GaryK

1 hour ago, nkayx said:

You’re right. My eagerness has made me throw common sense right out the window lol. Anyways thank you for your response

You almost gave me a coronary.  To date, all the info I've gleaned from my 7 or 8 calls to the uscis... and $2.50... would get me a bottomless cup of coffee at IHOP.

Glad to see the uscis is still being all that it can be.

On 4/19/2019 at 3:19 PM, Letspaintcookies said:

I don't know but I would say that it would use the same resource as the online thing. So if there's no update then you won't get anything else from the answering machine. Only a human can open your file to tell you if there's something different.   

I don't think it actually helps to call and speak with someone... front-line CSR... Tier 2 immigration officer.  Both have offered nothing of value to me.  Unless you have the bat phone to the adjudicator of your case my opinion is you're wasting your time.

It has been advised to me to just call twice a week and that it doesn't matter if you speak with front line people.  Ask for status and maybe you strike pay dirt at some point.  I don't really know.

26 minutes ago, payxibka said:

What I do know is that there are multiple databases.   What I don't know is is everyone goes through all or if it is tiered based on results,  my guess is tiered.

 

As for divorces, every time I read a post about it taking more time,  I challenge it and nobody so far can demonstrate anything other than repeating some urban legend 

Thanks for the perspective.

I guess today is Gary's 'all over the map' day.  I have another question maybe you have some thoughts on.  Since the CSC is THE hotspot for I-129f petitions... and since they ostensibly work between 8 am and 6 pm (presumably that's pacific time)... is that about the only time when we can expect adjudicators to be doing any work?  I never seem to see a weekend date listed on people's timelines.  Only Monday through Friday from what I have seen.

I wasn't sure if you (or anyone) knew if the uscis practices 'flex time' (ex: come in 6 or 7 am if an early bird... 10 or 11 am if a night owl) or work-from-home arrangements under certain circumstances.

Just now, payxibka said:

To the best of my knowledge divorces don't add time other than the time to pick out the pertinent info (my petition had two decrees).  I am not aware of any such "reach outs" to the alien country as the petition is primarily about eligibility and the petitionner.  Certain background checks can add time 

Ok, interesting response.  So let's hop on the background checks now.  Again, I am only seeking opinions even if my line of questioning starts getting into areas you may feel less certain about.

I may have spit on the sidewalk in Portland, Maine back in 2008 and a local cop MAY have looked askance at me over it.  Beyond that, I can't think of anything that would come up in a background check for me.  Anna is squeaky clean.

Do you know if there are 'tiered' background checks?  What I mean by that is do they first check databases A, B and C.  No hits?  Pass GO, collect $200.  Quicker approval.  Hits?  Ok, let's proceed with checking databases D and E.  Is that what you mean when you say 'certain background checks' could add time?

Personally, I could never understand why prior divorces would add any significant time but some people on VJ have suggested it could be a factor.

1 minute ago, payxibka said:

Processing times expand and contract all the time.  Uscis allocates workload to various Visa types throughout the year.  I think H1b season is upon us.  One year ago i129f were 6 to 8 months.

Yes, I get that there are other extenuating circumstances that could come into play.  I think my questions are more about things endemic to a I-129f petition that could prolong the process.

On 4/20/2019 at 6:24 PM, geowrian said:

Correct - it's 1 or the other.

A lot of people (the OP included) got it wrong. They think the Texas lockbox is the Texas Service Center. People do this almost every day on VJ until they learn the difference. TSC has not processed any I-129Fs in several years, hence why the USCIS processing chart doesn't even show I-129Fs for a K-1 for it.

The only service centers handling I-129Fs for a K-1 are CSC and VSC. All cases go to CSC initially. A very select few are transferred to VSC....usually due to certain additional criminal background checks being needed.

geowrian... you seem to have your finger on the pulse of a lot of this.  Since I can't get a straight answer (or ANY answer for that matter) from people at the uscis, do you think you can opine and cite some common situations/conditions that could add time to the approval process?

For example, I read how prior divorces can extend the process.  Why might prior divorces add (significant?) time to the approval process?  Maybe this is a dumb question but, as part of my package, I sent in my divorce decree (all 1,067 unabridged pages... you'd get a hernia trying to lift it).  Her divorce decree was also included both in her native language and an accompanying English translation.  Her English translation comes complete with a stamp, signature of the translator, the translator's credentials, etc.

