kalstravels

Back in January 2008 when our case was still at the TSC, I placed a service request via the phone. At that time, our case had not been transferred and we were outside the TSC window.

Well, guess what? I heard back today. My hearft froze, thinking we had been approved. But alas, just a standard reply.

Here is the e-mail sent at 14:22 today from CRIS:

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Vermont Service Center

75 Lower Welden Street

St. Albans, VT

05479-0001

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

Monday, March 31, 2008

Dear XXXm

Our review indicates that this case is actually within our current

processing time. We are currently processing I-751 cases filed on 2/2/2007.

We regret any misunderstanding. If you do not receive a decision or

notice of other action within our current processing time, check our

website for an update or call customer service at the number provided

below.

If you have any further questions, please call the National Customer

Service Center at 1-800-375-5283.

Please remember: By law, every person who is not a U.S. citizen and

who is over the age of 14 must also notify the Department of Homeland

Security within 10 days from when they move (persons in "A" or "G"

nonimmigrant status are exempt from this requirement). If you have moved,

please complete a Form AR-11 and mail it to the address shown on that form.

If you do not have this form, you can download it from our website or

you can call the National Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5283

and we can order one for you. If you move, please call us with your new

address information as soon as your move is complete. If you have

already called us and given us this information, you do not need to call

again.

Maybe its a function of when the FBI returns a background check based on the "quality" of fingerprints submitted. Maybe there are different threshholds for the quality...those that can be instantly run through their tests, those that have to be improved for quality digitally - I'm no expert on this, but its a theory...I've seen other threads where people had to go take their fingerpirnts again...

Congratulations! We see movement....

Yup, some dates also gone backwards. Saw a thread on another post about somebody that filed in Nov. 2006 at the TSC only being called now for an interview. Hope this doesn't happen to any of us now that we are at the VSC, pending "standard processing". My guess is as good as anybody's how long this will take. No consistency. Would have just as good luck in the lotto...

Okay, so the date now for the VSC is Feb. 2, 2007 on I-751 applications.

The most logical explanation is that they had to go backward on that date because of the TSC to VSC transfers. At least they are owning up to that fact. So A_C, the first of the transferees cannot complain becuase A_C (and the rest of us) are officially within the processing timeframe.

The flip side is that it does not seem that they are inclined to really speed up our processing; we are not an exception. We have been lumped within the standard processing timeframe. The upside is that they acknowledge us transferees and they are working on our applications and do consider them valid VSC cases hence the backtracking to Feb 1, 2007 from March 1 , 2007.

Good Luck to all!

No news out of the USCIS with regards to case processing times at service centers. What is so hard? I mean, its March 27 and they have yet to post dates from March 15th. I think they are too embarrassed and afraid of more bad press after the NY times article. The dates anyway are a lie. But the more lies they tell us, the more accurate a picture we can get (piecing a pattern of lies to get some sort of truth)

I'm checking every hour now that their has been some movement for TSC filers at the VSC.

I'm still trying to find some rationale as to how they USCIS distributes the caseloads among adjudicators - nothing we've seen so far makes any sense. Its all very random - like a lottery....

I'm approved finally got the email today (copied it below). I was transferred to VSC and like a lot of you guys I thought this process would never end.

Now I have to fork over $675 to start the citizenship wait.

The last processing action taken on your case

Receipt Number: SRC07xxxxxxxx

Application Type: CRI89 , PETITION TO REMOVE CONDITIONS OF PERMANENT

RESIDENT STATUS RECEIVED

Current Status: Card production ordered.

On March 25, 2008, we ordered production of your new card. Please allow

30 days for your card to be mailed to you. If we need something from

you we will contact you. If you move before you receive the card, call

customer service. You can also receive automatic e-mail updates as we

process your case. Just follow the link below to register.

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)

Congratulations! So I guess there is light at the end of the tunnel....

The evidence suggests that they have apportioned the cases to different adjudicator's desks and are not looking in cases in chronological order, as A_C should have theoretically been the first. Random batches...anyone else care to chime in?

Keeping my fingers crossed....

Congratulations anyway!!

