Vermont, 5 months is up

[Kathryn41 3,205]

One thing I would like to add here. . . The squeakiest wheel does not get the grease with USCIS. USCIS ignores the squeakiest wheel unless it is the case that is in front of them at the time. USCIS handles hundreds of thousands of visa requests every year - and the Haitian situation is miniscule when looking at the overal picture.

A while ago we had an adjudicator who works for USCIS going through the process himself. He posted some very interesting insights into how cases are adjudicated. Basically, files are received at an intake center and given a quick summary. If they are incomplete, they are returned to the sender. If they appear to be complete, then the check is cashed and they are sent into a line up. The line up is huge - forget huge - it is humungous. USCIS allocates the time it has its workers spend on applications dependent on what ones are most immediate in need. Employment type visas are a higher priority than family based visas (a few years ago I saw a summary of 'priority' ratings for the different visa types - fiance visas were near the bottom). It is a good idea to remember that what is your highest priority is actually not very high with USCIS and complaining about it won't make an iota of difference to them. The employment visa year starts in October so virtually every October nearly all of the family based applications come to a near halt while USCIS processes the employment visas to get on top of them. The family based visas then become backlogged and around the end of the year they seem to start working through that backlog again. An adjudicator does not know from day to day what types of applications they will be processing - that decision is made higher up the ladder. There are not nearly enough Haitians in the whole country if each and every one of them were applying for some sort of immigration benefit to interfere with the processing schedules set by USCIS. Don't blame the Haitians - blame the priority lists of USCIS which puts money making, investment, employment type of applications at the top and family related applications at the bottom. That is the culprit.

Secondly, I do understand exactly what you are going through. 7 years ago that was me, crying in anger and frustration as our wait times changed from 160 days then when that time passed, became 220 days and then 280 days. Other people who were similarly delayed (this was the Texas Processing Center in those days) actually picketed the TSC and made the news. It didn't make a difference - not the picketing (although a few people were arrested), not the adverse media, not even public letters to the then Director of Immigration. One of the hardest lessons you will learn through this process is that USCIS - especially with the I-129f - is impenetrable and unperturbable - they move on their own schedule and they lose no sleep over how much frustration, anxiety, fear and heart-break they cause. It took more than 6 months to get my I-129f NOA2, so you can see, these delays are nothing new. Those of you who applied in June will probably be receiving your NOA2s over the next 5 to 6 weeks. Those that are approved earlier than that are usually cases that are pulled out of line to be used as a training case for new adjudicators. While it only takes 15 minutes to read and approve your application it spends the rest of its time waiting its turn in line behind all of the other thousand of applications that have also been submitted.

This is just your first stage of waiting. Once the NOA2 is approved, most of you will be in for a wait until the Consulate can schedule an interview. For some Consulates this will happen quickly - for others it will be another 5 or 6 months (Canada, for instance). Then after you are together, you apply for a green card - that is another wait. For me, it was just short of 2 years (no RFEs, no problems, just waiting its turn in line). Then you have a 2 year wait before you again have to wait for Removal of Conditions. Ours took 1 year to be removed. You finally get your last - and shortest wait - when you apply for citizenship.

So, yes, it isn't fair; it isn't right and it is extremely frustrating. Get angry, write letters, make your problems public (which has happened several times over the years I have been here as well - lots of media coverage of the horrible waiting times for fiancees and spouses) but don't go blaming one group of people or one disaster or another for the wait. It is irrelevant. USCIS is understaffed and overworked. You are on the bottom rung of their priority ladder. It is as simple as that.,

All I can promise is that the waiting does end eventually and tell you that this is, indeed, the absolutely worst part of the whole process because of the uncertainty and the distance from the one you love.

Hang in there everyone. Vent away - but please vent your frustration in the right direction - at USCIS.

Edited December 12, 2010 by Kathryn41

[Ally & Rach 24]

No, these people came here after the disaster because they were allowed to, and have been waiting ever since to get true legal status. (That's why I said they have been waiting a year, even though the official timeframe may be 3 months). They came here because they lost their homes and families. Allowing these people to get real jobs and get back on their feet will help them heal and also allow Uncle Sam to collect their tax dollars. They are not gang members who have been here forever suddenly getting a free ride.

The person complaining the most has been waiting only two months and somehow thinks that he is being burdened by other applications. That is nonsense.

Quote from The New York Times..

Administration officials said the special status would cover at least 100,000 Haitians believed to be living in the United States illegally, as well as about 30,000 Haitians who had been ordered deported. Haitians who receive the temporary status will be able to obtain documents allowing them to live here and work legally.

The administration’s decision followed a rising chorus of calls for the temporary status after the earthquake on Tuesday. On Friday, 80 representatives and 18 senators, including Democrats and Republicans, sent appeals to the administration to grant the status, as did the conference of Roman Catholic bishops.

