TracyTN

Your situation is easy - you tell the truth - always. Do not lie on any document you submit. If you're concerned about the effect it will have on your mother's situation then don't apply for a visa. It's really that simple. If you lie and you're caught then you could be banned from ever coming to the US. If you're caught after you immigrate then they could revoke your immigration status, even if you've become a US citizen. The potential consequences of any lie will hang over your head for the rest of your life. Just don't do it.
As far as your mother's situation, we need more details. Did this agency intentionally lead her to believe she would be working at a specific job after she came to the US, and then switched jobs on her after she arrived? It sounds like you're saying that she arrived and then they told her she'd basically be working just to pay off the agency that brought her here. If that's the case then that may indeed qualify as human trafficking. Give us as much detail about this as you can.

I'm not sure how I can be more clear. Never did I say background checks were taking 30-45 days, nor did I say USCIS is without fault. I think they're doing their best with what they have.
We all have our own opinions about it - I was just presenting mine. If you'd rather think they are doing this to be evil, or that they are, on the whole, ####### - that's your right, but I won't agree with you.

I thought you would have learned this by now - simply by reading around a bit.
The thousands of applications - of various types - received by USCIS daily all go through the same process. They are first put through an 'intake' where a clerk checks that the necessary basics are in place (forms are signed, correct fee is included, etc.)
Once the application makes it to the top of a very hefty pile, and on to an adjudicator's desk - then the processing actually begins. You're right in that the background checks themselves are likely pretty fast.
It may be hard for you to believe, but adjudicators do not sit at their desks all day trying to figure out a way to screw up your life. You might want to have a read of this - from a former USCIS adjudicator. A salient quote from it: "But by in large, it's a monumental task to process the volume of stuff that would come through on a daily basis." http://www.visajourn...dicator-q-and-a
People complain when the fees go up. They go up because they're trying to get the staff in place that is needed to speed up the very process you're complaining about. USCIS is self sustaining, meaning their ONLY funding is from fees. They get no taxpayer funds to do what they do.
I'm not suggesting the process is perfect, but I think you're being a tad unreasonable given the sheer number of applications they must process. You're letting your frustration with your personal wait interfere with logic and reason. I know that is hard to do when separated from your loved one - I've been there, too -- but the one thing I have gained from all of this is patience and an understanding of - and respect for - the process itself.
*edited for typo*

I'm sorry, but it sounds callous to say 'I'm on my third one.' These are humans with feelings - at least have the courtesy to call them wives.

Fair enough, then I suppose my criticism is better directed at USCIS. Calling this "immigration fraud" is akin to calling a non-attorney who gives legal advice to a client seeking a divorce "marriage fraud", or an unlicensed contractor who performs repairs or construction "real estate fraud". The term "immigration fraud" has a widely accepted meaning that's completely different from the one they used.
Again, fair enough, but this could be interpreted at being aimed at virtually anyone who has ever answered a question on VJ.

I'm sorry, but it sounds callous to say 'I'm on my third one.' These are humans with feelings - at least have the courtesy to call them wives.

I'm sorry, but it sounds callous to say 'I'm on my third one.' These are humans with feelings - at least have the courtesy to call them wives.

I don't know - there's no other regional forum where the native members flip out when someone with the wrong flag posts something. That seems whiny/####### retentive to me.

I'm sorry, but it sounds callous to say 'I'm on my third one.' These are humans with feelings - at least have the courtesy to call them wives.

It does not seem to work too well them moving here, have you thought of moving?

Cared enough to respond. It's okay - we know how much you "don't care."

IF that is actually how you feel, then maybe you should express it rather than the usual misogyny. Seems quite convenient that you suddenly respect western women since being accused of misogyny publicly.
So I guess first marriages to a western woman don't count in your statistics? Don't post unsubstantiated bullsh!t like that, it only furthers your foolish image.
Misogynist comments are OK as long as they are only about a western ex-wife. Got it Brad.

You misunderstand the purpose of the K3. A K3 was the approximate equivalent of a K1, but for people who are already married. The K3 visa holder could come to the US and wait with their spouse while their green card application was being processed. Spousals visas like CR1's used to take a LOT longer to process than K1's, which was unfair to people who were already married, so the K3 was created to address that. Since CR1's (and IR1's) now take only a little longer than a K1, there's no real need for the K3 anymore. You can still apply for a K3 by sending an I-129F after the I-130, but since both will be approved and sent to NVC at the same time the I-129F will be closed, and only the I-130 sent to the consulate.
Your fiancee doesn't need a visa to visit the US, even if there is a K1 visa petition pending. She can use the VWP to visit for up to 90 days, as long as she can first get approved through ESTA, and then convince a CBP officer at a port of entry that she won't overstay or attempt to immigrate while she's here. It's not 'forbidden' to visit while a K1 petition is pending approval. It's just a little more difficult to persuade CBP that she won't use the non-immigrant entry to sidestep the immigration process.
For a CR1, after the I-130 petition is approved, then the fees are paid and the I-864 is sent to the NVC. They'll schedule an interview appointment with your wife at the consulate in her country. If she passed the interview then they'll put a visa in her passport. After she enters the US she'll get her green card within a few weeks. The I-751 is filed about two years later to convert the 2 year conditional green card into a 10 year unconditional green card.
Read the VJ guides (like at the top of every page) for details about the process for each type of visa.

