J1 Hardship Waiver - DOS Post Input

[budo]

budo, I still have a technical problem on the DoS online status check, I cannot see my other old cases and no updates on my current case. I was wondering if you have heard back from the DoS regarding this technical issue on their website? If yes, what did they write? Thanks in advance

Hello Zoroj,

 

I finally got a laconic response from DOS. They chose to ignore my question about the technical difficulties we are experiencing when we try to access our cases online.  Here is it:

 

Thank you for contacting the 212e Waiver Inquiries.

 

Per the records of the Waiver Review Division (WRD), your hardship waiver is pending processing review.

 

Our Waiver Review Division is making every effort to offer expedited processing for our J-1visa waiver applicants. 

 

The processing time of three to four months is an estimated timeframe and sometimes can take longer.  When all documents have been received, requests for exceptional hardship cases are taken in order of receipt.  We assure you that your request will be processed as soon as possible.  You may continue to monitor the status of your request by going to https://j1visawaiverrecommendation.state.gov/ and using the case number.

 

We hope this information is helpful.

 

Regards,

 

Visa Specialist/SEA

Waiver Review Division

U.S. Department of State

Bureau of Consular Affairs

212ewaiver@state.gov

 

[Zarrina]

Hello Zoroj,

 

I finally got a laconic response from DOS. They chose to ignore my question about the technical difficulties we are experiencing when we try to access our cases online.  Here is it:

 

Thank you for contacting the 212e Waiver Inquiries.

 

Per the records of the Waiver Review Division (WRD), your hardship waiver is pending processing review.

 

Our Waiver Review Division is making every effort to offer expedited processing for our J-1visa waiver applicants. 

 

The processing time of three to four months is an estimated timeframe and sometimes can take longer.  When all documents have been received, requests for exceptional hardship cases are taken in order of receipt.  We assure you that your request will be processed as soon as possible.  You may continue to monitor the status of your request by going to https://j1visawaiverrecommendation.state.gov/ and using the case number.

 

We hope this information is helpful.

 

Regards,

 

Visa Specialist/SEA

Waiver Review Division

U.S. Department of State

Bureau of Consular Affairs

212ewaiver@state.gov

 

budo, I got also an email from them ignoring the technical problem but letting me know that the DoS gave me a favorable recommendation on my case and now USCIS has to make the final decision. Hope to get USCIS approval update soon. I wish you good luck and I have a feeling that you will get a favorable recommendation soon. I will constantly check this forum and try to share my experience.  Take care

[Internal medicine]

Not really.  It does not matter.  Only your case details do.  DOS scores based on how many individuals in the family are effected, how severely affected.  DOS has review committees for medical issues to citizens.  However for country conditions, they need to reach out to other agencies and/or consulates in those countries to verify the claimed hardship.  That takes time.  Till they receive the response from foreign sources they will not review the response and take action and approve. However, if it is medical hardship only, that takes lesser time because the review is done at DOS.  Based on the number of individuals (US citizens and GC holders) affected, they will give priority to the case, atleast that is what i have noticed in many cases.  I cant say all cases, but many cases i have seen. Good luck.

Thank you for the clarification.

[Internal medicine]

Got Favorable Recommendation today morning. I checked my status at 12:00AM nothing nothing was there. Checked at 4:30AM, Favourable Recommendation. DoS is working very fast. Good luck to all of you.  

Congrats Zoroj. When did DoS receive your I612/613 and letter of need if applicable?

[budo]

budo, I got also an email from them ignoring the technical problem but letting me know that the DoS gave me a favorable recommendation on my case and now USCIS has to make the final decision. Hope to get USCIS approval update soon. I wish you good luck and I have a feeling that you will get a favorable recommendation soon. I will constantly check this forum and try to share my experience.  Take care

Congrats Zoroj. Good luck on the rest of the journey. I hope I too will soon be able to celebrate. 

[Zarrina]

Congrats Zoroj. When did DoS receive your I612/613 and letter of need if applicable?

DoS received my i612/613 on March 21, 2016. They did not ask any letters because my funding was from international organization. 

[Internal medicine]

DoS received my i612/613 on March 21, 2016. They did not ask any letters because my funding was from international organization. 

Oh, They received mine on exactly the same day, but then there was a letter of need uploaded a week ago. Hopefully this won't delay things much. Thanks for sharing. 

[Internal medicine]

DoS Just sent a favorable recommendation today :):):). Best wishes to every one.

For other applicants to know. It took 5 weeks to get the recommendation from the time DoS received my I-612/I-613 and only 10 days after receiving the letter of need. It seems those guys are rocking and rolling.

[asd3]

did any body had the waiver based on extreme hardship of Egypt?

[yan]

Was your waiver hardship based? 

DoS Just sent a favorable recommendation today :):):). Best wishes to every one.

For other applicants to know. It took 5 weeks to get the recommendation from the time DoS received my I-612/I-613 and only 10 days after receiving the letter of need. It seems those guys are rocking and rolling.

[yan]

Was it a hardship waiver? Did you have Fulbright funding? For how long?

 

thanks

budo, I got also an email from them ignoring the technical problem but letting me know that the DoS gave me a favorable recommendation on my case and now USCIS has to make the final decision. Hope to get USCIS approval update soon. I wish you good luck and I have a feeling that you will get a favorable recommendation soon. I will constantly check this forum and try to share my experience.  Take care

[HE1980]

did any body had the waiver based on extreme hardship of Egypt?

