February 2010 Filers - California Service Center

[Adam & May 4]

It seems the update posts on the USCIS site is inconsistent. Our touch & notification occurred on 3/23 but it was for actions taken on 3/18 (the date on our NOA2).

I am all for them working on processing the packets and being a little slow on the touch updates (unless less an RFE is involved, then get those notices out as quickly as possible!).

On another note, called the NVC and got our Manila case number. May will be going to the USEM on Tuesday to get her letter to obtain her Japanese Security clearence (which takes about 30-45 days).

We are hoping our packet will arrive at the USEM duing my visit next month. Hoping to schedule her interview for mid-June.

Adam & May

[SunDrop 59]

I am wondering if the particular countries involved have anything to do with that. Do they? Or is it that those cases are with the CSC? My fiance is from the Dominican Republic and well, I have already mentally prepared myself to way a few months before I hear anything. From what I have seen with cases for that country, things take a while =(. Best of luck to all of us waiting on our NOA2!!! All of this good news if very hopeful!

It doesn't seem to matter what country they're from, there's been a real mix of Feb CSC NOA2 recipients. My guess is that it depends on the commonality of your name (and it's variations) and the security checks.

I only check once a day because more than that is torturous and I always keep a smidgen of hope on Saturdays that something might turn up in the mail. Hate sundays! lol...

I'm trying to be cautious and not get my hopes up because my fiance had a felony conviction going back years now, and although it's expunged from his record, it'll still show up on the security checks as far as I know. I'm guessing they also look into former spouses, of which I have one. Why else would they ask for their names and DoBs? There aren't any issues with him but I'm working on the premise that with more to check and a hit for my fiance, they'll take a little longer to approve us.

I actually tried a wedding dress on yesterday. Was walking past a store that is sadly closing down, and they have a 50% off sale on, so I figured why not? Although I didn't find what I'm looking for, it did serve to remind me that I don't have all that much time to hit the gym and shift some poundage the way I keep threatening! lol... So that'll make time go quicker too and I'm just about to do a little timetable for myself so I can be sure to fit everything in.

We've also got a couple weeks school vacation coming up and I realised that this is going to be our last practical opportunity to do any European travel. Unfortunately, we can't really afford it and it made me a little sad to think that my daughter isn't going to have the opportunity to easily experience different cultures and languages any more. I guess it's pretty typical to not do all the stuff you could until it's too late to really do it! We'll still be coming over to Europe fairly regularly and so I guess we'll fit some little trips in then. She is going to France to visit a bakery with her school at the end of June and also her Dad's taking her to Norway for a couple days over the mid-semester break they get at the end of May/ beginning of June, so she'll be fine

And I'm still looking around my home, thinking "OMG! How am I ever going to get rid of all this STUFF!" lol...

It's a weird mix of time going too slow and there not being enough of it either!

[Audy_Rob 26]

It seems the update posts on the USCIS site is inconsistent. Our touch & notification occurred on 3/23 but it was for actions taken on 3/18 (the date on our NOA2).

...

Adam & May

Interesting, so you only got one touch and also the approval at the same time. I did not see an approval. It said it is still in Initial Review.

I have a few complications like SunDrop. I am divorced but included the proper certified Divorce Decree. Also I had an I-129F filing and approval about September 2004 and an interview that never happened. Long story. So I am more worried about that. Technically I do not need a waiver. (I don't think). I am worried now I was updated but no change in the status of the filing.

[Audy_Rob 26]

It seems the update posts on the USCIS site is inconsistent. Our touch & notification occurred on 3/23 but it was for actions taken on 3/18 (the date on our NOA2).

I am all for them working on processing the packets and being a little slow on the touch updates (unless less an RFE is involved, then get those notices out as quickly as possible!).

Hi Adam & May

Thank you very much. It is SUnday afternoon here. Because I just read your posting, I went back to USCIS web-site and checked my status.

