millionaminute

23 minutes ago, BK&MC said:

All these news on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, one can't help but wonder if Meghan will need to go through such a painful process such as us 

Isn't it wonderful that the Prince just got down on one knee just a few weeks back, and now she'll moved in and planning for her Spring wedding.

 

I knew it. Should have looked for a prince. Should have answered that Nigerian prince's email. 

She is planning on British citizenship...I answered the Nigerian princes email, a Dr. Obo wowo I recall, we wanted to send me $30 milionl but I got cold feet

Reading the story of Meghan Markle ( a US Citizen ) & her marriage to Prince Harry.  Meghan has decided to seek British Citizenship.  Hmmf.  

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5124891/Harry-Meghan-marry-Windsor-Castle-MAY.html

2 minutes ago, Van & Tiger said:

I think literally that would be "you have to laugh or you'll cry" for me.  I would just completely go off the deep end probs.  

1 hour ago, Jabberwocky1969 said:

Pretty infuriating when you consider that we are not only verified taxpayers well above the poverty line but we paid huge fees on top of all this. 

Truth is, there is nothing we can do but wait.  You can call and the USCIS hotline and you will listen to a stoic response from someone who really does not seem to care reading a script.  You can complain to your Congressman or Senator and it does nothing.  You can plead for an expedite but it seems that whatever your situation, it does not meet the USCIS criteria for an expedite.  You can rant and complain here and maybe you will feel vented, but your application is still in the same place it was...so just wait...they can't hold these applications forever.

1 minute ago, Jabberwocky1969 said:

That's when we hit the phones and start screaming.

1 minute ago, John & Rose said:

I was afraid someone was going to bring that up!  Yep, there is that possibility.  It would include USCIS and Embassy staff.  Only essential personnel would be on the clock.  I don't think it will happen but it is certainly a possibility.

Ignorance is bliss, but I would rather be informed to know what I (we) are dealing with....

& What about the threat of a Government shutdown now on December 8th?  

1 minute ago, Mike and Wendelyn said:

That is all the more reason for us to join together to try for change in the USCIS.... there is no conceivable reason it should take 180 days + for a 10 minute review before our files get sent to the NVC!

I concur...I also understand John's points about the Administration's indifference about immigration.  But this is not as much about immigration and our frustrations than the fact we paid for services with a particular expectation and we know we are being duped by an organization that struggling to do its job.  If the USCIS were a private company, this would not be happening...

1 minute ago, Mike and Wendelyn said:

That is all the more reason for us to join together to try for change in the USCIS.... there is no conceivable reason it should take 180 days + for a 10 minute review before our files get sent to the NVC!

I concur...I also understand John's points about the Administration's indifference about immigration.  But this is not as much about immigration and our frustrations than the fact we paid for services with a particular expectation and we know we are being duped by an organization that struggling to do its job.  If the USCIS were a private company, this would not be happening...

2 minutes ago, Mike and Wendelyn said:

AMEN!!! @millionaminute We as a group can now have a voice! a STRONG voice that must be heard and reckoned with!!!

 

Anyone can sign the petition, if we are 500 (1000 with Fiance?) and we all post and share the petition's link to Facebook, or any other immigration site, then people can sign,  my family and friends can sign, co workers can sign... 

7 minutes ago, Mike and Wendelyn said:

@Naes that is what I thought too...

 

We have May filers waiting way over the 180 days  time, we have new June filers waiting over the 180 days..

 

I posted this just a little while ago:

 

"That is the frustrating thing about our journey...

 

We have no collective way to indicate to the USCIS that this is just unacceptable... 

 

We as a group here on visa journey, and including all filers from every month here on visa journey, would have a very strong voice if there was only a way to band together to issue our protests..."

Ok, I was not going to share my idea, but since there is interest...we need to compile a letter, and this  will be the vehicle to get the ball going...