 

I am from Egypt I applied to USCIS on 12/16/15 , still I- 612/ I-613 not sent to DOS.

 

My brother got it two years back, and a friend just got it few days ago all from Egypt.

[asd3]

I am from Egypt I applied to USCIS on 12/16/15 , still I- 612/ I-613 not sent to DOS.

 

My brother got it two years back, and a friend just got it few days ago all from Egypt.

thanks for reply, my I612/i613 sent to DOS at feb18, however since this time up to around a month, my case was pending, Now I can not see my statue since DOS has a technical issue, regarding for brother or your friend, did any of them have a fund from Egyptian government ?

[Zarrina]

Was it a hardship waiver? Did you have Fulbright funding? For how long?

 

thanks

Mine was not Fulbright funding. I had international organization funding and I was subject based on the skill list.

[HE1980]

thanks for reply, my I612/i613 sent to DOS at feb18, however since this time up to around a month, my case was pending, Now I can not see my statue since DOS has a technical issue, regarding for brother or your friend, did any of them have a fund from Egyptian government ?

Thanks for your reply

 

All of us are Physicians in training her so the funding is from here, not from Egypt. When did you papers reach the USCIS ? it had been more than 4 month for me ? and they didn't send the I-612 yet.

 

My brother took about a month in DOS , but that was 2013 , my friend was recently , it took him 4 month in DOS. 

[budo]

Thanks for your reply

 

All of us are Physicians in training her so the funding is from here, not from Egypt. When did you papers reach the USCIS ? it had been more than 4 month for me ? and they didn't send the I-612 yet.

 

My brother took about a month in DOS , but that was 2013 , my friend was recently , it took him 4 month in DOS. 

 

The processing takes time and varies from case to case. My application has been pending for 13 months now. I used Fulbright funding, so DOS and the sponsor's recommendations considerably slow down the process. UCIS sent my I-612 and I-613 to DOS after 4 months, but it took DOS 5 months to request the sponsor's views, which they have not gotten yet. Now I can't even check the status of my case because of technical issues on DOS website. Very Frustrating!

[asd3]

Thanks for your reply

 

All of us are Physicians in training her so the funding is from here, not from Egypt. When did you papers reach the USCIS ? it had been more than 4 month for me ? and they didn't send the I-612 yet.

 

My brother took about a month in DOS , but that was 2013 , my friend was recently , it took him 4 month in DOS. 

my case took exactly 4 months with USCIS, it was received sep 21,2015 and approved jan 21,2016.

[HE1980]

The processing takes time and varies from case to case. My application has been pending for 13 months now. I used Fulbright funding, so DOS and the sponsor's recommendations considerably slow down the process. UCIS sent my I-612 and I-613 to DOS after 4 months, but it took DOS 5 months to request the sponsor's views, which they have not gotten yet. Now I can't even check the status of my case because of technical issues on DOS website. Very Frustrating!

 

Thanks allot for your reply , all the good luck for you and for us all

[Internal medicine]

Was your waiver hardship based? 

Yes it was hardship based. Hardship for my wife and child.

[yan]

Hi budo,

 

I am also a Fulbrighter waiting for a hardship waiver. Please share any information or updates you get and so will I. If ok with you please answer the following question.

 

Did you apply through a lawyer? What was the basis of your waiver? and what country were you from? 

 

thanks

 

The processing takes time and varies from case to case. My application has been pending for 13 months now. I used Fulbright funding, so DOS and the sponsor's recommendations considerably slow down the process. UCIS sent my I-612 and I-613 to DOS after 4 months, but it took DOS 5 months to request the sponsor's views, which they have not gotten yet. Now I can't even check the status of my case because of technical issues on DOS website. Very Frustrating!

[HE1980]

USCIS calfornia Service center seems to be packed up, the processing time website shows septemper 16 as the last application finished by them.

 

It had been showing the same for the last 2 month, before that it was showing 4 month since I applied back in december.

 

Any one had his I-612/I -613 sent recently to DOS ? if yes when did you apply to USCIS ?

 

Thanks

[budo]

Hi budo,

 

I am also a Fulbrighter waiting for a hardship waiver. Please share any information or updates you get and so will I. If ok with you please answer the following question.

 

Did you apply through a lawyer? What was the basis of your waiver? and what country were you from? 

 

thanks

Hello Yan,

 

Yes, I applied through a lawyer on the basis of hardship to my three dependent US citizens. I am from West Africa. My family and country conditions should make  the decision in my case a no-brainer, but when Fulbright funding is involved, it is always difficult to predict the outcome even if the evidence is on your side. The fact that the decision is made at multiple levels makes it extremely hard for applicants to get the waiver. However, it is not impossible. I actually know a Fulbright fellow who applied for the hardship waiver twice and got it each time.. 

[rags1979]

Yes it was hardship based. Hardship for my wife and child.

Is hardship you are referring to based on separation or medical issues or country conditions or all of these? Based on the nature of the hardship, it can take longer or shorter...

[Internal medicine]

Is hardship you are referring to based on separation or medical issues or country conditions or all of these? Based on the nature of the hardship, it can take longer or shorter...

Country conditions as well as economic, educational, and social hardships.

[asd3]

today the technical issue is resolved,

the problem lasted for around a month,

for the people who had a technical issue for statue checking on DOS, check your case and feed back with others.