Name Check for the J1 Waiver in Vermont?

user1972

Registered Users (C)
Hello there. I posted a topic about my J1 waiver taking too long after it was approved by both the State and the DOS in DC.
It is now hanging in the Vermont Office for the past 4 and half months after DOS approved it.
They did not answer my calls or my lawyer. We got them to answer one of the Senators. They told me that it is PENDING NAME CHECK.
I am currently on an O1 visa and my name check was done 2 years ago when I got my O1 and at that time it took 3 months all together, with fingerprints.
This time they did not ask for fingerprints and it is taking so long!!
Have you heard on name checks for J1 waivers? everyone thinks it is strange?
Any idea on how to get an official answer from Vermont INS. How long do I have to wait?
 
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Are you from one of the countries that where included in the infamous idiotic 'special registration' fiasco ?
 
user1972, beleive it or not, my I-612 was approved by DOS in three weeks and forwarded to USCIS vermont service center and it's been there since November 10th with absolutely no response except when the local senator's office enquired. They gave us the same answer, "pending security clearance". I was wondering if you have had any luck since your last post
 
ageneidy, what state are you in?

When did the Senetor's office called? If they a while ago and ask them to call again and tell them it is almost 5 months. They should know that security clearance should not take that long. They might have to call higher up to get moving on this.
 
The response I get from the senator's office is that; they regularly check with the USCIS, something like every two to three weeks and they get the answer it's still pending the clearance of the security check!! The feeling I get is that the Senator's office is not willing to be more involved than this.
 
This is not good.

Who is calling the Senator's office, you or your sponsor?

Your sponsor need to call and put some pressure on the Senator?

What state are you in?
 
Unfortunately I have been contacting both the Senator's and the congressman's offices (SC) through my lawyer and just last week through my employer who was told this is about as much as they could do. I do have another question though: does anybody know if it's possible to contact the FBI's national name check program regarding this issue or this is only available for green card applicants? thanks
 
no luck still

I still am having same bad luck and now it has been 5 and half month (4 days more than you ageneidy!)
The things you are saying seem to be EXACTLY similar to mine.
My employer is a big institution in Texas and they ABSOLUTELY need me. They tried One senator and One congressman. They put pressure, they sent 4 letters, they called!!!
Senator and Congressman are NOT doing more than calling the Vermont every 2-3 weeks and they are being told ITs name security check and NOTHING after that!!!!
THIS IS THE MOST FRUSTRATING EXPERIENCE I am even thinking of giving up on it and leaving completely!!!
 
My I-612 is finally approved by the VSC today. It took exactly six months and ten days. I was informed by the senator's office that the "security clearance" was over two days ago and this evening they posted the approval on their online case status website. I hope nobody would face such a terrible situation in the future. But in case it happens again, this thread should help let everybody know that security or name check exists at the level of CIS and it could take that long (six months) to be over and really all you could do is to stick to your Senator's or Congressman's office and wait, although nobody could expedite the name check. It just had to take its course.
 
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Congratulations...

When did the Senator's first contacted VSC? I don't know the process of name check but how did VSC explained to the Senator's office that why it is taking so long. This is very long time for name check :confused:

My employer is about to call his Senator. If Senator cannot do anything, then why bother?

Thanks,
 
Thanks a lot.
m_img said:
When did the Senator's first contacted VSC? don't know the process of name check but how did VSC explained to the Senator's office that why it is taking so long. This is very long time for name check
When we hit the 30th day after the I-612 receipt at the VSC, the lawyer gave the senator's office a hint and at 40 days they started submitting enquiries to know what's going on. The response was "security check" or "name check" and we have to wait for the clearance before we process the I-612. No more details were given other than "this is a routine step but sometimes it can be delayed depending on the individual case". Nobody could give us a real explanation what this security check was and why was it taking so long!. Of course you don't expect a lot of explanation when this vague term is mentioned. And from what happened with me and the dicussion with user1972 who had similar problem, the senator's and congressman's office sort of back off once they hear the term security check. They clearly indicated they won't try to get any more information, they will only keep following the case with VSC every 2-3 weeks. This is exactly what user1972 had gotten from his senator's office caseworker too.

m_img said:
My employer is about to call his Senator. If Senator cannot do anything, then why bother?

Thanks,
The reason you would want the Senator or Congressman's office involved is that it's not always a security check that's delaying your case, from my lawyer's experience they can help in most other issues but not much when the delay is labelled security check. They kept in touch with VSC for the past five months and informed us that the security is finally over the day it was finished. Then they said they will push the VSC to move faster with the adjudication process given the six months delay. And I must say they succeeded, the I-612 approval was posted to days later. Now being involved from the begining it's easy to ask the senator's office to help expedite the processing of my I-129 application at Texas service center which was on hold pending the approval of I-612 in Vermont.
 
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Thanks,

Then, should I wait for 30 days before asking Senator?

Re: I-129, I guess, with premium processing, you don't need Sanator's escalation or is there something there as well that could hold the process.
 
m_img said:
Then, should I wait for 30 days before asking Senator?
Yes I think that's correct. The average time most people I know had for the processing of I-612 was less than four weeks and generally lawyers expect most cases be done by a month. What the USCIS says is that the normal processing time is 30-90 and their website said you should contact them when your DOS approval was received at the USCIS for more than sixty days. So out of all this my lawyer and I thought there is a problem when we passed the thirty days with no repsonse. So I suggest you or your lawyer should start talking to the representatives' office(s) about it. They will tell you a typical answer which is we will give them a little more time and then submit a "congressional enquiry" or something like that, so give them two weeks or ten days and call us back if you did not hear from them. So by 40-45 days you should have something submitted.
m_img said:
Re: I-129, I guess, with premium processing, you don't need Sanator's escalation or is there something there as well that could hold the process.
You are right but I have just had the worst six months in my entire life and I don't want to take any chances, if the senator's office could help even remotely, then I'd better have them involved.
Where are you right now with your I-612 and with which service center?
 
1-612 Hardship Waiver Case Misplaced

am on a J1 in my 7th year [expires june 30th 2006] and had applied for Political asylum as well as Hardship [persecution] waiver in JUNE 2005.
MY political asylum [I 589] was rejected after my interview in NEWARK ASYLUM office in July 2005 last year.
My Hardship waiver I612 application has been with the VERMONT SERVICE CTR since then . When I checked on the egov.immigration.gov website for my case status last month, it said thay my case has been transferred to the NEWARK ASYLUM OFFICE in october 2005 and that i would be so informed.
Neither USCIS at Vermont or Newark has any idea why my case was transferred and if Newark even has my case.

My questions and plea for help are for the following:
1. Why did nobody inform me or my lawyer about transfer of my case 6 months ago? I have had no change of address.
2. WHy was my 1612 for hardship waiver transferred to any asylum office when its not an asylum case anymore? Does Newark Asylum office have any jurisdiction over 1612 WAIVER CASES?
3. How and who do I contact in the Asylum office in NEWARK for the status of my case? My lawyer says, he contacted them and they have asked for a written submission to locate the case.
Please HELP!!
 
help me understand... is J1 waiver name check for the waiver process or when you apply for change of status to H1....

when couple apply - is the name check happening for both couple (where one J1 and other J2)/

what are the usual time for name checks...and why do some unfortunate applicants wait for so long for their name to be cleared.

Is this delay something that can be avoided somehow?
 
and what are the predictors of being stuck in the name check process...as not all applicant from the same country are cleared in the same timeframe...
 
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