EAD (WorkPermit)

All - have been watching this site and appreciate people putting their details up so I can get a sense of timings and ideas.

I am on an E3-D visa (Australian Visa and I am a dependant spouse). I needed to apply for an EAD before being able to get an SSN or a job which I have interviewed for and the employer is being very patient.

Timings:

- 4th Nov received at Vermont processing centre (seems to be delays here).
- After about 100 days went to local congresswoman - her staff were brilliant and could actually get info - this s the first thing to do at 90n days - if possible go and visit and hand in your privacy form.
- As per everyone - all the service requests, emails, Infopass appointments and calls to the call centre were hopeless.
- At about 115 days received an RFE. I found this out from an email from my congresswoman's office while I was sitting waiting for my Infopass appointment...she was even able to send me a pdf of the letter so I could respond same day (passport photo's) but the Infopass people could not see the letter.
- at about 123 days submitted application to ombudsman
- at 125 days (website message changed to 'card being produced' and then an hour later to 'your application has been approved'
- letter yet to be received but hopefully Monday.

Suggestion for improvement sent to ombudsman was essentially 1) divert 90% of resources from Infopass/Call Centre to reviewing applications 2) those that are entitled to an EAD as a spouse get approved at the same time as their Visa and so therefore take thousands of applications out of the system (they can work and pay tax quicker) and 3) interim EAD's even if only for 30 days.

I sent this suggestion in best intentions of improving a process that didn't seem to be working very well.

Good luck to all.