jajaju

As far as 'hiding paper trail', this is BS! If you haven't got anything to hide, don't hide anything. I think lawyers at times want to make you feel it's more scary and easy to mess everything up than it really is so you'll pay their ridiculous fee. Just my opinion.

Ok, here are mine..

• How do you personally feel about the situation with backlog of Spouse Visas (especially in contrast to K1 visa processing trends)? Do the processing officers know of the scale of frustration by thousands of couples? Do you talk about it amongst yourselves?

• What actually is the problem? As others on Visa processing forum websites have said, cashing IR-1/CR-1 fee money takes less than 48 hours, but 9-12 months for (claimed to be) 20 minutes work?

• Is it purely a revenue raising reason that people currently living in the US illegally are being processed ahead of IR-1/CR-1 applicants? Do you have any insight as to why they chose the Spouse visa processing centres to take on that workload and not the Fiance visa processing departments?

• Why isn't there something done about the issue - Thousands of people are requesting congressman intervention, the people affected by this are very passionate and aggressive when filing complaints, so why is there seemingly no plan to speed it up?

• There is buzz about the opening of Overland service centre. Will this help processing times at all? There is also talk of USCIS processing centres closing. What is really going on?

• Finally, is there anything we collectively as frustrated Spouse visa filers can do to affect change? Does our requests for congress intervention do anything, or are we wasting our time. The media is not interested in the issue, as a USCIS worker, what do you suggest we do to push for change?

I'll be watching the news and praying everyday that the government can get it together. I guess I am visiting my husband again in November. UGGHHHH. I can't afford the $1500.00 ticket for Christmas/New Years and I don't have any more vacation days left.

Yeah we're in the same situation. By the time my husband visits me again and I (eventually) get a one way ticket when it's finally time for me to migrate we'll be 5k out of pocket. It's actually a nightmare.

How nice to wake up to this:

Estimates/Stats : There are not enough recent approvals in the timeline system to accurately approximate when your I-130 will be approved. Please see the Timeline Stats page to see recent approvals.

Last night It was Dec 2nd to Dec 27th.

Yeah I saw this too. How depressing that the news is so bad that we're off-the-charts. Last time I saw mine was estimated Dec 20 - Jan 14th!!!!!

I hope this doesn't get the stamp of DISAPPROVAL....

I was reading the March thread and came across something that I never thought of....

http://www.laborimmigration.com/2013/09/government-shutdown-and-immigration-how-will-it-affect-me-september-2013-edition/

I really hope they get moving and just keep going

Reading this report made me cry. .. How could things possibly be worse!!!!!!

All, I have the draft letter below. Please FAX it to CBS and still CALL ALSO no later than Friday. If you could please report back so we know how many contacts CBS must have received from us.

If there is anything I missed or that you guys feel we need to include in the letter, then let us know or you can do it individually on the letter you will fax.

We need to be strong and not allow USCIS to control our lives by PAUSING it. We are simply descent Citizen wanting to be with our love ones.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Simply report here: CBS CONTACT STATUS:

1.

2.

===============================================================

Here is the draft letter:

CBS,

It came to our attention in a forum (visajourney.com) that the local CBS network in Philadelphia can help us with an investigation and broadcasting on how unfair the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services has been to US Citizens with a lengthy processing time of I-130 “petition for alien relative” and providing no information as to why petitioners have to wait beyond 5 months (USCIS processing goal) singly at the USCIS stage.

As a group we collectively agreed to contact CBS Philly. Your network will receive many contacts from members of this forum seeking your help.

The entire immigration process for US Citizen petitioning for their spouses from USCIS to National Visa Center to US Consulate abroad used to be normal (6 – 7 months) approximately; but now some of us have petitions that have been pending at the USCIS alone for over 7 months; meaning we are looking at a 14 months or beyond to reunite with our spouses. The wait is harmful on one’s spirit and we implore CBS attention to investigate this issue specifically at the USCIS National Benefits Center in Lee’s Summit Missouri; where petitions are just being piled up with no real action.

USCIS is quick to catch the $420 petition fee with a deplorable customer service providing inconsistent, inaccurate information upon customer’s request.

We refuse to just fold our arms, allowing this bureaucratic government agency put a hold on our lives. We just want to be able to live our lives with our spouses, carry on planned projects and simply enjoy the beauties life has to offer. Most of us are confused and have nowhere to turn, even US Senators and Congressmen are incapable of assisting us; leading us to wonder why did we even vote for them?

Our last hope rest with CBS to publicize this issue and to draw the bureaucratic folk’s attention in DC to do something about this unexplainable I-130 petition lengthy processing for US Citizen trying to reunite with their love ones.

Your Sincerely,

Your name

Your number

===============================================================

Perhaps it's my own bitter attitude toward one more fact that you left out, but is it worth mentioning how illogically fast K1's are processed???? That is what makes my blood boil (not that I'm not totally happy for the K1 filers......)

hi,,stevie b ,,,thanks for ur response,,,much appreciated.....

now at moment i dont have any idea where is my file,,,all i know is it is routed to NBC ,,,since my noa 1 is 28/2/2013....

my wife lives near new york city,,,USCIS told us to wait only,,,call back in 15 days,,,they havent said that ur file is transfered to local field office,,,,

So that wht i want to know,,,who to ask in uscis,,,where is my file ? transfered or not ?? what is tier 2 officer,,wht he does,,,,

and also i m heard tht NBC opens a new division for i 130......will it be help to geting faster response,,,,,

You seem to be very panicked! Please remember that even if we all knew EXACTLY where our files were, it wouldn't speed anything up at all.

