unite and help all of us now & others later

[OKIE2 0]

I have done the hard part now all you have to do is email your congressman today

copy it and change it how ever you want it but please mail it if not for you then help others

I don't know if it would do but maybe someone can write up a partition for everyone to sign

in doing it sure can't hurt anything.

You know evil prevails where good men do nothing.

Hey Mr. Congressman...

How about we invest some improvement to our current immigration system?.....It needs bailed out too You see, ..for us folks who do it the "Right" way.....do it the "Legal"...way....we are left in limbo for anywhere of 10-12 months of not knowing our fate...and in many cases up to 18-24 months as per your own "government.org guidelines!

Tell me Mr.Congressman....since I voted for you to represent "me"..."THE PEOPLE"....why have you forsaken me???....Why does this process of bringing a "Loved one" take so damned long?....

I pay my taxes......I've paid my dues contributing to society.....I've never sucked a dime out of the system I have supported for the better part of half a century.

I've represented my country with honor, and valor....

I've obeyed all the laws with respect, and with dignity..

I've bent over backwards to help my fellow man...and I have shamelessly, and honorably represented, and respected the principals of which this country was founded upon! You know like IN GOD WE TRUST

I am a U.S. citizen!

My parents were U.S. citizens!

My Grandparents were U.S. citizens thru Immigration....they acquired this privilege the proper way....they believed they could contribute to the fundamentals that this country was founded on....my parents...and I have continued this assertion for more almost 4 centuries.....my family, (as with most other American Family's)...have donated our sweat, and blood, to build this country into the world respected power that it is today!

This country is honorably stained with the blood, sweat, and tears of sacrifice, and hard work....

And we did this all without hesitation...or without regret!

All I want is to be treated FAIRLY....and with DIGNITY!

All I want is to be represented by the "Country".. that I and my Family....and many other millions before us have so Dearly..and Honorably...contributed to the excellence, and the integrity to become such a Great, and Caring Nation!

Is it too much to ask that I can be united with another Human Being from across the world....whom I know, and truly love...and want to share the rest of my remaining life with,....without being treated as nothing more than just another number?

I speak the same language....I help pay the salaries...yet I cannot even get a single response to my loved one's Visa application, so that she may join me here...and that I may show her all the wonderful things this Great country has to offer.

Why must I be treated as if I have no rights???!

Why must I be held in secrecy and uncertainty??!

PLEASE MR. CONGRESSMAN...PLEASE!!!.....help me attain My American dream of freedom and opportunity!

We have such a great Country!....yet together with my Loved One...I have even greater rights in her Country, rather than My own!

I have lived with My fiancee in China waiting for her approval to be with me in the US of A......yet I have not the same right in My own Country!

In a world when others can live freely in the United states from across our southern border...and can claim benefits and rights that even "I" as an American citizen cannot be granted....in a world where these Illegal participants, can roam freely, and receive benefits without earning them...yet "I" cannot duly or timely receive, is atrocious, shameful and unwarranted!

[ealachan 0]

Members of Congress are elected officials and should be addressed with at least a modicum of respect. Just a suggestion. Honey will get you farther than vinegar.

[Chelartie 0]

Members of Congress are elected officials and should be addressed with at least a modicum of respect. Just a suggestion. Honey will get you farther than vinegar.

No way would I send this to my CongressWOMAN. By the way, it should be "principles" not principals.

[John24689 0]

Do not send this.

You should search the Internet for a proper letter to a congressperson and how to address them. If I was a congressperson and received this letter, it would go in the shredder. You need to be specific in what you are asking. All I see is non-specific. Your first paragraph does not make any sense. You are not telling them anything.

Yes, the system needs a lot of work. You need to make recommendations and not just say it need fixing. You should re-think what you want and use the proper format and salutation.

Good luck

PS: You may just feel better in what you wrote and not bother sending anything.

[defunct 0]

No one will take your concerns seriously if you send them such tripe. Consider who you're writing to and present your argument in a concise and respectful manner.

[milimelo 4,477]

The OP needs to get a lot of help in writing letters.

