Only 2 Weeks of Approvals for THREE Months??

[Ausa 66]

I am sure the US govt., is aware of this situation, and I think, ""they just do not care"".,.,.,., God help us get through another 1 and 1/2 years, of the present administration.

I wish this were true!! But... it does not matter who the face of our country is. Approximately 70% of the entire US wealth is owned by 860 people in our country. Obama and the next President, and the next, will do what they are told.

These "do-gooders" who won a minor immigration victory (which might still be repealed) are always around and will always be given enough leash to get a bill through congress, just so they do not rise up and ask too many questions.

The Demopublican party in our country is bought and paid for. This is not politics, it is bread and circuses. Just like the Roman Empire...

When you learn the "why", you will see what the priorities are. Someone above said, "take a number, sit down, and shut up". That is the closest to the truth with this process.

Sorry to be negative, but all we can do is complain, call them, and hope the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Stay as positive as you can through this, celebrate the little victories, and vote against the Demopublican party next election!

[Ausa 66]

Sorry, but you don't really think they only get 100-200 applications a year or something, do you? We're talking 10's of 1000's a month. We're talking a government office where things are done by hand. It's kind of offensive that you comment like this behind their backs. This is government bureaucracy. There are checks and balances and a thousand other things. I'm confused at your confusion.

Now I am confused. I thought this was a forum to vent and complain, but also to have meaningful discussions and provide assistance between adults who are in the same unpleasant situation. By the way, I have complained directly to my congressman.

Is there published imperial data on how many total "applications" USCIS receives? I would love to see that data, as well as the breakdown of the different visa types. I wonder what "2 weeks" of applications really consists of. It could be 30 applications or 5,000 applications.

[kamw 93]

Now I am confused. I thought this was a forum to vent and complain, but also to have meaningful discussions and provide assistance between adults who are in the same unpleasant situation. By the way, I have complained directly to my congressman.

Is there published imperial data on how many total "applications" USCIS receives? I would love to see that data, as well as the breakdown of the different visa types. I wonder what "2 weeks" of applications really consists of. It could be 30 applications or 5,000 applications.

I think that's the biggest frustration- no transparency. Basically take a number, sit down and wait. They should institute a break down report every month. This is how many came in, this is what we handled, and this is the breakdown of what types were handled. Hold them accountable for processing a specific percentage. We would like to think two weeks worth was a couple thousand. but it could be a couple hundred- we just don't know.

[TabeaK 517]

Here you go.

http://www.uscis.gov/tools/reports-studies/immigration-forms-data/data-set-all-uscis-application-and-petition-form-types

[2ndMessiah 184]

The sad part about this is all is that i had a sit down with a local congressman some time ago. He had many complaints from other constituents about these delays and made this comment to me. He said "I am not telling you to do this, but if you want to be with your fiancee right away, have her travel to mexico as no visa is needed for her, and then sneak across the border. No only will you be together much sooner, but she will receive benefits by being an illegal immigrant". He also followed up with his comments about these delays stemming all the way up to the office of President Osama, excuse me, Obama. If he didn't have all this amnesty and special treatment of illegal immigrants, more money and funding would be available for those of us that WANT to do things the legal way. Each day it seems more and more attractive to simply sneak across the border of Texas or Arizona.

Really? that is bad. Shame you don't have any proof of this. Time to get this sort of politician out of power.

[TigerFlower 61]

My heart goes out to you... it is a very difficult road! Hang in there. It WILL be worth it!!

[Ausa 66]

Here you go.

http://www.uscis.gov/tools/reports-studies/immigration-forms-data/data-set-all-uscis-application-and-petition-form-types

Thank you!! I looked for this a few months ago. I was looking on the State Dept site.

In 2014, they received 48,394 I-129f visas between 2 service centers. That would be just under 1,000 fiancée applications a week. Now that's a lot of love!

In total, they received 6,384,648 total applications for all visa types and to all service centers. They approved 5,600,270 visas. That is over 500,000 per month.

I now have a different perspective, but still baffled by the vast discrepancy between TSC and CSC.

I am truly shocked by the volume.