Ms. Napolitano said the protection would extend only to Haitians who were already in the United States as of Tuesday. Until now, officials had hesitated to grant the temporary status for fear it would encourage a new exodus of desperate Haitians by boat toward South Florida.

“Attempting to leave Haiti now will only bring more hardship to the Haitian people and nation,” Ms. Napolitano said Friday. She said Haitians who tried to travel illegally to the United States after this week would be sent back to Haiti.

[Al422 221]

50 years ago, someone was told that there was nothing he could do. The government was intractable, unmovable, uncaring, and it did things on its own schedule.

But that man refused to listen. And he persisted. And he got results.

That man was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Because he didn't listen, a man who 50 years ago would have been riding in the back of the bus is now riding in the back of the Presidential limousine. Does anyone think that President Obama would have made it without Dr. King?

I have no intention of stopping. I have no intention of listening to those who say that it can't be done.

Even if I fail, at least I can look at myself in the mirror and like what I see. I tried to do something. I tried to correct the hideous injustice in the country that I love caused by the government that I hate.

[Wish ME Luck 3]

Thank you everyones for all the comments on my last post. i didnt think that their would be this much reply. I guess i really hit a good topic huh? I know that other people tell us to wait patienly. And i feel that much of us had. But i also feel that USCIS has a deadline on their prcessing time. If they cannot keep up, and will fall behind their deadline. They should inform the people that thier is a delay and change their dates on their web site. The thing i believe everyone here is mad about is we need to be better inform with any news on our cases.

We pay our taxes and our Fee, we should expect result. We can sit here patienly and hope one day our NOA2 will arrive, but i believe that waiting patiently is over. They stated it be done under 5months. I waited enought now i want result. I will call, email, or visit anyone that can or might be able to help. I'M GONNA MAKES SOME NOISE, so that we can be heard. It might help or not help, but i will feel much better then sitting on my dead #### and not do anything at all (that what i did for 5months). BUT YOU NO WHAT I HOPE SOMEONE MIGHT JUST LISTEN!!

I hope that everyone here will do the same, instead of doing nothing at all. I encourage all those that are over or about to be over there 5 months, to call, write, visit senator, congressman, uscis, or anyone at all that might be able to help. Maybe someone out thier will listen and can help. We need to be heard.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Here is a list of priority processing I was referring to - it is from January 14, 2004 and was posted on Visa Journey back then. The link no longer works (the site has been updated since that time) so the original post won't show but this is the information - there were 4 service centers processing fiancee visas back then. VSC was faster all around and in January K-1s were high on the Vermont list - but take a look at the others! The point is that K-1s are only one among many and the priorities change throughout the year - but K-1s are seldom high on the list:

Vermont:

H-1C Nurses................................ 1 wk

H-2A Temporary Workers ........... 1 wk

K1/K2 (fiancee) ........................1 mo

L Intercompany Transfers............. 2 mo

H-1B Specialty Occupation ........... 2.5 mo

H-2B Other Temporary Workers ... 3 mo

H-3 Temporary Trainiees................3 mo

O Extrordinary Ability .................... 3 mo

P Athletes ..................................... 3 mo

Q Cultural Exchange visitors ......... 3 mo

R Religiious occupation...................3 mo

Nebraska:

H-2A Temporary Workers.............. 3 wks

Blanket L (transfers?)..................... 3 wks

H-3 Temporary Trainees ............... 1 mo

P Athletes........................................1.5 mo

H-2B Other Temporary Workers...... 2 mo

O Extraordinary Ability.................... 2 mo

L Intercompany Transfers ............... 2 mo

Q Cultural Exchange........................2.5 mo

R Religious Occupation.....................2.5 mo

H-1B Specialty Occupation ...............3 mo

TN NAFTA Professional.......................4 mo

K1/K2 Fiancee ..............................6 mo

Texas:

H2A Temporary Workers ................. 1 mo

L Intercompany Transfers ................ 2 mo

H1B Specialty Occupation ..................2.5 mo

H3 Temporary Trainees ......................3 mo

Q Cultural Exchange .......................... 3 mo

H-2B Other Temporary Workers............4 mo

O Extrordinary Ability............................ 4 mo

P Athletes.............................................4 mo

K1/K2 Fiancee..................................6 mo

R Religious Occupation ........................7 mo

California:

H2A Temporary Workers....................... 2 wks

H3 Temmporary Trainees.......................3 wks

L Intercompany Transfers.......................1 mo

H1B Specialty Occupation........................2 mo

H2B Other Temporary Workers...............2 mo

O Extraordinary Ability............................2.5 mo

P Athletes...............................................3 mo

Q Cultural Exchange............................... 3 mo

R Religious Occupation............................ 5.5 mo

E Treaty Traders and Investors...............6.5 mo

K1/K2 Fiancee......................................6.5 mo

[bluexdiver 1]

Excellent post Kathryn, some calm perspective on this whole process. If you haven't learned this by now, it's going to be a long road...patience. We are all people, American by birth, or by paperwork makes no difference, the same. I am somewhat surprised at "discriminatory" remarks or comments made about certain types of people, aren't we all trying to help our "foreign" family here? This is not a right, it's a privilege asking permission to bring our family members here. I understand the need to fight for getting your family member/fiance here soon, but this wait we knew before we started could be longer than anticipated. Family visas are low priority for obvious reasons, it's a high priority for me, but not for our Government.

