New York Times Story

[mrc 0]

Yes, my suggestion is to assume the reporter is not your friend and stab him through the heart if he even pronounces your name incorrectly.

[snz1802 0]

Congrats on your Interview, and good luck to you that is great news

[William33 110]

Based upon this update, this news guy has a different agenda, than helping the abused victims of the Immigration process.

Mate, you are about to get exploited for a storyline, having nothing to do with your agenda; which is to get your Fiance here as expeditiously as possible.

Don't waste your time for this loser.

If you do, you will become the loser.

You are "Team VJ", I am looking out for you!

Ok, the reporter called me today and we spoke for about 20 minutes. He is now saying that he wants to fly down to Florida to interview me in person...

Apparently, his story is rooted in statistics that show the overall national marriage rate has seen a major decline. He went on to say that more professional or upper income level men get married rather than the other way around. It was in researching these statistics that he stumbled upon people seeking foreign spouses and IMBRA. I agree that he has not proven to be friend or foe yet and may not end up being either.

In any case, I will post an update if I hear from him with a schedule for him to come down here.

Thanks,

Adam

Edited September 6, 2006 by William33

[sarah and hicham 3]

you should explain how people with March NOA1's and those who had their petitions recalled should be getting their NOA2's before those who filed later.

[heathius 0]

This whole story topic concerns me greatly, especially the part about "seeking-out foreign spouses". It sounds to me as if this reporter is going to make a mockery of those that use websites to meet people.

Keep in mind that IMBRA really has nothing to do with the subject of seeking a foreign spouse (online or in person). IMBRA has to do with protecting people involved in the immigration process, regardless of the manner in which the people met.

I met my fiancee oversees, and I still live with her overseas. IMBRA has affected our case just as much as those people who met through a website. We were part of the March CSC group until a few days ago. The real story is that everyone is affected by IMBRA, and it is not necessarily related to people meeting each other on websites. If the reporter is genuine, he will be more interested in covering the botched USCIS process.

[BPM-MVS 0]

I sent this as PM, but don't think it went through ..... so I'm posting it on the thread.

Thank you so much for posting this thread!!

And if I may please beggggg of you, on behalf of everyone with a fiancé in the Dominican Republic, please help us to expose the immense backlog problem.

Although the long wait at USCIS CSC is troubling to many, the problem is 4-5 times worse once our petitions hit the Dominican Republic. The office has been SUBSTANTIALLY understaffed for nearly four years now, and currently has a backlog of 27,000 visa cases!! Nearly everyone waiting for an interview visa is moving at the pace of a mere 1000 spots per month ..... and obviously this equates to a wait times of nearly 27 MONTHS ... more than TWO YEARS!! And that's AFTER waiting nearly 6 months at CSC.

As I said, the problem is due largely to the fact that the US government will not staff the office adequately to process the number of visa petitions received (even though all other Latin countries are processing within the normal 1-3 month time frames (even Mexico!!). The problem is also due to the fact that priority is not being given to the US CITIZEN applicants (K1/K3 visa applicants), but rather all of the zillion US RESIDENT applicants that are trying to import their entire blood line. As natural-born US citizens this is increasingly unfair and infuriating. Citizen visa petitions should have priority over the visa petitions of immigrants.

Anyhow, as you can see, I, and many others, are PASSIONATE about this matter and are devastated and angry about the two-year wait that we are made to suffer through at the US Consulate in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. There is an entire forum dedicated to those of who are struggling through the process of bringing a Dominican to the US, and the website is dominicanstotheusa.com. We are a substantial and distraught group that has been writing countless letters pleading for attention and solutions to the matter (more staffing and re-prioritization of visa interviews). We would love to get this story to the media any way possible, as we think that it would explode. The US government has written that a K1 visa is meant for: speedy reunification of U.S. citizens with their foreign loved ones, within a six-month timeframe .... but this is CLEARY not a promise that they are living up to.

Soooo many thanks for receiving my story, and on behalf of everyone with a fiancé or spouse in the DR, I beg of you to PLEASE discuss this matter with the reporter, send this text to him in email form, have him check out previously noted website himself, or have him contact me for more insight.

