Chris Future

To all the party-ers:

There are many many many of us, both lagging at VSC and regulars at CSC who are downright cheesed at all the happy jumping around. Thanks for rubbing your good fortune in our faces.

Sorry to burst your bubbles but thats how I FEEL. As do probably many others do, but don't step up and say it.

I won't be back. Thanks for all of your "support"

Did you have any other ideas on what we can do besides just writing letters? i see this forum is sort of a call to action, but no real idea what to do. you can count me in, but i have no ideas myself. if you have one, sign me up!

"It appears that our US government collectively including members of Congress and Senators do not really care about uniting U.S. Citizen Families legally. Based on the posted times, processing for “not yet married Fiancé(e)” moves at a faster pace than I-130 (spouse)! Also, a foreign worker on H1-B visa (also dual intent) can bring his / her spouse immediately where as a US citizen is unable to do so. Why are the K-3 visa processing times never posted and why does K-3 visa processing takes so long? Didn’t Congress pass the LIFE ACT to alleviate family separations caused by the wait for immigrant visas? Why can’t the State department issue K-3 immediately once I-130 initial receipt is issued? Can USCIS provide data on how may US Citizen I-130 spouse petitions are filed annually?"

Good quote - where did you get it..

I agree totally with everyone here - in fact I attempted to start a petitiion in another thread and was ignored. I think if we take our issue with enough signatures and evidence to someone like Lou Dobbs - who does a lot of stories on illegal immigration, or John Stossel, who does a lot of stories on the idiocy of government, then I bet we will get some kind of action. Nothing a government official hates more than being ridiculed in public and being told how poorly they operate.

What do you think?

Also Justin and Masako - you are correct - its been reported elsewhere that it literally takes 15 minutes to review and approve a properly written application, and if you've followed all the rules and given them proper evidence, as most of us here on this site have thanks the to great documentation from the VJ folks, our applications should sail through in 15 minutes. The whole issue is scale. Our apps are sitting in a dusty pile until the small staff gets to them, then they only take 15 minutes. If they had a lot more staff - which you'd think they'd be able to hire what with this huge fee increase, then we'd see much much faster times. Wh dont they hire more staff? They do, but probably apply those people to naturalization and more politically charged and visible in the media applications. If we raise up the awareness of our plight in the MSM, then mayb we'll get more action.

Thanks...Chris

THINKfuture Radio Show - http://thinkfuture.com

I don't know anything about H-1B's. Please elaborate...

Probably - H1-Bs are employment visas, which tend to get processed faster - businesses tend to get better service than citizens from the US Government. Not sure where they are processed, but you can be sure that anything thats in the news on a regular basis gets a lot more attention than we do, such as Bill Gates saying we need more H1-B workers, or anything on illegal immigration. Our fiances are at the bottom of the priority list, seems to me.

*** DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS E-MAIL ***

The last processing action taken on your case

Receipt Number: ***

Application Type: I129F , PETITION FOR FIANCE(E)

Current Status: Approval notice sent.

On March 11, 2008, we mailed you a notice that we have approved this I129F PETITION FOR FIANCE(E). Please follow any instructions on the notice. If you move before you receive the notice, call customer service.

If you have questions or concerns about your application or the case status results listed above, or if you have not received a decision from USCIS within the current processing time listed*, please contact USCIS Customer Service at (800) 375-5283.

*Current processing times can be found on the USCIS website at www.uscis.gov under Case Status and Processing Dates.

*** Please do not respond to this e-mail message.

Sincerely,

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)

Now I know I have been complaining a lot about how slow the CSC is, and really this is a shock. I am so shocked because I expected it in June. Maybe they are starting to pick up the pace. Keep your heads up CSC filers!!

THERE IS HOPE!

Great News!!!! CONGRATULATIONS

Just taking the pulse of the CSC community here.

No matter how you look at the system employed by the USCIS its flawed in every way. Starting form unacceptable wait times, that drive families apart. Followed by impossible to see the person with the no Visitors visa after you've submited I-130/I-129. And the best is that if were to do it the "other" way and not the acceptable way we'd already be together and not have to suffer through this bureaucratic bull ####. Think about it, yes we can just wait, and hope that we might get lucky and get our paperwork done faster, but what if you are one of few that can take years to approve? We can sit and wait or we can do something.

