Ok..so it is 6 months or 180 days.. if the count starts on the day of NOA1 I am now in my 158th day.. and with the RFE when i got the confirmation that the case has resumed it sais 60 days.. so which means 180 plus 60 days equals to 240 days.. but what i really don't understand is the members that I have found here that had RFEs took only days or two weeks to get their NOA2 after their cases has resumed due to an RFE.. mine is just taking longer.. i hope my officer is not on vacation.. we all know for the fact that officers work on RFE first thing before any other cases because they just have to finish it or try to get rid of them first in their desk or wherever they put them..i'll put it this way, I SHOULD HAVE MY NOA2 BEFORE OR ON MY 240TH DAY!!! THIS REALLY SUCKS!!!

those stats are pitiful. 32 in the last 30 days, thats barely one a day. theres 334 on here waiting , so that would mean 334 days until these are cleared. thats a year.



Chris

well, isn't it a good thing that that simply isn't going to happen

Yeah...not counting the ones coming in every day...now we're up to 2...3...4 years?


Scott

Actually it works out to 287 days for July filers but I decided not to include the projections for CSC because the statistical validity is a little suspect.

And if it is any comfort to you guys, you are doing a lot better than VSC. Our 30 day average is 0.367 approvals a day and the projection for July filers is 428 days.

Just in case no one has noted here, check out the Waiting for a NOA2 from VSC for your I-129F" thread ... the following is a draft/form letter many of us are sending in the next week to our congressional representatives (don't forget to update appropriately). In my case, I'm editing it a bit for family and friends and asking them to participate. The more the merrier:

OKAY, LET'S GET STARTED: Let's start dropping letters NOW and continue for the next seven days. Please spread the word. Only a LARGE number will make an impact.

Here is the link for your Congressman and Representative: Mail, fax and e-mail the letter. http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/

BELOW IS WHAT I'M SENDING TO USCIS:
1- make sure you change the name from Gonzalez to Aguilar in the last few paragraphs
2- tailor the same letter to your congressman and representative
3- choose a media outlet and tailor the letter to their attention (I have the ear of a reporter at the Washington Post and I'm trying to get Haberman from NY Times). Send a letter to anyone who you think will listen.
4- don't forget to send it to the obmudman at DHS-->cisombudsman@dhs.gov
Mailing Address:
Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman
ATTN: Recommendations
United States Department of Homeland Security
Mail Stop 1225
Washington, D.C. 20528-1225
5- For all you 'naysayers' if this doesn't work, we'll plans something more effective.
6- I'm going to REPOST as a new topic, please start to leave your responses there, ie.-->"I sent a letter to............."


Mr. Alfonso Aguilar
Chief of the Office of Citizenship
8201 Peters Road, Suite 1000
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33324 USA

Name
Street Address
Apt (if applicable)
City, State Zip
Phone

September , 2007

U.S. Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Attn: Dr. Emilio T. Gonzalez, Director
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Washington, D.C. 20528

Dear Dr. Gonzalez:

I am one of many United States Citizens perplexed by the extensive delays
in the processing of K-1 and K-3 visas at USCIS all service centers.

When I began this process, I was pleased to find that our application would
be processed through the service centers quickly and efficiently. Since
April onward of this year, this has not been the case.

We are members of an on-line community who share information and
experiences related to the immigration of our loved ones. We have been closely
following the changes that USCIS has undergone, including a substantial
rate increase in the fees associated with processing of applications and
petitions. While we understand the need for fee increases and some
restructuring at USCIS (training, hiring additional staff, prioritizing the
processing of applications, etc.) to create a more efficient and customer
friendly organization/agency, there are several issues of concern shared by
many of us that we would like addressed as soon as possible. It is obvious
to us that especially since April 2007, things at USCIS appear to have
gotten worse instead of better. For example, at the Vermont Service Center,
the average time for our community members to get their K1 VISA NOA 2 has
gone from less than 30 days in May 2007 to over 100 days now.

Some of our concerns include:

1.) Significant delays in the processing of petitions. Many of us who filed
in May through the date of this letter are noticing that an extremely small
number of petitions have been processed/approved. Many of our community
members are close to the 120 day mark (At CSC, past the 6-month quoted
timeframe) in waiting for a decision on our petition. Some of us are
receiving RFE’s long after NOA 1, thereby re-starting the clock.
2.) Many of our members have not received a notice of receipt (NOA 1), even
though the On-line Case Status confirms the receipt of our applications.
3.) Information provided by your agency’s out-sourced call center employees
is often misleading, incorrect or incomplete.
4.) We feel it is entirely inappropriate to prioritize WORK visa
applications over Family-Based, Non-Immigrant Petitions.

