BOS_LHR

Naam, I think we should proceed with the letter you had already planned for January AND send this one tomorrow, without delay. We can hammer home some of these points again in the next letter if need be, but even while understanding there will be some people out of the office tomorrow, I'd like to send something.

Naam, I think we should proceed with the letter you had already planned for January AND send this one tomorrow, without delay. We can hammer home some of these points again in the next letter if need be, but even while understanding there will be some people out of the office tomorrow, I'd like to send something.

Naam, I think we should proceed with the letter you had already planned for January AND send this one tomorrow, without delay. We can hammer home some of these points again in the next letter if need be, but even while understanding there will be some people out of the office tomorrow, I'd like to send something.

Naam, I think we should proceed with the letter you had already planned for January AND send this one tomorrow, without delay. We can hammer home some of these points again in the next letter if need be, but even while understanding there will be some people out of the office tomorrow, I'd like to send something.

All right, I've done a quick first pass to use as a jumping off point. Please read, comment, suggest changes and additions. I want to keep this under a page -- we're responding to a very specific set of data, so let's stay on point.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1q4y1fpKnSggGCPubbqoW_EBGDfmnDP7bG1QiLHBhKfE/edit?usp=sharing

All right, I've done a quick first pass to use as a jumping off point. Please read, comment, suggest changes and additions. I want to keep this under a page -- we're responding to a very specific set of data, so let's stay on point.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1q4y1fpKnSggGCPubbqoW_EBGDfmnDP7bG1QiLHBhKfE/edit?usp=sharing

Agreed. I've had it being lied to and they need to be called out on it.

Oh yes, they are spreading the I130's around to other service centers. That way, our cases can collect dust in a completely new office.

Processing times over the past two years have gone from 5 months and through the stratosphere. I have taken the time to compile the processing times over the past two years into a chart showing this: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/468148-2nd-letter-to-house-jud-cmte-i-130-delays-by-uscis/?p=6694704 You can go through the AILA's archived information and verify that info if you're so inclined. I used their archive to compile it.

The biggest processing average we were given in the past six months was a horrifying 16.6 months. Currently, the USCIS is showing a 7.4 month processing average. But don't let that fool you. They've accomplished it by processing a few newer applications in a very short amount of time to attain that change. If you want to see something very depressing, go and view the dashboard information:

http://dashboard.uscis.gov/index.cfm?formtype=4&office=4&charttype=1 - That's the National Trend Chart. You will note that they are currently processing about half as many petitions as they were in March. You'll also notice the yellow line creeping upwards, after they sent the I130's to a National Benefits center that was not operational to collect dust for half a year. The Volume Chart shows equally paltry numbers: http://dashboard.uscis.gov/index.cfm?formtype=4&office=4&charttype=2 Seriously, do some research and check out the numbers coming from the service centers. They're horrifying to an I130 petitioner.

Now, for my ancedata: I've been waiting for 9 months for an answer on my husband's petition. I don't expect instant gratification, but I do expect to have some kind of a time frame, something that the USCIS is currently unable to give me. Believe it or not, this impacts my life in a very big, and very real way. I've been married for 8 years. We have two small children together. I lived in the Netherlands with him for 8 years, married him here in NJ, and we decided last year to move back to the US. My children and I arrived earlier this year and my husband is waiting in the Netherlands. We did not file overseas because it did not seem a viable option to us. When we filed, the average time from beginning to the end of the process was 8-9 months total. This seemed reasonable to us, and we planned accordingly, with some leeway in our calculations for unforeseen circumstances. We did not, and could not factor in the fact that they would send our petition somewhere to collect dust for months at a time. Until we are finished with this process, our lives are basically on hold.

And my story is not unique. There are a large number of petitioners stuck in this backlog. And we are getting no clear guidance as to when we will be done with this part of the process. That is unacceptable.

That's the comment that I left.

