EAD Renewal
Here is our bitter/bad exp of EAD Renewal from local office(Hartford):
Our EAD Expiration date: 07/17/03
Our Attorney Applied our EAD Renewal's : 04/16/03
EAD Approved(Only for me ): 06/18/03
My EAD Interview Date: 06/24/03
Since I am on a travel Job and staying out of CT had to request Hartford INS to Schedule our interviews together as my wife never received any letter. After waiting N waiting
Had to fly to Hartford and on 07/13/03 went there early in the morning and stood in the line for token 1 Hr and had to wait again for 2 Hrs for the Interview.
Fortunately gone to a right window (Nice Officer). He looked into the System and told us that he could not locate/track my wife's EAD Application.
He said they never received her Application. Luckily my Attorney gave all the Documentation including the Cheques he wrote to INS for EAD fee.
He gave us all his bank statements. The officer already went to EAD Dept couple of times to find out our status. He told us that they(EAD folks) need original Cheques. God I then gave a call
to my attorney and since he knew all the officers out there spoke to them and finally they want us to fill a new application for my wife's EAD. I explained them that my wife would be losing
her job as her EAD is Expiring on 07/17/03 and on top of that we are carrying our medical insurance from her Employer. My wife's Employer already asking for the Evidence of Work permit Extension.
After Spending 1 Hr with us and going back N forth several times to EAD Dept, this nice Officer told us that I can Collect my EAD the Next day as it was already approved and for my wife they cannot promise specific day and they would approve her ASAP. Because her file has to go thru the background checks.
I again tried to Explain to this officer and he told me that its not good to push more than this and told me that he tried as much as he can. I asked him whether she can work and he didn't answer.
I told him about 90 days rule and he said that local offices work differently from regional offices (VSC, NSC etc..)..hartford is taking 3 to 4 months(most of the times they approve within 3 months)
and they wont honor the 90 day rule.
After a long day went to my attorney office and explained him. Since our Attorney is very known in Hartford INS for the magnitude of the cases he handle at Hartford, talked to the supervisor at INS office and also left voicemail to EAD supervisor/chief.
Next day morning went again and dropped my EAD interview letter and again we stood in line for token to find the status of my wife's Ideas they told us to find whether it cleared background checks)...
They called my name to pick up EAD and the lady(she was very Co-operative) who deals with that section told me that she received a call from my attorney and she apologized for all the mess. The good news was that she said that she would give her direct phone number(told that normally they wont do that) and asked my wife to let her employer know that she is in status and can work as this was a fault of INS..If your employer has any questions they can directly reach her and would explain the situation. Bottom line she said she is in status and can work.
She said its waste of time to stay or come again and it would take at least couple of weeks to clear the Background checks for my wife's EAD.. Previously they used to approve the EAD's without background checks and its mandatory now...Again we have to fly to Hartford to pick up my wife's EAD.. GOD THE WHOLE EXPERIENCE WAS SOOOOO PAINFUL AND EXPENSIVE ...
NO CHOICE ...even though its not our fault..
Regarding the 485 Hartford is taking 12 months for the interview. They are treating the Transferred cases as regular cases. If they receive a transferred case the it would go down with regular received cases at Hartford. No special handling for transferred cases...
FYI : HARTFORD INS SAYS THAT YOU CANNOT WORK WITHOUT EAD.ITS BETTER YOU APPLY YOUR EAD 4 MONTHS BEFORE.
EVEN MY ATTORNEY ADVISES AVOID WORKING ONCE YOUR EAD EXPIRES. AT LEAST TRY NOT TO WORK/STAY OUT OF STATUS MORE THAN 6 MONTHS.
