Biggest gap I have seen between csc and vsc processing time

[UK-USA-K1 128]

I wrote the vsc via email and they responded

Thank you for your courteous inquiry. I wish I could pass on more positive information, however, I cannot. Applications are processed in date order and they receive thousands every day. Yes, we often move applications around based on pending workload and resources available. Unfortunately, at this time there is nothing that will help move your case (or any other) faster. The website: www.uscis.gov provides "Expedite Criteria" but you have mentioned nothing that would place the processing of your application in that category. Even if Expedited processing were approved you would be placed in a long line of those in that category. You may wish to check those requirements.

Of course, you may contact your Congressional representatives but it will not help regarding acquiring additional resources. Budget cuts as well as the Sequestor have affected hiring new staff members. Even if we could hire tomorrow, the hiring process (including background check) is lengthy and time consuming. Once a new officer is selected and an entry on duty date established, they have to attend training prior to adjudicating.

I do caution you that it is not wise to incur any non-refundable expenses (wedding planning) until you have the approved application and card in his hand. You do not mention where your fiancé is coming from. Once we approve the application, it may require an interview in his home country via the US Embassy/Consulate. We have no control over that process and that can sometimes take quite a while. They are under the jurisdiction of the Department of State.

There is no way to predict when the processing center will catch up and process your application. I wish I could provide more positive feedback but I cannot. It is the USCIS goal to process all cases as quickly and fairly as possible.

Thank you,

I notice several times in this thread it is said that CSC sent DACA cases to VSC. This is absolutely false information. In February, VSC was showing a july date and had a serious backlog and sent a lot of their DACA cases to Nebraska....they started processing faster and got within the 5 months pretty quickly. Then in March, CSC sent some of their DACA load to TEXAS (NOT Vermont) and in April they started getting caught up. For some reason VSC slowed, but it wasn't due to CSC cases being sent there as they were not sent to Vermont, but rather to Texas. Vermont may have got behind on other cases and shifted priorities, but they aren't working on CSC caseload.

I sympathize with your plight, filers from both centers have to go through this up and down. All I can say to the Vermont filers is to do the same as has been done in the past, and that is to flood the VSC and your representatives with complaint after complaint until they kick back into gear. There really isn't much else to be done.

EDIT: I found the links where it shows who transferred files and where. The first link shows CSC to Texas and the second shows VSC to Nebraska

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=1af1716dd3a5d310VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD&vgnextchannel=e7801c2c9be44210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=cf53e5a4b7d1d310VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD&vgnextchannel=e7801c2c9be44210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD

Edited May 22, 2013 by UK-USA-K1

[zooropa 30]

Can I ask why you would raise concern for just one center if this is a Federal program and there continues to be slow downs at both centers? Why fragment this problem and only complain about "your center" ? I dont understand...if this was a social security problem...would you just complain about only half of the country? If the people that had the elected officials attention before had included both centers maybe we would have been able to start to fix this broken system... .

[goodlucklife 44]

Can I ask why you would raise concern for just one center if this is a Federal program and there continues to be slow downs at both centers? Why fragment this problem and only complain about "your center" ? I dont understand...if this was a social security problem...would you just complain about only half of the country? If the people that had the elected officials attention before had included both centers maybe we would have been able to start to fix this broken system... .

Because frankly I do not have the knowledge to speak of other visas and frankly the only other center that processes k1 is the csc and thy are moving visa twice as fast as vsc... Simply put the not my place to speak of anything else but my own experience ....period

[Lynkali 163]

The main reason we can only be concerned with one or the other is because our senators are only concerned with one, and indeed our senators only have contacts at one or the other service center. When we write letters pointing out the slowdowns, we are asking our senators to address the issues that they have authority over. My California senator has no contact with VSC and knows nothing of its processes, nor does she have any authority to address the problems VSC is having. In addition, when we write to an ombudsman as a direct request for assistance or even as a general complaint about processing times, they respond with inquiries to one particular service center.

The system is divided. Do I wish it were different, sure! Do I wish I could wave a wand and address the entire unfair system at once, sure! Do I wish we could have contacts that would have oversight and authority to make changes to both centers at once, sure! But we don't. We live with what we have and try to make life better for those that come after us.

If you find contacts to send emails and letters to that will have any hope of addressing the systematic issues, I will join in the campaign. I want BOTH centers to be fair and efficient. But until then, I will work locally to address the problems that I have a realistic chance of affecting -- as indeed we did affect CSC in April.

[zooropa 30]

I think you may have missed my point...I was referring to the pat answer that VSC filers get from CSC people who say " this is just a slow down, we had it too". If they had the officials attention they could have used both centers history as an example of this broken system...it would have layed some groundwork...I will be mentioning both centers to my congressman.....

[zooropa 30]

Lynkali, your forgetting this a Federal program...senators indeed have the power to help all of us...this is NOT a local problem....

