the kind people who process our cases :)

[Tero 105]

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.

....Amen to that!

[Hatem&Zeinab 30]

I do think the USCIS should be blamed for all this delay in processing. I don't think anybody would mind paying extra fees for them to provide a better and faster service. Hire new employees. Invest money on improving their system. The thing that I do believe that the USCIS is not fair when it comes to a first come first served policy. You will see people who have applied probably 2 months after you and got approved while you are still waiting. There is no such an explanation for that other than you bad luck put your file on someone's desk who doesn't really care to make your life like hell staying away from you loved ones. Take his time, take vacations... etc

Those people need vacations, because they are human beings after all, but in that case your petition should be assigned to another IO and goes into the right order where it should be according to the date on the NOA1. It is very simple stuff but it makes a difference and it should make every body served fairly.

I do believe they should first look for petitions that are 5 months old already, before looking into newer ones.

Waiting is too frustrating, and the worst part is that you can never know till when. On the top of that you have know one that you can talk to tell you any specific details about your case!!!

I do understand that sometimes USCIS needs to take further look at petitions due to high fraud cases, but let me give you myself as an example. I am originally Egyptian, my fiancee is Egyptian, I am 35, she is 28...I have been to Egypt two times already to see her. A very crystal clear case. No criminal records, or any other problems of what so ever... and we have been waiting and waiting and waiting!!!

[Colin&Lori 6]

Hopefully, you can still have this understanding attitude towards USCIS and its adjudicators in 5 months from now if you are still waiting on NOA2...

lol glady you see I knew there was going to be a 5 month wait so am prepared for it and will still have this understanding even after 5 months

the way i also see it is this waiting period is null and void as opposed to the amount of time you will spend with your love one

[Gemmie 142]

I also knew it was going to be a 6 month wait, so wasn't too put-off when I got my NOA2 in 5 months. And like Gary, I wasn't too concerned about the process as I knew that there was nothing I could do, and focused on school, going out with my friends, communicating with my fiancee, etc.

BUT I was annoyed hearing about the people that would crop up on here, asking how to send in AOS paperwork because they "just decided" to get married on a visit. I'm not saying it can't happen. I just believe that rule should be cancelled completely as it allows too much visa fraud and the lines between spontaneous marriage and spontaneous immigration are too thin. I disliked hearing about all of the tourist visa or VWP cases, and all of the illegal cases, whilst I was there after a 9 month wait - still waiting to get paperwork sorted in the US.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

lol glady you see I knew there was going to be a 5 month wait so am prepared for it and will still have this understanding even after 5 months

the way i also see it is this waiting period is null and void as opposed to the amount of time you will spend with your love one

Exactly! This isn't a dinner date, it is a lifetime project!

Most of the stress in life is caused by unrealistic expectations. Assume the worst, prepare for it, and be happy when it doesn't happen.

The waiting game quickly fades when you are together. I do not even recall it at all when Alla snuggles up behind me every night and I wake up and she is the first thing I see. Haven't had a bad day since!

[missicy 87]

BUT I was annoyed hearing about the people that would crop up on here, asking how to send in AOS paperwork because they "just decided" to get married on a visit. I'm not saying it can't happen. I just believe that rule should be cancelled completely as it allows too much visa fraud and the lines between spontaneous marriage and spontaneous immigration are too thin. I disliked hearing about all of the tourist visa or VWP cases, and all of the illegal cases, whilst I was there after a 9 month wait - still waiting to get paperwork sorted in the US.

That annoys me, too. This girl that I know went there on VWP, got married and adjusted her status with no problem, because she "didn't feel like waiting that long for a visa". When I complained to her how frustrating this visa process was she was like "well you could have done what I did but you chose the long and hard way". I was like are you freaking kidding me? Yes, it is the long and hard way but the only legal. Then she got all offended and said that she got her GC legally. She and her husband even had attorneys giving them advice how to aviod the visa and adjust status without one. So she thought that what she did was ok and legal. It definitely should be much harder for them to adjust their status from marriage on a tourist visa or VWP, if not impossible.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

That annoys me, too. This girl that I know went there on VWP, got married and adjusted her status with no problem, because she "didn't feel like waiting that long for a visa". When I complained to her how frustrating this visa process was she was like "well you could have done what I did but you chose the long and hard way". I was like are you freaking kidding me? Yes, it is the long and hard way but the only legal. Then she got all offended and said that she got her GC legally. She and her husband even had attorneys giving them advice how to aviod the visa and adjust status without one. So she thought that what she did was ok and legal. It definitely should be much harder for them to adjust their status from marriage on a tourist visa or VWP, if not impossible.

