Time to complain to CIS Ombudsman?

[BePatience 0]

just wrote them the strongest possible e-mail I've ever written about this matter. let's hope someone reads it.

Cj

what is there e-mail address? I am planning on sending them via mail, so let hope something happen.

Krunal

[khaleda 0]

What do you write on the subject line. Are we all going to have the same subject line?

Thanks,

[hheaven67 2]

I wish you guys luck, really do! We went thru the same thing last year, waited over 180 days for our NOA2! Check out my timeline!

Emailed the Ombudsman 3x and to no avail...they just send you a "canned" response but I am hoping for all of you that it's changed. It's typical bureaucratic bullsh*t! It is SO hard to just sit and wait...waiting game, over and over and over. Now I'm waiting for the AOS & EAD! ugh! They're all scratching eachothers backs in there & no one cares, they really don't...let me rephrase that...ONE person cares & that's the woman that got us our NOA2 for the I-129F the day we called...and to this day, it's still not updated on the USCIS website! still says pending so we didn't know until it came in the mail.

Hang in there everyone! Wishing all of you the VERY best!!

jen

[cmnb 0]

What do you write on the subject line. Are we all going to have the same subject line?

Thanks,

i may be contradicting my point that i made earlier...can somebody please send me a sample of what they wrote just so i can get a little head start...i plan on doing it in the evening today when i get home...ill just shut myself in my room in seclusion and put my thoughts together...

[cris11 0]

I had now write my mail to the Ombudsman,, but like VSC, I dont have high thoughts about anything good coming out from him/her... One more weekn in the shadow of VSC...

[CJ Vasani 0]

my e-mail subject was "Vermont Service Center & Spousal Visa Applicants". I sent it to 'cisombudsman@dhs.gov''cisombudsman.trends@dhs.gov''USCIS-COMPLAINT@DHS.GOV''CISOmbudsman.Publicaffairs@dhs.gov'

[Monica&Isha 0]

I think this is such a great idea! Of course there is a chance that nothing will actually happen, but since we've been waiting for about 6 months or more, it won't hurt to try it, at least!

I'll talk to my husband so we can write a letter together and he will e-mail it, since he is the US citizen. If we have a standard text it would be helpful for those who are not very much into writing... But I prefer to write my own letter because I can mention more specific details such as places and dates. Also, so it doesn't look like spam, as someone has mentioned.

Well, good luck for us!

[Monica&Isha 0]

I was going to make a question here about DHS Form 7001 mentioned at http://www.dhs.gov/ximgtn/programs/editori...97.shtm#content

But I just found the answer there. So, from what I understand they suggested that we should file the form so we don't miss any information when writing to Ombudsman and don't delay anything. I guess since we're e-mailing them, we can just take a look at that form and put the same information in the e-mail content. Am I correct?

Edited September 11, 2008 by Monica&Isha

[khaleda 0]

Guys,

I emailed with a returned receipt this morning. Someone actually read it. I thought they were gonna trash it... Anywasy lets see what they reply....I am praying praying n praying.....

[brc22 0]

I have just e-mailed to the 4 e-mail addresses using the same subject as CJ's. For all of you who need a template for writing this e-mail - I have listed my e-mail below. Try to change the e-mail to what you want to say so it doesn't look like spam. I represented all the applicants and I really hope that we see some action.

If you prefer you can create another e-mail address with a fake name so your identity stays safe when you e-mail. It doesn't matter as you would be representing all applicants (UNION) and getting your point across.

Everyone - Please plan to send an e-mail as more e-mails go, its better for us.

PS: There have been not a single reply in IR1/CR1 forum and I have represented all of them in my e-mail. Its sad.

Format:

Respected Mr. Dougherty,

I, on behalf of hundreds of IR1/CR1 and K-3 applicants at Vermont Service Center (VSC), would like to take this opportunity to let you know about a SIGNIFICANT processing delay that we have been experiencing with VSC.

We are aware that USCIS received a large number of applications last year due to an increase in application fees. However, this surge of applications doesn't seem to have affected the processing of California Service Center (CSC) who have been approving the IR1/CR1 and K-3 petitions within an average of 60 days after the petitions have been filed. We believe that CSC has been very proactive and efficient in processing the petitions despite the surge in applications. We, IR1/CR1 and K-3 applicants at VSC, have not seen a SINGLE petition approved since 3 weeks while CSC has been approving petitions at a much higher rate. This fact reflects that the operations and processing timing of VSC are HIGHLY inefficient and sporadic.

Since many weeks, obtaining an approval from Vermont Service Center has become a RARE occurrence due to unknown reasons. There are many K-3 applicants who have been waiting for an approval since December 2007. There have been recent instances where a tiny number of applicants who have filed in March or April 2008 have been approved despite the fact that there are applicants who have filed much earlier are still waiting. Recently, some of the IR1/CR1 petitions from November 2007 to February 2008 have been transferred to CSC. However, there are other CR1/IR1 petitions still waiting at VSC.

We believe that we are at a significant disadvantage due to the fact that we live on the east coast and have filed our petitions with the disgraceful Vermont Service Center. Whenever, we inquire regarding our cases, we are constantly given a canned message of "Your case is within the processing time" where the processing time has not advanced by 1 month in last 2 months!! Being residents of United States, the country that is respected the most in the world, we have a right to know the real reasons behind the delay.

