got a lawyer (finally)..

[gogo 6]

yay, I will be getting a lawyer (or a team) to work on my case.. doing a "Writ of Mandamus".. they said they can send it in within 3-4 months and have an answer 45 days after that.. so hopefully around 6 months time I would receive an answer.. The fee is pretty expensive though ($5500), but it is worth it if I get to be with her everyday...

the lawyer website (open for 25+ years, and a team of lawyers so hopefully it would be better and more trustworthy than just one) :

http://www.rreeves.com

Edited April 28, 2008 by gogo

[N360 0]

yay, I will be getting a lawyer (or a team) to work on my case.. doing a "Writ of Mandamus".. they said they can send it in within 3-4 months and have an answer 45 days after that.. so hopefully around 6 months time I would receive an answer.. The fee is pretty expensive though ($5500), but it is worth it if I get to be with her everyday...

the lawyer website (open for 25+ years, and a team of lawyers so hopefully it would be better and more trustworthy than just one) :

http://www.rreeves.com

gogo,

that law firm is very good. I personally know a lot of cases that that law firm have handled.

[gogo 6]

Yes, I did some research to find a good place.. they seem to get a lot of "success stories" even in this past year.. I know they all have success stories, but these are cases that have long-term problems in them..

http://www.rreeves.com/US-Immigration-Success-stories.asp

thanks NoelandTintin.. are you going with them too?... anyone else know of their reputation?

Edited April 28, 2008 by gogo

[N360 0]

Yes, I did some research to find a good place.. they seem to get a lot of "success stories" even in this past year.. I know they all have success stories, but these are cases that have long-term problems in them..

http://www.rreeves.com/US-Immigration-Success-stories.asp

thanks NoelandTintin.. are you going with them too?... anyone else know of their reputation?

No, I didnt hire a lawyer. Fortunately, theres really no hiccups with my simple case. I didnt need a lawyer.

But I personnaly know at least 6 people (all different cases) that used this firm and their all successes.

You're right about the fee though, they're pretty expensive.

Gogo, off topic a bit....

A havent not been following your case lately. I thought you were approved a while back. What happened? why are you doing a mandamus? Sorry if Im late on the news.

[gogo 6]

I thought we were approved too.. after our local office interview on February 21.. the guy said everything would be ok (I even brought my parents too to the interview).. they were afraid of fake marriages coming from China and wanted to make sure I'm real (the guy just asked a few questions to my parents and not even talk to me).. I brought some pictures for him to look at.. he said everything looks good and that I would get an approval notice within 10 days..

so that's why I'm getting a lawyer.. still nothing yet.. even with calling and faxing every week after that.. created service requests and expedite requests.. and had April 24 as the latest "target date" for my I-129F.. that was last week and still nothing.. :angry:

I know I can do the "Mandamus" myself, but maybe I left something out of my case in the first place.. I rather pay the high fee now and have someone to back me up.. since no one is doing so at the moment.. :crying:

Edited April 28, 2008 by gogo

[Nanusia & Lukaszek 0]

Yikes, $5500 for a WRIT OF MANDAMUS seems like a lot of money! And it will take them 3-4 months to prepare it? Seems way to long.

Also, did you have a congressmen or someone local try to help you out. I know it seems you are at wits end with your case to be willing to fork over such a high price to them, but all they are going to get you is a status update on what is going on. I think a congressmen would be able to do the same... for free. Maybe give it a shot?

Good luck.

[gogo 6]

NoelandTintin, have those people you encountered have the same problem as I do? (security checks?) even the lawyer said that was fake.. he said too many bureaucracy in the government.. transferring my case back and forth.. too much red tape..

[gogo 6]

haha, you are talking to the "king" of faxing.. but thanks for your help though.. I appreciate that.. I already have been doing this since last November.. faxing and emailing every week.. also I have faxed the president back in January and they fowarded a copy of my complaint to the Dept of Justice which then fowarded to the FBI.. the FBI sent a letter to my house stating there were no security checks on my 2 cases (I-130 / I-129F) and please re-check with local office again..

http://www.visaserve.com/CM/Articles/CIS%2...tact%20List.pdf

http://www.duluth.lib.mn.us/Databases/Contact/Federal.html

here's some of my findings..

and here's something for the "security checks" people : http://usaimmigrationattorney.com/Security...tiveReview.html

they say there are 2 options :

$1500 - they writing a "threat" letter to USCIS and internal depts (Dept of Justice, Dept of State, and others) and hopefully wait for an answer.. he said "throwing rocks in a pond".. same thing as I am doing now with the senators, congressmen, vice president, president, FBI.. they just have internal contacts and send it to the "right people".. hopefully someone will answer and do something.. he says a few do this and it works..

