faust-yusov

A couple of things for people to think about...
The deadline for Haitian TPS filings was 3 days ago. USCIS is no longer accepting them. If you want to complain to your representatives about the slow processing times then by all means do so. It never hurts to put a little fire under them, and they subsequently put some fire under the USCIS director to improve things. However, if you're going to make the argument based on TPS filings, whether you think you've got the data to prove it or not, you're beating a dead horse. You'd basically be telling them that what you want them to do has already been done, so they don't really need to do anything. They'll write you a nice letter (on really beautiful congressional stationary) telling you "Thanks for your concern. The deadline for TPS filings has passed, so you don't have to worry about them anymore." A better argument might be that you, a US citizen, are paying the government for this service and they aren't delivering. They tend to listen to voters whenever money is involved.
Re. your "right" to have someone immigrate...
Every "right" recognized under US law has a basis in the Constitution. If you want to claim that you have a right to have your wife or fiancee immigrate to the United States then you're going to need to find a Constitutional basis for it. You won't be the first one to have tried it, and nobody has yet succeeded to have any court in the US confirm that immigration is a right for anyone. In fact, the courts have repeatedly determined that immigration is a privilege granted at the discretion of the US government. This viewpoint is reinforced in the immigration law and the policies for DHS and Department of State. If you manage to prove this is truly a right then there will be sweeping changes in those laws and policies.
What's that? This isn't their country? It belongs to US, the PEOPLE? Guess what? The US government is US, the PEOPLE! We elected them to represent US, and to make laws on OUR behalf. If you don't like the immigration laws that they passed then let them know! Tell them to change them! Just remember that yours isn't the only opinion they have to listen to. They represent a lot more people than just you, and the majority of people in the US today don't want to see any immigration law reform that's going to make it easier for people to come to the US. The majority of people want to see the current laws enforced much more strictly.
Good luck!

Well, Robby, what are you going to do about it? *shrugs* I understand it's no fun waiting, but those are refugee petitions. I could see being ticked off if the cases ahead of yours were, say, Microsoft importing employees.

Palladin - How long is your research stretched over? What is the time frame?
The reason I am asking is because historically the Service Centers have a pattern of fluid processing times. I think you would have to look at case processing over, say, a five year period to get a more accurate picture of things. That does not mean it gives you any sort of mathematical average. Instead it gives you a picture of how things can turn on a dime.
I know it sounds nonsensical, but the mere fact that VSC is processing slowly right now does NOT mean that times will slow in the future. That Service Center in particular has a history of authorizing overtime for adjudicators to get petition backlogs cleared.
Also, you might want to dig around on Vj itself as to the origins of this website about 7 years ago. There were four SC's processing K1's at that time, and all of them except Vermont processed at a crawling pace. Much longer than 5 months. I know it's hard to believe, but things ARE faster than they use to be. The problem at Vermont right now is temporary. I'm sorry you are stuck in it.

Can't belive this turned into a hunt on my little comment.
I know I have been priviledged becuase of the place I was born, but you can't really put that against me can you?
I'm totally on the same page that something has to change with the system that excists but for the letters that are being sent out to have any punch to them I think that everyone should have their facts checked and backed with all the information availible.
If I could never see my spouse again, I would be devastated, as I believe anyone else would be. And since that is a possibility for me right now, having a husband in Afghanistan, fighting for this country, that is a very touchy subject.
All I was trying to point out that something that makes sense to all of us going through this does not mean it makes sense to the goverment that sets up the laws.
As of right now, immigrating as a spouse of a US citizen or LPR is considered a privilege, not a right.

The poster you replied to didn't say it wasn't your RIGHT to marry who ever you choose to, cause it is.
It's the part of immigrating your spouse to the US that is considered a privilege.

I disagree with you on many levels.How can you say that it is a privilege? I dont think any institution has he right to bar families from being together. Keep in mind we are citizens not foreign nationals but citizens. I pay taxes, I follow the laws of the land, and if I want to marry someone who is from another country that is my RIGHT not privilege because the government doesnt own this land. The people who live here own it and I am one of those people. This is my land as much as yours and the same way I can not tell you who you can marry nor can you tell me. So the goverment has no right to do this to people. Let not forget the constitution, have you ever seen the word privilege used in it? No, only the word RIGHT is used. That is because as people we have rights n ot privileges. A goverment who only alows privileges is not a democratic government and does not follow the laws of this land. What you are saying is dangerous think about it.

