Let's blow up the USCIS...on social media

[dsldesch 27]

I was hanging out on the March 2015 TSC filers thread and a fellow user mentioned Twitter, and it got me thinking: I believe we can use social media to help raise awareness about the injustice in TSC's backlog and hopefully create some positive change in the process. I'm currently arranging a time to talk with a local grassroots organizer I know about how to successfully use Twitter to accomplish something like this, but in the meantime I came across an awesome opportunity that USCIS has dropped right into our hands.

If you will, for a moment, watch the following YouTube video (or just skip to my summery of it):

LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5xom4otjjI

Essentially, the USCIS is compiling an Independence Day video of people reciting the following paragraph from the Declaration of Independence--

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

--and then to wish the US a happy birthday or happy Independence Day. Then they want people to upload the videos to YouTube, tagging USCIS, by June 26.

So, given that Life, Liberity, and the pursuit of Happiness seem to be precisely what the TSC backlog is delaying us from having, it seems appropriate that we could use this as a platform to communicate directly with USCIS (and all of YouTube) about our plight and the inequality of delays at TSC.

This is my idea: Both you and your fiance (or together, if possible) can film a short video, starting with the Declaration of Independence quote and then stating how your petition is stuck at TSC due to backlogs, finishing up with "happy Independence Day" or something similar. Make it personal, but concise. Then, as we upload the videos, USCIS will get a lot of publicity they weren't expecting.

Then, once I've had a chance to meet with my friend (she's busy at the moment fighting some bad legislation here in North Carolina), we can follow it up with a social media blast on Twitter, using our videos as another source for Tweets, to make the backlog trend and really start to make some change happen. As soon as I've got the secrets to making such an event successful, I'll follow up with more details, but for the moment, the videos project seems like a fruitful beginning.

To be successful, a number of us must participate, so please let us know if you're in, and when you make your video, be sure to share it here.

[Shauneg 762]

They've already started sending all petitions to California, I'm not sure what more you want them to do. In order to make effective change it's good to define the problem, but you've also got to offer a viable solution. They aren't stopping you from "pursuing" happiness, that is exactly what you are doing while in this process. I'll follow this campagin though....

Edited June 10, 2015 by Shauneg

[cdneh 3,112]

It is not a right to bring a spouse or a fiancee to the USA. It's a privilege.

[Shauneg 762]

It is not a right to bring a spouse or a fiancee to the USA. It's a privilege.

Exactly...

[cdneh 3,112]

Exactly...

And that is why the premise is flawed. And, there are no rights guaranteed by the Declaration of Independence. None. They are to be found in the Constitution.

Edited June 10, 2015 by cdneh

[Fan_Dancer 171]

Every other month someone comes up with this idea. It never works out.

[Boiler 45,549]

Have you considered a petition on whitehouse.gov or change.org?

[Cathi 5,757]

Have you considered a petition on whitehouse.gov or change.org?

along with the other 17,971 petitions that have been started over the past 3 years since I have been a VJ member. If it's not TSC, it's Vermont, or the NVC or CSC...When I sent my husband's petition CSC was going slower than a snail's pace and everyone was up in arms, then they shifted everything over to VSC and they slowed and then everyone wanted CSC. It's a government bureaucracy, it isn't perfect, nothing is guaranteed and immigration for a spouse/fiance/family member is NOT a right.

[Boiler 45,549]

A degree of efficacy in the process is not unreasonable.

[dsldesch 27]

along with the other 17,971 petitions that have been started over the past 3 years since I have been a VJ member. If it's not TSC, it's Vermont, or the NVC or CSC...When I sent my husband's petition CSC was going slower than a snail's pace and everyone was up in arms, then they shifted everything over to VSC and they slowed and then everyone wanted CSC. It's a government bureaucracy, it isn't perfect, nothing is guaranteed and immigration for a spouse/fiance/family member is NOT a right.

Perhaps it's not a right, and perhaps the backlog does bounce around, but you can't deny that there's a certain amount of injustice in that some people wait four weeks and some people wait eight months for essentially the same thing. Ideally, a bit of accountability and awareness about the issue will generate some sort of best practices inventory so there doesn't have to be delays at any of the service centers.

[TBoneTX 45,324]

*** Thread moved from K-1 Case Progress subforum to the USCIS Service Centers forum, where similar discussion is found. ***

[Cathi 5,757]

Perhaps it's not a right, and perhaps the backlog does bounce around, but you can't deny that there's a certain amount of injustice in that some people wait four weeks and some people wait eight months for essentially the same thing. Ideally, a bit of accountability and awareness about the issue will generate some sort of best practices inventory so there doesn't have to be delays at any of the service centers.

Not perhaps, it is not under any circumstances a right. Immigration to the US isn't easy, it's costly, it's time consuming and it is what it is. But it's worth every single second, every tear, all of the frustration and all of the second guessing, all of the paperwork, translations and sleepless nights. As a couple to us it wasn't in our eyes fair that fiance visas are processed faster than spouse visas, it still isn't. Married couples should be reunited before unmarried couples as far as we are concerned, and many others will agree .That's our injustice. Also my husband was put in AP simply because he is from a MENA country. Did we like it? Hell no, but we understood the reasoning behind it. I would rather the DOS be safe and make damn sure that every person who enters this country has a thorough background check, we already have our fair share of criminals in the US. They were looking out for my best interest as a citizen and the 10 extra weeks of waiting wasn't fun, but it was necessary. Compared to 10 years ago immigration is by far A LOT faster. My husband's brother(who has been a US citizen for 20 years)petitioned his wife, it took 2 and a half years and that was without any sort of AP, that was just how long the process took back then. So in comparison people are getting visas quicker then ever before. Blowing up twitter or drafting a petition isn't going to make anything go any faster, USCIS is well aware of their own backlog and they are doing what they can to get things back to normal.

[Unidentified 2,930]

Immigrating to another country is not a right, it's a privilege. And sure you might think that it is unfair to be kept away from your fiance but at least you're not in danger. You're not fleeing war and hoping some other country will take you in.

I know it's hard but take this time to build your relationship. When we hit the 6 month mark I told my fiance "If our relationship can survive this, we can survive anything". It's a tough road but if your love is strong, you'll do fine.

And like the poster above me said I'd rather it takes this long and they weed out criminals than do it quick and let everyone in.

[Boiler 45,549]

The processing time including regular security checks etc is about a month.

The rest of the time the petition is sitting in a box.

It is the latter, siting in a box that is being complaines about.

[Ning 619]

Perhaps it's not a right, and perhaps the backlog does bounce around, but you can't deny that there's a certain amount of injustice in that some people wait four weeks and some people wait eight months for essentially the same thing. Ideally, a bit of accountability and awareness about the issue will generate some sort of best practices inventory so there doesn't have to be delays at any of the service centers.

I suppose you like many others had zero involvement in immigration issues until it affected you. It also affected me but I wasn't an American citizen & always realized what a privilege it would be to come to live in the USA.

You chose the timing of what you entered into. That is what controls the beginning of the process. I think its all about awareness & accountability because that's what they check into to inform the govt about those very things.

I agree that there are many attempts to push the govt to provide faster service but like yours they are directed towards the wrong offices & people. Its an indication of how awareness of who is actually accountable by those that create these petitions is lacking.

Nothing wrong with complaining but dont forget it was you two that decided on the USA & when to file.