ROUGHT DRAFT OF LETTER!

[MrsRowe 2]

Okay, i think that we should all send in separate letters. It will be better i think if they have a lot of letters about the same problem. This is what i have written so far. Please feel free to comment/edit/change. This is just a rough draft. I think we should all come up with a compassionate letter that fits.

John Q Applicant

VIsa Journey Street

Where ever you live

RE: Application # Filed at Vermont Service Center

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing this letter out of frustration and bewilderment. I am a law abiding, tax paying citizen of the United States who happen to have relatives abroad. I am not here to ask for any kind of special treatment. I like many other Applicants to the Vermont Service Center simply feels forgotten and left behind. Vermont Service Center has posted a July 30th processing date for the past 4 months. This is a slap in the face of many other applicants who have seen approvals for applicants that have mailed in their applications as late as January 2008. We have paid the fees as requested, followed the rules only to be rewarded with total disregard for our applications. Many of us have not seen our husbands, wives, children, mother, father for over a year. Many of us need our spouses here to assist with the raising of children and are struggling to maintain two households. We are not criminals, we have paid our taxes yet we are treated with total disregard. Vermont Service Center should be held accountable for their work load and should they be overwhelmed, the work load should be shared with other USCIS Centers. Please think about all the children that are growing up with the absence of another parent. Understand that you will be receiving many more letters concerning this matter as the people grow anxious as to the status of their applications. While we understand that you have received an overwhelming amount of applications before the fee increase, we feel that there was ample time to prepare for this foreseeable problem and there has been ample time after to organize a working solution to this problem.

[brnidokiegurl 0]

add something possibly about how people are treated when they do a simple call to find status of their cases, how others (k1) seeking visas for only a upcoming marriage are quicker than someone already married (if u want just my thoughts, rest looking good)

[Ilya R. 0]

try to add something about that there is alot of us, not just one or two!

[brnidokiegurl 0]

Okay, i think that we should all send in separate letters. It will be better i think if they have a lot of letters about the same problem. This is what i have written so far. Please feel free to comment/edit/change. This is just a rough draft. I think we should all come up with a compassionate letter that fits.

John Q Applicant

VIsa Journey Street

Where ever you live

RE: Application # Filed at Vermont Service Center

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing this letter out of frustration and bewilderment. I am a law abiding, tax paying citizen of the United States who happen to have relatives abroad. I am not here to ask for any kind of special treatment. I like many other Applicants to the Vermont Service Center simply feels forgotten and left behind. Vermont Service Center has posted a July 30th processing date for the past 4 months. This is a slap in the face of many other applicants who have seen approvals for applicants that have mailed in their applications as late as January 2008. We have paid the fees as requested, followed the rules only to be rewarded with total disregard for our applications. Many of us have not seen our husbands, wives, children, mother, father for over a year. Many of us need our spouses here to assist with the raising of children and are struggling to maintain two households. We are not criminals, we have paid our taxes yet we are treated with total disregard. Vermont Service Center should be held accountable for their work load and should they be overwhelmed, the work load should be shared with other USCIS Centers. Please think about all the children that are growing up with the absence of another parent. Understand that you will be receiving many more letters concerning this matter as the people grow anxious as to the status of their applications. While we understand that you have received an overwhelming amount of applications before the fee increase, we feel that there was ample time to prepare for this foreseeable problem and there has been ample time after to organize a working solution to this problem.

maybe this and the fact that they WILL receive alot will clue them in

also other than our own state reps...what is the group of emails we want the mass to go to...

Edited June 18, 2008 by brnidokiegurl

[Ilya R. 0]

maybe we should boycott taxes or something, that'll get their attention real fast

[brnidokiegurl 0]

think i will pass on that requirement since i work for the state and law enforcement

[MrsRowe 2]

Okay, will edit according to suggestions and repost.

[MsZ 6]

I think without explaining the way that USCIS processes petitions, stating dates and such is not going to be very moving to anyone. (The year should be supplied with July 30th.) Unless you explain that it is supposed to be a FIFO system, that work visas are being processed before family visas, and that the system is essentially at a standstill for family-based visas AND that it is impossible to gain accurate information from USCIS because they deliberately mislead and are rude or don't understand their own procedures, nobody will understand much of anything except that you are upset.

[brnidokiegurl 0]

guess when the basic form letter is done we can each add whatever needs

[LadyJane 1]

I definitely think that it is appropriate to express your disappointment with the process, especially since VSC is beyond the normal 6-month processing times. Writing a letter is definitely a good way to express that you expect your petitions processed in a timely manner.

I would say that your is too emotional for the purpose of the letter. I'm not trying to deny your feelings of anger, disappointment and bewilderment. However, the only message I got from your letter was that you were upset. I suggest removing portions that threaten (i.e. "you will be getting more letters") and convey emotion (i.e. bewilderment, anger, etc). Use logical arguments.

You're trying to get the VSC to process your petitions. I hate to say this...but they know that everyone is waiting and the only thing they can do is process one petition at a time. So, they are not very attuned to the personal suffering that we have all felt so deeply while in this visa journey. You may think that writing a letter to "make them" understand your pain would help them to process family immigration petitions faster, but you'd be incorrect.

I agree with MsZ. Reword your letter so that you are more detached-use the FIFO approach, explain that many USC spouses or fiances rely on financial support of their alien spouse and that there is a very real prospect that people may need to go on public support until their alien spouses arrive etc. Things like that will strengthen your argument. Make very specific suggestions that they can use to help speed up the process, and do not threaten. However, suggest that intervention of Congress in this matter may expedite money or human resources to help solve this issue-offer to help the VSC in getting these extra resources by getting individual congress(wo)men involved.

Premise: The VSC should process family-based petitions within the normal processing times.

Arguments: {fill in}

Suggestions: {fill in}

Conclusions: Incorporation of the above suggestions is expected to reduce processing times for family-based petitions.

Good luck!

[LRA 0]

Wish you all the very best in drawing attention to this. Were you planning on emailing these letters? From what we have done at my company when contacting representatives and sentors is mail them snail mail as well. You could also fax them....get that fax machine working all day. I think the paperload will help draw even more attention and especially if all the letters are the "same". Best of luck with this and I hope you see something done.

[brnidokiegurl 0]

yes take this little bit more of time and get the RIGHT letter then everyone do the same things on the same day, same (within hour or so) and they will see they are basically the same message

[rmusic 0]

Good going, can some one post final draft of what you guys sending and also if you have email address for director or some big guns at VSC.

[Ilya R. 0]

any updates>?

bump/