USCIS
It appears we need some more clarification from USCIS.
There is some discussion about who is eligible for “one free renewal”. At least one agency is telling their families that only those who pay the new, higher fee, are eligible. They say that the increased cost accounts for the free renewal.
Other agencies are saying anyone with an expiration in August or later will be able to get their one free renewal.
Some people have called USCIS offices to check on their individual case. Numerous people have been told that since they expire in July that they will have to pay for another one, while those with an August expiration have been told they lucked out and will get a free extension if they reapply before their current one expires but after July 31st.
If anyone has any information that might help us be sure, one way or the other, please share.
June 8th, 2007 at 11:31 am
Our I171h actually expired June 7. I called uscis last week and they said as long as we get it to them before the 7th it will be renewed for free. I over nighted it on Monday they got it this Tuesday. I called on wed and again I was told it will be renewed for free because it did not expire. I hope this helps. We live in Nj and I mailed all my document to Newark Nj.
June 8th, 2007 at 11:58 am
hey another loop has been added in the adoption rollercoaster……..
June 8th, 2007 at 11:59 am
thirdtimearound thats great to hear…ours expires June 28th and our agency told us “too bad”
I tried calling USCIS Chicago a couple of times but was only able to leave a message…I hope they allow ours through also.
I’m wondering even if they say No, I should just send it in anyway…and hope the person reviewing puts-it-through.
June 8th, 2007 at 12:30 pm
We just renewed and the information our USCIS officer gave us is one of the scenarios, which RQ has posted.
In order to receive the free extension, which goes into effect on July 30th 2007 along with the increased rates, your I-171H needs to be current (in other words will not expire before 7/30/07) and you have to reapply before it expires.
In my case, our 171 expires 7/18/07 - we will not be eligible for the extension.
I am very interested to hear what happens with thirdtimearound. Have you received your new I-171H yet? That would be great news to me!!
June 8th, 2007 at 12:43 pm
Our I-171H expires in early August but we already applied for a renewal — actually, we submitted our I-600A just 3 business days prior to the extension being announced. Our understanding is that we would have qualified for the free extension had we not already submitted our paperwork.
I have an INFOPASS appointment scheduled for early Tuesday morning. I have a list of questions I plan on asking and hope to get clarification on who is eligible for the extension, what the process is, how long the extension is for, what is required (e.g. forms, HS update, etc.), fingerprint issues, etc. I’ll post what they tell me after the meeting.
June 8th, 2007 at 1:02 pm
Large China-only agency confirms that those whose I171H expires on or after 7/31/07 are eligible for free re-file as long as they re-apply before I171h expires. Agency also said that my re-fingerprinting will be free.
June 8th, 2007 at 1:32 pm
I was on the phone three times yesterday with the LA office of USCIS. They insist that the new rule and the free renewal doesn’t go into effect until July 30, 2007. So if your I600A expires BEFORE July 30, 2007, you are screwed and have to pay a renewal fee.
We expire on June 16, 2007. I had an appointment through INFOPASS to go down there this morning and turn in my stuff. When they insisted I was going to have to pay the $800 to renew, I bailed on my appointment and went to watch my son’s school performance.
If anyone finds out anything contrary–like gets a statement from USCIS in DC before next Thursday, I would be SOOOOO grateful. We’ve got the $800 but I’d rather spend it on staying home with the kids as I’m sure many others in the same position would agree.
June 8th, 2007 at 1:35 pm
I just got the following response from USCIS Chicago:
“Headquarters has provided us with strict guidelines in implementing the New Fee Schedule. The orphan unit is not allowed to deviate from these guidelines in order to make exceptions.”
…The way things are stretching-on-and-on-and-on, I’m letting everything expire and will renew in several months. My LID is 3/23/06 so there is a very good chance that everything will expire once again before a referral if I renew right away.
June 8th, 2007 at 1:48 pm
p12,
We are 3/21/06 and I’m trying to decide what to do. After asking my agency I still have no word from them about this new extension and what their advice is. Are you saying you are not going to try to renew your I171H before it expires because Chicago is possibly not allowing the no fee extension and/or because you may just have to renew it all again? I’m sitting on the fence but scared we may be out big money if we don’t make it in before our August expiration and the fee waiver window. I think I’m just dragging my feet because I just can’t believe we have to do all of this paper work AGAIN!!!!! Thanks,
Moon Pie
June 8th, 2007 at 1:49 pm
I’m being lazy…. I looked all over the USCIS website, I am writing my check to renew my fingerprints and I can’t find who to make the check out to…
If anyone is listening…. is it USCIS???
