N-400 JULY 2008 Filers

[Lyuba 0]

Wow, after reading your stories I start really appreciate that my journey was pretty smooth.

[KyngSilva 0]

I think I should just bring more documents for the evidence of marriage, just to be on the safe side. And I will bring an entire album of our family... pictures for every occasion hahah!

Gosh, this whole USCIS journey is sooo tiring! I wonder what these USCIS people do to the documents they required us to send? Why do they have to get another set of all of these documents that they already have in possession every step of the way? (Sigh)... you can't win, you just have to be patient I guess until the whole USCIS journey is over.

Let's hang on, Kyngsilva, Katlovm and davidanhhong! There must be light at the end of the tunnel

Sak....the light at the end of the tunnel is death.....your going down the wrong tunnel....LOL

I go through phases everyday....happy ...sad...angry....sad....sleepy....hungry...sad. Anyways...my lovely wife said she will call them tomorrow and see if she can put the Senators office to work.

I think I will apply for CANADIAN Citizenship......

[sakura888 0]

Hang on in there, KyngSilva... we will be finished with the USCIS soon, one day we will look back and we may not even remember all the stress and disappointments this government agency has caused us

[moonhunt 1]

I think I will apply for CANADIAN Citizenship......

I was thinking about that, too.

Hey Guys,

At least for today, let's forget about whole USCIS thing, and let's have green beer!

We need to manage the stress within certain level.

[davidanhhong 0]

Thanks everyone for your kind wishes, and I'll post an update tomorrow after the next (hopefully last!) USCIS appointment.

While waiting to speak to an officer during the last appointment at the Alexandria office, I overheard several people getting treated rather brusquely or even rudely when they attempted to get more information or state their side of the story. So it seems us poor applicants have no power and little respect from the officers. Even the immigration attorneys representing their clients had to sweet-talk the officers in order to get them to look up information or get involved in solving the applicants' problems.

The whole office looks shabby and decrepit, with watermarks on the ceiling tiles and the display equipment not functioning. Overall it must be a rather depressing place to work. So tomorrow I'll bite my tongue a lot and attempt to sweet-talk my way through this, even though I really hate this bureaucracy by now .

Regards,

David & Hong

[sakura888 0]

Hi David,

I've been to Alexandria office for fingerprinting for the removal of conditions. You are so right about what you said. I've seen a lot of office workers there wearing long faces, with raised eyebrows. They're acting as if they are of some kind of high authority or something. I smiled at some, I was NEVER smiled back at. Some of them are even mean and rude when an applicant asks questions.

Thanks everyone for your kind wishes, and I'll post an update tomorrow after the next (hopefully last!) USCIS appointment.

While waiting to speak to an officer during the last appointment at the Alexandria office, I overheard several people getting treated rather brusquely or even rudely when they attempted to get more information or state their side of the story. So it seems us poor applicants have no power and little respect from the officers. Even the immigration attorneys representing their clients had to sweet-talk the officers in order to get them to look up information or get involved in solving the applicants' problems.

The whole office looks shabby and decrepit, with watermarks on the ceiling tiles and the display equipment not functioning. Overall it must be a rather depressing place to work. So tomorrow I'll bite my tongue a lot and attempt to sweet-talk my way through this, even though I really hate this bureaucracy by now .

Regards,

David & Hong

[KyngSilva 0]

They should behappy they have jobs and our tax money pays their salaries. One would think they are doing us a favor by giving us information that we have a right to know. I cannot stand bad customer service and I don't put up with it either. Good luck David, let us know how it goes.

[KyngSilva 0]

Hey guys,

So here's the scoop on my file. My wife called the Senators office, and spoke with the rep assigned to my file. She told her that we are tired of waiting and can't believe it's taking so long. So the rep agreed to call the USCIS and find out some more info. The rep called my wife back and told her that the file has been approved yesterday and that it is in que for scheduling an oath date. They told the rep that it could take about a month, and that the rep could call every week to check and see what the status is. So that's good news I guess. Wish me luck. =)

[sakura888 0]

I'm happy for you, KyngSilva.

