Formal call for immigration reform...

[mrsushi66 0]

Don't know the day to day process so I can not comment on improvements. What I do see and frustrates me to no end is when I see someone approved in 29 days while others have been waiting more than 120 days. YES I know each case is different but guess what THEY could put out guidelines on what makes a case less likely to be delayed and such.

There needs to be some consistency in levels of service and some over all sharing of information as to why some folks get processed in 29 days and some get processed in 129 days!!!!!!

Paul misses Anna

[SirLancelot 1]

Don't know the day to day process so I can not comment on improvements. What I do see and frustrates me to no end is when I see someone approved in 29 days while others have been waiting more than 120 days. YES I know each case is different but guess what THEY could put out guidelines on what makes a case less likely to be delayed and such.

There needs to be some consistency in levels of service and some over all sharing of information as to why some folks get processed in 29 days and some get processed in 129 days!!!!!!

Paul misses Anna

This is BY FAR the biggest inequity through this entire process and that is the difference in processing time between CSC and VSC. It's pure and simple discrimination based on location of US petitioner. We would completely win if someone were to file a class action lawsuit but no one has. Alas, I don't have the funds to start one either.

[Kirsten L 0]

I really fail to see why people think that just because something is status-quo and has been so for all eternity that this is the way things have to be in the future.

AMEN, BROTHER!!!

Sure, it makes sense that the task of running a government agency that deals with this sort of task would be complex and misunderstood.

The solution isn't very different from a set of project management tools that some of my friends and I are designing.

I've never seen the work flow in USCIS first hand, but, bear with me for a moment while I give an example of the framework I would establish if I were given the task of creating a work flow...

A petition is received in the mail room. It is opened, placed in a folder, and immediately passed to a processing room. In this room is a row of really snazzy copy machines (we have machines with this functionality in my corporation's office). These copy machines can take a stack of paper of any size, work through the stack unsupervised, digitizing the material. The machine then stores the data on a network drive with its own folder and metadata indicating that the status of the document is 'in between processing and adjucation'. The processing room gathers the documents and files them in a vault for safekeeping. A USCIS agent logs onto their computer, grabs the digitized petition in the cue, and opens it up. As they look over the documents they can highlight areas that are of concern. A list of requirements for the particular petition type can be checked and unchecked corresponding to whether the submitted petition meets the requirements. Areas of concern of the digitized document can be highlighted and notes can be typed in the highlighted space. The officer can do whatever work they deem necessary on that one window. On their desktop are groups of status folders such as 'waiting for RFE', 'waiting for background check', 'ready to go', etc. etc. When the officer has finished the session, they simply drag the document into the appropriate folder. At the end of the night a system wide, automated script scans all the documents in the system for changes. It notes that the document was taken from the cue and is being worked on by an officer. It notes that regions of the forms were highlighted and takes snapshots of those regions in question. It notes what is missing and what is present and what the current status of the petition was at the end of the night. It then updates the petitioner's account so that the petitioner can log in, see their digitized petition, see what is missing and what is present, exactly where in the process they are, etc. In the petitioner's information window there is a timeline showing them exactly what stage of the process they are in (mail room, processing room, officer, mail room, in the mail to NVC, NVC mail room, NVC officer, en route to consulate).

The digital media can be backed up. No more losing documents... you've always got the hard copies in the vault and the digital copies are available in the back up medium. As soon as a flag is raised for an RFE the petitioner can submit their document in a secure browser, which is then converted to the right format and added to the petition information. When the officer logs in the next day he or she is alerted that a petition has been updated with additional information and they continue their work.

This process would be simple to implement, from a technical perspective. And there are, increasingly, functional and free or very cheap Internet connections everywhere, including at libraries. And one could always submit forms via mail as a last resort and have them digitized at USCIS...

But do you see the potential in just this one area? There's so much less footwork involved. This is one instance where computers are not an evil to be avoided...

Exactly. BRAVO, my friend!! You and I are so on the same page!

Onyxrev, are you down with the thread that was started this evening about bombarding the media with our concerns? Let's jump on that bandwagon together and get ourselves a forum to discuss some of this stuff where true pressure can be applied to institute the kinds of changes that would make a difference. I'm so with you, my friend. Let's go for it...

Meauxna, as for your latest comments...While I understand and appreciate your stance, I simply can't agree. Systems can change...and they do when and where the human will is strong enough to change them. Passivity is not productive. Tolerance of the status quo would have kept us from getting to the moon, from exploring the uncharted oceans, from finding cures for all kinds of diseases that used to kill, and a thousand other amazing and once unbelievable things. Had the intrepid individuals who made those advances had instead simply sat back, kicked their feet up, and said, "Better accept it. We can't do that. Nope, it's always going to be exactly the way it is now. Best not to dream of anything too grandiose. That's just wasted energy and foolishness." --well, I'll drop my thought there since I'm guessing you see my point.

