January I-129F filers

[sabi 148]

Yes. VSC has gone to #######..Past 2 days with no adjudications reported here so far...And I've got more bad news. I had a lengthy discussion with my attorney today about whether or not to do the inquiry. My attorney has over 25 years experience and has done 1,000s upon 1,000s of these petitions. So as hard as it was to hear it...I am going to trust his words. He was already paid in full for his services and has nothing to gain by disclosing this...I mentioned my connections to a Congressman and potentially initiating an inquiry or even a phone call from the Congressman himself...

Don't do it. He was able to prevent me from committing a pretty big mistake. He's had clients in the past try this. Begged them not to do it. And the result was always the same. More delay. Some were delayed by weeks. Pulls you out of line and then the petition has to make it to a supervisor. Then it has to get back into the line (and odds are it won't make it back there in a timely manner). It will actually delay the approval. So if you haven't inquired yet. Don't do it. This was hard for me to hear. But it makes sense. And I worried that this could be a risk..We really are on our own with this. Pretty much at their mercy...So this experience doesn't get much better...hope for now that it doesn't get much worse...

So I guess people who rang congressman and got approved in the next/ few days were just lucky?! This is only based on assumption. We really don't know what's happening there, hard to decide what to do and what not to at this stage...

[photomile 101]

Oh for... you have GOT to be kidding me?

[P+J 47]

Oh for... you have GOT to be kidding me?

I was shocked. Apparently the worst time to do it is at the end...It's so very disappointing. The whole process is just so slow. Anyone who got approved a few days later probably just got lucky...There is absolutely no way the inquiry would have been addressed that quickly. There's a complex protocol for dealing with the inquiries...and like everything that happens at the service centers, it seems to take lengthy amounts of time. I sincerely believe everything the attorney said with his experience in the field. He's been doing this a very long time. And he has no reason to want a delay. There are no financial incentives whatsoever. This information came to him from past client experience over 25 years and also contact with some employees at the service center in the past....I just wanted to pass on this information to everyone here because I would hate to think someone delayed approval with an action believed to accelerate it....This is now officially the worst process that I have ever had the misfortune of dealing with. God help us all...

Edited June 8, 2012 by Paul86

[photomile 101]

Oh good. So I've single handedly had my fiancee delay our case?

Please excuse me while I jump off a bridge

[sabi 148]

So we're left with nothing really... Just wait... That's what we get for trying to be with our loved ones following the law... I could have easily got married while in the USA and right now i would be there with him, but I wanted to do it the right way and that's what you get . Great to know for future!

Oh good. So I've single handedly had my fiancee delay our case?

Please excuse me while I jump off a bridge

You said nothing has been done yet? Maybe you can ring them and stop them from contacting USCIS?

Edited June 8, 2012 by sabi

[P+J 47]

Oh good. So I've single handedly had my fiancee delay our case?

Please excuse me while I jump off a bridge

Have your fiancee talk to the Congressional liason asap next week. See if they can give them some information about their past experiences with these inquiries. Have your fiancee explain these concerns, and if they can't provide much information or seem to be uncertain of the outcome, I would not do the inquiry. Was it already filed?

[P+J 47]

So we're left with nothing really... Just wait... That's what we get for trying to be with our loved ones following the law... I could have easily got married while in the USA and right now i would be there with him, but I wanted to do it the right way and that's what you get . Great to know for future!

You said nothing has been done yet? Maybe you can ring them and stop them from contacting USCIS?

I know right? It seems like they make it significantly easier for those who don't adhere to protocol. I would have never had that option since a tourist visa for a Ukrainian girl is just about impossible to get. I just feel terrible for all the hopes and expectations that I gave my fiance about us enjoying this summer together. At this rate. And with the continued delays....we're all pretty much screwed. CSC is basically going to leave us in the dust soon. And god only knows what's going on with the NVC delays.

[O&M 6]

Do you think its gotten easier for you as a couple or more difficult as time progresses waiting for visa?

I feel like its up and down. I don't think life has paused really, just kind of spinning in a slow circle now while still moving in a forward direction so to speak hehe.

I went to visit my fiancee for a second time about 40 days ago. Now it seems much harder being apart than it did our first time. Maybe because we developed so much more being together.

Got to another level, you know. One day she was just walking around the room doing some stuff, and starting singing to herself.

My first time hearing her like this, so natural and carefree. It was just a little song she had in her head, but it was the most beautiful sound I've ever heard.

It was not enough time, only about 13 days. Every moment of each day I savored like it was my last on earth, for real.

At least back then I knew when I was going to go and see her again. Now we have plans for the future, but the timeline is pretty much unknown.

Skype is ok. Lately I've been like I'd give anything, just to be able to reach through the screen and be near her...