Agreed. I've had it being lied to and they need to be called out on it.

actually, they showed previously feb 12, 2013... so they worked off 1 day!
also relative petitions for spouses went from 7.4 months at the NBC to 8.7 months...

I signed up, and am going to respond to that comment.

From what I understand, AILA didn't mention us at all during that meeting. Maybe after the latest blog post from them, they are starting to realize this is a huge problem that isn't being addressed. I"ve seen a bunch of AILA people retweet the blogpost: http://ailaleadershipblog.org/2013/12/17/the-intolerable-delay-for-relative-petitions/

Well, usually they update the processing times at the same time that they update their dashboard, and they didn't do that this month, either. So the question, then, is do we draft a quick letter and send it directly to the Ombudsman? I know I posted the charts all over my FB page, and after hearing the response from that tier 2 agent, a bunch of my friend and family are pissed off. Seeing those numbers only makes them more angry. They're asking me how they can help and who they can contact.

Oh, I've got something funny for you to read, btw. It's where the USCIS says that they have a "first in, first out" policy, but those pesky RFE's screw it up and make it seem like they're processing out of turn. And sometimes it's just not possible to process things in turn, because: REASONS. Gotta find out where I read it.

Agreed, it's unusual for them not to update the numbers on the same day. There's often a lag of several hours as they get all the data up, but for nothing to have happened by today is strange, possibly suspicious. I'll probably check those pages about 30 times today. And speaking of USCIS not posting information in a timely manner, the Oct 31 NBC-AILA meeting notes are still nowhere to be found. No response to my email inquiry asking when they'll be published, either.
I found something similar once in the Adjudicator’s Field Manual when I was searching for ANY ounce of logic that might be guiding these people. They list out a few factors that may cause them to process cases out of order... it was a total load.
Edit: This right here. First item talks about statutory requirements that mandate processing for certain visa types with specified timeframes. Sure would be nice if they'd pass one for spousal filers!

My guess is that they're gaming the numbers again -- if they're adjudicating petitions from March and they do some from July to balance it out, they land nicely around the 7 month processing average they're claiming.

I appreciate that. But even though I want to be done with this, I honestly want the people who have been waiting longer than me to get their approvals first. I don't think it's right that they're approving people randomly, while still stating that they process petitions in the order in which they are received. I just want them to actually do what they state they are doing, and stop lying to us.
I'm wound up with statistics, and petitions, and complaining about the USCIS a lot. I've had a long time to get to their point where this is the case. I was fine with waiting, up until about the 6 month mark. At that point I started trying to figure out what exactly was happening with my case, and kept running into this wall as far as information goes.
I don't want to fax, write letters, and call them out on social media. I really don't. I hate having to prod people to do their job. But I really, really dislike being lied to on a regular basis by my government. I dislike there being no accountability, transparency, or recourse for us in this process. I hate that people are in limbo and not given any kind of a reliable timeline. I think it's wrong. And if I see wrong, I have an ethical obligation to try to improve the situation. (That's just my personal ethos, other people have to behave how they think is best.)
My husband is worth fighting for. My marriage is worth fighting for. I just find it sad that I have to fight so hard for even the most basic of information.

ಠ_ಠ
Really renews your faith in the competence of our elected officials, eh? I'm headdesking right there with you.
I contacted my senator, who returned the standard "6 months from the date of this notice" response, and congressman, whose office assured me they'd look into it but never actually got back to me. I haven't bothered to follow up. They really are useless.

