Up to 12 months?!?!

[LaL 418]

Adjudicators need training. They have already posted a press release that they have added more to the workforce, but I can't imagine that there was any way to know that 1/2 of applications for a typical year would be received in one month.

*shrugs*

[rhymeswithcandi 0]

I'm sorry but I disagree. It's not an unknown volume. They've been publishing news statements for the past 5 months regarding volume. They've known about the increase in petitions/ applications for a long time. It has become overbearing - Congress is talking about it.

I'm sorry... I don't consider it a drop in the bucket and neither does my husband. We're together, yes, and totally grateful for that but it would be nice to get the service we paid for... that's all.

No offense, but you ARE dealing with a US government agency. You really can't expect much, and it's hard to hire more people when they're only given a certain amount of money, and only have a certain amount of money. No one is going to work for free, and they've had to slash contractor wages (a sign that there isn't enough money). Everyone wants to blame USCIS, but it's a bigger problem than just that.

As far as "a service you've paid for" - you really can't compare a government agency to a restaurant or a cable company or whatever. Service will always be mediocre at best, especially when the government finds so much other ####### more important than legal immigration.

No offense take at all My biggest point was this - <b>One of the biggest justifications USCIS gave for increasing their fees was to be able to better serve those filing. Wouldn't it make sense then that the quality of service would go UP rather than DOWN? </b>

I wasn't comparing it to the corporate/ consumer/ private sector at all. I don't think standards should be lowered merely because you're dealing with government... perhaps precedent has lowered people's expectation but I don't think it should be that way. As for government finding more important #######- immigration is one of the few key issues coming up in the debates right now with presidential primaries. I would say immigration is on the list of top 10 issues the federal government is dealing with. Part of dealing with illegal immigration is finding a way to encourage people to immigrate legally no?

[LaL 418]

This press release describes what happened prior to the fee increase and what they will do about it.

http://www.uscis.gov/files/testimony/testi...ETG_17jan08.pdf

(and according to their own testimonies they did *NOT* increase the fees to provide faster service. It was specifically for backlog reduction and continuation of the status quo)

Edited January 22, 2008 by LaL

[zqt3344 21]

SAD, since everyone is paying all the new high fees that were to be justified for hiring/training new staff to handle the back log of cases and keep new ones going forward much faster. Get ready, I predict there is another fee increase within 1-2 years to slow this all down so they can catch up.

I just saw the following in the news section of uscis.gov:

Q : When can I expect USCIS to process my case?

USCIS processes applications in the order they are received by application type. Due to the significant increase in the number of applications filed, processing times have been affected. As a result, average processing times for certain application types filed after June 1, 2007, may become longer. For example:

Naturalization applications may take approximately 16-18 months to process;

Family-based adjustment of status applications may take 10-12 months; and

Immigrant petitions for relatives and workers may take 9-10 months.

Application processing times are accessible from the USCIS.gov homepage. Processing times are an estimate of how long it will take to complete your case. Each case is different, and some cases may take longer to process than others. You can use your receipt (I-797) to check the status of your case using Case Status Online. Please note that USCIS will only process requests for case status information if it is beyond posted processing times. We encourage you to check processing times, which are updated monthly, before inquiring about your case.

What??

[rebeccajo 14]

Candi, yes the government is concerned with immigration right now. But they aren't concerned with speeding it up, you know.

And on another note, why did I just get an image in my head of Johnny Carson?

SAD, since everyone is paying all the new high fees that were to be justified for hiring/training new staff to handle the back log of cases and keep new ones going forward much faster. Get ready, I predict there is another fee increase within 1-2 years to slow this all down so they can catch up.

Edited January 22, 2008 by rebeccajo

[rhymeswithcandi 0]

This press release describes what happened prior to the fee increase and what they will do about it.

http://www.uscis.gov/files/testimony/testi...ETG_17jan08.pdf

(and according to their own testimonies they did *NOT* increase the fees to provide faster service. It was specifically for backlog reduction and continuation of the status quo)

They actually did increase fees to, in part, provide better service. The following was published on their website:

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is implementing a new fee structure that ensures appropriate funding to meet national security requirements and customer service needs, and modernizes an outdated business infrastructure. <b>The new fee structure is built around a foundation of Strategic Pillars designed to enhance and sustain a secure and efficient immigration system. Those pillars are, Enhancing the Security and Integrity of the Immigration System, Improving Service Delivery, and Modernizing Business Infrastructure.</b>

You can read it on "Building an Immigration Service for the Twenty-First Century" here:

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/men...0000ecd190aRCRD

[rhymeswithcandi 0]

I think all you can do is perhaps apply for that EAD and hopefully things get cleared up on the AP side Just as a precaution why not go ahead and see what comes out of the EAD? My husband and I saved $$$$, expecting that I would potentially be out of work for 6 months...of course now it looks like less....yay! My EAD biometrics is tomorrow, so hopefully within 1-2 months I can work.