We wanted to bring this matter to your attention because we strongly believe that VSC's rate of approval for K-3 and IR1/CR1 is completely unacceptable. We all are married and long to live a happy life with our spouses who are being kept apart from us due to inefficient processing and operations at Vermont Service Center.

We all have high hopes and faith in you that you will initiate an action at VSC. We will appreciate if you could contact the VSC and inquire in this matter and their inability to process our petitions. We believe that it is not fair that people living on west coast who have filed at CSC much later than us are receiving approvals while we are not even seeing a single approval in past many weeks.

We appreciate your assistance in this matter and at the same time, hope for a flurry of approvals from VSC in upcoming days.

Sincerely,

Edited September 11, 2008 by brc22

[CJ Vasani 0]

this is excellent guys...

for people who have not e-mailed yet...please do so. we have all the reasons in the world to do this, since all we get from our congressman and senators is a canned response.

[zidane 0]

Have any of you guys used the dhs form 7001 to send in the complaint? Do you think that would be wiser to do rather than just sending an email?

[CJ Vasani 0]

Have any of you guys used the dhs form 7001 to send in the complaint? Do you think that would be wiser to do rather than just sending an email?

that form is useless. i tried it once got a canned response.

Here is my e-mail for those who need guidance....don't copy and paste it!!!!

Dear All,

I am a law abiding citizen with an immaculate background who happened to have gotten married in India. Not aware of what the immigration repercussions were, we decided to apply for my wife’s immigration petition out of New York, rather than calling her here first then getting married. Tomorrow will be the six month anniversary of my I-130 application with Vermont Service Center and there has been no update on the petition.

Upon the reading the online forums and journals, it seems many citizens are trapped in the same scenario where they are the mercy of the process to come through at Vermont Service Center. I was really hopeful about this process when I applied since I was confident about my straightforwardness of my petition and my background. Now, I am a bit worried as to when I’ll be able to reunite with my wife. The excruciating wait is not only causing mental and physical damage to me and Anu (my wife), but it’s directly threatening my career.

Can your office please investigate why so many spousal visa applications (of US Citizens) from February/March are still pending at Vermont Service Center when California Service Center seems to be processing them within couple of months? My aim is not to complain about individuals working there, but rather a request to examine the process such that the law abiding citizens of this country don’t have to go through such an ordeal. This will bring relief to many couples who are in the same situation as I and Anu are. My aim is also not to ask for an expedite, but rather simply ask for a justified processing of my petition.

In my case, I grew up in a small town in India and that’s how I know my wife and her family. We never imagined that the immigration process for immediate relatives of US Citizens would be such a challenge that it makes mockery of even the strongest individuals by breaking them apart mentally.

I really hope that someone reads this e-mail and pays the deserved attention.

Your time and effort will be appreciated by many couples and positivity generated from such goodwill will bless everyone along the way (karma).

Regards,

[khaleda 0]

This is the response that I received:

Dear Khaleda,

Thank you for your email to the Office of the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman (CIS Ombudsman). I appreciate your comments regarding theK-3 petitions and the long delays. Our office has researched this issue and written about it in our 2008 Annual Report and had a teleconference on this issue. Please see our website for more information about our research into the K-3 petition. (www.dhs.gov/cisombudsman/). We will continue to look into this issue and appreciate your input.

If you have a specific case problem that you would like our office to research, please visit our website for information on how to submit a case problem using DHS Form 7001. www.dhs.gov/cisombudsman/. For privacy reasons, we require written consent before we can research your case.

The CIS Ombudsman assists individuals and employers who experience specific problems during the USCIS benefits seeking process, largely to identify problems and to formulate recommendations to improve the USCIS service. I believe that first hand information from individuals like you is the best source for identifying systemic problems in the immigration benefits process. My office will consider the information you provided as we develop recommendations to improve USCIS’ practices and procedures.

Once again, thank you for taking the time to contact my office, and for giving me the opportunity to serve you.

CIS Ombudsman

[brc22 0]

CJ - I liked your e-mail especially the sentence - 'I really hope that someone reads this e-mail and pays the deserved attention. '

This is the response that I received:

Dear Khaleda,

Thank you for your email to the Office of the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman (CIS Ombudsman). I appreciate your comments regarding theK-3 petitions and the long delays. Our office has researched this issue and written about it in our 2008 Annual Report and had a teleconference on this issue. Please see our website for more information about our research into the K-3 petition. (www.dhs.gov/cisombudsman/). We will continue to look into this issue and appreciate your input.

If you have a specific case problem that you would like our office to research, please visit our website for information on how to submit a case problem using DHS Form 7001. www.dhs.gov/cisombudsman/. For privacy reasons, we require written consent before we can research your case.

The CIS Ombudsman assists individuals and employers who experience specific problems during the USCIS benefits seeking process, largely to identify problems and to formulate recommendations to improve the USCIS service. I believe that first hand information from individuals like you is the best source for identifying systemic problems in the immigration benefits process. My office will consider the information you provided as we develop recommendations to improve USCIS’ practices and procedures.

Once again, thank you for taking the time to contact my office, and for giving me the opportunity to serve you.

CIS Ombudsman

This seems to be yet another canned reply. I am sure that others will get the same reply. But most importantly they will see all the e-mails regarding this in their mailbox.