Guide To Speed Up Your Immigration Case In The United States

Introduction

The USCIS is always known for its sluggish processing of applications, but this seems to have worsened over the past years. Once the pandemic kicked in, so many cases piled up in the queue that, after all, everything took longer time than usual. If one has already applied for something and it is taking too long, one should know how to make one’s case move faster. An immigration attorney in Jamaica can help out.

You have completed an immigration application and hoped it would be finalized as soon as possible. But you are stuck mired in delays and having to follow up on the status of your case constantly. With applications taking months and even years to be decided by USCIS, it is normal to assume that there must be something you could do to move the process along faster.

This blog shall outline some sure ways to get your USCIS immigration case moving faster. This includes some free options and some paid options.

Filing your immigration papers properly

Let’s be real, putting together an immigration petition is a bit of a headache and you might accidentally leave out some key info or forget to include the right documents. You usually have to fill out a bunch of forms for each type of petition you are filing, which makes it easy to mess up.

Plus, these forms have deadlines that you might not even notice until it is too late. This could mean your petition gets turned down. With the help of an immigration attorney in Jamaica, you can’t miss any deadlines.

Here are some common mistakes that could slow down or even stop your immigration petition from moving forward:

• Not paying the right amount for filing fees.
• Messy handwriting.
• Bad passport photos.
• Using the same passport photos for other petitions.
• Not signing your immigration forms.
• Not double-checking your application forms and supporting documents.

Taking the time to do this right, with an immigration attorney in Jamaica, from the start can really cut down on the chances of getting a request for evidence (RFE) from USCIS. An RFE could mean waiting weeks or even months for your petition to be processed.

Providing swift answers to RFEs

Even though you might not get an RFE, you can’t totally avoid them. But, if you do get one, it is best to get back to USCIS as soon as you can.

In the RFE, USCIS will point out what is wrong with your petition and what you need to fix it. You will also get a deadline, usually 60 days, to send in all the evidence they asked for. If you don’t, your petition could get rejected. It is a smart move to hire an immigration attorney in Jamaica to help you deal with RFEs.

Talking to a member of Congress

You might not have thought of this before, but you can actually reach out to a member of Congress for help. They can’t change any decisions, but they might be able to get your case the attention it needs to speed things up.

File an expedited request

If you are eligible, you could speed up your immigration case by filing an expedited request. You might qualify if you are dealing with a humanitarian crisis, it is in the US government’s best interest, USCIS made a mistake, or you have a compelling reason with the right documents to back it up. You should expect a response from USCIS within two weeks of filing.

• What is an expedited request about?

The USCIS is in charge of handling most immigration requests. The time it takes to process your application depends on the type of application you have and how busy the USCIS office that deals with your case is. The COVID-19 pandemic has made the usual processing times longer for USCIS.

Expedited case processing means that USCIS can make a decision on your application faster than its usual time. This can be really helpful if you are in a hurry because of an emergency or sudden personal situation and need a quick response from USCIS.

USCIS looks at each case individually to decide whether to speed up processing. Any applicant can ask for their case to be expedited. However, USCIS has to see evidence that your case meets certain criteria to approve the request. An immigration attorney in Jamaica can help you determine if you are eligible.

• What you need to show

You need to show that your case needs urgent attention according to USCIS policy. This could include showing that there is an error on your application that is affecting your status, like USCIS issuing a green card that expires earlier than expected. If you can prove that the error was on USCIS’s part and not your own, they might approve your request for expedited processing.

Another situation where you can ask for expedited processing is if you are facing a critical humanitarian situation, like a war in your home country or a serious illness that requires you to be in the US.

If USCIS figures out that waiting longer for your case will really hurt someone financially, they might speed things up for you. This could happen, for example, if you need to join a nonprofit body before they run out of time to give out a grant, and not getting it means you lose the money, which could mess up the organization’s finances. You would need to show that you did everything you were supposed to do on time and explain how not making a decision could lead to big money problems.

If your case is important for the whole country, like keeping people safe, USCIS might approve your request to move things along faster. That means the government is asking for it on your behalf, and they have to prove that waiting any longer could be bad for the country or public safety. An immigration attorney in Jamaica can guide you to show any of these requirements.

Connecting with the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman (CIS Ombudsman)

If you have already tried reaching out to USCIS for help and they haven’t been able to help you, you can ask the CIS Ombudsman for a hand. It is important to remember that only USCIS gets to make the final decision on whether to approve or deny any applications. Depending on your situation, the CIS Ombudsman might be able to help you sort out any issues you are having with USCIS.

The USCIS Ombudsman’s office is a team within the government that is there to make the USCIS’s processes better and to help out with cases that seem to get lost in the shuffle. If you are not making any headway with USCIS or your local representative, the Ombudsman’s office is another place to turn to speed up your case. You can only go this route if you have already tried and hit a dead end with USCIS. First off, give USCIS a shot a few times to ask them to move your case along.

If USCIS can’t assist you, or if they say no to your request and you think you have a good reason to ask them to speed things up, then you can switch over to the Ombudsman’s office to file a new request for expedited processing. When you do this, you will likely need to send over all the documents you sent to USCIS to get your case moving faster. The Ombudsman might also ask for more documents. Make sure you provide everything they need so they can lend you a hand!

Premium processing

If you need your immigration case approved quickly, you can ask for premium processing. This doesn’t apply to visas for family, but if you qualify, you will get your application processed within a guaranteed two weeks and will get updates right away. However, there is also a service fee of around $1440 to $2500, which varies depending on the type of visa you are applying for.

Get help!

If you are filling out forms and don’t have the right documents or mess up your petition, it can take forever for things to get sorted out. It is super useful to have an immigration attorney in Jamaica with federal immigration experience to make sure you are doing everything correctly. At Gehi and Associates, we are here and ready to help you through the confusing and ever-changing immigration process. Connect with us today!