Never knew premium processing could take months...
 

I'm currently so frustrated with the whole process of getting a L1/L2 visa.
The company where my husband is working was supposed to apply for our visa mid June this year with premium processing. We were therefore counting on getting an answer somewhere at the beginning of July.
When we asked in July what the status was, they said the USCIS had until 15 July to answer, which meant that they filed about 2 weeks later than promised and mentioned to us.

On the 15th, the USCIS came back with a request for evidence as some of my husbands diploma's were not clear to them. We asked right away if there was something we needed to do but according to the company, they had to handle it all. A week later, we got the request form the company lawyer to please come back to them with some more info on the diploma's. We did the same day.

On August 8, the files were finally sent back to the USCIC. The lawyer said that the USCIS would proceed where they left of so we were expecting an answer back pretty quickly as they already used the complete 15 days for premium processing in the first process.

We are now again 15 days later and still waiting. The lawyer already send out a request to the USCIS for a status update but hasn't heard anything back from them yet. The lawyer also has got no idea what the hold up is about and why it takes so long.

I know no-one here can help or shed a light on the process, I just needed to write away my frustrations on all of this. We were expecting to be in the US at the beginning of Augustus, not somewhere in September (or maybe not at all..):(:(

Re: Never knew premium processing could take months...
 

Hi:

Check your math -- if they got it on the 8th, 15 days later is this Saturday -- so the due date is extended to next Monday.

Re: Never knew premium processing could take months...
 

Out of curiosity, is the 15 days business days or actual days?

If business days, if you sent the files on August 8th would mean they wouldn't most likely get them until the 11th and 15 business days would put you at September 1st which is a holiday so September 2nd. If regular days, you're still looking at August 26th if you sent them on the 8th. If they received the files on the 8th then you're looking at August 25th for actual days or August 29th for business days. Probably. If I can count.

Re: Never knew premium processing could take months...
 

The processing period that is used to determine whether or not USCIS meets the 15 calendar day period will begin when the current version of Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service, is received by USCIS at the correct filing address noted on the form. Within the 15 day calendar period USCIS will issue an approval notice, or where appropriate, a notice of intent to deny, a request for evidence or open an investigation for fraud or misrepresentation. If the notice requires the submission of additional evidence or of a response to intent to deny, a new 15 calendar day period will begin upon the delivery to USCIS of a complete response to the request for evidence or notice of intent to deny.
http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/usc...0045f3d6a1RCRD

Re: Never knew premium processing could take months...
 

Don't forget to allow for the fact that you will need to schedule an interview at the embassy once you have your approvals and allow a few days after that for the passports to be returned with the visa stamps.

Re: Never knew premium processing could take months...
 

and my impression was the interviews were quite long timescales at the moment. Might be worth booking one as soon as you can and hoping its all sorted by then.

Re: Never knew premium processing could take months...
 

Oops.... mentioned the wrong date. We received an e-mail from the lawyer on the 8th that they sent the file back on the 4th and received confirmation from the USCIS on the 6th.

So yes, all your maths added up, it was me who just mentioned the wrong dates (that's what you get when frustrated :o ).

The interview (if that will ever happen) will be in Brussels, where there is only a 2 day wait time to get the interview as well as 2 day processing for getting the passports back.

I just don't get why it takes so long. Do we have that one employee from the USCIS that just takes the full 15 days for everything or are they still not convinced after the request for evidence has been sent in? I just wish sometimes we never started this process, the wait is just so stressful and our lives are pretty much " on hold" for the moment.

Wish there was magical thing we could do to speed everything up!

Re: Never knew premium processing could take months...
 

Hi:

So what was the decision from USCIS? By the way, remember that YOU are not entitled to anything from DHS. This is not meant to be mean but to reflect a reality -- they don't care about you, and in any case, you did not file the I-129L, the employer did.

Re: Never knew premium processing could take months...
 

Well.... we would like to know as well. The lawyer updated us that they have not heard anything back from the USCIS, nor is the status online changed. So we're still in the unknown.

I am aware of the fact that it is the employer who files and that it the employer who is the only one entitled to anything from the USCIS and I don't take your comment as mean whatsoever. I think you're right that you keep on mentioning this time after time as it is easy to forget sometimes.

Re: Never knew premium processing could take months...
 

Day 17 of the 15 day premium processing has passed. The lawyer spend about 2.5 hours on the phone trying to get to speak to someone at the USCIS Premium Processing team but at 6 pm she finally gave up. This means that also day 18 and 19 will go by without an answer from the USCIS (I assume they will not be working during the weekend).
First thing Monday morning, the lawyer will be on the phone again as there is also no update to be found on-line.

To be honest, I'm starting to worry right now. I always hear that USCIS comes back no later than the 15 days when you have premium processing but not getting an answer or update at all from them makes me think the petition might be rejected. I hope its not, I know my husbands employer definitely hope its not.

I also still have trouble understanding why they went for the L1b route instead of the L1a. He is in a managerial position so that would have made sense. The lawyer once said they where afraid asking for a L1a might slow things down. Well.... I don't think it can be slowed down any more then this.

Re: Never knew premium processing could take months...
 

Hi:

Money back guarantee -- on the $1000.

Re: Never knew premium processing could take months...
 

At least that's nice to know for the company :) They already spent so much money on getting us over there.