Did you send something fun & original with the I-130 ?

[Army_Wife 2]

Ok .... there appears to be a bit of discrepancy with the accepted notion of 'first come first approved' at the USCIS.

Sure, there are a couple of July filers without approval ... and there's a bit of backlog .... but there are some which are getting approved way ahead of schedule.

The fact there was a November I-130 filer (November 20th 2007) who got approved on February 7th 2008 through Vermont just proves my point.

So .... let's look outside the box for a second and consider the thought ..... as the adjudicators are human, do they tend to deal more quickly with the I-130 packages which look more appealing ??? .... don't think I'm being silly .... this is quite basic psychology, and probably something most of us didn't take into consideration when sending our paperwork in.

I presume most of us went the usual route of sending in the bog standard paperwork ... a few photos .... cover letter .... marriage certificate ... and anything else you can find that documents some form of ongoing relationship.

However ..... were there any of you which sent something a little fun & different ? ..... and you've been approved ?

Did any of you use fun coloured paper ?

What colour envelope did you send your stuff in ?

Did anyone send a DVD of themselves ?

Did anyone slip in a small but meaningful gift ?

Most importantly of all .... how big were the envelopes you sent ? .... did you pay for a small packet to be delivered ? .... or was there the necessity for big machinery to be involved in the delivery of your application, meaning it will take the adjudicator a year to read through it ?

Let's take the heat out of this 'piece of string' wait, and actually consider something else .... some of you are getting ahead faster than others, so there has to be a reason .... and noone seems to have broached this point before.

[CarolynRitesh 0]

Ok .... there appears to be a bit of discrepancy with the accepted notion of 'first come first approved' at the USCIS.

Sure, there are a couple of July filers without approval ... and there's a bit of backlog .... but there are some which are getting approved way ahead of schedule.

The fact there was a November I-130 filer (November 20th 2007) who got approved on February 7th 2008 through Vermont just proves my point.

So .... let's look outside the box for a second and consider the thought ..... as the adjudicators are human, do they tend to deal more quickly with the I-130 packages which look more appealing ??? .... don't think I'm being silly .... this is quite basic psychology, and probably something most of us didn't take into consideration when sending our paperwork in.

I presume most of us went the usual route of sending in the bog standard paperwork ... a few photos .... cover letter .... marriage certificate ... and anything else you can find that documents some form of ongoing relationship.

However ..... were there any of you which sent something a little fun & different ? ..... and you've been approved ?

Did any of you use fun coloured paper ?

What colour envelope did you send your stuff in ?

Did anyone send a DVD of themselves ?

Did anyone slip in a small but meaningful gift ?

Most importantly of all .... how big were the envelopes you sent ? .... did you pay for a small packet to be delivered ? .... or was there the necessity for big machinery to be involved in the delivery of your application, meaning it will take the adjudicator a year to read through it ?

Let's take the heat out of this 'piece of string' wait, and actually consider something else .... some of you are getting ahead faster than others, so there has to be a reason .... and noone seems to have broached this point before.

Sorry to jump on this thread as I submitted my I-130 DCF, but I think the key sentence above relates to the fact that someone was processed quicky in Vermont - I am sure I read somewhere else that Vermont moved VERY quickly for them - rather than the idea of an unusual package. Although I like the idea, and personally would love to see something unusual in a day of papers papers papers. I can say that the USCIS people in Delhi tore apart our lovingly arranged package in about 3 minutes and literally pushed things back through the window so that they fell on the floor. In our case, the fact that we got to the rep. right before lunch time seemed to speed things up!

As far as a DVD goes, I don't think the offices have anything that they can use to play those on, and it might even hinder your process. The gift idea is interesting, just trying to figure out what would be meaningful to a government employee of an unknown sex! If you were to send some kind of food, etc., it could even be looked upon with suspicion! I too would love to hear from anyone who has tried something unique - I wonder if you would even get an feedback about that from UCSIS?

[daileydiver 0]

I really do not think this has any bearing on the order that petitions are worked on. I cannot find it right now, but somewhere here there an interview with a former adjudicator for USCIS. It is really informative as to how the process works. Wish I could find the link and I would post it, maybe someone else has it bookmarked.

