A Troubling Pattern

[Abby&Mario 100]

"A Troubling Pattern"? The country will be overrun by self-serving liars? You honestly remind me of men's rights activists who freak out over the supposed (read: nonexistent) "epidemic" of false rape claims, when the real epidemic is rape itself. Why is your first instinct to doubt people who say they've been abused? Domestic abuse is a huge problem pretty much the world over. I think you'd be better off minding your own business.

[belinda63 3,038]

The debate is not so much does abuse happen, it is the supposed abused spouse who immediately screams "How do I file VAWA." They are obviously aware it exist and they are more worried about how to protect their immigration rights than protecting themselves. Why even mention VAWA if you already have your green card since a VAWA filing is not needed to ROC. Because somewhere they have heard that VAWA is the magical way to remain in the US.

There are also issues with the definition of abuse. I have seen people claim they were abused because their spouse did not give them a big enough allowance, or because the spouse would not send money home to the immigrant's family, or he doesn't spend enough time with me, or he won't buy me everything I want.

There are people and sources out there that coach immigrants on VAWA. There will always be fraud. The burden of proof for a VAWA claim needs to be higher. Sorry Sandra I know this is about to make you upset, but faking an evaluation is pretty easy especially if you have been coached. I know people who get crazy checks because they spent 30 days in patient acting crazy. They are as sane as anyone else. Affidavits from "friends who witnessed the abuse" are easy to buy. False charges of abuse (not convictions) are easy to obtain because in most towns if the police respond to a DV call they must make a report of it.

[bdawn 66]

"A Troubling Pattern"? The country will be overrun by self-serving liars? You honestly remind me of men's rights activists who freak out over the supposed (read: nonexistent) "epidemic" of false rape claims, when the real epidemic is rape itself. Why is your first instinct to doubt people who say they've been abused? Domestic abuse is a huge problem pretty much the world over. I think you'd be better off minding your own business.

You know how Medical Doctors are able to eliminate certain diseases from a pool of others after listening to a patient? Symptoms; that's what they use to limit their concern to certain specific diseases. "Why is your first instinct to doubt people who say they've been abused?" When the claim of "abuse" happens right after obtaining conditional green card as in the pattern constantly on display here, then yes, it provokes some considerable doubts as to how authentic. And, by the way, you started minding my business by quoting from my post, and you feel justified to tell me to mind my own business? Start with the man in the mirror.

[Mela17 36]

As long as there is a system some people will find ways around it. Sometimes it is just, sometimes it is self serving. to say that 99.97% of abuse cases are made simply to obtain immigration benefits is utter nonsense. There is no possible way to measure this statistic based on what is written in the forums on VJ. If you are so concerned might I suggest you write to the USCIS yourself? Posting here isn't going to help your cause.

[JessTim 10]

We often read about people who fly to the United States on k-1, live with the fiance/fiancee peacefully, get married, obtain a conditional green card, and suddenly claim abuse. Or fly on a k-1 visa, live with the fiance/fiancee without raising "abuse,", get married, ask on this forum about VAWA claiming abuse. Now, that is problematic. There are real issues of abuse, but reading from several people from, especially from one specific country who claim abuse right after receiving their green card, it rings a bell. The Philippines is quite on top of this thing. I hope I don't get flamed lol

[Mela17 36]

You should write to the USCIS and alert them of this.

[Boiler 45,519]

They know I am sure, but the just follow the regs.

[Mela17 36]

I was being sarcastic. I would behoove any USC who wants to petition anyone to read up on that persons country and culture, their rights and the beneficiaries rights before filing anything.

[Maria2012 16]

Sounds very sexist, I know many men victims of abuse.

Clearly you have't read the whole post. I did say that 15% of the reported cases of domestic abuse are male.

[Boiler 45,519]

Clearly you have't read the whole post. I did say that 15% of the reported cases of domestic abuse are male.

Males are horribly unrepresented in reported numbers.,

[Novembro 1,763]

And, by the way, you started minding my business by quoting from my post, and you feel justified to tell me to mind my own business?

Welcome to the internet, public forums specifically.

I'm not even sure why people continue to start topics like this. Even if it's not intentional 'baiting' per se, it ends up being a massive forum meltdown. Does this directly affect your life, or is it just something you were pondering one day and thought "hey, I should wax philosophical about abuse on an immigration aid site and see what happens"? If it isn't directly affecting you and yours, then there really isn't a point to this thread. USCIS is well aware of this type of thing.