Hey CONGRESSMAN????

[Hell0W0rld 10]

Your Name

Street Address

City, State, Zip Code

Cell Phone Number

Today’s Date:

U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer

1700 Montgomery St, Suite 240

San Francisco, CA 94111

To the Honorable Member of the US Senate

As a law-abiding US citizen, I request your assistance with our USCIS petitions. At present, the time frame for reviewing cases is 6 months or longer. Despite published announcements and a fee increase, to the contrary, many of us have been separated from our love ones for a painful amount of time, time which cannot be recovered. After following the guidelines posted on the USCIS website and paying all applicable fees (including the fee increase) , we are waiting in suspense for an approval (the Notice of Action 2 – NOA2), and this is the source of our dilemma—an inordinate amount of waiting time and no clear explanations for delays. Hence, I ask you to investigate these seemingly negligent periods of inaction.

The first step for our love ones is to submit the petitions to establish the existence of a relationship. Then, once approved, our petitions and all documents submitted are forwarded to the National Visa Center for further processing. As you are aware, the next phase is the embassy approval with required medical examination and interviews. Unfortunately, many of us have not moved past the first step because there have been no updates sent to us. In particular, many of us are still waiting for NOA2 from the California Service Center (CSC). Moreover, some petitions that are received months after others are processed faster. When questioned about this inequity, telephone operators at the USCIS give a standard response: “It depends on the case; each case is adjudicated differently.” Then when we ask about our individual petitions we receive the generic, response “We’re within our processing time.”

For many of us, the entire process thus far has proven to be quite discouraging. We cannot get accurate, specific responses to our inquiries, nor do we receive the “first in, first out” treatment we were promised. Hence, we need and request your assistance. Perhaps an inquiry from your committee will garner more substantive, more accurate responses. Perhaps there is a way to change the process, so national security is not comprised, and love ones are unnecessarily separated indefinitely. Attached, please find a copy of our NOA 1 for our petition (I-129F). Below, see our receipt numbers given by USCIS. Hopefully, all of us will receive the NOA2 and continue positively on the path of reunification with our family members. Equally, we hope that others will benefit from our proactive measures and their processing time will be much shorter and more humane.

USCIS Receipt Number: Receipt Number

Sincerely Yours,

Sign Here

Your Name

[Nik+Heather 121]

Hi Hello --

That is a good letter.

It's interesting that this post would show up, as I was thinking that once I am further along in the process, I was going to write to my representatives with my experiences, specifically citing some of these same things. Your letter has several nice wordings that I'll be borrowing, if you don't mind!

Also, the threads I read on here about the customer DISservice that some people receive - like getting immigration info that is FLAT WRONG from "official" sources.

-H

[OKIE2 0]

Your Name

Street Address

City, State, Zip Code

Cell Phone Number

Today's Date:

U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer

1700 Montgomery St, Suite 240

San Francisco, CA 94111

To the Honorable Member of the US Senate

As a law-abiding US citizen, I request your assistance with our USCIS petitions. At present, the time frame for reviewing cases is 6 months or longer. Despite published

announcements and a fee increase, to the contrary, many of us have been separated from our love ones for a painful amount of time, time which cannot be recovered. After following the guidelines posted on the USCIS website and paying all applicable fees (including the fee increase) , we are waiting in suspense for an approval (the Notice of Action 2 – NOA2), and this is the source of our dilemma—an inordinate amount of waiting time and no clear explanations for delays. Hence, I ask you to investigate these seemingly negligent periods of inaction.

The first step for our love ones is to submit the petitions to establish the existence of a relationship. Then, once approved, our petitions and all documents submitted are forwarded to the National Visa Center for further processing. As you are aware, the next phase is the embassy approval with required medical examination and interviews. Unfortunately, many of us have not moved past the first step because there have been no updates sent to us. In particular, many of us are still waiting for NOA2 from the California Service Center (CSC). Moreover, some petitions that are received months after others are processed faster. When questioned about this inequity, telephone operators at the USCIS give a standard response: "It depends on the case; each case is adjudicated differently." Then when we ask about our individual petitions we receive the generic, response "We're within our processing time."

