In preparation for the possibility of having to file a WOM, I've decided to contact my local Congressman to have his immigration liaison confirm that my background checks have been cleared, just to have it in writing for court purposes. Does it matter if I contact his office via E-mail or phone?
Contacting Congressman - Phone or E-mail?
- Thread starter Vorpal
- Start date
Try phone first as you can keep a record of who you actually talked to.
Most probably neither way for WOM purposes.
EVERYTHING MUST HAVE PAPER TRAIL!
Besides that, Congressman/Senators require signature along with authorization to represent you (legal stuff)
Start with calling asking about Congressional Liaison Inquiry Form (they would either have it on website, e-mail it to you, or mail it to you)
After you fill out that form, sign it, send it, they will receive it, send you receive acknowledgment (this you'll need for WOM) and after that you can simply call every 2-4 weeks and ask about status of USCIS inqury.
Thanks for the info. If I end up filing a WOM, I'll definitely be doing it pro se. My WOM is also not what I'd call conventional, as I'll be filing on the basis of the USCIS not processing my application within the posted timeframe, despite the fact that my background checks are cleared and I'm in "queue for interview". I'm not sure if this has ever been done before, but I think it's definitely feasible.
Vorpal - A good place to start with this is your local Congressional rep's web site. Chances are they will have a "Help" sectiun on the site and there will be an immigration link. You will need to sign a consent form, authorizing them to collect information on your case from the USCIS, but this form should be available on the site. Once you find it and fill it out, you can either mail it to them, along with your request, or fax it in to them. Many web sites allow you to fill out your request online (vial email) and then fax or mail the consent form separately.
Of course, you should keep a hard copy of everything along with the date and time of every phone call you make, and who you spoke with at the office. Most Congress people have at least one staff member who is dedicated to immigration issues. Hope this helps.
CrossHairs
Registered Users (C)
You are not planning to use an attorney?
No, I'm planning on doing it pro se. Of course, I can still get my IL prior to my application turning 10 months old, so I may not even have to file.
vorpal,
i called senator's office last week in baltimore and asked for their legal representative. i talked to her. she wrote down my info and said she would contact the USCIS on my behalf. two days later i received a letter from their office confirming my info and the reason i contacted them. two days later i received another letter from their office with a tiny paragraph "USCIS' response to my inquiry" saying i was in in line for interview. that said, contact them by phone as you'll receive their responses via mail. good luck.
useless representatives. . .
one idea. . .my hubby is a republican
he is asking me whether he should call McCain's campaing to ask them to expedite my case stressing the fact that 'he/my hubby is disappointed at the republicans and that such a help would change his mind for the upcoming elections.' ideas? would something like that work?
i called senator's office last week in baltimore and asked for their legal representative. i talked to her. she wrote down my info and said she would contact the USCIS on my behalf. two days later i received a letter from their office confirming my info and the reason i contacted them. two days later i received another letter from their office with a tiny paragraph "USCIS' response to my inquiry" saying i was in in line for interview. that said, contact them by phone as you'll receive their responses via mail. good luck.
useless representatives. . .
one idea. . .my hubby is a republican
he is asking me whether he should call McCain's campaing to ask them to expedite my case stressing the fact that 'he/my hubby is disappointed at the republicans and that such a help would change his mind for the upcoming elections.' ideas? would something like that work?
vorpal,
i called senator's office last week in baltimore and asked for their legal representative. i talked to her. she wrote down my info and said she would contact the USCIS on my behalf. two days later i received a letter from their office confirming my info and the reason i contacted them. two days later i received another letter from their office with a tiny paragraph "USCIS' response to my inquiry" saying i was in in line for interview. that said, contact them by phone as you'll receive their responses via mail. good luck.
useless representatives. . .
one idea. . .my hubby is a republican
he is asking me whether he should call McCain's campaing to ask them to expedite my case stressing the fact that 'he/my hubby is disappointed at the republicans and that such a help would change his mind for the upcoming elections.' ideas? would something like that work?
vlorak, it really can't hurt having your hubby call McCain's campaign office! The best possible outcome would be an expedited process, and the worst possible outcome would be absolutely nothing.
I contacted my Congressman, and POCTOB was 100% correct. I have to sign a release form and fax it to their office in order for them to look into my matters. I guess it's an equivalent to a power of attorney.
How's this for some dramatic irony...
