Jeikun

I agree about the "fairness" argument being not based in realities. If every country had the same history of compliance with US visas, and fraud rates, and noone immigrated illegally, then policy could be applied exactly the same to everyone. Sadly, this is not the case. Situation and history makes everyone's case different and some will have an easier time of it. Someone with a fiancee from Fujian, China will have a MUCH different experience than someone with a fiancee from Toronto, ON. Is this fair? Not in the sense that that both couples may be just as in love, just as well meaning, and just as deserving to be together... but the USCIS is the gatekeeper and they have to act based on the facts and trends. There is no need to blame anyone. It's the world that's unfair, from birth to death.
AOS is not a loophole. You may adjust from ANY visa as a spouse of a US citizen, it's only a question of if you are being honest about why you entered the USA initially. Some aren't. Fine. Catching them is part of the USCIS's job. But because some people commit fraud doesn't mean that process should be thrown out for the ones that ARE honest. THAT is unfair.
People who are saying no one should be able to do it, honestly or not are just taking their frustrations out on those they perceive as more fortunate than themselves. I understand the emotion, but it's kind of ugly.

This thread may have started with a honest question, but it has become mean spirited and hurtful, and from what I can see there are dozens like it already. There is plenty to be frustrated about in the K-1 or CR-1 process, especially long separations. It is easy to look at those who in your opinion took a shortcut, or took a less ethical route and are seemingly rewarded, while we are doing it the "right way" and are seemingly punished and become frustrated, angry, jealous. I KNEW that I could have had my fiancee stay over her VWP since I hadn't announced our engagement anywhere publicly, and play the "whoops we just couldn't wait" card and avoid a long separation... I'd be lying if I said it didn't cross my mind, but I chose to go K-1 because I just couldn't do it in a less than honest way, since I KNEW we were going to get married.
But... There are those who came on VWP or visitor visa and perfectly legally decide to stay. The gentleman from the UK for instance. He entered planning to leave, was told about the possibility of staying and AOSing, and had a relatively easy way to take care of his matters back in England. This wasn't fraud, this was a man deciding to do what was best for his wife and child and perfectly legal.
The Chinese woman who posted earlier too... unless you (with no reason or evidence) believe that she came on this site to simply waste her time lying, then she too was perfectly within the law to stay with her husband. And cases like hers are NOT why visitor visas are so hard for high fraud countries... it is people who overstay and become illegal that make it so hard. She applied for AOS and they said YES. They could have said no. So many people from high-fraud countries just live in an ethnically homogeneous community often in sanctuary cities, and have no fear of deportation or reason to bother doing AOS.
There are plenty of people who commit fraud with the CR-1 and K-1. They are some of the most tempting for fraud, even. That is why they take so long. Not because some guy from the UK where 99+% of visas are NEVER broken or used fraudulently decided to stay with his wife and child.
I don't like waiting any more than you do, I know it is even harder for those of you with no VWP which makes interim visits much more difficult. But that doesn't excuse attacking people and pouring your frustrations on the undeservedly. Find a more positive outlet for that stuff. Those "loopholes" exist for a reason, just like the K-1 and CR-1 exist for a reason. Leave it to the USCIS to determine if someone is gaming the system. Some will and get away with it in ALL cases. Some will also try and get caught. Also innocent people will be accused and have to jum through hoops. It is the nature of any huge bureaucratic system, and will never change no matter who you blame for your own woes.

Any country has the right to set their own immigration policies. If they decide to let no one in at all, it is their right. Venting is one thing, but bringing up past colonialism, morals, and justice, over this is really making a mountain out of a molehill. Requiring a deposit from high risk applicants, is not all that extreme, or unprecidented. It's less stringent than many other countries' policies. I really see nothing to howl about here. I also doubt any dip in tourists from those 6 countires is going to cripple the UK's international trade and tourism industries as some suggest - that's the reason for the proposal. They are comparing numbers to numbers.

Any country has the right to set their own immigration policies. If they decide to let no one in at all, it is their right. Venting is one thing, but bringing up past colonialism, morals, and justice, over this is really making a mountain out of a molehill. Requiring a deposit from high risk applicants, is not all that extreme, or unprecidented. It's less stringent than many other countries' policies. I really see nothing to howl about here. I also doubt any dip in tourists from those 6 countires is going to cripple the UK's international trade and tourism industries as some suggest - that's the reason for the proposal. They are comparing numbers to numbers.

Any country has the right to set their own immigration policies. If they decide to let no one in at all, it is their right. Venting is one thing, but bringing up past colonialism, morals, and justice, over this is really making a mountain out of a molehill. Requiring a deposit from high risk applicants, is not all that extreme, or unprecidented. It's less stringent than many other countries' policies. I really see nothing to howl about here. I also doubt any dip in tourists from those 6 countires is going to cripple the UK's international trade and tourism industries as some suggest - that's the reason for the proposal. They are comparing numbers to numbers.

