Waiting for a NOA2 from VSC for your I-129F?

[widwi 0]

Well, I definitely have my fingers crossed now. I am an active duty military member, and I just found out last week that I am going to be getting an assignment in the very near future. I could be out of here as soon as May. Now, I know that sounds like a long ways off, but it really isn't. Especially since I am going to an overseas location. Anyway, I sent off a request to have our Visa application expedited for military reason. I included ALL of the information that I received regarding my immanent assignment, a copy of my NOA1, letters from myself and my Commanding Officer. Hopefully this will be enough to persuade the Vermont Service Center to expedite our case. If not, I will truly be at a loss, as I really do not believe we will be able to get everything "squared away" before I will have to be at my next duty location. I sent the package off on Tuesday and the Vermont Service Center received it yesterday. Hopefully we will hear something soon. Wish us luck, please. I'll keep you all posted on our results.

[Bill y Bella 0]

Oh. So I am loud, bombastic, pompous, noisy and pretentious. So much for your original claim of no insult being intended. But hey, nice cut and paste.

Don't take that to be an insult, I just wonder.

My apologies to thejoz. I was thinking that the post from rouguewave was from you and referred to your statement "Don't take that to be an insult" in my reply to rouguewave. Sorry for the confusion.

Well, I definitely have my fingers crossed now. I am an active duty military member, and I just found out last week that I am going to be getting an assignment in the very near future. I could be out of here as soon as May. Now, I know that sounds like a long ways off, but it really isn't. Especially since I am going to an overseas location. Anyway, I sent off a request to have our Visa application expedited for military reason. I included ALL of the information that I received regarding my immanent assignment, a copy of my NOA1, letters from myself and my Commanding Officer. Hopefully this will be enough to persuade the Vermont Service Center to expedite our case. If not, I will truly be at a loss, as I really do not believe we will be able to get everything "squared away" before I will have to be at my next duty location. I sent the package off on Tuesday and the Vermont Service Center received it yesterday. Hopefully we will hear something soon. Wish us luck, please. I'll keep you all posted on our results.

Good luck to you!

[Jason-Sasha 1]

This thread is no longer enjoyable. If you're so mad about the way VSC is handling cases...why not just go there in person and yell at them? Why yell at other VJ members? Handle your business. You should be thankful that we have the right to even do this! Its hard for all of us. The only way to get through this ####### is to remain positive, strong and patient. Or....you can just go to your fiance(e)'s country and take up residency there. What? Cant leave your job? Your home? Your family? Can't do what your "other" is doing?? We all need to get a grip here. I think its a very good idea to write as many letters as possible to people who can help. I did it. But yelling at other members who havent done so is just stupid. I agree that USCIS owes us better service, but this whole process is a choice. Not a guarantee. The government just doesn't do that. Get over it or move along. Hey, you could always just give up. If a relationship is strong enough, nothing will tear it apart. If the waiting period was a year, would you have applied?? If not, then you have other issues. Nothing wrong with bashing VSC as much as you wish. Nothing wrong with bitching and complaining. But stop the attacks on each other for God's sake!! Everyone's time will come. If you dont like it, if you dont think its fair...write to someone who can actually help. In the meantime, remember what makes us good people....consideration, kindness, comradery, honesty. Just to name a few things. The government is not a direct reflection of it's people. We know what's fair. What's right. But in the eyes of Uncle Sam, we are people who are asking for a favor. we are requesting a service. We are at their mercy here. Time to face that fact. Again, that's how Uncle Sam sees it. We are different. We feel cheated. We feel poorly served. Unless we have the ability to actually go inside their facility, ask questions and watch production....we can't really bash them. Not fairly anyway. It feels good to do it though. Hell, I know that. I enjoy giving them #######. But you know what always turns my mood from negative and angry to positive and productive? My Sasha. Knowing that there's not a force on this Earth that will or can keep us apart forever. I tell myself that she is why I live. And if for some outrageous reason we fail in our process, well, I'll just go there. We know and trust each other so deeply that we have confidence that we'll be together again soon enough. I know all of you must have this same connection with your fiance(e)s/spouses. So chill out. Some of you act like you're gonna kick the bucket sometime soon, leaving you only days with your lovers. So pessimistic! Try to focus on all of the wonderful years you will have together and not the painful months that you were apart. Besides, what good are you doing by pissing other VJers off? You want to help apply for a job with USCIS's Vermont facility. So, can't we all just get along??

