May 2018 K1 Filers

[carinap 93]

17 minutes ago, Sabrina02 said:

Sounds like a very lengthy process. I'm not sure still why it takes super long for some and so quick for others. This system seems so vague to a point of me thinking that everything is not as clear and done fairly for all. We are not put under the same scrutiny which I fell is a bit unfair.

 

Thanks @Greenbaum for explaining the "process". 

 

It (kind of) makes sense for me... 🤔 If all those four separate background check are to be performed AFTER one another then that means if one person get a click on lets say DOJ, even if then DOJ clears the issue later on, when the FBI perform their background check on the same person, there's almost a certainty that a click will also appear. Hence, another longer time. 

 

And because it takes time for that person to pass the background check at DOJ, his/her file will be on the back line for the FBI and so on....

 

But idk.. I'm curious myself. 

[Greenbaum 12,259]

54 minutes ago, Sabrina02 said:

Sounds like a very lengthy process. I'm not sure still why it takes super long for some and so quick for others. This system seems so vague to a point of me thinking that everything is not as clear and done fairly for all. We are not put under the same scrutiny which I fell is a bit unfair.

 

Thanks @Greenbaum for explaining the "process". I dont feel any better nor do I feel with all this checking they will understand. 

Your looking at this as personal. USCIS doesn't know you from Adam so to them it's not personal. They use facts you use feel good to analyze. Just my observation. You're not alone as there are many others with this view of the process.

[KevinInATX 133]

56 minutes ago, Sabrina02 said:

Sounds like a very lengthy process. I'm not sure still why it takes super long for some and so quick for others. This system seems so vague to a point of me thinking that everything is not as clear and done fairly for all. We are not put under the same scrutiny which I fell is a bit unfair.

 

Thanks @Greenbaum for explaining the "process". I dont feel any better nor do I feel with all this checking they will understand. 

Nothing was more frustrating to see people days and even weeks after my early April NOA1 get their NOA2 before me. In fact, was even more frustrating to see people in May get their NOA2 prior to me as well. My friend who is about 3 months in front of me in the K1visa process with same beneficiary country got his NOA2 in 188 days. My background is squeaky clean and all my supporting evidence for the I-129 was near identical as my friends and my NOA2 came in 201 days. While I agree it is frustrating to wait, it is really out of your hands. The one thing I kept telling myself is that everyone pays the same fee and sooner or later they will adjudicate your file.

Having said that, the Visa process is a bit better. Try not to get discouraged and you’ll be on through to the next part soon enough. My advice would be try to understand your embassy’s Visa process now while you are waiting if you haven’t already. I got a little blindsided not understanding how the DS-160 works here in Vietnam. Everyone’s embassy is different and what a bunch of hoops I had to jump through here in Vietnam pay the fee that my benificary would have had a hard time with.

 

[Greenbaum 12,259]

23 minutes ago, người nước ngoài said:

Nothing was more frustrating to see people days and even weeks after my early April NOA1 get their NOA2 before me. In fact, was even more frustrating to see people in May get their NOA2 prior to me as well. My friend who is about 3 months in front of me in the K1visa process with same beneficiary country got his NOA2 in 188 days. My background is squeaky clean and all my supporting evidence for the I-129 was near identical as my friends and my NOA2 came in 201 days. While I agree it is frustrating to wait, it is really out of your hands. The one thing I kept telling myself is that everyone pays the same fee and sooner or later they will adjudicate your file.

Having said that, the Visa process is a bit better. Try not to get discouraged and you’ll be on through to the next part soon enough. My advice would be try to understand your embassy’s Visa process now while you are waiting if you haven’t already. I got a little blindsided not understanding how the DS-160 works here in Vietnam. Everyone’s embassy is different and what a bunch of hoops I had to jump through here in Vietnam pay the fee that my benificary would have had a hard time with.

 

Let's see. If I am not looking for an approval till the time period in which USCIS says my case will be adjudicated and I am not on VJ to see what is happening with other cases I wonder if my expectations are lower and thus my frustration. Mmmmm. There is a different approach.

 

So you are complaining that yours is taking to long. How would like to be this couple. And don't think this is just one incident. There are many more.

 

https://www.visajourney.com/profile/271458-kba/

 

As you are experiencing there are no two cases, no two embassies and no two couples that are the same. So your outcome is going to be the your out come and someone else's will be theirs. Just my 5 years of experience.

[Greenbaum 12,259]

1 hour ago, Sabrina02 said:

Sounds like a very lengthy process. I'm not sure still why it takes super long for some and so quick for others. This system seems so vague to a point of me thinking that everything is not as clear and done fairly for all. We are not put under the same scrutiny which I fell is a bit unfair.

 

Thanks @Greenbaum for explaining the "process". I dont feel any better nor do I feel with all this checking they will understand. 

