Question for those who contacted Congressman

[Army_Wife 2]

Ilya .... have you taken a look at this website ?

http://americanfamiliesunited.com/index.php

[kitty loves moudi 0]

I have to aggree with Ms Z, K-1's are also processed so much faster.. yet because we chose to marry and then submit the paperwork.. we've gotten caught up on this delay. December and January filers are getting approved, while we are October filer.

If infact USCIS is using the NOA1 date, mine is in january.. so december and january filers should still be waiting, right? It took over 90 days to get my NOA1

Kitty, sadly for all you guys who filed in October and got caught up in the delays had your NOA1's delayed considerably.

Technically you should be correct with December/January filers should still be waiting, but instead they clumped a lot of us together with late 2007 filers and gave us all very close NOA1's.

Is that fair for you guys ? ... no.

December NOA1's appear to be almost at the end and they have definately started on January NOA1's as they are a good quarter of the way throught them. But in those January NOA1's, you also have some December filers.

Kitty, I pray your approval won't be much longer as this system is not really a system at all, it's just an abuse of power and human rights.

Stay strong and don't let these idiots with their little black marker pens get you down

Thank you for your prayers and thoughfulness Sara. Indeed, I hope that all of us past our 6 months get our approvals soon and the slate is clean to continue approvals at faster rates! According to my NOA in january.. i should be getting my approval?

[Army_Wife 2]

I have to aggree with Ms Z, K-1's are also processed so much faster.. yet because we chose to marry and then submit the paperwork.. we've gotten caught up on this delay. December and January filers are getting approved, while we are October filer.

If infact USCIS is using the NOA1 date, mine is in january.. so december and january filers should still be waiting, right? It took over 90 days to get my NOA1

Kitty, sadly for all you guys who filed in October and got caught up in the delays had your NOA1's delayed considerably.

Technically you should be correct with December/January filers should still be waiting, but instead they clumped a lot of us together with late 2007 filers and gave us all very close NOA1's.

Is that fair for you guys ? ... no.

December NOA1's appear to be almost at the end and they have definately started on January NOA1's as they are a good quarter of the way throught them. But in those January NOA1's, you also have some December filers.

Kitty, I pray your approval won't be much longer as this system is not really a system at all, it's just an abuse of power and human rights.

Stay strong and don't let these idiots with their little black marker pens get you down

Thank you for your prayers and thoughfulness Sara. Indeed, I hope that all of us past our 6 months get our approvals soon and the slate is clean to continue approvals at faster rates! According to my NOA in january.. i should be getting my approval?

Kitty, I'm human, and I totally feel for you .... this system is a joke.

I've found so many flaws it isn't funny ... and that's just in the rubbish they tell us ... I'm actually used to government corruption and have a lot of experience with it.

Yes, I think your approval is imminent ..... even if it had been the day after you sent your application, it was too long.

I'm hoping you hear by the end of May at the latest, unless these idiots don't slow down with the K1's quick enough.

Just look at Delicia's spread sheet .... I've found Vermont only

http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pUr...KbwRg&gid=2

Look at the approvals for December NOA1's, and you'll find that they're almost finished .... January is what they are mostly working on now ..... and a little bit of February NOA1's.

Don't give up hope my lovely.

We are all in this together .... and we are all human.

My prayers are with you and everyone ..... as even one day away from our loved ones is way too long.

Hang in there

[MrsCat 6]

We were approved in February, found out in March from a phone call to USCIS. However, we've never received an official letter stating our approval and our online application still says pending. After 3 calls to USCIS asking for a copy of the letter - and assurances that they would mail a copy out we're still waiting.

My husband faxed Senator Akaka's office at the end of April to ask whether they could get a copy for us. He got a generic letter in the mail from the Senator today - basically saying that they're looking into his file, should have results shortly, will keep him posted if they get some resolve. I asked that my husband take this route rather than he have to wait on the phone and by the mailbox for a few weeks. This is what public officials do when they're working in their constituencies. If he gets results great, if not, c'est la vie.

I understand that people think you should only contact your Senator when you have a "genuine" issue - and complaining sooner means your intention is to jump the queue. I completely disagree. If nothing else, complaining to your public officials puts scrutiny on the practices of a poor run organization/public body. If practices are not scrutinized, then there is no chance that process will change or improve. Complaining (even without results) puts your concerns on the table. USCIS is a bureaucracy after all and change takes time. But change rarely comes from within, any of those changes come from external pressures . . . . I digress.