[Bobalouie 0]

This thread is no longer enjoyable. If you're so mad about the way VSC is handling cases...why not just go there in person and yell at them? Why yell at other VJ members? Handle your business. You should be thankful that we have the right to even do this! Its hard for all of us. The only way to get through this ####### is to remain positive, strong and patient. Or....you can just go to your fiance(e)'s country and take up residency there. What? Cant leave your job? Your home? Your family? Can't do what your "other" is doing?? We all need to get a grip here. I think its a very good idea to write as many letters as possible to people who can help. I did it. But yelling at other members who havent done so is just stupid. I agree that USCIS owes us better service, but this whole process is a choice. Not a guarantee. The government just doesn't do that. Get over it or move along. Hey, you could always just give up. If a relationship is strong enough, nothing will tear it apart. If the waiting period was a year, would you have applied?? If not, then you have other issues. Nothing wrong with bashing VSC as much as you wish. Nothing wrong with bitching and complaining. But stop the attacks on each other for God's sake!! Everyone's time will come. If you dont like it, if you dont think its fair...write to someone who can actually help. In the meantime, remember what makes us good people....consideration, kindness, comradery, honesty. Just to name a few things. The government is not a direct reflection of it's people. We know what's fair. What's right. But in the eyes of Uncle Sam, we are people who are asking for a favor. we are requesting a service. We are at their mercy here. Time to face that fact. Again, that's how Uncle Sam sees it. We are different. We feel cheated. We feel poorly served. Unless we have the ability to actually go inside their facility, ask questions and watch production....we can't really bash them. Not fairly anyway. It feels good to do it though. Hell, I know that. I enjoy giving them #######. But you know what always turns my mood from negative and angry to positive and productive? My Sasha. Knowing that there's not a force on this Earth that will or can keep us apart forever. I tell myself that she is why I live. And if for some outrageous reason we fail in our process, well, I'll just go there. We know and trust each other so deeply that we have confidence that we'll be together again soon enough. I know all of you must have this same connection with your fiance(e)s/spouses. So chill out. Some of you act like you're gonna kick the bucket sometime soon, leaving you only days with your lovers. So pessimistic! Try to focus on all of the wonderful years you will have together and not the painful months that you were apart. Besides, what good are you doing by pissing other VJers off? You want to help apply for a job with USCIS's Vermont facility. So, can't we all just get along??

You make an interesting parallel in your post. You talk about we are asking a favor of Uncle Sam. I completely agree, but the conotation of "Uncle" means that Sam is family. I would think that Family would treat me better than Joe Schmo from a foriegn country who wishes to ask for a favor as well. I would think that my "Family" would treat me better and give me preferential treatment. That is the crux of every arguement on this subject.

[Bill y Bella 0]

Yes, that is probably confusing. However, what confused me more, much more than anything else is:

Why do people on work visas (H1B) take 1 day to process their spouses visa, while a US Citizen has to wait for a total of 8-12 months? Is it because the H1B visa holders are more trustworthy than us US Citizens?

This my friends make no sense to me. I have heard back from one of the Senators and have a call with their office next week. Also, I finally spoke to someone from CNN (Lou Dobbs) and they have requested that I send them documentation, as they were unable to believe that infact is the case.

Will keep you'll posted.

Can you bring me up to speed on this? I have heard several references to the situation you describe and would like to be able to read the documentation for myself.

Thanks!

[Bill B 0]

OK so here's my press release draft:

[/size]DATE

CITIZENS JOIN IN CHOCOLATE DROP TO USCIS IN HOPE TO GET SERVICE THAT FOREIGN WORKERS GOT WITH FLOWERS TO USCIS DIRECTOR

- A WEB BASED GROUP OF US CITIZENS FRUSTRATED WITH WAITING TIMES THAT HAVE INCREASED FROM ONE MONTH TO FIVE MONTHS AND GROWING HAS SENT LOADS OF HERSHEY'S KISSES TO REMIND USCIS THAT THESE CITIZENS ARE WAITING TO BE WITH THEIR LOVED ONES -

This week dozens of pounds of chocolate kisses were sent to USCIS' Vermont Office by US Citizens applying for I129f visas for their fiancee's to join them in the USA.

