K-1, any idea of what dates are currently being processed at the TSC?

[nina.mb 8]

Hi all!

Our I-129 petition ended up at the Texas Service Center, but I'm having trouble finding specific information (beyond the 5-Month Processing Time Estimate) re: what dates are currently being processed there.

The Processing Times tab here on VJ provides specific dates for two other centers (far right side of the page), but TSC isn't listed for the K-1 visa.

Any insights?

Thanks!

[Avery Cates 1,141]

Last I heard they were going pretty quickly, but I don't know about any dates. TSC traditionally hasn't processed K-1s, only CSC and VSC, it's only recently that they've been shuffling various petitions to there for adjudication, so there's not a ton of data to go on. Also keep in mind that there tends not to be any particular rhyme or reason as to what dates are being processed. They'll say for example September 2013 if you call and ask, but you'll see a slew of December and January's being approved here and there.

[nina.mb 8]

Good to know, thank you! Didn't realize that TSC was a new addition to K-1 process.

You mentioned calling to inquiry; I was planning to call this afternoon to see what information I could glean, but I'm wondering 2 things.

1) Any thoughts as to whether inquiries can be interpreted as pestering and adversely affect your case?

2) The estimated processing time provided on the USCIS website (i.e. 5 months for K-1s at TSC) calculated from the NOA1, correct? Don't want to jump the gun...

Also, from your profile, it looks like you made it through this process alive and well - congrats!

[ashleyphilly 70]

Yes calculate it from noa1. My ctr is tsc too. From what im reading most november cases are approved. They are probably mostly working on december and january cases now. So add like 2 months to your noa 1, and hopefully thats when they would start working on your case. Of course you can never be sure since estimated processing time is 5 months

Also ease Fill in your Timeline

[Mrs.InLOve 14]

This is a great question. I'm trying to find info on it too. Is there a specific thread for TSC filers like we have for monthly ones? And locations/consulates/countries?

I'd like to see some experiences from there specifically since all a can stumble upon are the quick CSC ones.

[Adil & Jeanne 296]

Our I 130 was received March 8, 2013, so a year

[Avery Cates 1,141]

1) Any thoughts as to whether inquiries can be interpreted as pestering and adversely affect your case?

2) The estimated processing time provided on the USCIS website (i.e. 5 months for K-1s at TSC) calculated from the NOA1, correct? Don't want to jump the gun...

1) No. The people who answer the phones are completely separate from the people who will be adjudicating your case. Don't expect much info from them as they're little more than screen reading monkeys. They should, if you get a particularly bright one, be able to tell you roughly what month cases they're processing, but they will have no information on your specific case, or when it will be adjudicated.

2) 5 months is the goal and a very loose estimate, at best, but yes, it would be from your NOA1 date.

Our I 130 was received March 8, 2013, so a year

Irrelevant. OP is asking about a K-1, which currently have a much swifter processing time than I-130s.

[nina.mb 8]

Hi all!

Grateful to have your input here! It sure beats speculating, just the two of us!

Just a quick update:

I called USCIS customer service yesterday to see what info I could squeeeeeeze out of them (since Avery Cates (thank you!) confirmed that I couldn't be penalized for it) and lo and behold I came out with very little information. All the rep was able to tell me was that background checks were complete and that our file was "awaiting next steps", whatever the heck that means! She didn't know what dates were currently being processed at the TSC but could file a Service Request since we had surpassed the Estimated Processing Time (5 mo). That guarantees an update within 30 days, but honestly I'm hoping to have an actual approval by then!

I would also be very interested to know if anyone has come across something like SoyDeEl is suggesting, a thread/forum/etc. dedicated to TSC filers. Anyone a bit more tech savvy than myself know how to set one up? It would be so helpful to try to decipher what's going on!

Until then, TSC filers, keep updating!

[SparklePony 238]

You can join the November TSC filers thread, here. Many have received the NOA2 already (like me) but there are still quite a few pending ones. Come say hi!

