Petition to VSC - question about processing

[belluco86 3]

I continue my back and forth with the VSC director and thought this question would be of particular interest. He has responded to all my questions now and I will post them in appropriate areas and also in the pinned topic above. I am very grateful for his frank and direct answers and hope it helps VJ members to file better petitions and understand the process better.

Q. Some people have asked if you could outline the procedure for adjudicating a petition. A brief step by step.

This one could get a bit long so we'll try for the Cliff Notes version: When a petition arrives, they look for the two things that constitute a filed petition (signed and paid for). It is then data entered and placed into a receipt file. A receipt is sent to the petitioner when there are enough petitions to be processed. At this point, the names of the petitioner and beneficiary are scraped and run through a data base (same one you hear them bandy about on CSI and other cop shows) where we are looking for issues of criminality or immigration violations. If nothing untoward comes up it goes to "the shelf" to await it's turn. When an adjudicator asks for work the first petition in is the first one out. The first thing the adjudicator does is go through the file looking for other names or name variations to run through the data base. That takes 12 to 24 hours for the results to get back. If there is a problem (real or perceived) it goes to my area where the problem has to be resolved. Once the problem is resolved satisfactorily it goes back to the adjudicator. (my note...this explains some of the touches VJ members see) Most of them are fairly quick and if the required information was submitted it zips on through to approval. For an 129F or I-130 where the beneficiary is outside the US it gets bundled and sent to the National Visa Center where some more checks are made and if all is fine it waits for the next diplomatic pouch to the embassy. From then it is a DOS thing and we don't see it again until the I-485 is filed.

Gary,

Now the I-129F are being transferred to some lockbox in texas. Vermont is not doing petitions from May 15th. Can you ask what happens to previous petitions that were processed at VSC? DO they stay in the shelf or are they being sent to the Lockbox? is the wait time for new petitions suppose to change? My petitions was received by VSC and two day later sent to the Lockbox and I wondered how long it will take now the process has changed

[Otto 83]

** Post was split from a pinned thread.

[pushbrk 12,893]

Gary,

Now the I-129F are being transferred to some lockbox in texas. Vermont is not doing petitions from May 15th. Can you ask what happens to previous petitions that were processed at VSC? DO they stay in the shelf or are they being sent to the Lockbox? is the wait time for new petitions suppose to change? My petitions was received by VSC and two day later sent to the Lockbox and I wondered how long it will take now the process has changed

The lockbox facility will do the "intake" and then forward the petition to Vermont or California probably based on workload more than geography. Lockbox facilities do intake, not petition adjudication.

[belluco86 3]

I can see that, maybe that is the reason why NOA1 which usually take 3 to 4 days are now taking more than 10 days. But for now it would not make sense to send the package to Vermont to then be sent to the lockbox and back to Vermont. Many cases could get lost in the process at least until they change the filing instructions in the I-129F. My application I sent to Vernmont, my return receipt said it was forwarded to Dallas Lockbox. My check was cashed in Texas on the 25th and also my NOA1 was processed on the 25th. What parts of the application are they processing in Dallas and what other parts are they processing in Vermont or California? Since this is new I am not sure how the applications will be delayed or if in fact it will take less time. I would really like to know what is going on inside. Gary?

[ivory 1]

we are on the same boat..ours too was forwarded to texas..hope it will speed up the process