Why is Philippines auto expedited

[charlieprince 24]

This is where RED TAPE becomes blatantly obvious..

because even if the order to expedite "Philippines" applications were valid

...it was over 2 years ago! It should've been stopped a while but yet it's become the status-quo

and yes, I know my application got expedited and i am wholeheartedly grateful for it..

but i see the pain and anger other petitioners/couples are going thru and frankly.. there should be no Philippines Expedite anymore

it should've been stopped a long time ago, but red tape..

[Janelle2002 3,865]

If you are talking about PI then it is culturally appropriate to marry a much older male.

Most of the opposite cases you see on here involve countries where apart from the prospect of a GC it would not happen.

In most Asian cultures it is. My husband is almost 14 years older than me.

Next excuse please?

Again it is still much harder for American women to bring their foreign husbands to the U.S. Name one country that is on "automatic expedite" where foreign men are constantly getting visas as quick as the Phillipine women?

It doesn't exist.

[helaofthenorns 1]

Be good, guys. Be good. You reap what you sow.

Edited February 16, 2015 by helaofthenorns

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

I am sure glad that the USCIS was able to get my young Filipina bride here so quickly, so this old man could finally take things easily while she supports me. Obama - you the man!

[j&ana 363]

This is where RED TAPE becomes blatantly obvious..

because even if the order to expedite "Philippines" applications were valid

...it was over 2 years ago! It should've been stopped a while but yet it's become the status-quo

and yes, I know my application got expedited and i am wholeheartedly grateful for it..

but i see the pain and anger other petitioners/couples are going thru and frankly.. there should be no Philippines Expedite anymore

it should've been stopped a long time ago, but red tape..

Actually the big typhoon yolanda happen in NOV 2013 that was only 15 months way under 2 years. It was only suppose to be family base visa.but then they just started expediting all petitions from tbere

[N-o-l-a 7,167]

Just like how the USA caters to the large illegal hispanic group by giving DACA, DAPA.

Which is so ridiculous and pandering that I don't even have words.

Why does the visa take longer for women marrying men than men marrying women? Why are U.S. women/foreign men relationships scrutinized more?

You don't know what we are going through. I have been trying to get my husband a visa since 2012.

I'm not sure that is the case, but as a personal anecdote, our CR-1 was approved with absolutely no evidence, just a filled out form. I had no doubt my husband would get a visa, either.

Actually, I looked at your timeline, your I-130 was approved more quickly than ours and we did a special case DCF/expedite. You might be stuck in AP, but your petition processing time was quick.

[Janelle2002 3,865]

Which is so ridiculous and pandering that I don't even have words.

I'm not sure that is the case, but as a personal anecdote, our CR-1 was approved with absolutely no evidence, just a filled out form. I had no doubt my husband would get a visa, either.

Actually, I looked at your timeline, your I-130 was approved more quickly than ours and we did a special case DCF/expedite. You might be stuck in AP, but your petition processing time was quick.

It was approved in good time. The embassy kept us in AP over a year. We finally got to file a waiver 08/2014. Waiver approved 01/2015. Then I found out USCIS, not the embassy, requested our original I-130 in 09/2014 and have not returned it to the embassy. Don't know why and no one at USCIS has been able to tell me so far.

So, we still have no light at the end of the tunnel yet.

[Marco&Bettina 502]

It was approved in good time. The embassy kept us in AP over a year. We finally got to file a waiver 08/2014. Waiver approved 01/2015. Then I found out USCIS, not the embassy, requested our original I-130 in 09/2014 and have not returned it to the embassy. Don't know why and no one at USCIS has been able to tell me so far.

So, we still have no light at the end of the tunnel yet.

That's sad.

[Janelle2002 3,865]

That's sad.

Thank you for being understanding.

[VOL 425]

I am sure glad that the USCIS was able to get my young Filipina bride here so quickly, so this old man could finally take things easily while she supports me. Obama - you the man!

Same here, I am having fun teaching my how to cook, how to drive, and how to clean the house.

I hopefully to get her AED back soon, I am gonna put mine to work and travel back to PHilippines for a few months......

It was approved in good time. The embassy kept us in AP over a year. We finally got to file a waiver 08/2014. Waiver approved 01/2015. Then I found out USCIS, not the embassy, requested our original I-130 in 09/2014 and have not returned it to the embassy. Don't know why and no one at USCIS has been able to tell me so far.

So, we still have no light at the end of the tunnel yet.

That Suxs, Why did you do spousal visa versus a Fiance Visa?

[N-o-l-a 7,167]

That Suxs, Why did you do spousal visa versus a Fiance Visa?

At the time I-130s were being processed in 2-4 months and I-129Fs in 6-9+ months, for starters.

[Janelle2002 3,865]

Same here, I am having fun teaching my how to cook, how to drive, and how to clean the house.

I hopefully to get her AED back soon, I am gonna put mine to work and travel back to PHilippines for a few months......

That Suxs, Why did you do spousal visa versus a Fiance Visa?

Because we were married.

[jayjayj 571]

Does anyone have definitive factual proof that shows there is a USCIS policy of auto expedite in place for petitions filed for Filipino nationals? I’m asking, not because I am taking one side or the other, but because I am genuinely interested in this type of stuff.

I've seen a lot of emotionally charged subjective statements made, but I haven't actually seen confirmation of a written policy or data dumps supporting the theory. Awhile back, there was speculation of an “auto-expedite” in place for I-130’s filed by U.S. citizens from overseas, but again, that was never confirmed.

