the kind people who process our cases :)

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

I understand the time it takes thus I suggest the training of select individuals for such times as needed. These people could consist of professionals who do not have to work consistently, etc. Again, my issue is being charged the same for unequal service. If there is an increase then those individuals who have been properly trained during slow times can be of service. None of the facts mentioned above address the fact that we all pay the same and yet, depending on what's going on, receive unequal service. I do feel that there is a backburner effect when some of us are sitting in storage while others move on depending on the luck of the draw. Thank you, though, for your thoughtful response and facts. Your knowledge is always appreciated.

They do have contract adjudicators that they use during heavy volume periods. At least VSC does. They DO shift assignments though and it is frustrating to those at the VSC also, but they do not always call the shots. It is a government operation and people from the government often have other motives. Nothing you or I will ever do anything about. However, just as often they shift back to "our" visas and pop them out in under 30 days. They have done this at VSC twice since September, 2009. Then all the other people complain.

Alla rarely asked if I had "heard anything" as I had told her that we "file for it and we wait" and I had told her it was "about 6 months or more" But we talked every day about our future together, things she needed to do, things I needed to do...none of it had anything to do with USCIS, they just were not a topic of conversation. That part will take care of itself, you need to do the things YOU need to do. USCIS is not going to enroll anybody in school or get them a scholariship or get their transcripts evaluated. When they say "How do I get a drivers license?" USCIS does not have the answer. Will you?

Looking at this from the other side of the bridge, so to speak, I see that the wait time was not long at all. Alla already is on her second drivers license (1st one expired) and we filed for RoC in October and she had her biometrics last week. Now we just wait for the green cards to be renewed. Who knows when? Who cares? We have a life to live and she has a one year extension of her green card now, so why worry? NO, I did not sign up for "updates".

I am glad now that I never wasted one second of our lives trying to get information from USCIS.

Next year citizenship! My, how time flies!

[thelastpetitioner 218]

.

Alla rarely asked if I had "heard anything" as I had told her that we "file for it and we wait" and I had told her it was "about 6 months or more" But we talked every day about our future together, things she needed to do, things I needed to do...none of it had anything to do with USCIS, they just were not a topic of conversation. That part will take care of itself, you need to do the things YOU need to do. USCIS is not going to enroll anybody in school or get them a scholariship or get their transcripts evaluated. When they say "How do I get a drivers license?" USCIS does not have the answer. Will you?

with the amount of uncertainty surrounding USCIS,how is setting up job interviews or educational opportunities smart?not to mention USCIS isnt the only slow step of the process.consulates can be equally if not more frustrating and slow when it comes to it.

[coraliesolms 47]

5 months.... Try the 2.5 years it took my husband and I to get through the USCIS....

[candn 17]

I guess, with regards to this topic, we can all respectfully agree to disagree. I can see everyone's side but, again, I refuse to believe that it is acceptable that we pay the same yet receive unequal service.

Edited November 25, 2010 by candn

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

with the amount of uncertainty surrounding USCIS,how is setting up job interviews or educational opportunities smart?not to mention USCIS isnt the only slow step of the process.consulates can be equally if not more frustrating and slow when it comes to it.

Because she started her MA in English program five days after she arrived with a 50% grant. She wondered why she had to wait THAT long. Pretty stupid eh? It was waiting there for her to sho wup and sign some papers. had she been a month later, it would have been there then also. How is making plans for you family stupid as compared to staring at a computer screen waiting for a "touch"?

You can get transcripts translated and evaluated anytime.

Here's how we roll...

SSN 16 hours after arrival, son starts school 36 hours after arrival, new bank accoounts 40 hours after arrival, start driver training on day 3, sign papers for grant on day 4 (weekend got in the way) start MA program on day 5, SS card in hand on day 6. Drivers license in 2 months. We were DONE with waiting.

Edited November 25, 2010 by Gary and Alla

[wshc 46]

The system is too slow and is a bad system. It is a typical Government operation. A few things to keep in mind:

The fees don't even come close to covering the cost of this Government monstrosity. The fees are just to make it look as if they are earning money to help pay the bills. Even if you read some statistic or press release that the fees make the agency self sufficient, don't believe it because the total cost of federal employees is very high and seldom reflected in the statistics (health care for life, early retirement, more than normal vacation and leave etc...)

The immigration process is something Government must do. Not just a “good to have service”. As a citizen I expect and demand that the government administer immigration in an effective and professional manner. Just as I demand adequate defense or roads or whatever else a Government is suppose to do. Immigration is not a service that should be "for profit" or pay for itself. As far as being professional, a long waiting period for me, as a US Citizen to receive permission from the Government to be with my wife of 26 years is disgusting. (Much worse than some TSA people groping others for a few seconds that is in the news now, but nothing in the news about people being abused by the immigration system.) I don't care if they have to increase their manpower by %500 to get the processing time to less than 30 days, DO IT. If we are at war and need 200 more tanks, as a citizen I expect them to buy them. Therefore I expect the government to increase manpower or do whatever it takes to make the immigration process professional, that includes a lot of criteria, but shortened waiting times is a very high priority on that list of criteria. Especially, as an arrogant American, anything else is not acceptable to me, (whether I can do anything about it or not).

So everyone that tries to explain away the long waits, don't. We deserve better and we are being disappointed because nobody cares about people going through the immigration process legally. If we were all illegal from Mexico then all of the Democrats in government would be bending over backwards to make sure we become happy little citizens and democratic voters.

[Tero 105]

Everyone has a right to complain because the service is not free. If you have paid some money, you have a right to complain. I am surprised some people are "beating" up others because they are complaining. If you think 5 months is not a long enough wait for you, then good for you. If you think 3 months is too long to wait, you are entitled to your opinion since you paid for the service. Rest assured, complaints are important as well, as they help the organizations concerned to brainstorm and come up with more efficient service/product. In my opinion, complaints are more important for progress than gratitude, as they make you see room for improvements.