Any country has the right to set their own immigration policies. If they decide to let no one in at all, it is their right. Venting is one thing, but bringing up past colonialism, morals, and justice, over this is really making a mountain out of a molehill. Requiring a deposit from high risk applicants, is not all that extreme, or unprecidented. It's less stringent than many other countries' policies. I really see nothing to howl about here. I also doubt any dip in tourists from those 6 countires is going to cripple the UK's international trade and tourism industries as some suggest - that's the reason for the proposal. They are comparing numbers to numbers.

The amount of luck anyone has in changing anything beyond perhaps your own case will be very very limited. K-1 and CR-1 applicants are very small groups compared to other interests. They are also from no single demographic, constituency, or minority groups. They only give a #######, by and large for the 6 to 18 months that make up 99% of the processing times - once they have their visa, they no longer have time to be activists for something that no longer affects their lives. So with no strong advocacy groups, no big purse, and no long-term supporters, these visa types will never be prioritized as a whole except at the pleasure of the USCIS. There is no money, power, or political gain in it for anyone. I hope we all get faster results, and am not suggesting anyone cease advocating for themselves... but never expect the USCIS will finally "get it" and get it fixed long term - cause it just won't happen.

Well... I can't confirm or deny that. There very well may be a Jesus who works for CSC. I've met a couple of guys named Jesus in California.

I am sickened by it as well. But regardless of your opinion on the legalization of illegal immigrants, anger against them is misplaced. They aren't screwing this up. Our government is screwing it up. If the USCIS decided to rapidly approve all pending visitor, student, and business visas and devote all their manpower to it and put K-1 and CR-1 on the back burner, it wouldn't be visitors and students and job applicants spitting in your face... it would be the government's fault for gross mismanagement of resources. This is the case here as well. The issue of illegal immigration is a hot button here, since we are all waiting our turn in line and doing things legally. But DACA IS legal. It was their choice to prioritize it for political reasons to our detriment that should have been illegal.

I have absolutely nothing against DACA petitioners. They are taking advantage of something offered to them that will better their lives. Who the hell wouldn't? I DO think that the petitions were mishandled. They were rammed through at an alarming rate, much faster than the stated timeframe, and before any of the money collected form them could have any effect on the USCIS's available resources. It is my (unproven) gut feeling that this was done so during election season it would be shown that the current administration was doing what they promised.
I think tut-tutting people upset by their wait being lengthened is kind of snide and pointless. Let people vent. I do agree if someone is actually blaming the DACA applicants, that's misplaced anger. But being upset with the process and the bureaucracy and venting to like minded folks on a web forum is good therapy. Let them have it without the guilt trip.

I have absolutely nothing against DACA petitioners. They are taking advantage of something offered to them that will better their lives. Who the hell wouldn't? I DO think that the petitions were mishandled. They were rammed through at an alarming rate, much faster than the stated timeframe, and before any of the money collected form them could have any effect on the USCIS's available resources. It is my (unproven) gut feeling that this was done so during election season it would be shown that the current administration was doing what they promised.
I think tut-tutting people upset by their wait being lengthened is kind of snide and pointless. Let people vent. I do agree if someone is actually blaming the DACA applicants, that's misplaced anger. But being upset with the process and the bureaucracy and venting to like minded folks on a web forum is good therapy. Let them have it without the guilt trip.

All these trips!! hehe My fiancee is visiting me in 10 days and staying for almost 3 weeks. It might be our last visit before the K-1 visa. It's our 3rd since October last year.
On other news that may help some of us... as you may or may not have seen on the USCIS website, or on another thread, the CSC is sending DACA cases to the TSC. So maybe they will start playing catch-up like the VSC has been. If we start seeing a rash of NOA-2s from the August guys in the next week or so we can get our hopes up a bit.

Drowning in DACA apps. Vermont had fewer and sent them to Nebraska. CSC approves more DACA in a day than they (used to) process I-129 in a Month.

People calling this "Just another Rant" are misguided. The figures are concrete. And this is not saying that the Dream act or even DACA is a bad idea. I fully believe that people brought here as children with no say in the matter, who are upstanding members of society deserve a chance to make their status legal. It is how it was forced on USCIS to process them at a truly breakneck pace, at the expense of other visa types, particularly those filed by American Citizens. K-1 visas are about reunification with our significant others. If the AOS part of it were slowed, that would be less detrimental. I have also seen criticizm that these DACA applications are going through so fast there are serious doubts that they are actually verifying the information contained in them unless it brings up an obvious red flag. Politics should not be driving this. USCIS is a fee-based service. There are American citizens who paid back in July last year who are now waiting behind non-citizens who just paid last month. And they keep getting shuttled to the front of the line. That is not right.

