February 09 - VSC

[Dave & Jenny 0]

Ok... here is my first draft.... critique this please!!!

Congressman Tom Price

3730 Roswell Road

Suite 50

Marietta, GA 30062

Attn: Tina McIntosh

August 24, 2009

Dear Tina,

I am again writing you for your assistance to get someone within the governmental bureaucracy to act on my file. Since last writing your office just over a month ago (July 22, 2009) the USCIS have approved no less than 33 couples that have filed their 129F in April (or later) leaving no less than 64 couples that filed their 129F in the month of March, not to mention countless couples from prior months. (Please see the attached sheets for further detail).

Today I am officially outside of the normal processing time of five (5) months as posted on the USCIS website. I called the USCIS (under the new guidelines posted on August 6th) and spoke to a Customer Service person who was unable to give me any detail whatsoever. I asked this representative to connect me with an officer of the USCIS, which she gladly did. I spoke with an Officer Davidoff who in turn entered a referral service request (referral # ETC-XXXXXXXXXXXXX-VSC).

While I appreciate that each 129F is a little different and may require a slightly different processing, I find it appalling that people that have filed a full 30 days (and more) are getting their approvals so quickly while people that have waited patiently, longer are being ignored. To help put this in perspective since I do not believe you have personally been through this agonizing process… and are probably being fed the same rhetoric from the USCIS that I get...

1) 10 out of the last 20 approvals from the Vermont Service Center (see attached) filed their cases in April. 6 of these 10 (60%) are virtually a full 30 days younger than my file.

2) Week Ending August 17th 2009 there were 40 approvals from the Vermont Service Center. Of the 40 approvals, 11 were filed after April 1, 2009. 27% of the approvals are younger than the 64 couples still waiting their approval.

3) Week Ending August 24, 2009 there have been 35 approvals posted so far (it is early in the day as I write this letter). Of the 35 approvals a WHOPPING 21 or 60% are dated as filed in the month of April.

I previously wrote you about the disparity between the two major Service Centers. The California Service Center is routinely approving 129F applications dated Mid-May while Vermont Service Center according to their own website has an official (public) date of March 5th, but in my opinion gathered from data available on the web, approving on average Mid-April applicants.

Ok, I am confused...I don't see the official date of March 5th. I do see that on August 13, they posted/published their "official" processing times as of June 30, 2009 which stated that for I129F fiance petition, the processing time was "5 months". This web page also says (the bold is there on the web page too):

IMPORTANT: If your receipt notice date is earlier then the processing date shown, we suggest you call our USCIS Customer Service Office at 1-800-375-5283 for assistance.

[Richard-Joanna 1]

Yeah, Roman is about as useful as a USCIS customer service rep!!!

Dave, I dont know, I saw it yesterday... I agree, however... 5 months should be the day... when you call they also tell you that March 5th is the day... I dont care! I filed the service request anyway.

Edited August 24, 2009 by Richard-Joanna

[Roman&Marina 0]

Yeah, Roman is about as useful as a USCIS customer service rep!!!

That's a low blow Rich. I am not going to call you anymore either (just like Maire).

[Richard-Joanna 1]

Yeah, Roman is about as useful as a USCIS customer service rep!!!

That's a low blow Rich. I am not going to call you anymore either (just like Maire).

[Maire 1]

Yeah, Roman is about as useful as a USCIS customer service rep!!!

That's a low blow Rich. I am not going to call you anymore either (just like Maire).

[Dave & Jenny 0]

Yeah, Roman is about as useful as a USCIS customer service rep!!!

Dave, I dont know, I saw it yesterday... I agree, however... 5 months should be the day... when you call they also tell you that March 5th is the day... I dont care! I filed the service request anyway.

When you call, they don't have a clue...

Let them know that their published, official processing times are available and you are happy to point them to the link, print the article or help them otherwise become more informed. They do NOT in my opinion perform any sort of actual customer support, but exist as a way of keeping the people with pitchforks and torches away.

In my opinion, there should be a service level guarantee with our $455 check. If they do not adjudicate withing the "normal processing time" (or withing 6 months) as of the date we apply, they should have to complete the adjudication *AND* refund the fee (and pay a penalty that escalates starting > 3 months after that). THAT would make them actually meet the service level.