[smaring 14]

Yeah, the deviation in the wait is maddening. Our NOA1 is DEC 19th, 2013 and we are at TSC as well. Based on the VJ metrics gathering that puts us a couple weeks PAST the "average" approval date. You want to pull your hair out when you see folks post here saying they got their NOA2 from CSC in 6 days and claim no special handling. I called USCIS yesterday to try to see if our file had even been touched since the A# was assigned DEC 26th. He acted like I was crazy for inquiring in less then the "expected" 5 month processing time. He had never heard of VisaJourney and said the fastest NOA2 he had ever seen was 2 months. I told him of someone posting here that they got it in 6 days and he said "that is HIGHLY unlikely ... you can't believe everything you read on the Internet". Like they have a motivation to LIE???? He insisted that "Level 2" support had a "stop order" for escalations and that they wouldn't be able to tell me anything beyond what he could. He also said that I had to wait the 5 months before they will even accept an inquiry.

It is really crazy how you could wait 6 days or over 6 months, and there doesn't seem to be a rhyme or reason for it. Life is short ... putting your life in a holding pattern while someone adjudicates your personal relationships and the direction of the rest of your life ... and takes their own damn sweet time doing it .... is pretty traumatic and gut wrenching stuff for sure.

[Pitaya 2,577]

~Moved from K-1 Process to USCIS Service Centers Forum~

~Inquiry about TSC~

[Avery Cates 1,141]

Yeah, the deviation in the wait is maddening. Our NOA1 is DEC 19th, 2013 and we are at TSC as well. Based on the VJ metrics gathering that puts us a couple weeks PAST the "average" approval date. You want to pull your hair out when you see folks post here saying they got their NOA2 from CSC in 6 days and claim no special handling. I called USCIS yesterday to try to see if our file had even been touched since the A# was assigned DEC 26th. He acted like I was crazy for inquiring in less then the "expected" 5 month processing time. He had never heard of VisaJourney and said the fastest NOA2 he had ever seen was 2 months. I told him of someone posting here that they got it in 6 days and he said "that is HIGHLY unlikely ... you can't believe everything you read on the Internet". Like they have a motivation to LIE???? He insisted that "Level 2" support had a "stop order" for escalations and that they wouldn't be able to tell me anything beyond what he could. He also said that I had to wait the 5 months before they will even accept an inquiry.

It is really crazy how you could wait 6 days or over 6 months, and there doesn't seem to be a rhyme or reason for it. Life is short ... putting your life in a holding pattern while someone adjudicates your personal relationships and the direction of the rest of your life ... and takes their own damn sweet time doing it .... is pretty traumatic and gut wrenching stuff for sure.

Well... the person you spoke to wasn't really wrong, and if it hasn't been 5-6 months you shouldn't be calling looking for information about your case. It's been 2 months to the day of your NOA1. They're not going to have anything to tell you, and there is 0 reason for an escalation at this point. They can give you loose general information about what time frame processing is happening at best. Too many people who filed a month ago have been calling in asking straight for Tier 2 representatives, and it's taking the time away from people who may actually have a real issue, so they've put a stop to it for anything that's not outside of established processing times.

We hear here of the people with short processing times, inside a month, and it has the unfortunate effect that in some people's minds these get treated as the rule rather than the odd exceptions that they are, and they start frothing at the mouth for their case to be approved any day now. It's not realistic, and the only way to make it through this process is to have realistic expectations set. 5-6 months should be your expectation, not 6 days or 2 months.

It does happen in it's own sweet time, but that's what we all signed up for when we started this process.

[SparklePony 238]

Also important to keep in mind that the I-130s (spousal visa petitions) are taking ages to process. How is it fair to them that the fiances get handled in a much shorter time that the spouses do?

[smaring 14]

I hear what you guys are saying, and if a vast majority of a random sampling took 5 months +/- a couple weeks, I'd have ZERO complaint. It would imply some sort of a queued sequential processing. However, the standard deviation just seems WAAAAY too high, and nobody can ever seem to supply a valid and believable explanation for why that is?

I'd love to see an extensive survey of folks on VJ to see if we can find SOME sort of pattern beyond a ####### shoot ranging anywhere from 6 days to 6 months or more. Its the lack of consistency that drives me batty in this.

[SparklePony 238]

I know what you mean. Have you looked at Igor's List, here on VJ? For me, it was a bit of an eye opener. Sure, some of the older non-approved petitions have surely been approved by now and the members just never bothered to come back and update their timelines, but still, for the more recent months? I found it very encouraging to see I wasn't alone in the waiting.

Hang in there, guys. Your time WILL come.