Called USCIS

[Mr. Florida 11]

I passed my 5-month time window recently from my NOA1. I called USCIS mid-day today and spoke with their first-level customer service. I told her I was outside the time window as stated on their website, so I wanted to put in a service request as suggested by the last customer service representative I called a few weeks ago. She tried putting it in, but their system was not working correctly, so she asked me to call back to put in a service request in about 2 or 3 hours. I then asked her if I can speak with a higher level customer service or an immigration officer to ask him or her about the delays with the processing time for VSC.

I was transferred to the so called "higher-level" customer rep, and he basically reiterated the same BS nonsense the last woman told me, except he behaved as though he was doing me the favor (not surprising since it is the government) as I can tell from his tone and did not even want to continue the conversation or help me much. I asked him if I can contact an immigration officer or someone at VSC either through phone or email. He answered me once that such information was withdrawn several years ago. I asked him to repeat the message as I did not hear him correctly the first time. He completely stayed silent with no intention of helping me any further. I asked if he was still on the line. And he threatened that he would terminate the call now. I told him it was very rude of him to speak this way to someone who paid a lot of money for a service that was promised in the 5-month time window and was not delivered. I threatened him back that if he hangs up, I'll have to report him, which of course I could not do since I neither had his name or his customer rep number, but since he threatened me, I felt he deserved it too. And he hung up the phone on me.

I called back USCIS and spoke to a woman who was more helpful this time around. Although she reiterated the same information as the last 2 people, I told her that USCIS continues to ask us to call back after 30 days although I called them almost 30 days ago, not to mention now I am truly outside their processing time window as promised on their website. So she must have felt a little remorse for me and gave me 2 email addresses I can contact later on at VSC. I do not understand how some people on this site get helpful people on the line at USCIS who give them more information than what they read from a script.

In summary, at the time of this writing, VSC is processing I-129F applications filed back on July 24th and if I do not hear something in the next 30 days, I should call back again. My fiancee and I are both at our wit's end about this process. We have not seen each other in over 7 months, and this wait is pushing us to our emotional limits. At this point, we don't know what to do, and I am at a loss to understand what is the next step if another month goes by and USCIS repeats this same BS all over again.

[Ally & Rach 24]

I passed my 5-month time window recently from my NOA1. I called USCIS mid-day today and spoke with their first-level customer service. I told her I was outside the time window as stated on their website, so I wanted to put in a service request as suggested by the last customer service representative I called a few weeks ago. She tried putting it in, but their system was not working correctly, so she asked me to call back to put in a service request in about 2 or 3 hours. I then asked her if I can speak with a higher level customer service or an immigration officer to ask him or her about the delays with the processing time for VSC.

I was transferred to the so called "higher-level" customer rep, and he basically reiterated the same BS nonsense the last woman told me, except he behaved as though he was doing me the favor (not surprising since it is the government) as I can tell from his tone and did not even want to continue the conversation or help me much. I asked him if I can contact an immigration officer or someone at VSC either through phone or email. He answered me once that such information was withdrawn several years ago. I asked him to repeat the message as I did not hear him correctly the first time. He completely stayed silent with no intention of helping me any further. I asked if he was still on the line. And he threatened that he would terminate the call now. I told him it was very rude of him to speak this way to someone who paid a lot of money for a service that was promised in the 5-month time window and was not delivered. I threatened him back that if he hangs up, I'll have to report him, which of course I could not do since I neither had his name or his customer rep number, but since he threatened me, I felt he deserved it too. And he hung up the phone on me.

I called back USCIS and spoke to a woman who was more helpful this time around. Although she reiterated the same information as the last 2 people, I told her that USCIS continues to ask us to call back after 30 days although I called them almost 30 days ago, not to mention now I am truly outside their processing time window as promised on their website. So she must have felt a little remorse for me and gave me 2 email addresses I can contact later on at VSC. I do not understand how some people on this site get helpful people on the line at USCIS who give them more information than what they read from a script.

In summary, at the time of this writing, VSC is processing I-129F applications filed back on July 24th and if I do not hear something in the next 30 days, I should call back again. My fiancee and I are both at our wit's end about this process. We have not seen each other in over 7 months, and this wait is pushing us to our emotional limits. At this point, we don't know what to do, and I am at a loss to understand what is the next step if another month goes by and USCIS repeats this same BS all over again.

I know what you are going through.. Its a nightmare.. I got my N0A2 on Monday and honestly believe it was after sending an e-mail.. have you seen it on one of my earlier posts.. if you don't get a reply in a couple of days forward them the same mail, and again, and again. If you get a reply that looks automated? Forward it again and again.. we did and we got a reply from a real person and an approval shortly after.. if you can't find the mail we sent PM me and Ill send it.. Im not going to say hang in there, be patient or any of the condescending nonsense that flies around here from people who are now approved.. Just keep at em and I really hope you get it soon..

Ally.

[corazónENparaguay 46]

I don't believe the service centers make any promises regarding the length of the process. They do provide projections and averages, but nothing concrete. That said, have you contacted your congressman to inquire on your behalf?

[Mr. Florida 11]

I don't believe the service centers make any promises regarding the length of the process. They do provide projections and averages, but nothing concrete. That said, have you contacted your congressman to inquire on your behalf?

I don't even know the process in how to contact my congressman. How do I go about doing this? Do I visit his website?

