Timeframe Comment

[Hicham♥Sara 15]

I spent some time this weekend with one of my friends here who immigrated from Jamaica. We had never talked about the process before because it was not a topic that had come up before until now , since I have met and fallen in love with a Moroccan citizen and started thinking about the what if's of a progressed relationship. He started asking me about how the process works now and what are the current requirements. He was very surprised when I told him that it took only 6- 8 months and about the requirements to prove you have a bona fide relationship.

Not too long ago it took up to two years for the proces from application to interview, and before that you have to have been married ( In spousal case) for at least two years before applying to prove that you have a bonafide relationship. No matter all the pictures and chat logs, you had to have been married on paper for at least two years!!

I reflected on so many of the posts I have read here , and inclduing my own attitude on the timefranme and quickly had an attitude adjustment. We are so quick to complain because we want everything so instant and sometimes we don't reflect on how things used to be. I just wanted to share this because it helped comfort me in knowing that when we decide to take this step in our relationship that I won't be disillusioned that the process is slow. I am greatful that I have now been informed that the immigration process is now faster and more improved than it used to be. We are lucky that it is much easier as USC's to bring our loves home with us, and not feel the absolute agony of what the previous process must have been like. We are lucky to live in a country that moves forward and does not stay stagnant. We have got to be thankful for this and not take this process as it is now for granted.

I was enlightened and just wanted to share that with you guys in case it helps you feel less burdened or hardpressed, because it could be so much worse

Have a lovely week and God bless the USA and the World

[GhLove 4]

Thanks for sharing this information.. I think it is good to have comparative data! It's not really that comforting for me because I believe that it should be our right as American Citizens to be with the person we love... versus waiting for qoutos and etc. Being a military member, I am 100% for homeland defence and security, but from what I've gathered so far... this process isn't really about that. It seems that the fiancee and spouse visas are more about money, location, and numbers (how many people applying). I do realize that there are a lot of people out there doing fraud.. but how can you REALLy determine who is real and who aint... its pretty frustrating for the real couples to even be classified with people who are just doing it for opprotunity. Anyway, I'm glad you posted this... it is an eye opener.. but I guess I'm just a little bitter. lol. Best wishes for your visa journey and I'll be praying for a speedy approval for everyone whose relationship is genuine.

[Hicham♥Sara 15]

Thanks for sharing this information.. I think it is good to have comparative data! It's not really that comforting for me because I believe that it should be our right as American Citizens to be with the person we love... versus waiting for qoutos and etc. Being a military member, I am 100% for homeland defence and security, but from what I've gathered so far... this process isn't really about that. It seems that the fiancee and spouse visas are more about money, location, and numbers (how many people applying). I do realize that there are a lot of people out there doing fraud.. but how can you REALLy determine who is real and who aint... its pretty frustrating for the real couples to even be classified with people who are just doing it for opprotunity. Anyway, I'm glad you posted this... it is an eye opener.. but I guess I'm just a little bitter. lol. Best wishes for your visa journey and I'll be praying for a speedy approval for everyone whose relationship is genuine.

Thanks for your reply, I would not be able to form an honest opinion about the "numbers" you are talking about because I have not looked into this.

I can understand your bitterness, this process is stressful and it would be awesome if we could just say " Hey I love this person so I am bringing them home with me right now!" But, I agree that it is frustrating that there are fraudulent people out there who make others look bad. Morocco is a high fraud country so my love and I get lots of questions from people, but as they learn more about us the more they agree. My best friend was very skeptical and has been warming up more since I came back from Morocco, but the crowning moment was when I visited her last weekend and she saw me talking to him via Skype and it was one of the times he had access to a webcam, she had never seen me look like that before and advised me that he is the man that I should marry! aww So if I can win HER over, surely anyone else then . LOL

I too pray for the couples who are in a genuine relationship and I pray for protection over those who are being "taken" No one deserves that kind of heartache. God Bless your Visa journey as well!

