since there's now only 2 service centers....

[GeordieWife 1]

Bravo! Now I'm gonna have some ice cream....then maybe wine!

[*julez* 124]

Bravo! Now I'm gonna have some ice cream....then maybe wine!

Uh, I drank the whole bottle already...sorry...so, now I'm off to bed

I'll buy a new one tomorrow night and am happy to share!!!

[rebeccajo 14]

[*]Did they adjust staffing levels at the service centers? Once again we do not know. If they did, this will also have an impact on processing times.

No, but we do know that historically the Vermont Service Center has been more efficiently managed than the other centers. At least as far as allowing 'overtime' and extra staff on for handling of family based petitions. (They appear to be woefully slow at other visa types). But who knows if that management style will change with the redistribution of work load.

Google the attorney "Matthew Udall" and see if you can find any of his old 'tours' of Service Centers. Quite enlightening.

[Kass 0]

[*]Did they adjust staffing levels at the service centers? Once again we do not know. If they did, this will also have an impact on processing times.

No, but we do know that historically the Vermont Service Center has been more efficiently managed than the other centers. At least as far as allowing 'overtime' and extra staff on for handling of family based petitions. (They appear to be woefully slow at other visa types). But who knows if that management style will change with the redistribution of work load.

Google the attorney "Matthew Udall" and see if you can find any of his old 'tours' of Service Centers. Quite enlightening.

Vermont has been known for being more efficient relative to time, however they are not so efficent as of late. I again spoke with a specialist by the name of Andrea this morning at VSC and was told that they are back logged. They insist that they are still working on the time frame as posted on the website however, we all know better.

Not sure if VSC is having staffing problems or not however they are not as effient as they were in the past.

In example I am still awaiting a letter from them from July 16, when I inquired on why I have not received it yet as it is now August, I was told that my July 16 letter is sat in a box entitled July 30th (explain that one) and has not been completed by clerical and could take up to another 14 days to completed and then another 14 days for mail time.

My questions are:

a). Why is a July 16th letter sat in a July 30th Clerical box?

B). Why does it take two weeks for paperwork to get to clerical (are they not in the same building in

the same state?

c). Why does it take Clerical 14 to compose any kind of written correspondence.

and last but not least

d). Why does every specialist at the VSC give you a different response from another specialist? Out of

6 specialist that I have spoken to NOT one has given me the same answer.

Clearly some issues need to be addressed and resolved. I am can almost state with 100% confidence that I am not the only one that has these concerns.

I thought the Department of Defense with their inability to manage efficiently relative to information and clerical issues. I will say that VSC cuts the cake on this one.

We all know that the process is just that a process and we all need to be patient relative to said process, however the least we deserve is efficency and the correct information when requested.

We are after all paying them for a service so technically they are working for us and not us working for them.

CHEERS ALL!

Edited August 2, 2007 by Kass

[rebeccajo 14]

True. You are paying them for a service.

But it's a service that is a privilege and not a right. You are ASKING the US government to admit a non-citizen to this country. And their number one mandate is national security - the fact you are asking for admittance for a loved one falls just behind that mandate.

Things might get a bit interesting around here in the next few months. The dual timing of fee increases and service center shuffling was probably not the brightest business decision ever made by DHS. But then, it's a bureaucracy. What else is to be expected?

[Kass 0]

True. You are paying them for a service.

But it's a service that is a privilege and not a right. You are ASKING the US government to admit a non-citizen to this country. And their number one mandate is national security - the fact you are asking for admittance for a loved one falls just behind that mandate.

Things might get a bit interesting around here in the next few months. The dual timing of fee increases and service center shuffling was probably not the brightest business decision ever made by DHS. But then, it's a bureaucracy. What else is to be expected?

True we as American Citizens are asking the U.S. Government to admit a Foreign National into OUR Country, however this does not give any goverment agency the "right" to treat us as though we are insignificant. As for National Security, as the prior ombudsman for the USS Enterprise CVN 65, I am in full support of OPSEC and our right to live in a free and safe nation, but I also expect that my Country and those that are Government workers for this GREAT Country of ours treat ALL of its citizens as though they are significant as WE ARE ALL significant regardless of what government office one utilizes or works in.

Let us not forget that the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA was built on Foreign Nationals. We would not be the NATION that we are today if it were not for those who migrated here.