$5500 - Writ of Mandamus (3-4 months to prepare and send in -- I'll give it all to them this weekend, so no need to wait that long).. I think they mean waiting for a court date.. then he said 2-3 months for USCIS to respond (within this time a "45 days" mandatory response from them to get a decision on my case - either favorable or unfavorable).. so a total time of 6-8 months (including the "45 days" to comply)..

haha, for you guys reading my posts, just refresh every once in a while... I always just write a basic post and add to it..

Edited April 28, 2008 by gogo

[MieLon 0]

hi gogo,

although you filed a head of me. still i feel with you because. most who filed with same month as mine all seem to have their approval.

we just called yesterday and we were told to wait for the 30days more... follwing your posting i fear now that it is possible that we might end up like your case. i really hope not..

honestly i cant think any reason why they are pending our case my husband has just been naturalized last year july he then filed me august so.. then the petiton filed dor my mother -in - law is lamost half way done.. so i thought if there is a security for my husband... the other petition should be pending too.. but is approved early 5months only while me still pending almost 9months

i am keeping my finger crossed and hoping a positive thing for us..

anyway... why not go for MICHAEL GURFINKEL.... HE IS A WELL KNOW IMMOGRATION LAWYER IN MY COUNTRY AND AMNY FILIPINOS HIRE HIM... HE HAS TV SHOW... MAY TRY TO ASK IF YOU GOT SOME FRIEND WHO KNOWS ABOUT HIM...

GOOD LUCK TO US.

[N360 0]

NoelandTintin, have those people you encountered have the same problem as I do? (security checks?) even the lawyer said that was fake.. he said too many bureaucracy in the government.. transferring my case back and forth.. too much red tape..

No gogo. They're all different cases but none was similar to yours. Most of the people who I know went to this law firm were H1 cases. There's one interesting case where the person was illegal. He filed a waiver and it got approved. One thing that impressed me with the firm is that they seem to know every loophole.

I'm not familiar with mandamus and I dont know whats involved. I dont know if you need a lawyer or not. All I know is that these law firm is pretty good. I also know that if a case is hopeless, they wont take it.

Good luck gogo. So sorry about all these things you're going through. It is unfair to say the least.

[gogo 6]

Thanks guys.. I'll keep you updated as it proceeds.. thanks for all the info on this particular law firm.. seems they have a good reputation.. hopefully that is true and that they can help me.. wow, you are almost done, NoelandTintin.. haha.. I'm so jealous of that.. but it is weird that you are even taking so long just to get the visa.. from May 2007 to April 2008.. almost a year too.. a lot of April filers were having problems and just getting everything done right now..

Meilon, how is your case coming along? Did you try writing letters and faxing them to everyone? I don't really know if this thing is good or not for you.. but at least more people will know about the case and hopefully something will happen.. :crying: sorry to hear that you are going through it like me.. probably family members are easier to apply for (not the time, but the process) and that they can get approve faster?.. seems like the "spouses" are the most difficult for them (and for us)..

[gemilina 0]

Although I'm not from a country where slow processing of cases seems to be the norm, my case slowed to a halt and my husband finally called his senator's office yesterday. The reason being is that I had my interview for my immigrant visa on Feb 28, 2008, had to resubmit my medical and police check as it was out of date in their opinion (is it my fault they took almost 6 to 8 months to schedule my interview?). I sent in my documents and they were signed for on April 1, 2008. Whenever I called the state dept all I heard was that my application was processing. Not words you want to hear. And, this is after I was told at the interview that my application would take 5 to 7 business days to approve. Hmmmm ok.

Well, we finally got fed up and called an immigration lawyer on Friday of last week. He told us there wasn't much he could do for us for the money, but to contact my husband's senator's office. He gave us the name of the gal who looks after immigration issues in his office. Yesterday we called and hubby faxed over our information and permission for the senator's assistant to look into the matter. Surprise, surprise....I emailed the consulate (never had a response before) and was told, "Your file is being worked on, I have submitted it to be reviewed as we did receive your medicals & police certificate/passports. I'll give you an update as soon as it has been completed."