Sure enough. It now says Last Updated 03/27/2010. Then I clicked on the WAC number and it said I am APPROVED.

SunDrop. I am thinking you will be next.

Best of luck to everyone. I have to call Audy now.

[sharaincali 0]

Was so excited at the fast rate of approvals at the CSC, but it seems to have sort of come to a hault. Any ideas why? Looks like they are processing Feb 8 right now. I am Feb 19- the wait sucks!

[Audy_Rob 26]

Was so excited at the fast rate of approvals at the CSC, but it seems to have sort of come to a hault. Any ideas why? Looks like they are processing Feb 8 right now. I am Feb 19- the wait sucks!

Hey sharaincali, I do not think it has slowed. I was approved in 46 days and my NOA1 is 11 days before you. Try to wait about 10 -12 days. I think you will see some activity. I think CSC is still doing a great job. Although I still see some people from November that might disagree.

[Wishing 1]

Hey sharaincali, I do not think it has slowed. I was approved in 46 days and my NOA1 is 11 days before you. Try to wait about 10 -12 days. I think you will see some activity. I think CSC is still doing a great job. Although I still see some people from November that might disagree.

Hhhhmm so if we're going by that math my NOA 1 was Feb 12th...which means its been 45 days for us today. Which means NOA 2.....this week....or soon!?!? Here's hopin....

[Varyag 0]

Hhhhmm so if we're going by that math my NOA 1 was Feb 12th...which means its been 45 days for us today. Which means NOA 2.....this week....or soon!?!? Here's hopin....

I'm hoping for all of you as well. The sooner they get through February the better for us in March. I wonder, USCIS must have standard operating procedures for processing cases, via first in first out.

I would venture a guess that since, the people that work there work on a production quota system, a first pass look for a person would be to look at cases that have less pages and focus on those first, then cases that are thick, (40, 50, 60 pages). A case is a case, so you get one count towards your quota no matter how complicated or how simple it is. Naturally the people who work there want to get short (on average easy) cases so they can zip through them to make their production numbers.

I wonder the people who are waiting from November and December (especially), may have thick applications that are being set aside for easier ones from later dates first... That's the only reason I can come up with why they don't get at least a touch in all that time. Then after that touch, how complex is the case, divorces, kids, records, etc.

I'm on my 28th day of waiting... I have my fingers crossed too...

[SunDrop 59]

Hi Adam & May

Thank you very much. It is SUnday afternoon here. Because I just read your posting, I went back to USCIS web-site and checked my status.

Sure enough. It now says Last Updated 03/27/2010. Then I clicked on the WAC number and it said I am APPROVED.

SunDrop. I am thinking you will be next.

Best of luck to everyone. I have to call Audy now.

YAY!!!! Congrats

And oh man, yes please... please please please please please *does the evoking the NOA2 Gods dance* pleeeeeease make it happen soon. I'm slowly starting to feel a little neurotic that we're going to be one of the ones that gets inexplicably left behind.

[SunDrop 59]

Hey sharaincali, I do not think it has slowed. I was approved in 46 days and my NOA1 is 11 days before you. Try to wait about 10 -12 days. I think you will see some activity. I think CSC is still doing a great job. Although I still see some people from November that might disagree.

We're on day 48.

And I don't think the size of the petition submitted has anything to do with it. I think it starts as first in, first out for logging received, check cashing and shelving pending initial inquiries. And then it's luck of the draw whether it gets handed out to a more experienced, faster adjudicator or whether you get the adjudicator who takes a little longer, talks a little more at the water cooler, takes the day off to go to the dentist...

And I also think it has to do with the numbers of checks they have to run on you and what kinds of hits you get. Ex-spouses, any kind of police involvement, previous and relative visas. Even if it doesn't factor into their final decision, every hit on the system is going to peek an interest. I've technically already been through the system, albeit probably at VSC when I was issued an L2 visa back in 96 when my father was posted to his work's NYC based HQ. So no doubt something will pop up about that.

