terrible report from USCIS via senator

[ninjarocket 1]

Today I received a letter from my senator. What it states is not very encouraging. It seems they can take how ever long they like to process applications using a perceived security threat as an excuse. Here's the report from USCIS. Sounds like some sort of standard boiler plate that is not specific to my case but gives them unlimited time to delay. Here's the contents of the message from USCIS.

"The processing of the petitions you are enquiring about, ....... and ....... has been delayed. The petitions have been forwarded for completion of a detailed review and, until further notice, adjudication may not be expedited nor may premium processing be requested.

The ...... (USCIS) is committed to adjudicating immigration benefits in a timely, efficient manner that ensures public safety and national security.

Toward that end, USCIS requires extensive background checks for very application or petition it adjudicates. While background checks for most applications or petitions are completed quickly, a small percentage of cases involve unresolved background check issues that result in adjudication delays.

Background checks involve more than just initial submission of and response related biographical information and fingerprints. When checks and/or a review of an administrative record reveal an issue potentially impacting an applicant's eligibility for the requested immigration benefit, further enquiry is needed. The enquiry may include an additional interview and/or the need to contact another agency for updates or more comprehensive information. If it is determined that an outside agency possesses relevant information about a case, USCIS requests such information for review. Upon gathering and assessing all available information, USCIS then adjudicate the application as expeditiously as possible.

We have checked into your constituent's case and have been assured that the agency is aware of your enquiry, and is monitoring progress related to it. However, unresolved issues in your constituent's case require thorough review before a decision can be rendered. Unfortunately we cannot speculate as to when this review process will be completed.

We realize that your constituent may feel frustrated by delays related to his or her case. As an agency, we must weigh individual inconvenience against the broader concerns of public safety and national security."

[Ilya R. 0]

As if there are good reports that ever come out of USCIS?

[pushbrk 12,253]

As if there are good reports that ever come out of USCIS?

Many every day. We usually call them "NOA2".

[alienlovechild 75]

Today I received a letter from my senator. What it states is not very encouraging. It seems they can take how ever long they like to process applications using a perceived security threat as an excuse. Here's the report from USCIS. Sounds like some sort of standard boiler plate that is not specific to my case but gives them unlimited time to delay.

I'm not sure why you wrote to your senator but the security threat excuse from the Philippines seems flimsy. The senator could have said USCIS has got a lot of visa applications to process and USCIS red tape combined with a large number of immigrants means individual cases get the "take a number, please" treatment. If you go through CSC you're in even worse shape through no fault of your own.

[Ilya R. 0]

As if there are good reports that ever come out of USCIS?

Many every day. We usually call them "NOA2".

Wouldnt know about it, havent ever seen one.

And come on, with "many" remark.

[DanielParul 50]

As if there are good reports that ever come out of USCIS?

Many every day. We usually call them "NOA2".

Although it seems frustrating right now. Just hang in there. The USCIS is painfully slow but they do have a sh!t load of casesand sometimes when the cases are put in for security checks they have to rely on other agencies who don't feel that these are a priority for them. Its hard but just try to remain positive and it will be over soon. Being negative or pessimistic will only make it harder for you. Wishing you a speedier process

[Ilya R. 0]

As if there are good reports that ever come out of USCIS?

Many every day. We usually call them "NOA2".

Although it seems frustrating right now. Just hang in there. The USCIS is painfully slow but they do have a sh!t load of casesand sometimes when the cases are put in for security checks they have to rely on other agencies who don't feel that these are a priority for them. Its hard but just try to remain positive and it will be over soon. Being negative or pessimistic will only make it harder for you. Wishing you a speedier process

Cant get any harder, people who filed in march and april are already getting approved for the same visa. I sent mine in early december.

[rin and john 71]

As if there are good reports that ever come out of USCIS?

Many every day. We usually call them "NOA2".

Wouldnt know about it, havent ever seen one.

And come on, with "many" remark.