[trailmix 77]

Here is the link, it can be found on the Guides page by clicking the tab at the top of this page:

Q&A Session with a former USCIS Adjudicator

Now, while the fact that you put your application in a big pink envelope might not make any difference as to when it actually arrives on an adjudicator's desk - if you were the adjudicator, might you find the pink envelope more interesting and therefore open it first?

Then again, depends on the individual. Some might resent the big pink envelope and send it to the bottom of the pile

Edited March 10, 2008 by trailmix

[Army_Wife 2]

Here is the link, it can be found on the Guides page by clicking the tab at the top of this page:

Q&A Session with a former USCIS Adjudicator

Now, while the fact that you put your application in a big pink envelope might not make any difference as to when it actually arrives on an adjudicator's desk - if you were the adjudicator, might you find the pink envelope more interesting and therefore open it first?

Then again, depends on the individual. Some might resent the big pink envelope and send it to the bottom of the pile

to send the big pink envelope .... or not to send the big pink envelope .... that is the question.

Personally, if someone sent something a little different to the norm, I'd definately be more attracted to it and want to open it first .... but then, I may also leave it to when I'm very bored of the bog standard brown envelopes, just to brighten my day.

Daileydiver, this would have bearing to some adjudicators ......

...... for example, let's take an imaginary adjudicator (who's to say there is one of these and who's to say there isn't) ..... Mrs. Smith in the California Service Centre who has a lovely big hairdo, laquered with hairspray and green eyeshadow to match her outfit that day ..... she loves all of her 6 cats and wish she could take them to work ..... but makes do with photos of them on her desk and her wacky furry pen lids ...... she spies the big pink envelope and looks at it longingly ..... wondering if she can curb her temptation to just open it NOW as opposed to when it should be opened in another 2 months .... I bet after her 5th cup of coffee and her 8th boring brown enveloped file ..... she falls foul to the temptation ..... and the big pink envelope sender gets approved 10 minutes later.

Mrs. Smith would feel satisfied from the injection of fun into her day .... and the senders of the big pink envelope are calling the NVC to get their new case number and buying more big pink envelopes.

I read the conversation with the adjudicator weeks ago, and to be honest, it sounds like he was making it all sound like everyone goes by the book ..... very few people on this planet 'go by the book' .... especially when there's a numbers game involved and their pay is linked to it.

There are November I-130 filers (two I'm aware of so far) who have already been approved before the August filers are finished. Hmmmm, did they use the big pink envelope?

..... I'm tempted to gather some more relationship evidence and send it to the service centre to be put with my file, all neatly put together in a 'Sponge Bob Square Pants' lunchbox ..... there we not only have injected a little bit of amusement into the adjudicators dull day ..... but inadvertantly given him/her a small but 'possibly' meaningful gift .... who knows, they may all fight over who gets to input the file .... so they can 'win' the lunch box.

Legal disclaimer: I am not suggesting we all send more information in cute but eyecatching containers, I'm merely saying we should consider the nature of the human brain. Plus, it's always good to think some lighter thoughts during our long wait

Edited March 10, 2008 by KipandSarahJayne

[Marlita 0]

I thought it was stated in that adjucators post that all files are just ripped apart and put in standard USCIS format BEFORE they reach an processor so in actualilty no one really sees the pink envelope but the mail room...if what he says was correct.

[daileydiver 0]

I thought it was stated in that adjucators post that all files are just ripped apart and put in standard USCIS format BEFORE they reach an processor so in actualilty no one really sees the pink envelope but the mail room...if what he says was correct.

That is how I read it also....everything is taken out of our envelopes and put into some kind of standard USCIS "folder". Who know, its worth a shot, cant do any harm.

[GabiandVi 34]

Legal disclaimer: I am not suggesting we all send more information in cute but eyecatching containers, I'm merely saying we should consider the nature of the human brain. Plus, it's always good to think some lighter thoughts during our long wait

I agree that it couldn't hurt, though probably it wouldn't make a difference to the order in which they view your petition, especially since whatever container you send your stuff in is discarded in the mailroom in favor of a uniform file folder. But I do think just thinking about how the adjudicator is having a little chuckle at something I included gives me a little charge of excitement in doing what is essentially an otherwise very boring and a little stressful chore. As you say, adjudicators are humans and their jobs are very boring. Infusing a little humor into their days might give them a little lift so that they can work just that tiny bit faster.