ALSO MY ATTORNEY SAYS THAT HARTFORD WILL NOW HONOR THE 90 DAY RULE FOR EAD. AS THEY RECENTLY CONFIRMED IN THE RECENT AILA MEETING
THANKS TO MY ATTORNEY (www.lamboleylawfirm.com)
Here is our bitter/bad exp of EAD Renewal from local office(Hartford):
Our EAD Expiration date: 07/17/03
Our Attorney Applied our EAD Renewal's : 04/16/03
EAD Approved(Only for me ): 06/18/03
My EAD Interview Date: 06/24/03
Since I am on a travel Job and staying out of CT had to request Hartford INS to Schedule our interviews together as my wife never received any letter. After waiting N waiting
Had to fly to Hartford and on 07/13/03 went there early in the morning and stood in the line for token 1 Hr and had to wait again for 2 Hrs for the Interview.
Fortunately gone to a right window (Nice Officer). He looked into the System and told us that he could not locate/track my wife's EAD Application.
He said they never received her Application. Luckily my Attorney gave all the Documentation including the Cheques he wrote to INS for EAD fee.
He gave us all his bank statements. The officer already went to EAD Dept couple of times to find out our status. He told us that they(EAD folks) need original Cheques. God I then gave a call
to my attorney and since he knew all the officers out there spoke to them and finally they want us to fill a new application for my wife's EAD. I explained them that my wife would be losing
her job as her EAD is Expiring on 07/17/03 and on top of that we are carrying our medical insurance from her Employer. My wife's Employer already asking for the Evidence of Work permit Extension.
After Spending 1 Hr with us and going back N forth several times to EAD Dept, this nice Officer told us that I can Collect my EAD the Next day as it was already approved and for my wife they cannot promise specific day and they would approve her ASAP. Because her file has to go thru the background checks.
I again tried to Explain to this officer and he told me that its not good to push more than this and told me that he tried as much as he can. I asked him whether she can work and he didn't answer.
I told him about 90 days rule and he said that local offices work differently from regional offices (VSC, NSC etc..)..hartford is taking 3 to 4 months(most of the times they approve within 3 months)
and they wont honor the 90 day rule.
After a long day went to my attorney office and explained him. Since our Attorney is very known in Hartford INS for the magnitude of the cases he handle at Hartford, talked to the supervisor at INS office and also left voicemail to EAD supervisor/chief.
Next day morning went again and dropped my EAD interview letter and again we stood in line for token to find the status of my wife's Ideas they told us to find whether it cleared background checks)...
They called my name to pick up EAD and the lady(she was very Co-operative) who deals with that section told me that she received a call from my attorney and she apologized for all the mess. The good news was that she said that she would give her direct phone number(told that normally they wont do that) and asked my wife to let her employer know that she is in status and can work as this was a fault of INS..If your employer has any questions they can directly reach her and would explain the situation. Bottom line she said she is in status and can work.
She said its waste of time to stay or come again and it would take at least couple of weeks to clear the Background checks for my wife's EAD.. Previously they used to approve the EAD's without background checks and its mandatory now...Again we have to fly to Hartford to pick up my wife's EAD.. GOD THE WHOLE EXPERIENCE WAS SOOOOO PAINFUL AND EXPENSIVE ...
NO CHOICE ...even though its not our fault..
Regarding the 485 Hartford is taking 12 months for the interview. They are treating the Transferred cases as regular cases. If they receive a transferred case the it would go down with regular received cases at Hartford. No special handling for transferred cases...
FYI : HARTFORD INS SAYS THAT YOU CANNOT WORK WITHOUT EAD.ITS BETTER YOU APPLY YOUR EAD 4 MONTHS BEFORE.
EVEN MY ATTORNEY ADVISES AVOID WORKING ONCE YOUR EAD EXPIRES. AT LEAST TRY NOT TO WORK/STAY OUT OF STATUS MORE THAN 6 MONTHS.
ALSO MY ATTORNEY SAYS THAT HARTFORD WILL NOW HONOR THE 90 DAY RULE FOR EAD. AS THEY RECENTLY CONFIRMED IN THE RECENT AILA MEETING
THANKS TO MY ATTORNEY (www.lamboleylawfirm.com)