For many of us, the entire process thus far has proven to be quite discouraging. We cannot get accurate, specific responses to our inquiries, nor do we receive the "first in, first out" treatment we were promised. Hence, we need and request your assistance. Perhaps an inquiry from your committee will garner more substantive, more accurate responses. Perhaps there is a way to change the process, so national security is not comprised, and love ones are unnecessarily separated indefinitely. Attached, please find a copy of our NOA 1 for our petition (I-129F). Below, see our receipt numbers given by USCIS. Hopefully, all of us will receive the NOA2 and continue positively on the path of reunification with our family members. Equally, we hope that others will benefit from our proactive measures and their processing time will be much shorter and more humane.

USCIS Receipt Number: Receipt Number

Sincerely Yours,

Sign Here

Your Name

I do very much thank you HelloWorld08 for your in put I am at a little disadvantage with you in the respect that I have none for politician's they are parasites sucking the blood out of this country and only in DC for the money they can put in their pocket with no respect for the working people of America. Where else can you go to work for 8 years and retire with full pay for the rest of your life. Although I do have an advantage over all the people here on this site because I happen to know my senator personally since 1970 when he was the mayor of my city he knows what I am getting at.I feel everyone here is totally missing my point though. I'm just trying to get everyone together and write to some one that can really do something about our problem and maybe help us and all the ones that will follow us through this screwed up disaster.every body does nothing here but wine cry complain and belly ache about how they are mistreated to each other and in doing so who is going to do anything to help the problem we have. It looks to me that there is no one here has the guts to stand up for their rights that's why the United States is in such a mess and it will never get betterI will say again EVIL PREVAILS WHEN GOOD MEN DO NOTHING. And that is exactly what every one is doing NOTHING!ALSO I WILL REMIND EVERY ONE IF YOU WILL READ IT AGAIN I STATED CHANGE IT ANY WAY YOU LIKE BUT DO WRITE TO YOUR CONGRESSMEN. That means don't just set and do nothing. So what did anyone gain by bashing me you still have the problem.If you don't like my idea then tell me something that you have that is constructive. Doing nothing will get you nothingWAKE UP PEOPLE!

[GordonFreeman 0]

My fiancee and I did a short documentary about this and the way the government also interferes with Gay marriage (ultimately, it's pretty similar)...

Tip: Don't mention the "In god we trust" thing, because that was not originally placed there by the founding fathers (who believed in separation of church and state), and besides it's very disrespectful to atheists (American or foreign).

It's not a religion problem - it's a respect and competence problem. A very serious one...

Ultimately, I don't give a damn about marriage as a religious-based institution. This is not a problem of disrespect for marriage. It's a problem of disrespect for the LOVE between 2 people and their NEED to be together.

Whatever happened to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness...

Edited March 19, 2009 by GordonFreeman

[OKIE2 0]

My fiancee and I did a short documentary about this and the way the government also interferes with Gay marriage (ultimately, it's pretty similar)...

Tip: Don't mention the "In god we trust" thing, because that was not originally placed there by the founding fathers (who believed in separation of church and state), and besides it's very disrespectful to atheists (American or foreign).

It's not a religion problem - it's a respect and competence problem. A very serious one...

Ultimately, I don't give a damn about marriage as a religious-based institution. This is not a problem of disrespect for marriage. It's a problem of disrespect for the LOVE between 2 people and their NEED to be together.

Whatever happened to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness...

I wil say gays and atheist never entered my mind until you mentioned it but it does strike me a little funny that atheist are the ones that got prayer taken out of the schools

and you mention separation of church and state but yet in every court in america you are ask to sware on a bible. and I think I have seen it on all the money I have had in my hand all my life for 69 years.

I respect anyone that shows me the same I do believe in live and let live. every problem in the world is from someones nose in everyone elses business or like me trying to make you live like I think you should with no reguards to what you want.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Well, let me say this about that.

The USA is one of very few countries that allows its citizens to go anywhere overseas, fall in love and bring people here for marriage under any circumstances. So we HAVE our rights, you seem to be concerned they are not delivered fast enough.