[Pennycat 880]

The sad part about this is all is that i had a sit down with a local congressman some time ago. He had many complaints from other constituents about these delays and made this comment to me. He said "I am not telling you to do this, but if you want to be with your fiancee right away, have her travel to mexico as no visa is needed for her, and then sneak across the border. No only will you be together much sooner, but she will receive benefits by being an illegal immigrant". He also followed up with his comments about these delays stemming all the way up to the office of President Osama, excuse me, Obama. If he didn't have all this amnesty and special treatment of illegal immigrants, more money and funding would be available for those of us that WANT to do things the legal way. Each day it seems more and more attractive to simply sneak across the border of Texas or Arizona.

Your local Congressman doesn't seem to know what he's talking about. You can't adjust status if you arrived without inspection, even if you marry a US Citizen. She'd have to return, live out whatever ban she gets and then she'd be eligible to live in the US, but they still would be able to deny a visa because of her previous status.

[Pennycat 880]

It is awful to wait this long, but sometimes (most times, actually hahah) USCIS gives the wrong estimate on purpose to cover themselves. So don't have expectations based on them. Instead, check VJ data. That helps. They'll say they're only in Aug (which they are still approving some) when they're now into Sept and Oct and even November, as we see on VJ. It's still taking an average (NOT everyone, obviously, like wbeem said) of 210 days right now, though. We are happy to have just been approved at 199, so right now it's around there just to get NOA2. Do all you can to make your voice heard (there's a few forums out there w info) like you are doing! I'm with wbeem.. Even after noa2 I'm still angry. It doesn't stop being unfair even after approval.

Also- purely something that personally helped us... Not thinking too much about it or checking USCIS daily. We knew we had months to go, so we stopped checking. Then when it just happened, we were shocked and thrilled moreso than frustrated, since we already had been for months! Once we stopped thinking too much about it, it helped a bit. Doesn't stop the heartache of the process, but helped us to just let go for a bit and focus on other things.

I'm sorry to hear that it'll be a long wait for you guys Obviously no one can estimate the time frame or tell you how long it will take since it could slow down or speed up, but it COULD be half way over for you guys based on current data. You have every right to be frustrated because it's just unfair! hopefully you can be encouraged by fellow members on here going though the same thing like we have been!

Also- to some posters, please stop suggesting or even commenting about doing things illegally. As much as this process sucks, essentially by telling people about an illegal route you're giving some naive person out there bad ideas. As much as I hate this, I hate when people do things illegally way more. We didn't waste thousands of dollars, time, energy, and heartache to hear how people 'could've been illegal and gotten benefits'. No. Just no. Although I wish that the government would do more for people like us rather than for those who have clearly broken the law, doing things illegally either way is not the way to go about things. And any lawyer recommending or giving ideas on how to do that.... Also no.

Also, DHS reads these boards. There was just a USCIS immigration services specialist in here over the past few days (identity confirmed) who says he was here looking for people talking about scams. And then he got personally offended at people complaining about TSC and threatened to make certain individuals' petitions take longer, even asked for A-numbers (!!!). I don't think that he's representative of USCIS employees as a whole (gosh I hope not), but proof that they ARE reading and they ARE keeping an eye out for wrongdoing. And they more than likely have access to VJ data including your real identity (Patriot Act and all).

[Pennycat 880]

Sorry, but you don't really think they only get 100-200 applications a year or something, do you? We're talking 10's of 1000's a month. We're talking a government office where things are done by hand. It's kind of offensive that you comment like this behind their backs. This is government bureaucracy. There are checks and balances and a thousand other things. I'm confused at your confusion.

You don't think it's normal for an office to take three months to handle two week's worth of applications, do you? This poster is talking about USCIS's stated timelines here:

https://egov.uscis.gov/cris/processingTimesDisplay.do;jsessionid=abcRMwKwtJKRO89vCSa0u

and the fact that it only moved two weeks in three months' time. That when the original poster applied in January, that date was early August. Now, in April it is late August. They took three months to get through three weeks. If that was a normal pace, they'd take 6 years and 9 months to process a year's worth of petitions.....all the while more rolling in. That's not normal. It is particularly not normal when they tell you to use to process because you can expect service in X number of weeks, and you're fully funding this process (user fees are what funds USCIS, not taxpayer money) and they grind everything to a halt.

And in terms of "talking behind their backs".....seriously? WOW. Should we ban all media? All bad words about our government? What about bad thoughts? Are we still allowed to have bad thoughts? This isn't North Korea. And last I checked, the First Amendment hasn't been repealed. Part of me wonders if you're that USCIS agent from yesterday who managed to take personal offense at the discussion of TSC processing times. Are you?