[Afrikan Queen 11]

Another "oh poor Haitians" post by another member who already completed his journey and who is not being hurt by them. We seem to have a lot of this here.

I never said I had a problem waiting in line behind other AMERICAN CITIZENS who have been waiting longer than I have. But I do have two problems:

1. Giving priority to ANY foreigner, Haitian or otherwise, over American citizens.

2. In general, not having enough staff despite the enormous fees we pay them to process our applications in a reasonable (i.e. 60 days) amount of time.

EVEN IF the Haitians should someway, somehow deserve priority over taxpaying, voting American citizens, THEY ARE ALREADY HERE. My Elena is trapped in Russia.

So no matter how you look at it, the claim that Haitians deserve priority over us is BS, plain and simple.

My thoughts exactly! Why should a non-US Citizen be given priority over the petition of an US Citizen? Just goes to show how backwards the system and our government is.

[Al422 221]

Here is a list of priority processing I was referring to - it is from January 14, 2004 and was posted on Visa Journey back then. The link no longer works (the site has been updated since that time) so the original post won't show but this is the information - there were 4 service centers processing fiancee visas back then. VSC was faster all around and in January K-1s were high on the Vermont list - but take a look at the others! The point is that K-1s are only one among many and the priorities change throughout the year - but K-1s are seldom high on the list:

Vermont:

H-1C Nurses................................ 1 wk

H-2A Temporary Workers ........... 1 wk

K1/K2 (fiancee) ........................1 mo

L Intercompany Transfers............. 2 mo

H-1B Specialty Occupation ........... 2.5 mo

H-2B Other Temporary Workers ... 3 mo

H-3 Temporary Trainiees................3 mo

O Extrordinary Ability .................... 3 mo

P Athletes ..................................... 3 mo

Q Cultural Exchange visitors ......... 3 mo

R Religiious occupation...................3 mo

Nebraska:

H-2A Temporary Workers.............. 3 wks

Blanket L (transfers?)..................... 3 wks

H-3 Temporary Trainees ............... 1 mo

P Athletes........................................1.5 mo

H-2B Other Temporary Workers...... 2 mo

O Extraordinary Ability.................... 2 mo

L Intercompany Transfers ............... 2 mo

Q Cultural Exchange........................2.5 mo

R Religious Occupation.....................2.5 mo

H-1B Specialty Occupation ...............3 mo

TN NAFTA Professional.......................4 mo

K1/K2 Fiancee ..............................6 mo

Texas:

H2A Temporary Workers ................. 1 mo

L Intercompany Transfers ................ 2 mo

H1B Specialty Occupation ..................2.5 mo

H3 Temporary Trainees ......................3 mo

Q Cultural Exchange .......................... 3 mo

H-2B Other Temporary Workers............4 mo

O Extrordinary Ability............................ 4 mo

P Athletes.............................................4 mo

K1/K2 Fiancee..................................6 mo

R Religious Occupation ........................7 mo

California:

H2A Temporary Workers....................... 2 wks

H3 Temmporary Trainees.......................3 wks

L Intercompany Transfers.......................1 mo

H1B Specialty Occupation........................2 mo

H2B Other Temporary Workers...............2 mo

O Extraordinary Ability............................2.5 mo

P Athletes...............................................3 mo

Q Cultural Exchange............................... 3 mo

R Religious Occupation............................ 5.5 mo

E Treaty Traders and Investors...............6.5 mo

K1/K2 Fiancee......................................6.5 mo

This means that in 2004, one service center had it right, and the other three had it wrong.

But instead of fixing the three that were wrong, our wonderful government breaks the one that was right.

I know that each K1/K3 involves a foreigner. But that is not why they deserve priority. They deserve priority because they all involve the rights of an American citizen. No other immigration petition does.

Who pays the taxes that provide these people with their salaries? The American citizens, or the foreigners? So who gets priority? How much more plainly obvious does this have to get for USCIS to understand it?

[Ning 619]

Thank you everyones for all the comments on my last post. i didnt think that their would be this much reply. I guess i really hit a good topic huh? I know that other people tell us to wait patienly. And i feel that much of us had. But i also feel that USCIS has a deadline on their prcessing time. If they cannot keep up, and will fall behind their deadline. They should inform the people that thier is a delay and change their dates on their web site. The thing i believe everyone here is mad about is we need to be better inform with any news on our cases.

