USCIS outside normal processing request. We've had a lot of people on our Facebook group
and our YouTube channel asking, "I've checked online and I see that the date of my receipt notice,
that my case is actually outside of normal processing times. What can I do? Should I make
a request? Will it help?" First and foremost, I want to make sure that all of our couples who are
going through an immigration process know about this tool. We regularly use this tool
here in our office for our clients whenever things are outside normal processing. We say it's
our profession to pester. It's part of the job description of immigration attorneys
to poke immigration and pester and say, "How are things going? It looks like it's outside
of normal processing, when can we expect a decision?" That's what this tool does.
Let me go ahead and share my screen with you so for those of you who aren't familiar
with this can learn how to do this for your case. Here we go. The example I had used
earlier was an N400 application. Let me grab a different one because the
exact question was asked in one of our Facebook groups and I want this person to have this example.
The person in our Facebook group said, "I have this I-129F petition. It's pending
at the California Service Center. When I check the case processing times, I see that it currently is
taking five and a half to seven and a half months and that they have a receipt date for a case
inquiry." This is exactly what you should do to check how long it's taking.
If you have a case that was filed before July 27th of 2020,
you can actually make an inquiry with immigration to bump them to say,
"What's going on with my case?" If you have a receipt notice with a date before that, you can go
to this tool down here at the bottom: inquire about a case outside normal processing time.
You'll fill out all of the information on the form. So you would select
if it was a fiancé visa, select the form number. You select the category. The receipt number
is a 13 digit code. It starts with three letters, it's on the top of your I-797, Notice of
Action. It'll say your receipt number so you can put that receipt number in. It'll have the
date filed, put in all of your information. If it happens to have an A number,
only certain receipts do, put your mailing address. They will mail you
their response. Last action taken. Typically what we do is we
would just say, "This application for our client was filed on this date." USCIS processing
times tool shows that this case is outside of normal processing times. Please advise
what is the current status. It doesn't have to be anything too fancy but just enough
details that they understand you want to know my case is outside of normal processing times,
what is going on? You can put your email in too so you'll get a confirmation.
Typically when we send these, immigration will send us a letter in about 30 days, sometimes a little
less, sometimes a little more and what they'll say is, "We're looking at your case,
we're reviewing your case." Usually it's a template response but we do really think
that bumping them gets them to pay attention and so we highly recommend using this tool
when you're checking case processing times. You're outside of that normal window.
Just a fun tool you can use to make sure keep bumping your case along.