I doubt the US government is any slower than Canada with respect to immigration, we just haven't had to deal with it.

Just mho

You're totally right - my husband and I were just talking about it and we're just going to apply for EAD, sit back and hope for the best. Really, at this point that's all we can do. I wish we had been as financially prepared for my being out of work a long time... it's not terrible but I know there are a lot of toys my husband would like to buy but can't until I'm working again...

Congrats on your EAD/ biometrics appointment!! That's great news!

[chnst 6]

@rhymeswithcandi: hang in there! I filed almost 9 months ago and I'm still unsure of my case status. I am totally fine with waiting for my GC as long as I know they are working on it and that my file is in good hands at uscis. I see where you are coming from, it is frustrating for me too to see the majority of people getting approved in less than 6 months, like they're drawing applications out of a hat.

I however had my EAD approved within 90 days, so maybe it's worth applying for that for you? Did you have your biometrics yet?

good luck to you!

[Udella&Wiz 325]

You're totally right - my husband and I were just talking about it and we're just going to apply for EAD, sit back and hope for the best. Really, at this point that's all we can do. I wish we had been as financially prepared for my being out of work a long time... it's not terrible but I know there are a lot of toys my husband would like to buy but can't until I'm working again...

Congrats on your EAD/ biometrics appointment!! That's great news!

OMG - I am having a total Shopping fit of my own just about now....I NEED to SHOP I may not actually need anything though...haha. There are summer clothes and a few treaty things I'd like to indulge in, but can't for now. My next big shopping spree willbe for an interview outfit ;p

[rebeccajo 14]

You're totally right - my husband and I were just talking about it and we're just going to apply for EAD, sit back and hope for the best. Really, at this point that's all we can do. I wish we had been as financially prepared for my being out of work a long time... it's not terrible but I know there are a lot of toys my husband would like to buy but can't until I'm working again...

Congrats on your EAD/ biometrics appointment!! That's great news!

OMG - I am having a total Shopping fit of my own just about now....I NEED to SHOP I may not actually need anything though...haha. There are summer clothes and a few treaty things I'd like to indulge in, but can't for now. My next big shopping spree willbe for an interview outfit ;p

Any excuse to shop I say!

[zqt3344 21]

Your poor husbands, they will be broke and penny less!

You're totally right - my husband and I were just talking about it and we're just going to apply for EAD, sit back and hope for the best. Really, at this point that's all we can do. I wish we had been as financially prepared for my being out of work a long time... it's not terrible but I know there are a lot of toys my husband would like to buy but can't until I'm working again...

Congrats on your EAD/ biometrics appointment!! That's great news!

OMG - I am having a total Shopping fit of my own just about now....I NEED to SHOP I may not actually need anything though...haha. There are summer clothes and a few treaty things I'd like to indulge in, but can't for now. My next big shopping spree willbe for an interview outfit ;p

Any excuse to shop I say!

[Mags 112]

Never assume it is their husband's money - it may be their own hard earned cash they are spending.

Your poor husbands, they will be broke and penny less!

You're totally right - my husband and I were just talking about it and we're just going to apply for EAD, sit back and hope for the best. Really, at this point that's all we can do. I wish we had been as financially prepared for my being out of work a long time... it's not terrible but I know there are a lot of toys my husband would like to buy but can't until I'm working again...

Congrats on your EAD/ biometrics appointment!! That's great news!

OMG - I am having a total Shopping fit of my own just about now....I NEED to SHOP I may not actually need anything though...haha. There are summer clothes and a few treaty things I'd like to indulge in, but can't for now. My next big shopping spree willbe for an interview outfit ;p

Any excuse to shop I say!

[Udella&Wiz 325]

Hehe.....well, sooner I get a job, the sooner I will not feel guilty about spending what i like. We both saved for this time off and I'm getting unemployment benefits from Canada...but until there are 2 people working, just can't justify much. Be nice not to spend everything in savings and actually pay off some bills too

Makes a person realize how materialistic I am....I don't need a fraction of the ####### I want

[zqt3344 21]

Ok the poor wives will be penny less and broke after power shopping!

