Donna Maindrault

Today we received our interview appointment in NYC for AOS (visa waiver marriage.)

We sent the application in August 2000 and the appointment is Dec. 11, 2001, which is
aparently an improvement from previous years.

The fingerprinting appointment was Nov. 9, in a different building (Houston and
Varick). The envelope is postmarked yesterday. The instructions state that if he
cannot make the appointment, he must request another one in writing, but we're going
to try showing up, explaining the situation, and trying to get it done tomorrow.

I'll let you all know what happens.

-Donna

Donna Maindrault

After receiving the fingerprinting appointment letter 2 weeks after the appointment
was scheduled to take place, we went to the INS building at Houston and Varick to see
what would happen.

We had no problem at all having his fingerprints taken. They do need a letter to
show that you are in the system and need to have fingerprints taken, but they do NOT
care whether it's the actual day or time of your appointment. There was no wait at
9am. (Presumably all the people scheduled for today at 8am haven't received their
letters yet!)

They were using a digital system to scan the fingers, rather than ink, and they told
my husband that it's only been in use for a month. We'll find out in a few weeks
whether it decreases their processing time.

-Donna (Hi, Katz!)

Rete

Congrats. Don't think it is a matter of result time but time for the INS office to input the data into the system. Unless, of course, they have finally updated their systems and the data is directly sent via computer to the INS office. Now wouldn't that be nice.

Rita

Catz

Congrats Donna!

We still have not heard a thing. Sent in AOS in August 2000 also (second time, due to
them returning money orders). Received receipt a few weeks after. Received my EAD
last fall and have renewed it this year, but still haven't a thing about
fingerprinting or the interview. It's been... over 15 months now. I'm really, really
frustrated with this. But I am thrilled for you and wish you all the best. Please let
me know how everything goes.

-Catz

... and a special "Hi" to Rete.

Ojo

Donna, congrats for getting the interview date. Glad to hear that the fingerprinting
was no problem despite the date they sent you.

I was fingerprinted in mid-August and went in for the interview at NYC INS on Sept.
10. And then a day later... Anyhow, my interview experience is in the AOS interview
pages -- all 3 minutes of it. Hope it provides some insight. I didn't get the stamp
because of CIA, FBI backlogs and was given an appointment in mid-Dec, so I'll be
schlepping it back to Federal Plaza next month. I promise to keep you guys posted.

Catz -- how are you? I have my fingers crossed that you hear from them soon.

Fellow NYC sister,

Ojo

Rete

Thanks for the hi Catz ;-)

Hope you hear something soon about your interview date. If not, contact your rep. They can work miracles.

Rete

Basking in the warmth of sunny Florida

Catz

Hi everyone...

I'll admit it.. I haven't a clue as to who my "rep" would be. Could you point me
in the right direction? I'm going to draft my letter and have it ready to send
soon. I'm at the point where I need to do something to feel like I'm helping to
move this along.

Enjoy the sunshine Rete... and best wishes Ojo for a wonderful mid-December trip to
our favourite place in NYC.

-Catz

Michael D. Young

Catz wrote:

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http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW.html

Rete

Catz

You can check on the website Michael gave you and/or the blue section of your local phone book. My suggestion would be a rep rather than a senator. Our rep's liaison was great.

Rita

Rete

Catz

A PS to that post

Call them once you have the number. They will give you a fax number and you can fax the information to them. They will need information such as your A#, dates, etc. They will be able to tell you over the phone exactly what they require. Also if they have a website usually the information required is listed on there as well.

Rita

Catz

Michael and Rete,

I want to thank you both so much. The information that you provided me is invaluable
and priceless to me at this time. I've been stuck in the mindset that I should just
sit back and wait, but I think I'll send in my details and see if there is anything
that can be done to help move this along a little. I've been so swamped at work that
the last thing I want to do is even boot up the laptop when I get home... so I thank
you profusely for saving me the research time.

Thanks again, and I'll post my experiences once I can get this lead ball rolling!

Catz!

Nyjazz

Rete,

Has anyone really had any luck writing congressmen. I wrote mine several months ago
and got a standard reply but nothing else. Perhaps this varies by congressmen or mail
type. I used e-mail. I wrote to Hillary and got nothing back at all. Others have
suggested that hardcopy mail works better. I don't know if that is true or not.

Thanks

"Michael D. Young" <[email protected]>
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[usenetquote2]> > Hi everyone...[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> >[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > I'll admit it.. I haven't a clue as to who my "rep" would be. Could you point me[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > in the right direction? I'm going to draft my letter and have it ready to send[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > soon. I'm at the point where I need to do something to feel like I'm helping to[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > move this along.[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> >[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > Enjoy the sunshine Rete... and best wishes Ojo for a wonderful mid-December trip[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > to our favourite place in NYC.[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> >[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > -Catz[/usenetquote2]
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Andy Platt

For this sort of thing, phoning is best. Most senators seem to have somebody who
specifically deals with immigration liasion.

Andy.

--
I'm not really here - it's just your warped imagination. "nyjazz"
<[email protected]>
[usenetquote2]> > Catz wrote:[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> >[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > > Hi everyone...[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > >[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > > I'll admit it.. I haven't a clue as to who my "rep" would be. Could you point[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > > me in the right direction? I'm going to draft my letter and have it ready to[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > > send soon. I'm at the point where I need to do something to feel like I'm[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > > helping to move this along.[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > >[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > > Enjoy the sunshine Rete... and best wishes Ojo for a wonderful mid-December[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > > trip to our favourite place in NYC.[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > >[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > > -Catz[/usenetquote2]
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[usenetquote2]> > http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW.html[/usenetquote2]

Rete

If it were not for the services of the INS liaison of Ms. Nita Lowey, our congresswoman for our district, Jim would still be in limbo.

Ms. Lowey's liaison assisted Jim in getting an extension of his I-551 when his green card was not received a year after initial approval of the AOS and the rude and obnoxious INS clerk refused to re-stamp his passport after actually telling Jim he refused to help him.

NYC INS has a special congressional department in the INS building in Federal Plaza on the fifth floor. It is only available to said liaisons and to those with specially issued letters to the constituents that the liaisons are helping. Jim was issued a letter, kept the appointment, received the extension stamp and answers to a list of questions I typed up for him. The answers were what we thought.

Green Card Paperwork submitted for processing July, 2001 instead of August, 2000

Naturalization can be applied for even if the I-751 for the removal of conditions has not been approved.

If the I-751 NOA expires before the ten year green card arrives you can get an extension I-551 stamp without having an appointment at NYC INS.


My suggestion is stay away from Senators and only deal with your congressional representative. They appear to be more readily available to assist you than Senators. Plus since their constituency is smaller they are perhaps more willing to help because their names and faces are more "home" grown than those of a Senator.

PS -- NYC INS and the Washington, DC Internal Audit Unit DO NOT do anything about formal complaints made against INS employees other than send you a standardized letter stating they are sorry for your problem but that the problem is not severe enough to warrant action.


Rita

Nipidoc

[email protected] (Catz)
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I'm still waiting for NYC to move my file from there to Las Vegas. Over 4 months
since I've requested it the first time (with two subsequent requests and still no
action.) I filed in November of 2000.

As frustrating as it is, it may benefit you to wait a little longer before seeking
congressional intervention. Even though we would all like to see them processing our
cases faster, it gets to a point where it's almost beneficial to have them take their
sweet time. If it takes them more than two years.....

(Of course, this is all assuming that you filed relatively soon after your marriage.)

Good luck,

nipidoc