USCIS Announces New Actions to Reduce Backlogs (merged)

[Dashinka 23,247]

6 minutes ago, JeanneAdil said:

the way it use to be?

intending immigrant came to the US after the USCIS and NVC stage and then interviewed here

and either was approved or deported 

problem is that some who were not approved just disappeared underground and stayed here illegally

 

that probably is not going to happen  / not with all the security scares since 9/11

I agree, how would it work if a spouse was allowed to come to the US prior to the actual spousal visa being issued?   They could revive the K3 and force AOS in the US I suppose.

[JeanneAdil 6,201]

1 minute ago, Dashinka said:

I agree, how would it work if a spouse was allowed to come to the US prior to the actual spousal visa being issued?   They could revive the K3 and force AOS in the US I suppose.

and immigration looses lots of fees/ enough reason for it not to happen

[Babu Frik 1,162]

13 minutes ago, JeanneAdil said:

the way it use to be?

intending immigrant came to the US after the USCIS and NVC stage and then interviewed here

and either was approved or deported 

problem is that some who were not approved just disappeared underground and stayed here illegally

 

that probably is not going to happen  / not with all the security scares since 9/11

The idea was right after USCIS approval, but that was an idea at the very beginning of the administration.

They must've taken some of those things into account.

Sadly I see in the facebook groups people being encouraged to lie at their interviews, or people who have, using fake addresses, some still living in Mexico and just crossing to earn dollars.

[Redro 4,600]

24 minutes ago, JeanneAdil said:

being able to apply for citizenship when only in US 3 years is also riduculous / my opiniononly- but its just not enough time to prove u know the US government well enough (to say vote) and are going to follow all laws 

The country I currently live in (Korea) does not give PR status to spouses of Korean citizens. Your visa is renewed every 1-3 years depending on 1.) age 2.) income and 3.) offspring. 

So I know a lot of people who have to renew their spousal visa every year... If divorce occurs you have 1 month to leave the country after your visa expires. 

LPR status can only be acquired if the immigrant's family  makes $20 000+ ( a year) and the beneficiary completes an integration program ( 465-485 hours with community service). 

Citizenship is a lot more difficult and a friend of mine has not yet achieved it after 10+ years of living in the country and extensive years of Korean study... 

My home country is also strict. You need to interview before you acquire marriage license to prove bonafide marriage and work authorization is not given for the first 5 years,,, you have to interview out of country for a sponsored job... (work authorization is not automatically conferred based on marriage to a citizen).LPR status is only conferred after 5 years of marriage... 

 

The only way I see US immigration speeding up processing is to limit work authorization and change up the way PR and citizenship is acquired. 

 

But I'm not setting laws... and we are currently 100% okay with  waiting out the process... told the husband this would not take the 3 month timeline of DCF of times before.

 

People might hate me for my opinion but I don't think 3 or 5 years is a reasonable period before citizenship can be acquired... but I only state this based on countries I've lived. in....  

 

 

 

[Dashinka 23,247]

2 minutes ago, Kor2USA said:

The country I currently live in (Korea) does not give PR status to spouses of Korean citizens. Your visa is renewed every 1-3 years depending on 1.) age 2.) income and 3.) offspring. 

So I know a lot of people who have to renew their spousal visa every year... If divorce occurs you have 1 month to leave the country after your visa expires. 

LPR status can only be acquired if the immigrant's family  makes $20 000+ ( a year) and the beneficiary completes an integration program ( 465-485 hours with community service). 

Citizenship is a lot more difficult and a friend of mine has not yet achieved it after 10+ years of living in the country and extensive years of Korean study... 

My home country is also strict. You need to interview before you acquire marriage license to prove bonafide marriage and work authorization is not given for the first 5 years,,, you have to interview out of country for a sponsored job... (work authorization is not automatically conferred based on marriage to a citizen).LPR status is only conferred after 5 years of marriage... 

 

The only way I see US immigration speeding up processing is to limit work authorization and change up the way PR and citizenship is acquired. 

 

But I'm not setting laws... and we are currently 100% okay with  waiting out the process... told the husband this would not take the 3 month timeline of DCF of times before.

 

People might hate me for my opinion but I don't think 3 or 5 years is a reasonable period before citizenship can be acquired... but I only state this based on countries I've lived. in....  

 

 

 

A lot of folks that are not familiar with legal immigration have no idea how it varies country-by-country.  So many people think that if you marry a citizen of a country, you are either automatically a citizen, or at least able to immediately move to that country as a legal resident.

[millefleur 5,035]

9 minutes ago, Kor2USA said:

People might hate me for my opinion but I don't think 3 or 5 years is a reasonable period before citizenship can be acquired... but I only state this based on countries I've lived. in....  

We have very generous immigration laws here. It's hard to remember that sometimes when you're dealing with the bureaucratic hell of USCIS!