I agree with Pushbrk. They do an enormous amount of work. From the USCIS annual report:

"Every day, on average, USCIS’ 15,000 federal and contract employees:

Process 30,000 applications for immigration benefits

Issue 7,000 Permanent Resident Cards (green cards)

Adjudicate 200 refugee applications

Naturalize 3,000 new civilian citizens,

and 27 new citizens who are members of the United States Armed Forces

As a critical component of the Department of Homeland Security, USCIS

serves its important role in protecting the nation. To meet this responsibility, every day we:

Conduct 135,000 national security background checks

Capture 11,000 sets of fingerprints at 129 Application Support Centers

Each day USCIS remains ready to answer one of the 41,000 phone inquiries

it receives or to assist one of the 12,000 customers at our 87 local offices."

"Many" might be an understatement.

John

[Ilya R. 0]

As if there are good reports that ever come out of USCIS?

Many every day. We usually call them "NOA2".

Wouldnt know about it, havent ever seen one.

And come on, with "many" remark.

I agree with Pushbrk. They do an enormous amount of work. From the USCIS annual report:

"Every day, on average, USCIS’ 15,000 federal and contract employees:

Process 30,000 applications for immigration benefits

Issue 7,000 Permanent Resident Cards (green cards)

Adjudicate 200 refugee applications

Naturalize 3,000 new civilian citizens,

and 27 new citizens who are members of the United States Armed Forces

As a critical component of the Department of Homeland Security, USCIS

serves its important role in protecting the nation. To meet this responsibility, every day we:

Conduct 135,000 national security background checks

Capture 11,000 sets of fingerprints at 129 Application Support Centers

Each day USCIS remains ready to answer one of the 41,000 phone inquiries

it receives or to assist one of the 12,000 customers at our 87 local offices."

"Many" might be an understatement.

John

Wow thanks for all the stats, that will surely make my "neverending" journey go faster....

Hmm lets see, your timeline cleary states you waited 121 days for your aproval,(I-130) I am at 180+ with out any kind of information, so please spare me.

[gogo 6]

you guys are still stuck in security checks? well, I am going to call them everyday now and bother the hell out of them.. I also initiated the "writ of mandamus" and that is in progress.. the demand letter ( 30 days has passed already) was not responded to (even the lawyer said so), and they will file the complaint now and they will have 60 days to approve the case.. with a 30-day extension.. for those who haven't followed my story, I also wrote letters to congressmen, vice president, president (white house) and other people (about 100+).. and also received a local office interview and "passed" it (also brought my parents - February 2008).. they said everything looks ok and said that I would get approved, but I never received the NOA2.. they keep delaying, so I decided to hire a lawyer and do a lawsuit.. I wrote a letter to President Bush and he (or his office) forwarded to Dept of Justice (with a letter sent) and also forwarded to FBI (where the Records Name Division wrote back a letter stating there were no security checks on my case)... haha, I have been through a lot and still fighting.. now I am not even nice to them on the phone anymore..

seems there are a lot of people that are under security checks =( I just called them today, and they still don't know what is going on with my case.. I hope that I can get approved soon.. I don't know why they are doing it based on processing times.. maybe they are, they just looked at everything ONCE and that's it..

Edited June 11, 2008 by gogo

[rin and john 71]

As if there are good reports that ever come out of USCIS?

Many every day. We usually call them "NOA2".

Wouldnt know about it, havent ever seen one.

And come on, with "many" remark.

I agree with Pushbrk. They do an enormous amount of work. From the USCIS annual report:

"Every day, on average, USCIS’ 15,000 federal and contract employees:

Process 30,000 applications for immigration benefits

Issue 7,000 Permanent Resident Cards (green cards)

Adjudicate 200 refugee applications

Naturalize 3,000 new civilian citizens,

and 27 new citizens who are members of the United States Armed Forces

As a critical component of the Department of Homeland Security, USCIS

serves its important role in protecting the nation. To meet this responsibility, every day we:

Conduct 135,000 national security background checks

Capture 11,000 sets of fingerprints at 129 Application Support Centers

Each day USCIS remains ready to answer one of the 41,000 phone inquiries

it receives or to assist one of the 12,000 customers at our 87 local offices."

