Old TSC cases transferred to VSC

[Staashi 371]

Is any one from this thread applying for Naturalization ?

My wife is eligible to apply now but her English ability (or lack thereof) concerns me. She got a "break" when we went for her AOS interview in San Antonio because the interviewer spoke Spanish. I am hoping that her English improves enough in the next couple of years but I could be unrealistic. She's been here four years already and can barely speak English so I don't know what's going to change.

I see you live in Texas, and I'm sure that with your wife being from Columbia, she can get by in Spanish - all the time. It is what I call the "Miami Syndrome". Everyone in Miami speaks Spanish - if you don't speak Spanish it can be very hard to get by. Thank God I'm fluent, as we lived in Doral, the most Spanish-speaking city in America - 91%. If I went into a market called Sedano's - forget it - hardly anyone spoke English. So, what happens is that Spanish-speaking immigrants for the most part have everything available to them in their own language - even Miami-Dade County will provide it in Spanish or Creole, too. Thus, there is no incentive to learn English. I want to clarify, I am not knocking on anybody for speaking Spanish, as we speak it in our home all the time, and we'll teach our children to speak it, too. But my husband is so dedicated to learning English and he (the Argentine) says to everyone, "you're in America - learn English". As he puts it, how could you come to a country and make no attempt to learn the language as you need to get by. He says this with all conviction though as he speaks 9 languages and has lived in 6 European countries.

Get her into some ESL classes STAT!!! - they're typically free or even buy her Ingles Sin Barreras. My husband attends two ESL classes a week at our local library and a citizenship class offered at the Baptist Church (we're Catholic), but we thank the Baptists greatly for the class. My husband was telling me that there is a lovely Chinese woman in his citizenship class that is almost 69 years old and has paid more than $1200 dollars to take the citizenship test twice. She has been able to pass the questions portion of the exam, but when the IO asked her "What color is my shirt?" she just blinked at him. Test failed.

Actually, Hialeah Gardens and Hialeah are the two cities where Spanish is most spoken in the U.S., at over 90% -- Doral is "only" about 75%. (You can plug a town or county in here to get the percentages: http://www.mla.org/cgi-shl/docstudio/docs....ap_data_results). Miami-Dade as a whole is about 60%, so I know what you're talking about. Happily, my wife already had relatively decent competency in English, and she has continued to work on it by taking classes . . . she also tries to make a point of only watching TV in English (something hard to do with all of the Spanish language TV offerings). The good thing, obviously, is that she fits right in with the majority down here.

We're in no rush for citizenship -- she can apply in April, but there is obviously no way she will get it in time to vote in November. So why throw another $700 at USCIS just to hurry up and wait for something she doesn't need right now.

Sorry about the Doral thing - it was a statistic that had been published when I was there - oops! One thing we do in our house aside from all English television - plus only Univision is offered in Tallahassee - is my husband likes to have the closed captions on the TV so that he can read as well as listen to the broadcast - it has helped him a lot to train his ears. Also, we are applying for citizenship because he is interested in a federal job and would need to be a citizen for that.

Aside from that, there are a few things I do miss about Miami - easy access to products from Argentina and South America, and also a really, really good Argentine bakery on Flagler St. Don Pan for a couple of baguettes - one for the ride home, and one for the house. And Mario the Baker Pizza - always good and a good deal. I almost forgot - the most important thing - a really, really good Cafe con Leche from any Cuban vendor - OMG!!! Yes, I love Starbucks, but I do miss Cuban cafe con Leche. ;-)

Edited March 7, 2008 by Staashi

[imailin 0]

Is any one from this thread applying for Naturalization ?

My wife is eligible to apply now but her English ability (or lack thereof) concerns me. She got a "break" when we went for her AOS interview in San Antonio because the interviewer spoke Spanish. I am hoping that her English improves enough in the next couple of years but I could be unrealistic. She's been here four years already and can barely speak English so I don't know what's going to change.

I see you live in Texas, and I'm sure that with your wife being from Columbia, she can get by in Spanish - all the time. It is what I call the "Miami Syndrome". Everyone in Miami speaks Spanish - if you don't speak Spanish it can be very hard to get by. Thank God I'm fluent, as we lived in Doral, the most Spanish-speaking city in America - 91%. If I went into a market called Sedano's - forget it - hardly anyone spoke English. So, what happens is that Spanish-speaking immigrants for the most part have everything available to them in their own language - even Miami-Dade County will provide it in Spanish or Creole, too. Thus, there is no incentive to learn English. I want to clarify, I am not knocking on anybody for speaking Spanish, as we speak it in our home all the time, and we'll teach our children to speak it, too. But my husband is so dedicated to learning English and he (the Argentine) says to everyone, "you're in America - learn English". As he puts it, how could you come to a country and make no attempt to learn the language as you need to get by. He says this with all conviction though as he speaks 9 languages and has lived in 6 European countries.

Get her into some ESL classes STAT!!! - they're typically free or even buy her Ingles Sin Barreras. My husband attends two ESL classes a week at our local library and a citizenship class offered at the Baptist Church (we're Catholic), but we thank the Baptists greatly for the class. My husband was telling me that there is a lovely Chinese woman in his citizenship class that is almost 69 years old and has paid more than $1200 dollars to take the citizenship test twice. She has been able to pass the questions portion of the exam, but when the IO asked her "What color is my shirt?" she just blinked at him. Test failed.

