L-1A AOS - I-485 filed Jan '20 - NBC sent RFE for I-693 Medicals, no interview?

[mms1291]

Hi Guys,

Just to follow up on this - my I-485 employment-based (L-1A to GC) AOS submitted in January. We did biometrics for the I-485 in March, 2 days before the application support centers closed down, thankfully. Had heard nothing on our pending I-485 until we got notification that it had been approved on July 10 (2 weeks ago today), the status went from "New Card Being Produced" (July 9) to "Application Approved" (July 10) and then nothing since then. I believe the next status should be "Card Mailed" with tracking details, once the Green Card is actually produced and mailed out to me. I read that this should happen typically within 2-4 business days after my application is approved, but also saw articles saying that this was backlogged now because of the expiry of the USCIS contract with the company that produces the cards, and that they were currently producing them in-house at reduced capacity. I called last week to ask how long it should be and they said it is a maximum of 30 calendar days from Approval - so I should get the card in the next 2 weeks, hopefully...

But then today I got a letter through from USCIS - I-797C NOTICE OF ACTION, for my I-485 with my receipt number saying that they are going to re-use previously submitted biometrics and run the same security checks as before, and that it is not necessary for me to appear at an Application Support Center for an appointment for my pending application.

I'm a little confused by this - I did a biometrics appointment in March specifically for my I-485 based on a letter for my I-485 receipt number, so I don't understand how they are "re-using" previously submitted biometrics when I submitted them specifically for this application? And my case is already approved and my GC should be queued for printing any day now, so I don't know why they'd be looking into biometrics and doing security checks now - that must have already been done. The letter is date July 17, so it is a week after my case was approved.

Is this normal? Does this indicate that my card will be printed imminently, or has something gone wrong with the process...?

Hey, do let us know how your inquiry goes! Also, did it get approved for your family?

[ChicagoScot]

Hi,

thanks for asking! Yes we were all approved. I was approved on the 9th and my wife and son on the 10th. The biometrics letter came through last week, just for me and not for them. We all had our biometrics done on the same day by the same person in the Application Support Center.

Will call them today and ask about the letter.

[mms1291]

Hi,

thanks for asking! Yes we were all approved. I was approved on the 9th and my wife and son on the 10th. The biometrics letter came through last week, just for me and not for them. We all had our biometrics done on the same day by the same person in the Application Support Center.

Will call them today and ask about the letter.

Hey....what did they say about it when you called them?

[ChicagoScot]

Hi,

We got all three green cards today! All is good. Never called in the end as I got the notification that they had been dispatched a few days later. Took 20 days from “application approved” to “card is mailed” so not too bad.

Very happy, almost can’t believe we got them.

only issue I have now is that my wife and son don’t have SSNs. We never made an EAD application for them as I was working here on an L-1. Can’t visit the SSA because all offices are closed, they advised that I need to apply by mail and mail in original green cards, passports and birth certificates!? I don’t fancy doing that, but I need the SSN to file our taxes. I got an October extension because the GCs were pending. Not sure what I can do. I really don’t want to send all that stuff together in the mail. It makes no sense in this day and age that they can’t verify the info electronically as we just did the green cards and biometrics - it is two parallel government departments.

my attorneys said that I *may* get SSN cards through in the post automatically. Because we didn’t file I-765s for them, we didn’t have the option to tick the box to request an SSN. We just filed I-485 which does not have that, but logically anyone getting a green card should automatically get a SS card too, right?

[000000]

Hi,

But logically anyone getting a green card should automatically get a SS card too, right?

I wonder the same as i dont know and will be in similar situation but based on all i found online, it seems you wont automatically get SSN with a green card in our situation but i cant definitively conclude either way. You may be able to call your local SSA office as there should be someone and persuade them to make an appointment and take your documents then.

https://secure.ssa.gov/ICON/main.jsp#officeResults

[verbose]

Unfortunately, nothing automatic about the Social Security Card and Green Card, unless you applied for it via the I-765. I believe you need to be a US Citizen in order to apply for it online.

[mms1291]

Hi,

We got all three green cards today! All is good. Never called in the end as I got the notification that they had been dispatched a few days later. Took 20 days from “application approved” to “card is mailed” so not too bad.

Very happy, almost can’t believe we got them.

only issue I have now is that my wife and son don’t have SSNs. We never made an EAD application for them as I was working here on an L-1. Can’t visit the SSA because all offices are closed, they advised that I need to apply by mail and mail in original green cards, passports and birth certificates!? I don’t fancy doing that, but I need the SSN to file our taxes. I got an October extension because the GCs were pending. Not sure what I can do. I really don’t want to send all that stuff together in the mail. It makes no sense in this day and age that they can’t verify the info electronically as we just did the green cards and biometrics - it is two parallel government departments.

my attorneys said that I *may* get SSN cards through in the post automatically. Because we didn’t file I-765s for them, we didn’t have the option to tick the box to request an SSN. We just filed I-485 which does not have that, but logically anyone getting a green card should automatically get a SS card too, right?

Well at least you got the card!! Congrats! I am approaching 80 days since I responded to RFIE. Hoping something happens this month! fingers crossed! There are ppl who responded to RFIE after mine and got it approved. So I wonder how they are reviewing and processing,

[mms1291]

I don't know if it is just mine but I see movement and approvals on cases that were submitted in later part of jan, feb and march. I guess I have to just keep on waiting. Its been almost 100 days since I submitted the RFIE evidence.

[AZLEO]

I am also in the same situation. Even my spouse (my dependent on this case) had a progress

[RussellP]

My case was approved this week, no interview. L1A to EB1. I called USCIS last Friday to check in as it was 70 days since we returned our medical RFE and case was approved 2 days later. Good luck to you all, i485 filing was in Nov 2019.

[mms1291]

After 174 days of RFIE submission; I got a message saying NEW CARD IS BEING PRODUCED. Does it mean that the case is about to be approved?