P.S. Oh and I forgot useless customer support you get when calling to check on your status.

I agree totally. The system is totally flawed from beginning to end. Once you submit you have no idea what happens. Its dropped into a big black hole and you hear nothing. And while we sit and wait and wait - thousands of illegal aliens cross the border, can live with and be with their loved ones, and will probably be simply handed citizenship on a silver platter by President Clobama while we LEGAL immigrants continue to suffer. It almost feels like illegal immigration is encouraged sometimes. We legal immigrants should be treated better, but many times it feels like we are treated worse.

I tried to get people to do something Ilya, but it seems that people are more interested in talking about the problem than actually doing anything about it. Americans USED to be a culture of action, and now we are a culture of grumbling. Welcome to the USA, whenever it happens. I wish you a speedy journey.

Congratulations. Great news!

BTW: does anyone know how the VJ timeline estimators work? Does the estimator use the service center rate as the basis for the estimate, or the overall rate?

I think someone should just impose a 6 month negative option deadline on our visa as well: if they are not processed from beginning to end within 6 months, the visa is automatically issued. Why not? Like that ruling, we can catch offenders during the naturalization process. If its good enough for GCs it shoudl be good enough for us, don't you think?

Well the someone to impose the rule you're talking about would be the President, and he's already mandated that all visa applications be screened for teh t3rrz0rzets. Also, USCIS doesn't control visa issuance, just the initial petition approval. So what you're really saying (I think) is that after 6 months the petition should just be auto-forwarded as approved to NVC.

Actually, more than that. If you don't get the visa itself in 6 months to the day you get your NOA1, the visa is automatically issued. No forwarding, no interviews, no nothing. You show up at the POE, they look you up, see that you are legal, stamp your I-94 and bam you are in. Can you imagine if they did that? I think all of the processing would be a hell of a lot faster then.

I'm not sure where one would draw the line for when a visa 'must' be issued. A visa to admit someone to the United States is not the same thing as granting permanent residency or citizenship to someone who is already here. If it were, Homeland Security would never have been created. The focus of our nation now for admission to the US is security clearance of immigrants. You have spoken in other posts of seeking publicity to raise the hue and cry amongst the general public regarding the service. You would never convince that public that speeding up the process and admitting citizens who have not been interviewed by a consulate and produced a police certificate as to their background, that those immigrants should automatically be admitted. And well such admissions should not occur.

I'm not asking for a lack of those checking on those admitted - its should be more thorough as it is admittance of a foreign national to the US. However, the timeline should be sacrosanct, just like the 180 days you were talking about. 6 months tops, and staff fully for that. I asked for 30 days in another thread. Its all a question of staffing, since the process takes around 15 minutes each, its just the volume which takes the time. Therefore, lets keep the process going as is, just staff it up.

Even just making the process more open and transparent would help a lot. If I knew where in the queue I was and when I can expect anything to happen, then that would help. Right now its just an intractable black hole.

Why not some action? Journalists love stories like this. Pick a military couple as an example, show how govt delays are keeping that family apart - show it on national television - ask the presidential candidates - what would YOU do about the horrendous delays -etc etc. Seems to me like it would be a somewhat compelling underreported issue.

BTW, are there any lobbies which specialize in this stuff? Politicians seem to listen to them more than use regular peeps. Does AILA do anything?

Thanks...Chris

On the original topic, there are probably only two solutions to the inbalance between the centres and neither are very likely. Either A. They re balance the states to whom the Centers serve (which is a really bad thing in the short run, ie. lots of petitions were messed up/lost last summer do to last shift) or B. They quietly remove the CSC director and place him somewhere else whilst taking one of the VSC managers and placing him in CSC to retool their system)

Neither are likely to happen.

Hey Lancer: Agreed. I don't think the centers are even tracked on their # of visa issuance in relation to each other. They are probably tracked at a higher level which just shows the overall average reducing due to the efforts of the VSC. So the I-129F backlog looks like its moving, but that only due to the VSC whipping them out in 1/5 the time the CSC does. So Sec. Gonzalez sees the reports looking brighter and brighter.

I still wonder why the CSC is where it is. Usually the offices are out in the middle of the country somewhere in a jobs depressed area - part of the government job creation program - maybe that area of LA is economically depressed and that why they dropped it there.