Look at the USCIS main webpage at www.uscis.gov

Under the "WHATS NEW" heading look at the first article "Fit to Print" where Emilio Gonzales issues a rebuttal to the NY Times article. Then scroll down and look at the user comments. Yes, the USCIS lets you comment on the statement. What is surprising is that the vast majority of comments are negative - they actually praise the NY Times! I was about to post a statement of fact and realise that I did not have to do this - there are *tons* of comments there that vent my frustration....

Looks like this supposed "rebuttal" backfired on the USCIS. And its on their website!!

Thanks Staashi for the advice - we have no problem going to the USCIS office and ponying up the dollars for gas and lost income...

I agree with you that it so easy to forget that golden piece of paper when you go on a foreign trip.

As for Ihateemo I think you missed the point:

1. Going overseas for a family emergency is a necessary but an unforseen expense.

2. Going to your local (distant) USCIS is an unnecessary expense. I mean, why would you spend money to see people you really don't want to see, and who really don't want to see you if they could help it? If they had handled your original application correctly ("processed in the order we receive them"), you wouldn't have to spend the time and money to get down there.

Don't get me wrong, I am not faulting USCIS employees but USCIS lack of enforcement of their own policies.

Think about it - they ask you to apply to remove conditions 90 days before your Green card expires. If this were a well-oiled machine, you'd get your green card within 90 days. Instead you get this generated letter that automatically renews your card for a year. This is really unique among all USCIS appplications. I can't think of any other application that gives you an instant renewal before adjudicating the facts at hand. Why? Because they are so far behind and they cling to this 1 year renewal timeframe hoping they can catch up. Well, guess what? You can't catch up if you divert I-751 adjudicators and stick them on N-400 applications.

I also have no problem going for fingerprints and interveiws if its all within the standard processing of an application. Any Canadian that has come into the country on an I-130 can atest to the fact that if you reside in Vancouver, you have to fly to Montreal for a 15 min interview - almost CAD $800 roundtrip on a weekday. Its the equivalent of flying from Miami to Seattle for an interview. But we had no problem paying that- part of the standard processing.

The USCIS does not realise that beyond their standard fees that they charge, they are lots of other expenses that others must endure just to satisfy their requirements, and even more when they botch I-751 processing.

i was wondering....

so far the lack of renewal hasn't really hindered our ability to do anything - i mean it really hasn't made a difference in day to day life. the only thing i can imagine is that if the wife needed to leave the country it might be a problem as we are a year into having applied.

so outside of being outright annoying - what real difference has it made on anyones lives? really..? i'm not trying to say that the USCIS is right in taking so long - what i am trying to find out is what adverse affect has it had on anyone - substantial affect...

Okay, so how is this any different than a person that has had a green card for 3,4,5,6,7,8,9 years applying for US Citizenship? No different. But, US Citizenship applications have been expedited. Just look at every statement coming from Emilio Gonzalez, the USCIS head honcho. Yet he mentions nothing about I-751 applicants. Why haven't I-751 applicants been expedited, at least for us transferees?

My wife's parents reside overseas. If something were to happen tomorrow and she needed to get back, she would need all her travel documents in order. I'm sure that's the case with a majority, not a minority here. That means a valid passport and a valid Green Card. So we don't have a valid green card which means a 200 mile roundtrip to the USCIS field office on a business day to get an extension stamp in a passport. Thats $$$ for gas, and $$$ in lost income for both of us as we have to take the entire day off. Me, being the US Citizen might as well be there in case they ask, "So where's the dude you married?" So we can't claim the lost income from the USCIS.

The point is we paid $$$ for the original application and no service has been rendered beyond acknowledgement of receipt.

What the USCIS has fogotten in all of this is that the US Citizen spouses of I-751 applicants vote too. We're just as entitled to get our spouse's cases resolved like some person filing an N-400. And most I-751 applicants are law abiding, tax paying residents. Yet, they ignore us...

No need to get stressed about this before it has gone more than 10 to 12 months, USCIS webpage says that it will take 10 to 12 months. i.e. if it is more the 12 months count days and if it is less then 10 months count weeks before approvals . Applicants approved in less then 10 months are just lucky and there are always some of those.

Fair enough. Our filing date was recorded as March 23, 2007.

Today's date is March 24,2008.

I'm counting days then. Or should I?

