Why is there, all these delays to Issue EAD or AP?

[LostInGCProcess]

I am trying to understand the cause for this huge delay to issue either EAD or AP. Could it be due to a large number of I-485 filers in July 2007 that the agency is unable to handle the volume of requests (either for a new one or renewal)?

Has USCIS come up with any explanation as to why there is lot of delay to issue EAD renewals or new EADs? Could it be the US economy that is causing the drag on the agency?

[Hello_Hello]

It is dark age for immigrants in America. They are just inventing ways to harass people. There shouldn't be a reason to issue EAD or AP in time. They have increased the fees several folds in recent years. They want us to run pillar to post for everything, be it work permit, travel document, driver's license...Just discouraging aliens to live in this country.

Originally Posted by LostInGCProcess

I am trying to understand the cause for this huge delay to issue either EAD or AP. Could it be due to a large number of I-485 filers in July 2007 that the agency is unable to handle the volume of requests (either for a new one or renewal)?

Has USCIS come up with any explanation as to why there is lot of delay to issue EAD renewals or new EADs? Could it be the US economy that is causing the drag on the agency?

[kumar1]

So much for so called "highly skilled". Young guys out there, in their 20s....think twice about making America your permanent home. Right now, it is very discouraging.

[eb3retro]

Believe it or not, I was about to open a thread like this. And here is the worst part, my AP has been approved 10 days ago, and so far neither the online status changed to approved nor i have received the approval copy. 2 ways I found out my AP was approved was through my local congressman and I took an infopass appointment. In the info pass appointment when I asked what is causing the delay in sending an approved AP, the officer says, if you did not get the approval notice in 45 days, call us back. This after waiting for more than 90days from the date of application. So, its not there until you have it in hand. Merely getting an approval these days is not enough, since they take anywhere upto 45 days to send the approval to you.

Attrocity to the core and the height of irresponsibility.

[LostInGCProcess]

Originally Posted by kumar1

So much for so called "highly skilled". Young guys out there, in their 20s....think twice about making America your permanent home. Right now, it is very discouraging.

It is sad. When you call USCIS to get some information, its almost like we are hitting against an Iron wall. They dont give out any information except read from a standard text. They could as well have some automated machine to read those out.

I just want to know if there is an official explanation for the delay in EAD renewal from USCIS. Wonder why it takes that long when they already have all our 'janamkundli' with them.

[blacktongue]

Has anyone polled to see if it is everyone or only EB2 case, any service center, country.

[ramudu]

My EAD is now pending 96 days..no luck..not going anywhere with USCIS - they have stopped responding also.

All your posting makes sense but I suggest each of us write a letter to CISOmbudsman explaining your case so that it gets documented and they can put some pressure on USCIS on explaining as to why across the board they are dealyed i issuing EAD renewal. USCIS keeps claiming its only 1.3% of cases thats pending but why? What reason? We all understand they may be loaded but atleast if they cant handle the laod they should admit it and issue interim EAD. Just keping mum does not help. What i cant understand is if they can approve my AP on time whats the issue with EAD?

I have really started questioning myself as to why i am in this country. Its no more a land of oppurtunity..its really disccouraging for the young graduates who are heading to this country or graduating in US Universities.

[chakdepatte]

been 90+ days no news on AP. called USCIS for delay and now I get an email about RFE on me and my wifes AP.

any ideas, what type of RFE's being issued for APs?

response will be greatly appreciated.

-Chakdepatte.

[gc_on_demand]

they have delayed processing time so more people will file for premium processing and they earn more money. H1b quota is not filling up and all of a sudden processing time went from 2 to 6-7 months in 1 month. Because so many people ( h1 - h4 ) might be travelling in dec - jan season. Come back in feb - march and processing time will be again 2 months.

[bigboy007]

Originally Posted by gc_on_demand

they have delayed processing time so more people will file for premium processing and they earn more money. H1b quota is not filling up and all of a sudden processing time went from 2 to 6-7 months in 1 month. Because so many people ( h1 - h4 ) might be travelling in dec - jan season. Come back in feb - march and processing time will be again 2 months.

ICPS printing problems , Delays in approving will happen even if they make premium - join me in this drive if your EAD Card approved and still waiting... we need more people... let the word spread ASAP.

http://immigrationvoice.org/forum/fo...er-here-4.html (EAD CPO / Approved but no Card yet - Gather here)

[LostInGCProcess]

If USCIS says, there is no problem to continue with our employment as long as we have applied for EAD renewal, there wouldn't be all this emotions. Every one would have normal BP. They must just come out and say that I would be ok to continue working.

