Ready for Hawaii

It feels even strange to fly in December from such a weather

to a "warm location". But that's what we're going to do in 15 hours:) The year ended nice and calm, we've spent 2 comfortable ("gemütlich" passt besser, denke ich) days with just nothing really to do and tomorrow flying very early to spend next 2 weeks in Heaven! Luggage is ready as well:

Sweet post from Austria

This time we've got some nice surprise with the post! Christmas pastry from Austria! Thank you:)

Done-done-done

Went to the post office and picked up the card. Now it's completely finally totally the end of the crazy story. 

5 months processing time instead of 3. And that with all this congressman-ombudsman help.

No post anymore

And now we come home in the evening and our post boxes are just torn out. And there was some post, we didn't take it out since the day before yesterday.

US Post doesn't know that it snows....

My card was sent by USCIS with priority mail, planned delivery date was December 14, tomorrow. Since couple of days there was no activity at online tracking service and I started to worry.... Just now I received the call from Sunnyvale post office. The guy said that the letter stuck somewhere in Tennessee because of the weather conditions, snow.... And it is already almost impossible to deliver it tomorrow, "probably next week"....
It's not so important now since I have an approval notice. But I find it really ridiculous.

Serezha N., I hope your guess was wrong, it would be too much!!!!!!!

Done

I have received an official Approval Notice. I won.

That's a miracle, for sure

And now, suddenly, these guys started working on week-end for me! Today, on Saturday, at 6.30am online status has switched to the last step "Card production", which means that the card was sent to me!!!
I don't know who's influence it was - Congressman, Ombudsman, but bless them both:) I finally can relax and just enjoy being here instead of constantly breaking my brain with this quest "what else can I do to make these guys do their job and finally issue my work permit".

Hope to have a reason to celebrate next week

After the congressman call I called the USCIS Customer service again. They have transferred me to that higher-level operator which had a waiting line more than an hour again so I scheduled the call-back.
When that super-operator called me I was very surprised. First time he started from the very beginning of conversation to tell something reasonable, it really sounded like he was concerned even. He told that he sees that the case has been pending already for so long that I really do have a right to demand it's resolution asap. And he himself, without me insisting proposed to create a request to the department working on my case to speed-up the dispatching of my card! That were his words "They have already delayed it so much that it really makes sense to demand from them to send the card immediately, IMMEDIATELY".

The status hasn't changed though.... but I really hope now that not later than in a week or, maybe, two I will get the card. AT least before Christmas holidays. As receiving it later will have a dramatic impact on my income due to the conditions of my offer.... In that case I should probably really consider suing USCIS as it can be really worth.

And, as I have decided already, after I will receive a card I want to celebrate it with this delicious thing:

https://www.facebook.com/MyDeliciousTiramisu

UPD: Online status has been updaited as well!!!

Miracle

Just received a call from congressman office. They told that they were informed by USCIS that my permit has been approved. Online status doesn't change, but they are sure!

Now I just have to receive the card by mail and that will be hopefully finished......

They are kidding me. My status has just changed to "Initial review" again......

Second side of my life - fight with USCIS

In parallel to anything happening to me now, the main theme is still the work permit business....

Some news. Yesterday we found that there is another authority who can help. Which is Ombudsman. This morning I wrote and email to this office attaching again the mail from my perspective employer. Surprisingly they answered quite fast that my request will be answered within.... 45 days. Then I answered again explaining that 45 days is not really my expectation and especially emphasizing the financial loss and the risk of loosing my current job offer as it was recommended by some guys on immigration forums, who happened once to be as unlucky as I was. And, wow, they answered again quickly that they will answer within 48 hours! I wrote again that actually even 48 hours are critical for me now underlining that the case was not supposed to be urgent, but the USCIS guy's actions made it to be one and... wow.... they answered in 5 minutes that they have "determined to expedite" my case and will forward the request to an analyst who is going to contact USCIS directly and inform me about the result asap.. The whole next half of the day nothing new happened (that was around 3 pm). Just now in the evening I wrote one more pleading email.... Unfortunately they don't answer the phone. Nevertheless I also left a couple of voice mails (that was before I wrote and email).
Now I hope that something will happen. I'm getting used to live in the "hoping" status. I'm afraid that when I will finally win this battle, I will already be completely exhausted and won't even have strengthes to celebrate.

