Now, aint that funny

Day #235 -
We're still in the National Visa Center step of the process. And let me tell you, it's a NIGHTMARE! I'm not even sure where to begin.

   While in the National Visa Center step, three forms and two fees are required. And, you cannot submit anything until they request you to do so. This is the truth, regardless of what the misinformed or badly trained representatives over the phone have told me. We'll get to that later.
   The first form they request is called the DS-3230 or the choice of agent form. This is a short form and basically asks where you want all further correspondence to be sent. I scanned and emailed this form in over two weeks ago. The second they emailed it to me, I filled it out, scanned it and emailed it back. Every time I call, which is daily, they have no record of it. When I email about it I get one of their many automated messages stating they have not received it. So I have Lois Capps office email it just a couple of days ago and BAM! I get a forwarded email from her that was from the NVC. AND I get two emails from the NVC with an invoice, allowing me to pay the next fee of $230. Now, aint that funny! I'm very scared to try to pay again on line and this is is why:

   Over the past two weeks I have been trying to pay the Affidavit of Support fee of $88. The status went from PROCESSING to NOT PAID. I call, the representative says she'll send a new invoice. As usual, she can't give me a time frame of when I can pay again. I call later that night, am told she shouldn't have requested a new invoice and that request has frozen up our account. Wait 24 hours. I wait 24 hours, still can't make a payment. Call again, wait 24 hours, I'm told again. This goes on all week. At the same time I'm emailing the NVC's supervisors and wow! They have an automated email for this problem, as well! So I get that lovely email on a daily basis. Finally I get a representative that seems to know what he's talking about. He tells me wait to wait til Tuesday, that the system would be reset by then.

   Tuesday comes along and, well, would ya look at that. I still have no option to pay. It just reads REJECTED. Nice, nice! I call AGAIN. And what does the representative tell me? You guessed it! Wait 24 hours! I had about enough and said I'll overnight the payment. I've received different time frames for that processing but I can't deal with the on line stuff any longer. So yesterday I overnighted the money order to them. And by overnight, I guess they mean it'll be there in two days. I asked Lois Capps office to inquire about this and they tell her there is no record of me trying to make a payment. Yeah, shocking.

   The other problem I'm facing is that a handful of the representatives had told me I could send in all the paperwork, even though i hadn't been able to pay the fees. So I sent in my AOS packet. That was $14 to send in, mind you. Now I'm being told by Lois Capps office that it could be sent back, if there has been no payment. Can the representatives be less trained?!

   Now I am going to go on line and try to make the payment for the DS-230 form of $230. If I have no option to pay again, I'll just overnight it. Another $19. Money we don't really have but have no choice. It take them 15 business days to process a payment through mail. So we don't have the time to just mail the payments in with the normal delivery time.

   My main frustration is the fact that I can never get a straight answer. Everyone tells me something different. Thank God I didn't mail in the DS-230, as a few representatives had said I could do, or that definitely would have been sent back. If they mail my AOS package back to me I'm going to lose it. If their office wasn't across the Country, I'd be right there! Though, me driving to LA to the USCIS headquarters was a waste of time and energy. So who knows!

   And for some positive news! Our story made it into our local newspaper, the Tribune! The link is http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2012/07/08/2136304/arroyo-grande-woman-and-daughter.html. Very exciting! And since that article ran on Monday I've been contacted by a local Immigration Lawyer and our local news station, KSBY! I'm over the moon! I'm meeting with the Immigration Lawyer tomorrow morning. I'll let you know how that goes. I emailed Hope Hanselman of KSBY back, so hopefully, I'll be hearing from her soon too! So exciting! Now wheres Ellen and Oprah??

   Everything else has been running smoothly. I love my Crisis Intervention class. We had a mid-term yesterday. Lets just say, it was more intense than I had anticipated. Chloe is doing well. Yesterday she was yelling DADDY LOVES ME!! And running around the house. It was pretty cute. I'll have more updates soon!
Candance & Chloe