Waiting times for this initial, traditionally easy step have increased from one month in April to five months and climbing. This is in spite of a more than 150% increase in the filing fee for this initial step in July from $170 to $440.

These citizens are frustrated that USCIS is giving priority to work related and other visas and has pulled immigration officers off their cases for these other priorities. The citizens hope that by sending these hershey's kisses they can get the same positive response foreign workers here on H1B visas got by sendind flowers to the USCIS director earlier this year when they sought, successfully, to extend an already unusual unlimited opening for them to file greencard requests.

###

Contact for more info

Suggestions welcome

virgillionaire, thanks for taking a lead in this area, all the research you have done and the time you have invested. Thanks also for typing up a first draft. I think waiting9 makes some good suggestions to make it even stronger. I personally would like to see the fact that they do not offer us the 15-day premium processing service that what appears to be 22 other types of work related visa applicants get to apply for (ref: http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/men...0045f3d6a1RCRD)

[Jason-Sasha 1]

Actually, Uncle Sam (U.S.) was a clever term first used to encourage civilians to serve their country. They wanted to give the impression that they were serving their family. Surely you could trust an Uncle right? Not so anymore. And you are correct in your comment that its screwed up because of the family conotation. I used this term in my previous post as a sarcastic quip. Guess it didnt come off that way. And I totally agree that family based visas should be the highest priority. I agree with almost every complaint about this whole process. I just wanted to address the friction between so many members lately. not only in this thread. But it seems to be getting tense in here....

[Bill B 0]

This thread is no longer enjoyable. If you're so mad about the way VSC is handling cases...why not just go there in person and yell at them? Why yell at other VJ members? Handle your business. You should be thankful that we have the right to even do this! Its hard for all of us. The only way to get through this ####### is to remain positive, strong and patient. Or....you can just go to your fiance(e)'s country and take up residency there. What? Cant leave your job? Your home? Your family? Can't do what your "other" is doing?? We all need to get a grip here. I think its a very good idea to write as many letters as possible to people who can help. I did it. But yelling at other members who havent done so is just stupid. I agree that USCIS owes us better service, but this whole process is a choice. Not a guarantee. The government just doesn't do that. Get over it or move along. Hey, you could always just give up. If a relationship is strong enough, nothing will tear it apart. If the waiting period was a year, would you have applied?? If not, then you have other issues. Nothing wrong with bashing VSC as much as you wish. Nothing wrong with bitching and complaining. But stop the attacks on each other for God's sake!! Everyone's time will come. If you dont like it, if you dont think its fair...write to someone who can actually help. In the meantime, remember what makes us good people....consideration, kindness, comradery, honesty. Just to name a few things. The government is not a direct reflection of it's people. We know what's fair. What's right. But in the eyes of Uncle Sam, we are people who are asking for a favor. we are requesting a service. We are at their mercy here. Time to face that fact. Again, that's how Uncle Sam sees it. We are different. We feel cheated. We feel poorly served. Unless we have the ability to actually go inside their facility, ask questions and watch production....we can't really bash them. Not fairly anyway. It feels good to do it though. Hell, I know that. I enjoy giving them #######. But you know what always turns my mood from negative and angry to positive and productive? My Sasha. Knowing that there's not a force on this Earth that will or can keep us apart forever. I tell myself that she is why I live. And if for some outrageous reason we fail in our process, well, I'll just go there. We know and trust each other so deeply that we have confidence that we'll be together again soon enough. I know all of you must have this same connection with your fiance(e)s/spouses. So chill out. Some of you act like you're gonna kick the bucket sometime soon, leaving you only days with your lovers. So pessimistic! Try to focus on all of the wonderful years you will have together and not the painful months that you were apart. Besides, what good are you doing by pissing other VJers off? You want to help apply for a job with USCIS's Vermont facility. So, can't we all just get along??