I hope this is not going to be my next step:

 

Just some facts

US bureaucracy newsletter

I hate this crazy stuff to be main theme of my blog. But what can I do since the big and important part of my life depends on it for the moment.
That's why some more news. So, the letter reached the office on Monday, November 25th (good job, US post!). After that there was of course nothing new. This week is a Thanksgiving in US. It's like celebration of New Year in Russia almost, yesterday, on the very Thanksgiving evening streets were empty and most of the businesses were closed, we hardly found a place to have a dinner! We decided not to cook a turkey since we don't feel it to be something we can and should do yet. We just spent yesterday the half of the day walking in the Stanford with another Russian-Austrian couple (both speaking such a wonderful German, I enjoyed it a lot....) and had a dinner in a Chinese Restaurant in our neighborhood.
So, more about the USCIS thing. Though I didn't expect it to be resolved so fast, I still went there at 7.30am on Wednesday since I had an appointment which is, as I told, not at all easy to get. I spend there almost one hour! I was actually not going to quarrel, to make a scandal or something like this. But the lady at the counter (the same as 2 weeks ago) was very not nice to me, even tough. She kept repeating that she thinks I'm behaving bad by coming here and trying to push things, "you just have to be patient" she kept repeating as if I was doing something very bad. That's why I got really angry and started to insist on some explanations regarding why was my request processed much longer above the regular processing time and why I was requested to provide such a ridiculous evidence. I just wanted her to commit that the request was really ridiculous and they were just covering their asses. Because in the report it will look just like "application - after 90 days request for evidence - approval". Nobody will probably go deep into details and look what kind of request that was. Finally I asked the lady to speak to the manager. The manager was a little more clever, he agreed that requesting an I-94 was stupid and even apologized before me for that. This long and tough conversation I ended up with 2 results: they've sent some kind of internal request and the manager (officer Cruiz) also promised to me to send an email to the officer responsible for my case. Though I don't count on that, probably he just wanted to get rid of me. They were very much embarrassed by conversation with me, he told that he doesn't like that other people waiting in the line see and hear it! I'm sorry, said I, but I don't mind people seeing truth.
After that I went again to the local congressman's office. As I said, it was on Wednesday, the last working day before Thanksgiving. I came there at 1.15pm and saw a paper on the door that they only were open on that day until 1! Nevertheless, I've heard voices inside and knocked. Of course, they couldn't resist talking to me:) Again, after long conversation I managed to get the following result. On Monday, after Thanksgiving Weekend I should come again and speak directly to the manager responsible for my case and bring the letter from my potential employer saying that they cannot way any longer and I'm going to loose that offer unless I will be authorized to work in the very close future. My future manager was of course ready to help me with that. So, we prepared the letter together with Johannes and I'm going to get it on Monday and visit the congressman's office again.
By the way, after fininshing the apointment in USCIS I made there another appointment again. Just in case. Again, the earliest possible date was 2 weeks later, but it's better than nothing. I hope I won't need that one.

That's how it is. Sometimes I wonder if that things I'm doing change anything or not. I hope so, I'm spending lots of my energy for that nonsense.

Surprise

Has awaited for me this morning in my car. I saw the papers and CDs thrown out of the glove compartment. First I thought that my husband was looking for something but then I realized that we left the car yesterday evening together and I was the one sitting at the passenger's place. So, somebody broke into our car. Actually they didn't break in most likely, we think that we just forgot to close it. We were tired, after the Israeli dance class and a shopping, our hands were full of stuff and we were eager to get home. And with our car it's very easy to check if the car is locked or not. Fortunately we didn't have anything in the car except copies of my documents and our CDs. The thieves were obviously not very excited about Queen, Sting and Goat Rodeo music (about that one I'll tell later, it was the present from our austrian friends it it would be actually a big loss for us). They didn't notice the USB charger either. The only thing I'm concerned of is my Social Security number which was among the papers and even quite visible. On one hand I think I should report it, on the other I'm afraid that it could slow again the process of my permit which has stuck again....
Tomorrow I have an appointment at the local USCIS office. Hope to end up with some result, I don't like the idea of going to the long Thanksgiving weekend in the "pending" status again...

