[amyfk]

Hi to the Group,

Last year we signed on with our adoption agency. We started with another former soviet country as there were the slowdowns in Russia. We were fingerprinted at our local USCIS office(Broad Street, Newark NJ) and we received the I171H form for this country. Our dossier was submitted and has been sitting there since July. Unfortunately we were informed that the country is now most likely not going to give us referrals(political garbage) and our agency encouraged us to switch to Russia,.

We decided to do a dual dossier for this other country and russia, on the outside chance that things open up in one of two countries. I resubmitted my new homestudy to the Newark USCIS Office for Russia the other day.

I called my agency because I wanted to know if I had to go through the fingeprinting again. My case manager at my agency didnt know because my situation is unusual. He encouraged me to call my local USCIS office and get the information for myself.

Yesterday afternoon(Fri oct 14) I called my local USCIS office and got a message machine. I left my dilemma on the machine, but didnt get an answer. I then called my natl. USCIS office and spoke to a representative there. She basically told me she doesnt know how the local CIS office will flip_I'll just have to wait it out.

Today when I came home from work(Sat. Oct. 15) I got a letter from my local Newark District USCIS office which I found to be uninformative and quite unfriendly. I will quote the letter below:

Dear Ms. Amy,

The purpose of this lettter is to acknowledge our receipt of the I1600 A orphan petition you filed on Oct. 12, 2005.

Please be advised that, although we always give expeditious attention to this type of petition, because of the background checks which must be completed before your case may be adjudicated, the average processing time for this type of petition once your fingerprints and homestudy have been submitted is currently 10 weeks YES TEN LONG WEEKS.. LOL

Please do not contact this office to inquire as to the status of your petition if this average processing time has not yet tolled. Status inquiries for cases outside normal processing times should be directed to your adoption agency, as well as any general questions regarding foreign adoptions.

We thank you for your cooperation in this matter.

Sincerely.
A.
District Director"


My questions to you as a group are as follows:

1. Has anyone who has gone through the USCIS office recently received this form letter? I dont remember receiving a letter like this last time. I didnt exactly sound too friendly to me.

2. Has anyone in the Newark NJ USCIS area ever visited the USCIS office in person to check on the status of their application? I thought I have heard of folks doing so before, but with the cold form letter I received, I wonder what kind of reception I would receive If I went up there in person?

3. Under the circumstances, shoudl I have my case worker at my agency contact my local USCIS office? would they have more clout in finding out the answers to the questions I have?

4. Anyone been here before?

5. Any advice one can give me on this matter?

Thanks very much,

Confused and irritated,
Amy in NJ

[Amd411]

Did you file an 824 for your I171h to go to Moscow? If you have an active I171H ,you need to file an 824 and update your homestudy for change of country.Your fingerprint are good for 15months and can be transfered to new I171H.

AMd
AMD

[hg808]

Amy,

The letter you received is a standard one. Nothing "unfriendly", just a regular form that is sent to everyone. I was also with Newark, NJ office (had to get a new I-171H, as the old one expired), and received the I-171H after 8 weeks (end of Sept.) IMHO, there is no sense in visiting them in person - if everyone did this, they would not be able to work.

Seems to me that, if your decision to change the countries is final, you file I-824 for change of country, and your old fingerprints are good. It takes INS in Newark about a month to process it. But your new paperwork will be good only for the new country, not for the old one.

You are upset now, but try to stay rational and decide which country you want to pursue. (I could give this advice to myself, too...)

Helen

[amyfk]

Hi to Helen and Amd

Thanks for your letter. We didnt do an I824 form. WE did 2 I600A forms. Therefore I dont know if our fingerprints are good for the 15 mo. or not.

Thanks,
Amy K.

[mcanvasback]

I am doing this right now, luckily my BCIS office is friendly. If you want dual dossiers, you don't want an 824. That is one country or the other, not both. My BCIS officer let me file a "petition to reopen file" since I have an I117 for Moscow and want to add Kazakhstan. All I had to do was send the updated homestudy for Kaz, the I117, all the normal docs that I sent before, and a letter explaining what I was doing. NO fingerprints!! Plus a check for $385 (just went up from $117, go figure).

She said my approval for Kaz would come bery quickly, since I already had an I117.

I would try to keep calling and maybe you will get someone pleasant on the phone.

[amyfk]

Hi mcanvasback

Thanks SO MUCH for your letter! It made me feel more reassured. In a short while I will hit my fedex store with all of my documentation and a cover letter explaining what happened. Our BCIS said normally it would take ten weeks to go through all of the fingeprinting again, and man I dont want to do that. Thanks very much to you.

Have a great weekend,
Amy K

[mcanvasback]

Amy make sure you are emphatic in your cover letter that you are petitioning to REOPEN your file. I did have to fill out another I600A but the fee was WAIVED )( put that in) I also put in the original I600A.

It seems to differ not only from office to office, but within the offfices I was told by an assistant that I could not do two countries. So I went over her head and just kept calling her extension til she answered. Good luck!

[amyfk]

HI Mccanvasback

Thanks again very much for your help. I just came back from our local Fedex Kinko's store. I sent out the followup information to my local USCIS office.

I didnt write that I wanted to REOPEN my file, however, I did mention that i received the I171H form from Armenia and that I had approval, and now we are planning to set up a dual dossier for Russia as well.

In the cover letter I explained my situation, and I included my I171H form for Armenia, the letter I got from my local USCIS office yesterday, and the letter of approval indicating the date of when our fingerprints are valid up until.

I hope that's the correct documentation to send. I dont even know if I have a copy of my former I600A form. It's been over a year now, and I started a paper trail later on.

Tomorrow morning I plan to get up early and call my local office to let them know my letters are coming. Does each orphan petition office have a supervisor i can speak with?

Thanks so much for your time and interest, It's been stressful lately.

Amy K

[Russiamomto3]

Amy,
Actually the Newark USCIS is VERY friendly. I've done 4 adoptions with them. You should call this number 973-645-6309 You will get Officier Yocasta Reyna. She is amazing. Explain your situation and she will pull your file and tell you what you need.
I can't say enough about this women. With all of our adoptions we have had great service. Last year we got the 10 week letter...guess what we were fingerprinted, and approved all within less than 2 weeks.
Call and let us know what she says.
But I will tell you fingerprints are good for 15 months so you don't have to redo them. But you will need a homestudy for Russia.
Good Luck....
Liane

[mcanvasback]

THere you go Amy, Liane to the rescue. Having a name and a phone# make all the difference, that is what has helped me so much with my Kaz approval, now you should be fine.

(Of course now ALL dossiers are being sent back from kazakhstan requesting further documentation.............this will never end............)