so-important 2nd FP notice eluded me. I had to send faxes again to get my 2nd FP. USCIS got my 2nd FP on July 20th. The LUD was stuck at 7/20 (until today). So, I started faxing again last week to get someone's attention to take some action on the damn case. And, lo and behold! I have two mails sitting in my yahoo account this morning telling me the good news.
Takeaways:
1. Fax, fax, fax those reminders away! -- You create enough noise, somone will listen!! And yeah, you can fax the same freaking reminder more than once a day. No one is going to kill you for that. I, for one, didn't send any mails to the senators (or the like). But I wouldn't discourage anyone from sending such emails. The key is to get INS's attention -- the means that you choose should be effective.
2. Go in for early FP and make sure you get it done -- If you are turned away, keep showing your face every 2-3 days, until you get the FP done.
3. Become an immigration expert -- Remember that you, and only you, have the burden of following up on your case. Don't lay eggs along with the INS and/or with your lawyer. Be on top of the processing dates, FP expiration, EAD/AP expiration and renewal, immunizations, RFE responses, and making sure that you can furnish all the necessary papers whenever the need arises.
4. NEVER cause delay from your end, if it can be avoided -- For instance, don't postpone your FP date; be prompt in replying to the RFE. You never know when INS decided to take a long breather again before processing further.
5. Calling doesn't help -- you wait long to talk to someone who can't speak English properly, and then pretty much gives redundant info. This is, unfortunately, an all too common exercise in futility.
Okay, enough sermoning.
I wish everyone the best on this board, especially the ones who filed their cases before mine and still haven't received their approvals. My advice to such folks is that they should spend a little (and not a whole lot) of their energies in following up with their cases.
Signing off for now (I am leaving for India next week), with the following words that complete the song:
Bang, bang.. they shot me down
Bang, bang.. I hit the ground
Bang, bang.. that awful sound
Bang, bang.. BCIS shot me down!
finally killed!!
_this_processing_killsMe
Got the mail from USCIS-CSSO that my case has been finally approved on Aug 16th.
A heartiest thanks to everyone on this board for sticking around and providing updates on their cases. I stopped posting for a while (for a year or so, I think) during this long haul, after having submitted myself to the mercy of INS, but I am glad that this process is over.
485 process began in Mar 2002. I had to push the attorney to file it in the first place (they were sitting on it for a while). First FP took longer than everyone else to arrive (finished in Oct 2002). I remember sending in lot of faxes for that darn notice to materialize. Then as my bad luck would have had it, the freaking JIT dates slowed down to a drag. I stopped caring for a year or so. I started caring only after the date moved beyond my Notice Date. Once again, the all-so-important 2nd FP notice eluded me. I had to send faxes again to get my 2nd FP. USCIS got my 2nd FP on July 20th. The LUD was stuck at 7/20 (until today). So, I started faxing again last week to get someone's attention to take some action on the damn case. And, lo and behold! I have two mails sitting in my yahoo account this morning telling me the good news.
Takeaways:
1. Fax, fax, fax those reminders away! -- You create enough noise, somone will listen!! And yeah, you can fax the same freaking reminder more than once a day. No one is going to kill you for that. I, for one, didn't send any mails to the senators (or the like). But I wouldn't discourage anyone from sending such emails. The key is to get INS's attention -- the means that you choose should be effective.
2. Go in for early FP and make sure you get it done -- If you are turned away, keep showing your face every 2-3 days, until you get the FP done.
3. Become an immigration expert -- Remember that you, and only you, have the burden of following up on your case. Don't lay eggs along with the INS and/or with your lawyer. Be on top of the processing dates, FP expiration, EAD/AP expiration and renewal, immunizations, RFE responses, and making sure that you can furnish all the necessary papers whenever the need arises.
4. NEVER cause delay from your end, if it can be avoided -- For instance, don't postpone your FP date; be prompt in replying to the RFE. You never know when INS decided to take a long breather again before processing further.
5. Calling doesn't help -- you wait long to talk to someone who can't speak English properly, and then pretty much gives redundant info. This is, unfortunately, an all too common exercise in futility.
Okay, enough sermoning.
I wish everyone the best on this board, especially the ones who filed their cases before mine and still haven't received their approvals. My advice to such folks is that they should spend a little (and not a whole lot) of their energies in following up with their cases.
Signing off for now (I am leaving for India next week), with the following words that complete the song:
Bang, bang.. they shot me down
Bang, bang.. I hit the ground
Bang, bang.. that awful sound
Bang, bang.. BCIS shot me down!
finally killed!!
_this_processing_killsMe