Called my Senator's office - Didn't end well.

[*Snowdrop* 604]

Even from same countries each and every case is different and cannot be compared, as long as one's application is within the avg time frame they should be ok.

As OP is saying somone who applied after him should not be approved first, there is no FIFO system.

Harsh - you and I have both been here long enough to know that it's not just the individual case specifications which slow down the order if processing. Sometimes it seems like huge boxes of petitions are forgotten about on shelves when there are backlogs or other problems.

It happens every now and again and is very frustrating for those who get caught up in it.

There's the weeks and month or so out of order which I think can be explained by differences in cases, or say one slow officer having a box of petitions on his desk while the super speedy guy next to him is whizzing through the petitions in his boxes.

And then there are the times when the petitions are months and months out of order.

Back in 2007 when we filed we were in exactly this situation. We filed in Oct and waited for a long time, everyone was waiting. Then suddenly in about March the petitions from Jan onwards started getting approvals - all the Oct, Nov and Dec people were left waiting. It was as though our files had been stuck in a room somewhere lost. So we were just waiting while people who had filed five months after us were being approved.

At around 9 and a half months after filing we were suddenly all sent a note saying that our petitions were being sent to California to be processed. And we were approved 2 weeks later.

It was incredibly unfair. And a great example of how disorganised and flawed the system can be. Maybe FIFO is too much to ask for with such a huge number of cases but it could be a lot better than it is now.

[AdamAndDana 8]

You're right it is very emotional. The process is a long and draining one. But I disagree that emotion is a bad thing in this process. Things aren't going to change until people get emotional enough to demand something change. To sit back and just take what they hand you when you're dealing with an inefficient system isn't something I'm capable of doing. I am active with local immigration groups; I will continue to write my representatives regarding the faults with the current system.

As far as processing times, I don't expect anything to be done until it's past them. I really am not looking for someone to push me to the front of the line. But they aim for a 5 month turn around and right now if we're going from October it's over 7 months. That's a bit ridiculous. There has to be a better solution to this broken system, but until enough people speak up about their experiences with it, it won't change.

I don't think you're attacking me at all. And even if my pursuits are fruitless I feel better utilizing my rights as a citizen to be active in my government and push for change.

Thanks for your insight, it's much appreciated!

Excellent reply! The key is that we remain passionate about changing the system, long after we are reunited with our fiance' and married. I never paid attention to immigration laws or issues, until now.

[Harsh_77 718]

Harsh - you and I have both been here long enough to know that it's not just the individual case specifications which slow down the order if processing. Sometimes it seems like huge boxes of petitions are forgotten about on shelves when there are backlogs or other problems.

It happens every now and again and is very frustrating for those who get caught up in it.

There's the weeks and month or so out of order which I think can be explained by differences in cases, or say one slow officer having a box of petitions on his desk while the super speedy guy next to him is whizzing through the petitions in his boxes.

And then there are the times when the petitions are months and months out of order.

Back in 2007 when we filed we were in exactly this situation. We filed in Oct and waited for a long time, everyone was waiting. Then suddenly in about March the petitions from Jan onwards started getting approvals - all the Oct, Nov and Dec people were left waiting. It was as though our files had been stuck in a room somewhere lost. So we were just waiting while people who had filed five months after us were being approved.

At around 9 and a half months after filing we were suddenly all sent a note saying that our petitions were being sent to California to be processed. And we were approved 2 weeks later.

It was incredibly unfair. And a great example of how disorganised and flawed the system can be. Maybe FIFO is too much to ask for with such a huge number of cases but it could be a lot better than it is now.

You are right when a case is forgotten and they are beyond the avg processing time like your case, definately your senator or congressman should help applicant.

My point is as long as one's application is within the avg time frame, there is not much they can do.

OP is within the avg time frame he just reached out to senator becoz he saw some cases from Feb being approved and he applied in end of Jan and his was not yet approved.

[QueenOfBlades 224]

From your timeline it seems you are right at the point of 6 months which an average is given few weeks here or there.

No senator or congressman is going to touch a case if it is within the average time frame.