For the OP (and others who are going to send this letter):
A few key points I think you need to address before sending: first, bringing your fiance or spouse to the U.S. is not your right. It is a privilege afforded to citizens/LPRs. Second, to echo what someone else above said, the Haitian applications are considered humanitarian, so I think that undercuts your argument. Finally, you need to seriously proofread and condense that letter. Abundant errors mean the Congressional staffer who reads it (because really, that is who is going to read it first) is going to be much less likely to pass it along. Make it clear, concise, and to the point--and grammatically correct--and you'll have a better shot of it ever being seen by someone who can actually do something about it.

My representative, Mike Pence just received this. Mine is not as strong as others, but it gets the point across and yes...I have statistical analysis background so what is said here is accurate based on data I have reviewed. While I am not sure if it will help me as I am likely to be at the CSC, I will not stay silent while others suffer what I would not want to endure myself. I hope this helps everyone!


RE: USCIS and K1 Visa Processing Times
I am writing today over growing concern for the processingtime of USCIS for fiancée visas. I think there has been some dis-informationgiven to several committees about the processing time and statistics in aneffort for certain people to keep their job. As a person that is now engaged to a foreign national and has anapplication into the USCIS, I am very concerned.
After doing some analysis on the current data and trends(this is one of my jobs as a software developer and former data analyst forinsurance company), what last year was taking 3 months to adjudicate for K1through USCIS is now exceed 5 months and in many cases approaching 7-8months. The current exponential trendsindicate by this summer, there will likely be cases backlogged for fiancéevisas for well over 10 months not as just an exception, but the average personwill likely be waiting that long. Thisis way unacceptable since the K1 visa has many more restrictions on it thanothers visas and actually is not even classified as an immigration visa. US citizens should not be held in limbo withtheir loved ones overseas waiting to know if they can come over and get marriedwhile the congress is lied to and no plan of act is put into place.
All I can say is if an insurance application took 8 monthsto be approved or claims to be adjudicated, congress would be going after themas well as the courts (IE. Health care reform). Why are they not fixing the USCIS, a part of our own government andmaking it work for the people, the US citizens that the government is supposedto work for?

Thank you. That is great news.
Every member of the committee should get this letter, optimally from a constituent, but they should get it.
So why don't we all post here who our Congress Member is so we can make sure we have complete coverage. Mine is Steve Israel.
I will get to revising the letter tonight. Right now it is work time.

