NY unemployment stuck on 'we are reviewing' for weeks - green card holder work authorization issues

This is unfortunately pretty common with green card holders and other work authorization situations. The NYSDOL has to verify your work authorization with DHS/USCIS before they can release benefits. In my experience working with clients, this verification process is taking 3-4 weeks right now due to backlogs. Make sure you uploaded clear copies of both sides of your green card to your NY.gov account. Sometimes the verification fails because the images aren't clear enough.

omg same thing happened to me but with my EAD card (employment authorization). took FOREVER. like almost 6 weeks before anything changed. kept getting the same message and nothing i could do would make it go faster. so annoying.

I had a similar issue with my work authorization verification last year. What finally worked for me was getting through to a tier 2 specialist who could actually see the status of the homeland security verification. Regular agents just give you generic responses about "waiting for processing." After weeks of not being able to reach anyone helpful, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to a NY unemployment agent in about 20 minutes instead of spending days redialing. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE Once I got through to a specialist, they saw that my verification was actually stuck in their system and needed to be manually pushed forward. Got my payments within 3 days after that call.

same boat, different issue. the WHOLE SYSTEM is a mess right now. i've been waiting 5 weeks for them to verify my identity and they keep saying "just wait" like we don't have bills to pay!!

Work authorization verification is a separate process from regular unemployment verification. Many agents don't understand the nuances of this process, which is why you're getting different answers. Here's what's actually happening: 1. NYSDOL sends your information to SAVE (Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements), which is a DHS program 2. SAVE has three verification steps or "tiers" - if your information doesn't clear the first automatic check, it goes to manual review which takes longer 3. Once SAVE confirms your work authorization, NYSDOL still needs to review your case before releasing payments This process should typically take 2-3 weeks, but with current backlogs, it's often 4-6 weeks. If it's been over 4 weeks, you should request to speak with a supervisor who specializes in work authorization issues. They can sometimes expedite cases that have been stuck too long. Also, check if your name on your green card EXACTLY matches your name in the NY unemployment system. Even small differences can cause delays.

call ur state representative!!!! thats what i did after waiting 2 months!! they fixed it in 3 days

Update: I tried calling again today using that Claimyr service someone mentioned and actually got through to a tier 2 specialist! They confirmed that my verification was completed by Homeland Security last week but was sitting in a queue waiting for final review. The specialist manually moved it to the payment processing stage and said I should see funds in 3-5 business days. Also, they're going to include all the backdated payments! Thanks everyone for your help!