[waitingstill21 44]

Sorry, but you don't really think they only get 100-200 applications a year or something, do you? We're talking 10's of 1000's a month. We're talking a government office where things are done by hand. It's kind of offensive that you comment like this behind their backs. This is government bureaucracy. There are checks and balances and a thousand other things. I'm confused at your confusion.

I called yesterday and said it to them over the phone not behind their back, and if they would like to transfer me next time I call to someone who actually works at TSC Id be more than happy to tell them to. I doubt they would be insulted they have to know the frustration that is caused by these delays. On the other hand I feel somewhat insulted that they would think that anyone would actually believe that in the 3 months since Ive filed they only processed 2 weeks of petitions. Thats the data they have published just to stop people from calling about being outside of processing if they would publish the real number im sure the requests from those who are over 7 months now would overload their system.

[kamw 93]

Also, DHS reads these boards. There was just a USCIS immigration services specialist in here over the past few days (identity confirmed) who says he was here looking for people talking about scams. And then he got personally offended at people complaining about TSC and threatened to make certain individuals' petitions take longer, even asked for A-numbers (!!!). I don't think that he's representative of USCIS employees as a whole (gosh I hope not), but proof that they ARE reading and they ARE keeping an eye out for wrongdoing. And they more than likely have access to VJ data including your real identity (Patriot Act and all).

Maybe instead of stalking internet boards where ppl are venting he should grab some files and process some cases. I would create the biggest media circus if I was ever threated with being delayed just because of venting. I understand monitoring for cases of fraud but getting offended because ppl are going through what may the hardest period of their lives and wanting information? Ridiculous.

[Mena28 35]

Even VJ data only moved about 3,5 months in the last 6 months. When I joined it was at June 9 - granted that was probably a mess up from all the transfers, but June did start to get approved fairly soon after I joined. That is still a pretty bad track record.

In October the time was as of August 31 and the official processing time at early March if I remember correctly.

Now it is late April and the as of February (that we got a little while ago) date is August 23.

That looks consistent on paper, but doesnt feel or look like it to us in reality.

I remember posters who felt so left behind at 190 days - and now the new normal seems to be well beyond that.

[ChasUno 101]

The sad part about this is all is that i had a sit down with a local congressman some time ago. He had many complaints from other constituents about these delays and made this comment to me. He said "I am not telling you to do this, but if you want to be with your fiancee right away, have her travel to mexico as no visa is needed for her, and then sneak across the border. No only will you be together much sooner, but she will receive benefits by being an illegal immigrant".

What this congressman has told you is both incorrect and illegal, and politically biased. If you get caught by border patrols trying to 'sneak across the border', or get caught in the country as an illegal, you face detention, then likely deportation from the USA and a lengthy ban before you can re-enter again. Even once that ban has expired, this quite severe blot on your record will almost certainly end up creating further obstacles and likely visa denials in the future.

He also followed up with his comments about these delays stemming all the way up to the office of President Osama, excuse me, Obama. If he didn't have all this amnesty and special treatment of illegal immigrants, more money and funding would be available for those of us that WANT to do things the legal way. Each day it seems more and more attractive to simply sneak across the border of Texas or Arizona.

Uncalled for. You may not like nor agree with him, but at least respect the Office of the President. And bear in mind it is the opposing Republican party and Republican controlled Congress that has constantly blocked and held back the immigration reform that President Obama has tried to get implemented. Explain how illegal immigrants have "all this amnesty and special treatment" if reform continues to be blocked? If anyone has caused the backlog and delays it's the party that has refused to even bring immigration reform to a vote, a reform that aims to make the immigration process easier and quicker for all.

[SantyAndAllie 155]

Maybe instead of stalking internet boards where ppl are venting he should grab some files and process some cases. I would create the biggest media circus if I was ever threated with being delayed just because of venting. I understand monitoring for cases of fraud but getting offended because ppl are going through what may the hardest period of their lives and wanting information? Ridiculous.

Thank you. A USCIS worker stalking forums like this and getting mad at our frustrations is as ridiculous as it is childish and power hungry. We have every right to complain and be angry. How are they going to personally find our applications and delay them for being angry when they take 7 months just to go through and approve our applications? LOL. Sounds productive.