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Case Stories
⏳ EB-3 Unskilled Worker Payment Dispute - Uzbekistan PD Dec 2023
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⏳ **Case Status: Pending**
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An EB-3 applicant from Uzbekistan paid initial fees through a local agent named in a trilateral agreement with Mercan/RLG. The local agent company has since closed, and Mercan is now claiming non-receipt of payment and demanding a second payment. PERM and I-140 are approved with a December 2023 priority date.
Applicant is in the EB-3 process sponsored through Mercan/RLG. Initial fees were paid in 2022 via a local Uzbekistan-based agent who was explicitly named as a party in a trilateral contract alongside the applicant and Mercan. That local agency has since shut down. Mercan is now asserting they never received the funds and are requesting the applicant pay again. PERM and I-140 have been approved. Priority date is December 2023. The applicant is seeking advice on how to handle this dispute before the I-485 stage.
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**[📎 View Original Post](https://www.reddit.com/r/immigration/comments/1t788ts/mercan_claiming_they_never_received_my_payment/)**
*Source: Reddit EB-3 search*
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*This post was automatically curated from online sources to share real case experiences with the community.*
Payment disputes with intermediary agents are a known risk in employer-sponsored EB-3 cases, particularly those involving third-party regional recruiters. The trilateral contract is a critical document here — if the local agent was explicitly named as an authorized payment recipient, Mercan may bear contractual responsibility for reconciling that relationship. Applicants in similar situations should retain all payment receipts, wire transfer records, and contract copies. Cases with a Dec 2023 priority date for Uzbekistan are currently backlogged; the dispute must be resolved before I-485 can be filed once the date becomes current. Consulting an independent immigration attorney is strongly advisable before making any additional payments.