Expecting a Government agency that you have placed your money, your time, your effort and the welfare of your loved one in has nothing to do with any "right" or "privilege" and everything to do with the expectiation that your case regardless of it being a K1, K3 etc. etc. being acted upon in a timely and efficient manner, and that the information that said office provides be of a consistent nature.

Those of us that are United States Citizens have a "right" to be treated at though we are significant by any and all of our government agencies.

It will be very interesting to see how this all plays out over then next coming year or so.

Cheers!

"To sin by silence when they should protest makes cowards of men."-Abraham Lincoln

Edited August 2, 2007 by Kass

[rebeccajo 14]

You're not insignificant. You are just in line with all the rest of us.

They are swamped and understaffed, and they have been given an order (check out every immigrant) that made their workload tenfold what it was before 9/11.

I agree with you in principal. I'm just explaining the reality of the situation.

[Cassie 8]

You're not insignificant. You are just in line with all the rest of us.

They are swamped and understaffed, and they have been given an order (check out every immigrant) that made their workload tenfold what it was before 9/11.

I agree with you in principal. I'm just explaining the reality of the situation.

Aye!

[StillThePrettiest 3]

a high workload may explain delays, but doesn't really excuse a lack of consistent and correct information...

I guess I sort of agree with both of you

[Kass 0]

You're not insignificant. You are just in line with all the rest of us.

They are swamped and understaffed, and they have been given an order (check out every immigrant) that made their workload tenfold what it was before 9/11.

I agree with you in principal. I'm just explaining the reality of the situation.

The issue at hand is not about "being in line". The challenge is about a Government Agency that is not living up to the expectations of the customers that are utilizing its services.

Going through the process is not the problem, it is how the process is being handled by said agency/agencies that is.

As for significance, when said agencies cannot provide services in a timely, efficient, and consistent manner then they are in fact sending the msg. to its customers that they are not significant, whether it be myself as a customer or anyone else that is not receiving the above said.

Let's take the supposed "user friendly website" that USCIS utilizes as an information tool for its customers relative to Service Center Timelines. As most of us know and are in agreement with (there is a thread available) the time line being promoted by VSC is not accurate.

On an added example how many have called the 1-800 number and received the rehearsed responses from the customer service representative (also comments on Visa Journey relative to this).

Afterall, it requires a high degree of agency doublethink to greet customers with these rehearsed representatives or its many equivalents (automated), and then expect customers to remain on hold for long minutes, experiencing a clear and unambiguous demonstration that their call is not, in fact, significant.

As for shortages of employees and high work loads, sadly this is the case in many agencies especially Government Agencies, however each and every customer is entitled to the common respect of consistent answers, efficency and acceptable time lines.

Cheers!

Edited August 3, 2007 by Kass

[rebeccajo 14]

Kass,

I'm going to continue this discussion here not to argue with you but purely to help you and some of the newer members understand this process.

Yes it's gruelingly slow, especially compared to most other business processes in the modern world. But believe it or not, it is much much faster than it used to be. It's much faster, even, than when I joined this site. I am not certain how old the timeline data is in the VJ database, but if it does go back a few years, check out overall processing time for nearly any type of petition and you will see the facts bear me out.

Prior to the K1 petition being developed, there was no way to bring a fiance here. Marriage was the only option - the CR1 or IR1 spousal visas were the only avenues (may have had another name then). INS answered the call to speed up family unification by creating the K1 as a way to speed the process. Since that time, CR1 and IR1 moves along more quickly than it used to.

Also, the largest part of the 'speed' problem is a lack of modern technology and adequate personnel. You cry that it shouldn't be this way, but dollars pay for these things. DOS is completely funded by petition fees. No tax dollars flow into the system - the national debt doesn't prop it up. Because of lack of funds, much of the system remains paper based. Research about record retention of immigration documents and you will be deeply dismayed. A big fire in one facility could wipe out decades of documents with no way at all of retrieving that data.

I mention the security checks for a reason. The workload of the agency was multiplied vastly by the mandates after 9/11. Prior to that, the background of individuals seeking visas or applying to adjust status were randomly spot-checked. Now EVERY petitioner is checked. You are probably early in your petition stage to be crying foul about your particular case. Try being one of the 400,000 plus applicants for naturalization who are caught in a namecheck crunch with USCIS purely because USCIS has not had the funds to pay the FBI enough to put more agents onto background work.

Website and Information Line - not great but better than nothing. Which is what there used to be - nothing. You sent in your petition and it fell into one great big informational black hole. There was no way to know ANYTHING unless they sent you a NOA.