I wouldn't try to include any sort of gift, however. It could be construed as a bribe. If someone wanted to be a stickler, even a handmade card for the adjudicator could cause a furor. But when I wrote the captions to the photos I included in my mini photo album, I did write them with the adjudicator as my audience.

[Army_Wife 2]

Actually, I wonder how Huskerkiev (the ex-adjudicator who gave that interview) is nowadays?

I've tried looking for his K1 timeline, but oddly enough, I can't find it .... am I looking in the wrong place ? or did he 'pull a couple of strings' on the old K1, grab the visa and the fiance ..... and ####### off ??

..... ex-employers of USCIS don't get preferential treatment ? ..... and that he wouldn't ask ..... I'd put money on the fact only a very small part of the population wouldn't try if they were in his position .... it would be seen as 'perks of the job' ..... a bit like 'paperclips' when working in an office.

I can just imagine how it went ..... a quick chat on the cellphone to one of his mates at the service centre .... '..... yeah, we were overworked and underpaid ..... but now I've got myself involved with one them foreigners .... don't suppose you can grab my file out of the pile when it arrives and wizz it through? ..... it should only take you about 5 minutes .... then we'll call it evens from me covering your back at the Christmas party ...... it's the one in the big pink envelope .....'

Legal disclaimer: I am not stating that this is how Huskerkiev's case was handled, I am merely suggesting we consider a different train of thought ... and consider why some 'packages' get overlooked for other 'packages' ..... is it always true, that the 'small pink package' gets over looked for the 'large pink package' ??

..... therefore the age old question is still valid ..... does size matter ????

[SomeoneElse 0]

I really wish someone had posted this last week, before I sent in my wife's application. I had my eye on a really cool Superman folder at WalMart, but instead chose the basic clear folder. Oh well, hindisght and all that.

[Marlita 0]

I think Husk, changed his screen name cause people were asking him too many questions and it got to be too much for him.

[MrsCat 6]

Actually, I wonder how Huskerkiev (the ex-adjudicator who gave that interview) is nowadays?

I've tried looking for his K1 timeline, but oddly enough, I can't find it .... am I looking in the wrong place ? or did he 'pull a couple of strings' on the old K1, grab the visa and the fiance ..... and ####### off ??

..... ex-employers of USCIS don't get preferential treatment ? ..... and that he wouldn't ask ..... I'd put money on the fact only a very small part of the population wouldn't try if they were in his position .... it would be seen as 'perks of the job' ..... a bit like 'paperclips' when working in an office.

I can just imagine how it went ..... a quick chat on the cellphone to one of his mates at the service centre .... '..... yeah, we were overworked and underpaid ..... but now I've got myself involved with one them foreigners .... don't suppose you can grab my file out of the pile when it arrives and wizz it through? ..... it should only take you about 5 minutes .... then we'll call it evens from me covering your back at the Christmas party ...... it's the one in the big pink envelope .....'

Legal disclaimer: I am not stating that this is how Huskerkiev's case was handled, I am merely suggesting we consider a different train of thought ... and consider why some 'packages' get overlooked for other 'packages' ..... is it always true, that the 'small pink package' gets over looked for the 'large pink package' ??

..... therefore the age old question is still valid ..... does size matter ????

My mother works as an immigration officer in Canada. Her office would be handling our application for my husband to come to Canada. I can honestly say that I would NEVER put someone in that kind of situation. She could easily get the file herself, or ask a friend with a different last name to do the same. I could have an approval within a few months. Again - I would never ask that of her or anyone. I don't know this gentleman, but I would presume he would feel the same way. His gain isn't worth the risk to someone else's career.

I could be wrong and perhaps he was laughing all the way to the airport after one month?!

But, I do like the idea of a pink envelope. I am sending my ####### to the NVC with the hottest pink envelope I can find, and make copies on scented paper. See how fast they get those NVC papers moving. =)

[reeses16 8]

K&SJ,

I like the way you think. For our K1 & AOS stuff we sent be basics. But I think we might spice up the petition to lift conditions for my own entertainment if nothing else. It certainly shouldn't hurt, and it just might help.