Immigration Forum / USA Marriage Base / August 2006

I filed a K-1 fiancee visa last May 26. At that time the new forms had not
been issued. My fiancee is from Philippines and I met her in person and
stayed with her from February to March of this year.

On June 9 I received my I-797 Notice of Action and a WAC number.

On July 6, they sent me the standard RFE (Request for Further Evidence)
which I was expecting, to my home address. I was shocked to find out that it
was returned to them by the post office as "undeliverable".

I braced the mail carrier, who said that it must have somehow gotten into
the wrong "route bag". I said this was outrageous, I have been getting mail
here for years, since 1997. The only piece of mail that really mattered to
me was somehow mis-routed? Unbelieveable!

I called the USCIS and they did not buy my story at first. I asked for the
RFE to be re-issued to my home address. One phone attendant stated that the
entire K-1 package would have to be re-submitted. I called again and the
next person said my only chance to obtain the RFE would be to file a change
of address.

I immediately went out and rented a Post Office box. I called them back and
gave them the new P.O. box address. After 3 weeks I called again and asked
"where is my RFE?".  No new info. I kept calling back.

Finally I found a phone person who told me that the RFE had been "made" on
July 27. I had to allow 30 days before I could call back about it again. I
stated that I live in Las Vegas and the Service Center is in Laguna Niguel,
California. Regular mail takes 3-4 days. They stated that immigration mail
takes 30 days.

I am writing this on August 28 and I have yet to receive the RFE. I am
hoping my case is on the front burner as a result and that it will proceed
when and if this document is sent to me and returned satisfactorily to the
USCIS.

In the meantime, my fiancee and I are suffering the drawn out torture of
waiting. I have a bad feeling about this, that my case will take much longer
than usual all because of a USPS error of some sort. I am trying to be
patient but it's very very hard for me because I love my fiancee so much and
she longs to be with me also. I guess I'm just venting a little steam but I
think that this is a very sad situation and it could happen to anyone
because of our postal service.

Even the Post Office box is not 100% reliable. I have found other people's
mail in my box many times since I opened it. I always present it to the desk
clerk and they state that they handle so much mail that mistakes are
inevitable. Such is our postal system and our immigration system. Can anyone
give me some idea whether I will ever receive the RFE, or if my case will be
accelerated or just plod along at the usual speed? Anyone else have this
experience? Thanks in advance for all comments and support!