We pay our taxes and our Fee, we should expect result. We can sit here patienly and hope one day our NOA2 will arrive, but i believe that waiting patiently is over. They stated it be done under 5months. I waited enought now i want result. I will call, email, or visit anyone that can or might be able to help. I'M GONNA MAKES SOME NOISE, so that we can be heard. It might help or not help, but i will feel much better then sitting on my dead #### and not do anything at all (that what i did for 5months). BUT YOU NO WHAT I HOPE SOMEONE MIGHT JUST LISTEN!!

I hope that everyone here will do the same, instead of doing nothing at all. I encourage all those that are over or about to be over there 5 months, to call, write, visit senator, congressman, uscis, or anyone at all that might be able to help. Maybe someone out thier will listen and can help. We need to be heard.

Yours is an age old situation. Your reaction is understandable. Prepare for the age old responce. Its the sound of crickets or the silence of the lambs.

Begin today by visiting your politicians web site. Find there the form they require to be sent in before they begin to placate you by having a trained staff person tell you they will look into the case. Send the form asap. Allow about a month to recieve the standard responce.

Dont waste anymore time on patients. As you said you are done with that phase. Now move into the real offensive mode that will deliver the result you demand of a U S government department that is insulated from any attempt you make.

Make an effort to go see them in person to make sure you are heard. There you can make the noise you want & see the reaction of USCIS first hand. Use USCIS site to make INFO PASS appointemnt. There you will be face to face with an officer of the USCIS. That is the most you can do & you wont be sitting on your ### until you get back to your car.

In the end you will find you are just another frustrated person in a long & never ending line of people that come to the realisation that its a long hard journey. Does anyone hear you? The members here do. Many of us have been down the same road marked Frustration Lane. Its government grid lock at its finest.

[Fandango 1,439]

Hey OP, you don't need to repost a dupe thread...your other one is alive and well.

[Wish ME Luck 3]

Yours is an age old situation. Your reaction is understandable. Prepare for the age old responce. Its the sound of crickets or the silence of the lambs.

Begin today by visiting your politicians web site. Find there the form they require to be sent in before they begin to placate you by having a trained staff person tell you they will look into the case. Send the form asap. Allow about a month to recieve the standard responce.

Dont waste anymore time on patients. As you said you are done with that phase. Now move into the real offensive mode that will deliver the result you demand of a U S government department that is insulated from any attempt you make.

Make an effort to go see them in person to make sure you are heard. There you can make the noise you want & see the reaction of USCIS first hand. Use USCIS site to make INFO PASS appointemnt. There you will be face to face with an officer of the USCIS. That is the most you can do & you wont be sitting on your ### until you get back to your car.

In the end you will find you are just another frustrated person in a long & never ending line of people that come to the realisation that its a long hard journey. Does anyone hear you? The members here do. Many of us have been down the same road marked Frustration Lane. Its government grid lock at its finest.

[Wish ME Luck 3]

Good idea, i think that info-pass appointment sound pretty good. i think i'll do that. Atleast maybe someone down there can help me. i just want to know whats going on. atleast i'll feel better, that someone is trying to help.

[thaiv 15]

Maybe we all should just physically go to Vermont and protest one weekend.

[bmiles62 5]

Maybe we all should just physically go to Vermont and protest one weekend.

Now that sounds like a good idea!!!

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Thank you everyones for all the comments on my last post. i didnt think that their would be this much reply. I guess i really hit a good topic huh? I know that other people tell us to wait patienly. And i feel that much of us had. But i also feel that USCIS has a deadline on their prcessing time. If they cannot keep up, and will fall behind their deadline. They should inform the people that thier is a delay and change their dates on their web site. The thing i believe everyone here is mad about is we need to be better inform with any news on our cases.

We pay our taxes and our Fee, we should expect result. We can sit here patienly and hope one day our NOA2 will arrive, but i believe that waiting patiently is over. They stated it be done under 5months. I waited enought now i want result. I will call, email, or visit anyone that can or might be able to help. I'M GONNA MAKES SOME NOISE, so that we can be heard. It might help or not help, but i will feel much better then sitting on my dead #### and not do anything at all (that what i did for 5months). BUT YOU NO WHAT I HOPE SOMEONE MIGHT JUST LISTEN!!

I hope that everyone here will do the same, instead of doing nothing at all. I encourage all those that are over or about to be over there 5 months, to call, write, visit senator, congressman, uscis, or anyone at all that might be able to help. Maybe someone out thier will listen and can help. We need to be heard.

Please DO NOT start a whole new thread on the exact same topic. Continue the discussion in the existing thread.

Duplicate threads have been merged.