The immigration process is long and requires patience. If you are waiting for a decision on your application and it has taken longer than the USCIS estimated processing time or if you have a strong reason to ask for expedited processing of your case, your U.S. congressional representative might be able to help.

The first step for congressional assistance is finding the name and contact information of the congressional representative from this website – www.house.gov. At the top right section of the screen there should be a prompt that says “Enter your zip code.” Once your zip code is entered, your representative's name and contact information should appear..

Their contact information is usually an email address and a phone number, although email is generally preferred. Once the congressional representative has been contacted and the situation is explained, the congressman would inform you of any form or document that needs to be submitted. If an expedite request is being filed through the congressional office, the documents proving the reasons for expedited processing will be required by the congressional office.

One of the general forms that is required for all inquiries with the congressional representative is the privacy waiver. A congressional office cannot contact the USCIS regarding an immigrant application without the permission of the applicant. This waiver would give them the permission to access the application and information that the USCIS has. Consequently, a privacy waiver needs to be filled out which will require: information about the case, the USCIS case number, general identification information, a summary of the issue, efforts taken to solve the issue, and any other key documents. This waiver would allow the congressman to provide updates about the application at hand.

From that point on, the congressman should be able to guide the applicant in the right direction for any updates or additional documents that are required. The USCIS typically resolves cases within 30 days of the request sent by the congressional office whether that be through email or written correspondence. 

This article is provided as an educational service and is not legal advice. Consult with an attorney for your specific circumstances. For a comprehensive evaluation of your immigration situation and options, you are invited to call us at 214-494-8033, text us using our chat box, or complete our contact form.