JenD

35 minutes ago, Perfect two 💑 said:

This is how I feel about this process. And I believe that this is how most of the people here feel, especially those who already get their RFE and it is ridiculous! It be like "what else do you want" "can you just approve our petition" 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

 Totally.

2 minutes ago, JGEP said:

 

My Fiancée visited while on the ESTA.  We prepared a ton of evidence, including the copy of the NOA1, her employment records, a written statement from me stating that we would be following the law and not getting married before the visa was approved, a return ticket, her traveler's insurance, etc.  But they didn't even ask her anything other than when she was leaving.

 

I don't know how your experience would be in other places, but ours was very smooth visiting.

Where is your usual POE? I seem to remember reading that someone got denied in Dublin.

Has anyone on this forum been able to visit their fiance(e) in the US on an ESTA during this process? Our lawyer said my fiancé could not. I've seen people (I think on this forum) who have been denied entry. So I find it so painful when people (usually from previous years), post about how their fiancé visited multiple times on an ESTA while their K-1 was processing.

I think this week has been particularly hard on those of us how had hoped our fiancés would be here by Christmas (and for us, all our anger at our lawyer for sending the wrong fee and setting us back 5 weeks has come up again). So seeing all those April filers (we initially filed at the beginning of April) at their POEs or even getting married also adds to the pain.

But I'm grateful for the support here - and for the humor!

12 hours ago, yuna628 said:

Some finer points for the OP to consider:

 

People come to the US to get married all the time.

Do not lie in any way about your intentions to an immigration officer. There is no land of white lies when it comes to the government. You either answer questions truthfully or do not. One is illegal and one is not. Anyone advising you to lie on this forum is also breaking the rules of this forum. You do not have divulge info to an officer if they do not ask it however, but you must be careful and truthful in every answer you give.

However, while people come to the US to get married all the time, there are officers that routinely attempt to warn or scare gf/bfs/fiancés etc into not marrying in the US. This leads many a frightened individual to lie and cause themselves many headaches. My then-fiancé visited me in the US numerous times. He answered all questions truthfully. They usually asked him if he intended on marrying me here. He informed them we were in the K1 process and that we would marry once he had an approved visa. He brought proof of returning home. They had no problems. They always knew we were engaged and our relationship status.

 

That's the important thing when facing an immigration officer. In their minds a person may be coming here to marry and simply stay illegally, subverting a grey area of immigration law. They've seen it time and time again. So what burden of proof do you have to offer them, that your intentions are honorable? What is your proof of returning home? Consider all of this carefully before proceeding. Come armed with evidence. Is there a risk they may not believe you and send you back home? Sure. But there's a risk every time you visit your fiancé. If you should be denied entry, while you won't be able to visit again, it has no bearing on filing for a fiancé or spousal visa successfully.

 

We've seen it many times on this forum... in situations where individuals lie to an officer.. it ends up making an already bad situation even worse. Other things to consider if you wanted to go the K1 route -- it's faster than the spousal route yes. However, once you marry in the US, you will not be able to work or travel without adjusting your status and obtaining work/travel permits. That works fine for some people, and not for others. Adjustment process can take up to an additional year. Being already married, and filing for a spousal visa, takes a longer amount of time yes - but once approved you can work and travel without extra waiting time.

 

There was as far as I know, only one service center handling K1 cases - which is California. Things have slowed these days, so expect a lot of waiting. But that's what LDRs are all about right? ;-)

It seems like maybe the idea that you can have a K-1 processing and still enter on an ESTA has changed. People on other message boards have been denied entry and sent home while trying to do that. And our lawyer also has said that it can't be done. I find everyone saying "Oh, sure you can enter on an ESTA" so confusing when people have been denied and every immigration lawyer we talked said that you can't.

I'm going to chime in and say you don't need a lawyer. In my personal experience, it's just another chance for a mistake on your application (happened to me). You have a legitimate relationship, and you seem like a smart and thorough person, so I don't think you will have a problem (other than having to wait a long time, which all of us are going through).

