Prolonged Processing Times

[Virginian61 1]

I contacted my Congressman to complain about this 5 month processing time for spouses of US Citizens when many other visas are processed in 1 or 2 months. He basically said Congress has given up trying to get USCIS to speed things up. He can only intervene after the 5 month "normal" period has passed. This waiting is wearing on us both! Has anyone received more hopeful feedback from their Congressional representative? We need some kind of lobbying effort.

[Dave and Kinnari 31]

I contacted my Congressman to complain about this 5 month processing time for spouses of US Citizens when many other visas are processed in 1 or 2 months. He basically said Congress has given up trying to get USCIS to speed things up. He can only intervene after the 5 month "normal" period has passed. This waiting is wearing on us both! Has anyone received more hopeful feedback from their Congressional representative? We need some kind of lobbying effort.

Spousal Visa's are green cards in most senses. I'm pretty sure they need that time to make sure everything is in order if the person is going to become a permanent resident and eventually a U.S. Citizen. I think the time frame is pretty good if you ask me. This is 8-9 months of your life that you will have to wait in this manner, after that you have a lifetime together.

Patience is a virtue....

Somedays and rougher than others, it's life. Just have faith and keep yourself busy!

Immigration is a rough subject as it is right now I can see it going the other way in making it longer, but making the time shorter/faster...good luck with that.

[Gosia & Tito 199]

I contacted my Congressman to complain about this 5 month processing time for spouses of US Citizens when many other visas are processed in 1 or 2 months. He basically said Congress has given up trying to get USCIS to speed things up. He can only intervene after the 5 month "normal" period has passed. This waiting is wearing on us both! Has anyone received more hopeful feedback from their Congressional representative? We need some kind of lobbying effort.

I did actually, well, sort of ( I am in Texas). I did send a letter at the 5 month mark. Few days letter he passed me the response from the VSC, which indicated that "is not out of processing time" until 30 days past the 5 month mark. It had some vague wording about a service request. About a week later I had the NOA2. Coincidence? Maybe, but I had called VSC for status on the 5 month mark, before dropping the letter at the post, and they ahd told me that I was about 60-65 days before actual processing. That seemed to match the wait times I had been reading about here; that is how I sent letter. Was not really expecting much though. The key here is that we were already in the 5 month mark and maybe that is what prompted some action. With USCIS, it is near impossible to know...it is like national security is at stake, as you have probably noticed.

In my letter, I did very specifically noted VSC says 5 months processing and we were 5 months. And very specifically asked for an official status and date when my application was scheduled to be reviewed. Even though I had seen cases approved in shorter time, I did not mentioned that as I thought distracted from my main concern and question. Again, don't know if this letter in fact made a difference, but in the representative web site he states clearly that is his 'most important' function to represent us before government agencies. His initial reply (the rep) did not promised anything other than he would put a special request to VSC. The forwarded answer he sent afterwards indicated that VSC has a unit or group that tends to Congressional requests.

Now, onto your case, hang in there; there is a light at the end of the tunnel (my fiancee kept reminding me that maybe we were not even in the tunnel yet! and I had no answer). Sometimes things and delays turn out to be the best thing that happen (did to our case actually). Yes, it sucks big time to have to wait, specially when it seems that other fortunate couples are approved quicker with no apparent reason. We take the time to prepare better for her moving here (we are still waiting for an interview appointment) because it will be challenging (both her move and all the preparations and matters she will have to tend before she leaves, and then at arrival, all the things that I/we will have do, and after that, as she eases into day-to-day, adapting to a new country and ways of doing things, which is not easy.

[Ning 619]

I contacted my Congressman to complain about this 5 month processing time for spouses of US Citizens when many other visas are processed in 1 or 2 months. He basically said Congress has given up trying to get USCIS to speed things up. He can only intervene after the 5 month "normal" period has passed. This waiting is wearing on us both! Has anyone received more hopeful feedback from their Congressional representative? We need some kind of lobbying effort.

It should be noted that every congressman & senator has a staff member trained to placate the citizens. Ask your Congressman what exactly they did to reform immigration law & when they did it. These laws have been used for about 60 years. They dont intend on putting their job on the line by getting involved in immigration issues.

A few V J members have reported their politician helped in their case. Most report a similar experiance to my husbands. Total somke & mirrors. His senators office staff member spent two months on the situation only to send the feeble responce to the worng address. That responce was useless & totaly wrong. That staff member had 20 years of experiance with immigration issues.

Five months is nothing compared to some cases. My own took 408 days. My husband as asked by USCIS to write letters to inquire. He wrote 9. None were ever answered. He met with USCIS in person 4 times with almost no results. They said they had done all they could do.

These are the same politicians we see on T V. They all have a standard line of B S.