[Lynkali 163]

That is not how my senator responded. Perhaps yours is a better public servant, then. I've said all I can about why I have focused on CSC, so I'm out.

[UK-USA-K1 128]

Lynkali, your forgetting this a Federal program...senators indeed have the power to help all of us...this is NOT a local problem....

The reason is that when a person files a complaint, they can only do so about their case, otherwise no senators or representatives will even look into it. What generally gets them going is getting too many inquiries from senator/representative aides who are working on the behalf of a constituent.

Also, A lot of the complaints at CSC were directed at CSC management in the hopes that it would kick them into gear.

Personally I'm not out of date so I couldn't do a lot, but I did write my senator in hopes of them getting family visa better priority when they do the immigration reform the senate is currently working on. Of course this won't affect any immediate change, it seems the only thing that stands any chance is putting pressure on the specific center when it slows down. It definitely doesn't hurt

[zooropa 30]

The reason is that when a person files a complaint, they can only do so about their case, otherwise no senators or representatives will even look into it. What generally gets them going is getting too many inquiries from senator/representative aides who are working on the behalf of a constituent.

Also, A lot of the complaints at CSC were directed at CSC management in the hopes that it would kick them into gear.

Personally I'm not out of date so I couldn't do a lot, but I did write my senator in hopes of them getting family visa better priority when they do the immigration reform the senate is currently working on. Of course this won't affect any immediate change, it seems the only thing that stands any chance is putting pressure on the specific center when it slows down. It definitely doesn't hurt

I disagree, the Immigration issue has been a huge topic for months now politically, to just complain about one center is a bit myopic.

The USCIS process to approve Visa petitions is broken. This is something we can all agree on. Not too long ago, the petitioners would complain about a "100 day" wait for approval. This is something the most recent petitioner would be very happy for. Instead, if you are lucky enough to get VSC, you will wait 6-9 months. At CSC, historically, the wait is 4-6 months. This has forced the petitioners to wait and watch as one center moves thru the months approving faster than the other center. The best way to continue a broken system is to confuse and separate the participants. Pit one group against the other. Nothing productive will ever evolve in this practice. No need to improve service, but easy to do the opposite. The system can grow and stretch out further in time, it can become less efficient, as we all have seen.

The focus will be on "my center moving slower than yours", instead of the real problem. Until all of the people that are involved in this process both past and present, come together and bring this broken Federal process to the attention of their elected officials, we will continue to see a "push here and a push there" at each center just enough to quiet the complaints at the time.

We cannot continue to see it as a district or regional problem, but as it really is, a broken Federal process that is growing in delay and soon will be over a year process for the new petitioners. I believe the only way to make real change is for each petitioner to make a personal call and/ or visit to their elected officials and voice this concern for BOTH CENTERS.

[QueenOfBlades 224]

I disagree, the Immigration issue has been a huge topic for months now politically, to just complain about one center is a bit myopic.

The USCIS process to approve Visa petitions is broken. This is something we can all agree on. Not too long ago, the petitioners would complain about a "100 day" wait for approval. This is something the most recent petitioner would be very happy for. Instead, if you are lucky enough to get VSC, you will wait 6-9 months. At CSC, historically, the wait is 4-6 months. This has forced the petitioners to wait and watch as one center moves thru the months approving faster than the other center. The best way to continue a broken system is to confuse and separate the participants. Pit one group against the other. Nothing productive will ever evolve in this practice. No need to improve service, but easy to do the opposite. The system can grow and stretch out further in time, it can become less efficient, as we all have seen.

The focus will be on "my center moving slower than yours", instead of the real problem. Until all of the people that are involved in this process both past and present, come together and bring this broken Federal process to the attention of their elected officials, we will continue to see a "push here and a push there" at each center just enough to quiet the complaints at the time.

We cannot continue to see it as a district or regional problem, but as it really is, a broken Federal process that is growing in delay and soon will be over a year process for the new petitioners. I believe the only way to make real change is for each petitioner to make a personal call and/ or visit to their elected officials and voice this concern for BOTH CENTERS.

Very well said.

[UK-USA-K1 128]

The reason is that when a person files a complaint, they can only do so about their case, otherwise no senators or representatives will even look into it. What generally gets them going is getting too many inquiries from senator/representative aides who are working on the behalf of a constituent.

Also, A lot of the complaints at CSC were directed at CSC management in the hopes that it would kick them into gear.

Personally I'm not out of date so I couldn't do a lot, but I did write my senator in hopes of them getting family visa better priority when they do the immigration reform the senate is currently working on. Of course this won't affect any immediate change, it seems the only thing that stands any chance is putting pressure on the specific center when it slows down. It definitely doesn't hurt

I disagree, the Immigration issue has been a huge topic for months now politically, to just complain about one center is a bit myopic.

