May 2013 I-130 Filers

[observatorka 197]

from NBC, through my husband's congressman office

[LoveMyTico 999]

from NBC, through my husband's congressman office

Don't get too excited ... I already made 2 congressional inquiries

The first one told me the processing time is 12 months ( that was last month)

The second one told me the processing times were 6 months from the date of the notice ( last week) I am an april filer.

They just look for different ways to word their lies and BS.

I had a 30 minute conversation with the office. I asked a million questions... She was very understanding and was willing to give all the information she had. But she never said they were working on cases filed 6 months ago. That would put them with the March filers. There haven't been any approvals this week.

She did tell me that the K-3s are taking longer to process than the I-130s. She said they don't have enough people to keep up with the files and that they receive 3000 per day. She told me if my case was at the Philadelphia office, the inquiry answer would have come that from that office. So its safe to say, my file is still at the NBC in Missouri. She knew NOTHING about the Kansas facility opening. She also told me the NVC takes about 8 weeks to get through. Waivers are taking more like 8 months rather than the 4 months posted on the USCIS website. The senators offices don't really know much more than you can read on here. And each congressional office is different. It depends on the relationship that person has with the USCIS rep they communicate with. I am sure they are getting bombarded with inquiries since they are so far behind. You gotta love the form letter they send out.... Its really a slap in the face.....

[observatorka 197]

Don't get too excited ... I already made 2 congressional inquiries

The first one told me the processing time is 12 months ( that was last month)

The second one told me the processing times were 6 months from the date of the notice ( last week) I am an april filer.

They just look for different ways to word their lies and BS.

I had a 30 minute conversation with the office. I asked a million questions... She was very understanding and was willing to give all the information she had. But she never said they were working on cases filed 6 months ago. That would put them with the March filers. There haven't been any approvals this week.

She did tell me that the K-3s are taking longer to process than the I-130s. She said they don't have enough people to keep up with the files and that they receive 3000 per day. She told me if my case was at the Philadelphia office, the inquiry answer would have come that from that office. So its safe to say, my file is still at the NBC in Missouri. She knew NOTHING about the Kansas facility opening. She also told me the NVC takes about 8 weeks to get through. Waivers are taking more like 8 months rather than the 4 months posted on the USCIS website. The senators offices don't really know much more than you can read on here. And each congressional office is different. It depends on the relationship that person has with the USCIS rep they communicate with. I am sure they are getting bombarded with inquiries since they are so far behind. You gotta love the form letter they send out.... Its really a slap in the face.....

i don't get excited.

it didn't cost a thing to ask through the congressman office so we did, just to compare to the info coming from VJ forum.

i don't understand people's impatience. i don't find waiting difficult. i can understand that this paperwork take time,

people do not realize how many files go to USCIS, tons, tons, tons.

all the calls, appointments don't speed up the process. they just make officers "angry", constantly they have to answer people's questions, instead of working.

peace.

[LoveMyTico 999]

i don't get excited.

it didn't cost a thing to ask through the congressman office so we did, just to compare to the info coming from VJ forum.

i don't understand people's impatience. i don't find waiting difficult. i can understand that this paperwork take time,

people do not realize how many files go to USCIS, tons, tons, tons.

all the calls, appointments don't speed up the process. they just make officers "angry", constantly they have to answer people's questions, instead of working.

peace.

I find waiting VERY difficult because I want to be with my husband and get on with my life. I'm sure there are tons of other people who feel the same. Good for you that you don't mind waiting.... Please don't comment about impatience.... Paperwork does take time but the system is broken and everyone is very frustrated ! I am sure everyone here wouldn't mind waiting if they were given updates and the USCIS stuck to the 5 month goal. It is what it is...

[scholozy 8]

Am I the only one who is completely dumbfounded by the fact that September is half over and we have only ONE member here who received an NOA2? This is beyond insane. I understand we represent only a small sampling of all noas out there... but 1!? In 2 weeks? They must all be over in that new office decorating their cubicles or something.

[GoLdEnSkY99 54]

i don't get excited.

it didn't cost a thing to ask through the congressman office so we did, just to compare to the info coming from VJ forum.

i don't understand people's impatience. i don't find waiting difficult. i can understand that this paperwork take time,

people do not realize how many files go to USCIS, tons, tons, tons.

all the calls, appointments don't speed up the process. they just make officers "angry", constantly they have to answer people's questions, instead of working.

peace.

Well good for you that you don't mind waiting. I am sure many people would not mind you giving up ur position in line and letting other people get their approval first, since u dont mind waiting. But for me 6 months is more than enough for just an approval. I work in a fast paced hospital so I am use to with work getting done in time manner since people's life depend on it. So i hate waiting.

[Hollyday 122]

Well good for you that you don't mind waiting. I am sure many people would not mind you giving up ur position in line and letting other people get their approval first, since u dont mind waiting. But for me 6 months is more than enough for just an approval. I work in a fast paced hospital so I am use to with work getting done in time manner since people's life depend on it. So i hate waiting.

