Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Bittersweet TA

TA came today, but I'm having a hard time enjoying it. One of the travel ladies emailed today that our TA came and gave us 2 options for travel. I emailed back quickly that either option would be fine, but of course, we would prefer the earlier option.

She then emailed back that she was unable to request a consulate appointment because our fingerprints will expire on 10/13/10 and asked if we had been reprinted. I told her no, not yet, but that our paperwork to get reprinted was in the system. Her response was along the lines of, well sorry, try to get a quick appointment, I'll check back tomorrow.

Here's my frustration (also see previous post): I asked my agency back in June what we needed to do to get fingerprint renewal. I got transferred to the waiting child department, who told me they didn't know what I should do and that I should talk to travel. I asked travel and they said I should wait until I got I800 approval and ask our USCIS officer. Our officer said we needed a homestudy update plus a supplement 3 and 2 supplement 2's to get a reprint appointment. Fine, got that done and all of our stuff was sent to immigration on 8/24/10.

Bottom line, if our agency would have just answered my question and told me what to do on June 21st when I asked, I would have been reprinted by now. Instead, I can't get my agency to request a consualte appointment for me because my prints will expire soon. So I ask you, whose fault is this?

I just want to cry when I should be celebrating. Let's hope tomorrow is a better day.

4 comments:

  1. I'm sorry. I ended up spending an extra seven days in China, most of it worried sick, because of an error that my agency made and could have avoided. I know they're not perfect, but what they do they do for a living, and mistakes can cost thousands of dollars as well as cause personal heartache.

    But, congratulations!

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  2. This same thing happened to friends of ours back in 2006. They INSISTED (since it was the agency's "fault" that the prints weren't redone) that they be allowed to travel right away. It took some pushing, but the agency accommodated them. They returned home the day their fingerprints expired.

    Don't give your agency a pass on this one - PUSH them. It's possible to travel in 2 days time (someone on the RQ forum got notice on Wednesday that they would be leaving on Friday --of the same week!)

    Best wishes to you all -- safe and QUICK travels!!!

    TB

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  3. Hey, you could always call in the "big guns" (ie your local congressman) to give them a call and plead for you -- that can work wonders.

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  4. Don't mean to be a cyber stalker, but I just read a post on the RQ forum about the lack of CA appts. and someone suggested those affected contact the Joint Council,

    I think it's definitely worth a try!

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