Complaint letter to Senator about local Field Office

[KeratNY 76]

21 minutes ago, Ash.1101 said:

26 minutes ago, Boiler said:

Why would they look up her name?

 

Some Reps have paid staff to handle such issues, others use Interns. I am sure all have standard letters that can be used to respond to common enquiries.

 

Processing times I would think is a common issue.

THIS 100%. Most things don't actually make it to the senator.

Oh sure I am fully expecting a form letter. I mentioned that several times. At the same time senators have offices that are meant to respond and address the concerns of their constituents. That is the whole reason of their elected office. I have no expectation that Senator Gillibrand will be directly reading this letter. But is there a chance she could be made aware of it and the the issues outlined? Sure.  And for me, that chance is worth me writing the letter, as it only took me 10 minutes to write. 

 

I have seen reports btw that Senator Gillibrand is on the more responsive side. Who knows. 

[jskibo 588]

I can almost see the office meeting the day after the letter arrives:

 

Senator, you have a breakfast meeting at 8am with the finance committee, there's a vote on continued military appropriations bill at 9am, you have a photo op with kids in a detention center at 9:45, CNN at 10am, and MSNBC at 11, the drug lobby is presenting you a check for your campaign at 12:30 and want to discuss "issues" they are having with new legislation, your golf game with donors has been moved back to 3pm and then dinner with the minority whip has been moved to 7pm.

 

"Anything else?"

 

Oh yeah, Bob wrote a letter complaining about immigration wait times.

 

"What? Cancel everything else, tell the donors I'm busy, lets get to the bottom of this"

 

 

Good luck though, and please post the form letter when you get it 

[jesserz 73]

That's a very nicely written letter. It would be awesome if everyone wrote letters and got some changes going. It shouldn't take so long. That there are people insinuating that it's somehow selfish to want a faster process is mind boggling. It's the American spirit to try and change things we don't like rather than just sit and take it; or to simply be grateful because it even exists at all. Yes, it's lovely that we can immigrate to the US and be with someone that we love; but would't it be lovely if it didn't take so incredibly long? Wouldn't it be great to revamp the system? 

 

Great letter! Give 'em hell! 

[KeratNY 76]

6 minutes ago, Paul & Mallory said:

I come across threads just like this one every so often, so no, you're definitely not the first. Probably not the last. That being said - I do think you have good intentions in mind, which is admirable. I definitely respect and appreciate someone willing to give something a try, regardless of the possible outcome. For some, it's also the point of just DOING something, anything, besides just sitting around and waiting. I get that.

 

However, my (own personal) opinion is this - immigration is not a customer-retention based service or business. They could care less if people get fed up with waiting and complain, or walk away completely. It isn't like Walmart price matching where we can threaten to take our business elsewhere - there IS no elsewhere when it comes to immigration. USCIS and ICE is it. Someone used the U.S. DMV as a comparable example, which is a good one. When my husband accompanied me to the DMV for the first time, I thought he was going to pass out lol He was so taken aback at how poorly ran the system is and told me how different it is in Sweden. It was definitely eye opening for him. Other government offices, like the DMV are the same - those people aren't there to make our days better, or even pleasant. People are always going to line up at the DMV regardless of the ####### service because we HAVE TO, if we want to drive or have an ID. Just like with immigration - if we want to see this process through bad enough, we wait. No matter how long that wait is.

 

My (again) personal opinion - these folks everyone writes these letters to aren't unaware of such pain points. Do they care? Perhaps. Guess that depends on the moral compass of whoever's desk it winds up on. Is it at the top of their to do list? Probably not. But you're right  - maybe if enough people make noise, someone will finally take the time to look at the bigger picture. Sometimes the squeaky wheel gets greased.... sometimes it gets thrown out and replaced with a new one.  Best of luck to you, and props for the well written letter. I work in the correspondence/response department of a large company, and if I had a dollar for every terribly written letter riddled with errors, wrong words, and misspellings.. I could pay for everyone's AOS process.

Thank you for your thoughts, I mostly agree. Of course this is not a customer feedback situation, I agree. 

 

My only point of difference is that while the DMV is painful, it has been CONSISTENTLY the same level of painful. If, however, processing times became 3 times as long as they average now, you can sure bet there would be a lot of people complaining even more and action by some people to attempt to get to the bottom of the situation. 

