March 2009 k-1 people

AmyStan · July 22, 2009

Thanks for the update, Missy. You haven't missed any news on here - things are at a standstill for the most part. They must know you're out of the country and so are goofing off. Tell Lars he has a lot of friends here that he might not have known about. Enjoy your visit!!!

Richard-Joanna · July 22, 2009

Missy, thanks for checking and letting us know you arrived safely....

I concur with Stan... tell Lars hello from all his friends he doesn't know he has

missmissy · July 22, 2009

He says hello back to everyone! I can see that nothing has happened in the day and a half that I have been away! Oh well....I feel that the first March approvals are just around the corner, but I can also feel the March natives getting restless over there!!

Jessica Carl · July 22, 2009

newlyweds · July 22, 2009

yes yes i for one am restless lol; ive been love sickthat's all :blush:

heheh jk, i have a few bouts of fever but the doc said it's not h1n1 so glad thats not it; but made me miss michey so much; yesterday was really one of those days when you really really want the NOA2 already, i got so depressed :crying:

but iknow, i have to make that push a little bit longer.. im really really just trying so bad for this not to drive me insane lol :whistle:

strega · July 22, 2009

im out of my mind!!!! im always with my SO in august for 3 weeks, and im waiting for a piece of paper called a NOA2 instead that seems will not arrive soon enough.......UUUFFAAAAA double!!! you can call all you want. they will just tell you what they tell everyone...working on 2008......they are shameless!!! CVC is on overdrive with thiers.........makes me sick!!!!i also want mine transfered, at this rate even if i start over with CVC , i might still get it quicker,,,,,,,,,why dont they send some of thier overload to CVC?? seems like it is only fair to help them catch up.....so where do you get the congressman name to complain to?? i have a child involved and its also complicated,,,,i want him to be able to start school here in september.........mamma mia. I just want to give up sometimes............good luck to you strong ones that can wait forever!!

Edited July 22, 2009 by strega

Richard-Joanna · July 22, 2009

Strega you can start here http://www.house.gov/

I also was hoping to have the kids start school with the other children and we start here in Atlanta in August... so that ain't happening.

and you can't give up... it is NOT allowed

Edited July 22, 2009 by Richard-Joanna

Michele R · July 23, 2009

I am starting my efforts by working within the system - I posted my letter to the USCIS Ombudsman on another thread, but I watch your thread closely to see if anyone in March is being processed. Copy and paste anything if you like.

The Letter I Sumitted to the USCIS Ombudsman today:

To Whom It May Concern:

In April of this year I applied for a K1 visa for my finance. Because I am a resident of Virginia I was required to submit my application to the USCIS center in Vermont. Since I have applied for this visa, the processing times at the VSC have slowed dramatically (to over 180 days).

When I contacted the USCIS today, they said that the VSC was processing applications from December 30, 2008 and that my application would not be reviewed until October 22 of this year in the best-case scenario (more than 180 days after I submitted my application). Meanwhile, residents of states that feed into the USCIS servicing center in California are being processed within 66 to 100 days.

I find this inequity unacceptable, given that all applicants pay the same application fee. After having researched this issue, I do not think that it is caused by a difference in the efficiency of VSC employees versus CSC employees, but more likely by a misallocation of workloads vis a vis resources by either the USCIS or its subcontractor Northrop Grumman. Furthermore, I do not understand why processing times are increasing while the volume of applications is decreasing (as your office itself noted in its June 2009 report to Congress).

Unless steps are taken to remedy this inequity immediately, which is unlikely given my conversation with USCIS today, I will be forced to cancel my wedding in November of this year. My parents will incur significant financial losses, as well as my family and friends who have already purchased tickets to attend the ceremony and reception. As I am sure you are aware, these misfortunes pale in comparison to some other people standing in line at the VSC under far worse circumstances, while May and June filers begin to be approved at the CSC.

I realize that my application is currently within the USCIS' “normal” processing time. Nonetheless, today when I called for the first time I was told that my application will be adjudicated around October 22, more than 180 days after my submission. Further, it is not "normal" for residents of one state, like Virginia, to arbitrarily receive such significantly inferior service from the USCIS than residents of California or Oregon. Why isn't the I-129F workload distributed more evenly among these centers and why can't files be sent from one center to another when one center falls significantly behind another?