[pushbrk 13,085]

We were approved in February, found out in March from a phone call to USCIS. However, we've never received an official letter stating our approval and our online application still says pending. After 3 calls to USCIS asking for a copy of the letter - and assurances that they would mail a copy out we're still waiting.

My husband faxed Senator Akaka's office at the end of April to ask whether they could get a copy for us. He got a generic letter in the mail from the Senator today - basically saying that they're looking into his file, should have results shortly, will keep him posted if they get some resolve. I asked that my husband take this route rather than he have to wait on the phone and by the mailbox for a few weeks. This is what public officials do when they're working in their constituencies. If he gets results great, if not, c'est la vie.

I understand that people think you should only contact your Senator when you have a "genuine" issue - and complaining sooner means your intention is to jump the queue. I completely disagree. If nothing else, complaining to your public officials puts scrutiny on the practices of a poor run organization/public body. If practices are not scrutinized, then there is no chance that process will change or improve. Complaining (even without results) puts your concerns on the table. USCIS is a bureaucracy after all and change takes time. But change rarely comes from within, any of those changes come from external pressures . . . . I digress.

Contacting and complaining doesn't mean you're wanting to jump the queue. Contacting and requesting a government official help you jump the queue is. It depends on what you're asking for and when. Complaining is not the same as asking for favors.

[MsZ 6]

If there were a queue that we could identify, it'd be one thing. But not understanding their queueing mechanism causes a lot of confusion. And, being told one thing and watching them do another is also confusing. So calling a government representative to tell you what the hell is going on at USCIS with your application isn't really trying to jump ahead in the line.

[pushbrk 13,085]

If there were a queue that we could identify, it'd be one thing. But not understanding their queueing mechanism causes a lot of confusion. And, being told one thing and watching them do another is also confusing. So calling a government representative to tell you what the hell is going on at USCIS with your application isn't really trying to jump ahead in the line.

Of course not. Only trying to jump the line is trying to jump the line.

No, it's not he dress that makes you look fat, it's the fat that makes you look fat. (or in my case it's not the pants...)

[MrsCat 6]

We were approved in February, found out in March from a phone call to USCIS. However, we've never received an official letter stating our approval and our online application still says pending. After 3 calls to USCIS asking for a copy of the letter - and assurances that they would mail a copy out we're still waiting.

My husband faxed Senator Akaka's office at the end of April to ask whether they could get a copy for us. He got a generic letter in the mail from the Senator today - basically saying that they're looking into his file, should have results shortly, will keep him posted if they get some resolve. I asked that my husband take this route rather than he have to wait on the phone and by the mailbox for a few weeks. This is what public officials do when they're working in their constituencies. If he gets results great, if not, c'est la vie.

I understand that people think you should only contact your Senator when you have a "genuine" issue - and complaining sooner means your intention is to jump the queue. I completely disagree. If nothing else, complaining to your public officials puts scrutiny on the practices of a poor run organization/public body. If practices are not scrutinized, then there is no chance that process will change or improve. Complaining (even without results) puts your concerns on the table. USCIS is a bureaucracy after all and change takes time. But change rarely comes from within, any of those changes come from external pressures . . . . I digress.

Contacting and complaining doesn't mean you're wanting to jump the queue. Contacting and requesting a government official help you jump the queue is. It depends on what you're asking for and when. Complaining is not the same as asking for favors.

Agreed. Sorry, somewhat mistaken when you had written.

[pushbrk 13,085]

We were approved in February, found out in March from a phone call to USCIS. However, we've never received an official letter stating our approval and our online application still says pending. After 3 calls to USCIS asking for a copy of the letter - and assurances that they would mail a copy out we're still waiting.

My husband faxed Senator Akaka's office at the end of April to ask whether they could get a copy for us. He got a generic letter in the mail from the Senator today - basically saying that they're looking into his file, should have results shortly, will keep him posted if they get some resolve. I asked that my husband take this route rather than he have to wait on the phone and by the mailbox for a few weeks. This is what public officials do when they're working in their constituencies. If he gets results great, if not, c'est la vie.