While I don't disagree, it's one thing to complain due to being impatient. However, it is another thing to be concerned about your loved one needing immediate medical attention. This process does put our lives on hold. If one is complaining merely because they can't stand being away from their loved one, they will need to get over it as that IS what it is. Judging by the OP, it seems they were just reaching out for any possible options given the unique circumstances they were put in. If the only option is to wait and take care of a medical situation from afar, so be it. Why the need to patronize while avoiding the real concern here?

Being able to endure stress, and wishing you had to endure less stress are not mutually exclusive.

Being able to endure stress, and wishing you had to endure less stress are not mutually exclusive.

How do you figure? You think they ARE mutually exclusive? So you enjoy all the stress in your life and wouldn't lessen any of it if possible, because if you wanted to it would mean you couldn't handle it? I don't follow.

Being able to endure stress, and wishing you had to endure less stress are not mutually exclusive.

I don't see it like that at all. This isn't the DACA thread. DACA is deferring deportation and giving an EAD to people who are still technically not in legal status in this country. They haven't been "In line". Someone who applied back in July who is having tens of thousands of people who applied for DACA in October and November being approved in front of them is not a "newcomer cutting in line". And they have every right to speculate and vent frustration.
Being told they should stop complaining, whack off, smoke dope, etc. is a little demeaning. They have every right to seek commiseration and complain about the way things are being handled without being tut-tutted by those who consider themselves more enlightened based on their OPINION of what is fair or not.

The "Dreamers" are under no threat of deportation. Most of them have been here for many years, and the instruction to ICE is not to deport them unless they are involved in a crime. They have their paperwork filed. They paid their fees. So let em wait a few more months. DACA apps are processing to the tune of 3,500 a DAY. All that is really at stake for them is the equivalent of an EAD. DACA doesn't confer a green card or a path to legal status. It is merely permission to work and getting them "registered" for 2 years, while we wait for congress to pass an actual solution.
I'm glad some of you are martyrs and will give them your place in line willingly, but I take offense at it.

The "Dreamers" are under no threat of deportation. Most of them have been here for many years, and the instruction to ICE is not to deport them unless they are involved in a crime. They have their paperwork filed. They paid their fees. So let em wait a few more months. DACA apps are processing to the tune of 3,500 a DAY. All that is really at stake for them is the equivalent of an EAD. DACA doesn't confer a green card or a path to legal status. It is merely permission to work and getting them "registered" for 2 years, while we wait for congress to pass an actual solution.
I'm glad some of you are martyrs and will give them your place in line willingly, but I take offense at it.

The "Dreamers" are under no threat of deportation. Most of them have been here for many years, and the instruction to ICE is not to deport them unless they are involved in a crime. They have their paperwork filed. They paid their fees. So let em wait a few more months. DACA apps are processing to the tune of 3,500 a DAY. All that is really at stake for them is the equivalent of an EAD. DACA doesn't confer a green card or a path to legal status. It is merely permission to work and getting them "registered" for 2 years, while we wait for congress to pass an actual solution.
I'm glad some of you are martyrs and will give them your place in line willingly, but I take offense at it.

People calling this "Just another Rant" are misguided. The figures are concrete. And this is not saying that the Dream act or even DACA is a bad idea. I fully believe that people brought here as children with no say in the matter, who are upstanding members of society deserve a chance to make their status legal. It is how it was forced on USCIS to process them at a truly breakneck pace, at the expense of other visa types, particularly those filed by American Citizens. K-1 visas are about reunification with our significant others. If the AOS part of it were slowed, that would be less detrimental. I have also seen criticizm that these DACA applications are going through so fast there are serious doubts that they are actually verifying the information contained in them unless it brings up an obvious red flag. Politics should not be driving this. USCIS is a fee-based service. There are American citizens who paid back in July last year who are now waiting behind non-citizens who just paid last month. And they keep getting shuttled to the front of the line. That is not right.

Disagreeing with the way your government is handeling something is a long way from boo-hooing and baing a "crybaby". And for those "acting like we are such a law-abiding crowd" it's called "benefit of the doubt". This is a web forum, not the USCIS. If someone says they are on the up and up here, what does it behoove me to assume they are a liar? I agree that people brought here as children deserve a way to make themselves legal. But they reneged on the initial assertion that they would backlog them until the fees collected allowed the necessary expansion. I'll leave whether that was due to pressure in election season or not up to people who care more about debating politics. Point is, things are slowING (not at bottom yet). Not crying about it, but not doing a cartwheel and 3 cheers over it either.