Kind regards,

Wendy Turk

sailingturk@hotmail.com

This is a good example of why our fight will not be won. We will fracture internally. Wendy's specific concern is for the Dominican Republic. Mine concern would be for the US Consulate in my SO's country. Wendy also makes a distinction--a very discriminatory distinction I might add--between a "natural-born USC" vs non-natural born USC. I wonder how her SO will interpret this tone. Are people born outside of the US not natural? Are they artificial? Mechanical?

To enlighten your ignornace Wendy, petitions from USC--be their US born or not--ARE INDEED given prority over permanent resident petitions. I repeat again, US Citizen petitions--be they US born or naturalized US citizen--ARE given priority over petitions filed by permanent residents.

Letters like yours to politicians are what I'm afraid of the most. It's an outright lie at worst and plain ignorance at best. I hope to god this reporter will NOT be contacting you for your lies--err, "insights"--for his story.

First, Sirlancealot, may I say you are over reacting. Perhaps you have a bit of Liberalitist. Surely a person with your heart and soul with the feelings you have revieled! You would give up your USC for anothoer poor soul waiting? Please show us where your heart is! How about a SIRLANCEALOT USC giveaway? It seems you don't value the gift and honor of being born here. Just as I wil NEVER feel the pride of being born in the Mother land of Russia!!! Do you think these people eat, drink, and sleep about nothing than wanting to live in the USA? Please think for a moment!!! If nothing seperated me from living with my Fiance, and I had to TRY to imigrate to Russia, Why would they take me???? What Russian wanted to bring me there???? Maybe my Countries don't fit your reality but I am tired of listening about USA being UNFAIR to immigrants when a naturalized born child who grew up with the pledge of alliegence and a flag in the class room, can't have his right place in line!

My Opinion. Maybe strong but still it is mine!!!!!

[AKW65 0]

Based upon this update, this news guy has a different agenda, than helping the abused victims of the Immigration process.

Mate, you are about to get exploited for a storyline, having nothing to do with your agenda; which is to get your Fiance here as expeditiously as possible.

Don't waste your time for this loser.

If you do, you will become the loser.

You are "Team VJ", I am looking out for you!

I understand. I think you are all right in that the planned story was not initially derived from the IMBRA mess but IMBRA did enter into it during the research phase. That might be a good thing, or maybe not. I'm withholding judgement until (and IF) I meet the man. I can say that the man did not seem to be malicious at all. We'll see what happened.

[Yodrak 7]

wanthimhere,

Trying to make sense of your statements and figure out your point:

- 10-15% of what? 85-90% of what?

- K visas are processed by immigrant visa units and involve many of the same issues as immigrant visas. F visas are processed by non-immigrant visa units. So what is the comparison you are trying to make?

- "all other visa interviews" - visas of what type?

Yodrak

....

On average, in the DR, over the last four months ......

- K1/K3 interviews granted: 10-15%

- F and all other visa interviews granted: 85-90%

.....

Edited September 6, 2006 by Yodrak

[wanthimhere 0]

wanthimhere,

Trying to make sense of your statements and figure out your point:

- 10-15% of what? 85-90% of what?

- K visas are processed by immigrant visa units and involve many of the same issues as immigrant visas. F visas are processed by non-immigrant visa units. So what is the comparison you are trying to make?

- "all other visa interviews" - visas of what type?

Yodrak

....

On average, in the DR, over the last four months ......

- K1/K3 interviews granted: 10-15%

- F and all other visa interviews granted: 85-90%

.....

At the end of every month the US Consulate in the Dominican Republic posts two PDF files.

One file is for scheduled appointments (the newest one for October appointments is 38 pages long).

The other file lists current place in “line” of everyone on the waiting list (the list, as of Aug 31, is 527 pages long, and contains 26,829 petitions).

On average, out of the 38 pages of interviews granted each month only 10-15% are for K visas, and the remaining 85-90% of interviews go largely to F visas (approx 40%), followed closely by I visas (approx 30%), and then completed by another handful of C visas.

[Yodrak 7]

wanthimhere,

Thanks for the explanation.

So 10-15% of the visa applications submitted to the US consulate in the DR are for K visas non-immigrant visas, 85-90% are for F, I, and C non-immigrant visas, and there are virtually no B or immigrant visa applications.