Really? You don't have any idea why it would be quicker for others and not you and you just read a lengthy description of what is checked. You're never going to know the facts behind the system. For me it's not something I need to be concerned with. Every day in life we are given opportunities to acquire something and with that comes the "rules" to which you pass or fail in the pursuit of that something. If the instructions say do this and that and we will give something, I would think that if you desire that something you would do their this and that. You buy a car and there are requirements that have to be met to obtain ownership. You apply for college there are requirements to be met. The entity that has the something writes the rules that must be followed to attain that something. In other words the "man" who has the gold makes the rules and he owes you no explanation. Like I said it's emotional for you and factual to USCIS, NVC or the Embassy.

 

There are a lot more details in this process, but I didn't post them. I have posted them else where here on VJ.

[KevinInATX 133]

25 minutes ago, Greenbaum said:

Let's see. If I am not looking for an approval till the time period in which USCIS says my case will be adjudicated and I am not on VJ to see what is happening with other cases I wonder if my expectations are lower and thus my frustration. Mmmmm. There is a different approach.

 

So you are complaining that yours is taking to long. How would like to be this couple. And don't think this is just one incident. There are many more.

 

https://www.visajourney.com/profile/271458-kba/

 

As you are experiencing there are no two cases, no two embassies and no two couples that are the same. So your outcome is going to be the your out come and someone else's will be theirs. Just my 5 years of experience.

Your summation is what I was trying to say...More less just offering some advice and commiserating with some people’s waiting frustrations.

 

By the way, that link you shared they had some kind of nasty RFE I imagine, hence that wait

 

Your 5 years experience is very valuable  but my experience is just very recent and more on a relatable level than your practical level

Edited November 18, 2018 by người nước ngoài

[Greenbaum 12,259]

15 minutes ago, người nước ngoài said:

Your summation is what I was trying to say...More less just offering some advice and commiserating with some people’s waiting frustrations.

 

By the way, that link you shared they had some kind of nasty RFE I imagine, hence that wait "Don't think there aren't many more."

 

Your 5 years experience is very valuable  but my experience is just very recent and more on a relatable level than your practical level First thankyou for recognizing the help I render here. Second, is this statement you made. So, I read hundreds of postings from a number of threads and you are saying that your more on a relatable status. So, if I read 10 post that say the embassy doors only open on the right side and not the left and you go to the embassy and you find the same is true and I didn't go that means yours's more relatable. I find a flaw in that thinking. Just my opinion.

I'm not here to argue. I'm here to just point out experiences, factual evidence and advice from the hundreds of postings I have read and my own experience with the process and what I have observed personally in my wife's embassy.

Edited November 18, 2018 by Greenbaum

[debbiedoo 2,339]

26 minutes ago, người nước ngoài said:

Your summation is what I was trying to say...More less just offering some advice and commiserating with some people’s waiting frustrations.

 

By the way, that link you shared they had some kind of nasty RFE I imagine, hence that wait

 

Your 5 years experience is very valuable  but my experience is just very recent and more on a relatable level than your practical level

i know @KBA and no, they did NOT have a nasty RFE. it was a simple unchecked box.

 

And discounting experience, and those who understand the process and what it entails and thinking you are somehow special (because NO ONE is), will only cause you more frustration and irritation.

 

suck it up and wait. just like everyone else. go do something. stay busy. same ####### ive been saying since i started this thread back in May.

Edited November 18, 2018 by debbiedoo

[KevinInATX 133]

24 minutes ago, debbiedoo said:

i know @KBA and no, they did NOT have a nasty RFE. it was a simple unchecked box.

 

And discounting experience, and those who understand the process and what it entails and thinking you are somehow special (because NO ONE is), will only cause you more frustration and irritation.

 

suck it up and wait. just like everyone else. go do something. stay busy. same ####### ive been saying since i started this thread back in May.

I’m not discounting anyone’s experience. Just saying that some people’s NOA2s are longer than others for whatever reasons and nothing you can do. 

Im not frustrated anymore as I already have the interview appoinment stage now at this point.

 

Congratulations on starting this thread

[Tinman71 42]

21 hours ago, Claydood said:

Hello. I’ve been watching timeline updates and noticing people who filed their I129 after me (May 21) receiving their noa2 before me. Even a few June ones getting them. Does anyone know if that is normal for USCIS to not process cases in order by date received like they say they do? Anyone else from May 21 or earlier still waiting?

It's all about background checks and possibly strength of case but mainly background checks.

[CharleneB 112]

7 hours ago, Sabrina02 said:

Sounds like a very lengthy process. I'm not sure still why it takes super long for some and so quick for others. This system seems so vague to a point of me thinking that everything is not as clear and done fairly for all. We are not put under the same scrutiny which I fell is a bit unfair.