So what would the uscis be doing from there?  For my petition, are they reaching out to Ukrainian authorities to validate the legitimacy of Anna's divorce and that takes time?  Are they combing U.S. public records to validate my divorce?  I'm just not getting why prior divorces would add significant time but maybe I'm just completely clueless.  Hence, all my questions.  Thanks in advance for your perspective.

3 hours ago, Letspaintcookies said:

Ok I totally understand that people are more or less annoyed by the way USCIS works and a good laugh can help to ease the stress. But I see more and more topics becoming a platform for ranting and joking instead of serious attempts to answer the OP's questions.

 

Would be nice if we could go back to that. Not everybody is as bitter about this process as others.

I think people's questions are getting answered despite the ranting and joking (of which I am a repeat offender).  This is a community board.  You will have people who aren't bitter... are bitter... rant... don't rant... joke... don't joke.

15 hours ago, geowrian said:

What is this based on...?

Just sarcasm.

3 minutes ago, GaryK said:

I wouldn't get your hopes up on this one.  If you are within 'normal processing time' anything you do is a total waste of energy.  Don't call the 800 number.  Don't try and connect with a Tier 2 officer like many on this website would suggest (I fell for that gag... T2s are absolutely useless).  Also, don't log into your online uscis account.  Not hourly.  Not daily.  Not weekly.  FORGET YOUR STINKING PASSWORD !!!

 

Are you listening?  Can you hear me?  All the above is a TOTAL... WASTE... OF... YOUR... FREAKING... TIME !!!  Save yourself a lot of aggravation.

 

Unfortunately you just have to wait it out.  Hopefully you don't get beyond the normal processing time window without an answer.  If this happens, you can make an online inquiry.  I would also contact your local congressman NOW and have things queued up and ready to go should you need his/her involvement later (i.e. one day after your normal processing time window has passed).  I have a couple of sources that tell me if you are beyond the normal processing time window and your congressman's immigration attorney sends an inquiry on your behalf that usually pushes things along rather quickly.  So I am told.

 

Throughout this entire process, you need to learn one maxim when it comes to the whole immigration process.  The uscis is the fly in the ointment, the proverbial monkey wrench, the king-sized hemorrhoid in your life.  They have zero transparency and every CSR I have spoken with couldn't be more unhelpful or unfriendly.  Well... except for one young guy... not a T2... who actually thanked me for being so polite if you can believe it.  I am not kind to the uscis here on VJ but I understand you catch more flies with honey so I have been calm, civil and pleasant when I have been on the phone with them.  Apparently this young guy has come across some pretty aggressive characters on the phone.  Regrettably he was of no help to me and the T2 he connected me with told me nothing... nathan... nada.  Hence, my advice you don't frustrate yourself by actually calling these guys.

 

Good luck.  I hope you hear something favorable soon.

 

 

Hey Zoeeeeeee... if you're reading this check out SJordanS's VJ timeline.  He was told his case may be adjudicated back in January.

SJordanS... one other maxim... pay no attention to that VJ timeline.  VJ likes to suggest a date range when your case may (operative word) be adjudicated.  May... may... may.  Your case may be adjudicated between <from date> and <to date>.  And there may be roses blooming in the Arctic Circle.  And I may be as entertaining as Tom Cruise singing Old Time Rock 'n' Roll in Risky Business.

The problem is the VJ timeline's success rate may not be bad if you're a major league hitter but stinks otherwise.

On 4/11/2019 at 10:02 PM, SJordanS said:

Hi All,

 

So before I decided to post this, I did a research here on the same topic and found some but they were dated 2017 or earlier. So that we stay current Im posting my question so I can get timelines and answers from people and see what they experienced from the same email for this year 2019. After placing an inquiry online on 4/4 with USCIS after 6 months of waiting for my NOA2,  I got this email today: 

 

Your case is currently being adjudicated. You should receive a notice of action* within 45 days.
 

I just want to get a poll from others and see how long before they got a notice of action (no matter what the decision was) after placing the same inquiry with USCIS.