Ok, it turns out that copying a form on Google Drive is really simple, so I just churned the others out. Hope I'm not stepping on toes here.
Transfer Form Links
January: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1wa7z-IwGeML81d6mLRKufkGuQcmEU2BjZBQxZ3ToUAw/viewform February: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1eZv5x8pQ9fzzNwMmsht0sgy7HJqOlNWLqvMO4s5Kido/viewform March: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/16r7lQLUJ5DMExuPBF6pjLhpzjCubdUGrVaSK0iRPcYA/viewform April: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1ChtuyWsXnI_waDDd65IGAtLfCTgC57b5lqtKuI3jjNU/viewform May: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1z6imxrkIgP0XnVQLNygdpvsYPbcZMmW0Eaj6XyWbMUc/viewform June: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1PdD-cOUFDQ4Si9cqY9vQZ5kmcgoQz7YizjqiGFWReqE/viewform August: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1QsoJYFH2r1QWXqVSV72DaDnh92ACxDJRxeUs5l6CqaY/viewform

Sure can use it on other ones as well. I don't know how to transfer from one spreadsheet to other, so if you want me to help create it on others, let me know....I'd have to do it tomorrow most likely as almost bedtime

Done Elsy...Had to lock it so that it doesn't get out of hand as some other spreadsheets have had that problem.
For anyone else who needs to edit their already existing data, please send me a message with your username, what needs to be changed etc.
For anyone who wants to add their transfer data info to JULY spreadsheet (please only to add if transferred from NBC to another center only), then use this form https://docs.google.com/forms/d/19ge0v9iwSqX3VQFbTccvMQnoLChhNiOOtMuRRk4nICs/viewform and I will add the info to the master list..just give me some time to get it updated as am not always on the comp. I can't help with other months and don't have access to them.

July Filers who have been transferred...

To add your stats to the July transfer spreadsheet, please go to https://docs.google....k4nICs/viewform
Please allow for some time to be added to the July spreadsheet. You can view the spreadsheet here https://docs.google....p=sharing#gid=0

All I can think is, "this is why we can't have nice things." I'd like to believe it's people who simply don't know how to use Excel rather than people maliciously ruining the sheets, but who knows. Unfortunate either way. Lock 'em down, create a team of mods for them so that no single person is responsible for this huge undertaking.

See, but that's what I'm saying. I'm from March, transferred on Nov. 7th. My husband is from the Netherlands, and our case has been collecting more dust since transfer. I really think it's because you're from the Philippines at all, that they're pulling your cases and pushing them through faster. I certainly understand the need to speed up the process for people in the affected area, but why are people who aren't from there also getting faster processing?
Don't get me wrong, and I mean this sincerely. I am happy for everyone who has already gotten approved. But I've been waiting for nearly 9 months, and it is very difficult for me to see people who have no reason to get pushed ahead of me, who filed after me and were transferred after me, get approved.

Laughable indeed. People have been denied the chance to even present the evidence they have brought with them. Many denials are stated to be due to lack of established relationship. That is the go-to reasoning for a CO intent on denying for whatever reason they feel like denying for. They can, and do question as to whether the USC petitioner is present, even when they are not allowed to attend the interview. They can, and do deny/withhold visas and ask that they return for another interview, this time bringing the petitioner with them.
I had good reasons for not going to Juarez with my husband and attending his K-1 interview. We had been together for many years, had front-loaded the petition with evidence and he took plenty more with him to the interview. My husband is fluent in both Spanish and English and can communicate very well in either. According to CNTrav, there should have been no questioning at all about my lack of presence since he is articulate and we had plenty of evidence. I wonder why then the CO grilled my husband about where I was and why was I not there. I wonder why he persisted in that line of questioning and wanted to know when I would be able to attend and be present with him in Juarez then. He also refused to look at the notarized letter I sent explaining my absence. We are lucky and grateful that he decided to end that line of questioning and go ahead and grant the visa. The CO could have very well denied him and ask him to return for a second interview and demand I be present at that one. It happened to a couple going through Juarez just not too long ago actually. Here is a link > http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/458116-case-on-suspension/
CNTrav is completely incorrect that this cannot and does not happen. Those wide-sweeping, generalized statements of absolute assurance can end up leaving folks that follow it quite disappointed, if it turns out things don't end up with an easy, happy outcome as professed. Anyone that can attend, should. Even if their consulate does not allow the USC petitioner to enter and actually attend the interview. Even if it is not typical for a CO to deny for that reason at your particular consulate.The OP's post was informative and dead on.