FINALLY THEY UPDATED THE TIMING ON USCIS WEBSITE

[Lorvin 45]

This.

And this, too.

I wish they would have just raised the damn fees. Or even given the option of paying a hefty fee for expedited processing. We would gladly have paid. Being apart has cost us a few thousand $$ and counting.

Yes, Wbeem financially it adds to our costs and we pay in other ways too. Just yesterday I missed my first class of the semester because my son was on a two hour weather related delay and I didn't have anyone who could get him to school so I could get to my class. He offered to miss the day but of course that wasn't happening!

[Wooderz 314]

I would have paid more, too. Even double the fees would have been 1/3 the cost of an additional flight to or from London, which we are now considering we may have to have because of how long we anticipate it to take. And it's a drop in the hat compared to the roughly 25 flights we've taken combined in our relationship.

[av8or1 246]

Nah, there's no way they'd ever implement a compensated expedite program. Cause if they did, everyone would pay to expedite (or most everyone) AND the petitioner would then have a direct complaint they could file.

[wbeem 568]

Cause if they did, everyone would pay to expedite (or most everyone) AND the petitioner would then have a direct complaint they could file.

I disagree. If they charged, say, $1000 per expedite, they could increase their work force and still be ahead. Poor performance would become a non-issue with sufficient staff. Non expedites would benefit too.

[av8or1 246]

I disagree. If they charged, say, $1000 per expedite, they could increase their work force and still be ahead. Poor performance would become a non-issue with sufficient staff. Non expedites would benefit too.

Yeah we'll have to agree to disagree on this one. $1000 per expedite wouldn't be enough, the USCIS wouldn't implement such a system because then everyone would want an expedite and the additional revenue couldn't and wouldn't be put to use to hire additional workforce.

Unfortunately it just doesn't make sense in this case, at least not to the USCIS. Lol

Personally I'd have paid 6 times the processing fee if it would have done any good. So understand that I'm for it, but the USCIS isn't. It makes to much sense and that's not how the government works

[Unidentified 2,930]

That system would not work because every couple who can't afford to pay to be expedited would constantly be pushed further and further back in the line and have an even longer waiting time then we are having and that would be awful.

[av8or1 246]

That system would not work because every couple who can't afford to pay to be expedited would constantly be pushed further and further back in the line and have an even longer waiting time then we are having and that would be awful.

Yup that too

[wbeem 568]

Yeah we'll have to agree to disagree on this one. $1000 per expedite wouldn't be enough, the USCIS wouldn't implement such a system because then everyone would want an expedite and the additional revenue couldn't and wouldn't be put to use to hire additional workforce.

Unfortunately it just doesn't make sense in this case, at least not to the USCIS. Lol

Personally I'd have paid 6 times the processing fee if it would have done any good. So understand that I'm for it, but the USCIS isn't. It makes to much sense and that's not how the government works

Then we disagree. USCIS offers a premium fee to expedite work-related visas, but not everyone pays the fee to do so. Even with K-1 visas, we see couples who aren't ready to be together right away. Some of them want to finish school or something like that. There are couples who have plenty of time, so they wouldn't expedite.

In our case, we'd pay to get this done. Not all couples would do so, either due to preference or lack of resources.

[wbeem 568]

That system would not work because every couple who can't afford to pay to be expedited would constantly be pushed further and further back in the line and have an even longer waiting time then we are having and that would be awful.

How is that different than being pushed back by Filipino or other fiance in a nation with expedited status? If you're being pushed back, you're being pushed back. At least this would give us an opportunity to DO SOMETHING instead of watch yet another couple jump the line in front of us.

We can't change our nationality easily to take advantage of expedited status, but we can work to earn money. That's much more fair than what happens today.

[Megan & Luke 93]

Yep, that's the one I used.

That link used to provide e-mail addresses to CSC, TSC, and their supervising office. I can't seem to find them now. Weird.

For TSC, I would try TSC-NCSC-Followup@uscis.dhs.gov. Put your service request number in the subject heading and in your e-mail say your service request was not helpful, that it has now been over 6 months, and when you applied, 5 months was normal. It doesn't seem right to always be moving the goal post.

If they don't respond to you within a couple weeks, I recommend forwarding your e-mail to scopsscata@uscis.dhs.gov. That is the e-mail adddress of the office that oversees the service centers. They replied to my e-mail in less than an hour. It was crazy. That being said, I had plenty of documentation by that point of CSC's conflicting answers to my questions that showed how poorly they had done.

Of course my issue hasn't been resolved, so I can't say those steps will necessarily work BUT they have been responsive and given me a little more hope.

Thanks, I will keep looking around. I swear I bookmarked the link I came across with TSC contact information.

I will try the Omsbudsman; I just made my InfoPass appointment for the 26th of the month. Hopefully between that, daily emails and an Omsbudsman contact we can get something done. At this rate it's going to hit 7 months - but you know TSC won't keep up with updating their processing time properly!

Edited January 15, 2015 by Megan & Luke

[av8or1 246]

Then we disagree. USCIS offers a premium fee to expedite work-related visas, but not everyone pays the fee to do so. Even with K-1 visas, we see couples who aren't ready to be together right away. Some of them want to finish school or something like that. There are couples who have plenty of time, so they wouldn't expedite.

In our case, we'd pay to get this done. Not all couples would do so, either due to preference or lack of resources.

Nah, fiancee visas and work visas are completely different animals, you can't compare the two. Apples and oranges. And the difference between an expedite capability for these visas and the filipino thing is that the latter is temporary, the former wouldn't be.

Look wbeem, you're preaching to the choir here and with obvious emotion; and we're empathetic. I think most of us would pay for an expedite. But give it up. It doesn't make sense in this case or else the USCIS would have implemented it. I seriously doubt they'd be willing to refuse the additional revenue.

[Unidentified 2,930]

I completely agree with Av8or1. Plus if we think it's unfair that couples from Philippines get expedited, how would all the couples who actually want to get married right after they get the visa but can't afford the extra fee for an expedite feel? You don't think that they would feel it's unfair?

Sure, I am not a huge fan of couples getting ahead of the line, I'm only human. But even though it feels that there are many Philippines applying there are not compared to all of those who would pay to expedite.

A system based on who has the most money is not a good system.