Of course if the VSC gets too fast and really rips through its backlog, they may decide to ship some of our cases to them. Not sure if thats good or bad - every time something is moved there are chances for loss.

- - - - >

Today's Official "Sulu Countdown" VSC: 17 CSC: 6 (Ratio: 2.83:1)

- - - - >

The namecheck issue catches many petitioners for adjustment of status also. This is what happened to my husband and why his card was delayed for 17 months. There is an entire thread in the AOS forum which addresses this issue. There are VJ members who have been waiting three, four and five years just for the greencard. Last month, USCIS issued a change in policy wherein beginning this month, they will no longer hold a greencard petitioner hostage for more than 6 months due to namecheck. The card will be issued, but lifting of conditions and indeed, naturalization may still be delayed until the namecheck is complete.

I should also add that sometime when Colin Powell was still around, he spoke to USCIS and stated the goal of the administration should be six months for family reunification. At the time that was considered a 'mandate' of sorts - it still remains a goal.

Yes, name check is a huge issue. The whole system is just so riddled with inconsistencies, favoritism, black holes, file losses, its not funny. I read about the 6 month issue. Thats was a good move. I think someone should just impose a 6 month negative option deadline on our visa as well: if they are not processed from beginning to end within 6 months, the visa is automatically issued. Why not? Like that ruling, we can catch offenders during the naturalization process. If its good enough for GCs it shoudl be good enough for us, don't you think?

Chris - On another thread you talked about your frustrations with the whole immigration process, and your history in dealing with this subject. I'd be interested in knowing how you've dealt with the frustrations in the past- any strategies you might have could help me and perhaps others?

Sure. The only thing that got me through all of my other hassles was to stop thinking about it all together. I would set an alert in my organizer to check in on the progress if one date or another had passed, and I would pester my company or follow up with the USCIS then. The best solution is to ignore it - fill your life with other things. In fact, even checking sites like this was counterproductive. The timeline estimators set false expectations, everything takes twice as long as you want it to, and nothing moves quickly. So I'm kinda breaking my own rules by getting into this site deeply, but I was hoping that I might be able to muster some support for doing something. I hate feeling powerless against these government bureaucracies - they exist to serve us, not the other way around and everyone seems to forget that.

So here is what I was thinking of doing: pulling together a petition and sending it to Lou Dobbs, John Stossel, and the head of the USCIS, Emilio Gonzalez, talking about the disparity, the long waits due to the flooding, and the ineptitude of the government via a vis legal immigration. How many US citizens here would sign this?

There is nothing wrong with venting frustration but I don't see why you have to bash others at the same time. Susan made assertions and assumptions of her own - dbears is not living the perfect VSC life - she has not been approved yet - and to suggest to any of us that we are wrong to not want to be with our other halves immediately is very hurtful.

If you agree that bashing others is not good, then why do you did you do it? And I don't think she was bashing her specifically, it was venting frustration that others will get speedy approvals and will be able to take their time and be all leisurely about coming to the US, when others of us are desperate to be together.

The other thing we hear is about all these people getting their approvals so fast that they aren't prepared to move. To those people I say - I'll trade places with you any day.

What it like living in you country and what will you miss most:

Lets see:

- the cost of living was so high that we needed two paychecks to survive

- the socialized health care was "free" but cost a tons in taxes, both personal and sales

- the weather was hot and humid in the summer and tons of snow and horrible storms in the winter

- the only things I miss are the rest of my family and some of the foods I can't get here, and some of the Greek culture I used to enjoy in the Greektown in Toronto

We will all miss something about where we came from, but unless you embrace the good things about the US you wont be happy. No socialized medicine, but health care quality is better etc... I know two kinds of immigrants, those who move and embrace the culture and people of the country they move to, and those who spend every day pining for their homeland - trust me the latter are never happy. When you move, its not just to be with your love, its also to embrace the country and culture that they live in, otherwise you will never be totally happy.

Again guys, you're mixed up on what gets processed where and why.

I129Fs are processed in CA and VT (Service Center). As you already know.

I485's (greencard or AOS) are processed in your local (District Office).

I751's (lifting conditions) are processed in all four of the Service Centers (CA,TX, VT, NB). They are considered low priority.