 

Thanks!

I wouldn't get your hopes up on this one.  If you are within 'normal processing time' anything you do is a total waste of energy.  Don't call the 800 number.  Don't try and connect with a Tier 2 officer like many on this website would suggest (I fell for that gag... T2s are absolutely useless).  Also, don't log into your online uscis account.  Not hourly.  Not daily.  Not weekly.  FORGET YOUR STINKING PASSWORD !!!

Are you listening?  Can you hear me?  All the above is a TOTAL... WASTE... OF... YOUR... FREAKING... TIME !!!  Save yourself a lot of aggravation.

Unfortunately you just have to wait it out.  Hopefully you don't get beyond the normal processing time window without an answer.  If this happens, you can make an online inquiry.  I would also contact your local congressman NOW and have things queued up and ready to go should you need his/her involvement later (i.e. one day after your normal processing time window has passed).  I have a couple of sources that tell me if you are beyond the normal processing time window and your congressman's immigration attorney sends an inquiry on your behalf that usually pushes things along rather quickly.  So I am told.

Throughout this entire process, you need to learn one maxim when it comes to the whole immigration process.  The uscis is the fly in the ointment, the proverbial monkey wrench, the king-sized hemorrhoid in your life.  They have zero transparency and every CSR I have spoken with couldn't be more unhelpful or unfriendly.  Well... except for one young guy... not a T2... who actually thanked me for being so polite if you can believe it.  I am not kind to the uscis here on VJ but I understand you catch more flies with honey so I have been calm, civil and pleasant when I have been on the phone with them.  Apparently this young guy has come across some pretty aggressive characters on the phone.  Regrettably he was of no help to me and the T2 he connected me with told me nothing... nathan... nada.  Hence, my advice you don't frustrate yourself by actually calling these guys.

Good luck.  I hope you hear something favorable soon.

12 minutes ago, MarryMe987654 said:

I am sorry about your experience.

 

In all honesty, I have been reading your posts about your experience calling them and was a little nervous about calling as well but my gut feeling was telling me something's up so despite my fiance's planned contact on a Friday, I called on a Thursday instead and put him in conference with the USCIS so he won't lose his patience and set a not-so-pleasant tone when talking to the agent.

 

But yeah, I guess we got lucky as well.

I am very happy for your positive experience and your NOA2.  Good luck the rest of the way.

P.S. - One of my pleasant (sic) experiences was with a Tier 2 woman who came on the line and was already loaded with an abrupt disposition.  I could tell.  She first gave me the usual drivel.  After that, I was calmly explaining something with my petition and she sighed heavy and abruptly hung up the phone.

56 minutes ago, Zoeeeeeee said:

Well, it’s based on the information that people enter here. I do think I’m lucky - but I also think from seeing other people post that the estimate has been relatively accurate for a good chunk of people - but there are always going to be exceptions and unluckily for you, you were one of them. We were in a similar place with my fiancé’s divorce, which took two years to complete 😫...so I definitely know the never-ending waiting feeling. Maybe your caseworker already has an amazing blender so isn’t feeling incentivised...

 

My advice would always be that there’s a good chance your case will be assessed by the VJ estimate date, but zero guarantee.

For those of you who think the VJ timeline is worth more than a passing glance, wake up and smell the uscis:

1) When it comes to NOA2s, my fiancee's country hasn't had a whole lot of movement over the last several months yet each and every day my VJ timeline dates have been bouncing around like a pinball.  I'm waiting for it to back up before I even filed my petition.  By all accounts part of the I-129f approval process involves 'reach outs' to the beneficiary country for information.  So it appears the beneficiary country is not part of the VJ timeline calculus when my country is like a flatline for NOA2s yet my timeline is constantly changing

2) As Zoeeeeeee points out, the VJ timeline is '...based on the information that people enter here'.  We already see what leaving things up to human intervention does when the California Service Center has an absolutely putrid record of completing the manual process so you see status updates in your uscis online account.  Garbage in, garbage out... an information technology axiom.  I have encountered at least two people who not only got their NOA2 dates wrong but they were off by over a month

3) A significant amount of the people who create a timeline don't ever come back to complete them.  Maybe they lost interest in participating in VJ, maybe they got sidetracked.  This skews the results

4) The VJ population makes up a small percentage of the overall number of petitioners out there.  Indeed, a large majority of the petitioners may not have even heard of VJ much less visited it.  Basing anything on a small percentage of the population is tantamount to calling an election with 2% of the precincts reporting

If your VJ timeline just happened to be correct (or near correct),  it isn't because the timeline is 'accurate for a good chunk of people'.  It's because occasionally it gets it right but the way it got there wasn't based on anything you can take seriously.