A_C, the first of the TSC to VSC filers has been counting days, which have turned to months.

I'll give the USCIS a break as it is Easter Monday (although most of the general populace has to work), but I think I'll be counting months pretty soon, just based on our estimates here at VisaJourney (James et al) on the number of TSC transfers sitting at the VSC (numbered to be in the 1000s).

I think we need to face reality here. I have been "hoping" since March 2007 for a speedy resolution. In case you haven't realised, there is a phrase known as "the politics of hope". And we are victims of it, plain and simple.

One only has to look at the NSC thread to see that there are people with cases filed in 2006 that have not been adjudicated on. You have to admire their patience but the facts are clear:

1. They filed long beore many people and have still not been adjudicted on.

2. They paid application fees and the USCIS violated its own policy of "processing cases in the order we receive them"

3. Some have had their passports renewed not only once but two or three times. Some had to enure the indignity of getting 2 or 6 months renewals.

4. Some have applied for Citizenship and forced the USCIS to adjudicate on their meaningless Green Card renewals (I say meaningless because if somebody is offering you a renewal or US Citizenship, you take the citizenship).

Its all very clear to me that we are looking at a substantial waiting period at the VSC,and that everyone, depending on their circumstances needs to "dig-in".

Unless you make some fat contribution to some politician's war chest, nothing is going to happen soon.

My traditional Monday complaints: People get approved left and right, usually filed with TSc around October or later. whne will we ever be looked at?

Complaint number two: where are the new processing times? Any guess on VSC? I bet it will be March 15 2007!!!

My prediction: March 1, 2007 - no movement. Anything else and they are lying.... A_C has not been touched A_C's a Feb. 2007 filer.

If you are planning on writing your Senator, congressman or the USCIS ombundsman, or meeting with a USCIS oficer please site this statement copied directly from the USCISwebsite, under "Processing Times and Case Status":

"To be fair to all our customers, we process cases that are the same type based on the order of when they were filed"

Now, how has this been "fair" or "on the order they were filed"??

TSC filers filing in September/October 2007 have been long approved.

I can see James's/imailin's frustration/agitation with others being approved.

Kind of funny too, the USCIS classifies us as being "customers". If you were a customer in a business the following line would work:

Can I please speak to a supervisor please?

Unfortunately, this does not work. If they really believed in "customer" satisfaction, they would approve our applications and return our money, since the time projected (6 months) has far exceeded the time we've waited (12 months). Good busniess practice would do this.

Businesses always issue refunds if they want their customers to come back, especially if they know they did not provide the service they stated they would.

In fact they would want to do this, because they know we'll be back, applying for citizenship...the problem is, they are the only game in town - a monopoly.

She does, amazingly enough. CIS policy provides that if the conditional resident whose NOA1 has or is about to expire is not in possession of an unexpired foreign passport, the CIS officer at the InfoPass appointment should issue a Form I-94 (arrival portion) containing a temporary I-551 stamp with a 12-month expiration date and a photograph of the conditional resident.

James - where do they take this photograph? If we go to the local USCIS field office (which is more likely now as the VSC drags their feet) will we have to provide it or will they take n on the spot (like your Drivers license).

My point is that we want to be virtually assured of a stamp with no hassles. If they claim "you need a photograph" then should we take a sample set at our local Walgreens before heading to our shcduled INFOPASS appt. at our local USCIS office (100 miles away)?

this wishful thinking had been around for a while now.... I just wonder when "shortly" will finally happen

Tweety - I have to agree with you. If you saw James's post last week regarding an "estimate" of the applications sitting at VSC (TSC transfers to VSC) we're in for a wait beyond the time they actually start looking at the first TSC transfer.

The point is, we haven't seen any TSC transfer being adjudicated on. I'm looking for word from A_C but, alas, nothing.

Anyone considered supplying the USCIS with additional info. for their "packet"?

For example, their 2007 joint IRS tax return (to be filed by April 15 of this year)?

Rememeber when they originally received our applications back at the TSC, they sent us a letter stating that we could at any time add to it.