 

In other words, if this process always took 14-24 months, then I would have confidence that that is the best they can do and that is life. But moving from 5-7 months to 14-24 months, over and above just an increase in applications, is an indication that something is worth getting to the bottom of. My letter is just a drop in the bucket for that, but I'd rather one drop than none. 

[KeratNY 76]

4 minutes ago, jskibo said:

I can almost see the office meeting the day after the letter arrives:

 

Senator, you have a breakfast meeting at 8am with the finance committee, there's a vote on continued military appropriations bill at 9am, you have a photo op with kids in a detention center at 9:45, CNN at 10am, and MSNBC at 11, the drug lobby is presenting you a check for your campaign at 12:30 and want to discuss "issues" they are having with new legislation, your golf game with donors has been moved back to 3pm and then dinner with the minority whip has been moved to 7pm.

 

"Anything else?"

 

Oh yeah, Bob wrote a letter complaining about immigration wait times.

 

"What? Cancel everything else, tell the donors I'm busy, lets get to the bottom of this"

 

 

Good luck though, and please post the form letter when you get it 

Hahahaha. Yep that may very well be the case. 

 

But is there a non-zero chance they phrase it to her as "fyi, we have had reports recently that our local immigration field office is taking 3x as long as it used to, with a real affect on our constituents, perhaps we can call someone or visit the office just so we can understand that a little bit more? After all this impacts tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of people a year in our community so it may be worth at least being aware of what is happening."

 

I personally think there's a non-zero % chance that happens.  If you don't, we'll agree to disagree

[KeratNY 76]

8 minutes ago, jesserz said:

That's a very nicely written letter. It would be awesome if everyone wrote letters and got some changes going. It shouldn't take so long. That there are people insinuating that it's somehow selfish to want a faster process is mind boggling. It's the American spirit to try and change things we don't like rather than just sit and take it; or to simply be grateful because it even exists at all. Yes, it's lovely that we can immigrate to the US and be with someone that we love; but would't it be lovely if it didn't take so incredibly long? Wouldn't it be great to revamp the system? 

 

Great letter! Give 'em hell! 

Thank you! Yes, this is written out of the belief that in general if everyone wrote letters then that would instigate change. And this process can stand to be improved. Simple as that. 

[EmilyW 1,490]

I always figure that you should give these things a go. Better to ask than spend your time wondering.

 

Gillibrand is posturing at the moment on immigration (e.g. Armor of God)  so this might be of interest if she can use it for political gain.  And if she does - and it leads to a better outcome for a lot of people - then it's a good thing.

Edited June 19, 2018 by EmilyW

[Ash.1101 1,756]

1 hour ago, KeratNY said:

It appears as if you do not believe in the idea or concept of constituents communicating concerns to their elected representatives. We will have to agree to disagree on that concept. Thanks for your wishes. 

I don’t think anyone disbelieves in the ability to communicate, as we are all capable and able to do so and many have done it before, I think that most people don’t believe in the communication actually making a difference. 

 

I do do believe you would make more of a difference making immigration wait times public. Writing a blog about it, making YouTube videos about the basic and normal things you go through as an immigrant. I believe showing the public what legal immigration is, something they are heavily ignorant to, has more of an affect than writing a senator and expecting a preprinted response.

Edited June 19, 2018 by Ash.1101

[KeratNY 76]

30 minutes ago, Ash.1101 said:

I don’t think anyone disbelieves in the ability to communicate, as we are all capable and able to do so and many have done it before, I think that most people don’t believe in the communication actually making a difference. 

 

I do do believe you would make more of a difference making immigration wait times public. Writing a blog about it, making YouTube videos about the basic and normal things you go through as an immigrant. I believe showing the public what legal immigration is, something they are heavily ignorant to, has more of an affect than writing a senator and expecting a preprinted response.

Yes I agree there is more to be done than a simple letter.  But one of my favorite quotes is "don't let perfect be the enemy of the good."   In other words just because there are better things to do does not make this smaller action worthless. 

 

I expect a preprinted form response. But I also think there is non-zero % chance the sentiments behind the message eventually gets to the Senator. If so, then I will consider that a victory for my action. Another good quote - "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." I feel that step is worth taking. 