June 8th, 2007 at 1:54 pm
okay, this is post #2–post #1 hasn’t appeared.
I have called my congressman and told them that there is this new rule and that if I have to pay, then I have to pay but it appears that it is being interpreted differently in different parts of the country. They say they will get right on it. I shall attempt [since my posts may be heading into the ether] to keep people updated.
June 8th, 2007 at 1:55 pm
moonpie, my 171h expires June 28th, and have just got confirmation that a free renewal is a No-Go for us.
Since my LID is 3/23/06 ….if things stretch-on as they have, I am sure to have things expire before a referral, and definitely by time we travel to China. I do not want to pay for the same things 3 times (about $1k each time in IL).
I plan to refile everything once December LID’s have been completed.
June 8th, 2007 at 2:01 pm
moonpie, my 171h expires June 28th, and have just got confirmation that a free renewal is a No-Go for us.
Since my LID is 3/23/06 …if things stretch-on as they have, I am sure to have things expire before a referral, and definitely by time we travel to China. I do not want to pay for the same things 3 times (about $1k each time in IL).
I plan to refile everything once December LID’s have been completed.
June 8th, 2007 at 2:08 pm
Here’s a link to the document from the USCIS website.
http://www.uscis.gov/files/nativedocuments/FinalUSCISFeeSchedule052907.pdf
Based on the note in the I-600A section, I think it’s pretty clear that as long as you are not expired, you can renew the 1st time for free.
“NOTE: If you already have an approved I-600A that is about to expire, and have not yet filed your I-600 petition, you can receive one free extension of you I-600A by filing a new I-600A without fee before the first expires.”
But I’m not always great with interpreting these types of government documents, so maybe I’m reading this wrong?
Anyway, I think we will get our free renewal, but I’m wondering how much our 2nd renewal will cost!!! :)
sewhopeful22: checks should be made out to USCIS
June 8th, 2007 at 2:21 pm
AmyNicole - Thanks I just talked to my SW!
June 8th, 2007 at 2:48 pm
Our I171 expires 8/13/07 so I emailed OK City and got the follwing response:
“You will file a new I-600A without fees. However, the new fee sheet does not go into effect until July 30, 2007. So if you wait until then to file, then you will not have to pay the fee.”
LID 4/4/06
June 8th, 2007 at 3:26 pm
If you look at the USCIS website, it says there’s a free renewal for those whose documents expire after 7/30/07, as long as you re-file prior to expiration. If they were only going to give the free re-file to those paying the higher fees (which go into effect 7/30/07) wouldn’t they say the fees would be waived for those whose documents expire after 1/30/09? Since that’s the earliest possible date of expiration for those paying the new fees? KWIM?
June 8th, 2007 at 3:53 pm
Please don’t hate me…. I’m one of the lucky ones who’s expires in August. All of you who renewed already just remember that you will be getting your babies before I do! I would pay the fee if I could move my LID up! :)
I just got off the phone with my SW and she believes that the fingerprinting would also be free if we apply after July 30th. Does this ring true?
June 8th, 2007 at 4:57 pm
AmyNicole wrote~
“NOTE: If you already have an approved I-600A that is about to expire, and have not yet filed your I-600 petition, you can receive one free extension of you I-600A by filing a new I-600A without fee before the first expires.â€
This is all correct except for the part that this does not go into effect until 7/30/07 -so anyone whose I-171H expires prior to this date will not get to take advantage of the “free” extension.
I am not sure how different USCIS branches are misinterpreting this but when I spoke to our branch (very efficient) she didn’t even know it had been posted. Kathy P. from this site tipped me off and I in turn told the officer.
Jo-Anne
2/28/06
June 8th, 2007 at 6:45 pm
There was some discussion about this when it was first announced: http://chinaadopttalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=5153.0
As mom222b says, in order to get the “free” extension your I-171H would have to expire after 7/30/07. This is when the new schedule goes into effect.
June 8th, 2007 at 8:01 pm
Our I-171H does not expire until Nov 07 but our fingerprints expire at the end of June. I e-mailed the OK office and asked them if we would have to pay to re-new fingerprints even though we didn’t have to pay for our I-171. Yesterday, I received an e-mail back (after numerous e-mails back and forth) that as long as we re-new our finger prints before they expire we would not have to pay for them, even when we re-do our I-171H paperwork.
