DREAM Act Portal Forum - My Congressman got me APPROVED!

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My Congressman got me APPROVED!

Hello all,

Thought I'd share an interesting tidbit. This is especially helpful for October expirees who have their cases currently delayed. Or November expirees who want to be proactive.

My EAD expiration was supposed to be today at 10/15. I sent in my application 6/6, literally a few days after the new I-821D form came out and was received at 6/9. Since I filed very early, I did not feel much of a need to do a walk-in (in fact, I tried, but my local office was strict and didn't let me), so I went per my printed biometrics date at 7/2.

After that...NOTHING. I waited 1 month, 2 months, then when it hit the 3 month mark at 9/9 (the day I started my first big girl job), the nightmare began. I started calling USCIS, setting up InfoPass appointments, staying on hold for tier 2 reps and to no avail. I filed an ombudsman request with DHS and they said they would get back to me in 60 days, something I obviously didn't have. I reached out to NILC and they said they would raise my case with USCIS but I didn't hear anything from them after the "we're working on it" email.

At month 4, 10/9, less than a week from expiration, I reached out to my Congressman and Senator. Unfortunately, although I faxed the privacy release form to Senator Durbin, I don't think his office ever got it, because I got an email saying that they needed it. I refaxed it, but I think his office was much too busy to look into a missing fax and pair it with a previously sent email inquiry, so I never heard back from them.

At 10/10, Congressman Bill Foster's office got in touch with me. I scanned the privacy release form and sent it personally to one of his aides and they said, like all the others, that they would look into it.

The difference here is that they actually DID. I got an email from their office that they had contacted a Congressional Liaison at USCIS. They asked about a temp EAD for me, but instead was told something better. A call would be placed to the supervisor of my unit to get my case adjudicated IMMEDIATELY. That day being a Friday, I didn't expect to hear back, and Monday being Columbus day, I didn't expect to hear back either. Yesterday at 10/14 was my last day (I expire 10/15). I gave myself some peace and went to sleep. I did what I could.

Woke up today in the wee hours of the morning to my text message ringtone. They were USCIS confirmation texts. I check my case status and it says I was approved yesterday 10/14, just in the nick of time. There would be no gap between my expiration and renewal. The nightmare is over.

Just letting everyone know this because it doesn't seem like it's a venue most people have shopped in to get a resolution. I did not even have the SLIGHTEST idea that Congressional Liaisons existed. So to all that are concerned about your expiration dates, it is worth it to reach out to your Congressman!