[ppihtr123 68]

A Troubling Pattern

I have been on here for quite a while and have been following several posts from beneficiaries claiming abuse right after receiving either the conditional green card or 10 years green card. Without disputing the existence of genuine abuses, I am beginning to question how authentic some of these claims are. How is this for logic, that, 99.97% of the abuse occurs only after the green card – conditional or unconditional – was received? Assuming some of these abuses occurred prior to obtaining the green card but the beneficiaries remained silent until after the green card were received, isn’t this like a prior ‘intent-to-use-for-green card’ instead of marrying for real? To add to this troubling trend, most of those on conditional green card claiming abuse get on here to ask for how they can stay legally through VAWA, which indicates a prior knowledge of some sort. Even those who have no idea about VAWA, their first post are always centered on how they can remove the condition without the sponsoring partner. To the best of my knowledge, I have only seen one person claiming abuse who was asking for help to travel back to her home country.

I don’t have a problem with anyone who wants to live here if their marriage didn’t work, but if 99.999% claim abuse and instantly jump into fishing for a way to live here permanently without the petitioner; it provokes some considerable doubts as to how authentic some of these claims really are. Without blinking, and from the past experiences of some petitioners, most of these beneficiaries are married back home, use the petitioners to secure green card for themselves and any their children (if any), and hurriedly claim abuse just to get it done with the petition, since the goal is already achieved.

In my opinion, it seems the pursuit of green card has become a goal with its own rights. Most of these people feel justified to play with the emotions of their sponsors without attaching any significance to their interest. Even if they have to make a false claim and call the cops on them, as long as it will allow for them to ‘manipulate’ VAWA with these false claims to get their green card, they do without blinking. I am concerned about this pattern, and so should every citizen and non-citizens alike who have a healthy respect for properly constituted rules.

Something has to be done about this. If we’re quick to petition USCIS on unfair adjudication or delayed process, we must equally be fair to petition VAWA to look into cases of abuse with eagle eyes. If we don’t act, a few years down the road, just like the Zombie Apocalypse, we’ll be over-ran in this country by these self-serving lairs .

My first thought was to kind of agree as I have a real problem with lies....BUT

1. Can you imagine where if someone was being abused, they would be told..."I'll just send you home", "I'll return you like damaged goods", etc. If someone told you that you could never go to school, would you try all that much harder? At what point would you try to prove them wrong?

2. 99.97% of the time people make up numbers to support their argument. 99.999%? really? momma told you 1 million times not to exaggerate! You present the opinion without knowing the percentage of VAWA approvals or denials. What percentage of abuse is reported at anytime? What percentage of people just go home? What percentage of immigrants create accounts on VJ? What percentage of those explore VAWA options? What percentage of those, actually apply?

3. Everyone should be looked at with eagle eyes and be able to support whatever claim they make whether it be I am madly in love with a foreign person or I am being abused! Maybe a 10 year waiting period for K-1s,CR/IRs would get rid of the frauds.

[ppihtr123 68]

We often read about people who fly to the United States on k-1, live with the fiance/fiancee peacefully, get married, obtain a conditional green card, and suddenly claim abuse. Or fly on a k-1 visa, live with the fiance/fiancee without raising "abuse,", get married, ask on this forum about VAWA claiming abuse. Now, that is problematic. There are real issues of abuse, but reading from several people from, especially from one specific country who claim abuse right after receiving their green card, it rings a bell. The Philippines is quite on top of this thing. I hope I don't get flamed lol

No flames but really?

I yield that here are Scammers from every country including the Philippines. Higher percentage or higher volume? I have no idea.

You should read up on the mandatory CFO seminar that is required for K-1s to leave the Philippines. Maybe better educated on their human rights? Just a point...

[Boiler 45,519]

An awful lot of claims are false, just read the stories, nobody has the numbers so an issue that can not be answered.

The way the system was set up encourages fraudulent claims.

[Dakine10 5,452]

An awful lot of claims are false, just read the stories, nobody has the numbers so an issue that can not be answered.

The way the system was set up encourages fraudulent claims.

How do you suggest we make it better, without at the same time making it worse for people with legitimate cases?