And this is just a theory, not based on any insider knowledge! lol

Edited March 29, 2010 by SunDrop

[SunDrop 59]

Cleaned up the list to take out anyone who still hasn't created any kind of profile and greyed those profiles who haven't been active for more than 1 month. Who knows, they may resurface once their NOA2s start arriving!

Waiting for NOA2:

* KarinaB (Canada) Feb 1

* haze & ced (Philippines) Feb 4

* spencer12 (Sth Korea) Feb 5

* karlaowl (Netherlands) Feb 5

* zyrian (unknown) Feb 5

* HESTIA (Hong Kong) Feb 5 - delayed NOA1

* JenAndBabs (Ghana) Feb 8?

* rico n me (Mexico) Feb 8

* SunDrop (UK) Feb 9

* lnsunshine (UK) Feb 9

* CQ & CS (Canada) Feb 9

* Mien & Daniel (Taiwan) Feb 9

* Shawn & Emi (England) Feb 9

* Loree and Mond (Philippines) Feb 12

* Wishing (Canada) Feb 12

* JORDANTONI09 (Philippines) Feb 16

* Salsa Shark (Russia) NOA1: Feb 16

* jhayoh (Philippines) Feb 16

* Chavonia (Dominican Rep.) Feb 17

* myrddin (unknown) Feb 17

* sharaincali (UK) Feb 19

* royamehtetonc (Philippines) Feb 19

* USA Joe (Laos) Feb 19

* John and Nataliia (unknown) Feb 19

* Seven (Spain) Feb 22

* Linasaur (Canada) Feb 2

* Michele Michael (Australia) Feb 25

* oldlipa (Philippines) Feb 26

Approved NOA2s

Waiting for consular response (packet 3, if applicable or packet 4, if no packet 3), working on packet 3, or hasn't updated since NOA2:

* bittbook (Mexico) Feb 24 (23 days)

* yokogurl99 (Philippines) NOA2: Mar 3 (31 days)

* Emily and Christian (unknown) NOA2: Mar 5 (31 days)

* waitingurl (Philippines) NOA2: Mar 2 (27 days)

* Waza (UK) NOA 2: NOA2: Feb 24 (21 days)

* bainbridge558 (Russia) NOA2: Mar 4 (24 days)

* eli and galie (Ukraine) NOA2: Mar 5 (24 days)

* Sam he Amy (China) NOA2: Mar 4 (31 days)

* abalvarez (Philippines) Mar 9 (36 days)

* Panda_Intl (China) NOA2: Mar 9 (37 days)

* twowls (UK) NOA2: Mar 12 (32 days)

* 392ihc (Russia) NOA2: Mar 3 (30 days)

* echicago (Spain) NOA2 Mar 9 (35 days)

* Ale y Ramiro (Mexico) NOA2: Mar 12 (38 days)

* DukeofYork (UK) NOA2: Mar 15 (39 days)

* Adam & May (Philippines) NOA2: Mar 18 (43 days)

* spraggy0558 (UK) NOA2: Mar 24 (47 days)

* Audy_Rob (Thailand) NOA2: Mar 27 (46 days)

Packet 3 in process/sent:

*

Interview Schedule:

*

Interview Results!

Unknown

*

Approved!

*

[Varyag 0]

We're on day 48.

And I don't think the size of the petition submitted has anything to do with it. I think it starts as first in, first out for logging received, check cashing and shelving pending initial inquiries. And then it's luck of the draw whether it gets handed out to a more experienced, faster adjudicator or whether you get the adjudicator who takes a little longer, talks a little more at the water cooler, takes the day off to go to the dentist...

And I also think it has to do with the numbers of checks they have to run on you and what kinds of hits you get. Ex-spouses, any kind of police involvement, previous and relative visas. Even if it doesn't factor into their final decision, every hit on the system is going to peek an interest. I've technically already been through the system, albeit probably at VSC when I was issued an L2 visa back in 96 when my father was posted to his work's NYC based HQ. So no doubt something will pop up about that.