Jag
June 8th, 2007 at 8:21 pm
My fingerprints expired in April, but my I-797 expires ON July 30th… am I totally screwed??? mom22b says “anyone prior to this date” and KathyP says “expire after 7/30/07… my homestudy agency didn’t know today when I asked. Someone clarify ’cause I’ll go nuts all weekend wondering!
June 8th, 2007 at 8:58 pm
I was told by our caseworker that since ours expired on May 23 prior to the July 30 we have to pay another $545. We don’t like it but what do we do, we need it to travel.
June 8th, 2007 at 9:19 pm
My agency told me that since our I-171H does not expire until 8/7/07 that we qualify for the waived fee. They also told me that we do not have to have our fingerprints up to date. They expired in April. So we just need to file the I-600A.
I was also told that you do not immediately have to get your fingerprints done right away after getting the invitation. Not sure how long. But this is a way to extend the expiration date of your new I-171H.
June 8th, 2007 at 9:21 pm
iwantmybaby~
Sorry, I am not sure if this is an on or after 7/30 situation. I would call your local USCIS - if it goes into effect on 7/30 and you reapply before they close for business that day I can’t see why they wouldn’t accept it and give you the extension but that is just me thinking out loud.
Good luck - I missed the cut off by two weeks :(
Jo-Anne
June 9th, 2007 at 9:57 am
It appears most are reading it the way I’m reading it - if you expire in August or later you can get the free extension.
June 9th, 2007 at 10:55 am
The Yakima WA office told me through multiple emails that the free renewal comes to those who will apply for there original I-600 on or after July 30, 2007. Which is also when the higher fees take effect. So the way I read it with the higher fees get you the free renewal. I let them know our document expires in sept. 07 and I’d like the free renewal and her interpretation is that I must renew paying the higher fee then the next time would be free… That’s if we had to do this a third time. So glad for the thread ~ looks like I still have time to get better info ~ hopefully the one that says free this time around.
June 9th, 2007 at 2:50 pm
haclick2006~
Actually the way it was explained to me and the way it seems to have been explained to others who have posted, you will receive the free extension because your I-171H expires in September 07. You will have to wait until after 7/30/07 and reapply (they do not consider this a renewal) before your I-171H expires in September. You will not have to pay a fee period.
If someone is applying the first time on 7/30/07 or after they will have to pay the increased fee.
Lucky you!!!
June 11th, 2007 at 8:46 am
My large China Only told us we would be free when we renew (expire after August), but we would have to pay re-fingerprints (expired already).
I say just pitch a fit with your US Senator’s office & see who folds (Our USCIS *hates it* when a senator’s office calls & they start to move fast & snappy) . . . apparently OUR local provinces make up their own rules, too.
June 12th, 2007 at 3:45 am
Regarding ignoring the fingerprinting appts in order to extend how long your new I171 will be good for…
We applied for refingerprinting back in November. We thought our prints were going to JUST expire before we traveled to get our SN son. His referral came days after I sent in the refingerprinting money. The notice came with our fingerprinting appt but the prints we had were going to still be good so I ignored it.
I’ve since received multiple notices saying that we needed to reschedule and if we didn’t our case would be abandoned. I ignored them because we are done already, ya know? What do I care? Finally, a week or so ago - and a full SIX MONTHS after I sent the money to get our new fingerprints, I actually got a phone call from our USCIS office inquiring about the case. I told the woman what had happened, and she told me:
THE USCIS CANNOT CLOSE YOUR CASE WITHOUT YOUR EXPLICIT CONSENT!
Apparently, regardless of the stuff in the letter (something about “no response within 90 days and we consider your case closed” isn’t really true and they will actually keep it open a very long time apparently!)
Sounds like a reasonable way to take advantage of the new “extension” (if you are eligible) but extend the expiration date of your I171 by just taking longer to get fingerprinted.
Kate
June 12th, 2007 at 10:35 am
I just wanted to confirm as well so I emailed the Chicago USCIS office regarding the “free” extension. Here was her response:
“In order to get the free one time extension, you have to file the I-600a after July 30, 2007. Also, the existing I-600a must not have expired.”
Figures - we expire on Friday so no free-bee for us!
Sharon
LID 2-28-06