Use Of Technology

[Iyawo Ijebu 157]

I was dreaming of my honey as I print out stacks of ATT phone bills and wishing USCIS had a Box.Com account where I can just upload all these paperwork in PDF instead of having to print and mail them. Would be much faster (cuts out the mailing time and processing time) and better organized.

Originals you ask? You can show those at the interview stage or swear under perjury that you're holding the originals.

So question for those that have been here for a while, have you noticed better efficiency and use of technology over the years?

Take pictures for example. Some cameras can encode the pictures with GPS coordinates as well as dates they were taken. This data will be available if you uploaded the pics as opposed to printing them out and mailing them in.

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

The problem is as good as that would be , some people in the visa process become very unhappy with the process and might wrap a bit of malware around that adorable pickure of a couple kissing under the cherry tree.

[EvilSquee 7]

More like the problem is putting systems in place to handle those. That takes time, money, and some good IT people (which happens to be my field). I was surprised at how old fashioned the process has been so far. Didn't get the txt alert for my NOA1, can't use emails as proof (all my airfare receipts D:), in my RFE asked for airline ticket stubs and film-dated photographs. Film? Really?!

[Darnell 8,478]

So question for those that have been here for a while, have you noticed better efficiency and use of technology over the years?

Yup. some examples.

Automation has reduced the amount of time it takes for a FBI background check from about 18 months (because of the paperwork queue) down to about 'same day or next day' for 90+ percent of the petitions filed (I-129F, I-130) . Since this 18 months has been whacked off, the need for and usage of a K-3 visa has been pretty much closed, as the I-130 and subsequent I-129F (for a K-3 visa) are approved on same day at USCIS.

NVC Electronic Processing for casefiles headed to Guangzhou China - all visas suffer from the 'China Customs Holding' tank, anywhere from 1 to 3 months of extra wait time. EP chopped that down to 0, for IR-1, IR-2, IR-5 casefile types, and in many instances, the K-1 also (K-1s still have more paperwork with GUZ IV, but about half not have to wait anymore, the SAFEFILE network is solely utilized with GUZ IV)

Recently, with the 'cutting off of the DCF offices of USCIS' since August of last year, many petitioners who FILE FROM OVERSEAS have discovered a new, fast queue with USCIS, being approved within 20 days on the I-130. I attribute that to properly trained folk at the Chicago Lockbox.

[Iyawo Ijebu 157]

More like the problem is putting systems in place to handle those. That takes time, money, and some good IT people (which happens to be my field). I was surprised at how old fashioned the process has been so far. Didn't get the txt alert for my NOA1, can't use emails as proof (all my airfare receipts D:), in my RFE asked for airline ticket stubs and film-dated photographs. Film? Really?!

I'm in IT also.

I'm going crazy at the amount of paper that I am generating for a simple application. Coupled with how efficient this can really be if truly computerized. But I hear you on the required backend support. I am certain they will be scanning all this stuff into an IBM mainframe somewhere.

We're supposed to be saving paper/tree ecology, etc

PS: I am going through Nigeria so we have to have a few more documents than our fellow earthlings in say Canada, eh

Edited April 24, 2012 by Iyawo Ijebu

[Olomi_811 130]

Iyawo I always get a chuckle out of reading your thoughts. If it were that simple there would be more people filing and longer processing times. Could you imagine what would happen at the Lagos embassy if everything was computerized. The moment it rained the system would freeze or drop and we would be rescheduled.

[photomile 101]

As lyawo said, they're probably scanning everything in once they attach the barcodes to it..

I remember reading that the USCIS wanted to make more things electronic, although, it's hard to make some of these things 'electronic' (such as requiring a physical signature) but then, you could submit an electronic petition, which then generates a receipt with a barcode, which you print out, then send to them with a signature on it...