WE THANK GOD THAT OUR VOICE HAS BEEN HEARD FOR THE TEXAS CENTER!!!!!!!

[sma1488 155]

Just chopped off the parts I agree with & will comment only on the part I don't agree with.

We are not being "penzalized for falling in love with a human being from a different part of the world." This is one of only a handful of countries where you can "(fall) in love with a human being from another part of the world" & actually petition them to come here, get married, & they can essentially become a fully functional naturalized American, just like many people who've come to this country. The fact that we're even allowed to do this is what makes this country so great!

This x 1,000. You do not need to go through USCIS to physically be with your loved one. You need to go through USCIS to bring your loved one to the United States to be with you in THIS country, which involves showing that he/she will not become a burden or present a risk to anyone else in this country financially, criminally, or otherwise.

When you go to the airport, you sacrifice a small amount of your time and comfort to go through security, which in theory is supposed to help protect your safety as well as that of others. Have there been TSA procedures that have been seen as excessive, unfair, arbitrary and overly invasive? Sure, and that's unfair. The implementation could be better, but the underlying principle is sound.

This whole immigration process works the same way. Some of the flaws might be due to government ineptness, while others are simply the result of political or economic situations that take time to understand and resolve. But you're applying for something that thousands or tens of thousands of people are also applying for at the same time as you. That takes time to process. The only thing we can ask for is that that processing time be as close to equal as possible for everyone, and that overall it be as short as possible to allow us to be with our loved ones as soon as we can.

[caiti92 23]

Just chopped off the parts I agree with & will comment only on the part I don't agree with.

We are not being "penzalized for falling in love with a human being from a different part of the world." This is one of only a handful of countries where you can "(fall) in love with a human being from another part of the world" & actually petition them to come here, get married, & they can essentially become a fully functional naturalized American, just like many people who've come to this country. The fact that we're even allowed to do this is what makes this country so great!

Maybe I jumped the gun and wrote that from a very biased perspective. Where my fiance is from, there is a lot of opportunity and we both agree much more readily with the style and quality of life that would be available to us. If my circumstances were different, I would move there and live with him and we actually do plan to do so at some point in the not so distant future. All this would require is arriving at the airport with our marriage certificate and later having my passport certified, which would grant me the ability to work and live just as any other Irish citizen would. After three years of residency, I could then apply for citizenship. A drastically different process from the one we are currently going through, which is necessary if we want to be together anytime soon.

I know America is a great place to live, especially compared to many other parts of the world. It's great that people are still actually able to immigrate here and become fully naturalized, considering this country was built on immigration. But this process comes at no uncertain cost. All I'm trying to say is that I believe this system is flawed. This is one of the most difficult countries to immigrate to for a number of reasons and, honestly, I don't feel the opportunitities available in this country outweigh the opportunities available to me in my fiance's country, and that makes me extra bitter when considering this process. I am probably unique in that respect and it is something that is certainly a matter of opinion. My preference against my own country and the "America is the best" mentality can be pretty obvious sometimes.

[Marco&Bettina 502]

Maybe I jumped the gun and wrote that from a very biased perspective. Where my fiance is from, there is a lot of opportunity and we both agree much more readily with the style and quality of life that would be available to us. If my circumstances were different, I would move there and live with him and we actually do plan to do so at some point in the not so distant future. All this would require is arriving at the airport with our marriage certificate and later having my passport certified, which would grant me the ability to work and live just as any other Irish citizen would. After three years of residency, I could then apply for citizenship. A drastically different process from the one we are currently going through, which is necessary if we want to be together anytime soon.

I know America is a great place to live, especially compared to many other parts of the world. It's great that people are still actually able to immigrate here and become fully naturalized, considering this country was built on immigration. But this process comes at no uncertain cost. All I'm trying to say is that I believe this system is flawed. This is one of the most difficult countries to immigrate to for a number of reasons and, honestly, I don't feel the opportunitities available in this country outweigh the opportunities available to me in my fiance's country, and that makes me extra bitter when considering this process. I am probably unique in that respect and it is something that is certainly a matter of opinion. My preference against my own country and the "America is the best" mentality can be pretty obvious sometimes.

