Fellowship NIW got RFE - appreciate your thoughts (especially hadron, posmd and vidyaram).
I completed my 5 yr NIW service last year in 9/08 and filed an I-140 in 6/08 with 3 months of NIW service left. This NIW / I-140 got approved this month.
I had a previous I-140 based on Labor Certification with a PD of 8/04 and I filed a I-485 which is currently pending. I am in my 1st yr of fellowship on an EAD.
The state dept of health had previously sent a letter to USCIS confirming completion of NIW service in 9/08. However, the RFE (surprisingly on my pending I-485 and not NIW I-140) is again requesting evidence of completion of the service. I have all documentation that the RFE is requesting and feel confident that it will be acceptable to USCIS.
What surprised me was that the RFE was on my pending I-1485 which was filed on the basis of an I-140 thru Labor Certification rather than NIW. However, the RFE is suggesting that the basis of my I-1485 is the NIW I-140 which was filed much later and has a later PD of 8/08 (as opposed to 8/04 for my initial I-140 / LC).
The employer for both my LC I-140 and NIW I-140 is the same and I filed NIW only as a back up in case any questions relating to portability arise during my 3 yr fellowship. The hope was that I can recover the earlier PD of my 1st I-140 and re-file I-1485 based on the NIW I-140.
My former employer is still supportive of my application and I am presently moonlighting on weekends with this employer during fellowship.
What is the best way to confirm to USCIS that my PD for the pending I-485 be that assigned to the I-140 with the earlier PD and not the NIW I-140?
I was simply planning on requesting USCIS in my RFE response that they consider adjudicating my I-485 by the earlier PD using the I-140 with which it was filed rather than NIW I-140. I was planning on including copies of my LC and the 1st I-140 along with the other documentation of completion of NIW service that was requested in the RFE.
Being EB2 India the 4 yr difference in the PDs of I-140 (LC) vs I-140 (NIW) is significant. In addition, if the USCIS opts to process my I-485 as one based on NIW, I would have to incurr extra expenses to redo my medical examination and finger printing. These are traditionally done when NIW 5 yr service is completed for an NIW based I-485. However, I had already done them in the past which makes me believe that USCIS was initially aware the my I-485 was based on LC / I-140. I do not know why they now are issuing a RFE on my I-485 suggesting (at least to my understanding) that it is based on NIW.
I can't help feel that I have shot myself in the leg. Not sure I did the right thing by filing for NIW while I had a pending I-485.
Do you folks think this is something better handled by a lawyer? A few firms I have contacted are asking for $1000 retainer and $200/hr lawyer fee. Does this sound like reasonable fees?
If any one had similar experiences please share it with me.
Thanks in advance guys. Sorry for the long post.
Rog