[Zava 1]

I agree. I would have gladly paid more money to expedite our case. Like you said, people will "throw money" at making the process move faster. The USCIS is juggling fees to make a dollar. All they need to do is offer more premium processing and if people can afford it, they will jump at the chance. Heck, maybe the fees earned from it would allow them to hire more workers.

And we just paid extra because starting November 23 2010 the I-129F is gone down in price by $100.00 or so.

[SuperDuper! 230]

OP, thanks for having kind things to say about the USCIS/NVC workers. They are a great bunch doing a difficult job. I really take it personal when people here put them down or the SSA folks down, calling them imbeciles, brain-dead, retards, etc.,and all this negativity here is really tiring.

We like the USCIS worker who processed our original application so much, we invited her over for dinner!

So thanks for being an oasis in an otherwise sea of negativity and complaining regarding an agency that is tasked with being all things to all people and keeping our country safe!

Happy Turkey Day!

[Amber & Ahmed 133]

How about this one...

Wait 5 months and see 2 days of touches to only recieve a RFE... and guess what it is all your fault! Yes that's right in all the hustle and bustle to get your I130 in you forget to sign the G325! I am just kicking myslef!!!

Ahmed and I would be in the NVC if not for my rash stupid mistake!

So yes the 5 months waiting sucks so bad, but it is a necessary evil, just be sure to triple check all your papers before rushing them off, dont be sorry like I am now!

We all knew there would be waiting involved in this process but really what is 7 months compared to the rest of our lives with our spouses?

Good luck and I wish you all a speedy process!

Amber

[CarlosAndSveta 808]

The system is too slow and is a bad system. It is a typical Government operation. A few things to keep in mind:

The fees don't even come close to covering the cost of this Government monstrosity. The fees are just to make it look as if they are earning money to help pay the bills. Even if you read some statistic or press release that the fees make the agency self sufficient, don't believe it because the total cost of federal employees is very high and seldom reflected in the statistics (health care for life, early retirement, more than normal vacation and leave etc...)

The immigration process is something Government must do. Not just a "good to have service". As a citizen I expect and demand that the government administer immigration in an effective and professional manner. Just as I demand adequate defense or roads or whatever else a Government is suppose to do. Immigration is not a service that should be "for profit" or pay for itself. As far as being professional, a long waiting period for me, as a US Citizen to receive permission from the Government to be with my wife of 26 years is disgusting. (Much worse than some TSA people groping others for a few seconds that is in the news now, but nothing in the news about people being abused by the immigration system.) I don't care if they have to increase their manpower by %500 to get the processing time to less than 30 days, DO IT. If we are at war and need 200 more tanks, as a citizen I expect them to buy them. Therefore I expect the government to increase manpower or do whatever it takes to make the immigration process professional, that includes a lot of criteria, but shortened waiting times is a very high priority on that list of criteria. Especially, as an arrogant American, anything else is not acceptable to me, (whether I can do anything about it or not).

So everyone that tries to explain away the long waits, don't. We deserve better and we are being disappointed because nobody cares about people going through the immigration process legally. If we were all illegal from Mexico then all of the Democrats in government would be bending over backwards to make sure we become happy little citizens and democratic voters.

Typical wingnut bull$hit.

Edited November 25, 2010 by CarlosAndSveta

[Blob18 111]

Typical wingnut bull$hit.

Political forum is here:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/forum/145-politics-and-religion/

Take your name calling B.S. trolling there.

[CarlosAndSveta 808]

Political forum is here:

http://www.visajourn...s-and-religion/

Take your name calling B.S. trolling there.

I am not trolling. I am just expressing my opinion about his opinion. In fact I bit on his trolling when he said: "If we were all illegal from Mexico then all of the Democrats in government would be bending over backwards to make sure we become happy little citizens and democratic voters"

Edited November 25, 2010 by CarlosAndSveta

[wshc 46]

Bottom line to the original subject of this thread, the people in the service centers doing their job are good people just like everyone in this forum. They are doing a thankless job for what may be thankless people, and although I think the system is bad, broken, evil, unfair and all the rest, I appreciate the people that are doing the job. It is not their fault that the system is the way it is and most of them would probably speed up the process if they could.

Just remember, if you are American or soon to be or a LPR or whatever, the desire to always improve, always want to be the best is a trait that drives the USA and it's people to be the best at whatever they do. When those desires no longer exist, or second best is acceptable, then the edge is no longer there. I am afraid that too many people are willing to just be happy not being the best. The best would include having the best immigration process in the world, not some third rate broken system that blindly lets millions in while over zealously and unprofessionally enforcing immigration policy to the rest of the world.

Edited November 25, 2010 by wshc

[thelastpetitioner 218]

Because she started her MA in English program five days after she arrived with a 50% grant. She wondered why she had to wait THAT long. Pretty stupid eh? It was waiting there for her to sho wup and sign some papers. had she been a month later, it would have been there then also. How is making plans for you family stupid as compared to staring at a computer screen waiting for a "touch"?

You can get transcripts translated and evaluated anytime.

Here's how we roll...

SSN 16 hours after arrival, son starts school 36 hours after arrival, new bank accoounts 40 hours after arrival, start driver training on day 3, sign papers for grant on day 4 (weekend got in the way) start MA program on day 5, SS card in hand on day 6. Drivers license in 2 months. We were DONE with waiting.

im not talking about YOUR fiancee,im talking about the advice youre giving others.im actually glad we didnt set anything up for me personally in the beginning of the process,because it seems like we are stuck in this system for another at least 5 months before we can get our interview.it would have been a waste of money and time.