Green card processing time????

[MMM2003]

name of your state? NY
I have submitted the Green card application based on immediate relative of US citizen last August 4. I just got payment receit after aweek of submission and yesterday I received notice of action with receipt No., A number( I think visa number) and asked me to call NCSC to get schdule for fingure printing and biometric taken. When I check the case status online by using the receipt number there is a written note that they received (NCSC) on Oct 23 ( I submitted to NYC local office last August) and processing time will take 120-180 days for this type of case.
So it is too fast compared to 24 months for NYC local BCIS office.
Is there anyone who knows about this priocessing time and procedure?
After the fingure print how long should I need to wait for interview? ( By the way i will get appointment date on December)
response and advices are very much appreciated.

[Mrowka]

My boyfriend is in exactly the same situation. I just spoke to BCIS and was told that in NY the processing time will be close to 24 months, and not 180 days listed on website, unless you are being sponsored by a us citizen spouse.
And the time starts counting from the "received" date (in your case October 23), not the date of fee receipt.

I believe that cases filed in NY District office are sent to Missouri for processing (I bet if you look at the bottom of your Notice of Action, it will list Lee's Summit, MO address) and as of September 1 they were processing I-485 applications received 4/11/2003.
But it is hard to get any reliable info out of BCIS.
If anyone has any other info I'd be interested in hearing it too))))

[MMM2003]

Thank you for your information. For the processing time let's wait and see how that work.

[phwl]

Mrowka, are you correct when you wrote the year as 2003?

[MMM2003]

Originally posted by phwl
Mrowka, are you correct when you wrote the year as 2003?

I know she wrote Nov 4, 2003 as some of the country writing style that I am used to.
Yes Phwl when I check case status online for my I 485, they said the processing time will take between 120- 180 days. So it is very fast compared to 24 months. That is why we need to wait and see. 120-180 days from the date I received the notice of action, ( nearly 3 months of my original application) is too good to be true.

[phwl]

I am referring to the date mentioned by Mrowka: "as of September 1 they were processing I-485 applications received 4/11/2003." I think that must be wrong. My wife and I submitted our application packet back in October of 2002. They have not began to process applications from that time. The last time I spoke to our lawyer, he told us that they are processing applications from April, 2001. In theory, they need to process all of the applications submitted from April 2001, through September 2002 before they get to ours. Then, when they reach our application, we will still have to wait the estimated time for processing. If you know anything different, please let me know. Thanks.

[MMM2003]

Ok Let me explain about my case that is similar to Mrowka. I submitted my application I 485 package on August 4, 2003 to NYC local BCIS office. I got only yellow payment receipt after a week that you already know. Then on Oct 31 ( I forgot the exact date) the Notice of action from National Customer Service Center NCSC, Lee's Summit, Mo ( please note not local NYC BCIS office) with A# number, case number to check online and their response date of Oct 23 but still have written that received date of my original application August 5, one day later of my submission by mail. When I check the case status online "we have received your application on Oct 22 and processing time will take between 120-180 days for this kind of case" etc. Mrow ka means the 120-180days start to count from the date received to NCSC. In my notice of action I got to schdule by ph to do fingure print and biometric taken by ph. I did and I got schdule on Dec 11. So during 5months of my original application I got to go for fingure printing.
I think we need to submit to local BCIS service and they forwarded my application to NCSC and then keep processing. That is why they wrote seperate date of received Aug 5 received at NYC BCIS office and Oct 22 of NCSC office. That 120-180days processing will start from the date of Oct 22 at the NCSC office to complete.
By the way for the EAD I got to do biometric taken ( digital picture at application assistant center at the same day of the fingure printing but different time. BCIS said it is requirements but no matter how long it will take. The EAD I got it when the 91st day of original application ( i got on Nov 5) and still i need to do biometric taken on Dec 11 but i can work during this time.
That is why that is much different from the processing I have known from the previous applicant and asked New Style GC processing?
If you still not clear the case i mentioned donot hesitate to ask me again.

[ogwhit]

Don't be surprised, I submited my I90 to renew my green card because it was expiring , and the processing time for me to get a new one, takes anywhere from 430 to 460 days. That's only for a renewal, I don't know what it would be for anyone who applies now....maybe 5 years?