Me, I'm a visionary. Always have been. And I'm not ashamed to admit it. I believe things can be better. And I want to be a torch-bearer for positive change. If you want to stand on the sidelines, that is indeed your choice. But I hope you'll at least be cheering forward those of us who see things differently...those of us with a will to bring about a better day.

[Cassie 8]

I've been debating whether or not to join this discussion, and I've decided to keep my mouth shut, other than to say -- Kirsten, I appreciate your enthusiasm and willingness to try and change things. At the same time, you may do well to carefully consider what immigration veterans such as meauxna have to say about the process, without casually dismissing them as "without will for change" or "passive".

Good luck with your efforts.

[Kirsten L 0]

I've been debating whether or not to join this discussion, and I've decided to keep my mouth shut, other than to say -- Kirsten, I appreciate your enthusiasm and willingness to try and change things. At the same time, you may do well to carefully consider what immigration veterans such as meauxna have to say about the process, without casually dismissing them as "without will for change" or "passive".

Good luck with your efforts.

Noted. And I believe I did say that I understood Meauxna's position but didn't agree with it. I wasn't dismissive. I just see things differently and wanted to make that clear. I very much understand and empathize with what others before me must have faced and endured. I am, moreover, completely willing to acknowledge fully what they have already tried. I am simply not willing to concede defeat in the face of previous failure. That is another matter indeed. How many times did Thomas Alva Edison fail before he finally discovered the secret of making a light bulb that would stay lit for a long, long time? MANY. But he finally TRIUMPHED. The odds were ALL against Lincoln when he ran for president. But he WON. How LONG did suffragettes wage public and private battles in this country before they finally achieved success? But women now have THE VOTE...All of these people faced laughter, scorn, and discouragement...and yet they kept going until they stood on top of the mountain.

Maybe I won't get to the top of the mountain. Maybe you're right. But I'm sure going to give it all I've got to get there and at least make better footholds for those who come after me on the climb up. Again, what anyone else chooses to do or not do is up to them.

Edited August 31, 2006 by Kirsten L

[Heracles 417]

What do you think our options are for formally petitioning to reform the system, specifically for higher priority for K visas?

The thing that pains me more than the details of my individual USCIS trial is knowing that there are thousands of people out there experiencing the same thing and that there appears to be no accountability or checks and balances. There will be thousands and thousands of people affected in the future.

I feel that I would be morally negligent to allow this to happen without speaking up.

What can we do? Can we create a genuine petition for reform, submit it to all of our Congressmen? Senators? Mr. Gonzalez? Mr. Chertoff? Mr. Bush?

No sugarcoating. This is a genuine problem.

wait until u hit the AOS process. The K1 is a walk in the park compared to that..

[William33 110]

What do you think our options are for formally petitioning to reform the system, specifically for higher priority for K visas?

The thing that pains me more than the details of my individual USCIS trial is knowing that there are thousands of people out there experiencing the same thing and that there appears to be no accountability or checks and balances. There will be thousands and thousands of people affected in the future.

I feel that I would be morally negligent to allow this to happen without speaking up.

What can we do? Can we create a genuine petition for reform, submit it to all of our Congressmen? Senators? Mr. Gonzalez? Mr. Chertoff? Mr. Bush?

No sugarcoating. This is a genuine problem.

wait until u hit the AOS process. The K1 is a walk in the park compared to that..

Yeah, but together it will be easy. We can fill out 1,000 documents together. The apart thing is the crux of the problem.

[SirLancelot 1]

More power to you Kirsten!

I'm a realist as well and don't believe we'll make much of a dent because our numbers are too small, but I certainly applaud your efforts and encourage this "fight the power" attitude.

Wish you the best of luck!

What I'd love to see done first is the balancing out of CSC approval timeframe vs. VSC approval timeframe.

As it stands now, it's just ridiculous. I pay the same $170 as the petitioners going through VSC. Why should they get theirs approved in 30 days and I get mine in 120+ days?

I've been debating whether or not to join this discussion, and I've decided to keep my mouth shut, other than to say -- Kirsten, I appreciate your enthusiasm and willingness to try and change things. At the same time, you may do well to carefully consider what immigration veterans such as meauxna have to say about the process, without casually dismissing them as "without will for change" or "passive".

