Important - Ead Process Change - Biometrics Required!
Just as I anticipated - the District CIS office was unable to help. When my wife tried to go there to see an information officer after an appointment - they would not let her in and said the e-mail letter from the employer is not strong enogh AND 90 days have not passed (it has to be on the official org. letterhead and threaten to terminate job - only then they will consider issuing an intermin EAD on an emergency basis).
Even if they see you after 90 days - BECAUSE VSC HAD ALREADY APPROVED YOUR CASE - there is nothing they can do for you.
Strangely enough the following day I got through to the immigration information officer in VSC and (for the first time since a dozen calls).
What I learned is that the past-30 days process is called non-delivery referral. What the process does for you is simply notifies VSC that the card was not received. If there was no card returned (and as I later found out it was never even created or mailed out) - this process will not help you.
I was brainstorming and told her - is it because I didn't submit fingerprints for my EAD card and (!!!) behold - she tells me YES - SCHEDULE ANOTHER APPOINTMENT with the District office for fingerprinting - because there was no fingerprinting done (non-Efiled I-765) and ACCORDING TO THE NEW PROCESS - EVEN IF APPROVED THEY DON'T MAIL THE EAD WITHOUT BIOMETRICS DONE FIRST.
Of course - I knew there is no need to make an infopass appointment to the district office for this - BECAUSE DISTRICT OFFICE DOESN'T SCHEDULE BIOMETRIC APPOINTMENTS - IT IS APPLICATION SUPPORT CENTERS THAT DO BIOMETRICS AND THE ONLY WAY TO SCHEDULE IT IS VIA Customer Service TELEPHONE.
Anyway - I called the 800 number and scheduled a biometric appointment for November 26 in the morning. I gave them my EAC receipt number and mentioned Code 2 (this is important) if you are in the same situation and are trying to make a biometric appointment for your EAD (I-765) without the actual scheduling letter in your hands.
I have to give them credit - after I scheduled my appointment she asked me - are there any other petitions/applications pending requiring biometrics for me, because they can also be processed there at the same time. Finally they are using common sense, while in the past - you had to get two separate appointments, say one for I-485 and another for I-765). I live down the street from the ASC, but imagine for people from out-of-state - they sometimes have to travel overnight... For them doing ALL their biiometrics at once makes more sense.
My conclusion is - if what the information officer said is true - I strongly recommend that people E-FILE their I-765, so they make the biometric appointment right away, without which - the EAD card process will not complete (even if the application itself is approved).
Not even your Congressman will help you, friends. As usual they changed their process, without notifying anybody in the local office or on the internet that it is now a requirement for EAD applicants to pass Biometric process...
I will keep you posted about how it all goes.