The problems with USCIS predate the pandemic. I filed and paid for records in 2016. 5 months later, I saw in the USCIS online status system that my request was “completed “. After waiting 1 year without receiving anything, I contacted the office of my US Congressional representative for help. With their intervention, I got my records about 3 months later.
I had never requested assistance from my congressional representative’s office but found they had a request form online that was easy to use. The staff followed up promptly. It was a happy ending to what had been a very frustrating experience with USCIS.
