How to check status on I-485 application?

M

moi

New Member
My company filed for my GC in Nov 2003 (concurrent filing for I-140 & I-485 under EB2 category). My I-140 was approved in early 2005. I was fingerprinted in Dec 2004. When I check the status of my I-485 online, the last update was in Feb 2005 saying they received my application in Nov 2003. How do I find more information? My company lawyer says nothing can be done - is that correct? Please advise.
 
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If the company filed for GC in November 2005, how can the last status update be from February 2005? Do you mean that it was filed November 2004? Anyhow, finding out more details about your case through the USCIS is very difficult, virtually impossible. You can always call, but likely they will just repeat what the last status update says. I received help from my US Senators' offices, and they can definitely find out more details about your case status through calling the USCIS - I understand that there is a Congressional office at the USCIS that they call to get inside information on cases. However, the likelihood of US Senators actually calling the USCIS on your behalf is very small, so I consider myself very lucky in that they assisted me Other people may have other ideas, but these are my experiences.
 
Calling Senator's office for help

bjorn,

First of all, Congratulations on your I-485 approval!

I have been waiting for I-485 approval since August, 2005. Since I have got only one LUD saying that my application was received, I am a little anxious to know when I would have my case approved. I know it's been only five months, but I feel like five years had already passed!

I am wondering when you called the Senator's office for help: Was it after one year or two years after you filed your 485?

Thank you so much for your staying in this forum giving all of us your valuable advice!


Details:
EB2-NIW/NSC
I-140: AD 07/01/05
I-485: ND 08/08/05
Fingerprinting: No notice yet
 
Plastic Green Card received. Sweet deal!!!

Freemann

I e-mailed the US Senators' offices a couple of weeks after filing the I-485. Found the e-mail addresses on the US Congress website. Again, I was lucky to get help. Lots of peopl don't receive any help.
 
sorry about the typo

Bjorn- sorry meant to write Nov 2003 as the application date, not Nov 2005. Would you be able to let me know the website for sending emails to local congressmen? Is this something I can request my lawyers to do? thanks for the help.
 
moi

Just go to Google and type in "Sanator [name of senator] website." That brings up the official senator website that has the online contact forms and e-mails.
 
?Email Content?

bjorn said:
Plastic Green Card received. Sweet deal!!!

Freemann

I e-mailed the US Senators' offices a couple of weeks after filing the I-485. Found the e-mail addresses on the US Congress website. Again, I was lucky to get help. Lots of peopl don't receive any help.
Click to expand...


Congratulations bjorn with the happy end of your green card jorney!

Could you please share with us what you exactly asked the senator in your email?

I am from non-retrogressed country and really want to be cleared before it'll be retrogressed as it is predicted in the FY 2006.
 
I introduced myself: my name, what I do for a living, my family, where I live, how long I have been living in the US. In short, I tried to make a personal connection and that I am a real human being in need of th Senator's help. Then I outlined my great frustration with the current immigration system and the problem of retrogression and how it affects lots of people, including me if retrogression hit my category prior to my approval. Then I simply asked for help and if the the US Senator's office could assist me in any way. I have no sample letter, but I just tried to personalize the letter and show my frustration with being an aspiring immigrant, and finally plea for action I would hope they can take on my behalf such as check with the USCIS on my behalf as they can get much more information than I ever could.
 
bjorn said:
I introduced myself: my name, what I do for a living, my family, where I live, how long I have been living in the US. In short, I tried to make a personal connection and that I am a real human being in need of th Senator's help. Then I outlined my great frustration with the current immigration system and the problem of retrogression and how it affects lots of people, including me if retrogression hit my category prior to my approval. Then I simply asked for help and if the the US Senator's office could assist me in any way. I have no sample letter, but I just tried to personalize the letter and show my frustration with being an aspiring immigrant, and finally plea for action I would hope they can take on my behalf such as check with the USCIS on my behalf as they can get much more information than I ever could.
Click to expand...

Thank you bjorn.