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/

We will petition the White House, we will create just one petition with our concerns and share the link with everyone and their grandmother to electronically sign the petition.  If it gets 100,000 signature the white house MUST respond to it.  And the beauty of having supporters sign is... anyone can sign their support even foreigners (our Fiances)!!!

Just now, John & Rose said:

One challenge is only people who have waited over 183 days have the right to complain since the 6 month “regular processing time” has been the advertised timeline for over a year now. If we complain prior to their advertised timeline we will be diluting our argument. They have an easy and logical response. “You are still within normal processing timelines”. We have seen that one hundreds of times!  

Yes that's why I figure it should wait until a few of us are over the 6 month period, but it seems we have a lot of friends in May that are already there

2 minutes ago, Naes said:

My fiance (he is the petitioner) keeps saying for people here to get together and make a joint letter too, however John is also right this is not a priority.

But then again this is not a I'm calling my sister to US type of immigration, this is about a US citizen making family. So it should have some affect speeding the process of K1 and CR1

OK so if people have time to draft what they would this letter (or complaint?) to read, please start posting their thoughts.  I know where we could "post" the letter which could garner a tremendous amount of visibility...maybe go viral online

22 minutes ago, Mike and Wendelyn said:

This might be a shot in the dark but here goes...

 

Is there any way that we (the members of visa journey) can develop some type of "petition letter" or statement that we can endorse (sign) and then forward to the powers that be to try and force change within the USCIS?

 

The "powers that be" meaning our USA representatives, the representatives of other countries, or even the supervisors of the USCIS?

 

I mean here in the USA, our government is spending billions of dollars for national defense and other projects, when it seems painfully obvious that the USCIS is woefully understaffed and inexperienced...

 

Just a small allocation of funding directed to the USCIS could hire more processors to help to eliminate the intense backlog of qualified applications.

 

We could have all of us on visa journey who are in the "I-129F holding pattern" send in letters of protest or petitions, or ??? 

I have been thinking about this idea also.  There's strength in numbers.  Going to your local Senator or Congressperson doesn't seem to do anything.  I will see if I am approved by 180 and if not, I have an idea....but it will need to be a joint effort for people to come together....

3 hours ago, John & Rose said:

Yes. They just look through it to find red flags. If they don’t see any it goes to the NVC. If they don’t see any it is up to the very well trained CO at the interview. Sad but true, the big wait is just to get them to open the box that our petition is in!  Search for the questions and answers with a former adjudicator thread here. 

 

Please, you aren’t a pain at all. The people asking the questions here only know the answers because we asked the questions before.  This is not something that anyone wants to become good at. We all had the questions you have. Unless you have gone through this a few times before we are all still learning. This is a process that we do not want to become a professional at!!!

You're a good man.  Your fiance is very fortunate to have such a patient man to weather this storm with her.  We all are...

2 hours ago, The Squirrel said:

Guys, you constantly let frustration come over your common sense, please get a hold of yourselves. It is a needed law of a better world, that we always give support and understanding to a fellow man. This goes for all of our jobs, weather we clean sewers, cook, paint, or anything else, it is a job, we do it honorably.

 

Please take for example May 3rd, there were 7 cases left, and one of them got an RFE today, no others got touched. So 46 got approved, 20pending RFE's, and now add one more for today. By what logic would you go to make a claim that some agent went to May 3rd batch, picked only one and RFE'd it? Why not all remaining 7 for that day instead of all of those on the 15th? That agent would be "super agent", since he/she cleared one entire day in May all by him/her self, if that was rewarded. Correct? I again advise all who didn't read the USCIS agent's interview to do so, so you can know how their work gets graded.

 

Also, yesterday we had two VJ members who admitted that they did not do anything at their own job, other than hanging out here and calling USCIS due to September 1st mistake, and than same members suggested to have USCIS person fired for mistake. Meanwhile they didn't go to their own boss and said "hey, I didn't do any work today, I was on this forum getting information about my case, and I also called USCIS, and I also cried a little, sooooo, I don't know if I should get paid for today, or if I should get fired". Guys please get hold of yourselves, it will be soon over, we will soon be happy, so use this as a good test of your own person.

