ciba,
As promised, here is the message.
Once you receive your FP notice and you submit them to FBI thru your local INS office, FBI verifies them and sends them over to INS within 2-4 days at the most. You call up FBI and they tell you that your FPs have been sent to INS. Call up INS and they ask you for your A# or Last name and they tell you that they have your Finger Prints in their system. Now you just wait hoping that you\'ll receive your approval soon since INS has your finger prints in their system.
Now here is the tricky part.
INS maintains two different computer systems, letz call them computer #1 and #2. INS stores your 485 information in system #1. Now when FBI verifies your finger prints and sends them to INS they go into system #2. Yes, thats right, not into system #1. INS can retrieve the information about your 485 given your last name or WAC#. But to retrive the information about your finger prints from system #2 INS needs your A# (Not, WAC#) or your last name.
So when you call up INS to check the status of your Finger Prints if INS asks you for A# it means your FPs are still in system #2. Here are the general responses from IIOs when you ask for your FP status "Can I have your A#?" or "Let me look into the other system".
After a while your finger prints somehow magically move into system #1. Dont\' ask me how. But when this happens your case will be ready to be adjurned. Meaning, your case will be ready to be assigned to an IIO. Usually, it may take anywhere from 2 weeks to 3 months (But, no guarantee). Of course, there are always exceptions.
Now, if your FPs are moved into system #1 and you call up for the FP status the response from IIOs changes to "we have just received your FPs on so and so date" although they had you FPs for quite some time or "we have received your FPs and your case is ready to be adjurned" without looking into the other system (system #2) then you can be sure that your FPs are moved into system #1 and you can expect your approval soon.
Remember, the key is that the IIO shouldn\'t ask for your A# or shouldn\'t say "lemme look into the other system". If he/she says that then you will have to wait for FPs to move into system #1.
In my case, I waited for 3 months before my FPs moved into system #1. Until this time every time I called up I had to provide my A#. Three weeks ago (01/10/2001) when I called IIO said "We received your FPs yesterday" although INS had received them from FBI on 10/21/2000.
I got my 485 approval within 2 weeks of my FPs moving from system #2 to system #1 where my 485 application is.
Now, i have to warn you, In case you call up INS and give your WAC# for 485 status verification first and then ask for FP status they may not ask you for your A# always, but, instead they can pull up your A# based your WAC# or Last Name. So, please don\'t think that if the IIO didn\'t ask for your A#, your FPs are in system #1.
So if you want to eliminate this chance to some extent ask them first for your FP status.
After all this, I have to add a disclaimer.
Please don\'t hold me responsible if your experience is different as this is all speculation based on my own and others experiences posted on this board. For all you know, this process might be entirely different in INS.
Trying to unveil the mysteries of INS...
-Ravi2000.
As promised, here is the message.
Once you receive your FP notice and you submit them to FBI thru your local INS office, FBI verifies them and sends them over to INS within 2-4 days at the most. You call up FBI and they tell you that your FPs have been sent to INS. Call up INS and they ask you for your A# or Last name and they tell you that they have your Finger Prints in their system. Now you just wait hoping that you\'ll receive your approval soon since INS has your finger prints in their system.
Now here is the tricky part.
INS maintains two different computer systems, letz call them computer #1 and #2. INS stores your 485 information in system #1. Now when FBI verifies your finger prints and sends them to INS they go into system #2. Yes, thats right, not into system #1. INS can retrieve the information about your 485 given your last name or WAC#. But to retrive the information about your finger prints from system #2 INS needs your A# (Not, WAC#) or your last name.
So when you call up INS to check the status of your Finger Prints if INS asks you for A# it means your FPs are still in system #2. Here are the general responses from IIOs when you ask for your FP status "Can I have your A#?" or "Let me look into the other system".
After a while your finger prints somehow magically move into system #1. Dont\' ask me how. But when this happens your case will be ready to be adjurned. Meaning, your case will be ready to be assigned to an IIO. Usually, it may take anywhere from 2 weeks to 3 months (But, no guarantee). Of course, there are always exceptions.
Now, if your FPs are moved into system #1 and you call up for the FP status the response from IIOs changes to "we have just received your FPs on so and so date" although they had you FPs for quite some time or "we have received your FPs and your case is ready to be adjurned" without looking into the other system (system #2) then you can be sure that your FPs are moved into system #1 and you can expect your approval soon.
Remember, the key is that the IIO shouldn\'t ask for your A# or shouldn\'t say "lemme look into the other system". If he/she says that then you will have to wait for FPs to move into system #1.
In my case, I waited for 3 months before my FPs moved into system #1. Until this time every time I called up I had to provide my A#. Three weeks ago (01/10/2001) when I called IIO said "We received your FPs yesterday" although INS had received them from FBI on 10/21/2000.
I got my 485 approval within 2 weeks of my FPs moving from system #2 to system #1 where my 485 application is.
Now, i have to warn you, In case you call up INS and give your WAC# for 485 status verification first and then ask for FP status they may not ask you for your A# always, but, instead they can pull up your A# based your WAC# or Last Name. So, please don\'t think that if the IIO didn\'t ask for your A#, your FPs are in system #1.
So if you want to eliminate this chance to some extent ask them first for your FP status.
After all this, I have to add a disclaimer.
Please don\'t hold me responsible if your experience is different as this is all speculation based on my own and others experiences posted on this board. For all you know, this process might be entirely different in INS.
Trying to unveil the mysteries of INS...
-Ravi2000.