N400's (naturalization) are also processed at the local offices.

Naturalization applications are not 'in line' with your fiance petitions at all.

For your information, the president long ago mandated these petitions to take top priority over all other types. There is also a codified time limit within the INA (180 days) wherein the petitioner must receive an answer.

Filing for citizenship is the highest request an immigrant can ask of this Nation. The government considers itself to be honored to receive this request.

It doesnt matter which center processes what - at the high level decisions are made as to which centers are staffed based on priority. If they want to process more N-400s, then they add more staff to the local offices, not CSC. Therefore this influx is affecting us indirectly by sending more resources away from processing our petitions.

So you are saying that citizenship requests do take priority over citizens request to reunite with family?

Why? Do you expect me to tell you all our personal reasons why we have to leave by August and not earlier? Do you honestly believe that we would intentionally wait till august without a valid reason? I would give my arms and legs to be with him again even for just one day.. how much more a lifetime?! It's not all "bask" and "stuff" dear, we have deeper and more serious reasons which you are not entitled to know.

And if you think your negative and hateful comment can turn me into a negative person like you. I'm sorry to disappoint you, I have been through a lot in my life already and the only reason I am still surviving is because I chose to stay positive and not let my trials get me down, and you definitely won't be a reason for me to start loving misery now.

Being negative won't help anybody, that will only foster frustration more, and I believe Blake wanted to help other's combat those frustrations in a positive way by positive interaction with others on the same boat. And if having a positive outlook is really hard for you, pls do give blakes thread the respect it deserves because so far, Blake and other wonderful people in this thread have managed to keep it as positive as possible, in case you haven't noticed.

Goood luck on your journey.

dbears, I like you a little bit more with every post you make!

You are completely right, and I am in a similar situation - if I were approved tomorrow, I'd also be delaying my entry into the US until late August/September. For me this is because both Alex and I need to save up as much money as possible, and because we have given late October as a tentative wedding date to our friends and family. That does not, however, mean that I don't miss Alex terribly and it's a little insulting to have it insinuated that I don't love Alex as much as I could just because I am trying to be practical about the whole visa situation.

I am glad that you are not allowing yourself to be beaten down by anyone; I really appreciate your positive outlook on this forum and you've been a tremendous help to so many of us. I have no doubt that you're an amazing mother to your children.

Wow - you guys are pretty amazing. Susan tells you how she feels and not only do you slam her, you pat each other on the back for slamming her. We have tons of reasons to want to be together as soon as possible, and its inconceivable to us that anyone would want to delay their entry into the US. Of course everyone has reasons for this and that, but she never asked you to reveal anything - if anything your response was negative and hateful - you dont know her at all so making those kinds of assertions is just that. If you read the post you will see its railing against frustrations we all feel as others who submit at the same time as us or even after us get approved simply due to the luck of the draw.

I love the way most people in face to face support groups are allowed to vent their frustrations, but in online support groups are required to keep everything light and positive. Thats just not reality, sisters.

And then you guys start sharing pictures, like wow - we agreed with each other on slamming someone and now we are buddy buddy? You remind me of the soccer moms at a gymnastics class I used to take my kids to, where the they got together to talk about how their husbands were idiots and how work was overrated, comparing pedicures etc.

The post title is "How are you doing" Susan told you how she was doing and she got slammed. Nice.

I thought Obama was pro Chinese Wall/mass deportation? McCain is pro amnesty.

According to his website he is pro-amnesty too, but in a weird way. He says anyone here illegally should not be allowed to work, but pay a fine and be allowed to stay in the country and go to the end of the line for citizenship. Considering how long its takes to get citizenship, have no idea what he thinks all these people will do while they are waiting. Get on welfare?

He does mention fixing the dysfunctional system and united families, but his only action on that front is to say no to the new points system for visas, which only affect non-spouse/child cases, so not us.

Clinton wants the above plus to allow non-citizens to bring in their spouses. Now those petitions take even more time than ours. She wants them to take the same amount of time, which will probably burden our system even more.

McCain's site says nothing on family visas.

We are unlucky enough to have two events shape our schedules - the backlog of new filings from the fee increase, which they state will carry on to 2010, and the fact that there is an election this November. I predict that we wont see an acceleration of our visas until after November. What do you think?