Russia hasn't been a communist dictatorship for about 20 years. Corrupt? Yes. Bureaucratic and inept? No doubt. But not a communist dictatorship. I know about communist dictatorships - my wife immigrated from one.
It's impossible to manage a system as large as US immigration without a massive amount of bureaucracy. It's just not possible. The US is the biggest immigrant destination in the world - by a wide margin. The system is bad, and in many cases it's not fair, but I'm actually rather impressed with how well it works compared to other bureaucracies within the US government. Try getting SSDI or veterans disability benefits. The immigration process seems like a cakewalk by comparison.
If you've lived in the US for any length of time then you should be used to the US government crawling up your tailpipe with a microscope anytime you ask them for something. I was in the military, and that experience teaches you two important lessons. First, you are powerless against the US government. You can fight them if you've been treated unfairly, but it's ultimately going to be the US government (via the Department of Justice) that determines if you've been wronged. Second, if you play the game by their rules and jump through the hoops they ask you to jump through then you'll usually get what you want, and it will be relatively painless. If you insist on being a rebel and a non-conformist then you can expect your life to be extraordinarily difficult. Bureaucracies are machines, and machines don't deal well with parts that don't fit. That machine can give you what you want, but you need to fit just like all the other parts.
There were some comments I was going to make in response to your first post, but I resisted. You have a sense of entitlement. You believe you have a claim to rights you don't actually have. You live in a country with more than 300 million other people. Collectively, we have a system of government whereby we elect people to make laws for us, and then we all live by those laws. If you disagree with some of those laws then you can try to convince a substantial portion of those 300 million people to side with you, and then pressure our government to change things. We elected them. They are us, and we are them. Or, you can be a loner and choose to single-handedly buck the system. You'll be miserable, and you won't change anything.
The only alternative is to buy an island and make your own rules.

As long as we're venting (in a nice but sarcastic way)...
If it were actually "two law abiding, tax paying citizens" then you wouldn't be involved in this process. US citizens don't need to immigrate. What you really meant was one citizen and one foreigner living in a foreign country.
Illegal aliens can't vote. Even if the "immigration reform" (aka "amnesty") advocates have their way, those illegal aliens will initially get green cards. They still won't be able to vote until they become citizens, which would be five years minimum. If they do pass an amnesty (which I hope they don't) then I would personally like to see it come with a provision that the newly legalized immigrants cannot ever become US citizens, or if they are allowed to become citizens that they are forever barred from submitting an immigrant visa petition for anyone. Rewarding them for breaking the law is bad enough, but eventually allowing them to drag their entire families here legally would be extremely offensive to everyone who immigrated here legally.
Do you have equal indignation for the thousands of foreigners who defraud US citizens in order to come to the US and get a green card, often ruining the US citizen's life in the process? If you understand how widespread the problem is, then you'll understand why the US government makes it so difficult, especially for foreigners in high fraud countries.

Rob -
No, do not forfeit your wife's LPR status for the G-4! Firstly, you cannot convert her status from LPR to G-4 via change of status or other. You would have to either affirmatively relinquish your LPR status or you would need to have it revoked via an IJ (immigration judge). Your wife would then have to leave the country in order to re-enter with a G4. I am quite puzzled as to why you would be exploring this option in the first place, especially since she has work authorization under her current LPR card. Furthermore, she would be eligible for her citizenship after 3 yrs of marriage to a USC, which would seem right around the corner (notwithstanding any criminal issues or inability to prove good moral character). I have actually been practicing immigration for a while now and have never heard of an LPR exploring this option. On a final note, when a G4 (or any beneficiary on G status) wants to adjust status, there is an additional form that must be filed with USCIS which would be an additional headache. You would have to file the whole I-130/485 packet all over again, incurring more costs for you. I hope that this helps.

By the same token, do American men lose their union card when they become physically fit and lose the beer gut and moobs? Something I will need to ponder........

An expiring visa does not meet the criteria for expedite.
USCIS expedite criteria:
Severe financial loss to company or individual
Extreme emergent situation
Humanitarian situation
Nonprofit status of requesting organization in furtherance of the cultural and social interests of the United States
Department of Defense or National Interest Situation (Note: Request must come from official United States Government entity and state that delay will be detrimental to our Government)
USCIS error
Compelling interest of USCIS

I don't have an opinion one way or the other about getting rid of the regional sub-forums, as I don't see the forums themselves as the underlying issue. Bad behavior is the underlying issue. In the cases I have seen, it is literally 3-4 members who cause 98% of the problems. You get rid of those behaviors, and suddenly the problems begin to take care of themselves.
And moderation team, please don't take this as criticism because I know you all work hard and on a volunteer basis. But the pattern I see is this: handful of members create a situation (attacking other members, racist remarks, whatever). They are warned, posts are removed, maybe even some suspensions are handed out in the worst case. And maybe a week goes by where it's not so bad, but eventually the cycle repeats itself. It is as if the collective memory of the site gets reset about once a week.
Over the last few months there is at least one member I can think of who has been suspended 3 times, and possibly even more, I'm not sure. At some point, does a member ever become disruptive enough to just be asked to leave? Because right now, there seems to be no incentive for disruptive members to stop bad behavior. If you never have to face actually being asked to leave, then you have no incentive to stop your bad behavior. IMHO anyway.
As I see it, this is not an organizational problem, and has nothing to do with whether we have regional forums or not. It has to do with members being accountable for their behavior. Fix that and the problem fixes itself.

I'm not sure how you got all that out of what I said, but hey - whatever floats ya!

I'm not sure how you got all that out of what I said, but hey - whatever floats ya!

Congrats! There's a baby thread here in OT with lots of mommies/expecting mommies, as well as a 'British Bun In The Oven' thread in the UK forum. There are currently 3 of us new moms in the BBITO thread. Check either/both of them out.

So thread titles alone made you go on this rant, but OTHER people should relax?
Just making sure I'm following along...

So thread titles alone made you go on this rant, but OTHER people should relax?
Just making sure I'm following along...

So thread titles alone made you go on this rant, but OTHER people should relax?
Just making sure I'm following along...