37 minutes ago, Maria1989 said:

Nope I'm being petty even though I already know what they will say, I called again. Just to give them another call to answer and read a script..... I asked for a Tier 2 or a Supervisor and they quickly put a Supervisor on who read the same script..... LOL, you folks going to work for my $535 after this long wait....... really I'm crying on the inside 😔😪

You're doing better than me. I've been crying on the outside for most of the day.

3 hours ago, CamiBrad said:

Hey guys, my NOA1 date is 05/11. At this point, my fiance and I are really considering contacting a Congressman. Have any of you guys done so? Did it help?

Or you guys think we should wait a little more? We're kind lost now. 

 

We call USCIS and get no real answer, so this is getting frustating and disappointing.

Any thoughts and help are welcome!  Thank you!

 I called my congressman's office. They have a person who handles immigration. They made their own inquiry, but they, too have no idea when USCIS will actually respond.

59 minutes ago, Shoegum said:

aw thanks  this is awesome they are on 30's also mine is 1790346495

Aw, you are 12 ahead of us!

1 hour ago, InnocentLove said:

I am a May filer.  NOA 1 was 5/22

 

May 30.

28 minutes ago, Anagio said:

Hello, at first I talked to Tier 1 and she told me that my case was definitely  outside the normal processing time. So she told me that should could connect me with the officer at California Service center.  I think she also filed some type of inquiry on my behalf. 

You actually spoke to someone at the CSC?

48 minutes ago, jackyjimenez said:

I guess it means they started working on I-129f again on that date. 

15 minutes ago, Naes said:

Just a glitch, they probably just wrote by mistake.. now after heh have 1000 phone calls they're going to panic and correct it 😃😃😃😃

 

otherwise we are all getting noa2 on the mail 😂😂😂

 In the mean time, I called because it my app is now "outside the normal processing time" - but the agent I spoke to said they would reply within 15 days. Ack. Blerg.

6 minutes ago, facebook098 said:

quick question am Somalian may 19th with all the travel ban going back and forth, would my case be effected or delayed somehow ? just curious day 173 so far ?

Well,  it might, just because the uncertainty. But, policy-wise, you are not currently subject to a ban.

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/news/important-announcement.html

"In light of this [court] order, visa applicants who are nationals of Chad, Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen, and Somalia are not subject to any of the restrictions or limitations under the Presidential Proclamation, regardless of whether they have a credible claim of a bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States.  Their visa applications will be adjudicated in accordance with the INA, any other applicable immigration laws, and generally applicable visa processing standards, without regard to the Presidential Proclamation or related implementing procedures."

3 minutes ago, Shayde said:

yes sir , exactly this has been the major problem she actually got sick do you advise for us to seek a waiver?

There's no waiver for not meeting the basic qualifications for this visa. 

10 minutes ago, tpeach said:

Not really a issue because they were given a extension to January, 22 2018 prior to expiration 

Okay, so that CSC worker was lying? And things just slowed down for no reason?

On 8/1/2017 at 3:06 PM, visaforscotland said:

Hi folks,

 

Not sure if this has been posted here yet, but we just found this on the March filers forum.  This could explain the delays.

 

Hang in there!

I found this a couple of days ago. It was posted earlier in the May filers forum in August, but a lot of us have joined since then! This info made my fiancé and I feel a little better, because at least it was a reason for the slow down - and a humanitarian one.