Actually, Hialeah Gardens and Hialeah are the two cities where Spanish is most spoken in the U.S., at over 90% -- Doral is "only" about 75%. (You can plug a town or county in here to get the percentages: http://www.mla.org/cgi-shl/docstudio/docs....ap_data_results). Miami-Dade as a whole is about 60%, so I know what you're talking about. Happily, my wife already had relatively decent competency in English, and she has continued to work on it by taking classes . . . she also tries to make a point of only watching TV in English (something hard to do with all of the Spanish language TV offerings). The good thing, obviously, is that she fits right in with the majority down here.

We're in no rush for citizenship -- she can apply in April, but there is obviously no way she will get it in time to vote in November. So why throw another $700 at USCIS just to hurry up and wait for something she doesn't need right now.

Sorry about the Doral thing - it was a statistic that had been published when I was there - oops! One thing we do in our house aside from all English television - plus only Univision is offered in Tallahassee - is my husband likes to have the closed captions on the TV so that he can read as well as listen to the broadcast - it has helped him a lot to train his ears. Also, we are applying for citizenship because he is interested in a federal job and would need to be a citizen for that.

Aside from that, there are a few things I do miss about Miami - easy access to products from Argentina and South America, and also a really, really good Argentine bakery on Flagler St. Don Pan for a couple of baguettes - one for the ride home, and one for the house. And Mario the Baker Pizza - always good and a good deal. I almost forgot - the most important thing - a really, really good Cafe con Leche from any Cuban vendor - OMG!!! Yes, I love Starbucks, but I do miss Cuban cafe con Leche. ;-)

I live in Miami.... it's been 8 years already.... when I first came here my English was poor... but I was only 16 years old back then... so.... I finished high school here and then I meet my husband... pure American from New Hampshire... you could just imagine he could not even say hi in Spanish... same how I learned English... my spelling still a little bit bad... but I can speak perfectly... After all I started working on an American restaurant where the customers and bosses only spoke English (Jewish restaurant) and I learned even more... when we had our interview back in 2005 we had no problems my English was perfect....I

think the same way... I mean! if you came to the States do not expect Spanish in every corner... It makes me bad (embarrass…better say) when we go to supermarkets and people talk directly in Spanish to my husband.... and I HAVE TO Translate!!! no! try in English first...

In Miami if you are not bilingual you have fewer chances to find a good job....

[emmysphere 0]

Have we seen anyone being approved from the loser list yet????

[Cassie 8]

Have we seen anyone being approved from the loser list yet????

nope.

[utopiacowboy 0]

Get her into some ESL classes STAT!!! - they're typically free or even buy her Ingles Sin Barreras. My husband attends two ESL classes a week at our local library and a citizenship class offered at the Baptist Church (we're Catholic), but we thank the Baptists greatly for the class. My husband was telling me that there is a lovely Chinese woman in his citizenship class that is almost 69 years old and has paid more than $1200 dollars to take the citizenship test twice. She has been able to pass the questions portion of the exam, but when the IO asked her "What color is my shirt?" she just blinked at him. Test failed.

My wife did take ESL classes for a couple of years after she got here. Her ability to read and write English is passable, her problem is with oral communication. In spite of this, she has a good job as a production supervisor at the Toyota plant in San Antonio. Luckily for her, the Japanese can't speak English any better than she can!

[James 2]

Have we seen anyone being approved from the loser list yet????

nope.

I occasionally get this sinking feeling that we're being treated as if we had just filed at VSC, and all the time we spent at TSC counts for nothing.

[baunzerbrudi 0]

I agree, James! If we continue seeing original, non-transfer VSc filer approvals from Sept/Oct , I think we are in for another 7 months. Maybe if VSC posts official times beyond March 1st, inquiries can help as we would be outside the processing times!

[tnh9479 1]

I think that is the way VSC works. Our petition was signed for on 12/14 in Texas. Our NOA date is 12/28 for Vermont. I thought it was always supposed to be the day they originally received it. It worked that way way back when we filed for the K-1 and it got transferred to Cali. I keep watching you guys because I think the way Texas works is, well, #######. I hate when we have to file anything to that blackhole. Who knows what will happen!

Twila

[Cassie 8]

Have we seen anyone being approved from the loser list yet????

nope.

I occasionally get this sinking feeling that we're being treated as if we had just filed at VSC, and all the time we spent at TSC counts for nothing.

*sigh*

[tweety 1]

sigh.... one year now and still no card

[Aussielad 37]

well im going to hit 6 months this week at VSC, is this normal??? does anyone think that an approval will come soon? my wife and i were tlaking about it the other day and for the price we paid and the service we're getting, its really slow! lol

[James 2]

sigh.... one year now and still no card

Happy anniversary, tweety!!!!!

[Kez/JWolf 6]

well im going to hit 6 months this week at VSC, is this normal??? does anyone think that an approval will come soon? my wife and i were tlaking about it the other day and for the price we paid and the service we're getting, its really slow! lol

Yeh it looks like VSC has slowed down some... I have been waiting almost 7 months.... it could well be that they have put us all to one side while they work on the TSC transfers.... so it could be another 4 months + before we get approved....

Makes me sick when I see people get approved in just a few weeks at CSC....

oh well

Kez

[Cassie 8]

Have we seen anyone being approved from the loser list yet????

nope.

I occasionally get this sinking feeling that we're being treated as if we had just filed at VSC, and all the time we spent at TSC counts for nothing.

*sigh*

methinks this thread is giving us the answer......

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=115124

[kbf 0]

Just got this email.

Current Status: Card production ordered.

On March 10, 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.