Wow, what a change of heart that was! She responded to me within minutes of my first email, and when I thanked her, she responded quickly again. Totally weird for me. I'm crossing my fingers that I hear something today or within a day or two. But it seems to me that an inquiry and push from the senator's office was just the kick my case needed. It's been going on for YEARS. And, I'm an natural born Canadian with no criminal history or issues with entering/leaving the US. Why there was a hold up I have no clue. I think I got lost in the shuffle.

Personally, gogo, before I would go and spend $5500 for a law firm to work on my case, you might want to consider contacting your senator's office. It did me a world of good and didn't cost me a penny. You also had your interview date around the same time as me (just a week ahead, no biggie), but you are from a country where they scrutinze marriages and information very carefully so the timing does make a bit of sense. Not everyone gets their cases dealt with in the same order. If that was the case, mine would have been done in 2005, as I originally filed in the fall of 2004. What blows my mind is that my hubby is a 6th generation American, a former marine in the gulf war, we've been married for 5 1/2 yrs, have two children together aged 4 and 3, I'm Canadian, etc. There should have been no issue, but obviously when it comes to the gov't and paperwork, anything can hold it up. Get your senator involved is my advice if you already haven't.

[gogo 6]

hehe, thanks for the help, but actually that was a LOCAL OFFICE INTERVIEW (not the normal interviews that everyone gets at the consulate).. they are just suspicious of my case =( .. I'm not even past the NVC part and my case is not approved yet =( I'm actually WAY BEHIND you I have contact various senators (my senators, and other states senators too, even McCain, Obama, and Hilary - haha, anyone can help at this time).. All they do is just an official request inside and find out what is going on... I have received letters from them in the mail stating the same thing (additional processing on the case, security checks, and other stuff).. The thing you fax to the senator is the "Case Information and Privacy Release Form".. =) Yes, I have done a lot of them already and always included it in my letter (3 pages now due to the whole story and updates in-between on what happened, like the FBI letter saying no security checks on my case)..

gemillina, wow, you filed in fall of 2004, and just got your interview this year? how did it take 4 years to complete the whole thing?

[gemilina 0]

Awww sorry to hear that gogo, I thought you had a similar interview as mine. I do hope that you can get help then as it's been a long time for you as well.

As for me, not sure why it has taken so long. We filed in the fall of 2004, my I-130 got approved on December 13, 2004. After that it was a request for paperwork from one location to the other. We filled, sent cheques, they were cashed, then more requests. I received a letter when we first filed saying that it would take around 970ish days until my case was complete. We figured that since there was going to be such a huge delay that we would continue with our lives in Canada until we heard otherwise. I did the immigration process for my husband to come to Canada and it took around a year or less, no snags. But with US immigration it's been slow, slow and stop. Since it was so bad, we weren't freaking out everytime a request for paperwork hit us from the US gov't. We would send for documents they requested, such as the long form birth certificate for instance, but did it in a regular way. Made appointments with my doctor to fill out the form as i needed a guarantor, sent the info. back to the US gov't via regular mail.

We just thought this slow process was normal as that's what we were told. It wasn't until I found this board last week that I realized we have been messed over. Now we are pushing and pushing hard. We've had enough. Plus, my hubby had to move to the US in November 2006 as the plant he was working at in Canada was closing and he got a job back in the US as an engineer. We have been going full out without delay since Nov 2006 and still we wait. I don't get it. I really don't. Makes me totally frustrated. How many years do we have to be married and how many children do we need to have until the US gov't takes us seriously as a family?

Edited April 29, 2008 by gemilina

[gogo 6]

wow, 4 years just to get the interview.. =( did you inquire about it right after you got approved? That 970 days to 999 days is stupid.. Where did you case get stuck at? You said you filed in fall 2004, got approved December 13, 2004, got interview in February 2008, and sent back medical in this month.. so it looks like you are almost done =) I think that the approval expires in 2 years? (not sure on that, but it does expire, you can do some research on that).. keep pressing them and forcing them to approve.. probably wait another month or two and everything should be OK (make sure and ask them you aren't under "Administrative Processing".. if so, then you would probably have to wait a few more months)..