Timing my RFE response

A

austriacus

Registered Users (C)
Hi fellow AOS filers,

I'm trying to time my RFE response around my Aug. 9 - Aug. 29 vacation such that (1) it is likely that we get our interview letter before our vacation starts and (2) it is likely that the interview date is after we return.

The first criterion comes from the fact that nobody will check our mail for three weeks, therefore we'd rather not be surprised by an interview letter we received right after we left with an interview date shortly after we return. The second criterion of course comes from the desire to not have to go through the process of requesting an interview date change. Of course, if I had to pick, it would be more important that the interview date is after we return.

Based on our 5/16 receipt date, without RFE we should have probably expected the interview date to fall in the second half of August, just when we're out of the country!

I did some informal research on the time span between "case resumed" from an RFE and "interview letter received" and for the May filer thread this was anywhere from 15-25 days (admittedly not a statistical sample but a good start).

I figure about 7-10 days from mailing the RFE to when my case is resumed, therefore I expect an interview letter as soon as perhaps 22-35 days after mailing the response.

Here are a couple of options I've entertained:

(a) Send RFE response around July 9, expect interview letter perhaps around July 31 to August 13, so a good chance we'll still be here when it arrives, and the chance is small that the ID will be before August 29.

(b) Send RFE response just before we leave for vacation but early enough to track its arrival before our vacation, around August 3. Chances are the interview letter would not even arrive before we return, and if it did, the date shouldn't be close to after we return.

(c) To absolutely ensure no ID before August 29 ... have someone else drop the RFE off in the mail for us while we are gone in the second half of August. Very risky from a perspective of making sure we reply within 12 weeks.

Right now I favor option (a) or (b). Of course (a) is the safest in terms of ensuring a timely response to the RFE, but has a small chance that the interview could still be before Aug. 29. If it comes down to it, I'd even be ok with opening the mail Aug. 30 and finding an ID a couple days later. Maybe a date inbetween (a) and (b) would be good, when we might expect the letter to arrive during vacation but the ID should still be a couple weeks after we return?

Any thoughts or ideas? Thanks in advance!
 
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Thanks, Praetorian. Now that I think about it, too close before when we leave for vacation is also not good (let's say RFE response doesn't arrive in reasonable time, and I need to figure out what's going on)... Aug. 3 may be cutting it close. Perhaps 4th week of July is a good option; it would be quite nice to start vacation knowing "case is resumed" :) ...

Any issue with receiving the interview letter while our mail is on hold at the post office, in terms of it being more likely to be misplaced by the post office?
 
A cheap enough PO box for me is probably about as big as my apartment mail box. The whole point is to stop it from overflowing in a three week period... :p

Seriously though, wouldn't that require a change of my address with the USCIS, potentially confusing them? Or forwarding service w/ the post office, confusing the post office? For the past couple times I've tried this, holding the mail at the post office has actually worked pretty well for me, I don't believe anything was lost.

I guess I'm just paranoid because a check we've recently mailed never arrived at the receiving financial institution, and a book of checks I've ordered never arrived in my mail even though the bank said it shows in their records as having been mailed. I'm losing confidence in the postal service.

Thanks for your suggestion though!
 
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I'd rather have them at my door any day than these guys! :eek: :D

I've always wondered how well the "holding mail" process really works. Usually I'd go and pick it up after I return, and I'd get a bundle of mail semi-loosely held together by a rubber band, placed in a plastic tray bearing the words "PROPERTY OF THE US POSTAL SERVICE" and urging me in smaller print to place it in front of my mail box when I'm done with it (which I do, and I always wonder if it really sits there until the mail man can reclaim ownership of it). One time I got it in a sturdy little cardbord tray with US Postal Service written all around it. It made for a good fruit tray and storage bin ever since! ;)

Back in the days I had to drop a little card in the mail to hold my mail, most recently I've tried the online request which claims your mail hold request can be processed for next day. After trying it out, I was like ... naah, they are not really going to get this at my post office within a day. I'd be lucky if they get it before I return! So in addition I wrote my mail man a note about it and placed it in my mailbox ...:D
 
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Then do not tip in cash.

According to the Wikipedia entry: A non-monetary gift valued at $20 or less is appropriate. ;)
 
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