My wife and I were married exactly, to the day, 1 year from when me met by circumstance while I was overseas. It could have been 2-3 months faster, but for our own personal conflicts. Now, that is a pretty quick romance and marriage by any standards even of marrying a woman in your own home town that you meet at the bus stop (which is where I met Alla) I mean if I met a woman at the bus stop who lives in my city, would I reasonably expect to marry her in less than one year? Of course, I could, but think in normal reasoning here.

So, a process is needed to protect our country from people that would harm it. Which the process seems to consist mostly of. How would it be processed faster? Which safeguard or protection would you suggest removing to speed the process? Or maybe more people to process the petitions? But the system is largely or entirely funded by visa fees. So would you like the fees doubled? Tripled? Or maybe an expedited system to give better "rights" only to those that can afford the price of admission?

[GordonFreeman 0]

Well, let me say this about that.

The USA is one of very few countries that allows its citizens to go anywhere overseas, fall in love and bring people here for marriage under any circumstances. So we HAVE our rights, you seem to be concerned they are not delivered fast enough.

My wife and I were married exactly, to the day, 1 year from when me met by circumstance while I was overseas. It could have been 2-3 months faster, but for our own personal conflicts. Now, that is a pretty quick romance and marriage by any standards even of marrying a woman in your own home town that you meet at the bus stop (which is where I met Alla) I mean if I met a woman at the bus stop who lives in my city, would I reasonably expect to marry her in less than one year? Of course, I could, but think in normal reasoning here.

So, a process is needed to protect our country from people that would harm it. Which the process seems to consist mostly of. How would it be processed faster? Which safeguard or protection would you suggest removing to speed the process? Or maybe more people to process the petitions? But the system is largely or entirely funded by visa fees. So would you like the fees doubled? Tripled? Or maybe an expedited system to give better "rights" only to those that can afford the price of admission?

You're missing the point a little.

The problem with this process (like my K1) is to force the couple to be separated (living in different countries) during a period of time that can go from 6 months to more than a year.

It's not about protecting the country from people that would harm it... Terrorists and spies just get student visas, or go with a regular tourist visa. Per se, the act of getting married is statistically a very low risk, trustworthy, legal immigration process chosen by people who mean no harm (or by principle they wouldn't be marrying a US citizen).

You could argue that some might do it just to get a visa and work legally - but is that a real concern right now? With the economy the way it is, legal immigration is your main problem? I don't think so.

And whatever the reason/process... why keep 2 people separated? Why force 2 people who love each other to live in separate countries for a period of time that makes it almost a torture, while they wait for a government response? What have I done to America to deserve this treatment? They could give me a temporary permit to work and live in the US while we wait for the government to give us an answer.

And what answer are we waiting for? Whatever the reason, why would they deny the possibility of living a life together, to 2 people who love each other? Denying them to do that in America would be hypocritical in so many different levels...

[Badgerella 5]

Well, let me say this about that.

The USA is one of very few countries that allows its citizens to go anywhere overseas, fall in love and bring people here for marriage under any circumstances. So we HAVE our rights, you seem to be concerned they are not delivered fast enough.

My wife and I were married exactly, to the day, 1 year from when me met by circumstance while I was overseas. It could have been 2-3 months faster, but for our own personal conflicts. Now, that is a pretty quick romance and marriage by any standards even of marrying a woman in your own home town that you meet at the bus stop (which is where I met Alla) I mean if I met a woman at the bus stop who lives in my city, would I reasonably expect to marry her in less than one year? Of course, I could, but think in normal reasoning here.

So, a process is needed to protect our country from people that would harm it. Which the process seems to consist mostly of. How would it be processed faster? Which safeguard or protection would you suggest removing to speed the process? Or maybe more people to process the petitions? But the system is largely or entirely funded by visa fees. So would you like the fees doubled? Tripled? Or maybe an expedited system to give better "rights" only to those that can afford the price of admission?

