# Frustrated with Case Officer



## nele (Jul 10, 2010)

Hi guys. Long post...not sure if I can post this here but here's my story...

I'm an American citizen and applying for the Prospective Marriage Visa Subclass 300.

We submitted our application back in November 2009. We were then requested to send through an FBI police check. We submitted the fingerprints to the FBI back in February 2010 and have still not received a report back from the FBI. We were able to get in touch with the FBI helpline and they checked the records and advised us to "call back next week" as it has not been updated yet. It's been 6 weeks since we were told to "call back next week". Every time we call, we get the same response.

Our CO isn't making things easier either. We sent her the local police check over 2 months ago. Delivery confirmation said that this was delivered in Washington two days after we posted this. We e-mailed our CO and asked her if she could confirm whether she had received this. She ignored our email. No response. The thing is, I understand we can't expect her to reply to every single email. So we figured that she got the police check since she didn't reply to say she didn't.

A few days ago, we emailed her to let her know we were still waiting on the FBI (she asked us to keep in contact/give her updates). She responded with the "Thanks for the update etc. Oh...and have you sent the police check yet?"

She never returns calls either. I'm not saying she may take a week or so to return a call. She simply does not return calls. The reply she sent to the above email we sent a few days ago was a rare occasion.

One time, when we managed to get her on the phone, we advised her of the situation with the FBI and the waiting. A few weeks later, she sends us an email saying that if we don't get in contact with her, she will assess the Visa without all the documents because we haven't sent them to her.

I understand she probably has a lot to deal with but shouldn't she be keeping updates of all of this somewhere?

Has anyone else had problems with their case officer? Is it possible to get assigned another?


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## kath83 (Jun 25, 2010)

We submitted our application back in November 2009. We were then requested to send through an FBI police check. We submitted the fingerprints to the FBI back in February 2010 and have still not received a report back from the FBI. We were able to get in touch with the FBI helpline and they checked the records and advised us to "call back next week" as it has not been updated yet. It's been 6 weeks since we were told to "call back next week". Every time we call, we get the same response.

Your post has got me a little worried. My husband an Indonesian citizen has requested a FBI check in West Virginia.. They have only recieved on the 28th of June... I hope his one doesnt take long.. 

Your situation sounds very fustrating, I say to keep calling your case officer until you get a hold of her and ask the status of your application and also explain the situation of the FBI police check.. 

Good luck..


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## jejuniper (Jul 1, 2010)

nele said:


> Hi guys. Long post...not sure if I can post this here but here's my story...
> 
> I'm an American citizen and applying for the Prospective Marriage Visa Subclass 300.
> 
> ...


Hi nele,

We also had a CO from the DC Embassy (for husband's spouse visa) - she sometimes replied to emails, sometimes not. Also took a long time to get the FBI check (around 3 months). We had to keep emailing the CO to get time extensions and she did reply to those emails but some others I sent she didn't acknowledge. I didn't telephone her until after the visa decision was made (refusal based on health requirement) - she wasn't particularly helpful, wouldn't give any extra information about the reason for the refusal, just a standard response.

You might be able to ask for another CO or you can make a complaint via the DIAC website: Contact Us - Compliments and Complaints - Department of Immigration and Citizenship
I had to make a complaint about an FOI request to get hold of my husband's DIAC file following the visa refusal, and the complaint was responded to pretty quickly (within a couple of days) - so it might be worth trying that route. If you do need to request time extensions to submit documents like the FBI check, I think it's better to do them via email rather than phone so that you have a record of every interaction - can come in useful if you need to have evidence of your attempted communications with your CO later down the track.

best of luck!


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## Wanderer (Jun 16, 2007)

nele said:


> Hi guys. Long post...not sure if I can post this here but here's my story...
> 
> I'm an American citizen and applying for the Prospective Marriage Visa Subclass 300.
> 
> ...


Well you're right on one thing and that's COs will have multiple cases to be dealing with and hence I'm even surprised you have a contact number for her nor that she has not responded to calls or sent confirmation of something having arrived _[ not to be expected, unless via online applications updates and not even always then ]_ and notice of phone advice has not been recorded.

You are far better to get everything done by email or letter.
With the police check delivery, to answer the query I would advise on the delivery confirmation you received.
_[ Delivery confirmation said that this was delivered in Washington two days after we posted this.] _
*But your more significant problem seems to be with the FBI as something like 8-12 weeks is the norm on what has been posted here and some people even quicker.*
I would be getting an email off to someone, or a letter if email is not possible as five months nearly indicates something is off the rails and you need to get a response of some sort so you can supply follow-up advice by email to the CO.
While you're waiting on advice from the FBI you could send in a preliminary advice on what you are doing and that you will advise on the FBI delay as soon as you get an answer from them to your request.
One way of doing that would be to forward a copy of your email to the FBI to the CO or scan a letter to accompany your email to the CO.

But in general the level of contact to be expected is more along just getting a request when something is expected and I don't know that there'll be much to be gained by seeking a new CO even if it was possible.


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## nele (Jul 10, 2010)

*Update*

So the pattern with the FBI continued ("Call back next week") until we asked for a supervisor. We got put through to her voicemail and she never got back to us but today when I checked my transactions, there has been an $18 charge so hopefully we will get the FBI report soon.

