Read about how processing works.

[meauxna 15]

What I see is people having legitimate concerns and complaints, and either being told to be patient and keep waiting, or being given justifications/excuses for the poor and slow service provided by the USCIS. Both of those are legitimate responses, but not terribly supportive.

At the end of this month, I'll be at the five month mark already waiting just for my NOA1 - that does not include the 6-8 months on the other end of the NOA2, leaving me at over a year for an actual visa.

My case wasn't delayed because of any error on my part or any name match or anything - it simply was not worked on while at the Vermont Service Center. They admitted that to my congressman.

<snip>

So I guess what I want to hear when I'm upset over this wait (separated from my husband, often bedridden with multiple sclerosis, in pain, tired beyond belief) and frustrated is - "Yeah, it's crummy, isn't it? The USCIS is indeed slow and inefficient." NOT - "Oh, you gotta give the USCIS credit ..." or "Oh, your application is delayed because you or your name..."

That's my kind of validation.

NH:

There's two kinds of answers to your posts. Here's one:

If you want/need "Yeah, it's crummy, isn't it?", ask for it directly, as you did eventually in this thread. Lots of us will be willing to wring hands with you and say 'being apart sucks'. my thoughts for you to get that kind of validation is to hang in the regional or other 'chatty' threads/forums.

The other kind of answer is the kind I more often give, but not for the reasons you think. It goes like this:

1-your file did sit in VSC 'doing nothing' which is exactly what happens. Nothing unique happening to you there.

2-you don't know that you are being sent to the back of the queue at CSC, you have no idea how long it will take to adjudicate your petition. That's true for everyone. Petitions are rerouted to other Service Centers frequently, altho VSC-->CSC is new, it doesn't mean that your processing time will double. Actually, we'll never know, because there is no way to know how long it would've taken if it stayed at VSC. I suspect with the changes they've made that it never would've been processed. That would be worse, yes?

3-USCIS considers it a victory if an I-130 is processed within one year. That is just a fact that should help give you perspective on what they consider 'an emergency' and what you consider to be so. I'm not defending or excusing, just informing.

4-Sitting there doing 'nothing' is exactly all you *can* do. Your elected reps are not going to get any action on your specific case (unless you can make a humanitarian case based on your health, which I would not overlook were I you). Your case is inside of normal processing. Your electeds are there for when a case falls OUT of 'normal' (no matter how crummy 'normal' is). You have not yet been screwed by USCIS---trust me, you will KNOW when you have been.

My whole point was that it seemed like people were simply "excusing" the USCIS rather than demanding the service they deserve from their government. And then, once they had their visas, and the sense of urgency was gone, any inclination to continue to be politically active seemed to fall by the wayside.

Well, I'm here, and my alien just became a USC. I've done things and am doing things to further immigrants' rights in my own community and to influence my elected reps to 'do the right thing' when they are debating new bills. I don't excuse the Agency, but I am realistic about what I want and when I want it. I don't think that advocating for your own case is the same as putting political pressure or activism out there. Write to your reps, tell em how you feel, but you should not expect them to push you to the front of the line, which is really what you want (and I don't fault you a bit for that!). Remember that all the Cognress is doing is pushing around little pieces of policy that were written in 1952--ridiculous! It needs to be scrapped and started over, and no one wants to do that. *That* sucks.

Go back and read my first type of reply. There is not thing one wrong with asking for some moral support, expressing that you miss your spouse, that you feel crappy physically this day or that---there are a lot of wonderful people here who have overcome adversity that I can't imagine---they will have hope and inspiration for you and help you to take your mind off of the one thing that you *can not* control, the immigration process. Posting about how screwed up the agency or the process or the gov't is is NOT giving support or encouragement to your fellow VJers---maybe that influences the responses you get. People in a 'hopeless' situation don't want to hear that there's an incompetent driving the bus! I'm sure you know how important your mental health and attitude are in battling MS--I really encourage you to focus on being as well as you can be in the circumstances you have.

And when I feel crappy, I always feel better when I am doing something for someone else.

Feel better, NH. It just sucks sometimes, I know.

[khattak 1]

Girl 37 :Your response is is outrageous and highly in-sensitive to say the least. If you cant stand a bitter truth you better stop reading this web !!!

I am in the same waiting boat but I LOVE the right info regardless if it is good or bad. You got to learn this.

[girl 37 7]

Outrageous and insensitive? Awesome!

Just curious, what "bitter truth" are you talking about?

I expressed my opinion about why the OP might not be getting the kind of responses she wants. The fact is, some people prefer not to focus on the negative or surround themselves with people who do. VJers with lots of experience like AussieW have been trying to help the OP and provide support by suggesting potential causes for the delays and by reminding her that the process involves lots of patience. How are they thanked? By being told that she doesn't like their responses?

So I guess what I want to hear when I'm upset over this wait (separated from my husband, often bedridden with multiple sclerosis, in pain, tired beyond belief) and frustrated is - "Yeah, it's crummy, isn't it? The USCIS is indeed slow and inefficient." NOT - "Oh, you gotta give the USCIS credit ..." or "Oh, your application is delayed because you or your name..."

That's my kind of validation.

[Rahman 0]

How do I post messege to the forum board? ANybody knows?

I read about how processing works, about the "batches" of 25 or so application packets in "baskets", etc. I read about the process of security checks and running applicant names through various databases.

None of this explains how applications that have been at one service center for four months are suddenly transferred to another service center, while applications received days to even months after that same application have already been processed.

Even with the batch issue, if no RFE was required, the disparity in dates should not be so long.