I am wondering by forcing the VSC officers to dig out our appliactions upon receipt of new information, so that they can add to it, they'll think "Gee, let me just go ahead and adjudicate while I am at it"

Or do you think it just creates unnecessary confusion and possibly angering the VSC staff

(ie: We have TSC receipt numbers, the VSC guys may get ticked off at us for making them go dig through the pile to add the evidence and say "okay, that dude just wasted 30 minutes of my precious time adding more evidence to his thick application - I'll just move his to the bottom")

Anyone care to chime in?

We were transferred to from TSC to VSC “in order to speed up the processing” (ref.: I-797C Notice Date: Feb. 1, 2008). Give the VSC a couple of weeks and we will all be happy.

I agree. But we have given them a couple of weeks - Feb.1 - March 17.

No news. I am already gathering info. in case I get stuck with an RFE or an interview, even though I am 99.99% sure our case was rock solid when we filed over a year ago. I was reading a thread where it stated that a computer randomly selects people for a follow-up interview at the local USCIS office.

What's changed in a year:

1. 2007 tax return

2. Wife's name on my health card

3. Another vacation together

4. More photos of us together....

5. Maybe another affidavit (we already submitted 2 the first time)

Ladies and Gentleman - be prepared for another battle with the USCIS....

At least everyday. Sometimes as much as 3 times. Morning, noon and night.

No news from USCIS today on my end. Its officially mid-March (counting the weekend) and the USCIS is busy gathering dates so that they can post the processing dates for all their centers, Vermont included.

I have a feeling that the VSC I-751 date won't move past March 1 2007 - stuck where it was for the past 2 months!

But we'll only know around March 22 what this date is...in the age of the internet, it takes 7 days to post them!

Losing hope.

Thanks James for the update on the stats - your math makes perfect sense. I knew it was not unreasonable to estimate that there were thousands of TSC transfers at the VSC.

And the $64,000 question is, what's happening? Why hasn't A_C head anything?

At least with A_C's enquiry yesterday, maybe they'll realise where the TSC transfer pile is and start working on them....

I kind of agree with baunzerbrudi. Not a touch in 2 weeks, after many touches. Even though my wife filed in March 2007, what concerns me is that there has be no action with Jan. 2007 filers. So if we assume that the Jan 2007 filers start being seen, say tomorrow, it would still take two months (in my estimate) before March 2007 filers heard anything.

What would help if anybody knew, maybe through 6 degrees of separation, *anyone that worked at the VSC.*

1. What's the culture like?

2. Do they take half-days or days off to go skiing in winter in Stowe?

3. Do they take half-days or days off to go boating on Lake Champlain?

4. Do they talk half-days or days off to eat Ben N Jerry's ice cream (a VT original)?

Or more importantly:

5. How many officers adjudicate on I-751s? One, two , three?

6. How many TSC to VSC transfers are they, and at what rate are they being processed?

One prediction about how many TSC cases are now in Vermont.

Let's assume that the posters on this message board (and on James's master list) are representing 1% of USCIS applicants. (I think its a lot more, but lets take 1%).

Then would it be reasonable to assume that there are 100 times the applications pending for our category (just TSC transfers to VSC)? Any thoughts?

That seems like a lot - the only thing I can take solace in is that we are acquiring the needed time (36 months if married to a US citizen) for applying for US citizenship....and dealing with the USCIS....again!!!

So if there are around 20 transferees from TSC to VSC on this board, are you suggesting there are 2000 total transferees? In my view, this is an exaggerated figure. To prove this, just try changing the last one or two digits of your 10-digit case number. I did it and I only found 1 other case that was filed on the same date as me. So if they received two cases per day between February and June, that's 300 cases that were transferred from TSC to VSC. That sounds a little more reasonable I would say. What's unreasonable is why they can't figgin' handle those cases in a timely manner.

Burs,

I hope you are right. And yes, I can't see what's taking them so long. Anyone else care to chime in?

One prediction about how many TSC cases are now in Vermont.

Let's assume that the posters on this message board (and on James's master list) are representing 1% of USCIS applicants. (I think its a lot more, but lets take 1%).

Then would it be reasonable to assume that there are 100 times the applications pending for our category (just TSC transfers to VSC)? Any thoughts?

That seems like a lot - the only thing I can take solace in is that we are acquiring the needed time (36 months if married to a US citizen) for applying for US citizenship....and dealing with the USCIS....again!!!