"Hi All,

Not sure if this info has been shared already but just spoke with a family friend who works at the CSC in Aliso Viejo - he said that they are experiencing MAJOR delays due to K1s being deprioritized in favor of other more urgent immigration cases. He mentioned that a massive caseload of Haitian immigration applications landed on their desks and they've had to pull a lot of the K1 case reviewers onto the job - apparently, the Temporary Protected Status for those affected by the earthquake got extended so now they are trying to process as many cases as they can so that people don't get deported. Since it's a human rights issue, they've been mandated to prioritze those cases. He said they are so underwater that they've apparently authorized overtime pay for adjudicators for the first time in a long time

5 hours ago, Trinab80 said:

Again, no one is taking away the fact of what you and your fiance feels. But by no means does he or anyone have the right to tell anyone how to express themselves in a public and open forum. No one here has mocked the fact that there are still early May filers still waiting for approval. However, his frustration about still waiting for the NOA2 is pointed at the wrong people. Mocking someone would be saying for example, "OMG I got my approval and my receive is May 23rd. I got mine before early May filers..." or something like that. No one has done anything like that. 

 

While I'm sorry it's been a over a year since you two have seen each other but does not give him the right to be rude by telling others they don't have the right to complain about being skipped because they filed in the middle of May as opposed to early May. We all are in the same boat which is not being with our love ones right now. Everyone story is different but we're fighting for the same cause. 

 

To say you have more sympathy for those that have been waiting longer than May 11th is contradiction of your fiance calling us late May filers insensitive because you don't know the circumstances behind my story or anyone's story that had led all of us ultimately here which is to file the K1 visa. 

 

Your fiance comes from a low risk country compared someone like me, and I'm confident you both haven't went through what my fiance and I have this time last year that had led us up to this point. Wouldn't what you just said make you insensitive because you only have sympathy for those before who filed May 11th and before?

 

At end of the day, we all seem to forget that for every case approved only makes room for the next case to gey reviewed and approved. Everyone needs to stop arguing, stop with the negativity and stop with comparing who should get more sympathy for who and why. Because none of this changes the fact that all we can do is wait.

 

My May filers, let's not fall apart now when we are soooo close!

Beautifully put. Thank you for your compassionate voice.

30 minutes ago, tpeach said:

With these early approvals I am thinking they may be making a short day of Friday and a long weekend

 

Don't torture yourself with overthinking. I've never heard of federal employees getting a short Friday on a non-holiday weekend (or at all). And especially not with the kind of pressure they're under.

6 minutes ago, pmeyer1229 said:

Struck out again.....I hope there are more later...Day 172. Congrats to those approved. Any other May 15 filers not approved today?

It's only 11 am in California. They haven't even gone to lunch yet.

13 hours ago, Trinab80 said:

Good Morning My Fellow May Filers,

 

I know that I haven't actively participated in our forum like I normally have in the past and seem to look like I "fell off the radar". But I'm still here amongst you all and waiting with others for that "Golden Ticket" to arrive, and I'm always lurking and reading up on the many approvals that others are getting which I do my best to send "congrats" to you all collectively or individually. The reason for my quietness is nothing more different than others that have used this forum to vent - I'm desperately missing my fiancé and this process has definitely taken it's toll on me emotionally. I've been holding on to my last week of vacation so that I'm able to spend time with him and attend his interview with him, but it's hard not to just use a day or 2 to go see him for a quick trip. I'm not one to vent or cry about it out loud with just anybody; I tend to keep in things to myself and internalize things that are bothering me. I know, that's really not a good way to handle things, life has made me this way to conceal the hurt and sadness from others.

 

Reni (that's my fiancé's name) and I are doing wonderful, things between us are stronger than ever which they would have to be at this point with all this waiting and not knowing what is what. We've pushed the wedding back to March 4th (which is our 2 year anniversary), and the venue was extremely understanding and moved it with no problem. Truthfully though, the wedding was the least of my concerns as the most important thing for us to be together. I truly must say that without Reni's strength, positivity, and willingness to keep moving and keep going forward, I might have given up and I'm never one to just up and quit anything. But this process has definitely softened me up to the point where crying everyday seems to be part of my daily routine. But it's not the waiting that just has me feeling all out of sorts, it's really the not knowing what is going on and why and not being able to fix it. My anxiety is at an all time high because as we approach Thanksgiving this year, it takes me back to last Thanksgiving when Reni tried to come visit me when he had just being issued his Tourist Visa, but he was denied at POE and the visa was cancelled. And me thinking about how that whole ordeal went down back then does not make this waiting game any easier.