3 minutes ago, PKG1090 said:

I completely agree with you!

 

As we would say here in England: “it seems like they don’t know their ####### from their elbow” (not to offend anyone with my comments). 

 

I did a little calculation about the extra money:-

 

$225 x 1000 (approx) applications per day received = $225,000 per day!

 

$225,000 x 5 days open = $1,125,000 per week!!!

 

$1,125,000 x 52 weeks = $58,500,000 per year!!!

 

So: if they pay one person $22,500 per year - out of one (1) day’s worth of applications, they could hire ten (10) extra people!!

 

There really is no ‘financial’ reason that we should be waiting this bloody long!

 

We all just want to marry our fiancées and have a happy life and make plans!!

 

 

YES!  We have gone from enthusiasm to a real disheartening place and its difficult to simply keep a positive outlook when the wait drags like this.  Its been a shock, and now I see why people come to the US illegally and just don't care, the worst places in the US are better than some of the "Best" places in other countries, and why go though bureaucratic BS?  Why not take a risk, jump a boarder fence, and if you're caught, the worst that can happen is a free meal and deportation, and then just jump the fence again as so many people do.

I am glad we can support each other here, though, you are not alone.  Cheers, there HAS to be a light at the end of this tunnel!!!

50 minutes ago, PKG1090 said:

   My fiancée called about 10 mins ago and was told we have to wait 3-5 days for a call back from a Tier Two, as they’ve stopped taking call transfers about an hour before!

 

The call handler had no empathy and just wanted us off the call. It took her a while to bring up our case too! 

Are they still using Windows 3.1 and using carrier pidgeons to send mail?!

 

What really gets to me is that we paid $525 to submit our application, which is $225 more than last year, and they’re taking almost double the time that they did last year!

 

We all want to move on our lives and start a family and the USCIS is preventing us all from doing so! 

 

It’s total bs!!

 

Does anyone ask where the extra $225 is going? Why, as we paid more than last year’s applicants, is it taking almost double the time??

 

Sorry.... rant over 😳

I am not as concerned  about the fee as I am as how fast they cashed my check.  The same day they received my application...gone from my bank account electronically.  They should wait to process our payments until they process our petitions and you know they would move way the F faster.  And now I hear they told a caller it may take up to a year?  They make up the rules as they go!?  This is not a tax refund, this is peoples lives.  What's the old adage, justice delayed is justice denied?   When my Fiancé and I applied, the wait was maybe 3-4 months, I am at 142 days today with no end in site, and I know I am in the behind numerous April and May filers and god knows how many countless petitions after me.  My fiancé got a European Schengen visa to meet me in 15, FIFTEEN DAYS.  When is it OK to be mad, when is it OK to say hey buddies,  you are doing a piss poor job and its not acceptable! 

me day 50

6 minutes ago, DandY said:

 

4 minutes ago, loveneverfails17 said:

That's cool, I did by myself, I taught the process in Brazilian forums 

Portuguese!  Most Americans think  people from Brazil speak Spanish.  Reading the conversations, I side with you, I hope for NOA2 November, just because processing slowed down doesn't mean it can't speed back up.  Can it get any worse?  (don't answer that question) approx 150 days would mean early November and enough time to get my Fiance here before Christmas.  

1 hour ago, loveneverfails17 said:

Well I cannot believe that I will be apart of my honey until January , unbelievable !!!

 

Well this site is the only lifeline to what's left of our sanity...you beat me by 1 day for the NOA1....June 6th...Nevada too.  Did you use Rapid visa?  They're office are here in Vegas...

Question...so there's a lot of frustration out there and people are compelled to call and follow up.  From anyone's experience, has calling expedited their application along?  Has making a phone call made a difference?

or is it only a psychological pacification to hear a scripted "its in process..." but in your mind you know the person on the other end of the phone is like...