As I said, I agree with you in principle. It takes time to gain a thorough knowledge of this system. When you understand a bit more fully how it operates, you will see how they are operating (in most cases) the best they can under the circumstances.

Edited August 3, 2007 by rebeccajo

[RosemarieL 0]

Kass,

I'm going to continue this discussion here not to argue with you but purely to help you and some of the newer members understand this process.

Yes it's gruelingly slow, especially compared to most other business processes in the modern world. But believe it or not, it is much much faster than it used to be. It's much faster, even, than when I joined this site. I am not certain how old the timeline data is in the VJ database, but if it does go back a few years, check out overall processing time for nearly any type of petition and you will see the facts bear me out.

Prior to the K1 petition being developed, there was no way to bring a fiance here. The CR1 or IR1 were the only avenues (may have had another name then) and INS answered the call to speed up family unification by creating the K1 as a way to speed the process. Since that time, CR1 and IR1 moves along more quickly than it used to.

Also, the largest part of the 'speed' problem is a lack of modern technology and adequate personnel. You cry that it shouldn't be this way, but dollars pay for these things. DOS is completely funded by petition fees. No tax dollars flow into the system - the national debt doesn't prop it up. Because of lack of funds, much of the system remains paper based. Research about record retention of immigration documents and you will be deeply dismayed. A big fire in one facility could wipe out decades of documents with no way at all of retrieving that data.

I mention the security checks for a reason. The workload of the agency was multiplied vastly by the mandates after 9/11. Prior to that, the background of individuals seeking visas or applying to adjust status were randomly spot-checked. Now EVERY petitioner is checked. You are probably early in your petition stage to be crying foul about your particular case. Try being one of the 400,000 plus applicants for naturalization who are caught in a namecheck crunch with USCIS purely because USCIS has not had the funds to pay the FBI enough to put more agents onto background work.

As I said, I agree with you in principle. It takes time to gain a thorough knowledge of this system. When you understand a bit more fully how it operates, you will see how they are operating (in most cases) the best they can under the circumstances.

Hopefully the recent fee increases will help to alleviate the problem over time.

[NonyGuy 0]

Kass,

I'm going to continue this discussion here not to argue with you but purely to help you and some of the newer members understand this process.

Yes it's gruelingly slow, especially compared to most other business processes in the modern world. But believe it or not, it is much much faster than it used to be. It's much faster, even, than when I joined this site. I am not certain how old the timeline data is in the VJ database, but if it does go back a few years, check out overall processing time for nearly any type of petition and you will see the facts bear me out.

Prior to the K1 petition being developed, there was no way to bring a fiance here. The CR1 or IR1 were the only avenues (may have had another name then) and INS answered the call to speed up family unification by creating the K1 as a way to speed the process. Since that time, CR1 and IR1 moves along more quickly than it used to.

Also, the largest part of the 'speed' problem is a lack of modern technology and adequate personnel. You cry that it shouldn't be this way, but dollars pay for these things. DOS is completely funded by petition fees. No tax dollars flow into the system - the national debt doesn't prop it up. Because of lack of funds, much of the system remains paper based. Research about record retention of immigration documents and you will be deeply dismayed. A big fire in one facility could wipe out decades of documents with no way at all of retrieving that data.

I mention the security checks for a reason. The workload of the agency was multiplied vastly by the mandates after 9/11. Prior to that, the background of individuals seeking visas or applying to adjust status were randomly spot-checked. Now EVERY petitioner is checked. You are probably early in your petition stage to be crying foul about your particular case. Try being one of the 400,000 plus applicants for naturalization who are caught in a namecheck crunch with USCIS purely because USCIS has not had the funds to pay the FBI enough to put more agents onto background work.

As I said, I agree with you in principle. It takes time to gain a thorough knowledge of this system. When you understand a bit more fully how it operates, you will see how they are operating (in most cases) the best they can under the circumstances.

Hopefully the recent fee increases will help to alleviate the problem over time.

It better! It makes no sense for a service to go up in price by 175% and still perform the exact same (or worse) than it did before. I'm hoping and praying the fee increase will speed up the process, but im still expecting the 100-110 day waiting time for my NOA2.

[Cassie 8]

Thank you for that post Rebecca!

[~Nini~ 2]

Rebecca, really great insight as to what the process was like "back in the day".