It is infuriating to see large numbers of people who filed their petitions in May and June being approved by the CSC before all of us who filed our applications in January, February, March, and April at the VSC. While I know that the membership of the primary tracking site for I129F petitions (VisaJourney) does not comprise the entire pool of I129F applicants, its membership pool does represent a statistically valid number of applicants and it is therefore possible to ascertain broad trends in visa processing extracted from its data. On top of this, USCIS' own bulletins display the existing inequity, albeit on a more publicly digestible magnitude.

Ironically, my fiancé is more peaceful about this issue, noting that the USCIS seems to me no more equitable or effective than its counterpart agency in his largely corrupt country of the former Soviet Union. In fact he advised me to not to send this letter, for fear of the type of retribution one would encounter in his country for voicing concerns about a what seems to be a systemic problem that no one has an interest in or incentive to correct.

As a patriot and former federal government employee, however, I assured my fiancé that things were different in America. I sincerely hope that your office will propose and implement a long term solution to this problem, rather than simply add my letter as a tally mark on a count of "Top Ten Complaints in the Ombudsman E-Mail Box" for inclusion in an annual propaganda piece, like they would in the former Soviet Union. It is hard enough to wait six months plus for adjudication. Adding the knowledge that people in different states are waiting half the time you are for no apparent good reason is like adding salt to an open wound. I hope that future customers do not have to suffer from inequality that does not seem too complex to solve.

Stephen + Elisha · July 23, 2009

EXCELLENT letter, Michele! Keep us posted on what/if you hear back from the ombudsman.

I made the same observations (i.e., inequitable service to citizens of states served by VSC) in my letters to my congressman. They agreed and have asked USCIS to transfer my case to CSC. While I don't know whether or not it will happen (to be honest, I doubt USCIS will do it), it's somewhat comforting to know that my representative agrees that a problem exists.

I would suggest to everyone planning to write to your representative/senator/ombudsman that you make mention of this inequity. Citizens in states that file at CSC are receiving a far better level of service than those who must file at VSC, and this has been the case for months. This two-tiered system is unacceptable and should be remedied.

Weevil · July 23, 2009

Hello, another March filer here. Just discovered this thread. I got the NOA1 on March 13. And have heard nothing since. Not even a touch.

AmyStan · July 23, 2009

I hope you get a better response than I did, Michele. The canned response I received is below.

Dear Sir/Madam:

Thank you for contacting the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman (CISOMB) in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Under the authority of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, 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.

We believe that first hand information from individuals like you is the best source for identifying systemic problems in the immigration benefits process. Our office will consider the information you provided as we develop recommendations to improve USCIS’ practices and procedures.

Thank you for contacting our office.

Sincerely,

CIS Ombudsman

Michele R · July 23, 2009

I am actually expecting the canned response. Basically, after I read the "I'm Outraged" thread, I decided that I needed to do everything I could do and let the chips fall where they may. I did not want to look back and say to myself, when I was sitting without Kira over the holidays, "maybe I should have..." I also don't believe that things will ever change unless people speak up. Maybe it is futile .. but there is also a chance that one more voice would result in a shift in priorities ... call me an optimist

Good Luck to all you March filers - the sooner you get approved, the sooner we are next in line :-)

Dgard · July 23, 2009

That is the same thing I say about February filers! The sooner they are completed the sooner March sees a bit of the fun they've been getting Hopefully we'll be processed quickly so it can move on to April for you!

strega · July 23, 2009

ok, RICHARD, i wont give up, i have an idea, why dont we make up a complaint letter together, mentioning all the above facts, ( also that they are seperating us from our SO's for so long becuase now they are in the system as K1 filers and they cannot come visit without the risk of being turned back )we demand them to send our petitions to CSC for immmediate processing since they are backlogged at VSC and it is just not right that we wait while APRILand MAY filers are getting approved. we all sign it somehow, and send it in(strength in numbers) i for one will sign it,,,,,,,,,,whos with me?

Edited July 23, 2009 by strega

Rebeca&David · July 23, 2009

hello my march faimly!

rebeca and i are not talking right now, she needs time to think about what she wants.

she will do the immigration when it comes to her door step SOMEDAYYYY...

but i hope she realizes the life we couldve had sooner then later...

ill check back in acouple days because coming on here ever day

gets me seriously DEPRESSED!

bye march peeps!

and come on DAMN VSC

aahhhhhhhhhhh :devil:

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