It's all out of our hands and all we can do is remain positive and accept that it will be a long wait.

I think most of the people wondering where their files are are curious to see if they can monitor any movement at the certain service centre, it's not necessary to get worked up over.

All the best to you!

I agree with everyone else saying she should really visit you and make sure you take many photos. When you do book a trip to the US (if you do) I'd say a shorter trip is better than a long one, and ensure you can prove that you're going to leave again and that you understand the issues which would arise if you overstayed. If you get to the stage of being in a little room being questioned with someone going through your emails/facebook in another room, it's more often than not down to the discretion of the officer as to if they give you a chance or not, (if they can't find anything in your accounts to prove or disprove your intent) so being honest and genuine will be what it's down to.

Good luck to you guys.

yep it says everywhere you've lived for more than 6 months after the age of 16, so sounds like that's correct.

Me too I feel like such a fool. The talk about the new office opening at the end of the month doesn't make me very positive either, makes me think it may just mean that getting medical and interview dates will be an extra long wait. Feels so hopeless! I'm now hoping to move to US by April..

Showing up here again to just vent my frustration =/. I can't believe I actually thought I would have my husband in the US for this Christmas...

So now I see CR-1s approved after 17 & 19 days through CSC?!?! I am so frustrated there are no words.

You need to gather as much evidence as you can as others have stated. Then the right authorities will be interested to see what your case is. Good luck.

Thank you.

thank YOU!

That's in-sane! I would be so mad! In a perfect world I'd hope they'll zoom your process. I hope your lawyer can help you, all the best of luck.

From applying for AOS to actual GC is around 10 months from what I've been told (you get work permit much sooner but waiting on interview is as long as waiting on CR1 interview). If at the end of that they determine that you entered with intent to overstay (as you're telling us is exactly the case) Then you would be immediately deported and would have to start the CR1 process all over again from home country.

Source- lawyer explained this to me.

i recently got my approval took me 8 months exactly

8 months until NOA2 or until interview?

I'm still not getting why any of this is relevant to the beneficiary? The beneficiary was never deported or had any issues with teaching without a permit. I must be missing something.

As some others pointed out, IF anything is relevant and could be harmful to him bring his lady, sexual crimes are. So it kind of is a reason for him to be a little stressed.

I worked in China for 3 years. 90% of people are working there illegally or have photoshop teaching degrees, people shouldn't judge you for that. Also when I read about the alleged harassment I had an 'ugh' feeling because yes knowing Chinese authorities and the fact that they went through with the brief detention and deportation, it sounds like your file will indeed say that you were deported on sexual harassment. If I were you I'd try to find how I can access that. But even then I don't know how that would help. Perhaps a lawyer can help gather character references and sworn affidavits for character reference from people in your life who observed you as a couple and people who know you.

Wish you all the best good luck.

Hi April filers, I have a question/statement.... So we all know that we can just look to I-130 jan, feb, march filers and figure out pretty quick that unless we're in the military or asylum seekers, we're still on a long waiting list..

So, why are people calling the offices? I'm not trying to seem critical or like a downer, but honestly I'd like to know the reasoning because maybe I should also be calling..

What actual benefit could there be of calling.

What actual benefit could there be of speaking to local govt rep?.. Why would we think that they'd dig our file out of the pile ahead of other legitimate rule followers just because we whine about the process?

Sorry, please don't think I'm a bad person I know I sound pessimistic but really is there any use at all?

WAahhh this is the absolute worst.

93 days here. Even the March filers thread isn't showing a lot of movement...which doesn't bode well for us April folk!

whyyyyyyy *quiet sobbing*

Maybe, if you get all your documents prepared for the next step now... I don't think I'll be over in the USA until at least end of Jan... but then I'm starting to lose a little faith in all this as our file is still sat in a pile somewhere at NBC and hasn't even been trasferred to our local office yet

I know what you mean about losing faith. At times I feel like I'll never get back there. Hard to not let it get you depressed. I'm going to get late Jan into my head too so anything earlier will be a bonus.

I thought I'd add myself to this so others can see another April filer. Papers received at NVC April 19th, NOA1 April 24th.

I am beneficiary (australian)

Does anyone think I might be in the US by Christmas??

I know for a fact we will have a RFE, we have it all ready to express once we get it, so should only set us back no more than a week I would think?

Good luck and god bless to all of us. x

Congrats!!! My weird thought is that a person would think that they would approve the petitions of the married couples filing apart from each other as quickly as they do the couples filing abroad together. Plus, I think it should be WAAAY quicker than the couples not even married yet. Just my opinion please no one take offense. Im a little jealous...

I agree. It's hard to not be jealous. I've been married 2 and half years and my cousin has interview date and moving to US in 6 weeks on a K1 that moved VERY fast. waaahhh!!

bottom line for OP is that leaving the US but not the continent doesn't reset your 90days. I think this was the original query.

What takes 4 months?? Yes, no matter when/how long ago you lived in thailand, you need a police check. The rule is, police check for anywhere you lived for more than 6 months after the age of 16. There are agencies online where you can pay someone to assist you and go get your check. At least I know this is the case for getting a chinese police check when you're not physically there.

Good luck.

https://egov.uscis.gov/cris/Dashboard/CaseStatus.do