The Mystery of the elusive sealed box

[orangedesk 27]

Perhaps they randomly pulled some petitions that had just arrived for training purposes and went all the way through to completion with them. I remember a guy on here who met his fiance in person the first time and got NOA2 within a month of that meeting. It's a lucky fluke like winning the lottery.

As much as it's fun to talk about government conspiracies, etc. I think Nich-Nick had the most realistic answer.

When you think about how bureaucratic the U.S. government is and all of the different forms that need to be completed and filed a certain way... this instance is probably something simple like office procedures and training someone new.

I mean, just look at the manual USCIS has on its website: http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.f6da51a2342135be7e9d7a10e0dc91a0/?vgnextoid=fa7e539dc4bed010VgnVCM1000000ecd190aRCRD&vgnextchannel=fa7e539dc4bed010VgnVCM1000000ecd190aRCRD&CH=afm it's huge!

I could easily see anew person asking a question like, "Well what about someone who doesn't have a prior marriage? No kids? With two kids?" etc. any circumstance that would require the person training the new guy to pick up the first I129-F file that came in that day.

[MangoAve 25]

I recall one episode of Seinfeld in which Newman (the mail guy) says: "Zip codes have not meaning whatsoever"; same applies to USCIS confirmation numbers; thus a lower EAC number means absolutely nothing. Now, as to why some petitions seem to be approved fast, my conspiracy theory mind says that petitions go thru many stops, offices, service center and hands and the end result of all that is that by the time they are in "a box" for inspectors to adjudicate; they are esentially in a random order. The only known charecteristic of the "box" is approximate date of those petitions (not all but a good percentage), thus that helps to maintain the 5-6 months average; but, and here is the key, among those petitions in a box that says January 2012 for example, if you would go 1 by 1, I bet you would find 1-2 from 6-7 months before; and likewise, you will find 1-2 that just came into USCIS the day before; luck of the draw and the randomizing mechanism (not by design, but by virtue of the convoluted process and offices of USCIS). End result: someone will always be approved within few weeks and someone will always be waiting for many many months; while the majority will fall within the 5-6 months average. There will be some exceptional cases of someone waiting really long and someone approved in a matter of days literally. On top of all this, USCIS service level (if we can call it that way) is based in average times; so I wouldn't get past some inspectors to purposely pick up some really new peititon that will skew the average in the right direction when put together in a group of older ones; it would be impossible to prove that the 'new' petition was not in that 'box' getting processed for the same randomizing mechanisms listed above. If you recall, when members call USCIS, they often get told one thing and something quite different happen: like being told you need to call back in 90 days and week after you have approval. They don't go search in a box, they go by whatever their screen says; and we all know, this is not Fedex where they can trace your package anywhere in the world within a few hours window of what location it was/is/going to be.

...There has to be some extent of the right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing. (otherwise the right hand might get jealous).

[Adriene H 89]

...There has to be some extent of the right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing. (otherwise the right hand might get jealous).

Reminds me of an episode of House MD

[AceERjr 0]

OMG!!! the sock question is too funnyy!! cracked me up!! :rofl:

annyway this was very interesting too ready, glad you posted this!...

[Tygrys 143]

He is Cuban, those tend to be sort of expedited by themselves.

This is correct answer about the particular case linked by OP.

I still would like to know the answer to the sock question, though.

[LeftCoastLady 441]

This is correct answer about the particular case linked by OP.

I still would like to know the answer to the sock question, though.

Clearly the Sock Gnome is the culprit. He visits my dryer constantly to play tricks.

When my fiancé first visited Portland, as he was packing up to go back to the UK, he noticed a sock was missing. The next day, said sock "magically" reappeared. During his second visit, another sock managed to disappear. Once again, the day after he left, it shows up again.

[Rob & Monika 87]

According to this, it is the background checks that causes the variation in responds times.

http://www.uscis.gov/files/pressrelease/security_checks_42506.pdf

And here I thought mine would be quicker because of past background checks...that FBI Name Check is going to screw me up big time...lol. There are a few recent politicians with my name. It also says multiple agencies are involved. The more hands that have to touch it, the longer it will take.

[Leatherneck 693]

The beneficiary is Cuban -- nothing new here, a less than 30 day approval is not unusual for a Cuban beneficiary.

Edited June 1, 2012 by Leatherneck

[Mitexi 8]

How is it.....say.....that a 12/1 petition gets processed around the same time as a 1/31 petition.

I wish I knew. =/ And I also wish I knew where these call center people are pulling their dates from. I just called and they told me that CSC is currently processing "Dec. 16th" petitions. Also, why does my NOA1 hardcopy say Dec. 15th, but the USCIS site and the call center say they got it on the 13th? Should that be my NOA1, then? x_x I just give up trying to understand how anything works in these places. I'll just be happy if they didn't completely LOSE my petition altogether (which they assured me today was not the case).

The call center said I was only "3 days over" the normal processing time. So apparently they're telling me they go by whatever date they are currently working on as opposed to a simple "it's been over 5 months"...? =/ I mean, that makes me feel a little better that maybe I'm still on track, but... Uuhhhhhgg nothing is ever the same answer or makes seeense! D=

Edited June 1, 2012 by Mitexi

[Trishy_N_J 23]

Yep I think it's because he's from Cuba. It's probably processed differently.

[jaycali 415]

Here are some facts and some theories that may help clear up some of the mysteries. I'm wearing unmatched socks so obviously I haven't figured that one out yet..

1. CSC and VSC have very different processing times. A CSC filer cannot base their timeline on a VSC filer and vice versa. This is because they don't take in the same volume of petitions, and they don't have the same amount of adjudicators working the same types of petitions at any given time.