Dr. Gonzalez, we understand that Immigration Benefits are a privilege and
not a right, but as a United States citizens, we deserve accurate
information AND the opportunity to have our concerns addressed by
knowledgeable officials who can give us FACTS (not in-accurate time
estimates and scripted misinformation designed to appease nervous and sad
callers). We also understand the need for security checks, as we are aware
of our national security issues, but we do not believe this is the source
of the most recent delays. Only the truth and some swift action on the part
of USCIS can alleviate some of the stress associated with this process. Our
lives, along with our loved ones abroad, are on hold and we have no idea
when this first part of the immigration process will conclude.

The wait for a petition to reach NVC, then the appropriate Embassy and,
finally, the attendance of the beneficiary at scheduled interview can add
an additional 3 – 12 months to an already excruciatingly slow process. The
USCIS needs to set a reasonable goal of 90 days and/or have expedited
processing available for K1/K3 VISA applicants.

The strain of this process (both financial and emotional) is taking a
serious toll on the health and well-being of many US law abiding citizen’s
who are trying to follow the laws to bring their loved ones to the US by
legal means. Our frustration level with USCIS' inability or unwillingness
to ease/improve this process is reaching a critical point.

We, as a collective, have some expectations which include:
1.) A formal response to our concerns,
2.) Improved processing time for petitions, we believe the USCIS goal
timeframe of 6 months to process a K1/3 VISA at the service centers is
inadequate for our needs. As with any company, if the 90-day standard
cannot be met with good management and talented professionals, then the
organization should increase staff or streamline processes,
3.) Accurate and detailed information from your customer service
representatives and,
4,) The immediate issue of NOA1 hardcopy receipts for all received
petitions.

We respectfully request your immediate involvement to drastically improve
this process.

Thank you very much for your time in reading our letter and we sincerely
hope you can initiate immediate and long lasting improvements in this
aspect of USCIS.

Very respectfully,

XXXXXX X. XXXXXX

It will be our luck that after we have all waited for 6 months for an approval, USCIS will start approving people in 30 days.

you are probably right

This is an interesting thread. It gives me comfort that I am not alone in my wait. With a NOA1 of 05/16/2007, do I still have a long time to wait? Apparently there is no sense in calling customer service because they probably won't give me anymore information than what is online. My file remains "touchless" since 05/16/2007. Such is life.

Hey everybody...I spoke to an officer today and my case was assingned on th 14th and it should be done this week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so happy...I don't know what to do with myself!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:dance:

Scott

WOW Thats Great News !!!!

I am over the moon for you. I think we might also call tonight to see what they say about ours. Do you know who you spoke to, or was it a man or woman.

Just to help us with who we talk to.

Once again Hurrah !!! Congrats

ok this is what I don't get.....it apparently takes 15mins to process a non complicated application but so far it has taken nearly 2 months to process may and they still no where near finished. I am a july filer so am I to believe that if they finish may this month and start june, then take 2 months again it could be Dec or Jan (I'm sure as government workers they have generous time off during holidays) before I get approval...possibly later. It is getting ridiculous, add on embassy stage and it's heading toward a 9-12month process. In my mind the k1 processing dept is a wee room where people go missing for weeks in the mountains of paperwork......."Helen I've not seen you for weeks, have you been on vacation"....."no I was sent to get a hole punch from the k1 room, just got out!"

Wow! Am so happy for everyone here who has received their NOA2. I am very new to this forum. my fiance just recently received the NOA1 last sept 10, 2 working days after he mailed it the CSC. We were both ecstatic!!! But now i see that we are really just at the beginning of a long wait. Well...we have waited for a long time to find love, so a little more waiting I guess won't hurt us but will be a real test of our true love for each other.

To everyone here....GOOD LUCK!!! MAY WE ALL GET OUR VISAS SOON AND BE WITH OUR LOVED ONE SOONER!!

there's been some good news recently... and more over on the VSC thread... we WILL prevail

and I like your picture, weedebz
it's now ingrained in my mind; I'll always see the piles and piles of papers, and the poor adjudicators picking their way through, and occasionally causing an avalanche when they brush by someone's desk

well that certainly would depend on the embassy...if youre like me, going through tirana, albania...im pretty sure there wont be much of a line waiting for an interview there...theres only about 20 people on vj who have ever listed it as there consulate...even less people actually got to the point in the process where they actually had the interview there (or they stopped updating their timeline)...i just wanna get the heck outa VSC, and ill be on my way!!!