The USCIS process to approve Visa petitions is broken. This is something we can all agree on. Not too long ago, the petitioners would complain about a "100 day" wait for approval. This is something the most recent petitioner would be very happy for. Instead, if you are lucky enough to get VSC, you will wait 6-9 months. At CSC, historically, the wait is 4-6 months. This has forced the petitioners to wait and watch as one center moves thru the months approving faster than the other center. The best way to continue a broken system is to confuse and separate the participants. Pit one group against the other. Nothing productive will ever evolve in this practice. No need to improve service, but easy to do the opposite. The system can grow and stretch out further in time, it can become less efficient, as we all have seen.

The focus will be on "my center moving slower than yours", instead of the real problem. Until all of the people that are involved in this process both past and present, come together and bring this broken Federal process to the attention of their elected officials, we will continue to see a "push here and a push there" at each center just enough to quiet the complaints at the time.

We cannot continue to see it as a district or regional problem, but as it really is, a broken Federal process that is growing in delay and soon will be over a year process for the new petitioners. I believe the only way to make real change is for each petitioner to make a personal call and/ or visit to their elected officials and voice this concern for BOTH CENTERS.

Before you DISAGREE at least read the whole entire post. If you had, you'd have seen that I said I did contact my Senators and discussed family based visa priorities in advance of the upcoming immigration reform legislation. I've posted in the proper forums urging others to do the same. It won't do anything for current cases, but it very well could improve the system if they take the time to put some fixes into this upcoming bill in the Senate.

As for not REGIONALIZING it. That is all we as individuals can do at the moment. Those with records at VSC who are frustrated with the slow down need to mount a campaign to get them moving again. When CSC was in a slow down, people with applications there, voiced their frustrations to their senators, representatives, ombudsmen, and even to the guy in charge of the California Service center. There were phone calls, Letters, emails. This is really all any individual can do to help NOW. If you want to help the future, then pressure your senators to get the fixes we need into this reform bill. Silent voices are never heard. I made sure mine was and I recommend others do to, for all future family immigration.

[zooropa 30]

Ok...I'm confused by your statements...so your saying I cannot speak about BOTH centers when I meet with my Congressman? All I can do is complain about my own center? Act self serving and not try to promote real change with the process for EVERYONE? I'm out....

[goodlucklife 44]

The congressman will be acting on behalf of the person who voted them in ... If each reason contacts their congressman ... Change will happen ... So write call and stop in to your congressman

[goodlucklife 44]

Please check this thread... There you will notice a rel liv peron getting notice that their csc petition was transferred to Vermont !!!!

I notice several times in this thread it is said that CSC sent DACA cases to VSC. This is absolutely false information. In February, VSC was showing a july date and had a serious backlog and sent a lot of their DACA cases to Nebraska....they started processing faster and got within the 5 months pretty quickly. Then in March, CSC sent some of their DACA load to TEXAS (NOT Vermont) and in April they started getting caught up. For some reason VSC slowed, but it wasn't due to CSC cases being sent there as they were not sent to Vermont, but rather to Texas. Vermont may have got behind on other cases and shifted priorities, but they aren't working on CSC caseload.

I sympathize with your plight, filers from both centers have to go through this up and down. All I can say to the Vermont filers is to do the same as has been done in the past, and that is to flood the VSC and your representatives with complaint after complaint until they kick back into gear. There really isn't much else to be done.

EDIT: I found the links where it shows who transferred files and where. The first link shows CSC to Texas and the second shows VSC to Nebraska

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=1af1716dd3a5d310VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD&vgnextchannel=e7801c2c9be44210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=cf53e5a4b7d1d310VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD&vgnextchannel=e7801c2c9be44210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD

[UK-USA-K1 128]

Please check this thread... There you will notice a rel liv peron getting notice that their csc petition was transferred to Vermont !!!!

Two things.

First, I read this whole thread. There are allusions made where people said they heard about someone who had their file transferred, but there is no first hand account of it.

Second, even if a single case was transferred, it doesn't show that CSC caseload was sent to VSC. THAT did NOT happen. CSC started putting out approvals at an extrememely rapid and steady pace directly after they sent DACA files to Texas. That is what happened there. I have been following CSC very closely since January when I started filling out my paper work and watching VSC as an aside for nearly as long. What you stated earlier in this thread about CSC transferring their caseload to VSC just isn't true. Just like VSC isn't now sending theirs to CSC. That's just not the way it's been happening. Other cases have been transferred out so these two could prioritize I-129F's, but CSC didn't send a bunch of I-129F's to VSC.

I am sorry that VSC is stuck in a slow down. I do hope that they pick it up and get back to within normal processing times for everyone, but I also want to try to keep the conversation based on the facts that are out there.

If you can show me where a multitude of I-129F's were transferred from CSC to VSC recently, similar to how we see the batches transferred out of VSC to (supposedly) Texas recently, then I will concede the fact, but I just haven't ever seen an iota of evidence to support this. Only rumor and conjecture.