Lets collect some information about IMBRA effects

[Ladylethal 12]

Yodrak, yes, I see where you're heading, ok, so they have cases each year, thus it will take longer to process, but we do know they're starting to make changes in the service centers, and I think that with time they'll get more people or new procedures so the processing times won't be even longer.

I'm not sure this info will affect us immediatly.

P.S. One thing I find strange. When I got to the review page on USCIS to view the supporting statement, what I get is a different form than Mike has posted here.

Mine looks like a regular request (not emergency) and signed by a different person.

Mike, can you show the link to where you got the statement as opposed to the actual statement link? I can't seem to be finding the difference on my own.

[rlt 0]

Yeah, I´m lost there too.

I wonder if we´ll know if they approved the form by tomorrow.

[SteveInge 0]

Mike has been scavaging hunting like I was, but you had better luck this past few days.

You're being awesome!

Now I'm just wondering what does it mean exactly? That the review is done and they can see if they're gonna approve it?

Hey Folks, check this out

Marriage Protection Amendmen

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/legislative/...sjres1sap-s.pdf

And this is where youl find the 1615-0001 if appproved tomorrow

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/library/OMBI...HS.HUD.html#DHS

[Ladylethal 12]

Actually, from what I understand, this form is approved and simply going under review.

[Mike n Huong 1]

Here is the link I used.

http://www.uscis.gov/graphics/formsfee/forms/pra/

Where did you here it was approved???/

They would be great if it was.

I don't have time to read to see if it is the same or not. Let me know. I am swamped at work.

Just found this from the link posted above. Does this mean it was approved, and why is the expiration date June 30

Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services

OMB NO: 1615-0001 EXPIRATION DATE: 06/30/2006

RESPS:200,000 HOURS:100,000 COSTS(000):$1,900

Petition for Alien Fiance(e)

FORMS: I-129F

[Yodrak 7]

rlt,

I didn't miss that point, I simply wasn't addressing it (other than to observe that OMB has only had the request for 1 day).

What I did address was your question about what the numbers in the OMB notice meant, and then went on to ponder the consequences of that information.

Yodrak

That´s what you meant? Maybe you missed my point.

The backlog we have now can´t be for that reason, since this new form hasn´t even been approved.

Let´s say they approve it. Ok, then we´ll add more time for the applications to be processed.

But the backlog we have now is because we need a new form and it isn´t ready yet. Actually, it is ready but it´s waiting for OMB to approve it.

So what I asked you and the other members is if you know of any case where OMB approved a new form in 2 days.

That´s all. Not asking about how long will it take for them to process the cases. I´ll save that question for when they start processing again.

Do you understand what I mean? Sorry if I wasn´t clear before.

mike,

Note that the link to the I-129f Supporting statement, reached from the link to the PRARC page in your post, appears to have changed. The supporting statement that comes up now, and that you quote from in your post, is from when the current I-129f was sent for approval to incorporate the provisions of the LIFE Act. It is not the supporting statement for the proposed I-129f to incorporate the provisions of IMBRA.

Yodrak

Here is the link I used.

http://www.uscis.gov/graphics/formsfee/forms/pra/

Where did you here it was approved???/

They would be great if it was.

I don't have time to read to see if it is the same or not. Let me know. I am swamped at work.

Just found this from the link posted above. Does this mean it was approved, and why is the expiration date June 30

Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services

OMB NO: 1615-0001 EXPIRATION DATE: 06/30/2006

RESPS:200,000 HOURS:100,000 COSTS(000):$1,900

Petition for Alien Fiance(e)

FORMS: I-129F

Edited June 8, 2006 by Yodrak

[Ladylethal 12]

Hmmm, using the new link you gave me, Mike, I still see what I was seeing directly from the site, and it has changed indeed.

Now it says "Extension for an approved form" and no emergency was requested.

Now I'm thinking the emergency was denied and we'll have to wait the 30 days to go by.

[Mew 0]

Nobody else sees that the estimated time for processing I-129f has increased by a factor of 3, from 0.5 hours per petition to 1.5 hours per petition? From 100,000 hours per year to 300,000 hours per year spent processing I-129f petitions? Unless resources to process the petitions are tripled, might that not have an impact on the backlog?

Yodrak

rlt,

The OMB item clearly states that the request for review was received 7 June - yesterday. The only other information it provides, also quite clearly, is the processing burden and cost as compared to the old I-129f.

That information is very provocative, and everyone is commenting on how great the find is, yet everyone is asking the same thing you are about what the notice does not say rather than pondering what it does say. I find that to be very interesting, but I guess not unexpected. VJers in general see the words but often do not read what they mean.

Read the OMB notice again, then read the USCIS supporting statement again, and then think about the implications carefully. Let me know if you get some ideas of what I'm alluding to.

Yodrak

I sure did and still do..

Just trying to understand if any of that information would give us an idea on whether they (OMB) have started looking at the new form or not.

Is there any way to tell?

...

Ok. Just read the OMB notice and the USCIS statement.

I don´t know what you mean about the implications. I honestly don´t.

And yes, sometimes I read the words and do not understand what they mean.

If you do, please share that with us.

About the implications, do you mean it´s not possible for OMB to approve USCIS request?

Thanks.

In response to Yodrak's concerns. I don't know if I couldn't understand what they mean by time of burden, or whether Yodrak was referring to that specific piece of info, but I think they set an estimate amount of time that each person filling out the forms will most likely spend.