Two days ago, I contacted my Congressman, Vito Fossella, about obtaining written statements from the FBI that my background checks have been cleared. Last night, after a less-than-fulfilling episode of "Lost", I was watching the local news, when a very interesting report came on. Two nights ago, Vito Fossella was arrested for DWI in Washington, D.C.
I immediately imagined a statement on USCIS.gov: "As a result of guilt by association, anyone who contacted Congressman Vito Fossella for help with immigration matters will be considered a person of poor moral character and will be scheduled for immediate deportation. Any naturalized citizen who has contacted Congressman Fossella in the past will be denaturalized effective immediately and scheduled for deportation".
Sorry guys, just felt the need for some dry Friday humor.
Two days ago, I contacted my Congressman, Vito Fossella, about obtaining written statements from the FBI that my background checks have been cleared. Last night, after a less-than-fulfilling episode of "Lost", I was watching the local news, when a very interesting report came on. Two nights ago, Vito Fossella was arrested for DWI in Washington, D.C.
I immediately imagined a statement on USCIS.gov: "As a result of guilt by association, anyone who contacted Congressman Vito Fossella for help with immigration matters will be considered a person of poor moral character and will be scheduled for immediate deportation. Any naturalized citizen who has contacted Congressman Fossella in the past will be denaturalized effective immediately and scheduled for deportation".
Sorry guys, just felt the need for some dry Friday humor.
You poor thing....Your N-400 application drew Vito Fosella to drinking.....and driving..... What a shame!!!!!
What a shame!!!!!How's this for some dramatic irony...
Two days ago, I contacted my Congressman, Vito Fossella, about obtaining written statements from the FBI that my background checks have been cleared. Last night, after a less-than-fulfilling episode of "Lost", I was watching the local news, when a very interesting report came on. Two nights ago, Vito Fossella was arrested for DWI in Washington, D.C.
I immediately imagined a statement on USCIS.gov: "As a result of guilt by association, anyone who contacted Congressman Vito Fossella for help with immigration matters will be considered a person of poor moral character and will be scheduled for immediate deportation. Any naturalized citizen who has contacted Congressman Fossella in the past will be denaturalized effective immediately and scheduled for deportation".
Sorry guys, just felt the need for some dry Friday humor.
I just called and the trick worked like a charm. However, the experience with the IO was something entirely new. The IO who answered the phone didn't seem like a very friendly person from the get go. I told her that I'm concerned that my application has been pending for more than 8 months and that I haven't heard anything from the USCIS since my FP notice. She put me on hold while she looked up my information and returned about a minute later. She said that my application was received in September 2007 and is still pending, and I have to give it some more time, since they are currently processing May 2007. I then told the IO that the previous processing update reported the processing time of June 30, 2007, then asked why the dates are retrogressing and if they will retrogress to April with this month's update. She said that she doesn't know anything about that and that she's just reading what's on the website. My last question was whether my background check was cleared (I already know it was, but I always ask anyway). Her response nearly caused me to fall over. "We cannot give out that information"!!!!!
In conclusion, this is the first time I've ever spoke to an IO who gave me the same amount of information I could have gotten from a CSR! Truthfully, as evidenced by the tone of her voice, I just think that she was a nasty b---h who got up on the wrong side of the bed.
You poor thing....Your N-400 application drew Vito Fosella to drinking.....and driving.....
Actually, I think it may have been a combined effort by all other NYC applicants from his district! Either that or the possibility of the USCIS threatening to denaturalize and deport him to Antarctica if he continues to help immigrants.
Seriously, though, he's actually a decent person who seems to genuinely stand behind his constituents. I've read several articles that discussed his support for bills and propositions that would benefit the common Brooklynites. I hope for his sake that this blows over. Everyone makes dumb moves sometimes.
That confirms that IOs can only tell you so much yet some are always willing to give out information like" wait another 60 days", or "you should receive something by mid May",. In reality they really don't know enough of how DOs work to make any accurate statements of when you'll receive an IL unless it tells them on their screen that one has already been sent.
Absolutely. This has been confirmed time and time again. I guess some IOs volunteer extraneous information based on their previous experiences, which would explain the "1-2 months to IL" statement.
Considering the fact that all NYC ILs usually arrive between the 17th and 25th days of any given month, I doubt that anything will be scheduled for another couple of weeks. I'll still call next week, just to stick to my ritual, but I have a feeling that the response won't be any different. Speaking of which, I wonder what the May 15th updates will show. I wonder if there will be another retrogression?