And this is just a theory, not based on any insider knowledge! lol

I don't know anybody who works at USCIS, but I know other's who worked for the govt. also processing applications with a huge backlog. It's a production job. Their job performance is based on accuracy and speed. Let's say you are at 110% production, you will probably get something nice in your Christmas stocking, than if you are under producing at let's 90%. How do you get those high numbers, easy cases, that based on a normal distribution have fewer pages to through in the application folder.

I agree once they start processing a case (someone getting their application touched) then the complexity of name hits and all that other stuff gets into it. But the application would at least have a touch on it.

I'm wondering about the aspect of USCIS receiving the cases and assigning them to people to work on. Let's say a person gets a stack of 200 I-129F K-1 applications, and they need to make their production by the end of the following week (~100 cases). Well most if not all would apply some sort of sorting and cherry pick ones to work on first. If and when they meet their production quota and doing other cases after that counts toward their bonus. After that they get more cases to add up to 200 in their backlog, they sort again. The process repeats...

Let's say it's like this for a moment, well the USCIS person has a choice between that 3 lb brick of an application or the svelte 30 page application, which one will they work on first... The clock is ticking... and each case counts as 1 against the quota for the two week period.

I may be totally wrong, and totally off the mark, but I'm just amazed how there are people from November either without a touch, RFE, or NOA2, while folks in February are getting their NOA2s. I'm all for getting mine ASAP. It's a not pleasant feeling waiting 28 days so far, I couldn't imagine waiting for a few months and how it messes up people's for that much longer.

Maybe I'm giving USCIS too much credit, maybe it's a madhouse and they have terrible procedures and quality control standards in place and things frequently get misplaced or stashed away somewhere to be located in a few months time... I don't know, I just hope someone approves mine quickly and without incident...

Edited March 29, 2010 by Varyag

[Audy_Rob 26]

Hi Varyag, I think you are over-analyzing the situation but then that is what one tends to do while waiting. Relax, your turn will come SOON!!!

Hi SunDrop. Thanks for the Congrats. I am expecting to see something posted from you VERY SOON. I am checking many times a day. Too many times a day, I should be working, LOL! Also, you are doing a great job keeping the list going, I like how you greyed out the people that have not participated in a month. I must say I am very happy to see Audy_Rob in the approved list. I checked on the USCIS web-site today just to make sure and yes, it still does say APPROVED. They did not take it back.

Hi Wishing, your time is coming, not to worry, it will be soon.

Good luck to all, I will still keep checking here to see all the February approvals very soon.

[Adam & May 4]

Audy_Rob

Congrats to the max!

Hopefully soon for everyone else.

CSC Rocks!

[bainbridge558 0]

We're on day 48.

And I don't think the size of the petition submitted has anything to do with it. I think it starts as first in, first out for logging received, check cashing and shelving pending initial inquiries. And then it's luck of the draw whether it gets handed out to a more experienced, faster adjudicator or whether you get the adjudicator who takes a little longer, talks a little more at the water cooler, takes the day off to go to the dentist...

And I also think it has to do with the numbers of checks they have to run on you and what kinds of hits you get. Ex-spouses, any kind of police involvement, previous and relative visas. Even if it doesn't factor into their final decision, every hit on the system is going to peek an interest. I've technically already been through the system, albeit probably at VSC when I was issued an L2 visa back in 96 when my father was posted to his work's NYC based HQ. So no doubt something will pop up about that.

And this is just a theory, not based on any insider knowledge! lol

Hey Sundrop !

I really believe there is No ryhme nor reason to the process ... and a million different things that go on during the whole thing.

I finally got a response from NVC research today ... my petition is " enroute " to NVC. I don't know if it was the phone calls to both NVC and USCIS or the request to NVC research to "find " the petition or the phone call to my congressman's office last Friday.

Now the question is .... how long will " enroute " take ?????