Losing my Patients with the USCIS

[james&olya 1,121]

I understand that English is not your mother tongue, so here's a hint: a doctor has patients. If you can't stand waiting any longer at the doctor's office, you lose your patience.

Maybe the OP now works in health-care!

[Otto 83]

**Moving topic from K-1 Procedures to Case Filings/Progress Reports.

[jenkatx 52]

AMEN!!! And thank you for the comic relief. I wonder the exact same things. Really 6 months? When we do background checks for our teachers it takes 48 hours max. Now lets see here 2 days for a teacher who is in charge of our children vs. 6+ months for someone to come here to our country. Also I paid $455 for this background check, we pay $2 for a teacher. That just does not equate to me. I am with you on the squeaky wheel gets the oil theory, I am doing the same thing. I went for an infopass appt & found that our case had just now after 6 months gotten to someones desk. VERY disheartening.

[tru_loves_journey 117]

You will get it very soon Keep Smiling Good things come to those who wait

[wshc 46]

Actions by Senators are paying off for people, if you're reading other stories here. Nothing is 100% in the immigration process, but I'm confident that your time is coming soon.

Times have changed. I tried to contact my Senator (Kay Bailey Hutchison) a couple of years ago, by confidential referral from my lawyer to KBH's very highest staffer. After two full days of phone tag and hours on hold, I finally got to speak with the aide. As I tried to explain the situation, she cut me off with (and this is verbatim) "The Senator has far more important things to do than to concern herself with one person's K-1 petition." Those words, and the dismissive disdain with which they were delivered, will haunt my brain forever. I'll not shed tears if KBH finally lives up to her promise not to run for re-election (her third such promise, I think). You're in a much more promising situation, so keep the faith, si man.

My congressman was about as helpful as your senator. My congressman's legacy is sponsoring legislation called the Dream Act. Like he really cares about people doing legally??

To the op--

You were in the military so you know how it goes. The grunts are just following orders. You should chill on them. It's policy and the big guys's that are the problem, not the 9-5 guys just making a living. The big guys should say to the grunts, get this paperwork done or you all are fired or something, but the unions won't let that happen.

What I would like to see is a grunt revolt. They all get together and see how they are part of a system that are messing up people big time and they all work real hard and day and night to get couples and familes together. That would be cool. Their bosses would be freaking out and wouldn't know what to do. Kind of like as a soldier, the butter bar doesn't want to take the hill because he might mess up his hair, but the grunts tie him up and throw him in a box or something and then take the hill. Of course when they let the butter bar out of the box and the General is there the butter bar would take all of the credit for taking the hill and what is even funnier is the General would beleive him!!

It ain't gonna happen though.There ain't enough good grunts anymore in this world and us good ones are hosed.

Edited April 30, 2011 by wshc

[dogspot 90]

Hang in there. Your approval is right around the corner and you can start preparing for her interview and arrival. Best wishes to you, brother.

[A and T 82]

Ive waited almost 2 years , and I get the same excuses over and over, watch how many times they tell you 6 more months and "extensive" background checks. I really hope a computer has been checking my background everyday 24-7 for the last 2 years........

[Iraqvet 68]

Kamusta ka! Start learning tagalog! Try pimsleur marketplace.com. That way when you go back to the Philippines you can speak some of their language.

I have already started! Got me the Rosetta stone Tagalog! I am sick of those twisted philippino custom agents taxing me for my luggage and then sticking the money in their pockets.

[Iraqvet 68]

My congressman was about as helpful as your senator. My congressman's legacy is sponsoring legislation called the Dream Act. Like he really cares about people doing legally??

To the op--

You were in the military so you know how it goes. The grunts are just following orders. You should chill on them. It's policy and the big guys's that are the problem, not the 9-5 guys just making a living. The big guys should say to the grunts, get this paperwork done or you all are fired or something, but the unions won't let that happen.

What I would like to see is a grunt revolt. They all get together and see how they are part of a system that are messing up people big time and they all work real hard and day and night to get couples and familes together. That would be cool. Their bosses would be freaking out and wouldn't know what to do. Kind of like as a soldier, the butter bar doesn't want to take the hill because he might mess up his hair, but the grunts tie him up and throw him in a box or something and then take the hill. Of course when they let the butter bar out of the box and the General is there the butter bar would take all of the credit for taking the hill and what is even funnier is the General would beleive him!!

It ain't gonna happen though.There ain't enough good grunts anymore in this world and us good ones are hosed.

