Calling all Senators and Representatives

[Dakine 26]

There is NO doubt my senators staff -Dan Inouye- Hawaii, expedited approvals on 3 different occasions during a 4 year period.

At the same time my congressmans staff and office was USELESS!

[Patty♥Paul 8]

Not totally true. See the speed of my approval and entire process? That was my congressman's work! They might not always help, but they are certainly capable of doing so.

Thats really great for you but totally unfair for all of us who sent our petitions way before you guys and still waiting for USCIS to approve our case

[JoyDee 21]

Thats really great for you but totally unfair for all of us who sent our petitions way before you guys and still waiting for USCIS to approve our case

Patty, have you tried calling your Congressperson?

[Patty♥Paul 8]

Patty, have you tried calling your Congressperson?

Not yet, we were trying to do things in the right way, calling your congressperson should be an last option when your case is over the 5 month mark... but if people do that way before that happens that means that our cases are pulled back...not fair

[LoveMyMiky 35]

Yikes! It's amazing to me how some members think its their right to rant and rave at someone who is trying to expedite the process to be with their loved one and get them out of harms way. True, some cases can be more serious than others and all want faster results. But to pounce on somebody who is questioning how to contact his or her congressman is plain disrespectful and unwarranted.

There is absolutely nothing wrong in contacting a congressman regarding immigration providing the inclusion of true facts, conveyance of understanding of the process, and written tactfully. The goal is to sell your individual situation. I would not attack the process, the center involved, or make far-flung accusations as this could hurt more than help. If one has the time to write or call and can do it effectively why wouldn’t one do it! To suggest you wait for 5 months before you make contact is absolutely ridiculous, there is no Congressman written rule or policy in this regard. There is nothing wrong with seeking every avenue possible providing it is done honestly, truthfully, and tactfully within the limits of the law. This is about you and your loved one, not about someone on this board whom may have an axe to grind or is fearful of contacting their congressman until their 5 months is up.

[Patty♥Paul 8]

Yikes! It's amazing to me how some members think its their right to rant and rave at someone who is trying to expedite the process to be with their loved one and get them out of harms way. True, some cases can be more serious than others and all want faster results. But to pounce on somebody who is questioning how to contact his or her congressman is plain disrespectful and unwarranted.

There is absolutely nothing wrong in contacting a congressman regarding immigration providing the inclusion of true facts, conveyance of understanding of the process, and written tactfully. The goal is to sell your individual situation. I would not attack the process, the center involved, or make far-flung accusations as this could hurt more than help. If one has the time to write or call and can do it effectively why wouldn't one do it! To suggest you wait for 5 months before you make contact is absolutely ridiculous, there is no Congressman written rule or policy in this regard. There is nothing wrong with seeking every avenue possible providing it is done honestly, truthfully, and tactfully within the limits of the law. This is about you and your loved one, not about someone on this board whom may have an axe to grind or is fearful of contacting their congressman until their 5 months is up.

Sorry you misinterpreted my post, I'm really glad for those getting their approvals in less time than the 5 months mark, but I'm not happy about how USCIS is working in no logical order, its very frustrating, thats all.

God bless you.

[KiwiBird 132]

I don't believe she was referring completely to you, Patty. I believe only the part about waiting for 5months was to you. The rest of her post seems to be for the conversation on page 1 of this thread.

[BellaRose 7]

I agree...my husband has lived through the tsunami in Samoa during the process and it is two years and counting AND I STILL believe Haiti cases are worse off than my husband. As long as my spouse is healthy I will not be asking for any favors. But if there was a cholera epidemic I would persue the expedite.

P.S. I did contact my senator when my case wasn't touched for 10 months and the normal processing time was 3 months. He did contact USCIS and eventhough he call me back and told me the same thing USCIS was telling me.....Magically I received an action on my case in the mail within the next two weeks. My case was not expedited but maybe the simple call from the senator made them physically pick my case up and look at it. (This was the re-affirmation process which takes zero priority over other cases)

So yes, congressmen contacting immigration on behalf of you case was benificial from my standpoint, but should not be abused (i.e. for regular processing run-of-the-mill cases) Haiti is not a run-of-the-mill case in its current state.

[thelastpetitioner 218]

Iran doesn't have a cholera epidemic going on so the situation is not the same. Trying to expidite the process given this is not abusing the system. Living in substandard conditions is one thing, but living in the midst of a rampant epidemic is another thing entirely. The situation in Haiti is far from less than ideal.

iran is going through a horrible case of pollution,the amount of damage caused to the citizen is comparable to iran and iraqs war,mind you that was eight years long.

however it doesnt get as much publicity cause its over shadowed by iran's nuclear plan and what not.

she got her case expedited,and its the only thing that can happen,IF the Haitians petitions were not all expedited or expedited upon the beneficiaries request,then yes,she would have to contact her congressman and it would actually make a change.however her case is completely standard,haitian beneficiary,american petitioner,expedited case,what else could change by contacting a congressman or senator.

she is entitled to her opinion,she can call em and contact em all she wants,but i think our job here is to be honest and realistic,giving false hope can take one only so far

Edited December 23, 2010 by thelastpetitioner

[qcmeetsnc 1]

I contacted our congress rep, but her aide said she couldn't help because I was, and stil am, within USCIS guidelines. I then contacted our senator and her aide felt that my situation needed some assistance. Reason? I already have a job with an American company (I am the Canadian applicant) and they had to give me a leave of absence till I got my EAD. Because I am the only person who can perform certain tasks for them, they need me back at work asap.

Now here's the thing to not lose sight of here: these people (senators, congress rep) have aides to take care of those things for them. I doubt very much the senator put all her other duties aside to call the USCIS for me. The person that helped me out was the immigration aide and she was very well versed with the AOS-EAD-AP process. Call me crazy, but I don't think that her taking care of my case for a few minutes put any of the constituents in any kind of hardship.

I feel for those of you who have loved ones going through hardship in their home countries and totally understand you wanting to do anything you can think of to help them get here sooner. I would not hesitate and call the people you elected to see if there's anything they can do to help.

Good luck to all of you.

[Nataliya-Ron 7]

Now after reading all the above comments i have this to say

Yes in February I asked for my congressman to help me with a

SSA disabiliuty claim. I applied for SS becasue I have

Degernerative Disk Disease in my C-spine. I asked my

congressman help me, he came helped me and I was awarded SSDI

the rest of my life. After I was awarded I came here to

Ukraine to marry my wife, returned back to Beverely Hills and

started my CR-1 Visa at once. Now to be able to get your case

expedited you have to qualify with certain requirement to get

it exepdited.

First have a hardship in my medical condition & situation,

so that qualfies me to apply to have my case expedited. 2nd I

also am in need to have my wife help my business, a financical

situation and it to qualfies me to expedite also.

Now I contacted my US Senator and submitted documents from SSA

my doctor and sent the release paper to my Senator with everything

and it how my case was expedited. Yes it takes time but in the

end i will get my CR-1 faster than usual most people do.

I just submitted for my case to be expedited and thats the process

I had to do to get mine done and expedited.

But remember this you have to have a valid case to be expedited

1 by the US Senator and 2nd 1 by the USCIS with verfied case

and circumstances. So many people are helped & many are not helped.

Dont be discouraged. If your case has expried the 180 days from your

NOA-1 than you have a valid reason and case. If not you may not

get a responce from your US government offical.

Good Luck

Happy Holidays

Edited December 23, 2010 by 1lovingyou2

[sachinky 465]

Since all visas from Haiti are already expedited, I doubt there's much a Congressman or Senator can do but there's no harm in trying, I suppose. Good luck!