Tomorrow is another day, like all the rest waiting... Or will it be different? Maybe just maybe I'll receive an SMS/email that will stop the spin cycle, and give us a shove to the future.

Stay positive... Keep on doing what your doing. Relax with your friends, try to be happy and live life. Bless to everyone waiting, time hasn't stopped. Our time is soon.

[P+J 47]

Do you think its gotten easier for you as a couple or more difficult as time progresses waiting for visa?

I feel like its up and down. I don't think life has paused really, just kind of spinning in a slow circle now while still moving in a forward direction so to speak hehe.

I went to visit my fiancee for a second time about 40 days ago. Now it seems much harder being apart than it did our first time. Maybe because we developed so much more being together.

Got to another level, you know. One day she was just walking around the room doing some stuff, and starting singing to herself.

My first time hearing her like this, so natural and carefree. It was just a little song she had in her head, but it was the most beautiful sound I've ever heard.

It was not enough time, only about 13 days. Every moment of each day I savored like it was my last on earth, for real.

At least back then I knew when I was going to go and see her again. Now we have plans for the future, but the timeline is pretty much unknown.

Skype is ok. Lately I've been like I'd give anything, just to be able to reach through the screen and be near her...

Tomorrow is another day, like all the rest waiting... Or will it be different? Maybe just maybe I'll receive an SMS/email that will stop the spin cycle, and give us a shove to the future.

Stay positive... Keep on doing what your doing. Relax with your friends, try to be happy and live life. Bless to everyone waiting, time hasn't stopped. Our time is soon.

Yes. I hope we will all be able to put this wait behind us soon. I think it's gotten very very hard at the end. I think particularly because we didn't expect this. The previous few months have been on average very timely. VSC has been pretty consistent with high rates of approvals in June during all the previous years..yet we're all stuck in this holding pattern. The uncertainty and inconsistency is the most difficult aspect right now. And the fact that the week again closed with so few approvals at VSC..

Edited June 8, 2012 by Paul86

[photomile 101]

I hate this. I hate this stupid process. I hate the godforsaken USA immigration system. I hate that every corner we turn gets blindsided. Call for escalation? Sure that's another 60 days. Call your congressman? SURE We'll process it NOW but it'll sit on some persons desk until they shove it back in the submissions queue....

I hate this. And I'm beginning now to regret the decision to move to the USA. This whole thing is so utterly ridiculous. I feel sorry for anyone waiting longer than us. Call me pathetic if you want. I am fed to the back teeth of everything

[P+J 47]

I hate this. I hate this stupid process. I hate the godforsaken USA immigration system. I hate that every corner we turn gets blindsided. Call for escalation? Sure that's another 60 days. Call your congressman? SURE We'll process it NOW but it'll sit on some persons desk until they shove it back in the submissions queue....

I hate this. And I'm beginning now to regret the decision to move to the USA. This whole thing is so utterly ridiculous. I feel sorry for anyone waiting longer than us. Call me pathetic if you want. I am fed to the back teeth of everything

Your feelings are not out of place. I'm honestly embarrassed by this whole process. Everyday I have to tell my fiance that I don't have a clue about what's going on. The system is broken beyond repair. It's literally designed to cause us anguish. I have given up trying to figure out what's going on with it all. Honestly, this was a very disappointing week at VSC. At this rate we'd have our fiances here by Fall if we're lucky..I thought it would be hard. But at this rate...it's moving towards unreasonable...Maybe they'll prove us wrong next week. Maybe it will pick up. But we've been saying that for a month now...I just don't understand what's going on. The lack of consistency is the pathetic part. Apparently the only day for a reasonable number of approvals is Wednesday now. And I know VJ only represents a fraction of submissions but it's probably somewhat indicative of what's going on (statistically speaking). I feel sorry for the months that filed after us. There is an enormous backlog coming. It will be back to last year's status of disservice center. If they can't get through the relatively few number of January submissions...then it's going to be torturous road for everyone now.

Edited June 9, 2012 by Paul86

[vosnmars 25]

I hate this. I hate this stupid process. I hate the godforsaken USA immigration system. I hate that every corner we turn gets blindsided. Call for escalation? Sure that's another 60 days. Call your congressman? SURE We'll process it NOW but it'll sit on some persons desk until they shove it back in the submissions queue....

I hate this. And I'm beginning now to regret the decision to move to the USA. This whole thing is so utterly ridiculous. I feel sorry for anyone waiting longer than us. Call me pathetic if you want. I am fed to the back teeth of everything

Try and hang in there mate. I know it sucks. The canned answers they provide frustrate people more. I work at the local government level and when I get called, I really try to help people and offer them honest answers while being sympathetic to their problems and staying professional. I hate it when I have to call the city for personal things as a non-employee and I get non-answers and the brush off.