Jason,

You are a fairly regular poster in here so I am interested in who you felt was yelling at other VJ members. I think we all need to be clear on who you are referring to so that people can decide whether they agree with your post here or disagree.

[waiting9 0]

Yes, that is probably confusing. However, what confused me more, much more than anything else is:

Why do people on work visas (H1B) take 1 day to process their spouses visa, while a US Citizen has to wait for a total of 8-12 months? Is it because the H1B visa holders are more trustworthy than us US Citizens?

This my friends make no sense to me. I have heard back from one of the Senators and have a call with their office next week. Also, I finally spoke to someone from CNN (Lou Dobbs) and they have requested that I send them documentation, as they were unable to believe that infact is the case.

Will keep you'll posted.

Can you bring me up to speed on this? I have heard several references to the situation you describe and would like to be able to read the documentation for myself.

Thanks!

The process for H1B holders is that they have to visit their home country, and show the following docs:

1. H1B Visa

2. Marriage certificate

And they have to go back at the end of the day to collect their spouse visas. Its a pretty simple straight-forward process. You can google/check with your friends who have H1Bs.

All I am requesting is that I, a US Citizen be provided equal rights that a H1B visa holder enjoys.

[Jamie76 0]

Actually, Uncle Sam (U.S.) was a clever term first used to encourage civilians to serve their country. They wanted to give the impression that they were serving their family. Surely you could trust an Uncle right? Not so anymore. And you are correct in your comment that its screwed up because of the family conotation. I used this term in my previous post as a sarcastic quip. Guess it didnt come off that way. And I totally agree that family based visas should be the highest priority. I agree with almost every complaint about this whole process. I just wanted to address the friction between so many members lately. not only in this thread. But it seems to be getting tense in here....

Amen. I know for one, I've been on edge. Sometimes though, things get taken the wrong way in places like these, and with all the anxiety etc that comes with the process, it makes a bad combination.

[Bill B 0]

Yes, that is probably confusing. However, what confused me more, much more than anything else is:

Why do people on work visas (H1B) take 1 day to process their spouses visa, while a US Citizen has to wait for a total of 8-12 months? Is it because the H1B visa holders are more trustworthy than us US Citizens?

This my friends make no sense to me. I have heard back from one of the Senators and have a call with their office next week. Also, I finally spoke to someone from CNN (Lou Dobbs) and they have requested that I send them documentation, as they were unable to believe that infact is the case.

Will keep you'll posted.

Can you bring me up to speed on this? I have heard several references to the situation you describe and would like to be able to read the documentation for myself.

Thanks!

The process for H1B holders is that they have to visit their home country, and show the following docs:

1. H1B Visa

2. Marriage certificate

And they have to go back at the end of the day to collect their spouse visas. Its a pretty simple straight-forward process. You can google/check with your friends who have H1Bs.

All I am requesting is that I, a US Citizen be provided equal rights that a H1B visa holder enjoys.

waiting9,

You make a good point, but in the strictest terms others could say we (K-1) applicants cannot produce a marriage certificate and that it would only apply to K-3 applicants. Of course you and I and most others on this forum I would bet know the reason many people picked a K-1 versus K-3 process is because traditionally the K-1 was much faster. Unfortunately for us, there is not that much difference anymore.

[thejoz 0]

I don't remember who said something about me not liking the 6 month time frame, but my problem is solely why the hell foreign non-immigrant workers get granted a speedy pass to the US and the rest of us, the citizens who want to bring their loved ones into the country, who want to actually share the American Dream (whatever that may mean) with us.

It'd be one thing if everyone had to wait 6 months to immigrate, or not immigrate. That wouldn't bother me.

But the fact that people who just want to leech off our system and get employment gets fast-tracked?

In the vein of Mirla, that's fuckin' bullshit.

[amrssnowangel 0]

Im confused.

I thought USCIS was putting a priority on I485's????? According to their site, its NOT H1 Visas getting priority but these I485's for AOS due to the EAD time constraint.