I understand that people think you should only contact your Senator when you have a "genuine" issue - and complaining sooner means your intention is to jump the queue. I completely disagree. If nothing else, complaining to your public officials puts scrutiny on the practices of a poor run organization/public body. If practices are not scrutinized, then there is no chance that process will change or improve. Complaining (even without results) puts your concerns on the table. USCIS is a bureaucracy after all and change takes time. But change rarely comes from within, any of those changes come from external pressures . . . . I digress.

Contacting and complaining doesn't mean you're wanting to jump the queue. Contacting and requesting a government official help you jump the queue is. It depends on what you're asking for and when. Complaining is not the same as asking for favors.

Agreed. Sorry, somewhat mistaken when you had written.

My questions were to bring reality into focus for the OP. Now she feels better and has an outlet to contact the press but her political contact hasn't helped her expedite her visa process in the least and cannot until 210 days passes.

[Ilya R. 0]

Update,

I would like to thank everyone who pm'd me with ideas and suggestions, thanks! I have got in to a contact with one of the writters at NYT who handles immigration, my goal is to have this system improve, I dont want to cheat over anyone and jump ahead. But I want people in 5 years not to go through what most of us go. Wish us luck, and hopefully pick up NYT with our article in the future.! GOOD DAY!

[Amastar 0]

Update,

I would like to thank everyone who pm'd me with ideas and suggestions, thanks! I have got in to a contact with one of the writters at NYT who handles immigration, my goal is to have this system improve, I dont want to cheat over anyone and jump ahead. But I want people in 5 years not to go through what most of us go. Wish us luck, and hopefully pick up NYT with our article in the future.! GOOD DAY!

Good job man!

I hope you guys (and everyone waiting) gets approved soon.

[Catt 6]

Big thanks from us as well, Ilya.

It's great you're making the effort to bring these issues out into the open.

Big hug,

Cat

[sgr 0]

Update,

I would like to thank everyone who pm'd me with ideas and suggestions, thanks! I have got in to a contact with one of the writters at NYT who handles immigration, my goal is to have this system improve, I dont want to cheat over anyone and jump ahead. But I want people in 5 years not to go through what most of us go. Wish us luck, and hopefully pick up NYT with our article in the future.! GOOD DAY!

good job ilya....just make sure it 's written on FRONT PAGE WITH BIG FONT" so BLIND people (USCIS) can read too ...... Mr.president should get a wake up call on that day toooo.

[DerZinker 4]

Nice Work on making the system work for you and for making your voice heard!

I know it doesn't totally coincide with your case but my congressman did wonders for me. Very likely I'll be contacting him again in the near future when we file the I-130.

Last summer we had been married already for a year and-a-half and I had already filed an I-129F once. So needless to say they were pretty reluctant when we wanted to get my wife a B1/B2 Tourist visa so she could just come up to visit my family etc... It's a familiar story for a lot of posters on here I'm sure. So prior to her interview anticipating that she would be denied (she had already been denied the tourist visa twice in the past before we met), I called both senators and my representative. Senators mostly blew me off, but our Repub. Senator eventually offered to help (way after the fact) and the dem. senator was the only one of the three that flat out said 'No way she's getting that Tourist Visa, sorry.' Thanks for that. However congressman stepped up and sent some faxes and did their homework to try and help us.

So we were as prepared as we could possibly be and she went to her interview. Denied. Ouch.

I called the congressman back and they were pretty shocked. To our surprise just a day later the US consulate called my wife and told her that they had given her an emergency appointment for the B1/B2 interview. Of course we had to pay again, but whatever. They also told her what exact documents she needed to bring in, and sure enough she got a 10 year visitor visa. WoW

Mind you, I only ever spoke to thier 'people' and never actually to the senators or congressman themselves. But there's no doubt that my wife wouldn't ever have had the opportunity to visit without the help of our congressman.

By the way, my representative is Tom Tancredo, go figure! What a guy!

[Catt 6]

Update,

I would like to thank everyone who pm'd me with ideas and suggestions, thanks! I have got in to a contact with one of the writters at NYT who handles immigration, my goal is to have this system improve, I dont want to cheat over anyone and jump ahead. But I want people in 5 years not to go through what most of us go. Wish us luck, and hopefully pick up NYT with our article in the future.! GOOD DAY!

good job ilya....just make sure it 's written on FRONT PAGE WITH BIG FONT" so BLIND people (USCIS) can read too ...... Mr.president should get a wake up call on that day toooo.

Do you guys think the NY Times also has subscriptions in Vermont?