2. Some petitions are expedited, others are auto-expedited. It used to be possible to file directly at the embassy/consulate in most countries when the USC resided in the beneficiary's country (DCF). No longer the case for most countries. The service centers have had a trend the last year of auto-expediting cases where the USC lives in the beneficiary's country. Many filers aren't aware of this and get surprised when they get an NOA2 in 2 weeks. The Cuban was probably expedited on humanitarian grounds because the US considers Cuba the worst possible hell hole on Earth. I'm sure if North Koreans were able to meet Americans freely and marry them, you'd see North Korean petitions being expedited too.

3. Late expedite. If you see a random petition approved wayyyy before everyone else, but still later than most expedites, it's probably a late expedite. Some filers don't request expedite until a month or two in.

4. It's not always first come, first serve. One or two March petitions may slip into a February box. One or two February petitions might slip into a January box etc. One employee might grab three December boxes, realizing the last one was a January box. One unlucky November petition may mysteriously be "lost" and end up in the January box. Etc, etc, etc. There are outliers, but you can't base anything on them.

5. As of right now, it seems like CSC is working on three months at the same time. They had a HUGE backlog of petitions this fall, and many July and August filers waited 7 - 8 months. The CSC has probably moved a whole lot of adjudicators from other petitions over to I-130s in recent months, and somehow, they're not working on Dec, Jan and Feb.

This is partly guesstimation on my part though.

But do read this link below for all it's worth.. It's a Q&A with a former USCIS adjudicator who later became a member here on VJ. Tremendously interesting!

Interview with a former USCIS adjudicator

Edited June 1, 2012 by jaejayC

[Big Baby 11]

I appreciate the humor. If you don't have a sense of humor in this endeavor, then you are not going to make it. I've wondered about socks myself. I have two theories. 1) My son gets them because they are not marked. 2) They end up behind the dryer forgotten about. Re: (1) USCIS does not even use their case status computer system until after the event (i.e., after your case is approved, it will be retroactively loaded into their computer for you to check case status). I waited 5 months for my NOA1. I thought it was odd that I could never find my case status using my case number. I called weekly. I was told that their computer system was broken. I asked them if they had an expected time of wait before it was repaired. They said they did not know. I asked them who the contractor was that serviced their computer tracking system. They said they did not know. (i.e., "I'm just here for a paycheck dude, so please stop asking so many questions which you just know I am not motivated to find the answers to..."). Now that my 212g is awaiting "administrative processing" it does not surprise me that the same holds true. So, again, I call DoS weekly, only to be told "we don't know when" and "we aren't allowed to tell you why." So, my first recommendation would be for USCIS to actually use their computers to track cases (on a FIFO system, and not like the DMV number system where each queue is programmed differently..."B#'s" may be called every 5 minutes whereas "C#'s" are called every 30 minutes). This is similar to marking your socks, or marking the box, only it is computerized for better tracking. My second recommendation would be to place alarms on cases whose waits have exceeded a certain threshold, so that more attention could be given to them. This is analogous to actively looking for the socks behind the dryer. Along with this, I would hold both USCIS and Consular Officers accountable by recording productivity statistics on their performance appraisals tied to retention and advancement. Regarding the Lost Colony, archaeologists recently found map evidence which shows that the colony moved upstream into the forested area. They were probably out of food and tired of waiting for relief, so they took matters into their own hands. I am also running low on food money from a ten month wait and familial needs in two countries, and I am tired of waiting to be told "why" and "when" by our Kings who can pretty much make any decisions they see fit without investigation or fear of consequences because "it's classified." Lawyers do not get the time of day. Congressman and Senators receive nicely worded fluff which says the same thing you were already told: we aren't allowed to reveal "classified information" and "we cannot tell you when (each case is different)." After days on end of the same BS, as your fiancee is a pariah in his or her own country for relationship with a foreign devil, and as your own government treats them as a terrorist and you as a Gitmo detainee (no evidence, no trial, just a holding cell), you tend to lose respect for your country and your officials. The kicker: some actually believe they are doing their country a service! Bottom line: compared to many people, your paperwork is moving along nicely; it only gets more difficult from here; keep your eye on the ball (the interview is rough!) which is your eventual life together. Your fiancee will look to you for help and strength.

[jaycali 415]

Btw, I realize this is a K-1 forum, while many of my points above are more related to I-130 petitions.

And I think my wife hides my socks so she can yell at me for losing other things and blame me because I obviously can't even keep track of my socks.

Edited June 1, 2012 by jaejayC

[MangoAve 25]

According to this, it is the background checks that causes the variation in responds times.

http://www.uscis.gov/files/pressrelease/security_checks_42506.pdf

And here I thought mine would be quicker because of past background checks...that FBI Name Check is going to screw me up big time...lol. There are a few recent politicians with my name. It also says multiple agencies are involved. The more hands that have to touch it, the longer it will take.

I'm not totally disregarding it, but don't you also think they can give whatever excuse they want? It came from their website. Just like a company providing reviews of their own product....

[orangedesk 27]

I'm not totally disregarding it, but don't you also think they can give whatever excuse they want? It came from their website. Just like a company providing reviews of their own product....

They can, but all government agencies are subject to congressional intervention and inspection by the Government Accountability Office.

If there's a government agency that is doing something out of line, this agency will investigate and provide a public report to congress. Honestly, USCIS slowing processing times from their posted estimate or processing things out of order is nothing compared to some of their investigations. I read one where GAO investigated border patrol and purposely walked across the border with suspicious bags to show how "easy" it is in certain parts. I would believe the background check process since it's pretty standard.

If you don't know about GAO, check this out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_Accountability_Office