Each case is different and some do get approved faster and some does take little extra time nor they would go by anything on VJ.

I disagree with this. Our case is a January petition and Sarah Beaulieu at Congressman Joe Wilson's office has responded to us numerous times, been extremely helpful and friendly and is doing everything she can to help. We got another response last night she got from the TSC saying to call back in 45 days if we have no response, then she added at the bottom that she's sorry it's a generic reply but she promises she's doing everything she can. It simply depends on who you have.

Edit: Oh and she has never discredited VJ information, and she in fact is dealing with another consituent who has been transferred to TSC.

Edited June 12, 2013 by QueenOfBlades

[*Snowdrop* 604]

You are right when a case is forgotten and they are beyond the avg processing time like your case, definately your senator or congressman should help applicant.

My point is as long as one's application is within the avg time frame, there is not much they can do.

OP is within the avg time frame he just reached out to senator becoz he saw some cases from Feb being approved and he applied in end of Jan and his was not yet approved.

Yes - I agree with you there.

But the system does need improving both on the processing times in general, and the actual organisational structures within the agency itself. The joke for our case in 2007 was that the backlog was caused by people trying to beat the price rise and the price rise was to hire more people to make processing times faster. But things have not improved in the last 6 years.

Perhaps petitions etc will lead to some improvements in the future but I don't think it's going to happen soon.

[Harsh_77 718]

I disagree with this. Our case is a January petition and Sarah Beaulieu at Congressman Joe Wilson's office has responded to us numerous times, been extremely helpful and friendly and is doing everything she can to help. We got another response last night she got from the TSC saying to call back in 45 days if we have no response, then she added at the bottom that she's sorry it's a generic reply but she promises she's doing everything she can. It simply depends on who you have.

Edit: Oh and she has never discredited VJ information, and she in fact is dealing with another consituent who has been transferred to TSC.

How senators office should respond is the different issue, I am not saying is senator's office should had told OP they would work on his case or flatly refuse is completely seperate thing.

What I am saying is there is no FIFO so if you applied in Jan and someone who applied in Feb get approved before you does not mean senator's office has to jump.

[QueenOfBlades 224]

How senators office should respond is the different issue, I am not saying is senator's office should had told OP they would work on his case or flatly refuse is completely seperate thing.

What I am saying is there is no FIFO so if you applied in Jan and someone who applied in Feb get approved before you does not mean senator's office has to jump.

You said "No Senator or congressman is going to touch a case if it's within the average time frame". I simply said that is incorrect as ours is "technically", yet our congressman and his office have been actively pursuing our case for almost a month.

[ricnally 258]

I understand your comments and where you are coming from and I do not think your feelings are misplaced.

the problem is that this process and what you are trying to accomplish can not come from feelings. this whole process can be overwhelmingly emotionally charged and those emotions have to be checked at the door.

there is no way to really wrap your arms around how the process works.. I have been able to come to my own understanding that there are dozens of offices, hundreds of people adjudicating files that are all in different stages, so first in first out.. yes and no.. so the answer for your question and your understanding is no, there is no first in and first out.. that is the way it is. overall when you talk about a box shipped to an office, yes it will be handled first in first out.

if you are trying to get help on your case, then you understand you have to be beyond processing times. NOBODY will help you with the overall process. if you want to be heard, you will have to find a local or national news station that will have some interest in your cause.

this is not meant to be an attack.. you are not operating an advocacy group or a civil rights movement. you are using speaking points with you pursuits that honestly are fruitless. no government agency will respond to a request you are making on the behalf of other individuals or to try to understand petition approval dates.

keep your eye on your case.. argue your facts.. check your emotions at the doors.. and be nice to the people you are dealing with.. you will eventually get someone to help you if you really need help.. unfortunately, this is not the case for you right now

I agree with this. OP, you are only at the 4-month mark. You have to wait until you're outside the processing time to get any action at all (if then).

[Harsh_77 718]

Yes - I agree with you there.

But the system does need improving both on the processing times in general, and the actual organisational structures within the agency itself. The joke for our case in 2007 was that the backlog was caused by people trying to beat the price rise and the price rise was to hire more people to make processing times faster. But things have not improved in the last 6 years.