As for the case officer, she has been unresponsive but that's ok. We will send her another copy of the police check and the FBI report (making a photocopy first!) and see how we go with that. It's just that I've read others stories about how great their case officer is but you can't expect everyone to work the same way.

Fingers crossed that all goes well and thank you for all the replies. All the best for everyone else's situations.


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## Chrissie (Jun 29, 2010)

Dear Nele,
Good Luck -we have just started this process - 
06/29/10 - sent the Application to FBI no charges to credit card yet.
06/29/10 - sent Application to State Police - received back in 10 days & included with 309 Application.
07/13/10 - Medical, x-rays, bloodwork
07/19/10 - The 309 application was received by Washington, and credit card charged on same day - waiting to hear from a CO
07/27/10 - Medical results delivered to Embassy.

After reading your post - I will be watching to see if the credit charge goes through with the FBI over the next 4 weeks. If not, then I will contact them....who do you contact though? I have been on to the FBI CJIS site and can't find reference to a helpline?


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## LoveDelight (Mar 21, 2010)

I believe you can request for a different case officer if you are unsatisfied with your current CO. I am American as well (I was just assigned a CO yesterday!!). I had my FBI report returned to me pretty quickly. Only took 6 weeks. I kept checking to see if they deposited the money order I sent them. Once they did I had the report within 5-6 days. I hope that you get it shortly.
As for making a copy, please get a certified copy by seeing a notary with the original!


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## Wanderer (Jun 16, 2007)

nele said:


> So the pattern with the FBI continued ("Call back next week") until we asked for a supervisor. We got put through to her voicemail and she never got back to us but today when I checked my transactions, there has been an $18 charge so hopefully we will get the FBI report soon.
> 
> As for the case officer, she has been unresponsive but that's ok. We will send her another copy of the police check and the FBI report (making a photocopy first!) and see how we go with that. It's just that I've read others stories about how great their case officer is but you can't expect everyone to work the same way.
> 
> Fingers crossed that all goes well and thank you for all the replies. All the best for everyone else's situations.


So you've been waiting *about five months now for the FBI check!*
That's a bit crazy and especially seeing as someone else that posted got theirs in about six weeks, that being about the minnimum I've seen posted.
I could understand some variance if it was bing done via difference offices but if it is more just a case of somewhere central checking the fingerprint database or whatever, that's woeful!
Can you not email the Department of Justice and/or local Congressman/State Senators office etc. and stir up some action!
With the CO, all you can do is maintain a clear line of communication [ by email ] from your end and even though it appears that phone info has not registered, still just confirm the situation by email and especially on any email advice from the CO.


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## Wanderer (Jun 16, 2007)

LoveDelight said:


> I believe you can request for a different case officer if you are unsatisfied with your current CO. I am American as well (I was just assigned a CO yesterday!!). I had my FBI report returned to me pretty quickly. Only took 6 weeks. I kept checking to see if they deposited the money order I sent them. Once they did I had the report within 5-6 days. I hope that you get it shortly.
> As for making a copy, please get a certified copy by seeing a notary with the original!


You may have been the one LD that I had recalled re a six weeks FBI report time.
As for requesting a different CO, we can request just about anything in life because no one can stop you putting in a request but it is also best to consider the outcome and whether too much if anything will be achieved.
In this situation the CO can not process the application until the applicant provides the FBI report and that would seem to be very much the core of the situation.
nele is frustrated with that, likewise the CO probably, with this application hanging about and so COs not returning calls _[ not part of their core role ]_ and a misplaced police report _[ possibly due to a number of reasons ]_ is hardly going to se a complaint received too well.
Most likely result would be " when you have your FBI report, your application can receive further consideration ".


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## nele (Jul 10, 2010)

Hi all,

We got the report from the FBI in the mail today!
We're going to make a copy of it and get it signed and certified as suggested - does anyone know if we need to send our CO the original or the certified copy? 

We thought it might look bad if we changed CO's as well so we figured we'd give her the rest of the documents and see how it goes.

I'm just thrilled to finally have the FBI report back!


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## Annikka (May 11, 2010)

nele said:


> Hi all,
> 
> We got the report from the FBI in the mail today!
> We're going to make a copy of it and get it signed and certified as suggested - does anyone know if we need to send our CO the original or the certified copy?
> ...


Congratulations Nele..!

You need to send the original document. But you may want to keep a certified copy for yourself.. I kept a copy for my records...


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## Chrissie (Jun 29, 2010)

nele said:


> Hi all,
> 
> We got the report from the FBI in the mail today!
> We're going to make a copy of it and get it signed and certified as suggested - does anyone know if we need to send our CO the original or the certified copy?
> ...


Nele,
in DIAC Frequently Asked Questions Info sheet - it says:-
_Q:"Do I need to provide the original penal clearance?"_

A: "Yes. We ask that you also* include a photocopy* of the originals to facilitate processing. We will return all of your original penal clearances once we finalise your application"

I called the Embassy and they said that the photocopy did not need to be notarized, as the original was also being supplied to them.

Hope this helps, and so glad that you got the FBI report back!!!!!!


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## LoveDelight (Mar 21, 2010)

nele said:


> Hi all,
> 
> We got the report from the FBI in the mail today!
> We're going to make a copy of it and get it signed and certified as suggested - does anyone know if we need to send our CO the original or the certified copy?
> ...


You want to send the original!!!


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## nele (Jul 10, 2010)

Thanks everyone!!


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