Why should she give up her place in line? Being able to wait doesn't mean one is happy to, it just means they accept the circumstances. This is not a reason to be unjust to them. Also, i'm sorry but people who filed in May can't complain about waiting for 6 months because they haven't yet - unlike us who have filed earlier and waited longer.

[GoLdEnSkY99 54]

Why should she give up her place in line? Being able to wait doesn't mean one is happy to, it just means they accept the circumstances. This is not a reason to be unjust to them. Also, i'm sorry but people who filed in May can't complain about waiting for 6 months because they haven't yet - unlike us who have filed earlier and waited longer.

I am a march filer not may

[Hollyday 122]

I am a march filer not may

We're in the May thread. I know you're not a May filer, this is why this line wasn't directed at you personally.

[Ellinora 72]

I also mind waiting, although we don't have that pressing of a need to move. We paid for a service and now they're not delivering. I guess the only problem for us is that husband will lose the job opportunities that were waiting for him, if we had gotten the visa in a timely manner. But that's a small problem compared to for example to those of us who have a spouse in a war zone.

I guess I take a different approach than some, since I do believe the congressional inquiries matter. It brings more attention to this situation. It might not change it, at least for us, but more and more congress(wo)men are aware of it, so maybe, just maybe something will be done. I don't hold my breath though.

USCIS customer service is appalling, they are either poorly trained or their actual job is to feed customers bs. They can get as angry as they wish, but until they stop feeding their customers bs, I don't really care if we piss off a few of them by repeatedly inquiring why they don't keep to the estimates they themselves set up.

And please note, again, that I don't have high hopes that our congressman achieves anything spectacular, he represents a scarcely populated farming community, I doubt he has to deal with immigration issues too often. But like I said before, contacting him is just about the only thing we can do, so we do what we can.

Edited September 14, 2013 by Ellinora

[scienceworks 64]

It's not the wait, but the uncertainty and lack of information and lack of planning on USCIS part that is annoying most of us including me. I waited 3 years after getting married since my spouse was in the middle of her studies. Now when I filed, total is uncertainty. If there was a clear understanding about how long this process would take, there is no problem. For eg, in my case if I ever knew that the mere i-130 approval would take 1 year, I would have prepared accordingly. But only after I filed in July, I realized that there is complete uncertainty.

[Simeon 25]

Jumping on the bandwagon here. NOA1 came in May 8th. Here's to good luck for us all!

[LRKO 53]

Hi Everyone!

I have been off and on for a while due to starting and stopping the processes due to changing residences. I am USC, my husband is British and we live in UAE currently....My shortened story:

Filing while living in UK....Received I-130 back ~ Mar 31, 2008 advising to apply thru USA Service Center. Trying to determine what 6 month residency requirement is to file in London.
Resent May 2008 - received back advising me to file thru USA Service Center - no residence in USA...will wait until August and refile. Now 2009 and headed to Saudi Arabia instead of USA...one day....
2013 - Ready to try again for spouse visa. Now in UAE and plan to mail I-130 to Chicago lockbox on 29 May 2013. I pray it will be a smooth journey.

4 Jun 2013 Received NOA1 via email sent to NBC can check MyCase when I-797 received in standard mail.
4 June 2013 check processed for pmt.

Now waiting for that NOA2 to come in...following others, it seems the process has really slowed down in the last 6 months. I haven't read enough to know what might be going on.

Best of luck to you all and I look forward to hearing your stories!

[naam_2013 72]

I just read the "January I-130 filers" and even they are waiting for NOA-2, this means that May-2013 filers will have to wait till Jan-2014 + ? months for approval - IMHO, USCIS is the biggest BS govt department, and the responsibility is not on adjudicators or the person handling our case - the buck stops at the director of USCIS - Alejandro Mayorkas - he should be the one making sure that this system is working - there should be monthly operational metrics - but he does not care - .

By the way there is a "Customer Service Directorate" in USCIS; but they are just earning salary - .

Edited September 16, 2013 by naam_2013

[stevie b 141]

I just read the "January I-130 filers" and even they are waiting for NOA-2, this means that May-2013 filers will have to wait till Jan-2014 + ? months for approval - IMHO, USCIS is the biggest BS govt department, and the responsibility is not on adjudicators or the person handling our case - the buck stops at the director of USCIS - Alejandro Mayorkas - he should be the one making sure that this system is working - there should be monthly operational metrics - but he does not care - .

By the way there is a "Customer Service Directorate" in USCIS; but they are just earning salary - .

well with the new center opening you will not end up waiting until 2014

my feeling is that you all will see a FLOOD of approvals beginning the end of this month.. I believe the files are being used to train at the new center which is why everything from may to now seems dead

uscis is in total reaction mode bcause of lovely mr president and daca..there was no preparation for the absolute avalanche of petitions that happened last year.

the customer service directorate is there and actually does help.. I really do understand how hard this is to hear, it is just about having the right dilemma and the right knowledge and those uscis cs directorate people jump on it.

sit tight folks your time is almost here for sure