Perhaps petitions etc will lead to some improvements in the future but I don't think it's going to happen soon.

As more and more USC gets impacted with immigration the process and operation should improve.

Now days they are much better back in 98-99 before 9/11 most USC who never had a foreign spouse did not even care about immigration system nor did the congress.

Also its a govt agency they cannot be compared with pvt companies they will never be that efficent.

Sometimes we are not aware but those employees also get pulled into various other things, simple example Obama passed the executive order and put stop on deporting children who came in at very young age. There was never increase in the staffing who was going to work on our cases and who was going to work on these new load of cases?

You said "No Senator or congressman is going to touch a case if it's within the average time frame". I simply said that is incorrect as ours is "technically", yet our congressman and his office have been actively pursuing our case for almost a month.

I guess I should had been more clear, what I meant was the case was not going to go anywhere.

Senators office is going to get a standard canned response from USCIS or NVC.

[Protocol417 161]

Sometimes we are not aware but those employees also get pulled into various other things, simple example Obama passed the executive order and put stop on deporting children who came in at very young age. There was never increase in the staffing who was going to work on our cases and who was going to work on these new load of cases?

A delay in all cases is understandable in that situation. But to put, for example, September filers on a shelf so that these other cases can be worked on, but January filers still get processed like normal with no delay? That shouldn't happen.

[stevie b 141]

with the stroke of a pen Obama signed DACA

USCIS was not prepared for the influx of petitions that it was about to receive or the ramifications of what the agency would need to do to take care of it. I am sure someone here has the stats, but something like from 80 thousand to 1.7 million on that same wendesday I mailed my now cancelled 129f.

Trying to address the fixes that are needed within an organization that takes two years to generate a purchase order for $50,000 for a new toilet will take a very long time

[Harsh_77 718]

A delay in all cases is understandable in that situation. But to put, for example, September filers on a shelf so that these other cases can be worked on, but January filers still get processed like normal with no delay? That shouldn't happen.

I agree something like that should not happen.

This thread started with OP reaching out to senators office and he was disappointed with the response and my response was he was well within the avg time frame of the K1 processing and its ok.

[spareows 7]

I agree something like that should not happen.

This thread started with OP reaching out to senators office and he was disappointed with the response and my response was he was well within the avg time frame of the K1 processing and its ok.For

For the record Harsh, I'm the lady in this couple. But you're right, I am within processing times. My problem didn't come from her saying there wasn't anything they could do, I fully anticipated that. The issue was with how poorly she handled the situation, and brushed the issue aside. For me to ask why there is such a delay and her to tell me she wasn't going to find out was unacceptable.

A delay in all cases is understandable in that situation. But to put, for example, September filers on a shelf so that these other cases can be worked on, but January filers still get processed like normal with no delay? That shouldn't happen.

That's what seems to be happening. It's a huge slap in the face to people still waiting from October/November to see a flurry of Jan/Feb filers being approved.

[Carie_Azan 35]

From your timeline it seems you are right at the point of 6 months which an average is given few weeks here or there.

No senator or congressman is going to touch a case if it is within the average time frame.

Each case is different and some do get approved faster and some does take little extra time nor they would go by anything on VJ.

Correct - if you are NOT 6 months, one day - they will NOT touch it. and rightfully so.

[Harsh_77 718]

For the record Harsh, I'm the lady in this couple. But you're right, I am within processing times. My problem didn't come from her saying there wasn't anything they could do, I fully anticipated that. The issue was with how poorly she handled the situation, and brushed the issue aside. For me to ask why there is such a delay and her to tell me she wasn't going to find out was unacceptable.

That's what seems to be happening. It's a huge slap in the face to people still waiting from October/November to see a flurry of Jan/Feb filers being approved.

Sorry cannot tell from the profile if male or female.

I also understand your frustration and yes I agree with you they could have handled your call in a better way.

Its just like some operators are better at customer service over other and unfortunately the operator you got was not that great at customer service.

You are almost there hope your case would be approved soon.