If someone has analyzed USCIS data and found anything that would support the idea of an official “auto-expedite”, please post it.

There does seem to be a strangely coincidental timeline of USCIS announcements, which could have contributed to the perception that an “auto-expedite” was created for Filipino nationals.

The USCIS put out a press alert on October 31^st, 2013, stating the following:

http://www.uscis.gov/news/alerts/tips-foreign-nationals-united-states-impacted-civil-unrest-or-natural-disasters-their-home-country

*********************************************

Tips for Foreign Nationals in the United States Impacted by Civil Unrest or Natural Disasters in Their Home Country

Conditions in your home country, such as civil unrest or a severe environmental disaster may impede your ability to return home as originally planned or may create temporary financial difficulties for you and your family. Extreme situations beyond your control also may affect your ability to maintain lawful immigration status while in the United States. During these special situations, temporary relief measures may be available to eligible foreign nationals.

If you are a foreign national in the United States who has been affected by civil unrest, a severe natural disaster or other extreme situation in your home country, the available options for which you may apply include:

• A change or extension of nonimmigrant status for an individual currently in the United States;
• Expedited adjudication and approval, where possible, of requests for off-campus employment authorization for F-1 students experiencing severe economic hardship;
• Expedited processing of immigrant petitions for immediate relatives of U.S. citizens and relatives of lawful permanent residents whose priority dates are current; and
• Expedited employment authorization where appropriate.

**********************************************

Typhoon Yolanda formed into a typhoon on November 5^th, 2013. There was no certainty at this point that Yolanda would make landfall in the Philippines - there were several possible tracks the storm could take. This press alert was 5 days after the USCIS press alert regarding civil unrest or natural disasters. Also, the October 31^st press alert appears to not be intended for nationals of any specific country, but for foreign nationals of all countries. Unless the USCIS has some previously undisclosed uber-advanced weather prediction technology, I think the timing is purely but oddly coincidental.

Typhoon Yolanda made landfall in the Philippines sometime around the November 8^th, 2013.

The USCIS issued the following press release on November 15^th, 2013:

http://www.uscis.gov/news/uscis-extends-relief-measures-filipino-typhoon-victims

***************************************

USCIS Reminds Filipino Nationals Impacted by Typhoon Haiyan of Available Immigration Relief Measures

Release Date: November 15, 2013

In light of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines (named “Yolanda” by Philippine authorities), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) would like to remind Filipino nationals that they may be eligible for certain immigration relief measures if requested.

USCIS understands that a natural disaster can affect an individual’s ability to establish or maintain lawful immigration status in the United States. Therefore, Filipino nationals impacted by Typhoon Haiyan may be eligible to benefit from the following immigration relief measures:

• Change or extension of nonimmigrant status for an individual currently in the United States, even when the request is filed after the authorized period of admission has expired;
• Extension of certain grants of parole made by USCIS;
• Extension of certain grants of advance parole, and expedited processing of advance parole requests;
• Expedited adjudication and approval, where possible, of requests for off-campus employment authorization for F-1 students experiencing severe economic hardship;
• Expedited processing of immigrant petitions for immediate relatives of U.S. citizens;
• Expedited adjudication of employment authorization applications, where appropriate; and
• Assistance to LPRs stranded overseas without immigration or travel documents, such as Permanent Resident Cards (Green Cards). USCIS and the Department of State will coordinate on these matters when the LPR is stranded in a place that has no local USCIS office.

*********************************************

The press release is titled “USCIS Reminds Filipino Nationals…” – take special notice of the word “Reminds” - and it came out about 2 weeks after the first USCIS press alert regarding civil unrest and natural disasters. So, this subject was fresh in the minds of USCIS personnel and thus they issued the November 15^th press release.

I also bolded parts of the press release, that clearly state several times, Filipino nationals “may be eligible” for expedites “if requested”. There is no mention of an “auto-expedite” policy.

Like I said, I don’t have data to say one way or the other, whether or not the USCIS was/is expediting petitions for Filipino nationals. If someone has data, please post it.

My personal belief is that the immigration process takes way too long for everyone involved.

[Marco&Bettina 502]

What you said.

The info you provided is great. I'd never seen it written out like that. Perfect explanation. However, you're asking for proof. You won't find it. The only place it exists is when you look at really short processing times for beneficiaries from the PI, when you read posts that say they didn't request expedite but are thankful for it. Let's be clear. When a beneficiary from PI says they didn't request expedition, but were processed really fast & you see that same thing being said by numerous PI beneficiaries over time, only one reasonable conclusion can possibly be drawn. I've been on this site now for over one year & have continually seen the same thing. Granted some PI beneficiaries actually request expedition, it would appear that most don't.

Edited February 19, 2015 by Marco&Bettina

[VOL 425]

The info you provided is great. I'd never seen it written out like that. Perfect explanation. However, you're asking for proof. You won't find it. The only place it exists is when you look at really short processing times for beneficiaries from the PI, when you read posts that say they didn't request expedite but are thankful for it. Let's be clear. When a beneficiary from PI says they didn't request expedition, but were processed really fast & you see that same thing being said by numerous PI beneficiaries over time, only one reasonable conclusion can possibly be drawn. I've been on this site now for over one year & have continually seen the same thing. Granted some PI beneficiaries actually request expedition, it would appear that most don't.

I did a K1 from Philippines in 2008, we had California or Vermont that was processing invoices, And California was the slow one at the time.

My Visa was approved in 60 days @ Vermont, I did another K1 a few months ago I got Texas Svc Center, it was approved in 52 days.

I just think as a rule Philippines is processed faster......