But it is amazing that a senator's rep COULD call them EVERY WEEK and the rep will be informed of the most updated info on your case, while WE, you and me and the rest, on the other hand, the TAXPAYERS who pay for their salaries, even if we call them in 2 months or so, each time we call, we are told that at least 120 days must have passed since we last heard from the USCIS before they submit a service request on our case. THAT IS if we are lucky to get a USCIS rep to submit a service request on our behalf. On my case, 150+ days have passed and they still told me to, guess what? WAIT! One rep told me that I should wait for 30 days more. That's when I asked her, "SO AFTER ANOTHER 30 DAYS AND I CALL, WHAT ARE YOU GUYS GOING TO TELL ME THEN??? TO WAIT FOR ANOTHER 60? 120 AGAIN??? YOU GUYS ALWAYS TOLD ME THAT AFTER 120 DAYS, YOU'RE GOING TO SUBMIT A SERVICE REQUEST ON MY APPLICATION, NOW IT HAS BEEN 150 AND YOU ARE TELLING ME TO WAIT FOR ANOTHER 30???" Yeah yeah yeah, she said she apologizes on behalf of the USCIS and yadah yadah yadah.... but did I get her to submit a service request for me? NOOOOO!!!

BUT even that service request, is not an assurance that we will get an updated info on our cases. All they will tell you is that "A SERVICE REQUEST HAS BEEN SUBMITTED ON YOUR CASE, YOU HAVE TO WAIT FOR 120 DAYS BEFORE INQUIRING AGAIN!"

Or if you're lucky, never mind that you live 3, 4 or 5 hours away from your local office, these USCIS reps will just tell you to "SET UP AN INFO PASS AND GO TO YOUR LOCAL OFFICE!" As simple as that! Never mind that the economy is not doing good and that you may be unemployed at the time, they just tell you to go ahead, fill up your gas tank and drive to your local office and back for a whole day! And when you get to your local office, you have to kiss the asses of the people working there and sometimes even beg and make them understand how far you drove to get there, from the guard to the window officer JUST TO LET YOU SPEAK WITH AN INFORMATION OFFICER. If you get to speak to an IO, the IO would not even entertain questions or would NOT even look up your case, based on what I've read from other people's experiences. All these, when the least that these USCIS hotline reps could do is to connect you to an IO who can give you the latest update.

How is that for the return investment on our hefty taxes?

Sorry for venting. I'm just sick of the system.

Hey guys,

So here's the scoop on my file. My wife called the Senators office, and spoke with the rep assigned to my file. She told her that we are tired of waiting and can't believe it's taking so long. So the rep agreed to call the USCIS and find out some more info. The rep called my wife back and told her that the file has been approved yesterday and that it is in que for scheduling an oath date. They told the rep that it could take about a month, and that the rep could call every week to check and see what the status is. So that's good news I guess. Wish me luck. =)

[KyngSilva 0]

Oh Sak...vent aaway my friend. I know exactly how you feel. This is why I don;t give up the fight. In the last week I have contacted the USCIS 5 times in one form or another. Sometimes I call them because I am exteremly bored and want somebody to talk with...LOL.The more they delay my case the more I want to go to the TV station. I know they are super hungry for any news about the goverment and how they handle cases or why the process is different from State to state and not a streamlined process. They have about a month to get my ####### in order or the next is calling the tv station and asking them to do an investigation into why these clowns can;t all be on the same page. Ahhh the goverment love to be on the tv.

[Lyuba 0]

Well, it is good news, isn't it.

[moonhunt 1]

Well, it is good news, isn't it.

As Lyuba said, warm spring weather may bring good luck to you guys.

I think I had too much green beer yesterday.

[sakura888 0]

Thanks, moonhunt. I hope and I pray...

[sakura888 0]

I'm really trying to be positive about all this, and yet I feel nervous because I read these horrifying experiences of some of the members here. I feel sorry for all of those who had to pay for their IO's mistake, like what Thomas and Milena described as what happened to them.

It also made me more nervous after reading all those comments on the USCIS news about their progress on FBI namechecks. Jeez, after reading the comments of those poor people who are still in the limbo after 5, 7 or even 8 years or more (some of them already passed their interviews), I think I wont be able to sleep at night until the certificate of naturalization is already in my possession. Some of them are waiting for their oath and yet they are still in the limbo for years. I cannot understand, why other people could breeze through this system in 3mos, some did in 2 months even, and others would get stuck for nearly a decade just for the namecheck? And this is even after passing the interview? This is unbelievable. Horrifies me.

[KyngSilva 0]

Eventually about a 100 years from now, this process will be easy. LOL