US post surprises

Very nice surprise - just got an email update from USPS regarding my sending. They sent it to the area of destination already. On Saturday! Looks like it will be even faster than I excepted!

Nonsense

I haven't written for a while about my adventure with that work permit. I just couldn't imagine it can be that way, I still can't imagine. But I want to write that down for the history, so to say.
After it's been more than 90 days after my filing date I created that service request with the Customer Service Center. Never got any answer. Finally I just went to the local office and forced the security by literally crying before them to let me in since there was no possibility to make an apointmet, the system just wouldn't let me do that. I even had some mailing with the support of that system and they recommended me to try to "catch" new appointments "at night after midnight". So, finally I got to speak to somebody alive. The lady at the window was able to give me some information. The information was very limited though. She could see in my case that there was some notice created on the 7th of November. But she couldn't see neither what was there in that notice apart from that it was a "Request for evidence" nor even if it have been sent already or not. She couldn't check the list of that evidence I had to reply with, she couldn't check if the mail was sent. In addition she shared with me the inside information that since I am an L2 Visa holder they are not very fast in processing it since they consider that I don't need it, because "L1 works". I was shocked by that sincerity. Also she recommended me to attach a cover letter when I would finally get the request and be ready to sent the evidence asking to proceed my case.  Sounded crazy. I have to ask these guys to do their job.

 Later on that day I managed to reach some special department of the Customer Service by phone (funny, when I told that I've been to the local office and obtained some more information that they would expect they suddenly were ready to connect me with that higher level of operator which was unavailable for me before). The guy there told me that the mail hasn't been sent for the moment and there was no option to speed-up the sending. That was on the 13th of November. I waited several more days, my online status hasn't changed either. On Monday, the 18th of November I lost the patience and went to the office of the local congressman Mike Honda. I read in forums that it helped people in situations similar to mine. They took my application and told they were going to make an inquiry to the USCIS. The next day the online status has finally changed! They sent that email! It was on the 19th of November, 12 days later than they created a notice and on the 113 day after my filing date. Next days I was literally living by my post box, checking it 3 times a day and yesterday, on the 22nd of November I finally got the mail. when I opened it, I was astonished. The document they demanded doesn't exist anymore. It's I-94 form. That form was automated and only exists now virtually. You go online, fill your data and get the number. You can even have a printed copy, but that copy is not an official document and it doesn't even have the "front and back sides", photocopy of which were demanded from me in that mail! So, what we did with my husband is we printed that online form, additionally the part from the informational letter issued by the government explaining that the form doesn't exist in it's paper form anymore, attached the copy of the passport with the arrival stamp (which has been actually sent with the initial list of documents already), wrote a very polite cover letter explaining why are we sending all this and asking to proceed the case asap.

Now I'm waiting for the mail to reach the office in Laguna Niguel on Monday and for that guys to do their job.

I'm from Russia, I'm used to bureaucracy and to stupidity of the governmental employee. But here even I am surprised and shocked.

Russians and smile

http://blog.properrussian.com/2011/05/why-russians-are-not-smiling.html?m=1

Trying to get any information about EAD....

...I started to write with the service desk of the INFOpass system, which is the only email address available. The system is actually designed for making "live-appointments" at the field office. But it's not possible to make an appointment there. Whenever I try there is the only answer "there are no appointments available in your area".

Latest answer from the service desk is hillarious:

"InfoPass appointments can only be made up to 14 days in advance.  A message indicating no available appointments means that all appointments for the next 14 days from the current date are booked.  Check the INFOPASS appointment system often as appointment slots become available when customers cancel appointments and schedules are expanded to show new appointment choices that are made available each working day.  Generally, the best time to check for new appointment slots is each night after midnight except on weekends. "

So now the advise me to stay awake in order to have a smallest chance to get an appointment.... isn't that nice? 

Los Angeles trip. Kings Canyon National Park.

This was the very first part of our trip. We didn't go straight to LA but decided to spend the first day in the Kings Canyon National Park.