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- Does calling the USCIS for case updates
regularly help to speed up processing time
for one's adjustment of status?
Somebody recommended that.
No, it does not.
Actually, it's best if you'll
just check the status online.
You can go to the US website, USCIS website,
enter in your USCIS case number and you can obtain
the case status right online.
Just calling in to the USCIS is probably just gonna
make you lose your mind and get more frustrated.
'Cause a lot of times if you call
you'll experience long hold times.
And then when you do actually reach someone,
the front line or tier one customer service reps
that they have at the USCIS, they can merely
read from scripts and they cannot give legal advice.
And they're not even gonna be able to tell you
your status other than what you can find online.
And in most cases you're not gonna get a hold of
the actual processing center that's processing your case.
The only way to do that is probably schedule
an info pass meeting with your local office.
But even then, we've heard from some
of our customers that have done this,
said that they were just told to wait
for the processing time.
And just to set your expectation
and everyone else that's out there,
if anybody tells you that they can make the government
move faster, they're flat out lying to you.
I don't care if they're an attorney, or a document
preparation company, you just can't do it.
They're working on their own timeline,
as Ben mentioned before.
And it is just painfully frustrating
that they move on their timeline, not yours.
But usually you're given timelines
and deadlines that you must meet and whatever you do,
do not miss an interview for an adjustment of status,
'cause it's canceled, you've lost your money,
your fees, you start over from scratch.
But to answer your question, no,
it doesn't help to call the USCIS.
It's highly recommended that you
just check the status online.
Now, having said that, for a full disclaimer
and to cover ourselves here,
if you don't hear something, if something hasn't changed
online with your case in a while
then, yes, absolutely call the USCIS,
schedule an info pass meeting.
Do not sit here and wait six, eight, 10 months,
'cause then you may find that they issued an RFE letter.
You didn't receive it, you didn't respond.
Your case was closed, you didn't even know about it.
Okay, but if you're just checking every week,
I believe you said, every, or on a regular basis,
do that online.
But after three, four months go by
and you haven't received your combo card yet,
or you, some people have called us and said,
we didn't receive our receipt notice
within two to four weeks, okay.
That's a red flag, time to call.
Do not wait forever.
So I don't wanna make it sound that way.
But if a certain amount of time is called,
or gone by, make sure, then you call,
schedule an info pass meeting
'cause you need to get these documents.
Whether it's your NOA-1, which is your receipt notice,
it's very important.
And, oh, by the way for everyone out there,
keep these documents.
Okay, do not make the mistake of discarding these,
throwing these away.
Keep your NOA-1 document, keep your NOA-2 letter.
And then you should be receiving your combo card in about
three to four months after submitting your application.
And then you should have an interview approximately
a month after getting your combo card.
And then after your interview you're probably looking
at about two to three months to get your actual green card.
So, if those steps have not come to fruition
and you haven't received those items I just mentioned,
then by all means, pick up the phone, call the USCIS.
Be prepared to wait on hold and just hope for the best.
- Yeah, and if your free service center,
they do have their estimated wait times
or their processing time as they call it.
If you're beneath that, if they say it's
taking six months for an I-130 for instance,
and you're less than six months,
they're hardly gonna give you the time of day, really.
Now, if it's eight months and they say
the processing time is six then yeah, maybe it's time.
Like Rick says, "Don't wait forever."
But if it's been three months and their saying,
published online for that service center,
that the processing time is six,
you're just wasting everybody's time by calling
or contacting your Senator or any of that, nothing.
Nothing will work if it's below the processing time.
You won't get anybody's attention and they'll resent you
for calling, basically, is what we see, so.
Unfortunately, it takes a while.
Unfortunately, you're not as important
as you might think you are.
None of us are to the government.
And so, doesn't matter if you're pregnant, sick, whatever.
They're not gonna, they're not gonna speed things up.
So just try to have some patience.
It's tough, but it's the best advice we can give.
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