[A&H2018 148]

First off, anyone who wants to debate/discuss "green-card" timelines. May want to read the DHS directive to USCIS in March 2018. Guess who initiated the report? A senator. "Senator Claire McCaskill asked the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General (OIG) to review the varying processing times for green card applications across USCIS’ field offices." Also some influx of the applications is due to people's fears the current administration will come after anyone found with illegal prescence (which is typically advice here, file AOS asap).

 

For everyone happy with just an EAD/AP renewals. Do you think Senator McCaskill was actually just worried we are not getting interviews right away? Or maybe is more concerned with giving "fringe" benefits over 2-3 years to someone waiting on a pending application. You could decide for yourself. Before this report EADs were given basically within 90 days to any applicant, now there is for sure a different process in place. While certain offices are making interviews faster and running pilots to skip the EAD/AP.

 

So again guess what everyone the converstation is happening, yes maybe the front page is about illegal immigrant camps and those issues. But for sure there is massive concern around legal immigration process as well.

Edited June 19, 2018 by A&H2018

[Cyberfx1024 7,980]

9 hours ago, LoredanaRobert said:

I'm not sure our elected representatives can help unless control of congress or the senate changes hands. They are ripping babies away from mothers and throwing them in detention camps in Texas, so I think longer wait times may unfortunately be part of an intentional strategy to deter immigration, even legal immigration.

 

Still , that's our process of government so if you don't mind I will use parts of your letter to voice my objections. I am also a NYC office filer and 18 months into the wait.

You obviously have not been reading the actual news but just the talking points. But good job in to feeding that fake news. 

[Crazy Cat 42,023]

While I concur that immigration processing times are longer than any of us would like, I doubt that a complaint from someone who (1) has not been been forced to be apart from their spouse due to the process and (2) is only 6 months into the process.....will get much attention......but good luck in your quest.

[Ash.1101 1,756]

40 minutes ago, A&H2018 said:

First off, anyone who wants to debate/discuss "green-card" timelines. May want to read the DHS directive to USCIS in March 2018. Guess who initiated the report? A senator. "Senator Claire McCaskill asked the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General (OIG) to review the varying processing times for green card applications across USCIS’ field offices." Also some influx of the applications is due to people's fears the current administration will come after anyone found with illegal prescence (which is typically advice here, file AOS asap).

 

For everyone happy with just an EAD/AP renewals. Do you think Senator McCaskill was actually just worried we are not getting interviews right away? Or maybe is more concerned with giving "fringe" benefits over 2-3 years to someone waiting on a pending application. You could decide for yourself. Before this report EADs were given basically within 90 days to any applicant, now there is for sure a different process in place. While certain offices are making interviews faster and running pilots to skip the EAD/AP.

 

So again guess what everyone the converstation is happening, yes maybe the front page is about illegal immigrant camps and those issues. But for sure there is massive concern around legal immigration process as well.

So then what about ROC? They’re giving out 18 month extensions instead of 12 because they’re expecting it to take longer than that. Most people are just filing for naturalization when they can cause it’s faster.

 

would it be reasonable to say a 2 year green card holder holds more weight than a k-1 visa holder?

[NYCruiser 423]

19 hours ago, KeratNY said:

My wife is planning on sending this below complaint letter to our state's two senators on my behalf, and I wanted to see what people thought, and if enough of you are willing to also send something similar, perhaps we can collectively voice our concern to our federal representatives and effectuate some real change. 

 

I am sure some people here won't like me doing this, and will think me ungrateful or obnoxious, but I think the processing timelines for AOS have gotten a little ridiculous (14.5 months - 24.5 months) in my field office. I am judging that by how long it used to take as short as a couple years ago, (5-9 months) and by some other field offices which are still processing in those timeframes. Some of my language (ie "outrageous") is exaggerated on purpose to get my point across. 

 

I say that knowing full well that immigration is a privilege, not a right. And that national security and public safety are far more important than giving people green cards with a quick turnaround. As well, I am living with my spouse in the US, and have my EAD and advance parole, so I'll be the first to say I am in a really, really good position compared to others, and I am not at any disadvantage compared to others. I am lucky and grateful and happy and content. I also know that others going through K1 or CR1 or a host of other processes have similar or worse timelines and they also have to be apart from their spouse. I am grateful to not be in that position. 