I really do hope you receive your notice soon.

[BnT 9]

Great.......I spent half my afternoon faxing the paperwork to our 2 senators and 1 representative......now I guess I have to decide if I should call them on Monday and tell them to disregard it?! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh seriously. D*** it all. Someone mentioned spending the summer together......yes, that was exactly what we wanted. Time to enjoy the pool, festivals, exploring together and showing him all of my favorite places...house hunting and moving in while the weather is nice...A wedding outdoors in late September/early October before the cold sets in.....

But really, who knows how it all works...the lawyer can say that it slows things down but we have no way of knowing when it would have finally been processed anyway....all of the files around my number have been touched/approved/RFEd and I've got nothing. So it's like I already got lost in a box somewhere so what the h*** difference does it make?!

This on top of all of the insane political ####### going on in the US makes me want to move somewhere else instead. Yea, it would be nice to be back near my family but what else is there?! A super screwed up government that can't even process an application after 5 months even though they are getting paid to do it.....lemme out! No, I am not sure where would be better but jeez, with this mess and watching the news, it sure doesn't seem like a great place to live anymore!

[P+J 47]

Great.......I spent half my afternoon faxing the paperwork to our 2 senators and 1 representative......now I guess I have to decide if I should call them on Monday and tell them to disregard it?! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh seriously. D*** it all. Someone mentioned spending the summer together......yes, that was exactly what we wanted. Time to enjoy the pool, festivals, exploring together and showing him all of my favorite places...house hunting and moving in while the weather is nice...A wedding outdoors in late September/early October before the cold sets in.....

But really, who knows how it all works...the lawyer can say that it slows things down but we have no way of knowing when it would have finally been processed anyway....all of the files around my number have been touched/approved/RFEd and I've got nothing. So it's like I already got lost in a box somewhere so what the h*** difference does it make?!

This on top of all of the insane political ####### going on in the US makes me want to move somewhere else instead. Yea, it would be nice to be back near my family but what else is there?! A super screwed up government that can't even process an application after 5 months even though they are getting paid to do it.....lemme out! No, I am not sure where would be better but jeez, with this mess and watching the news, it sure doesn't seem like a great place to live anymore!

I think it mainly becomes an issue when you're close to approval. It involves pulling you out of line and going to a supervisor which probably requires signatures and a specific protocol to address the inquiry. The only time it makes any sense to do it is if you are significantly beyond processing time (because coupled with senatorial or congressional inquiry it will probably quickly yield an expedite) or if a petitioner did it around the 4th month mark it might have a negligible effect on the processing or improve it based on where it ends up back in line. We're all sort of trapped now since we're at a stage where NOA2 should come anytime. A part of me still doesn't want to believe we're this powerless until they've really neglected our petitions significantly. But it looks like anything we do now can just potentially set us back....I think they designed it that way...they don't want to be bothered by us. We are completely at the "mercy" of this system. However, as we have seen time and time again, it has few rules and operates arbitrarily at times during the approval process.

Edited June 9, 2012 by Paul86

[BnT 9]

I think it mainly becomes an issue when you're close to approval. It involves pulling you out of line and going to a supervisor which probably requires signatures and a specific protocol to address the inquiry. The only time it makes any sense to do it is if you are significantly beyond processing time (because coupled with senatorial or congressional inquiry it will probably quickly yield an expedite) or if a petitioner did it around the 4th month mark it might have a negligible effect on the processing or improve it based on where it ends up back in line. We're all sort of trapped now since we're at a stage where NOA2 should come anytime. A part of me still doesn't want to believe we're this powerless until they've really neglected our petitions significantly. But it looks like anything we do now can just potentially set us back....I think they designed it that way...they don't want to be bothered by us.

Which is why I am now in trouble since my NOA1 was Jan. 9th. Sent all of that stuff today thinking that maybe I could still hear something today or Monday and if not, they would inquire and push our case along....only to read this now that I should not have bothered. I figured that it couldn't hurt--since it SHOULDN'T, you know?! I am just so disgusted. And I can't stand thinking of going back to the US alone and leaving him here waiting b/c I never know when something could happen to him and at least if I am here closeby, I can help him in whatever way possible but from a distance, all I could do would be to send money. And since we have been in the same city for the duration of our relationship--other than my 3 short trips to visit family--I don't know what it would be like to try to have a long-distance relationship. He doesn't have a computer or internet and doesn't know enough about computers even to go to an internet cafe and communicate with me that way, so when I am gone, all we have are expensive cell phone calls....I hate this feeling of being totally helpless...there is no good option, no answers, no good possibilities of anything.....just frustration and fear b/c we are living in the most dangerous country in the world.