[phwl]

Thanks for the reply's. MMM, did you submit your application directly to the INS office in Manhattan (26 Federal Plaza) or did you submit it through a local assistance center? Our lawyer sent our application to 26 Federal Plaza. And he told us that if you submit the application directly to the field office (26 Federal Plaza), you do not get a notice of action or "A" number, which means we cannot go online and check the status of our case. Our application was submitted Oct, 2002. We haven't heard anything from them, so we went to the office and got the EAD (work authorization) ourselves based on the 90 day wait which passed. Funny thing is about a month after we went and got the EAD, they mailed us an appointment to go get it. Other than that letter, we have had no other correspondence with them. As you can see, we've been waiting over a year now (Oct, 2002 - Nov, 2003) and I think they are only up to processing the applications that were submitted in April 2001. Does this sound right to you? do you have any other information which we might not know? Thanks.

[MMM2003]

Hi Phwl,
I submitted my application to 26 Fredral Plaza directly. First day I went there my self but the information room staffs told me to submit my mail and I went back drop to post office and send by certified mail. After aweek I got yellow receipt for the payments and I thought I expect to get A# number and notice receipt. I didnot hire any lawer and I did everything by myself. After 5-6 weeks I donot get anything and I started to worry so I asked once in this web and you answered. Then I went to discuss a lawer that my application is something wrong and if I need I am willing to hire that lawer. The lawer also said that if I submit to Frederal Plaza directly we will not get any letter and just yellow small receipt is fine and nothing went worng and even I asked to hire they refuse because they cannot do anything.
Then I got a inquiry ph to BCIS by another lawer from internet 1-800-375-5283 to call. I called to talk person assistant and they also answered same thing that NY BCIS office will not give any notice of action and I didnot do anything wrong. And the person said the applicant who submit to NY office cannot check case status online. So I was thinking same like that.
But last end of Oct when I got notice of action from NSCS I got surprise and I am happy because at least I can check case status online and something I can show I am submitting the application.
I can imagine your case and if you have time please call that 1800 number to ask what is going on. Just mention you submit in which date etc. and what should you do.
One possible thing the BCIS has changed from INS and being under Depertment of Home land Security since this June 2003 and most of the processing styles are changing. I submitted after that and I am in the new processing style and you are in old processing style. But pleasde donot worry that to issue green card to applicant they will issue the senior order submission date. This is my logic. Anyway if you have time please call 1800 BCIS NCSC. I will keep you inform about my application just to have an idea because we are going same destination.

[phwl]

MMM, thanks again for your reply. It does sound like we are in the same situation. I just read an immigration article in todays newspaper (Newsday) and another person is in the exact situation. They answered that the wait for this type of application can take up to 3 years total and not to worry. They also referenced the same telephone humber you gave me. I will give them a call Monday and see what they can do to check the status. I don't know what the differences are between the new and the old style of processing. If you have any more information, or find out anything, please let me know. You can email me if you like, or write me here. "phwl@aol.com" Thanks.

[Mrowka]

sorry for late reply.
The processing time I quoted was supposedly what the Missouri Processing Center reports. I found it in a few places, mostly immigration help or immigration lawyer's websites. It's probably correct, since I found the same dates in many different places, but honestly, after giving it some thought, I don't understand what they mean by it :-)
What they say is that they process applications "receipted on or before" right now, June 2, 2003. But given the amount of "travelling" the applications do, it's hard to determine which date to go by. Also, as I understand, the date refers only to processing done by this office, and after they are done, the case will be sent back to the field office for scheduling the interview and decision. I might be wrong, since the BCIS customer service representatives aren't always forthcoming with explanations of the process, and sometimes they are wrong. (I happened twice to have received completely incorrect answer from them. To get reliable info, it's better to ask to be transferred to an Immigration Officer)

[phwl]

It seems that there are no sure answers fromm BCIS. The only thing I have heard is from my lawyer who said that they are presently processing applications that were submitted in April 2001. Since we applied in October, 2002, is stands to reason that they need to process all of the applications before us (April, 2001 to October, 2002) And for this they cannot give us an estimate since that is determined by how many applications they can manage to process, and that can be slower or faster. It would be nice if we could at least be able to get an accurate status check though.