Sarasusan

[thelastpetitioner 218]

while i do appreciate the statement you made,you need to realize things are far from ideal.

specially in K visa category.in K visas,and even CR-1/IR-1,its about a relationship,the toll that the distance takes on it,the amount of time that you waste,waiting online for your partner to get online to talk to you,the amount of money you spend talking on the phone.

i assume when someone apply for a k-1 ( because they are still not married and ignorant as far as married life goes ) they are serious about their relationship.being in a long distance relationship is one thing,being in a long distance relationship and waiting on a visa is another.unfortunately the fact that the beneficiary is moving to states,for whatever reason,is always dangled up on our head,like we are supposed to just sit there and be thankful we are getting our visa,no matter how long it takes,when in fact considering the amount of time and money every US citizen has put into making this country into what it is kinda makes USC's right to have their lived one with them asap regardless of the nationality of the beneficiary.

bottom line is,yes,it used to be worse,much worse.you mentioned the USCIS stage,god knows how many horror stories i heard until about two years ago about the interviews,but never the less,that doesnt make this process ideal or even close to what USCIS ,NVC and consulates are capable of doing.

i just hope either they immigration system get more in touch with their costumers,or people gain a massive amount of patience.

[thelastpetitioner 218]

on another note,why i cant shut my mouth and not comment on posts about the timeframes of USCIS is beyond me,i suppose i really am going insane

Edited November 1, 2010 by ygr

[Hicham♥Sara 15]

while i do appreciate the statement you made,you need to realize things are far from ideal.

specially in K visa category.in K visas,and even CR-1/IR-1,its about a relationship,the toll that the distance takes on it,the amount of time that you waste,waiting online for your partner to get online to talk to you,the amount of money you spend talking on the phone.

i assume when someone apply for a k-1 ( because they are still not married and ignorant as far as married life goes ) they are serious about their relationship.being in a long distance relationship is one thing,being in a long distance relationship and waiting on a visa is another.unfortunately the fact that the beneficiary is moving to states,for whatever reason,is always dangled up on our head,like we are supposed to just sit there and be thankful we are getting our visa,no matter how long it takes,when in fact considering the amount of time and money every US citizen has put into making this country into what it is kinda makes USC's right to have their lived one with them asap regardless of the nationality of the beneficiary.

bottom line is,yes,it used to be worse,much worse.you mentioned the USCIS stage,god knows how many horror stories i heard until about two years ago about the interviews,but never the less,that doesnt make this process ideal or even close to what USCIS ,NVC and consulates are capable of doing.

i just hope either they immigration system get more in touch with their costumers,or people gain a massive amount of patience.

Man I sure do understand the cost of calling , so far the cheapest I have found to Morocco is around 24 cents per minute! Distance is very hard for us too, there are so many times when I think wow if only Hicham was closer to me. I can only imagine the frustration the process carries when you are ready to be with the one you love forever and want them by your side as soon as possible. God Bless.

Sarasusan

[Hicham♥Sara 15]

on another note,why i cant shut my mouth and not comment on posts about the timeframes of USCIS is beyond me,i suppose i really am going insane

It's called passion! You are passionate about this subject, that's all !

[thelastpetitioner 218]

Man I sure do understand the cost of calling , so far the cheapest I have found to Morocco is around 24 cents per minute! Distance is very hard for us too, there are so many times when I think wow if only Hicham was closer to me. I can only imagine the frustration the process carries when you are ready to be with the one you love forever and want them by your side as soon as possible. God Bless.

Sarasusan

oh yes,i know i think its the distance and not seeing bee for 6 months that is taking its toll on me.

just allow me to clear one thing up,since i know ill be attacked by pro USCIS vjers.i am thankful for the fact that im allowed to file for a petition regardless of my nationality,i am really relieved to see this process,is as fair as it should be.however,i think USCIS has potential for doing things faster.thats all.

[Geode 3]

when in fact considering the amount of time and money every US citizen has put into making this country into what it is kinda makes USC's right to have their lived one with them asap regardless of the nationality of the beneficiary.

ygr - I have to comment on this part of your post. Most of us USC's that put money and/or time into making this country what it is do not expect any rights. I gave this country twenty years of my life in service. Yes, I was paid, but not much and the cost was horrific. I was fortunate. I was not in combat and only got close to it one time. But,I lost many things during those years and my life is not the better for it in any way. Had I known the price, I would have changed things so that it was not so costly. I would do it again and still not expect any particular rights.

