1st post former NSC adjudicator now petitioner

[rebeccajo 14]

Well, you are about to become a very popular poster here! Welcome to VJ! As you can see by my member date I joined here over 2 years ago, and haven't left yet!

I filed my now-husband's I129F about 2 years ago through Vermont. We are currently in the AOS phase and stuck due to FBI namecheck. Up until this point we were 'poster children' for the way K1 immigration SHOULD work - 106 days from filing to visa approval.

Are you at liberty to say exactly what databases you checked? Did you check the same databases for every type of petition or did that vary?

[misa 2]

Understanding how it works is awesome. Knowing that we are waiting 90 days for a fifteen minute (in some cases) approval is still very frustrating. At least those guys have job security.

It's a numbers game. If a case is easy, that's only 4 approvals one could crank out per hour. A maximum of 28 a day. Think about how many petitions there are in boxes and they just keep coming in.

At my job I get tons of one-off requests all day that only take a few minutes each but they add up and the work doesn't stop. You have to punch the clock at some point and some things just have to wait.

Clearly USCIS needs more staff and it's good to hear that they are hiring more adjudicators!

Edited February 22, 2007 by misa

[meauxna 15]

Then again you could always file a Congressional

hi & welcome! As you can see, you've got the magic info folks are looking for

Could you explain what the above means? Inquiry?

[Augustajim 0]

I just said it was frustrating. I never said I didn't understand it. Hopefully one more day and Noa2 is mine.

Understanding how it works is awesome. Knowing that we are waiting 90 days for a fifteen minute (in some cases) approval is still very frustrating. At least those guys have job security.

It's a numbers game. If a case is easy, that's only 4 approvals one could crank out per hour. A maximum of 28 a day. Think about how many petitions there are in boxes and they just keep coming in.

At my job I get tons of one-off requests all day that only take a few minutes each but they add up and the work doesn't stop. You have to punch the clock at some point and some things just have to wait.

Clearly USCIS needs more staff and it's good to hear that they are hiring more adjudicators!

[misa 2]

I just said it was frustrating. I never said I didn't understand it. Hopefully one more day and Noa2 is mine.

Oh, I know it's frustrating! Hang in there, it'll come any day now.

[rebeccajo 14]

Poor Huskerkiev! He's gonna get carpel tunnel from his first night on VJ!

[JODO 2]

What types of things are "red flags" in someone's file?

Why types of things would someone be put on "additional review" for during the petition review process?

Does country of birth and residence for the beneficiary (and country of birth for the petitioner) play into this?

Well lets see how much I remember...

Maybe it might be easier if I just described what I would do to approve a petition - my process.

First, I would select a case file/folder. All petitions/files are kept in folders that a have a scanable bar code identifier. This folder has everything that a person submits on the left side of the folder and all the agency generated documents on the right side. They should be in date order, Petition and then most recent from top to bottom. The left side has the pictures on top.

You begin by looking at the petition for correctness by checking the information via several databases depending upon what type of petition you are adjudicating. Also if the form was complete and everything was in order. Descrepancies in peoples names from what the database had vs. what the petition said, birth dates, things like that all had to be resolved and could generate a RFE if the adjudicator couldn't figure it out with the tools he had.

There were some standard criminal and background type databases that were required for all petitions. A "hit" in any of these databases would flag the petition and it would be sent to a special group who worked to resolve why the "hit" occurred. Sometimes it could be something simple as a similar name of a bad guy, but every hit had to be resolved.

I remember that certain surnames would invariably cause a hit, but they could be resolved rather quickly by comparing the applicants background information with those of the "hit" name. There were various ways to do this of course, and it took time. Thats why some applications take longer to process because there are stumbling blocks along the way that must be worked through before approval. Consequently, all the other petitions that the officer was working get set to the side. or, the adjudicator/officer might set the difficult one to the side and work on less complicated ones. Remember it was a production environment where you had to be accurate but fast. Getting a petition kicked back for mistakes to be re-worked hurt your overall stats, so, you tried to be a thorough as you could, but also as quick as you could.

After clearing a applicant through the various mandatory database searches, then you could begin to review the various information on the petition. Sometimes there would be stupid mistakes like forgetting to sign it, or using a copy when an original signature was required etc... Kinda careless mistakes or from not really understanding the instructions type of thing. Anyway, these would generate an RFE, and the file's staus would be update in the computer as awaiting repsonse to RFE or something like that, I don't recall the exact terminology.

Anyway, instead of sending the newly RFE'd file back to the large file storage area, it would be kept at the officers desk in a holding cue. Then when an RFE reply would come in, I wpuld pull it (the file) off the shelf and rework it. I tried to clear all my answered RFE's out first thing every morning because it was "old" work as compared to the dates I was working at the time. If the RFE had the required information, it would continue to be processed and/or approved and sent on its way. If the RFE did not address the item, then another RFE would be generated and back on the shelf it would go.

A word about RFE's. It was my experience that no two officers would always see eye to eye on if an RFE was required. Some officers could or would spend some more time digging around the file or a database to find the information (if they thought it could be found) and others would just as soon rip off an RFE. So it varied. Then there were some times that an RFE was required because of the situation. Again, it depends a lot on who was looking at your case and what the question was / what information was needed. No hard and fast rule.

