of course .. u don’t have to wait for your lawyer. however you’d prolly have better luck with Emma. if u go to the USCIS website at the top right corner I think it says ‘ask Emma’.. or u can type ‘ask Emma’ in the search bar on the top part of the website. the phone number is 1-800-375-5283. say ‘info pass’ in order to speak to a live person.

you will be lucky if you get past automated system….try emma

just check there isn’t a clause in your contract with your lawyer about contacting uscis. my contract says I’m not allowed

just call and say info pass you will get to talk to a agent

to speak to someone just say info pass and you will be connected immediately

@S B - you know what, I didn’t even think about that, as my lawyer didn’t give any reason or say anything about us contacting USCIS. plus, we’ve spoke before regarding me contacting them & he even said it’s a good thing and blah blah…

@dee I think some lawyers put it in there incase an expedite messes things up for example claiming financial hardship but then for the gc having to prove you can support etc I’m not sure why, but mine specifically says I can check processing times but that’s it, no other contact without them clearing it first or mostly them making the contact

I really hate it when lawyers act like that; they should understand what this means to their clients and the least they can do is answer their calls. I am glad I got a considerate lawyer, I can call and ask anything as many times as I want.

@S B - could u maybe elaborate on that? I’m just not familiar with it as much the part where you’re saying an expedite could potential mess things up? I mean, I get what it means.. but as far as like the financial hardship.. does USCIS say u can claim financial hardship but still be able to sponsor your spouse/relative? or how does that mean expedite? @jwhydee - yes, I’ve seen some attornies be extremely difficult, even after paid in full! i too, am grateful for my lawyer. anytime we call or text, he will answer. he’s even called my husband in Jamaica to relay info to him. i mean, of course there’s been times where I’d call or text and a few days went by & he’s finally contact us back. but, when he did, he’d apologize & explain what happened. it was either he had sumthin come up with his family or he had an emergency out of town. either way, he still kept us in the loop & never ghosted us, thankfully!! if we’d ask questions that, to us, (since he does this all day every day), seemed like sumthin we should know, he’d respond with respect and explained it in full without being the slightest bit condescending whatsoever. so yes, I thank God for our lawyer!

@dee I’m not sure how uscis take it if you try to expedite a work permit for financial hardship when you are being sponsored. I think it’s doesn’t look great from the posts I have read. I was using this as an example as to why lawyers put that clause in. as they don’t want you to do anything that damages your case accidently because you haven’t seen possible implications

@S B - ohhh! okay well, that makes sense from USCIS’s perspective .. sort of anyway. bcuz if you’re employed and actually working & they take too long to process your work permit, you’re not longer able to be employed so an expedite would make sense .. if not, the person would lose their income… meaning — they’d need to file financial hardship. *sigh* I just wish things would move along. i understand the petition to officer ratio is out there… but man oh man.. people need their family members, people have jobs and skool and kids .. not to mention MISSING tf outta them in the cases that the spouse is outside the U.S. … oh gosh

thank you everyone