LMAO!!! Butter bars are notorious for that! From now on if I see a young kid butter bar walking with his uniform on, he is going to get a good ole fashion Marine Corps slap across his grape! Least won't get NJP'd for that now!lol

[Iraqvet 68]

Now everyone imagine being in my shoes, I know some of you are and some are not yet. But think of waiting patiently for five months after being told its a five month process. You call in at the five month mark excited to hear the news only to have a tool box tell you, "oh sir you are not outside of normal processing time until the 6 month mark". And then you wait longer, get the exciting news that you get to send in a service request only to get the answer " wait 60 more days. And then every day since, we cannot do an expedite for you because you have to wait 60 days blah blah blah. My senator was able to get an expedite approved for me based on ONPT so hopefully this next week will mark our approval letter. I had patients with the USCIS until 6 months. But now, they are going to hear about everyday until something happens with my case. Good things happen to those who what. Sure I believe that. Good things happen to those who go out and get it to.

Now hear me on this, that is my situation, some of yours may be worst than mine and trust me my heart goes out to you, and some may have have just filed last week and have bucket loads of patients. Thats great! Understand right now I feel like Dr. Marvin did when he reliezed that his Death Therapy could not cure Bob Wiley ( you know What About Bob?)

[SuperDuper! 230]

I understand that English is not your mother tongue, so here's a hint: a doctor has patients. If you can't stand waiting any longer at the doctor's office, you lose your patience.

Glad you pointed this out, Big Bob. For a minute I thought I was missing something about a civil surgeon involved in the story, who is losing his patients with the USCIS.

[Robert&Liliya 31]

Our Vet's shouldn't have to wait on Anything. We owe them way more for having to go out and risk life and limb for what stuffed shirts that we call politicians ask of them. They sacrifice so much for us and our country. It seems like a Senator or Congressman should go as far as it takes to get things moving for people who have been there and done that. KBH can kiss it if that is how she feels about our Vets. Best wishes to you and have fun storming the castle.

Just my 2 cents.

[cgroves 0]

You will be surprised how quickly it will go once it is passed the USCIS stage. Who knows what they do to make it take so long, but just have faith in your relationship someone will legitimately recognize it - you will be together before you know it and will have the rest of your life in front of you. It makes for a great story!

[Kris & Liezl 3]

I would kind of be weary of calling every day, multiple times a day to gripe at these workers and/or harass them for status updates on your case. You have to realize that you are dealing with a government entity – generally understaffed at the lower echelons with not the cheeriest of workers who are probably not the most motivated when faced with their insurmountable backlog and (likely) low wages with respect to the task at hand.

Whenever I have had to visit a government agency for any reason, the proportion of the number of people behind the desk to the number of people waiting in line is ALWAYS RIDICULOUS (think Post Office, DMV, Parking Enforcement, etc.) Then, when one person gets to the window, it may take 5 minutes – yet others may be there for 20 minutes. These workers are being yelled at and spit on for hours on end, daily, and are literally annoyed to have to be there. Most government “grunt” workers are just there for the benefits, but are pissed about everything else from their salaries to their work and customers. And these are not always the most elegant employees, either…

I imagine that USCIS and the Service Centers are not at all dissimilar to other government agencies like this. Now are these REALLY the people who you want to piss off? I mean, I would be afraid to do what you’re doing… I would think that every time I called and annoyed or harassed the wrong person, my case would find itself at the bottom of the stack it’s in!

I got approved by VSC in 5 months and two weeks – that, in itself, is a miracle; as processing time for this center appears to be 6+ months. I waited my 5 months, and then I called once, for an update. I asked about a service request, but they said something about 30 or 60 days, blah, blah. Anyway, two weeks later I got my NOA2.

I think, in this particular game, the Service Centers have definitely got the upper hand. All that we (petitioners) can do is WAIT patiently for that day we can tell our fiancé the good news.

[garfield529 47]

I am not in any way trying to make this political, but if we do eventually have the "smaller" government that a larger portion of the population seems to be starting to support, what effect will that have on immigration? Will we see 6+ months to NOA2 becoming normal? I worry about this for all of the honest hardworking folks who have happened to meet their love in another country. Many would say that we need to plug the hole for ALL immigrants, but how do you explain that to a soldier who gave part of his/her youth and energy to protecting our country? I can't help but feel glad that I am past the time of my life where I was checking my status online everyday and worrying about potential issues at interview. I wish that non of us had to go down this path, but this Marine has seen harder days and will reach the end of this journey with his girl in arms soon. Good luck, brother!