I do expect some small gesture of respect. I am reasonably intelligent. I can decide with whom I would like to share my life. I would not choose a possible terrorist or gold digger or any other category that USCIS might be trying to weed out. I do not need to be monitored by a government agency to make sure I do not harm my country. I have been fortunate to meet a warm loving woman who shares my life views. She does not need to be monitored either, though I can see that it is reasonable for the government to require some information. I do not think the government should just sign off on any and every petition. The application forms are reasonable.

What is not reasonable, and we all know this, is the delay. If it took five months of investigation to process a petition, then I would have no complaint. Instead, it takes five months of a file sitting on a shelf and then a few minutes work to process the petition. USCIS adjudicators probably work their tails off trying to accomplish given tasks. USCIS managers probably wonder how they will ever get the process under control. USCIS administrators probably have no concept of the lives that are in their hands and how their inability to make the process work in a reasonable time (and five months is not reasonable)affects us.

Sorry, this turned into a tirade and I am not sure it adds anything to our collective knowledge. Perhaps I should just make Mondays my day to vent.

Edited November 1, 2010 by Geode

[thelastpetitioner 218]

What is not reasonable, and we all know this, is the delay. If it took five months of investigation to process a petition, then I would have no complaint. Instead, it takes five months of a file sitting on a shelf and then a few minutes work to process the petition. USCIS adjudicators probably work their tails off trying to accomplish given tasks. USCIS managers probably wonder how they will ever get the process under control. USCIS administrators probably have no concept of the lives that are in their hands and how their inability to make the process work in a reasonable time (and five months is not reasonable)affects us.

this is what has been bothering me really,and you worded it out perfectly.

i am not upset by any means with the USCIS workers,because well,they do what they are told.if they are expected to spend six months on CR-1 petitions instead of k-1s then we have to blame the person who ordered them to do so.but honestly,to me as the beneficiary,USCIS is a faceless office.there is not ONE person you could point fingers to and blame.

also another thing that has been bothering me is there has been no major changes in immigration since president obama got elected.the only move they made was the Arizona law,which if you look at,gives more attention towards people who break the law ( aka boarder jumpers ) than people who are impatiently waiting and pretty much earning their right to have an interview.

i dk i could be wrong but this process has opened my eyes to a LOT of flaws within big systems that go un noticed.

[Hicham♥Sara 15]

ygr - I have to comment on this part of your post. Most of us USC's that put money and/or time into making this country what it is do not expect any rights. I gave this country twenty years of my life in service. Yes, I was paid, but not much and the cost was horrific. I was fortunate. I was not in combat and only got close to it one time. But,I lost many things during those years and my life is not the better for it in any way. Had I known the price, I would have changed things so that it was not so costly. I would do it again and still not expect any particular rights.

I do expect some small gesture of respect. I am reasonably intelligent. I can decide with whom I would like to share my life. I would not choose a possible terrorist or gold digger or any other category that USCIS might be trying to weed out. I do not need to be monitored by a government agency to make sure I do not harm my country. I have been fortunate to meet a warm loving woman who shares my life views. She does not need to be monitored either, though I can see that it is reasonable for the government to require some information. I do not think the government should just sign off on any and every petition. The application forms are reasonable.

What is not reasonable, and we all know this, is the delay. If it took five months of investigation to process a petition, then I would have no complaint. Instead, it takes five months of a file sitting on a shelf and then a few minutes work to process the petition. USCIS adjudicators probably work their tails off trying to accomplish given tasks. USCIS managers probably wonder how they will ever get the process under control. USCIS administrators probably have no concept of the lives that are in their hands and how their inability to make the process work in a reasonable time (and five months is not reasonable)affects us.

Sorry, this turned into a tirade and I am not sure it adds anything to our collective knowledge. Perhaps I should just make Mondays my day to vent.