2 hours ago, Nora&Jobany said:

Yea~~ Our case as well! We filed in the petition on 6 Jan 2019, and we got our NOA2 on 11 April 2019! That's really nice! 

 

The waiting is just torturing! 😃

 

Tell me about it.  Your wait was a walk in the park compared to many others.  Consider yourself very lucky.

20 minutes ago, Zoeeeeeee said:

Well, it’s based on the information that people enter here. I do think I’m lucky - but I also think from seeing other people post that the estimate has been relatively accurate for a good chunk of people - but there are always going to be exceptions and unluckily for you, you were one of them. We were in a similar place with my fiancé’s divorce, which took two years to complete 😫...so I definitely know the never-ending waiting feeling. Maybe your caseworker already has an amazing blender so isn’t feeling incentivised...

 

My advice would always be that there’s a good chance your case will be assessed by the VJ estimate date, but zero guarantee.

This is strictly anecdotal but of those I have asked and the timelines I have examined the VJ timeline has about 1/3 accuracy.

14 hours ago, Zoeeeeeee said:

I was originally predicted a NOA2 adjudication date of mid-May...the dates kept moving forwards until they ended up on 7th - 14th April...my petition was actually approved on 15th April (and we received the paper copy on 19th April).

 

The VJ estimates are based on people on here updating their timelines - the timeline for other people has sped up, so VJ estimates yours will too. It hopefully will do - though there’s no guarantee because unfortunately, they don’t always seem to be worked in exactly the order they come in - so it depends on the case worker that your petition has been assigned to.

 

In regards to why USCIS have speeded us, who can say? They got more staff/less applications/first to do 20 applications in a day wins a new blender incentive in the office...could be anything. But it’s definitely a positive, so don’t worry!

The VJ timeline is based on pure fertilizer.  There are cases like yours where your actual NOA2 came in around the range.  Consider yourself lucky.  For many others it was way off.

In about a month my VJ timeline will be telling me my I-129f may be adjudicated around my 26th birthday.

2 hours ago, Sarge2155 said:

@redfeather @GaryK Hoping you guys get hooked up this next new week. Keep your spirits up and don't let this ^&%$ control you good things are on the horizon for you both you have to believe that, I do!!!!!!!!

Thanks.  Ain't holdin' my breath.

5 hours ago, MarryMe987654 said:

We had a rather pleasant experience calling USCIS. 

 

Our i129f petition was received on December 18th. On April 18th, we called after lunch and the wait time just about 3-5 mins. When we spoke with Tier 1 (Michelle), we immediately asked to spoke to Tier 2. She provided information and status about our information anyway after verifying our info. She then asked if we still want to be transferred or if she provided what we needs--we asked to be transferred anyway. She was courteous, pleasant and precise. She even told us that we will be asked for the same info to verify our identity again and we're fine with that. 

 

When we got in line to speak to tier 2, it says that the wait time is over 200 minutes. However, we were given a choice to get a call back instead after providing our name and phone number. It also says that we will not be losing our line when we hang up and wait for call back. That was nicr of them to say

 

After 3 hours,  we got a call from Tier 2 Bernard and gave us the good news that we were approved on April 17th. He was really nice and was very happy for us. He also said that they will send out the letter soon. 

 

No text, no email, uscis online are not yet updated. We got antsy and had to call. It was a great call

 

Wohoo!! 

 

'Pleasant experience' and 'uscis' doesn't usually go together.  I suppose miracles do occasionally happen, though.  A broken clock is right twice a day.  Blind squirrel finds a nut every now and then.  I have called 6 or 7 times in the past and they have been hemorrhoids to me each time.  I won't be calling again.  If it is meant to happen, it'll happen.