Never assume it is their husband's money - it may be their own hard earned cash they are spending.

Your poor husbands, they will be broke and penny less!

You're totally right - my husband and I were just talking about it and we're just going to apply for EAD, sit back and hope for the best. Really, at this point that's all we can do. I wish we had been as financially prepared for my being out of work a long time... it's not terrible but I know there are a lot of toys my husband would like to buy but can't until I'm working again...

Congrats on your EAD/ biometrics appointment!! That's great news!

OMG - I am having a total Shopping fit of my own just about now....I NEED to SHOP I may not actually need anything though...haha. There are summer clothes and a few treaty things I'd like to indulge in, but can't for now. My next big shopping spree willbe for an interview outfit ;p

Any excuse to shop I say!

[diadromous mermaid 36]

I chuckle when I read posts like this! The processing timelines announced by USCIS are directly related to the volume of petitions being handled. Now in order for processing times to be a quick turnaround (across the board and not the isolated situation, mind you) then the volume of cases would have to be smaller. So, for those aliens that are watching processing timelines like a "boiling pot" and anxious for "their" case to be handled, which fellow aliens do you think should wait before beginning their journey?

What?

Let me say it more clearly. If you are anxious and wondering why it is taking so long to process your petition, it is because there are a lot to process. In order to make yours get to the top of the pile more quickly, the pile would have to be smaller. That's all.

USCIS provides a service. If the petitions pile up to a point that is unmanageable for the staff to keep up with, they need to hire more people to process the flood of applications. The timelines provided on their website have doubled in the last 6 months and I'm not alone in thinking that is unsat. The fact that fees have increased by so much while the service provided is below what it was 6 months ago is unsat. There have been a number of Congressmen/women who have brought this up so I know my feelings on this aren't unique. Where there is need, I believe, they need to adjust to accommodate to that need - in this case volume of applications has created a need for more staff. Why do you think the help-line and forms are available in Spanish? A large number of immigrants spoke only Spanish and, as a result, <b>thousands</b> of dollars were spent to accommodate that need... and those Spanish-speaking immigrants paying for a service had their needs met accordingly. I just think something similar should be done here.

You're dealing with an 'unknown' volume. Hard to anticipate, and variable. When the overload becomes too overbearing, then occasionally adjustments are made in the procedure. Frankly, as has been said already on the board today, several more months is a drop in the bucket for a lifetime together.

I'm sorry but I disagree. It's not an unknown volume. They've been publishing news statements for the past 5 months regarding volume. They've known about the increase in petitions/ applications for a long time. It has become overbearing - Congress is talking about it.

I'm sorry... I don't consider it a drop in the bucket and neither does my husband. We're together, yes, and totally grateful for that but it would be nice to get the service we paid for... that's all.

You are entitled to your opinion, but it is an unknown volume and variable. Just how, exactly, would USCIS know the approximate number of petitions for alien relatives that are going to come in? Do you really believe that a US agency such as USCIS would know the number of people that are courting foreign-born individuals and likely to decide to begin the immigration process? Do you think they are clairvoyant? And just for grins, let's hypothetically agree that they have such powers, that doesn't discount that variable factor. Perhaps in the early part of the year there are "x" number of cases, and later, say 6 months on, there are 1/3X cases. How can an agency gear up and down to that degree without either paying through the nose for interim contracts, or incurring liabilities down the road for lay offs? I think it is not that simple.

I'm not suggesting they be clairvoyant... like I said, they have KNOWN about the increase in volume for several months. But speaking of clairvoyance, they actually predicted an influx of petitions with the rate increase - particularly for naturalization. As for contracts, isn't the whole POINT of government contracting work out to SAVE money. I don't buy it that it's tough to "gear up and down" when you're dealing with contractors. The beauty of government contractors is that the government can use then temporarily. I'm not saying it's simple at all.

Argghh! Firstly, anticipating s flurry of last minute submissions at the point of a price increase and knowing the entire volume of petitions of any type or sort (irrespective of price, increase or otehrwise) are 2 entirely different things.

Clearly, you've never run a business. No, in fact, contracts rarely SAVE money. What contracts do is place accountaibility, responsibility and liability at another entity's feet. But, anyway, I guess my final question to you is, "If waiting a couple of months is so untenable to you, and you'd prefer there be no backlogs (whether or not you are willing to or can really grasp the notion that in order to predict volume USCIS would have to be clairvoyant), at what price would you buy more efficient service?" Is it worth $500, $1,000 to you?