This seems to indicate some priorities on the part of the people of the DR, how does it indicate a priority on the part of the consulate?

Yodrak

wanthimhere,

Trying to make sense of your statements and figure out your point:

- 10-15% of what? 85-90% of what?

- K visas are processed by immigrant visa units and involve many of the same issues as immigrant visas. F visas are processed by non-immigrant visa units. So what is the comparison you are trying to make?

- "all other visa interviews" - visas of what type?

Yodrak

....

On average, in the DR, over the last four months ......

- K1/K3 interviews granted: 10-15%

- F and all other visa interviews granted: 85-90%

.....

At the end of every month the US Consulate in the Dominican Republic posts two PDF files.

One file is for scheduled appointments (the newest one for October appointments is 38 pages long).

The other file lists current place in "line" of everyone on the waiting list (the list, as of Aug 31, is 527 pages long, and contains 26,829 petitions).

On average, out of the 38 pages of interviews granted each month only 10-15% are for K visas, and the remaining 85-90% of interviews go largely to F visas (approx 40%), followed closely by I visas (approx 30%), and then completed by another handful of C visas.

[wanthimhere 0]

We don't actually know how many of each visa types are submitted.

All we see is how many of each visa type are granted interviews.

And further ..... given the nearly 2,000 interviews granted across the board each month, the individual K visas petitions move up only 1,000 spots on the list. Something just doesn't add up!!!

[Yodrak 7]

wanthimhere,

We also know that there must be a visa application submitted in order for a visa interview to be granted, so over time those two things are going to match up.

And I'll repeat, the K visas are processed by the immigrant visa unit and share some of the extra effort required for immigrant visas, while the other non-immigrant visas are processed by the non-immigrant visa unit. I think you may be trying to draw too much conclusion from too little information.

Yodrak

We don't actually know how many of each visa types are submitted.

All we see is how many of each visa type are granted interviews.

And further ..... given the nearly 2,000 interviews granted across the board each month, the individual K visas petitions move up only 1,000 spots on the list. Something just doesn't add up!!!

[meauxna 15]

I cna't see for the life of me what the length of processing time at CSC would have to do with this reporter's story.

But I agree with those who say be careful what you reveal--these stories rarely turn out the way you hope.

Reread your own first post to see what you thought the story is about.

[wanthimhere 0]

I believe it will be written to highlight a number of things including the impact of IMBRA and the growing attraction for Americans to seek out foreign spouses.

If anyone has any suggestions for something I might tell Mr. Porter, let me know! I'll be happy to pass it along.

We also know that there must be a visa application submitted in order for a visa interview to be granted, so over time those two things are going to match up.

I think you may be trying to draw too much conclusion from too little information.

Yodrak

How do your figure .....???

There are 2000 interviews granted each month (to a pool of F, I, K, and C visa types).

Despite the 2000 interviews granted each month, the K visas only move at the pace of 1000 spots per month. How will that ever add up? Should the K visas move-up 2000 spots each month?

And it's not just me. It's an entire fourm full of people who have been through, and are currently going through the process.

And please don't interpret my reply as angry or defensive ..... I'm just truly hoping that there is some kind of logic that we're all missing, and that by some miracle of God my visa will be granted in less than two years.

[Yodrak 7]

wanthimhere,

I'm trying to understand your math as well!

If there are 2000 interviews per month for all visa types, and only 10-15% of them are for K visas, I don't understand how K visa spots can move at a pace of 1000 per month, let alone 2000.

Maybe we're dealing with too few equations and too many unknowns?

Yodrak

We also know that there must be a visa application submitted in order for a visa interview to be granted, so over time those two things are going to match up.

I think you may be trying to draw too much conclusion from too little information.

Yodrak

How do your figure .....???

There are 2000 interviews granted each month (to a pool of F, I, K, and C visa types).

Despite the 2000 interviews granted each month, the K visas only move at the pace of 1000 spots per month. How will that ever add up? Should the K visas move-up 2000 spots each month?

And it's not just me. It's an entire fourm full of people who have been through, and are currently going through the process.

And please don't interpret my reply as angry or defensive ..... I'm just truly hoping that there is some kind of logic that we're all missing, and that by some miracle of God my visa will be granted in less than two years.