Good luck with your efforts.

Noted. And I believe I did say that I understood Meauxna's position but didn't agree with it. I wasn't dismissive. I just see things differently and wanted to make that clear. I very much understand and empathize with what others before me must have faced and endured. I am, moreover, completely willing to acknowledge fully what they have already tried. I am simply not willing to concede defeat in the face of previous failure. That is another matter indeed. How many times did Thomas Alva Edison fail before he finally discovered the secret of making a light bulb that would stay lit for a long, long time? MANY. But he finally TRIUMPHED. The odds were ALL against Lincoln when he ran for president. But he WON. How LONG did suffragettes wage public and private battles in this country before they finally achieved success? But women now have THE VOTE...All of these people faced laughter, scorn, and discouragement...and yet they kept going until they stood on top of the mountain.

Maybe I won't get to the top of the mountain. Maybe you're right. But I'm sure going to give it all I've got to get there and at least make better footholds for those who come after me on the climb up. Again, what anyone else chooses to do or not do is up to them.

[Kirsten L 0]

More power to you Kirsten!

I'm a realist as well and don't believe we'll make much of a dent because our numbers are too small, but I certainly applaud your efforts and encourage this "fight the power" attitude.

Wish you the best of luck!

What I'd love to see done first is the balancing out of CSC approval timeframe vs. VSC approval timeframe.

As it stands now, it's just ridiculous. I pay the same $170 as the petitioners going through VSC. Why should they get theirs approved in 30 days and I get mine in 120+ days?

SirLancelot,

If you're a realist, then you do indeed know that the more people who climb on board with this effort, the more chance it has of succeeding. The first thing on your wishlist is the first thing on mine, as well. JOIN US! Your namesake was a champion of the defenseless. Take up your sword. Fight the good fight. Don't wait for others to do your work for you. Come! Let us work together!!

[onyxrev 0]

Kirsten -

Sounds good! My fiancee, Sheryl, recommended we get our facts straight and coordinated before we start making headlines.

Some of the information I plan on using includes...

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=29389

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=29005

And this response to my Congressional office's inquiry...

The I-129F petitions that were subjected to the IMBRA request for evidence are being worked as the responses were received. Each petition is unique and therefore, worked on a case by case basis. The response for Mr. Dan Connor’s petition was received on 7/10/2006 and it has been placed in line for processing.

Congressional Liaison

California Service Center, Congressional Unit

Maybe you can post some of the information you plan on providing?

[Kirsten L 0]

Kirsten -

Sounds good! My fiancee, Sheryl, recommended we get our facts straight and coordinated before we start making headlines.

Some of the information I plan on using includes...

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=29389

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=29005

And this response to my Congressional office's inquiry...

The I-129F petitions that were subjected to the IMBRA request for evidence are being worked as the responses were received. Each petition is unique and therefore, worked on a case by case basis. The response for Mr. Dan Connor’s petition was received on 7/10/2006 and it has been placed in line for processing.

Congressional Liaison

California Service Center, Congressional Unit

Maybe you can post some of the information you plan on providing?

Onyxrev,

Fantastic! Me, I plan to pursue the following points in my correspondence, depending who I'm writing to and what issues might matter most to them:

1. incredibly uneven workload between the VSC and the USC (mismanagement)

2. radical differences in average processing times between the two (result of mismanagement)

3. randomness of approvals at CSC

4. lack of information during the process, and particularly upon inquiry (I'd like to use letters like yours and kitkat's if you guys approve since I don't have such a letter of my own to show. They'll demonstrate poor accountability and customer service failures)

5. official processing dates moving backwards in order to eliminate phone calls (poor management/customer service strategy)

6. inefficiency of processing proceedures (poor allocation of resources)

I'd like to use basically the same documents you plan on using. Someone did a bar graph with similar statistics to tjv2000's. I have to go back and dig to find it. I'll get back to you, though maybe you already know what I'm talking about. That visual--or a similar one--could be really really helpful. A picture is worth a thousand words. It's absorbed more quickly. It creates an interest that straight numbers usually don't.

We also ought to create a list of "talking points" for people who want to get on board with you, tjv2000, and me. The easier we make it for our colleagues to write emails and letters, the more likely they'll actually follow through with their enthusiasm. I'm not saying we should write the emails for them. Absolutely not! Each person's correspondence needs to be their own or we'll lose an element of grassroots authenticity that I believe will benefit us. I'm just saying let's create resources for people. Sound right...?