I think the situation will remain as-is for at least 2 more years. That's how long it's going to take President Obama to get someone in there who can do the job, and for that person to actually affect change.

Actually, you are probably more right with the two year prediction. Oh yes and BTW, President Obama will probably also sign an amnesty bill before then, legalizing those in the country who entered the country illegally to be with their loved ones, while those of us still waiting for CSC approval pull out the rest of our hair.

As I said in an earlier thread, I believe that a lot of the delay is politically driven. The director of the USCIS has pledged to process N-400 apps faster in order to allow these new naturalized citizens to vote in this years elections. This is a sizable political bloc, and usually votes Democrat, so therefore there is immense pressure from Democrat lawmakers to prioritize these applications. I'll bet you a donut that most of these apps go through CSC as opposed to VSC, I know mine did.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dw...n2.37430c0.html

We are unlucky enough to have two events shape our schedules - the backlog of new filings from the fee increase, which they state will carry on to 2010, and the fact that there is an election this November. I predict that we wont see an acceleration of our visas until after November. What do you think?

In case anyone is keeping track - or cares - the daily ratio of VSC to CSC approvals is 4:1

I sound like Sulu in Corbomite Maneuver counting down until Balok's ship blows them out of existence.

Wish I could bluff the CSC into speeding us all up.

Would be great if it happened. Do you think that the group that oversees both centers really cares, or are they just happy that the overall averages, once you factor in the speedy VSC filings, are coming down...

Realistically, I pretty much think they could care less - that's the root of the problem after all isn't it. But I still hope someone might be embarassed at some point. In my dreams I see some political appointee being upbraided and laughed at during the annual service center Christmas party. Then I wake up an remember that like every rollercoaster I've ever been on, this too will end. I gotta stay positive, or else I'll drive myself and the woman I love nuts. You've been though a lot with immigration already, I understand why you're frustrated. Love the songs, by the way.

Thanks. Its amazing actually how many love songs about people being far apart there are. You know when I heard about how many long distance relationships there were I was surprised. There are tons of people in love separated by distance. According to this site, over 7 million couples, and I'm assuming that just Americans.

http://www.carolinetiger.com/books/ldr_stats.htm

We were lucky. Our visa process didn't take long. But immigration has messed with us in other ways. We all do have an immigration journey to continue once we are reunited, you know. Maybe the rest of your journey will be smoother than this part.

Yes, you were lucky. We are facing a process possibly 3 times longer than yours was. All due to the governments inability to properly staff up to do the work in a timely manner.

I'm no stranger to the immigration process. I arrived in the US in 1998 with a TN Visa since I had missed the cutoff for H1-Bs that year. Once the H1-B process opened up again, my company at the time applied for it. After I got my H1, I asked them to apply for a Green Card for me. They eventually did, but kept putting it of for cost reasons. About 6 months before I got my Green Card they were about to downsize my position but I was able to convince them to keep me on. 3.5 years into getting my Green Card, I filed for divorce from my ex-wife. A year later a re-met my fiance online. I had to get my citizenship, wait for my divorce to complete, then finally file the K1. I've had my fill of immigration already, and I know there a lot more with AOSs etc etc etc.

And every day, illegal immigrants cross the borders and are able to be with their loved ones. And many of them them get no repercussions, and amnesty bills in Congress. Those of us who follow all the rules are kept apart longer and longer by arbitrary rules and mismanagement, and get only the slightest mention in legislation.

I looked over at the "jackpot" thread. I'm glad that everyone is happy over there and giving each other high fives. Good for them. BTW, BlakeandOlha your point from the other thread ...

"Besides, if the VSC makes the CSC look truely slow and incompetent, perhaps they'll effect the changes necessary to bring the two services in line with each other."

Would be great if it happened. Do you think that the group that oversees both centers really cares, or are they just happy that the overall averages, once you factor in the speedy VSC filings, are coming down...

I suggest it was more of a ponzi scheme.

LOL! Yeah, pretty sure StP emptied out the bank and skipped town before any of us could catch on.

Stp? Must be before my time......

Chris -

You say you don't just want to hear positive things and you want honesty.

You want to hear a really true honest thing? From someone who has been there?

Someday - when you and Susan are reunited - this wait will all be a memory. Really and truly it will. I've been married to my husband for 2.5 years now.

