What is the LONGEST this can take? Getting tired of waiting...

[saddlepatch 6]

Coming up on ELEVEN months in waiting for a SECURITY clearance when either myself or my wife have ANY criminal background. We keep sending E-Requests for information and they keep saying the same thing "We have yet to clear your names on the security check."

Is it not true that this is suppose to take no longer than 15 months? If not, how much longer could we be waiting? 5 months? Another year? 2 years? 3 years?!

Shes an American citizen, born in the US and I'm a Canadian, born in Canada. It should not take this long for us to be together. We are neighbors and allies. I just want to live with my wife already!! :(

Ya, I can go down for 6 months at a time, but I can't legally work :/

Is there anyway I can apply for a temporary work visa or something while I wait? So I can work in the least 20 hours a week and can live with her while I wait for approval? I can't stand this distance much longer. It's taking a toll on my mental health greatly so much I might lose my current job...We figured I'd be down by Christmas......but now it feels like I'll never be able to live with her.....I don't want to wait another year! Someone give me some good news

Sorry if I sound like I'm whining, but it's really disheartening seeing people on here that submitted there petitions the same time we did, to Nebraska and have already had their interviews and already happily living with each other...I'm sure I'm not the only one but it's REALLY frustrating.....

[saddlepatch 6]

Also, may I add, that everyone who submitted around the same time, with a similar timeline, has their NOA2!! Like seriously?! Why are we the ones being stuck in the slow lane?! Also they're already into January 2014 filers according to the processing timelines!! What is going on?! Freaking me out that it's taking this long to clear the security clearance when we have NOTHING on our records....Denied entry ONCE to the US but it wasn't for criminal reasons. I was 19, had no job, wasn't in school and living with my mom and visiting my wife (my best friend at the time) for the first time after meeting online, so they said I had lacked ties to prove I'd return to Canada, but crossed 6 hours later, without a hitch, so that makes no sense :/ And I'm in Florida right now visiting, returning today to Canada and they stamped my passport for 6 months....so that can't have anything to do with it, but its the only thing I can keep going back too. And Laura is clearer than glass for her record. Never done anything wrong!!!

[Penguin_ie 5,986]

**** Moving from K3 to CR-1 spousal visa as that is what the OP's profile indicates was filed for *****

It sounds like you may have a name similar as someone that is of concern. Has your US spouse contacted their Senator or Congress person's Immigration Liaison?

[Stressed Out 81]

True, a congressional inquiry regarding abnormal processing times can speed things up as they have only 48 hours to respond to the liaison's message. Not saying you'd get something in 48 hours, but it could at least bump your petition up.

[LoveMyTico 999]

Look at my timeline. Click the spoiler. Yes, it can take this long. There is no set time. The timelines posted are only a guide. The senators didn't help me.

If they told you that your file is undergoing security checks, the only thing you can do is wait. I have been there, done that.

Edited October 8, 2014 by LoveMyTico

[Bonnie&Bob 33]

We are at 18 months now and told it will take another 60 days to review our AOS & Civil docs. They won't allow me to visit the USA, so my husband has to come to Canada to see me. Neither of us have any criminal record. He's a pilot for god sake & I worked for the government. Our couriered AOS & Civil Doc paperwork was sent in on July 19, 2014 & signed for by NVC July 21, 2014. They lost our paperwork & found them after we sent a Senator after them. They found them on Sept 11, 2014, so they were entered in the system on that day. They then said we will wait 60 more days to review. We argued that they were received July 21st but they said not their problem. They were entered Sept 11, 2014 so it will be 60 business days from that date. We are completely fed up with the whole process. We also had a k3 visa at the Montreal consulate back in March that was cancelled because the I-130 was approved 2 days after the k3 but they waited for us to pay the interview fee of $240 before they cancelled. They will not refund any money on that. So we continued to pay the $230 I-130 fee & AOS fee $88 the same day in March and still sitting on our thumbs.

[teddy k 35]

That's the government for you hurry up and wait longer and pay for slow as# service a bloodie joke on us i wish we could pay after we receive our approval you would see how fast they move then

[NikLR 13,220]

**** Moving from K3 to CR-1 spousal visa as that is what the OP's profile indicates was filed for *****

It sounds like you may have a name similar as someone that is of concern. Has your US spouse contacted their Senator or Congress person's Immigration Liaison?

This is how you deal with a long time at the USCIS. You can also contact your ombudsman and ask for a service request if the USCIS has had your file for 6+ months.

You may want to get a criminal record check with the RCMP and your wife can get an FBI check to help out the congressman's office so they can help you more too .

[PJFL2222 6]

_{was waiting nearly 9 months for security checks. got congressman involved and was approved 1 day after his inquiry.}

[Mellylamelle 2]

I totally hear you, saddlepatch. Check out my profile. It was about a year ago that I started getting my docs in order for our i-130 application, which, due to the fact I had to mail it from Abu Dhabi to Chicago and it was then returned and we had to send it a second time, wasn't officially received until December 17 of last year - and we are STILL waiting for i-130 approval!

Luckily for us we are living together in Abu Dhabi and hoping to move to the States once his visa is approved. I DO feel confident it's going to be (inshallah, as they say over here!) but it is SOOOOO frustrating to wait and you feel so powerless to do anything about it!

One thing that has cheered me up is looking at old threads here, where people have complained and expressed the exact frustrations you and I are feeling, and almost inevitably the approval does eventually come through.

I have also done my first enquiry with USCIS, I've contacted a senator AND I just filled out a complaint with the Ombudsman. I'm hoping these things will get us somewhere. Have your partner do the same!

Keep the faith!

Edited October 10, 2014 by Mellylamelle

[saddlepatch 6]

UPDATE:

Got my NOA2 e-mail notice TODAY!!! Waiting for the mail!!! It's been approved, no RFE's, now we can focus on paying the fees and getting an interview set up!!

[Mellylamelle 2]

HA!! Congratulations!! SEE?!? :-)

Spread some of that good luck to me, now!

[LoveMyTico 999]

UPDATE:

Got my NOA2 e-mail notice TODAY!!! Waiting for the mail!!! It's been approved, no RFE's, now we can focus on paying the fees and getting an interview set up!!

your file will get sent to the NVC. Processing there is 4-6 months. Then another 6 weeks for your interview.

Follow the OCTOBER NVC thread and read all the links in the very first post. Especially the NVC WIKI.

Edited October 11, 2014 by LoveMyTico

[Darnell 8,478]

UPDATE:

Got my NOA2 e-mail notice TODAY!!! Waiting for the mail!!! It's been approved, no RFE's, now we can focus on paying the fees and getting an interview set up!!

Hey ! Congratulations !

I've a theory, however malformed,

that once you sit back, take a big , deep breath, and start complaining about stuff here,

well,

there's movement on the casefile.

Again - Congratulations ! Whatcha cooking, to celebrate? (and no, Poutine doesna count, unless you make yer own gravy from scratch, making yer own grease drippings from a hunk o meat)

[LoveMyTico 999]

Not true. There are people hanging here for months and nothing happens after they complain.