[onyxrev 0]

Onyxrev,

Fantastic! Me, I plan to pursue the following points in my correspondence, depending who I'm writing to and what issues might matter most to them:

1. incredibly uneven workload between the VSC and the USC (mismanagement)

2. radical differences in average processing times between the two (result of mismanagement)

3. randomness of approvals at CSC

4. lack of information during the process, and particularly upon inquiry (I'd like to use letters like yours and kitkat's if you guys approve since I don't have such a letter of my own to show. They'll demonstrate poor accountability and customer service failures)

5. official processing dates moving backwards in order to eliminate phone calls (poor management/customer service strategy)

6. inefficiency of processing proceedures (poor allocation of resources)

I'd like to use basically the same documents you plan on using. Someone did a bar graph with similar statistics to tjv2000's. I have to go back and dig to find it. I'll get back to you, though maybe you already know what I'm talking about. That visual--or a similar one--could be really really helpful. A picture is worth a thousand words. It's absorbed more quickly. It creates an interest that straight numbers usually don't.

We also ought to create a list of "talking points" for people who want to get on board with you, tjv2000, and me. The easier we make it for our colleagues to write emails and letters, the more likely they'll actually follow through with their enthusiasm. I'm not saying we should write the emails for them. Absolutely not! Each person's correspondence needs to be their own or we'll lose an element of grassroots authenticity that I believe will benefit us. I'm just saying let's create resources for people. Sound right...?

Fantastic. Sounds right to me. Yes, feel free to use my letter. I'll start the process of contacting news media next week. I have a lot of things going on right now... including an entirely separate plan to take over the world.

Edited September 1, 2006 by onyxrev

[kitkat1 5]

4. lack of information during the process, and particularly upon inquiry (I'd like to use letters like yours and kitkat's if you guys approve since I don't have such a letter of my own to show. They'll demonstrate poor accountability and customer service failures)

Rock on Kirsten. I am all out of fight but I also applaud your efforts. Feel free to use the stupid email response my senator got from CSC!

[Kirsten L 0]

4. lack of information during the process, and particularly upon inquiry (I'd like to use letters like yours and kitkat's if you guys approve since I don't have such a letter of my own to show. They'll demonstrate poor accountability and customer service failures)

Rock on Kirsten. I am all out of fight but I also applaud your efforts. Feel free to use the stupid email response my senator got from CSC!

Fantastic, kitkat!! I appreciate your willingness to let us use that crappy, f#&%ing response you got the other day! It'll speak volumes. BELIEVE ME!!! Hang in there. We're on the case. But if you find even the tiniest bit of energy, we'd love your articulate help. And I do think you're articulate!!

Fantastic. Sounds right to me. Yes, feel free to use my letter. I'll start the process of contacting news media next week. I have a lot of things going on right now... including an entirely separate plan to take over the world.

Well hell, Onyxrev...I bet when you're king of the world, the USCIS will run very, very smoothly.

Edited September 1, 2006 by Kirsten L

[meauxna 15]

Fantastic! Me, I plan to pursue the following points in my correspondence, depending who I'm writing to and what issues might matter most to them:

1. incredibly uneven workload between the VSC and the USC (mismanagement)

2. radical differences in average processing times between the two (result of mismanagement)

3. randomness of approvals at CSC

4. lack of information during the process, and particularly upon inquiry (I'd like to use letters like yours and kitkat's if you guys approve since I don't have such a letter of my own to show. They'll demonstrate poor accountability and customer service failures)

5. official processing dates moving backwards in order to eliminate phone calls (poor management/customer service strategy)

6. inefficiency of processing proceedures (poor allocation of resources)

It occurs to me that you would make a stronger case by sticking with facts, or be sure to present them as your opinions.

#1-how do you know it is uneven? Make sure you are talking about apples to apples---just I-129fs for fiances, right?

#2-this IS a bonafide fact, and the reasons for VSCs prowess have been researched and docuemented over the years. I absolutely agree that VSC's Best Practices should've been implemented elsewhere a long time ago. You will find this info around the net, but check out the usenet group alt.visa.us.marriage-based

#3-I think you'll find this is a one-off issue, due to the mass issuing of RFEs. If you're looking at the bigger picture for your solution, don't draw the attention to one issue (IMBRA implementation) that will be cleared up in short order.

#4-Know your audience. They DO offer step by step info during the process; you are notified every time anything of note happens. Think hard about what it is you expect them to tell you. Also consider if accountability and custy service are issues for them--I'll bet it's not the same as a competative business thinks about those topics.

#5-this is your opinion only.

#6-you'd have to explain this one. It makes a nice 'ouch', but they've made the promise to complete cases in 6 months, and they've been sticking to it.