URGENT Help : Received $1000 check from USCIS

O

overWait

Registered Users (C)
hello everyone,
I am not sure if I am in deep trouble.
My GC was approved towards the end on May 18 and I switched the job August 22. after just a little more than 3 months of getting my GC. My PD is April 2005 and we filed for my wife’s GC in first week of Feb 2005.I am hoping wife's GC is still going on but now I am fearing that this may not be true.

Last Friday I received $1000 check from United States Treasury. That check has my wife’s LIN No. and I-485A written on it. It seems this check was send to my ex-employer and they slept over it for about a month and then forwarded it to me. I did NOT pay any money for my or my wife's green card. My ex-employer paid everything. I am not even sure what is the fees to file I-485.

USCIS website still says that "we received you application from permanent residence on so and so date. It is taking between ‘X’ number of days to process such cases…..".

I tried calling up USCIS and spoke with customer service rep. in the evening and all she said was that she does not have any information and that I should have received a letter with it that will explain it. Then she transferred me to the officer who also repeated the same words. It just seemed to me that she did not even open my wife’s case and was trying to get me off the phone.

My employer send me the check without any letter with it. Also the main contact person, who is enjoying very high designation, with my ex-employer is out of office and will return on Friday. I spoke with his secretary who is saying that as per her knowledge they did not receive any letter. To make the matter worse she also said that the paralegal and other legal department persons who worked on my case were laid off August month-end and entire legal department is shifted to India. I am not able to get in touch with anyone.


Gurus, please let me know if any of you can figure out anything from this. What are the possibilities and what are my options? Is $1000 I-485 filing fees?

It would be a great help and highly appreciated.
 
I-485 appliation fee is not 1000 dollars

don't know why you get a refund. There must be some reason behind it and it certainly doesn't look at something bad. maybe a mixup or something. why worry? it is a check not a bill.
 
I am thinking it is a personal check that is returned for your record once encashed. I know some banks do that although several banks post copies online. You can always call the bank and see if the check was cashed?
 
Finally found someone who left early

Hi there,

Did you consult an attorney before leaving your sponsor employer ?
I have plans to leave my employer as soon as I get my I-485 approved, but then I always hear rumours that it is advisable wait at least 180 days...

overWait said:
hello everyone,
I am not sure if I am in deep trouble.
My GC was approved towards the end on May 18 and I switched the job August 22. after just a little more than 3 months of getting my GC. My PD is April 2005 and we filed for my wife’s GC in first week of Feb 2005.I am hoping wife's GC is still going on but now I am fearing that this may not be true.

Last Friday I received $1000 check from United States Treasury. That check has my wife’s LIN No. and I-485A written on it. It seems this check was send to my ex-employer and they slept over it for about a month and then forwarded it to me. I did NOT pay any money for my or my wife's green card. My ex-employer paid everything. I am not even sure what is the fees to file I-485.

USCIS website still says that "we received you application from permanent residence on so and so date. It is taking between ‘X’ number of days to process such cases…..".

I tried calling up USCIS and spoke with customer service rep. in the evening and all she said was that she does not have any information and that I should have received a letter with it that will explain it. Then she transferred me to the officer who also repeated the same words. It just seemed to me that she did not even open my wife’s case and was trying to get me off the phone.

My employer send me the check without any letter with it. Also the main contact person, who is enjoying very high designation, with my ex-employer is out of office and will return on Friday. I spoke with his secretary who is saying that as per her knowledge they did not receive any letter. To make the matter worse she also said that the paralegal and other legal department persons who worked on my case were laid off August month-end and entire legal department is shifted to India. I am not able to get in touch with anyone.


Gurus, please let me know if any of you can figure out anything from this. What are the possibilities and what are my options? Is $1000 I-485 filing fees?

It would be a great help and highly appreciated.
Click to expand...
 
Since the I-485 LIN# is also written on the back of the check, it means that the application was accepted and the check has been cashed. The check was probably returned by the bank for your records and not by USCIS.
 
Mess Up

The only thing that occurs to me ... may be like this.

Ur attorney might have filed for both 485 and I-485 Supplement A.
The fees for 485 is 315 and fees for I-485 Supplement A is $1000.

The USCIS might have noticed that I-485 Supplement A is not required for Ur case and might have returned U the fees associated with it..


I think U do not have any thing to worry about.


Good luck and enjoy Ur GC. :)
 
Billtoo said:
The only thing that occurs to me ... may be like this. Ur attorney might have filed for both 485 and I-485 Supplement A. The fees for 485 is 315 and fees for I-485 Supplement A is $1000.
Click to expand...

Sounds like this to me, too. You only file an I-485A if you are claiming 245i relief and the $1000 is the penalty fee - but you are not eligible for 245i.
 
I guess Billtoo & TheRealCanadian, you are correct.

hello everyone,
Thanks a lot for your replies and advice.

Billtoo & TheRealCanadian
-------------------------
I guess you are right (and I am having my fingure crossed). Here is what happened. When my lawyer filed my wife's I-485 for the first time that was the period USCIS started playing with the Priority Dates. My priority date wasn't current then so USCIS did not accept my wife's I-485. My lawyer re-filed it (thats what she told me long time ago. Now she is laid off so I can't get in touch with her though I feel sorry for her). So I guess she did I-485A under section 245(i) and thats where $1000 check comes into picture. I am not sure though. Friday my ex-employer's legal dept head would be returning from overseas and I will get the clear picture then.

I am hoping the officer decided that this wasn't necessary and so returned back $1000 fee. I am assuming that officer is now working on my wife's case and we should hear something coming october.

Once again, Billtoo & TheRealCanadian, thanks a lot both of you. Your interpretation looks very close.

wildthing
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"why worry? it is a check not a bill." well buddy I don't know how to put it but sometimes you can workout with the bills but the checks can also be very scary....anyways thanks for your consoling/reassuring words.

lk1508, edealfan & pearl11142002
--------------------------------
The LIN and I-485 are typed on the front of the check (not at the back) and it has no such indication that it was encashed. Also it is addressed to my wife so no one else can encash it. Thanks for taking out time and replying.

marlon2006
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Well to answer your question, NO I did not take any advise of any sort from any lawyer. I had already made up my mind assuming that when you can switch the job 180 days after filing your I-485 then I assumed you carry negligable risk once you have your GC in your hand. I know many people who switched their jobs after 180 days of filing I-485 and I was already 3 months with my GC in my hand.

I would advice you to do your own analysis and consider your own scenarios before deciding anything.

Again thanks everyone for taking out the time and providing your valuable advice.
 
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