personal opinion

[Andrea&Henry 311]

CBP does thisThe consulates do this.

It doesn't matter all resume in the US goverment

[L & J 1]

I hear you...

In spite of all that, I followed the rules and instructions very carefully and my now wife got her visa with absolutely no problems. And this out of Guayaquil, a very tough consulate.

Understand there will always be scammers, you just have to play by the rules and you'll be fine.

[L & J 1]

well, i got my visa without problems too, but behind it there was lots of worries and 8 months of waiting for the interview. if i was in charge of this process it would take less time, less paperwork and less money

They do take suggestions from regular people. Periodically they have scheduled input sessions, online, over the phone, via mail, and you can say something. Go to their website and look at "outreach" There are multiple opportunities. Here: http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=ea015fc544007210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD&vgnextchannel=ea015fc544007210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD

thnx, i will use you advice

Sometimes I feel like crying just thinking about the process.. I'm working on my packet 3 at the moment. I always think of the worse happening at my interview. My American fiance and I hired a lawyer, and he (lawyer) is lazy I find : \ Anyway, I think my fiance and I will be reunited after an ENTIRE year since he visited me

[L & J 1]

of course you will be reunited, just keep the faith. there were moments when my fiance (now husband) and i felt really desperate about the process too, and we were thinking of hiring an attorney but then we did everything ourselves without any help and it worked out, it took us only 8 month to get the visa! On the other hand one friend of ours is doing it with an attorney and it took him about a year too and he still doesn't know what is happening with his paperwork because the embassy still hasn't sent an invitation to the interview. So, we made a conclusion it's better to go through this hell by yourself without attorneys, it will really save your time and money and whatever the lawyers do you can do it yourself. Don't worry, everything will be fine!

[L & J 1]

How can the employees of the USCIS distinguish between the real (law abiding citizens) from the criminals (trying to get fraudulent marital Visas)? I suppose there're NEVER anyone in the past who attempted to put up a few years with a USC so he/she can come to the US via a spousal Visa and immediately filed for divorce once the permanent residency had been established.

And by the way, there're millions of Americans available for your love here in the USA. Please don't tell us that you just simply can't find one suitable for your love need. It's your option to go overseas looking for love. But expect the US gov't to spend its time and effort making sure that person (whose love for you is real or not) not laughing at the Us govt and saying "Gee, that country is such moron! They can't tell the difference b/w real love and fake one"

[L & J 1]

I see you point. If i show you my biography and the paper that says i have no criminal record, a few pictures with my bf and our telephone and hotel bills, can you believe me judging by all this that we love each other? I mean papers are just papers, how can they judge people and make their decision based on this or based on the interview. The only way they can do it is if they live with these people and see them in everyday life, which is quite impossible. So all this system if you think about it is very imperfect. the only way you can detect fraud or criminals is when u see what they are going to do after the marriage, what were their real intentions, but who can read peoples' mind before they did smth?

BECAUSE EVERY SYSTEM CHANGE AND ENCHANCEMENT COST MONEY. SHOULD THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT TRYING TO BRING SOMEONE THRU THE IMMIGRATION CHNANELS PAY FOR YOUR WANTS.

So who should pay for these 21st century chnages, are you willing to pay $10,000 o have your application processed?

[L & J 1]

i don't really understand where these $10000 come from, all i see is that somebody is making billions and trillions on this process, of course they don't want to change it, because it became quite a profitable business. but i believe that there are things in life more significant than money.

[LIFE'SJOURNEY 970]

I see you point. If i show you my biography and the paper that says i have no criminal record, a few pictures with my bf and our telephone and hotel bills, can you believe me judging by all this that we love each other? I mean papers are just papers, how can they judge people and make their decision based on this or based on the interview. The only way they can do it is if they live with these people and see them in everyday life, which is quite impossible. So all this system if you think about it is very imperfect. the only way you can detect fraud or criminals is when u see what they are going to do after the marriage, what were their real intentions, but who can read peoples' mind before they did smth?