I guess what I am not understanding is why 5 months is unreasonable.. maybe I am missing something? - I feel that it is better than what it could be/has been. When you say just sitting on a shelf ,it is as if they are purposely letting it sit there arbitrarily when it seems to me that it's a matter of "next in line". Kind of like when you go to the DMV you have to wait forever sometimes to just get them to enter information into a computer take your new picture and have a nice day. But you sit there in the lobby waiting for your "a21" to be called. The simple job gets done in a matter of minutes but there were people there waiting before you, for someone to process it. Like I said , maybe I am missing something, but I definitely do not think that the people at USCIS don't care about timefranmes because if that were the case this would not have improved over time; it would have stayed the same or gotten worse. This is just my opinion.

[IndigoSkies 168]

Pfft. I grew up with the internet. I want things instantly. The fact that USCIS/NVC makes us type things and then print and then use snail mail is appalling and insulting to my intellect. Everything should be computerized rapidly rather then slowly and eventually. It will save State Department and Homeland Security Department millions of dollars. It will create more high-tech jobs, jobs that cannot be easily shifted to China or god-knows-what-else-tiny-island-country in middle of nowhere. I want instant gratification and I'm not ashamed for it.

[thelastpetitioner 218]

I guess what I am not understanding is why 5 months is unreasonable..

the reason its UNreasonable is...when it goes past the five months time frame,and you contact your congressman or representative it takes CSC up to two months to announce their decision,meaning THAT is how long approving,denying or RFEing a petition would and should take.

i guess thats what we are all having issues with

[Hicham♥Sara 15]

Pfft. I grew up with the internet. I want things instantly. The fact that USCIS/NVC makes us type things and then print and then use snail mail is appalling and insulting to my intellect. Everything should be computerized rapidly rather then slowly and eventually. It will save State Department and Homeland Security Department millions of dollars. It will create more high-tech jobs, jobs that cannot be easily shifted to China or god-knows-what-else-tiny-island-country in middle of nowhere. I want instant gratification and I'm not ashamed for it.

Remember these are just my thoughts ! not facts. An opinion is not a fact.

I guess maybe there is something to be said still about recieving a package that someone actually put together than just an email with electronic documents! Yes YOU are real! Not a bot!

I understand what you are saying as I am a child of the internet, (started on the 14k modem with Prodigy and AOL and mIRC), but wouldnt that give opportunity for more frauders to clog up the system, making it take even longer to process, with their fakery? I think it would , because then there would be fake electronic applications they would have to look at instead of someone actually taking the time to file a petition via regular mail. Harder to fake physical documents I think. Take care ,

Sarasusan

[Aztec&Taino 144]

I spent some time this weekend with one of my friends here who immigrated from Jamaica. We had never talked about the process before because it was not a topic that had come up before until now , since I have met and fallen in love with a Moroccan citizen and started thinking about the what if's of a progressed relationship. He started asking me about how the process works now and what are the current requirements. He was very surprised when I told him that it took only 6- 8 months and about the requirements to prove you have a bona fide relationship.

Not too long ago it took up to two years for the proces from application to interview, and before that you have to have been married ( In spousal case) for at least two years before applying to prove that you have a bonafide relationship. No matter all the pictures and chat logs, you had to have been married on paper for at least two years!!

I reflected on so many of the posts I have read here , and inclduing my own attitude on the timefranme and quickly had an attitude adjustment. We are so quick to complain because we want everything so instant and sometimes we don't reflect on how things used to be. I just wanted to share this because it helped comfort me in knowing that when we decide to take this step in our relationship that I won't be disillusioned that the process is slow. I am greatful that I have now been informed that the immigration process is now faster and more improved than it used to be. We are lucky that it is much easier as USC's to bring our loves home with us, and not feel the absolute agony of what the previous process must have been like. We are lucky to live in a country that moves forward and does not stay stagnant. We have got to be thankful for this and not take this process as it is now for granted.

I was enlightened and just wanted to share that with you guys in case it helps you feel less burdened or hardpressed, because it could be so much worse

Have a lovely week and God bless the USA and the World

Yes, I do know it used to take longer than it seems to take now. Yet, the wait is still quite terrible and it would be nicer if the total wait was less. There are still people, however, in processes that take YEARS! For example, to adjust the status of a family member from another country the wait for a visa number can be years. At least we are lucky that for most of us the wait will not be even a year, let alone years.