Embassy timelines vary greatly, depending for example if its a large visa fraud country like china or russia, or again like china it sits in a wharehouse for around a month or two before the consulate picks them up. China NVC to interview is usually around 4-5 months, more crazy waiting

Amen to that... I was just there congratulating recent NOA2s... Hopefully the positive vibe spread onto CSC too..

Good Luck to all for a speedy approval..

Damn it, we just spoke to CSC using the RFE trick and unfortunately after 140 days of waiting the lady on the phone told my fiance that we have been given an RFE.

Just exaclty what the RFE is for she would not say. I wonder how long this is going to set us back now.

I am so dissappointed its unreal .

Good luck to all the others and someone please post some good news to cheer me up

Sorry to hear that after the long wait you got an RFE on the way. I do feel your pain! Hopefully it will come quick and you can return it even quicker. Hopefully they will approve you soon thereafter. Hang in there.

Try not to be too disappointed. If they send the RFE to you promptly and you send it right back, you should not lose a lot of time. Your petition will stay on the adjudicator's desk waiting for your response. As soon as they receive it they will begin working on your case again. I have seen a lot of timelines with RFE's where approval was received soon after the RFE was returned.

Make sure you return the RFE in the envelope they provide (if they provide one) or use the identification information they provide.

Good luck.

Andrew,
The good thing is that #1...your case is assigned and #2 your case will immediately resume upon receipt of the RFE. Don't worry the ball is rolling and it will go fast!!!

Scott

Many thanks Scott, and to others who gave very kind words of comfort.

We are both a bit devastated at the minute and even called them back and got the same woman again, this time she said that on her computer our case reads as an RFE however she says the officer is still working on the case...........

Seems very strange as the only 'touch' we got was last Friday. Does that mean hes been working on it all week, could he still say its approved , I have no clue.......

Oh well, in the mean time, with what all of you kind people say as a guide, we are trying hard to stay positive and gaining solace from knowing that once we provide whatever it is that they might request, that it will continue straight away.

MANY MANY THANKS well try keep our spirits up with the help and support of you all.

we are at day 135 today but not RFE´s.

Do you know if you have been assigned an officer yet ??

Looks like it might be time for the ol' RFE trick eh Andrew?

lmao, yeah heres hoping they have better luck and get told its approval time .

Come on CSC you know you wanna

So they have not found anything wrong in your petition, thats why no RFE, HOPE you get approved soon

It usually is faster to get your NOA2 after your case has resumed due to a RFE. But as for me, if you look at my timeline it's going to be a month now after my case has resumed and still no NOA2. I did a search awhile back for some members here that had RFEs as well and theirs only took between days or a couple of weeks. I don't want to discourage you because you can get your NOA2 quicker than what I am going through now. I just really hope I get mine before this month ends. I was really anticipating a quick NOA2 after the update because of others' timelines here in VJ with a RFE, and for the fact that it stays in the officer's desk and that RFEs are the first things they work on when they go to work. I guess some just really get it hard and have to wait longer. I wish you luck my friend. I hope you don't have to wait longer than I have been waiting. God bless.

Ok i guess this is not of interest anyone, just thought some consistancy would help folks, and help stop all this crazy posting thats going on about timelines and wait times that make no sense. Alot of folks here are out of control, need to chill a little, relax, breath, its a process, it sucks, yes, but it is what it is, we are not buying a cheese burger here there is no instant gratification in this, just every one relax ok.
It seems to me there is a total lake of consistancy in peoples timelines and tracking methods. VJ tracks by both by date sent ( which in my opinion is meaningless), and by receipt date ( this is receipt date on Noa-1), but many people here are tracking either by the date they received the hard copy ( meaningless) and the date sent ( meaningless). We have been told quite cleary by a guy who worked at USCIS that the clock starts from the recieved date printed on the NOA-1, NOT the date you sent it, or the receipt date ( the mods might want to clarify that with him). But whichever one it is, its not the date you posted it or they signed for it, or the date you received the hard copy.
For example if like me you you posted in June but Noa1- received and receipt date ( as printed on NOA-1) is in July, you are a July filier, I think its pretty simple USCIS dont start the clock, by your post mark.
Lets get consistancy or the data is worthless

Seems to be a few approvals over the last few days (5). Not bad.

I know! I came in here to post that... very exciting news

VSC had two on the 18th and one on the 17th, so if you consider approvals per petitions waiting, they're actually doing even better than us

so great to see some action! keep going USCIS!