It might be one of the most difficult countries to immigrate to. But it is also one of the only countries you can do that. Many countries have closed borders, period. & maybe Ireland is good. So is Germany. But trust me when I say that this is a right we have that most people on this earth either don't have or will never use. That makes this country special. Not only do we have this right, but we also have the financial means to pull it off.

[LiliBurd 85]

There is no perfect government they all have issues and flaws. In Canada processing times for family based visas are insane, nothing less than 15 months and usually much longer. Americans have the privilege to sponsor their fiancés which is huge in my opinion, and one of the reasons we decided I would move there. The system might be flawed but it does in fact make it possible for us to be with the person we love.

God bless America (and Canada)

[blabrada05 7]

Many approvals coming in.

What exactly doe this mean, are they working on cases any faster is because the timeline went up from 5.5 months to 6 months.

[Kay&Jay 44]

What exactly doe this mean, are they working on cases any faster is because the timeline went up from 5.5 months to 6 months.

Don't worry about the time line they are working on February cases now and most of April and May cases are transferred which means March Filers will be next then June which is us so that's why .

[H&sh 1]

Just a pre-warning: this is going to be a pretty long rant, though I'll attempt to keep it minimal.

I agree with you in regards to positivity. Without it, both in this process and in life in general, you will simply be bitter, miserable, cynical and stressed out 100% of the time.

HOWEVER, I completely and utterly disagree with the entire mindset that "Life is unfair, deal with it." Yes, life is unfair. In some instances, such as death of a loved one or being laid off from a job, it is unavoidable and you are powerless in changing these things. Your only ability lies within yourself and your state of mind, which is where positivity is absolutely necessary. What you will find is that there are processes in life that you have to deal with that can and NEED be changed. I know this is a really dramatic example, but such was the case with segregation and slavery in the U.S. It was unfair and wrong in every respect. But if people had just accepted the deafest mindset that "life is unfair I just have to stay positive" then NOTHING WOULD HAVE CHANGED.

With that being said, this is a lot different. I don't feel as though my fundamental human rights are being violated. Hahaha. But the process is unfair and it is unfair in a lot of respects. Not only is this process unequal in terms of service center assignment and processing times, but also in terms of beneficiary country. My primary issue with this process is that no one should be penalized for falling in love with a human being from a different part of the world. And it doesn't matter how you try to sugarcoat it or justify this process; it is unfair and it is ridiculous that in order to be with and marry the person you love, you have submit an insane amount of paperwork, pay an insane amount of money and wait a ridiculous length of time just to BE TOGETHER. And this is true regardless of how long you have to wait.

This is why it is so important to try and influence this process in any way possible. Raise awareness, contact your state representatives, email heads of departments to express your concerns, etc. So, yes, the process is unfair and it is necessary for your mental and physical health to remain positive and optimistic. This doesn't mean you should be content with your situation by any means, though. And if you do nothing, nothing will change. Remember, this isn't just unfair for us, but for all of the people who will go through this process after us. It's important we attempt to make things easier for them, as well.

To everyone at the CSC who have either been approved or are still waiting:

Keep in mind that there are people at the TSC who have been waiting a VERY long time to receive their NOA2s. A lot longer than you have been waiting most likely. If these new transfers increase your wait time, they will decrease TSCs and level the playing field for ALL AMERICAN CITIZENS, regardless of geographic location. And that is how it should be. There should not be such huge discrepencies between service center processing times. Both centers should be running around the same wait times. And if that means you will have to wait an extra month or two, then take your own advice: Remain positive and know that the wait will strengthen your relationship. This is all about equality. TSC filers don't want you to suffer or wait any longer than you have to. Ideally, everyone would be approved within a week! They just want fairness. And these transfers are a step in the right direction.