I don't even know what to say, to be honest. Having read your reply over and over again, I think I'll ask only for clarification of the very first paragraph. Because.. I seriously can't think of many countries, if any, to be honest, where people are not allowed to go overseas (or just simply out of the country), fall in love and marry the person. The part about bringing people to their native country usually is a lot easier than bringing someone into the US. For the most part, it does not include a wait even remotely this long (usually none at all) and the person in question, usually, is not treated like a piece of cattle at any stage of the process.

Now, in completely different and likely simpler words:

Yes, I agree that married couples pose a signficant risk to the security of the US and should continue to be screened however the USA wants... after all the US is the only country in the world that lets in spouses and I am pretty sure the US invented immigration itself, God Bless it! Sometimes, here in Croatia where people can freely marry and go in and out of the country, I lose sleep at night worrying someone's wife will break into my house and terror my refridgerator and matching cabinet. I am glad that I can see some better security in my future!

----------

To the OP: Please do not send that letter. To anyone, or anywhere. It needs to be worked on, a lot. Others have already pointed out the mistakes, though.

Edited March 19, 2009 by Badgerella

[maria teresa 0]

Well, let me say this about that.

The USA is one of very few countries that allows its citizens to go anywhere overseas, fall in love and bring people here for marriage under any circumstances. So we HAVE our rights, you seem to be concerned they are not delivered fast enough.

My wife and I were married exactly, to the day, 1 year from when me met by circumstance while I was overseas. It could have been 2-3 months faster, but for our own personal conflicts. Now, that is a pretty quick romance and marriage by any standards even of marrying a woman in your own home town that you meet at the bus stop (which is where I met Alla) I mean if I met a woman at the bus stop who lives in my city, would I reasonably expect to marry her in less than one year? Of course, I could, but think in normal reasoning here.

So, a process is needed to protect our country from people that would harm it. Which the process seems to consist mostly of. How would it be processed faster? Which safeguard or protection would you suggest removing to speed the process? Or maybe more people to process the petitions? But the system is largely or entirely funded by visa fees. So would you like the fees doubled? Tripled? Or maybe an expedited system to give better "rights" only to those that can afford the price of admission?

You're missing the point a little.

The problem with this process (like my K1) is to force the couple to be separated (living in different countries) during a period of time that can go from 6 months to more than a year.

It's not about protecting the country from people that would harm it... Terrorists and spies just get student visas, or go with a regular tourist visa. Per se, the act of getting married is statistically a very low risk, trustworthy, legal immigration process chosen by people who mean no harm (or by principle they wouldn't be marrying a US citizen).

You could argue that some might do it just to get a visa and work legally - but is that a real concern right now? With the economy the way it is, legal immigration is your main problem? I don't think so.

And whatever the reason/process... why keep 2 people separated? Why force 2 people who love each other to live in separate countries for a period of time that makes it almost a torture, while they wait for a government response? What have I done to America to deserve this treatment? They could give me a temporary permit to work and live in the US while we wait for the government to give us an answer.

And what answer are we waiting for? Whatever the reason, why would they deny the possibility of living a life together, to 2 people who love each other? Denying them to do that in America would be hypocritical in so many different levels...

With all do respect GordonFreeman, I think it is you that is missing the point. First of all a terrorist does not even have to be from another country. Second, you state that " the act of getting married is statistically a very low risk, trustworthy, legal immigration process chosen by people who mean no harm" It was that kind of thinking that led to the events of 9/11. Yes, I wish the process was shorter, but if you really think about it one year in not that long to wait for somebody. Espeacially if you love them. You also state "What have I done to America to deserve this treatment?" Let me ask you, what have you done "FOR" America to have your request for petition expedited?

Before i start getting flamed about my post i would just like to say; I have no doubt that everyone here truly loves there significant other. And i do wish that my loved one and I can be reunited sooner, but I also know that there needs to be a process. Yes, the process has a few problems. Mainly with customer service and accurate reports of processing times. However just keep in mind that atleast there is a process and although 1 year may seem like a life-time it really is not that long in the whole scope of things. Goodluck to everyone here and remember that the long wait will only make it that much sweeter at the end.