Also, each adjudicator/officer had a master list of RFE "phrases that they could pull off thier computer and plug into a standard RFE form depending upon the situation. Each of these "phrases" could be further "wordsmithed" to suit a particular situation. Again depends on the officer. Thats why you may see some RFE's that are similar but not exact. We would borrow each others RFE phrases to add to our list as we came across one that fit a particular situation.

It would be like "Hey, cube mate. I've got this situation, do you have anything in your RFE library that might fit?" answer "Sure, try this one. I'll email it to you". And thats how that worked.

You asked about country of birth etc.. Yes and no. There were "watch lists" of certain countries that meant that certain procedures had to be followed when processing petitions from these countries, but it was just a couple more things to check/verify along the approval process. It didn't slow things down dramatically. So, I wouldn't worry about that being a big factor.

Additional review. Mainly if you came up as a "hit" for a surname of a bad guy (or gal) that would have to be resolved. Marriage Fraud. Overstaying your visit. Lying. Criminal activity/organized crime, police reports, things that would be outside of a "normal" person's life you might say.

So back to the approval process. So if no RFE was needed then i would "approve' the petition, affix my stamp with my identifier # , sign and date it. I would then scan the file, update the status and send it on its wayto the next stop wherever that was. Actually, all the approved petitions/files were placed in a separate box and those were collected as you went along and taken for final disposition/processing.

Then you start all over again with the next case...

Excellent info

[HUSKERKIEV 8]

Then again you could always file a Congressional

hi & welcome! As you can see, you've got the magic info folks are looking for

Could you explain what the above means? Inquiry?

Glad to help. Anyway, a "Congressional Inquiry" or "congressional" is a formal inquiry by a member of Congress made on beahlf of thier constiuent. Any federal agency that receives a Congressional inquiry has 48 hours to respond to the member of Congress. Each Service Center has a special office to handle "Congresional's". Thats ther sole purpose in life is to keep the member of Congress informed upon request.

(i.e. Senator Numbnuts says "CIS - I understand from my consituient - Mr. Hotn'bothered that (according to him) you have been processing his application for his dear fiance' in a less than timely manner. Can you please look into this matter and let my office kow when it will be approved.")

System usaully says - "pull and work file immediately" 'Nuff said.

[payxibka 10,045]

(i.e. Senator Numbnuts says "CIS - I understand from my consituient - Mr. Hotn'bothered that (according to him) you have been processing his application for his dear fiance' in a less than timely manner. Can you please look into this matter and let my office kow when it will be approved.")

System usaully says - "pull and work file immediately" 'Nuff said.

Ah, Senator Numbnuts... isn't he the senior Senator from Massachusetts? Oh wait that is Kennedy... sorry

[meauxna 15]

System usaully says - "pull and work file immediately" 'Nuff said.

O dear.

thanks!

[JODO 2]

(i.e. Senator Numbnuts says "CIS - I understand from my consituient - Mr. Hotn'bothered that (according to him) you have been processing his application for his dear fiance' in a less than timely manner. Can you please look into this matter and let my office kow when it will be approved.")

System usaully says - "pull and work file immediately" 'Nuff said.

Ah, Senator Numbnuts... isn't he the senior Senator from Massachusetts? Oh wait that is Kennedy... sorry

Why do some people have to inject partisan politics into any topic? It's just ridiculous. I've seen some people do this before in a topic,and I bit my tongue ,but I think it's gratuitous.

Edited February 22, 2007 by JODO

[rebeccajo 14]

Why do some people have to inject partisan politics into any topic? It's just ridiculous.

Aww...play nice.

We're trying to impress the new guy...

[payxibka 10,045]

Why do some people have to inject partisan politics into any topic? It's just ridiculous.

Excuse the he!! out of me... I don't even know what that is what you said I did....

[Augustajim 0]

I have been following most of the common threads and have not seen FWAGUY interject politics. Usually he is right there to post helpful information.

(i.e. Senator Numbnuts says "CIS - I understand from my consituient - Mr. Hotn'bothered that (according to him) you have been processing his application for his dear fiance' in a less than timely manner. Can you please look into this matter and let my office kow when it will be approved.")

System usaully says - "pull and work file immediately" 'Nuff said.

Ah, Senator Numbnuts... isn't he the senior Senator from Massachusetts? Oh wait that is Kennedy... sorry

Why do some people have to inject partisan politics into any topic? It's just ridiculous.

[JODO 2]

I have been following most of the common threads and have not seen FWAGUY interject politics. Usually he is right there to post helpful information.

(i.e. Senator Numbnuts says "CIS - I understand from my consituient - Mr. Hotn'bothered that (according to him) you have been processing his application for his dear fiance' in a less than timely manner. Can you please look into this matter and let my office kow when it will be approved.")

System usaully says - "pull and work file immediately" 'Nuff said.

Ah, Senator Numbnuts... isn't he the senior Senator from Massachusetts? Oh wait that is Kennedy... sorry

Why do some people have to inject partisan politics into any topic? It's just ridiculous.

I mean this thread right here. I have seen *others*, I stated that clearly,as an aside.However,the reference to Senator Kennedy is partisan. I'm sure someone here might think that a certain senator across the aisle may be a "numbnut",but why interject that in this thread? The original poster deliberately did not call a particular senator.I just think it's gratuitous to do so .