 

I know that I just shared more than I should have, but I'm sure there are those here who can sympathize with what I'm feeling. Either way, I just didn't want my sadness and frustration to overshadow everyone here who has received their approvals because at the end of the day, getting that NOA2 is the happiest thing to happen to anyone at this point and best believe that I am extremely happy for each and every one of you.

 

I do want to thank those that have noticed my absence and those that have checked up on me to make sure that Reni and I are okay. Thank you soooooooooooooo much from the bottom of my heart, (@mcs...you are truly a gem, and I appreciate you being that ear). Just want to say to you all that in this world where there is disaster striking left and right and hate surrounding all of us, I can say that I count each of you as a new friend and definitely the support system that is needed and wanted because our families will never know and understand how truly overwhelming and emotional this process can be when all you want is to be with the person you love and want to spend every waking moment with on Earth!!!

 

So, now that I can stop with all this mushy stuff (because I'm sitting my desk with watery eyes....lol), I can tell you that I am here, I've always been here, but I'M BACK!!!

I think we're all feeling that way to some degree or another. Between my fiancé and I, at least one o us is crying every day!

2 hours ago, Geo_nerd82 said:

So, correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm translating the 2,611 received cases as "untouched" ones, and the remaining 1,896 as processed (to some degree or other), does that really mean they're already 57% of the way through May?

According to their processing times, they should be all the way through May by now.

16 minutes ago, Naes said:

Ahaha yeah, that's a joke as never been touched. no rfe or any updates up to date (for all we know)

 

Let's sing "Like a virgiiiiiin...touched for the very first time"

 

PS_Me singing at 6 am is not funny for my cats obviously...

Well, it adds much needed levity to our situation! I really hope you're right. We're May 30, and VJ is predicting our case won't get touched for another two weeks, and every day it keeps getting pushed back even further. :-(

3 minutes ago, kannan said:

I think it is virgin (untouched)

Ha. Ok. Thx! 

6 hours ago, Naes said:

Goooood Moooorning Everyone!

Your Weekly News is here!

 

I am so sorry for being late with this weekends results,

however GOOD NEWS; especially for June and July filers; 

the numbers are back to normal  for the expected 700+ per weeks.

These numbers doesn't even include October rejections!

 

I am still hoping for June to slowly start next week and go to their peak the following!

 

And obviously as a September I am religiously believing in 150 days!

 

So here are the updated numbers overall! 

 

 

And the weekly activities:

(Remember there are cases without updates!, and october cases that got rejected - these numbers also counted in the USCIS reports)

 

 

And here are the links for each month:

(Please let me know if your case number is not in the list)

 

May

 -for the recent May result please check Shoegum's Up-to-date May list!

June

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0aCNV0zY3I7Y0dUU2szSVV6UUU

July

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0aCNV0zY3I7SGphWmI4blc4ZFU

August

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0aCNV0zY3I7RFlBekpGYUExLWM

September (UPDATED- 76 missing cases )

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0aCNV0zY3I7UkpONjltVzI0bGs 

In your first chart, what doe "Received: Virginia" mean?

14 minutes ago, Kpetraska said:

My first experience calling USCIS was not fun. They gave me the "we are currently processing April 1st, call back when our website says we are processing May 11th" 

 

I told her I know that's not true because I see a whole ton of may approvals every day. She says people are just telling me they're approved to upset me.

 

Do they really think we're that dumb? Why can't they just admit they're processing May files? I don't get it. It makes absolutely no sense.

I find these kinds of responses particularly infuriating, because they're not even reading their website correctly. Yes, the website says they WERE processing April 1, AS OF AUGUST 31, 2017. That was two months ago! So they haven't made any progress in two months? Ridiculous.

5-6 months.