Sometimes, when we are reminiscing, we talk about our separations. They are almost sweet things now. A testament to us, I guess. That we made it.

Trust me. It's true.

Amen, I second that!

Maybe we are just feeling it more acutely. We feel like we've been apart for 25 years. Every moment we are still apart is painful.

Most of you can say that once you are together, you will have been together longer than you were apart during this process. We feel like we've been apart forever, and this is just adding to that.

Time is more precious to us than anything, and we both feel that this process is stealing it from us, and we can never make that time back.

It's stealing this time from ALL of us and there just seems to be no consideration for that.

Maybe in 25 years I'll be just barely OK with it.

Heres another song...When You're Gone, Avril Lavigne - another great Canadian singer...

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otMB3WVQNVg

Lyrics: http://music.yahoo.com/Avril-Lavigne/When-...lyrics/42490262

Thanks...Chris

I think the Vermont filers have every right to be excited about their approvals! They are not being disrespectful or uncaring and I certainly think they sympathize with the CSC filers. Turning it into a "jackpot" is just a game... a way for them to pass the time just like you are. It's not a go at the CSC filers.

You don't know their personal stories or the struggles they may have had to endure to get to even this point. They should be excited! For all the same reasons you will be when it's your turn. Do you know that their are consulates who will put you in administrative processing and keep loving couples apart for years even after approval??? Did you know that their are parents who have never even seen or touched their child??? None of this is easy... for any of us. It is what it is. Historically VSC has always been the fastest office.

I understand this is frustrating. We all do. But what you're doing with comments like that IS causing divide. All of this is hard enough.

Put that energy you have into something productive and positive...like contacting people...anyone who will listen.

Sorry, but I'm tired of people who always want to hear the positive side of things. I prefer to be more realistic and open, understanding that there are two sides. If you only want to hear sweetness and light from me and then I can shut up and not post anything until sometime later this year when our approval appears out of the abyss. I'm happy to do just that and save the ranting for my radio show.

As I said at the beginning of this thread, its a discussion of the frustration I have of the disparity between VSC and CSC, and a general rant about the idiocy of the whole process and about how long it takes. I'm sure that there are many of you out there feeling the frustration and depression of seeing all these cases whip by while we sit and sit and sit with no action, peering into an inscrutable black hole just hoping that someday we will see some light at the end of this tunnel. I understand that there are probably a lot of people out there who agree with me and this thread but may be afraid to post lest they be branded troublemakers and kicked off.

If you guys don't want to read/hear about my frustrations, then fine, I'll stop posting and find another venue. In any support group I've been in, you get both the good and the bad, and you get negativity and frustration as well and positivity and sunlight. For some reason, online groups seem to prefer the latter. I prefer a balance.

Anyways, never mind. This thread can end now if you like.

Let me leave you with one thing.

I just found a song by Simple Plan which encapsulates how Susan and I we feel about each other and this wait and I thought I'd share it with you:

Its called I Can Wait Forever

Listen here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=p94_b0dCCEI

Lyrics: http://music.yahoo.com/Simple-Plan/I-Can-W...lyrics/57125211

Thanks...Chris

I'm also not trying to create a divide - the VSCers are doing that on their own by announcing their wonderful "jackpots" - I think everyone on the CSC list heart sinks when we see those. On the one hand, I'm happy for them but on the other hand they might be a bit more sensitive to the rest of us as well. We are all here to support each other, at least thats what I thought these boards were for.

If you find yourself getting down by reading other people's approvals, and/or if you start to think that people announcing their approvals is insensitive, it's time to stay away from the "case filings and reports" section for awhile. I'm not trying to be snarky or mean by saying that. There were days when I couldn't be in that forum, it was just too depressing to see how many VSC approvals were screaming by, while CSC went for weeks with only a couple. The "case filings and reports" sub-forum was created exactly for that reason. To give people who are having a hard time dealing with the disparity an opportunity to stay away from it, and still be able to participate in VJ.

Of course you are right. Like I like to tell my kids when one teases the other - you are both wrong - one for teasing and the other for not having a thicker skin. I can choose not to view their expressions of unadulterated glee at begin winners of a jackpot, thus implicitly labeling the rest of us losers, and they can choose to be more selective in their terminology.