Bluegrass Lass

So, I went to the macallen site last night - the one that is a database of I-129f petitions at the TSC. Well, not surprisingly, I couldn't find our case number listed. Well, if anyone remembers our case, we never did receive an NOA from TSC; the only way I have case info is from an email address I found for the "Premium Processing" dept at TSC. The guy who replied gave us an SRC number.

Well, this number has never worked on the USCIS website nor the phone system and the NCSC operators have never found it either. Until last night, I wrote it off to the site just not being updated. When I asked Michael to add our number to his database yesterday, he said he coud not because our case number came up as saying "invalid" - he said this basically meant that USCIS did not recognize our case number. So now I'm deathly afraid that this means we are somehow not in the system.

I'm hoping that maybe the case number we were given is just a typo, and that we truly are in the system. Has this happened to anyone in the past from TSC? If we are not in the system, do we have to reapply and start over in the queue, even if it's USCIS's fault??

Mr. F and Matt, have either of you come across this before? I emailed that same email address again, and I'm eagerly awaiting an informative response, however, I'm just afraid that we won't have any response back whatsoever.

I'm all out of thoughts of where to go from here. I don't think a Congressional Rep could help since we don't really have a case number to give them - or could they help? Anyone have any suggestions, words of encouragement because I'm feeling really low right now as is Scott.

Jamie

kariml

Hi Jamie
You're in Louisville, KY, right? Try contacting Senator Jim Bunning's office - very nice people. I had contacted them about our I-129F taking so long (back before I didn't know there wasn't anything that could actually be done about it) so even though they couldn't expedite anything for me, they were very nice and tried to do everything they could to help.

utopiacowboy

Did you look on the back of your cancelled check for your case number? It should be right there beginning with SRC....

speedyvespa

Is the receipt number always on the back of the cancelled cheque for all kinds of filings? And does it always begin with SRC or would it possibly begin with the initials of the service centre in question (MSC, etc)

- Mark

MarDae

My check had an EAC number on it, we went through VSC so I think they are service center specific (but they don't match the service center acronym). This was our receipt number and I was able to start checking our status as soon as it was cahsed.

MarDae

speedyvespa

Hmm.... our cancelled check doesn't have a receipt number on it then. Wonder what this spells...

- Mark

Folinskyinla

Hi:

The acronyms are from history:

First there were RAC's -- for either remote adjudication centers or regional centers. Also, there is the long time custom of giving former INS offices three letter codes. State Department does the same thing -- so here in LA, the local office is LOS, Honolulu is HHW, Seoul, Korea is SEO, London is LND.

So CSC was original the Western Adjudication Center -- or WAC. Also, originally, the WAC was located adjacent to the POE in San Ysidro and SYS was taken by the POE.

Vermont was the Eastern Adjudication Center -- or EAC.

Texas was the Southern Adjudication Center, but there was already a sub-office in SACramento, California, so it became SRC

Nebraska was the northern adjudication center, but I guess NAC was taken so they used the location in Lincoln and it became LIN.

Matthew Udall

In the “file lost� situation (and I’m not saying your file is lost), they can usually be persuaded to work off of a complete copy of the submission sent to them (you did make and keep a complete copy of your submission including money order or check… didn’t you?).

The service centers have been very accommodating to attorneys when this sort of thing happens (remember the shredding incident at the CSC last year?).

Good luck.

Bluegrass Lass

Nope, nothing legible there at all. We sent in a money order instead.

Bluegrass Lass

The only thing I DIDN'T make a copy of was the money order now that I come to think about it. Damn..so this means that if they could be persuaded to re-work it, I'd have to send in another check. I did make copies of everything else though. Did not send in any originals of boarding passes and such, just in case they did lose them!

Well, all hope is not lost. Back in early Oct. I called NCSC about the fact that the number I was given did not work. I totally forgot until this morning, that I did receive a reply to that enquiry, in the mail. Instead of fixing/updating their computers so we could check our status online, the doc just said that our case status was "Pending". I guess that means that if the case number I was given was incorrect, the document I rec'd would have said that, right? They would not have said status is pending on a case they have no record of, or if the case number did not exist, I would hope.

Only bad thing means is that if there is an RFE or an approval, we would not know about it until we got something in the mail. It just makes me sooo nervous to be told that our number is not found or invalid, as I'm sure you can all understand.

Matt, what's this about a shredding at CSC last year? This must have been before we started the immigration process and before I joined the NG.

Jamie

thing1

If you kept the little stub from your money order, you should be able to track it down and get a copy of your cashed money order....at least I think I have read about people doing that. Someone who actually has taken those steps can tell you more on how to go about tracing a money order.

I sincerely hope you get a working case number and some resolution.

thing1

Bluegrass Lass

Already did that thing1. Obtained a copy of it, front and back, and there were not legible numbers or letters on it. There were what could have been numbers on there, but the copy was not clear enough to even get an idea of what they were.

When did you and thing2 join the expats site? I'm on your uk_us couples group, but have never seen you guys post here before! Or have you just been too busy to post on here lately?

Matthew Udall

I did not say that. What I did say is that when I make a copy of the file, I also make a copy of the check of money order too (and asked you if you did this too). I did not make any statement whether or not you will have to send in another check.

And besides, a couple of postings later didn’t you tell someone else you obtained a copy of your money order, front and back?

I don’t know, but I would not jump to any conclusions or make any assumptions.

Bluegrass Lass

<insert head smack smiley> doh! Just now realized what I said. For some reason I didn't put in my head that I could use that copy from Western Union. All I can say is that I've been working way too hard lately.

I just hope that this situation resolves itself. I'm becoming increasingly worried that we are not in the system, and we just might have to do something a bit more crazy...like me moving there. Only prob w/that is we'd have additional probs with finances if I went there instead. But it'd be worth it not to have to wait who knows how long for them to find and process our case again.

thing1

How unfortunate about there not being legible numbers on it. But at least you do have a copy of the cashed money order and therefore have proof of your filing. I'll be curious to know the outcome of your situation. Keep us updated.

As for the length of time thing2 and I have been members of britishexpats' forum...if you look at one's profile here you can see when they registered. We registered: 10 Jan 2003

It is not unusual for couples to go quiet in this forum once they have gotten through AOS. At this point we don't have to do anything regarding immigration until we file to have conditions removed in a little under two years. These days I mostly just sit back and read posts here at BE. I don't post much anymore. You'll find a lot of couples move to "The Lounge" and/or "USA" sections of BE once they reach our point or beyond.

The Yahoo! Group my husband and I own is the main place we post these days due to being so busy. I don't even get to post in there as much as I would like to. Often by the time I finish reading posts, there isn't any time left to respond.

Best of luck to you!