"Many" might be an understatement.

John

Wow thanks for all the stats, that will surely make my "neverending" journey go faster....

Hmm lets see, your timeline cleary states you waited 121 days for your aproval,(I-130) I am at 180+ with out any kind of information, so please spare me.

I can empathize with your frustration. Even being apart for the "short" time Rin and I were was gut-wrenching, so it must be even more unbearable for you. The wait will eventually pay off. For us, it taught us both patience and now that we are together the wait seems a distant memory.

As far as the stats, I'm a numbers person. Pushbrk used "many" to quantify documents handled by USCIS. I simply agree. If he had said their work was done within an acceptable time frame, well that would have been a totally different story. My personal opinion is that all spouses should be handled in a VWP type process (immediate admission to the USA upon marriage and adjust status after SO is here). We allow millions of people into the USA each year on a VWP without six months of background checks. A spouse is treated like a greater threat than a random individual with the right passport...I don't agree with that logic.

Hope you hear something soon!

John

[gogo 6]

ninjarocket, yes, I had that same feeling... when it was around 180 days, I was getting anxious and called every week.. now I am even more anxious with everything that has happened to me.. and my timeframe is 400+ days now.. (it's in my signature if you don't believe me).. most of the people I met on Visajourney are gone and have been approved now.. I don't visit as often as I used to because posting here doesn't really help me.. I will post if I have experienced before (such as this so-called "security checks").. there is no such thing.. I even have phoned (transferred) to FBI and they said that most are completed in less than 1 week (48-72 hours).. so don't give up.. NEVER let them (USCIS) control who/where you want to be with.. keep fighting for your spouse like I will do.. people say that "don't fight the government" and seem to be afraid of them.. well, I'M NOT AFRAID..

[Ilya R. 0]

As if there are good reports that ever come out of USCIS?

Many every day. We usually call them "NOA2".

Wouldnt know about it, havent ever seen one.

And come on, with "many" remark.

I agree with Pushbrk. They do an enormous amount of work. From the USCIS annual report:

"Every day, on average, USCIS’ 15,000 federal and contract employees:

Process 30,000 applications for immigration benefits

Issue 7,000 Permanent Resident Cards (green cards)

Adjudicate 200 refugee applications

Naturalize 3,000 new civilian citizens,

and 27 new citizens who are members of the United States Armed Forces

As a critical component of the Department of Homeland Security, USCIS

serves its important role in protecting the nation. To meet this responsibility, every day we:

Conduct 135,000 national security background checks

Capture 11,000 sets of fingerprints at 129 Application Support Centers

Each day USCIS remains ready to answer one of the 41,000 phone inquiries

it receives or to assist one of the 12,000 customers at our 87 local offices."

"Many" might be an understatement.

John

Wow thanks for all the stats, that will surely make my "neverending" journey go faster....

Hmm lets see, your timeline cleary states you waited 121 days for your aproval,(I-130) I am at 180+ with out any kind of information, so please spare me.

I can empathize with your frustration. Even being apart for the "short" time Rin and I were was gut-wrenching, so it must be even more unbearable for you. The wait will eventually pay off. For us, it taught us both patience and now that we are together the wait seems a distant memory.

As far as the stats, I'm a numbers person. Pushbrk used "many" to quantify documents handled by USCIS. I simply agree. If he had said their work was done within an acceptable time frame, well that would have been a totally different story. My personal opinion is that all spouses should be handled in a VWP type process (immediate admission to the USA upon marriage and adjust status after SO is here). We allow millions of people into the USA each year on a VWP without six months of background checks. A spouse is treated like a greater threat than a random individual with the right passport...I don't agree with that logic.

Hope you hear something soon!

John

Thanks, I hope so

[Angie Y Shane 2]

I got the sme leter from USCIS also. Word for word as for what you wrote. Nothing ws even diffrent from what you hve on your posting. I have been waiting over a year for my pending application.

Edited June 12, 2008 by Angie Y Shane

[dhobee 1]

Look at my signature. I've been around, you know.

We hope this RFE is good news and nothing but that.