[Maire 1]

Yeah, Roman is about as useful as a USCIS customer service rep!!!

Dave, I dont know, I saw it yesterday... I agree, however... 5 months should be the day... when you call they also tell you that March 5th is the day... I dont care! I filed the service request anyway.

When you call, they don't have a clue...

Let them know that their published, official processing times are available and you are happy to point them to the link, print the article or help them otherwise become more informed. They do NOT in my opinion perform any sort of actual customer support, but exist as a way of keeping the people with pitchforks and torches away.

In my opinion, there should be a service level guarantee with our $455 check. If they do not adjudicate withing the "normal processing time" (or withing 6 months) as of the date we apply, they should have to complete the adjudication *AND* refund the fee (and pay a penalty that escalates starting > 3 months after that). THAT would make them actually meet the service level.

AMEN!!!

[Richard-Joanna 1]

Ok... letter finished and faxed to the loverly and beguiling Tina along with a boatload of data

[Dgard 0]

Yeah, Roman is about as useful as a USCIS customer service rep!!!

Dave, I dont know, I saw it yesterday... I agree, however... 5 months should be the day... when you call they also tell you that March 5th is the day... I dont care! I filed the service request anyway.

When you call, they don't have a clue...

Let them know that their published, official processing times are available and you are happy to point them to the link, print the article or help them otherwise become more informed. They do NOT in my opinion perform any sort of actual customer support, but exist as a way of keeping the people with pitchforks and torches away.

In my opinion, there should be a service level guarantee with our $455 check. If they do not adjudicate withing the "normal processing time" (or withing 6 months) as of the date we apply, they should have to complete the adjudication *AND* refund the fee (and pay a penalty that escalates starting > 3 months after that). THAT would make them actually meet the service level.

Oh I like this a lot! Perhaps they'd actually process cases "in the order they were received" then. Haha. Though they never have any excuse as to why so many with significantly earlier dates are being processed first. Sorry, they're not all expedites.

[lizandpat 0]

Ok... letter finished and faxed to the loverly and beguiling Tina along with a boatload of data

Dang...read it too late but wanted to tell you it sounded great, Richard!!!

[Richard-Joanna 1]

The rest of the letter

Tina, it is incredibly frustrating being in the process and watching the disparity of the approvals between the service centers and being forced to use Vermont because of my place of domicile. It is further very aggravating to see people that have not waited nearly as long getting approved while I am helpless to do anything but watch. I originally contacted your office for help in this process and I do greatly appreciate your attention and efforts, the replies that you get from the USCIS are basically the exact same information we can get off the web or are just a standardized form letter responding to your inquiry. This leads me to a question… WHO do I have to contact that has some pull within the USCIS?

When you call the USCIS they deny any approvals in April and if they say, if there are April approvals then they must have been expedites, which they are not. The call center is absolutely useless, they read scripts and only tell you what is on the USCIS website. This whole process is broken and in dire need of repair. In the age we live in with all the wonders of technology at our finger tips… it is amazing this process takes as long as it does. Can you imagine if it took 6 months to get a mortgage or children in school or similar things in everyday life?

The National Visa Center along with the US Embassy in Warsaw have been very helpful and responsive to the questions and requests I have made in the preparation of our application and even my request for an expedited interview for Joanna so that we could try to get the children in school here in a timely manner.

Please, try and twist someone’s arm and have them look at my application and in the big picture, please make an effort to bring immigration into the 21st century.

Thank you for your kind assistance,

Edited August 24, 2009 by Richard-Joanna

[D_n_M 0]

I hope you have luck with all that Richard. I know it's a frustrating road.

[Richard-Joanna 1]

I hope you have luck with all that Richard. I know it's a frustrating road.

Thanks Derek... I doubt it will really effect our file... but maybe, just maybe it will help for future filers.

[D_n_M 0]

The system is broken and I don't see any changes coming about. One day perhaps!

[Maire 1]

Derek it would be nice if u post a pic of u two in America!

I hope you have luck with all that Richard. I know it's a frustrating road.

Thanks Derek... I doubt it will really effect our file... but maybe, just maybe it will help for future filers.

Im sry ur going thru this...it really sux