[Redro 4,600]

1 minute ago, millefleur said:

We have very generous immigration laws here. It's hard to remember that sometimes when you're dealing with the bureaucratic hell of USCIS!

Bureaucratic hell is the same all over the world. Doesn't matter where you apply for immigrant/ migrant visas... 

To renew my visa (in Korea)  they requested an FBI background check. 

What was the issue? 

I'm not American. I had never visited the US at that time. But, I had to fight to renew my visa... 

 

And don't get me started on the loopholes we have to jump through to get my husband to my home country... 

The majority of international couples I know opt for living in the US because as awful as the process sounds it is extremely generous... 

[millefleur 5,035]

2 minutes ago, Kor2USA said:

Bureaucratic hell is the same all over the world. Doesn't matter where you apply for immigrant/ migrant visas... 

It's true, in fact, it's even worse in some places as you mentioned. We have a friend in France who is on some kind of work visa there, and his wife's paperwork somehow got lost by the French immigration office, so now she's trapped inside France for 2 years until she goes before some kind of immigration court there. I know USCIS also messes up but at least my experience with them was rather decent. Covid really threw a wrench into it but I'm sure that was the same with governments all over the world.

[Redro 4,600]

14 minutes ago, millefleur said:

It's true, in fact, it's even worse in some places as you mentioned. We have a friend in France who is on some kind of work visa there, and his wife's paperwork somehow got lost by the French immigration office, so now she's trapped inside France for 2 years until she goes before some kind of immigration court there. I know USCIS also messes up but at least my experience with them was rather decent. Covid really threw a wrench into it but I'm sure that was the same with governments all over the world.

I hate whataboutism... but I really think EVERYONE should investigate their countries immigration procedures (and spousal visa benefits) before criticizing the US. 

 

IMO the people who really suffer for Family visas are those pursuing consular processing... waiting 3+ years is a joke and

I think EAD on arrival for K1s and automatic extension after proof of AOS is filed is something officials should consider. 

DISCLAIMER: 

/NOT a USCIS officer/ Not an American/ Not someone who actually lives in the US/ Just someone who lives overseas and has to deal with immigration 3-4 times a year. 

Edited March 31, 2022 by Kor2USA

[millefleur 5,035]

1 minute ago, Kor2USA said:

I hate whataboutism... but I really think EVERYONE should investigate their countries immigration procedures (and spousal visa benefits) before criticizing the US.

It's fair to compare, I don't view it as whataboutism. I also think it's fair to criticize especially when as you said people have been waiting for years, often in the dark with no updates as to what is going on behind closed doors.

 

I think the biggest complaint about USCIS is this: if it's funded 100% by filing fees, why did it slow down? If they're getting more money from more fees, why not just hire people to meet demand? There obviously isn't a problem with revenue/cashflow inward, so why on earth the snail's pace? It's unfortunate that there seems to be no accountability around that.

[JeanneAdil 6,201]

OMG 

Things are really getting harder

My step daughter married a Canadian and after she initially made the move, we filled our car hauler with all her furniture and drove it into Canada

no one stopped us at border,  no one looked thru the trailer (no inspection at all)

and now i watch youtube about the border inspections and WOW,  i would not move furniture like this again

BTW she married a Canadian and immigration there was more expensive (basic US immigration with no additional fees) and they made her pay off a US college loan debt to stay. u can imagine a loan to pay off for American University and her master's from Miami -big bucks

[Ben & Katy 168]

On 3/29/2022 at 3:07 PM, Crazy Cat said:

And the I-751 is completely omitted.........thanks, Biden.

He probably has no clue about the 2 year marriage visa and removal of conditions.

[Carpe Vinum 2,310]

On 3/29/2022 at 11:16 AM, Boiler said:

You set new goals.

 

Work for the Federal Government. Can confirm...Or mitigate away why you didn't reach them...And viola! You have now reached the goals. Success!

[Crazy Cat 39,257]

On 3/31/2022 at 11:40 AM, millefleur said:

I think the biggest complaint about USCIS is this: if it's funded 100% by filing fees, why did it slow down?

The previous administration tried to increase fees across the board which might have allowed hiring of more employees to help meet the higher demand.  Of course, a federal judge stopped it.  This increase has been building for at least 6 years.  

Edited April 4, 2022 by Crazy Cat

[Dashinka 23,247]

On 3/31/2022 at 12:40 PM, millefleur said:

It's fair to compare, I don't view it as whataboutism. I also think it's fair to criticize especially when as you said people have been waiting for years, often in the dark with no updates as to what is going on behind closed doors.

 

I think the biggest complaint about USCIS is this: if it's funded 100% by filing fees, why did it slow down? If they're getting more money from more fees, why not just hire people to meet demand? There obviously isn't a problem with revenue/cashflow inward, so why on earth the snail's pace? It's unfortunate that there seems to be no accountability around that.

Isn't form I-589 application for asylum free?  So all the legal based applications/forms etc., are also funding the processing of asylum petitions.