But what do you think the senator's office exactly did for your case?
Did they just call USCIS and ask for the status and your case was pulled up from the pile? Or they asked to expedite your case?
My I-140 was approved in 3 weeks, I-485 has been pending just for two months and yours(per your message) - for two weeks at the time you emailed to the senator.
I'm just trying to figure out what to ask for. Just ask to provide me any help?
They may say it is normal.
Maybe just the fact that somebody from the senator office calls USCIS will speed up my case?
Actually, my friend's relative is the state senator. Will it work if state senator calls on my behalf or it should be a US senator?

Thanks again bjorn for sharing valuable information.
 
I know for a fact that they accomplished this that I would not be able to do by just calling the USCIS myself. 1) They gave me a 2 week heads up on my wife's RFE, so by the time we actually received the RFE we had already taken care of it, so the very same day we received the RFE we responded with the documents to the USCIS. 2) They were able to provide me with a very specific timeline when both my and my wife's case would be processed. We were assured that our cases would be approved before the new year, which turned out to be correct. 3) They were able to tell me at any point exactly where within the USCIS my case was in terms of the clerical office, an adjudications officer, a supervisor, or simply just on hold. 4) They gave me heads up around what date the case would be transferred from one office to the next such as from clerical office to adjudications officer. 5) Once I got approved, they were able to tell me that the very same adjudications officer was literally in the process of approving my wife's (she was approved the very next day). I have no evidence if any of these frequent phone calls from the Senator's offices actually led to an expedited processing of my case, but it certainly did not hurt.

Speaking of expediting following phone calls, by the way, when I applied for my H-1B in 2002, one of the very same US Senators called the USCIS and actually requested that the USCIS to expedite my case. As it turned out, what would have taken about 3 months for my approval based on the estimated timeline and other people's experiences filing the same date, it turned out that the H-1B approval was approved only a couple of days following that phone call from the Senator's office. So, these Senators have lots of influence and insight of what's going on within the USCIS. In short, the USCIS wants to show their best side when US Senators get involved, just the very same way that we as employees show our best side when our supervisors and employers observe us work. Just human nature in guess.
 
Retrogressed rule

I forgot to mention that I am from India. Since that is one of the countries that falls under the new rule, am I eligible to write to a senator for help? My I-485 date is Nov 2003, fingerprinted on Dec 2004, online status last updated in Feb 2005 shows they received my application in Nov 2003 (no menion about my fingerprints). My status on my husband's I-485 application (being done through mine) on the same day (Feb 2005) shows that they received the fingerprints.

Thanks a lot.
 
moi

I have no idea about the new rule you mention. However, regardless of new rules, you always have the legal right to contact a senator. If they decide to help you or not is an entirely different story. Contact them, what do you have to lose?
 
Please help!

Since I am reading happy-ended storys about your I-485 I think maybe you have some idea for me what to do!
I applied in January, 2004 through my citizen husband and attended on the marriage interview in July, but they couldn't find our file...
No 7 months left already again and nothing happened. Tryed to send them letter, the response is just a formal; sample: your case is still pending,....
PLEASE HELP! :(
 
pillango

I really don't know. It could be that your name is stuck ni FBI name check. That slows evrything down a lot and until your name is cleared you will not get approved. TStuck in FBI name check is not an uncommon thing - check the "stuck in name check" thread on this forum.
 
I don't think so my name is at FBI check, since they have called me for the interview once, just my file wasn't there!
 
Help

bjorn said:
I introduced myself: my name, what I do for a living, my family, where I live, how long I have been living in the US. In short, I tried to make a personal connection and that I am a real human being in need of th Senator's help. Then I outlined my great frustration with the current immigration system and the problem of retrogression and how it affects lots of people, including me if retrogression hit my category prior to my approval. Then I simply asked for help and if the the US Senator's office could assist me in any way. I have no sample letter, but I just tried to personalize the letter and show my frustration with being an aspiring immigrant, and finally plea for action I would hope they can take on my behalf such as check with the USCIS on my behalf as they can get much more information than I ever could.
Click to expand...

bjorn,

Would you be willing to kindly review a letter that i wrote to US senator? I'd really value your opinion. If so, please send me an email to dvshin@yhoo.com and I will reply with a letter.

Thanks!
dvshin
 
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