Based on what evidence ? so you are saying its better to make a mistake in your petition , therefore get a RFE, then you get a speedy approval, would love to see the evidence to support this, i have seen many posts thats clearly shows a RFE can add months to getting your approval. I think before you throw out wild statements like you did, you need to have solid evidence to support it. Good luck

Hey guys, posted in may filers but I got an approval on the 19th. Looks like 3 as of now for yesterday so maybe they're starting to work again. Good luck to all who are waiting. I was just as stressed as you guys and I know they should be coming soon....

Sup buddy..slow down there a bit and and no need to be so rude.. I wasn't even saying that it's faster to get a NOA2 if you get a RFE.. who wants a RFE anyways? Would you like to have one? If I could I'll pass mine to you hehehe lols. I was just saying that the ones I found that had a RFE took days or a couple of weeks that's all.. I wasn't able to find some members here that took a long time after a RFE, so maybe I just didn't search well enough and only found the ones that got it quicker. Ok, I'll do a search and see if I could find those that had it quicker ok but don't be so rude.. besides you filed back in July and in the right track.. I wish you luck on your application and hope you have a smooth journey..no bumps here and there.. God bless and sorry if you thought my post was wild.

We are not buying anything, we are American Citizens exercising our rights to be with our loved ones. The process adds minimal value and even less security (there's no national database of bad-people or good-people in this country) they don't do background checks on the foreign spouse. They go through your paperwork and look for *administrative details* nothing more. The process is supposed to take less than 15 minutes on average.

Every time I see someone defending this I get a little more pissed off over the entire thing. There is absolutely *no* reason to be sympathetic here. Your tax dollars pay for this, my tax dollars pay for it. However we had no say in its implementation, it was enacted without a vote, without a referendum and very little public oversight for what, in my opinion, should be a *very* publicly visible process.

Start reading here USCIS "about us" page
and you can find all the things which were started in March 2003 which have never come to pass. or have failed miserably

I'm sure the people in USCIS are doing the jobs the best they can, but their management needs a house cleaning.

Still don't believe .. read this USCIS Strategic Plan

Wow. You guys are real calm over here. Did you realize you had 6 K-1 approvals yesterday? Not bad for one day.

Congratulations to Simone & Cory, Mei Chen & Kevin, Olga & John, Olena & Paul, Yumi & Joe (NSC), and Liberty & Michael.

It is too soon to declare the tide has turned, but it is definitely some good news. I hope CSC continues to have good luck!

Don't forget Steve & Irina--they were also approved, making it 7, I believe!!! YAY!!

7 is very impressive but there might even be more. Were Kimbely & Khalid approved also? It is a little difficult to follow what is going on the May Filers forum in the midst of all the pandemonium.

Everyone that was approved needs to update their timeline. They are not showing up as approved in the timeline searches.

Well it's certainly heartening to find out that *something* is happening

YEEEEEHHAAAAAA !!!!! 6 approved from CSC yesterday thats some AWESOMENESS!!!


I am sure that someone in CSC is going great guns, comeon lets see the same everyday and there will be no backlog anymore !!!!

Give that man at CSC doing all the work a raise

At 6 a day, it will take 55 days to clear the 334 on VJ waiting for NOA2s . and 6 @ 15 minutes each is about 90 minutes for one ajudacator . still it is a sign that someone is there .

At this point CSC/NSC filers received approvals for 8 K-1's & 1 K-3 dated Sep 19.

I hope you get another 9 approvals today.

Chris, I really don't think this extrapolation of current data to encompass the next however long is helpful... the sample is far too small so the results just end up being meaningless
if we look at a day when there were no approvals and do that, then we end up with the result that 'at this rate, no one will be approved, ever again' and I think that might just be erroneous as well

seven approvals is something to celebrate! I'll be having a drink tonight

oops, eight! I'm already behind the times

Damn!! My adjudicated just went from Oct 10th to Oct 21st!! That sucks

Where are you guys finding the approvals? Which filer thread? Is it May? or later filers.. thanks.

I've been looking directly at the K1 chart - go here

6 approvals...wow! maybe they just found the way out of the K1 room.

BOOHOO....my estimated date now 16th Nov

Oh I only wish mine was that early...

now now, don't cry, either of you! this run of approvals is going to continue, you just wait and see
and then your approval dates will move closer by the day...

*supplying cookies and glasses of Baileys*

Awww - what I wouldn't give right now for a nice chilled out evening with some cookies and Baileys and good company moaning about the state of the US government (or USCIS at least) and putting the world to rights