OK, folk who have their K-1/CR1/IR1 cases pending:
The bad news is the long wait is going to get worse, MUCH WORSE. Don't presume that the now more than 5 month wait for NOA2 is acceptable. Based on the statistics of the trend it will soon reach one year wait and then keep growing. UNLESS SOMETHINGCHANGES at USCIS. And unless you shout out loud and complain loud, nothing will change. We are a small group amoung all immigration applications, so that means we have to shout even louder.
This is what I am going to send to Congress. Do your own part, folks.
Dear US Representative:
I am writing to you to complain about the government bureaucracy at the USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) whose policy sets the wrong priority and hurts US citizens like me and many others in similar situation. I do NOT need help my individual case this time. But there is a situation where the USCIS sets the wrong priority and gives preferential priority to illegal immigrants, over US citizens. This is just so wrong especially when US citizens are hurt because of the inferior service they receive. I know you are a strong advocator of fair immigration policy reform, so I hope you listen to what’s going on.
When a US citizen falls in love with an alien and wants to form a family. They can either get married overseas then petition for an immigrant visa to bring the alien spouse in, or they can choose to file an I-129F petition for a non-immigrant K-1 fiancée visa to bring their fiancée in to get married in the US, then apply for a resident card for the alien spouse. The K-1 visa is not an immigration visa: it has more restriction than a regular B-2 visitor visa: you are only allowed one single entry into the US, for a duration of no more than 90 days, for the sole purpose of getting married with the original US citizen who petitioned you. If no marriage occurs, then the alien must leave within 30 days.
The K-1 visa petition process used to be very quick and easy. The Congress wants to make sure it is NOT the government’s business to interfere with the fundamental human rights how a US citizen pursues his/her personal happiness. A US citizen has a right to marry any one he/she prefers, and bring the loves one, if an alien, to live in the USA. Number of aliens moving to the USA through marriage with a US citizen is a small percentage of all US immigration each year, but a very important part of our immigration policy to preserve the basic civil liberty of US citizens.
However, in recent times, the K-1 petition process has become unbearably long because the USCIS sets the wrong priority and divert resources away from K-1 processing, to process cases that effectively grant amnesty to illegal immigrants in the US. Just a year ago, K-1 petition takes about one month and mostly less than two months to process. Recently approved K-1 petitions have been waiting for more than five months! If current backlog buildup continues, it looks like a K-1 petitioner just filed today could wait for one year for approval. After approval it still takes about 3 months or more for the file to be transferred to a US overseas consulate before the alien fiancée could obtain the K-1 visa, all just for a mere non-immigrant visa good for 90 days. It’s just un-acceptably long for any people newly falling in love and can’t wait to get together to start a new family.
Not only that the K-1 wait time is unbearably long, the newly formed relationships are often times under serious test, because there is always the dreaded prospective that after the long wait, the US overseas consulates frequently find excuses to ultimately deny visa to the alien applicant, crashing the dreams of the couples to ever live together, breaking hearts. One person commented that US consulate in Guangzhou, China loves to give K-1 visa denials like giving out candies! Once a visa is denied and a case is returned to USCIS, because of a loophole, the alien fiancée, haven done nothing wrong, could be permanently banned from ever entering the USA ever! Because of these, our government has effectively gotten into the business of interfering with the basic civil rights of US citizens to freely pursue their happiness and choose their life partner, forcing them to abandon their loved ones. This is so disturbing to the point that recently a class action lawsuit was launched against USCIS. See the following link:
http://www.prweb.com/releases/K1-Fiance-Visa/US-Embassy-Consulate/prweb4157054.htm
But the USCIS treats illegal aliens already living in the USA much better than how it treats our citizens!!! After the Haitian Earthquake, USCIS grants so called TPS (Temporary Protected Status) to Haitians currently living in the USA illegally. See the New York Times article below:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/16/world/americas/16immig.html
We are a compassionate country and I am for humanitarian causes. But Haitians illegally living in the USA never suffered from the earthquake. Why should they rip benefits from the suffering of their country fellows? If deporting illegal aliens back to Haiti is inappropriate, then simply temporary suspend such deportation would be sufficient. Why grant the illegal aliens TPS legal status and work permit so they can take away jobs from struggling Americans? Historically all TPS effectively lead to amnesty. Has US Congress granted such an amnesty? What it hurts most is that such amnesty applications get the preferential treatments over the K-1 petitions filed by citizens. For example in September, 2010 there was such a rush of I-821 (TPS) applications the backlog was 116,045 cases pending, but USCIS processed 87,312 such TPS cases that month, so the average wait time for these illegal alien applicants is only about 40 days. Mean while boxes containing K-1 cases are set aside un-processed. The citizens have to wait 5 months, 6 months or even longer for their petition to be processed.
As the illegal aliens are already living in the USA, their cases don’t need to be processed in an expedited way at all. The US citizens are separated from their overseas loved ones, every day they are separated is a stressful day, therefore the citizen petitioners deserve to have their I-129F (K-1) cases expedited processed. Why does the USCIS set the priority so wrong? There is not a huge I-129F case work load for USCIS. In November, 2010, there were 21,557 pending I-129F (K-1) cases, a small quantity compare with the TPS backlog, but USCIS completed just 2719 cases of I-129F, a much smaller potato compare with 87,312 cases of TPS that USCIS completed in the same month. In the Vermont Service Center (VSC) there were 10,088 pending I-129F cases but only 866 such I-129F cases completed in the month, that compare with 20,295 cases of I-821 (TPS) completed at the same time. If the trend is not corrected, I-129F cases in Vermont center would now take 10088/866 = 12 months to be processed. All the case files are just sitting there collecting dust, when the case files are finally pulled from the box, it usually only takes 20 minutes for a USCIS agent to process and complete the case.
As the USCIS is begging Congress for money to support the processing of the illegal immigrant amnesty cases, I ask you, my U.S. Representative, to collaborate with your colleagues and inquiry into USCIS why they are setting their priority wrong and dedicate so little resources to process I-129F cases filed by US citizens for their loved ones, and divert such a disproportional manpower away to process illegal immigrant cases that never has need of expedite processing in the first place? I paid $340 fee for my I-129F petition case. This fee is more than adequate to pay for the cost of USCIS to process my case. Why should my money be used to pay for the processing of an illegal immigrant case, while my case is put aside in the dust?
Sincerely yours,
US Citizen Petitioner
P.S. USCIS case load statistics: http://dashboard.uscis.gov/index.cfm?formtype=6&office=6&charttype=2

What I find personally objectionable about these threads is that the people posting seem less interested in the death and misery wreaked on the victims but on using it to further a persistent, long standing and quite blatant anti Muslim agenda. Using the suffering of others for the purposes of a personal porno trip is pretty disgusting imho.
If the moderation chooses, they can have a look at John Galt/Luckystrikes posting history and see how many times the phrase "religion of peace" and "the usual suspects" crops up in relation to topics relating to muslims, terrorists and islam.