 

Thanks @Greenbaum for explaining the "process". I dont feel any better nor do I feel with all this checking they will understand. 

What I’ve gathered from my research is that everyone has to go through FBI name check. The first pass is an electronic check that returns a “no hit” result in 2-3 days. For whatever reason some people don’t get cleared with the electronic check so they have to go through a manual check. This takes 30-60 days to return a “no hit”. Probably the wait is due to the amount of names waiting in queue already. About 9% of people will return a hit and the files related to the case have to be physically retrieved from field offices. Some may be electronic records. Some may be in file cabinets. 

 

If we’re lucky we’ll clear background in a week. If we’re not so lucky it could take 2 months or more. 

 

Also, they don’t just check your name as is. They could also check spelling variations. 

[brener69 114]

5 hours ago, debbiedoo said:

i know @KBA and no, they did NOT have a nasty RFE. it was a simple unchecked box.

 

And discounting experience, and those who understand the process and what it entails and thinking you are somehow special (because NO ONE is), will only cause you more frustration and irritation.

 

suck it up and wait. just like everyone else. go do something. stay busy. same ####### ive been saying since i started this thread back in May.

I think what people are really saying is that they wish they would have some kind of update to their status. It's painful for all of us to wait and not know anything about what is going on. However, it would be very impractical for USCIS to send everyone an update like "We are sending your file for additional verification because of an issue with your background check." This would also freak people out if USCIS said they needed to investigate their background checks further. What the general public has access to for background checks is very basic. Companies hiring for a position do more thorough background checks and I can only imagine what the background checks for the government entail. It's definitely not putting in a name and social security number and getting a result back in a few seconds. 

This process is not first come first served, each case is different and therefore takes a different amount of time. 

 

 

[Smashy 155]

If you are really super curious about more details in the process check out this linked article that has a PDF with tonnes of detailed information regarding the background check process. It's quite fascinating and awesome, all the work law enforcement, DHS, DOS, NVC, USCIS does and there is literally nothing wrong with being curious about the work they do. Also, while i'm here congrats on all the people who've obtained their NOA2. Sidenote:  IMHO, for the little i've seen here Mr. Greenbaum is a good guy and only tries to help. Lets be positive, share information and enjoy the fact that we even have the option to possibly live in the greatest nation on earth: AMERICA!  https://www.hsdl.org/?abstract&did=8915

[Smashy 155]

"USCIS cannot grant certain benefits unless it collects the information necessary to meet this statutory requirement" what this means in practice, every day for officers at USCIS is that they must, using due diligence collect information to even give you and your USC, the benefit you are seeking. So, if you are NOT involved in anything shady, trying to scam your way in, have ties to terrorists or organized crime then breath easy, you'll make it. If you are i've only one thing to say: GET OUT DA WAY, REMOVE YOUR APPLICATION, YOU'RE CLOGGING THE SYSTEM!  

[TandSarahJane 178]

For those waiting, best wishes and please please please take a deep breath when you are frustrated.  The case officers at USCIS are really good people and work very hard with the rigid statutory requirements that they have to operate within.  They try really hard to get to "Yes". I have friends-of-friends that worked on various aspects of the immigration process, from USCIS to the State Dept consular affairs.  I can assure you, these are good people. The rules that they each have to follow are very strict. It's just the way the system is built.

 

Analyst work is not easy and any career analyst will admit that it comes with an understanding that a perfect score is not possible, you can only do your best work everyday. Not everyone will be pleased by the results, but analysts don't choose this career to be people-pleasers.  I am thankful that people do choose to be career analysts at USCIS and work hard everyday to do the work that they do. I'm fairly certain that GS pay isn't terribly amazing for Orange County, CA, and so the people that help us through the process to bring our loved ones to the USA really care most about the quality of their work product.

 

For those frustrated with the wait, we have ALL been there at some point.  The case officers only have about 15-20 minutes for each file in the stack, so if you leave something out or are otherwise not a "straight down the line yes" then there will be an RFE, delays, etc.  Don't take personal affront if something goes a little sideways. In my case, I've been background-checked so much in the past (since my teenage years when I worked a presidential detail... I'm in my 40s now) that the databases probably recall what I ate last week better than I can... my wait is the same. Do I wish there was some sort of "Pre-check express line" for ppl that have been vetted continuously for over 20 years? Sure, but there isn't... BATFE is the same way. We are all in the same stack. The requirements are uniformly applied to each packet. 

 

So, for those that have experience (Greenbaum?).... looking for a little advice/"fingers math" - RFE coming in my case, looking to rebook her flight to a reasonable date (currently an impossible 12/24) - would early February be about right as a "safe-enough" date?  Her flight is booked using points, so I guess I'd be out only about $100 to make the change.