"Q : Is USCIS prioritizing certain application(s) during the receipting process?

Yes. The Application to Adjust Status (I-485) will have first priority because USCIS needs to ensure that these applications are receipted in a timeframe that would allow processing of an application for an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) within 90 days of filing as mandated by law [8 CFR 247a.13(d)]. Our second priority will be to receipt the Application for Naturalization (N-400) so that we can minimize any delays in obtaining citizenship."

If my SO was here...and time is running out on my I485, I'd be VERY upset on a delay to work. Its the EAD part that the LAW says MUST be done in 90 days. It never said H1 visas took priority. But I485's THEN naturalization (now THAT one ERKS me)

I agree the process is slow. Slower than it should be.

I agree the tensions here are starting to run high.

And what Im going to say next is going to draw fire.

Out of my calls to USCIS. (VCS to be exact) I've never had a rude representative. They've each been as informative as they can be and have followed all the rules of "customer service". I used to teach sales and customer serivce and I created the quality assuarnce department at a phone center I once was supervising in. So its not like I dont understand service. Im sure that if we get a rude one, its a response to our hightened aggrivated states. Im sure there is the occassional rude representative that lacks empathy. But maybe we are blaming the wrong people. I thank the service reps that answer my call. They go to work every day just like we do. Follow the company rules just like we do. They have NO power to do anything more than they are trained to do. Its not even VCS that is the issue. Our GOVERNMENT needs to allocate more help to this department. These people have an undaunting job of wading through this flood of petitions. Im not happy with how slow this is. Dont get me wrong. But its getting hard to hear so many complain in general about VCS, when some of this isn't even in the DIRECTORS hands. The system is slow. It sucks. But its the GOVERNMENT system in place. NOT the directors fault or "VSC". Even the director is just an employee of the government. He can still only do so much. Its the congress, president the elected officials that make the rules. Maybe Im wrong. But there is someone even over the director...someone is calling these shots. THATS where the fault lies. THATS where we need to target. Those workers at VSC are just doing their jobs.

Well thats MY "rant". Feel free to disagree....but Im still not happy with the speed....keep writing, keep the pressure on. But remember why we are here...to SUPPORT each other....we can't be supportive if we are starting to bicker and jeer and be sarcastic with each other. This should be a safe place where we can come to get what we need. Even if its to rant, rave, cry;......

[amrssnowangel 0]

By the way a H1 visa if I recall is NOT permanent. K1/K3 IS permanent. H1 visa holders IF they want to stay STILL have to go through a HUGE AOS. I have a friend who came on H1 visa as an Indian Chef. Maybe it was easy to GET here. But has NOT been easy to stay NOR get his wife and family over. He's been here 7 years on H1, just got wife here last year, has been waiting forever for his green card approval. He's almost had to leave 3 times because every so often he had to renew his H1. While here...these H1 workers are exploited as well in SOME cases. For him he lives working 6-7 12 hour days...has been forced to live in a hotel room with 3-4 others and slept on many floors. Employers for some of these businesses, force these workers to do things normal "American" workers dont do, becuase these H1 workers WANT to be here...so are blackmailed into a hard hard life. Now this isnt ALL. But alot. Even though my friend got here...took him a lot longer than 1 month to bring over a spouse. Getting the money saved to do so on these salaries many are given is impossible. He saved for a few years to get her here....its not just filing fees...but plane tickets for wife..maybe 2-3 kids to. So their lives are a bed of roses either. Jsut wanted to give insight from an ACTUAL H1 visa holders view.

[DKM 0]

joz haven't you figured out how things work in government? If you want something done, you have to get the ear of representatives. Cubans have their own lobby. Business sure does. H-1's are vital to our economy and it would never work to give work visas to people half a year after they apply, the job would go unfilled for that long and eventually those companies that need those people would offshore the job to wherever the people are that can do it.

But the biggest difference is in amirs angel's post, they aren't immigrating so less red tape to cut through.

Saying that they are leaching off our system is ignorant but this isn't the forum for that debate.

It is ridiculous though how VSC is not putting up some kind of explanation as to why they are dragging their a$$es. Typical govt CYA...