It is so inhuman to treat us like this. They say "The day EAD expires, you must quit working until you receive the new EAD card".

Most of our jobs are replaceable in today's world. There is no shortage of "skilled workers". So, I for sure cannot take a long leave and wait for EAD to come by and re-join....because my job would be gone by then to some other "skilled" person. And its not easy to get another one quickly and without moving to a different place.

[swissgear]

I think it all started in 2007. As you guys know there were mass applications filed in 2007 from everyone who were current including EB2/ROW/I/C and EB3 /ROW/I/C.

AFAIK, close to 1 million applications were filed during this period if you include 485s , EADs and APs and all by all the folks.

All was fine until this time and then came 2008 where some people who were still on H1 applied for EADs and APs as USCIS started to give EADs for 2 years.

Then in 2008 there was a new rule put in place stating that there need to be an Employer-Employee relationship for the people working on H1, this has created some kind of panic among employees and employers and people started to invoke EADs left and right thinking it was not safe to continue to be on H1.

And since then as the economy started to take toll, people were laid off and employers were not willing to transfer H1s as they were too many queries on H1 extensions and transfers. Everyone thought that it was never to be safe to be on H1 and started to invoke EADs either to change for better jobs and people looking for jobs also invoked EADs as it was easier to move..

Then came Oct 2009 and we saw that not many Labors are getting filed by EB2 ROW applicants and very few employers were filing Labors as the Unemployment was in 2 digits % wise and were not able to convince DOS on non availability of citizen/PRs workers to do same or similar jobs.

Also most of the Labors were audited and it took close to a year to clear all that backlog before people were eventually approved in EB2-ROW applicants, until we saw July visa bulletin which raised our hopes.Based on the spill over they were supposed to approve close more than 40k EB2 I/C applications in the last 3 months of the year.

But there was a twist in their understanding. As most of the people who got EADs in 2008 were ripe for renewals(this includes EB-2 ROW/I/C, EB-3 ROW/I/C).And hence applied in mass for their renewals. This caused a huge delay in approving the EAD renewals and you have already heard sad stories about it..

Out of all this, All I can say is that USCIS was working harder than ever during the past 3-4 months to approve so many cases and hence I assume there is a genuine workload to clear all those cases.

Based on the approval trends, I think they have already allocated visas to the applicants who were current and started to approve as soon as the case has been looked into unlike what they used to follow of requesting visas after final verification.

Remember USCIS cannot give an excuse of not utilizing all the visas for the current year and blame on FBI name checks and all , as they had 3 sweet years to adjudicate the applications. And I guess they were under tremendous pressure to approve the cases by Sept 2010 month end.

Just my Honest Opinion.

[mailmy_gc]

Originally Posted by LostInGCProcess

If USCIS says, there is no problem to continue with our employment as long as we have applied for EAD renewal, there wouldn't be all this emotions. Every one would have normal BP. They must just come out and say that I would be ok to continue working.

It is so inhuman to treat us like this. They say "The day EAD expires, you must quit working until you receive the new EAD card".

Most of our jobs are replaceable in today's world. There is no shortage of "skilled workers". So, I for sure cannot take a long leave and wait for EAD to come by and re-join....because my job would be gone by then to some other "skilled" person. And its not easy to get another one quickly and without moving to a different place.

Is it OK to take paid vacation when EAD expires ?? or Do we need to take unpaid vacation.

My EAD is pending for 100 days now. I still have have 18 days to go. I applied 118 days before... I tried all the ways, I can but none of them yet worked. Took infopass appointment, contacted senator, called USCIS and expadaite, sent mail to Ombudsman (no response at all).

Totally frustrated ...

BTW, did any one got EAD approval from NSC this week.

[Hello_Hello]

No sir.
USCIS has been publishing, the total number of application for all kind of services have been falling sharply in last 2 years. This is plain harassment and nothing else.

Originally Posted by swissgear

I think it all started in 2007. As you guys know there were mass applications filed in 2007 from everyone who were current including EB2/ROW/I/C and EB3 /ROW/I/C.
Just my Honest Opinion.

[mitasa]

I’ve been reading too many posts, queries and concerns and feel that I am not sailing alone.

I have a few questions:

1) How does USCIS work? Do they have a set of rules? Is there a law stating they would provide AP or EAD (for all legal eligible cases) within 90, 120, 150 or 200 days?

2) How can a person who is trying to immigrate legally (tax paying) make USCIS answerable for all these delays?

3) Does the law of the land provide any opportunity for us (people trying to immigrate legally) to question USCIS for the delay?

I’m all questions. Please share your thoughts….

Thanks in Advance