u/Dry_Mud_7457

Posting to see if others have been through this and how long each step took for you.

**Timeline:**

* Early April: Filed I-765 (post-completion OPT) online with premium processing. Requested start date was mid-May.

* Late April: Attended biometrics at my ASC. Photo, fingerprints, signature all taken, notice stamped. No issues.

* Late May: RFE appeared in my online account. Letter says USCIS "encountered potentially adverse information" during review and that my case can't be processed until I appear at an ASC **again** for new biometrics. A new appointment notice is supposed to be mailed separately. Response is just a copy of the stamped ASC notice after I attend.

* As of now: still no new appointment notice.

**What I've done so far:**

* Called USCIS. They submitted a request to schedule the appointment but said biometrics appointments can't be expedited.

* Was told if the notice doesn't arrive in the next couple weeks, file a "Did Not Receive Notice by Mail" e-request.

**The problem:** my employer has been waiting since graduation and gave me a hard deadline about two weeks out. If the EAD isn't in hand by then, I lose the offer. I know premium only resumes after I respond to the RFE, so the biometrics appointment is the bottleneck.

Possibly relevant: this is not my first OPT. I did OPT + STEM OPT after undergrad, left the US before STEM expired, and came back on a new visa with a new SEVIS record for my master's. Record is clean otherwise. From what I've read this RFE seems to be part of a wider re-screening/photo policy thing hitting a lot of OPT applicants, not something case-specific, but who knows.

**Questions for anyone who's been through this:**

1. How long after the RFE did your new ASC appointment notice show up (mail vs portal)?

2. Was your second appointment date soon, or weeks out? Did rescheduling to an earlier slot or early walk-in work for you?

3. After uploading the stamped notice, how long until approval and card in hand (premium)?

Any datapoints appreciated. Will update the thread with my timeline for others searching this later.

New Jersey, Elizabeth Application Support Center

Posting to see if others have been through this and how long each step took for you.

**Timeline:**

* Early April: Filed I-765 (post-completion OPT) online with premium processing. Requested start date was mid-May.

* Late April: Attended biometrics at my ASC. Photo, fingerprints, signature all taken, notice stamped. No issues.

* Late May: RFE appeared in my online account. Letter says USCIS "encountered potentially adverse information" during review and that my case can't be processed until I appear at an ASC **again** for new biometrics. A new appointment notice is supposed to be mailed separately. Response is just a copy of the stamped ASC notice after I attend.

* As of now: still no new appointment notice.

**What I've done so far:**

* Called USCIS. They submitted a request to schedule the appointment but said biometrics appointments can't be expedited.

* Was told if the notice doesn't arrive in the next couple weeks, file a "Did Not Receive Notice by Mail" e-request.

**The problem:** my employer has been waiting since graduation and gave me a hard deadline about two weeks out. If the EAD isn't in hand by then, I lose the offer. I know premium only resumes after I respond to the RFE, so the biometrics appointment is the bottleneck.

Possibly relevant: this is not my first OPT. I did OPT + STEM OPT after undergrad, left the US before STEM expired, and came back on a new visa with a new SEVIS record for my master's. Record is clean otherwise. From what I've read this RFE seems to be part of a wider re-screening/photo policy thing hitting a lot of OPT applicants, not something case-specific, but who knows.

**Questions for anyone who's been through this:**

1. How long after the RFE did your new ASC appointment notice show up (mail vs portal)?

2. Was your second appointment date soon, or weeks out? Did rescheduling to an earlier slot or early walk-in work for you?

3. After uploading the stamped notice, how long until approval and card in hand (premium)?

Any datapoints appreciated. Will update the thread with my timeline for others searching this later.