I know what you are going through.. Its a nightmare.. I got my N0A2 on Monday and honestly believe it was after sending an e-mail.. have you seen it on one of my earlier posts.. if you don't get a reply in a couple of days forward them the same mail, and again, and again. If you get a reply that looks automated? Forward it again and again.. we did and we got a reply from a real person and an approval shortly after.. if you can't find the mail we sent PM me and Ill send it.. Im not going to say hang in there, be patient or any of the condescending nonsense that flies around here from people who are now approved.. Just keep at em and I really hope you get it soon..

Ally.

Ally & Rach, yes thanks for your advice. I sent you a private message about it. I will use your strategy. I hope it helps and makes a difference. I just need to do something rather than wait non-stop.

[Penny Lane 8,159]

I don't believe the service centers make any promises regarding the length of the process. They do provide projections and averages, but nothing concrete.

Exactly.

Nowhere did anyone promise or guarantee that this process would take five months and no longer.

[Mr. Florida 11]

Exactly.

Nowhere did anyone promise or guarantee that this process would take five months and no longer.

Then the USCIS website is blatantly misleading or presenting false information.

https://egov.uscis.g...TimesDisplay.do

Here is their information copied and pasted from their site:

"If the office is processing a particular type of application in less time than our processing goal, you will see the processing times expressed in months (for example, if the office is processing naturalization applications in less than our 5 month goal, the processing time will state "Five Months"). However, if that office is taking longer than our processing goal to handle the form type in question, you will see the filing date (e.g., "April 10, 2003") of the last case we processed on the date the website chart was last updated. The charts are updated on or about the 15th day of each month."

"I-129F Petition for Alien Fiance(e) K-1/K-2 - Not yet married - fiance and/or dependent child 5 Months"

Please explain the above 2 pieces of information to me because when I read it over and over, since it says "5 Months", it sounds to me that they are still meeting their time window goal. If they're not meeting their goal, they would write an exact date. Otherwise, since they last updated their table on November 30, 2010, basically their website is out-of-date and presents misleading or false information, and we should not trust their site at all.

[Penny Lane 8,159]

Also taken directly from their site:

"Want an idea of how long it will take us to process your case?

The easiest way to monitor our processing time is on our website, where we post the filing dates of cases that we are now completing. We list this information for each kind of case and for every USCIS office and service center. This lets you project how long it will be before your case is completed.

As you use this information, keep in mind that this processing time is not just a projection of how long it will take to process your case from start to finish. It is a projection of how long it will take to process cases that were filed before yours and then process yours."

A projection is not a promise.

Edited January 21, 2011 by Coconuts

[Al422 221]

It is true that they don't promise a certain time frame, but they do represent their time frame as being the approximate average.

Since most petitions are now running 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 months, the approximate average is 6 months, not the 5 months they claim it to be.

Therefore, their published information is false and misleading.

As to the man who hung up on you, he needs to be fired immediately. It is clear that he is not mature enough to handle a position involving customer contact.

Edited January 21, 2011 by Al422

[Mr. Florida 11]

Also taken directly from their site:

A projection is not a promise.

Please post the link where you found that information.

[Penny Lane 8,159]

Please post the link where you found that information.

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextchannel=a9243529fdb7e010VgnVCM1000000ecd190aRCRD&vgnextoid=88f7703167a9e010VgnVCM1000000ecd190aRCRD

[Charles-n-Erica 2]

Exactly.

Nowhere did anyone promise or guarantee that this process would take five months and no longer.

I know what you are going through.. Its a nightmare.. I got my N0A2 on Monday and honestly believe it was after sending an e-mail.. have you seen it on one of my earlier posts.. if you don't get a reply in a couple of days forward them the same mail, and again, and again. If you get a reply that looks automated? Forward it again and again.. we did and we got a reply from a real person and an approval shortly after.. if you can't find the mail we sent PM me and Ill send it.. Im not going to say hang in there, be patient or any of the condescending nonsense that flies around here from people who are now approved.. Just keep at em and I really hope you get it soon..

Ally.

Exactly.

[Penny Lane 8,159]

Exactly.

How was that condescending, exactly? I think the OP is correct in doing whatever he can to get information on his case. However, I see "USCIS is not living up to their promise!" a lot on these boards, and people need to remember that we were promised nothing.

[KiwiBird 132]

Not everyone who says 'hang in there's is approved.

On that note, hang in there. It'll come.

[Darnell 8,478]

I dunno, you should get an ISO http://www.dhs.gov/xabout/structure/gc_1221837986181.shtm#5

then when you have an ISO - ask them to review case status - THEY can - it's on their screen.

[Mr. Florida 11]

I dunno, you should get an ISO http://www.dhs.gov/x...37986181.shtm#5

then when you have an ISO - ask them to review case status - THEY can - it's on their screen.

Darnell, thank you for you that link. I will be sure to use its advice and follow up through other means. I cannot just sit idly by and wait endlessly anymore. I've been doing that for 5 months. Even if USCIS cannot deliver within the 5-month window, we at least deserve an explanation for their delay since we are tax-paying U.S. citizens who paid an exorbitant amount of money for this visa. All I want is an explanation for their delay in service, and that's what I was asking for today when I called them. In return, I get a very rude customer service rep and a rehearsed response from 2 other people, which were useless to me.