Here, from the form that's on USCIS website today (http://www.uscis.gov/graphics/formsfee/forms/files/I-129F.pdf)

What Is the Reporting Burden? Under the Paperwork Reduction Act, a person is notrequired to respond to a collection of information unless itdisplays a currently valid OMB control number. We try tocreate forms and instructions that are accurate, can beeasily understood and that impose the least possibleburden on you to provide us with information. Often thisis difficult because some immigration laws are verycomplex.

The estimated time to file this application is 30minutes per application

.

And from the drafted I-129f (http://www.uscis.gov/graphics/formsfee/forms/pra/I-129F-DRAFT.pdf):

Under the Paperwork Reduction Act, a person is notrequired to respond to a collection of information unless itdisplays a currently valid OMB control number.

We try to create forms and instructions that are accurate, canbe easily understood and that impose the least possibleburden on you to provide us with information. Often this is difficult because some immigration laws are very complex. The estimated time to file this petition is 1 hour, 30minutes per petition.

Maybe I'm guessing all wrong - and it can be totally possible - , but when they refer to reporting burden, they mean the time petitioners spend filling forms out.

[Yodrak 7]

Mew,

I initially thought as you do. What caused me to consider that the USCIS was talking about it's own burden in processing the forms for the OMB review is the cost calculation that is also part of the supporting information that goes to OMB.

Upon further reading of the supporting statement and continuing review of the cost calculation I am coming back to the point of view that the burden and the cost are on the part of the petitioners. I hope so! But I still can't make sense of the cost calculation when comparing the current supporting statement to the last one.

Yodrak

Under the Paperwork Reduction Act, a person is notrequired to respond to a collection of information unless itdisplays a currently valid OMB control number.

We try to create forms and instructions that are accurate, canbe easily understood and that impose the least possibleburden on you to provide us with information. Often this is difficult because some immigration laws are very complex. The estimated time to file this petition is 1 hour, 30minutes per petition.

Maybe I'm guessing all wrong - and it can be totally possible - , but when they refer to reporting burden, they mean the time petitioners spend filling forms out.

Edited June 8, 2006 by Yodrak

[Texanbybirth 0]

Okay the link that I am looking at...has the new form in the draft form. If you notice it has a revised date of May 23, 2006 and an expiration date of June 30, 2006. I have no idea what this means, but wanted to point it out. Also the link that Steve posted...actually is a link to OFFICE OF INFORMATION AND REGULATORY AFFAIRS

INVENTORY OF APPROVED INFORMATION COLLECTIONS

JUNE 02, 2006

Does this mean it's already approved? Just some things to think about.

[chimi 0]

Hmmm, using the new link you gave me, Mike, I still see what I was seeing directly from the site, and it has changed indeed.

Now it says "Extension for an approved form" and no emergency was requested.

Now I'm thinking the emergency was denied and we'll have to wait the 30 days to go by.

The document and supporting statement appear to be old, since all it mentions is the LIFE act, don't you think?

[Mew 0]

The document and supporting statement appear to be old, since all it mentions is the LIFE act, don't you think?

Chimi, although the Supportment Statement doesn't mention IMBRA, but only the LIFE Act, I think this draft we're talking about already reflects IMBRA, as it especifically mentions it on items 3, 4 and 9.

3. Compliance with the International MarriageBroker Regulation Act (IMBRA).

If you met your fiancé or spouse through the services of aninternational marriage broker, you must notify USCIS ofthat fact by answering Question 19 on this form. The term“international marriage broker” means a corporation,partnership, business, individual, or other legal entity,whether or not organized under any law of the UnitedStates, that charges fees for providing dating, matrimonial,matchmaking services, or social referrals between UnitedStates citizens or nationals or aliens lawfully admitted tothe United States as lawful permanent residents andforeign national clients by providing personal contactinformation or otherwise facilitating communicationbetween individuals. For additional IMBRA requirements,see items 4 and 9 of these instructions.

[rlt 0]

Hang on.

The approved forms by OMB go to this link Steve posted?

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/library/OMBI...HS.HUD.html#DHS

Because if they will, and what we are waiting for is the 1615-0001, it is already there...

Only that the expiration date is 06/30/2006.

So what I think is that the draft is actually approved, and that the link http://www.uscis.gov/graphics/formsfee/for...i-129f_83-i.pdf is not like the stataments we read. It might be their request to use the approved form for 180 days. I really don´t know, but it looks like the draft is approved and they´re now asking for a revision of a currently approved collection by June 9th.

[Ladylethal 12]

I thought that at first, but now I can't seem to see the link Mike gave anymore, I mean, now the same link shows a regular review, and not the one that says it should be approved by June 9th. It either means we're screwed, or that the emergency one was approved and is now with the OMB before release.

EDIT: Now I am thinking that the emergency one was approved, and that what we see now under review is the regular 60-day notice review they said they'd be doing paralel to the emergency one. I hope that's what it is, at least.

[rlt 0]

Maybe the link is not there for us to click, but the file is still there as we can see here: http://www.uscis.gov/graphics/formsfee/for...i-129f_83-i.pdf

I don´t think there´s another request as this one in the USCIS website only with a different date for an approval.

I think this is still going.

I´m just not sure if the 1615-0001 being on that OMB page Steve showed means it was approved...