 

At the same time, our Senators are there to represent us constituents and are our only real voice to push back on developments at federal agencies. The timeline going up to almost 3x as long is a negative development for the general publc. If 14.5 months - 24.5 months is the very best they can do with the resources they have, then ok we will have to accept that. But until told otherwise, I believe they can go faster, and if people don't voice their concerns they will never be aware of people's frustrations, much less feel any urgency to speed up. So I am doing this more because I want to communicate it to my representatives, and do my part to try and help the process for future filers. 

 

In short, what do people think of the persuasiveness and comprehensiveness of this complaint letter? As well as pros and cons of sending it, besides the obvious of perhaps sounding like an "ungrateful douche?

 

Letter:

 

Dear Senator Kirsten Gillibrand,

 

My name is [ ]. I am a US Citizen, a lifelong NY State resident, your constituent, and a registered Democrat. I currently live with my husband, [ ] in the neighborhood of [ ] in Manhattan. I am writing to you to complain about the lengthy, unreasonable, and outrageous processing delays at the NYC Field Office of the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”), specifically for Adjustment of Status (“AOS”) applications for immigrants applying for Permanent Residency (“PR”, or a “Green Gard.”)

According to https://egov.uscis.gov/processing-times, which is the official page to look up estimated processing times, the NYC Field Office estimate to adjudicate I-485s (Application to Register PR or Adjust Status to PR) for family-based applications (that is, those applying due to an immediate family connection, in our case, me as spouse) is 14.5 months – 24.5 months. Here is a screenshot:

 

Anecdotal reports from those who have completed the process confirm that this is the processing timeline. This timeline is unreasonable and outrageous, and has significantly increased over the past couple years. Two years ago, the estimated processing time was 5-7 months, then it became 7-9 months, and now it has significantly more than doubled. It is not as if the USCIS does not have the budget or resources to process these in a timely manner – the USCIS is self-funded through application fees, which costs $1,760 per person for AOS. This considerable fee has increased over past years, too. “Extreme vetting,” for applicants already lawfully inside the country, should not lead to delays this long either. I would also like to note that many other Field Offices do not suffer from these delays and are able to adjudicate applications in a more timely and efficient manner. It must be said that the increased backlog of applicants and the lengthening, frustrating timelines are mostly the fault of the NYC Field Office and it must be within their control to speed up processing to a more reasonable timeframe.

 

My husband, [ ], is a Canadian citizen, who has legally studied, worked, and visited in the US over the last several years. We met in NYC in [ ] 2015, fell in love, married in [ ], 2017, and applied for AOS on [ ]. He has received his Employment Authorization Document (“EAD”) and Advance Parole, so he is authorized to work and travel. Nevertheless, the delay in interviewing for, approval of, and receival of, his Green Card to enable him to be a legitimate PR with all of its rights and privileges, is causing us significant stress and many, many others in a similar position with this NYC Field Office.

 

I respectfully request your intervention and assistance in getting to the bottom of the lengthy and increasing processing timelines for the NYC Field Office and doing everything you can to speed it up to a more reasonable one, in line with both past timelines and other Field Offices.

 

I can be reached at the address, email address, and phone number listed in the header. My husband’s A # and our case number is also listed there. I look forward to hearing from you and a resolution of this matter.

She and her Office were a total waste of time to be honest. She is a typical politician. We had asked for a separate room at the Embassy in Kenya as they are rather homophobic there. He did not want to be overheard. Nothing was done from the 'Senator's end.

 

Also we filed in Dec 2014 and the Green Card did not get approved until end of August. It is probably longer now

[A&H2018 148]

7 minutes ago, Ash.1101 said:

So then what about ROC? They’re giving out 18 month extensions instead of 12 because they’re expecting it to take longer than that. Most people are just filing for naturalization when they can cause it’s faster.

 

would it be reasonable to say a 2 year green card holder holds more weight than a k-1 visa holder?

Let’s leave ROC alone since you can at least function and as you mention become a citizen. Thats another fight to begin with.

 

But for sure the fact that now K1’s with bulletproof applications have to wait for an interview I agree is ridiculous. So yes we should send letters around that too.