The same concept is used to hire people for a job, an employer doesn't know if you will be the best candidate by just looking at your resume. There is a interview in person, then a decision is made. This practice is used in every decision making that is made in our lives. It's call instint(Sp), you use it aswell to make major decisions.

It has been the best practice used since the wheel was invented.

Edited September 23, 2012 by LIFE'SJOURNEY

[LIFE'SJOURNEY 970]

i don't really understand where these $10000 come from, all i see is that somebody is making billions and trillions on this process, of course they don't want to change it, because it became quite a profitable business. but i believe that there are things in life more significant than money.

The US doesn't make any money on this process, the money collected is what pays for all services rendered. If you want something better, the cost of the process will need to increased to cover the cost of providing faster service.

The US tax dollars are not use to sponsor the admin cost of the services of the visa process.

[Moomin 292]

Hi,

I just wonder why all this process is so complicated, long and stressful. We are in 21 century now, but still keep toturing people. I heard that USCIS made it so difficult because they want to prevent marriage frauds. I don't know if it helped them do that but the fact is that all this process really complicates the life of honest innocent people who just want to be together. And every time when u are filling in another form u r so afraid and worried over each word and it sometimes makes u feel like a real criminal, though u r clean. And then when u send ur papers u start worrying even more because it takes a while until u get a response from USCIS. And u start thinking something went wrong. meanwhile people who really intend to do smth illegal know how to do it and i guess even USCIS strict rules won't stop them. My point is it shouldn't be this way. Why don't the authorities focus more on catching real criminals rather than giving headache to honest people who obey the laws.

I am reading peoples' topics in this forum and i can't believe how they keep us all worried and stressed. maybe there will be a day when people unite and say enough is enough and will start fighting for their human rights against all this paperwork system. Basically we fight for our love trying to prove to somebody that we are not criminals and that we are normal people and deserve to be together. Isn't it rediculous? But i guess this is life.

I agree with you however, one thing to outline though - this is just a fact, not my personal opinion.

After you petition, you go through a background check. This is where USCIS finds out if you're eligible(or innocent, patiently waiting, doing things the legal way). Since USCIS can't determine your eligibility beforehand, there's no way of knowing just exactly who has filed the petition, if the petitioner(and beneficiary) is eligible. The fraud is detected during the process, not before. And while it seems unfair to wait, it also eliminates some potential immigration fraud in the long run, and especially because both petitioner/beneficiary is screened in various stages.

Personally, what I'd do differently would be keeping the beneficiary out of the picture in the first stage, making the US citizen send in a request for a background check on him/herself along with current income info regardless of the future petition(immigrant/nonimmigrant) - charge a fee for the background check and income info. Plenty of obstacles may be caught here and adressed. To me, it seems ridiculous that it's not until last stage that you're required to show proof that you can support not only yourself but also be a sponsor.

EDIT: I'm all for an electronic system. In the sense of submitting required documents, nothing signed or anything, then going to a biometrics appointment(yes, the USC) to sign and fingerprint and photo taken. While it seems to add more to the process, it eliminates the whole mailroom sorting thing, RFEs for missing signatures or USC documents, snail mailing documents to NVC and overseas and back again.

Edited September 23, 2012 by moomin

[TBoneTX 45,287]

It doesn't matter all resume in the US goverment

Sorry, amiga, but it does matter. See milimelo's post above.

[Penny Lane 8,159]

I don't think this process is all that complicated when you think about it.

You fill out a few forms (most of them repeat themselves, and they aren't difficult to fill out since they're about YOU), supply some evidence, write a check or two, show up for an interview that can sometimes last all of 5 minutes, and you're good to go.

Yes, there's waiting and yes some people at USCIS don't know their job as well as they should, but the system the way it is works for the most part. People who cheat the system and commit fraud are what made the system the way it is today and the way it unfortunately needs to be.

Time consuming and hell on your patience, sure, but complicated? Not really.