Leave it to God to be off by a day to keep giving the doubters ammunition...

BTW, Gallup recently conducted a poll that explored the opinion of Muslims from around the globe. It has been condensed into a film, released as a book, and the principles have appeared on several talk shows. Here is a link to a site discussing the findings and offering more information for your perusal: Inside Islam: What a Billion Muslims Really Think

There is no question to answer. Your question is bred of a total ignorance, either because you are unwilling, or unable to grasp that being a flamboyant extrovert is not determined by one's sexual orientation.

Maybe YOUR assumption is unrealistic. What if they asked Americans whether they support killing....convicted serial murderers. And then left out the "convicted serial murderers" part in the results.
I don't deny that there is probably a larger "fringe" element in the UK than in the U.S. But if you're going to accept that the survey is bogus, then the survey is bogus. Don't go inventing your own new numbers that still fit into what you want to think.

Welcome to the Daily Fail
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/the-lay-scientist/2010/dec/22/1

When you observe the immediacy with which the conservative media whipped up such vitriolic, international furore over the "Ground Zero Mosque", it's patently evident that we ought to be bending over backwards to do the very opposite of what Merkel proposes.
To those championing her stance: are you not embarrased that "Christian values" so ubiquitously prevailed in our culture several months ago as to ensure that blind indignation took the place of reasoned response? That, when questioned, most of Park51's most vehement opponents were not aware that Faisal Rauf and Daisy Khan's objective was to promote inter-faith discussion, that they were Sufis (a tradition that Bin Laden abhors), that the building was an existing place of worship for Muslims, and - most saliently, and most ignored - that it in fact stood fully two blocks apart from Ground Zero?
More than ever this is a time to vocalise the absolute antithesis of "us and them." Merkel seeks to stir the dormant Christian ideology in "her" people for only its innately divisive property, and that she does so under the politically expedient guise of "religion" - that which so effectively safeguards jingoistic bigotry from question - should repulse us.
Edward Said once said that "part of morality is not to feel at home in one's home." At a time when the terrifyingly audible Islamophobic media seek constantly to rally us against the "un-Christian", the "un-American", we would do well to take heed of that sentiment. Indeed, it is a time to be a little less comfortable defining ourselves by our nationalities and our faiths, and a time to vilify only the intolerant - be they strapped with explosives, or espousing their agenda, conceitedly appeasing our entrenched sensibilities, in millions of living rooms, in millions of homes.

Methodology and statistics is now librul.

When you observe the immediacy with which the conservative media whipped up such vitriolic, international furore over the "Ground Zero Mosque", it's patently evident that we ought to be bending over backwards to do the very opposite of what Merkel proposes.
To those championing her stance: are you not embarrased that "Christian values" so ubiquitously prevailed in our culture several months ago as to ensure that blind indignation took the place of reasoned response? That, when questioned, most of Park51's most vehement opponents were not aware that Faisal Rauf and Daisy Khan's objective was to promote inter-faith discussion, that they were Sufis (a tradition that Bin Laden abhors), that the building was an existing place of worship for Muslims, and - most saliently, and most ignored - that it in fact stood fully two blocks apart from Ground Zero?
More than ever this is a time to vocalise the absolute antithesis of "us and them." Merkel seeks to stir the dormant Christian ideology in "her" people for only its innately divisive property, and that she does so under the politically expedient guise of "religion" - that which so effectively safeguards jingoistic bigotry from question - should repulse us.
Edward Said once said that "part of morality is not to feel at home in one's home." At a time when the terrifyingly audible Islamophobic media seek constantly to rally us against the "un-Christian", the "un-American", we would do well to take heed of that sentiment. Indeed, it is a time to be a little less comfortable defining ourselves by our nationalities and our faiths, and a time to vilify only the intolerant - be they strapped with explosives, or espousing their agenda, conceitedly appeasing our entrenched sensibilities, in millions of living rooms, in millions of homes.

Or, rather less dogmatically, let those who want to say it be the ones to leave the classroom and do so.
Participation is the active element. It ought to be a case of opt in, rather than expecting one who disagrees to conspicuously "sit out", like some sort of fetid excommunicate.

This is incomplete. The wife counts whether they file jointly or not and all children under 21 count no matter where they live or whether they appear on the tax return.
To the OP, the co-sponsor states only their own income, not the joint income and then documents it. A tax transcript won't work for this because it shows joint income. Instead, use a complete tax return with all W2 and 1099 forms so it's clear which income belongs to which individual.