It isd like saying "I got rich by robbing banks" It is illegal and she risked being sent back and being barred from future visas of any kind. Personally I would NEVER put my loved ones in that kind of risk. No way.

Imagine we do that, get her here, get married, enroll the children in school, get her statred on her education here and suddenly, maybe some months later...my wife and family get deported! Why would anyone take that risk? For saving a few months? Stupid. Premier stupidity.

[missicy 87]

I agree with you. But I don't think that she was aware of the risk and that what she did was ilegal. Their attorneys told them that it could be done so they thought it was totally ok to do it. It made me angry when she told me that I could have done the same instead of trying to get the visa first. We spend all this time and money on our visas and in the end, it isn't any harder for them to adjust their status than it is for us.

[Tero 105]

My question is why do they let them get away with it if it is illegal? The USCIS/DHS should see a pattern here and punish accordingly...if it is illegal. I had explained at different times to different people about my K-1 visa denial and how I had to start all over again with I-130 and how long it would probably take before my love gets here. They all (differently) suggested this same route! And I wonder if that would have been a better decision. Is that route really illegal or just a legal short cut? Anybody have any confirmation that it is illegal?

[CarlosAndSveta 808]

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.

Why don't you give us an example of a country that has an immigration system that is better than that of the United States. You must give something based on metrics not just your opinion that the USCIS is third rate because it doesn't work as fast as you want it and because there are millions of illegal immigrants in the U.S.

[SuperDuper! 230]

Why don't you give us an example of a country that has an immigration system that is better than that of the United States. You must give something based on metrics not just your opinion that the USCIS is third rate because it doesn't work as fast as you want it and because there are millions of illegal immigrants in the U.S.

You know only Steven can give a full, researched answer to this. All other responses are futile.

[Kristy S 13]

how do you think it will affect the wait time on 129f with the fee getting cut from 455 down to 340? with all the 129fs they have filed every day, taking a 115$ cut per case? i mean i know they raised other rates, but not really by much more than like 10% in most cases. do you think the raised rates will offset the lowered rate of the fiance visa? or do you think that fiances will have to deal with even longer wait times on their noa2s?

[CBM 14]

There's actually barely a net change in the I129F/K1/AOS process..... they lowered the I-129F, raised the AOS fees and biometric fees.

I doubt the actual monetary change will change anything directly - indirectly, maybe, if a lot of people waited until now to file because of the new fees, things will slow down a bit.

Gotta agree with the people who say, don't bother consciously waiting. Try to go about your days and prepare for your fiance(e) to arrive in the US. Concentrate on wedding plans. On where you will apply for jobs. School, if applicable. What evidence you will send with AOS. What things you want to leave behind, if you can't take everything.

I hate waiting, but more than I hate waiting, I hate waiting AND being upset about waiting when I know there's nothing I can do to change the wait. Just my opinion.

[missicy 87]

My question is why do they let them get away with it if it is illegal? The USCIS/DHS should see a pattern here and punish accordingly...if it is illegal. I had explained at different times to different people about my K-1 visa denial and how I had to start all over again with I-130 and how long it would probably take before my love gets here. They all (differently) suggested this same route! And I wonder if that would have been a better decision. Is that route really illegal or just a legal short cut? Anybody have any confirmation that it is illegal?

Going to the US on a tourist visa or VWP with intention to get married and immigrate is illegal. If you are already in the US on a tourist visa/VWP and spountaneoulsy decide to get married and stay and can prove that it was a spontaneous decision then it's legal (somebody correct me if I am wrong). But like Gemmie said, the lines between spontaneous marriage and spontaneous immigration are too thin and allow too much fraud. Obviously, there are holes in the system that allow people to take the illegal short cut and get away with it. Me personally, I wouldn't take the risk (of getting banned from the country) just to save 6 months and some money.

Tero, your fiancee was denied a K-1 before and is from Nigeria. It would be very very hard if not impossible for her to get a tourist visa. So I-130 is your only option (and the only legal one).