To everyone at the TSC who have either been approved or are still waiting:

Keep in mind that those with petitions at the CSC did not choose their service center. It is entirely dependent upon geographic location and out of their (and your) hands. While it is unfair that they are being approved months ahead of you, remember that it is still difficult for them to be apart from the people they love and want to be with. They are concerned about these trasnferring and potential increases in processing times for fair enough reasons. You would be, as well. They do not want to be apart from their fiance(e)s any longer than you do. Additionally, they are still forced to deal with all of the bureaucracy and hand over all of the money that you have to. It is difficult and unfair to all of us. They may be approved in a month, but then be stuck at the NVC for two months or the embassy for three. Who knows? At any rate, it is not their fault they are processed so much more quickly, so don't hold it against them. It's nothing personal.

Good wards

Do u have an idea aboute how much we will wait i sent my RFE reply from 20th july and no answer till now

[Muñeca 2014 25]

If anyone is interested... Teleconference Invitation Dialogue with USCIS Director León Rodríguez

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) invites you to participate in a stakeholder teleconference on Thursday, Aug. 14, from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Eastern, with USCIS Director León Rodríguez.

Director Rodríguez will introduce himself to the stakeholder community and listen and respond to issues of concern.

To register for this session:

• Visit our registration page to confirm your participation
• Enter your email address and select “Submit”
• Select “Subscriber Preferences”
• Select the “Event Registration” tab
• Provide your full name and organization
• Complete the questions and select “Submit”

We encourage you to submit questions in advance when you register for the event. Once your registration is processed, you will receive a confirmation email with additional details.

If you have any questions regarding the registration process, or if you have not received a confirmation email within two business days, please email us at Public.Engagement@uscis.dhs.gov.

We look forward to engaging with you!

[raven52 233]

LiliBurd,

Not sure what is confusing about my timeline, it has POE at Alanta, and I wrote the harrassment level a 10, marriage date, when AOS was completed, When 2 yr. GC was received, AP/EAD dates.,.,,.just do not know what would make anyone ask me ""IF"" my wife was here in the USA.

She is, and we have a great marriage, and get along very well!

[LiliBurd 85]

LiliBurd,

Not sure what is confusing about my timeline, it has POE at Alanta, and I wrote the harrassment level a 10, marriage date, when AOS was completed, When 2 yr. GC was received, AP/EAD dates.,.,,.just do not know what would make anyone ask me ""IF"" my wife was here in the USA.

She is, and we have a great marriage, and get along very well!

Oh ok good. Your comment just had a negative tone to it so I assumed that you were not with her at the moment, but then looked at the timeleine and it seemed like she was... It was nothing personal, just trying to understand timelines that's it.

I'm happy you are happy.

[Muñeca 2014 25]

I'm a little confused..

Can somebody tell me apart of the USD $340.00 which was paid for the application do I have to pay more the day of my interview in the embassy??

Thanks!!

[caiti92 23]

I'm a little confused..

Can somebody tell me apart of the USD $340.00 which was paid for the application do I have to pay more the day of my interview in the embassy??

Thanks!!

Yes, you will have to pay a fee at the interview and also will most likely have to pay for your medical.

Reference here for medical costs: http://www.visajourney.com/consulates/index.php?ctry=Panama&cty=Panama

And here for Interview Costs ($240 for K applicants): http://panama.usembassy.gov/fees.html

Edited August 13, 2014 by caiti92

[Muñeca 2014 25]

Yes, you will have to pay a fee at the interview and also will most likely have to pay for your medical.

Reference here for medical costs: http://www.visajourney.com/consulates/index.php?ctry=Panama&cty=Panama

And here for Interview Costs ($240 for K applicants): http://panama.usembassy.gov/fees.html

Thankss :)