Faster Processing Times

[lemur923 1]

What is the actual explanation for K1 Visas being processed a little faster recently?

[Greenbaum 12,258]

Just now, lemur923 said:

What is the actual explanation for K1 Visas being processed a little faster recently?

More manpower.

[lemur923 1]

Just now, Greenbaum said:

More manpower.

Do you think it will slow down a bit now with Christmas and other holidays coming up?

[Greenbaum 12,258]

Just now, lemur923 said:

Do you think it will slow down a bit now with Christmas and other holidays coming up?

Yes of course. When the offices are closed no business is transacted. So it's natural to assume their will be some slow down but I don't think you will notice it because no one knows when their case is going to be approved and if it was delayed until it was finally approved because of holidays.  Everything is in the background so you really don't see it.

[Pitaya 2,576]

I believe that there has been an increase in allocation of manpower by DHS to USCIS, that has resulted in a perceived faster processing of K1 visas. I haven't really seen a big uptick in AOS/ROC/USC approvals. Not certain if the increased manpower was also projected to the DOS. All of these visa processes are akin to a very large river with any number of large dams that control the water flow. The dams that are under USCIS control may be running at a higher efficiency. However, the dams control by DOS may not have benefited from increased manpower. Let's take what we can get.......

 

Edited November 9, 2019 by Pitaya

[lemur923 1]

5 minutes ago, Pitaya said:

I believe that there has been an increase in allocation of manpower by DHS to USCIS, that has resulted in a perceived faster processing of K1 visas. Not certain if the increased manpower was also projected to the DOS. All of these visa processes are akin to a very large river with any number of large dams that control the water flow. The dams that are under USCIS control may be running at a higher efficiency. However, the dams control by DOS may not have benefited from increased manpower.

 

Very cool explanation! Haha

But something I don't understand is, these faster processing times are for applications that are pretty straight forward or all of them included? When we read cases that take, let's say 6 months from NOA1 to Interview, is it for applications without RFE, etc etc?

[Nitas_man 3,100]

33 minutes ago, lemur923 said:

What is the actual explanation for K1 Visas being processed a little faster recently?

Random homicidal mania is my guess.  It ebbs and flows with other caseloads.

[SalishSea 16,770]

I think it is really only the petition phase that is currently faster.  Last year, our entire process (NOA1 to POE) took just over 9 months.  6.5 of that was the wait between NOA1 and NOA2.  The time from NOA2 to visa in hand was pretty speedy actually, but this year it seems that the NVC phase is taking much longer.

 

The availability of consulate appointments has always been a big variable.  

 

Net result is about the same.

 

Btw:  We had no RFEs, but we did send in something additional about 6 weeks before NOA2.

Edited November 9, 2019 by Jorgedig

[Pitaya 2,576]

It doesn't seem like the DOS side, i.e., NVC, Bureau of Consular Affairs, of the visa processing equation has yet gotten the memo.

 

YMMV

[geowrian 22,335]

Also, this part of the year does tend to see better progress than the Nov-Jan time period. Holidays + vacations likely tend to be a factor there as well....even a little backlog and less progress results in a big slowdown.

[lemur923 1]

2 hours ago, geowrian said:

Also, this part of the year does tend to see better progress than the Nov-Jan time period.

You mean the period after summer and before November? 

[geowrian 22,335]

25 minutes ago, lemur923 said:

You mean the period after summer and before November? 

Typically there tends to be an increase in petitions in the October-early January timeframe (those late-year proposals, I guess). That combined with a bunch of holidays and people using vacation time results in a slowdown for people filing during those timeframe. It varies form year to year, though...sometimes the difference is negligible and sometimes it can cause  months of more backlog. It's an ebb and flow system.

[Carpe Vinum 2,310]

On 11/9/2019 at 12:26 PM, Greenbaum said:

Yes of course. When the offices are closed no business is transacted. So it's natural to assume their will be some slow down but I don't think you will notice it because no one knows when their case is going to be approved and if it was delayed until it was finally approved because of holidays.  Everything is in the background so you really don't see it.

A large percentage of the government workforce takes vacation around the holidays just like normal human beings))))

[geowrian 22,335]

2 hours ago, boris64 said:

A large percentage of the government workforce takes vacation around the holidays just like normal human beings))))

I can attest to this...both with the federal workers and contractors. And myself (contractor for a few federal agencies, including some relevant ones here). 😆