On 4/19/2019 at 3:19 PM, Letspaintcookies said:

I don't know but I would say that it would use the same resource as the online thing. So if there's no update then you won't get anything else from the answering machine. Only a human can open your file to tell you if there's something different.   

Ask any T2 immigration officer and he/she is going to say they just can't open your case and see things.  It's like for the most part they only see what the frontline CSRs see.  They will tell you only the adjudicator working your case can see the REAL important stuff.

That could be the line they hand people like me who are still within the 'normal processing time' and will talk turkey ONLY if it's past the normal processing time.  However, this has been my experience calling the 800 CSR number.  As of last night, I decided I won't be calling that number anymore and wasting my time.  If, God forbid, I ever were to go past the normal processing time, I'm going straight to my congressman.  I'm already on his radar and his immigration attorney is in the bullpen should her involvement become necessary.

Never again am I going to sit on hold for hours listening to that nauseating flute song only to hear the same fertilizer over and over again.

44 minutes ago, geowrian said:

Correct - it's 1 or the other.

A lot of people (the OP included) got it wrong. They think the Texas lockbox is the Texas Service Center. People do this almost every day on VJ until they learn the difference. TSC has not processed any I-129Fs in several years, hence why the USCIS processing chart doesn't even show I-129Fs for a K-1 for it.

The only service centers handling I-129Fs for a K-1 are CSC and VSC. All cases go to CSC initially. A very select few are transferred to VSC....usually due to certain additional criminal background checks being needed.

Question for you.  So if you start out at the CSC but then end up getting transferred to the VSC it means something came back in the initial background checks and suddenly it's electronic 'body cavity search' time?  Is that correct or did I misunderstand your post?

5 hours ago, Greenbaum said:

I agree there is a much better way and it wouldn't slow the process down.  I think it comes down to money. Anything the government needs to "Build" they pay 3 times as much. JMHO

Gee whiz, I have an idea.  Why don't they fully automate their 800 CSR line (or offshore it to a place like Noida, India), lay off the entire phone staff and use the savings to bring their system up to the 20th century?

1 minute ago, payxibka said:

We have 27 confused people who set there profileup wrong.   I guarantee that all of there case numbers begin with WAC and not TSC

If the uscis CSC is handling the K1, IMHO these people are FOS and Maddy should GWTP.

7 minutes ago, payxibka said:

Every i129f for k1 is processed in California.   Texas doesn't do it.  The confusion is the petition is initially mailed to a location in Texas but it is not the Texas service center 

Tell that to the 27 couples who report getting a NOA2 for a K-1 in March and April through the Texas Service Center.

Either the TSC is handling some of the caseload to relieve the CSC or we have a lot of people who aren't getting it right with their service center.

2 minutes ago, payxibka said:

California?

This person's profile indicates the Texas Service Center.  Just now I plugged in I-129f for Texas and indeed only K3/K4 pops up with a 7-9 month processing window.

I have seen people get their I-129f approvals via Texas recently so Lord knows what's going on here.  I, for one, would be SHOCKED if the stellar uscis website didn't have it right.  The uscis is such a model of efficiency and accuracy. 

21 minutes ago, Bjh said:

Hey people, 

 

I submitted my I-129f in early January, and since then my predicted NOA2 date on the VJ timeline has gotten increasingly earlier (from late May/early June to now late April!).

 

This seems considerably faster than the 5.5-7.5 months listed on the official USCIS website for the I-129f. Can anyone provide insight into why? Also, I've heard an increasingly earlier predicted NOA2 suggests your petition will be approved earlier, is that true?

 

Thanks!

GARY'S TOP 3 FOR THE DAY

1)  The dates in your VJ timeline are not to be believed.  If you want a more accurate estimate, consult with your local swami or tarot card reader

2)  The 5.5 to 7.5 months you see on the website will be drummed into your ears incessantly if you are ever insane enough to call the uscis CSR line

3)  If you're from Boston, are of Irish ancestry and filing a petition for a woman in Ukraine add 9 months to your wait

On 4/19/2019 at 9:31 AM, GaLy said:

Yes, I just called today to discover that the NVC has received our case!!

What a gratifying feeling it must be having the uscis out of it... at least for now.