Also, would a service center transfer a case that's already being actively worked on? I doubt it. This means that applications transferred to another service center due to "backlog" were not worked on at the previous service center at all, save for the NOA1 being issued.

I've worked for for profits, non profits, cities, county and state government, and the federal government, and I can tell you that the image of a few government employees sitting around not doing their jobs (while workers around them actually work) is NOT a figment of anyone's imagination. I don't know why people are so protective of the USCIS. Their own ombudsman says the same things about them that I'm saying and have said.

[andrea&roberto 1]

Hey guys....yes, USCIS sucks with customer service. I waited 1/2 hour once, to ask a question, only to have the representative hang up on me, mid sentence, within the 1st minute...becuase he's an idiot and wasn't really listening to my question....regardless....

I don't think ANY negative comments should be made to anyone on here, regardless if their justfully made...or whether the person was feeling sorry for themselves, for whatever reasons, because in all honesty, we are here to support each other...and lean on each other, because we don't have anywhere else to go....NO ONE understands what we're going through unless they're going through the same thing, or have gone through.

We all feel sorry for ourselves at some point or another, and we all miss our spouses/fiance so much, we'd sell our souls to the devil to be reunited faster...(I know I would.) But I think to help us all, to help HOPE prevail, we should ALWAYS be supportive of one another, and damn it...sometimes, we do just need a "hug" or someone to say "I feel your pain."

Now, let's all be friends, and take one day at a time....because as each day that goes by, we're one more day closer to our loved ones. (Though I know I won't always believe my own words...somedays, even a little right now, I doubt my words...and become lost in depression...but I have to just keep pretending, lying to myself..whatever to make the pain go away; to find that little bit of hope again, and start over. And each day, try to make the hope grow bigger...)

And I find hope through YOU ALL....that's why I'm here. That's why, I need to, and newhampshire needs to, and everyone else needs to hear about whatever hope, whomever has at that moment. Otherwise, why are we hear really? If we didn't feel so afraid, or alone, or frustrated, we wouldn't need a VJ forum to turn to.

Sincerely, ~Andrea

[faal4anisa 0]

newhampshire

I know this whole process and being separated are very stressful. You are very new to VJ and may not be aware of the fact that prior to this IMBRA debarcle, VSC where your case was transferred from, has a very good if not excellent track record in getting through petitions at a very fast rate. This is a result of good management and dedicated staff there, in getting the job done. Unfortunately the same cant be said of the other service centers in many cases. Each center whilst a part of the USCIS also have their own procedures and their own interpretations on memos from above. The biggest mistake I can see is the restructuring of the service centers as to which petitions they will be handling, couldnt of come at a worse time then in conjunction with the IMBRA. No-one to my knowledge as you say is "so protective of the USCIS" If providing information to help ease the stress and giving links to any factual information is according to you being protective of USCIS then I guess I am one of the guilty parties. Sure beats stressing and getting high blood pressure about what CAN'T be controlled and gives at least some insight into what happens.

Lorelle

Hi

i got my noa1 and now been touched again can u help what this message mean i got from uscis the document we made based on the approval or registration of this case was mailed directly to the person to whom issued. what it means that another RFE i already replied the first RFE and this i got reply after i think they received my RFE reply same IMBRA to be signed so please help me with ur consent

[mdfeldm 0]

Hey guys....yes, USCIS sucks with customer service. I waited 1/2 hour once, to ask a question, only to have the representative hang up on me, mid sentence, within the 1st minute...becuase he's an idiot and wasn't really listening to my question....regardless....

I don't think ANY negative comments should be made to anyone on here, regardless if their justfully made...or whether the person was feeling sorry for themselves, for whatever reasons, because in all honesty, we are here to support each other...and lean on each other, because we don't have anywhere else to go....NO ONE understands what we're going through unless they're going through the same thing, or have gone through.

We all feel sorry for ourselves at some point or another, and we all miss our spouses/fiance so much, we'd sell our souls to the devil to be reunited faster...(I know I would.) But I think to help us all, to help HOPE prevail, we should ALWAYS be supportive of one another, and damn it...sometimes, we do just need a "hug" or someone to say "I feel your pain."

Now, let's all be friends, and take one day at a time....because as each day that goes by, we're one more day closer to our loved ones. (Though I know I won't always believe my own words...somedays, even a little right now, I doubt my words...and become lost in depression...but I have to just keep pretending, lying to myself..whatever to make the pain go away; to find that little bit of hope again, and start over. And each day, try to make the hope grow bigger...)

And I find hope through YOU ALL....that's why I'm here. That's why, I need to, and newhampshire needs to, and everyone else needs to hear about whatever hope, whomever has at that moment. Otherwise, why are we hear really? If we didn't feel so afraid, or alone, or frustrated, we wouldn't need a VJ forum to turn to.

Sincerely, ~Andrea

I agree wholeheartedly. We're all here for support and information and if any of us feel like venting, I think we have the right to do that. We just need to do it respectfully.

As for waiting for NOA2, I waited almost 6 months for mine from the VSC. Even after talking to both my senators, and my congressman who of course could do nothing at all.

Yes patience is the key to getting through this process with some sanity. In some respects it's easier for us in the States to cope than for our loved ones overseas who often don't understand what the delay is. I give my wife in Romania regular updates even if there's nothing new. Just so she knows I'm staying on top of it. That actually does help her morale a bit so it's worth doing.

Good luck with your journeys everyone. I hope to share my good news soon. (now how long have I been saying that? )