USCIS Tier 1 Officer rant on Reddit

[BVGApeach 288]

I saw this on the Reddit Immigration forum and thought I'd post it since I read so many questions about getting past Tier 1. The person who wrote this post on Reddit seems super salty that callers want information about their cases. 

 

From here: https://www.reddit.com/r/immigration/comments/8w9pk9/uscis/  (formatting is mine since they posted it in one giant paragraph)

 

"I work for the first level of customer service, and I can tell you from experience that the reason it's impossible to get transferred to the next level, or even get a call back is because they are so damn busy with callers such as yourselves who want to know every single detail about their case. The next level is supposed to be reserved for rescheduling biometrics appointments, clarifying conflicting information (case status says one thing while a notice says another), faxing appointment notices, and giving tracking information. THAT'S IT. Nothing more, nothing less.

 

So of course, we are not going to transfer you when the first thing you say after we give our opening is "Hi, I'd like to be transferred to Tier 2 please." Because we're not idiots, we aren't going to transfer someone unless it is absolutely necessary, otherwise we wouldn't even have a next level of customer service. It honestly baffles me at the amount of people who call wanting to speak directly with the officer working on their case. Do you realize how large the workload already is for USCIS? If the ajudicating officers spent the day taking calls and listening to people complain about their cases then the amount of time it takes to process an application would most likely triple. That's why most tier 2 representatives are not ajudicating officers, some of them aren't even officers at all.

 

The best advice I can give anyone going through this process is to just wait and be patient like everyone else, because as a government agency they are going to have communication issues, hell, most of the time the information that USCIS provides to us tier 1 representatives is conflicting and it changes almost every day. So before you run your mouth at some redneck with a headset on, take a step back and consider the enormous amount of work that the Immigration Officers have to do, and if you do call, please just be patient and don't cut us off or ask to be transferred before we even know what your issue is. Most of us are not there just to get you off the phone, we will help you with what we can, and if your issue warrants a transfer, then we will do so if the next level is taking calls. But we are not there to tell you what you should do, we are just there to explain your options and tell you the procedures."

[geowrian 22,337]

Sounds about right...while it is certainly a phrased as a rant, the points in it do make sense. Tier 1 officers do not have it easy and are not trained to do anything more detailed. And so many people wanting to speak to the officer handling their case seems about right, but I can understand why that would be disastrous to the process time-wise.

[NikLR 13,227]

To be honest while the rant is on point, the issue is tier 1 officers dont know anything at all.  So... if you want to know something you need a tier 2.  Personally I agree that people need to just relax and let the process go.  I know it's hard. 

[BVGApeach 288]

15 minutes ago, BVGApeach said:

So before you run your mouth at some redneck with a headset on

I think this part kind of showed me the amount of frustration on both sides - callers wanting information on cases that they've had no updates on in months (I can relate) and the Tier 1 support people trying to find the best solution to the callers' problems, which may not always be transferring to Tier 2. 

 

I deeply wish that there was more transparency on USCIS's side. For example, while we were waiting for our K1 NOA2, it would've really put my mind at ease to get a notification that my file had been touched. Instead, it was like a 200 day anxiety marathon wait of no information at all.  

[Unlockable 7,314]

When I read this part ...

Quote

So of course, we are not going to transfer you when the first thing you say after we give our opening is "Hi, I'd like to be transferred to Tier 2 please." 

I laughed. I wonder how much of a role we (as in VJ) played in this. How many people do you know who actually knows how to ask for Tier 2 directly?

[Paul & Mallory 1,398]

While I understand why people call, as someone who's worked in customer service before for a large company.. I totally feel this guy's pain and frustration.

 

Calling over and over again does not make things move faster. Yes, people should feel welcome to call when there are legitimate issues or concerns, such as being outside of processing time or receiving conflicting information/notices. I've seen people say they called after waiting only a couple of weeks, when the processing time is months. People like that calling every day can surely frustrate the ones having to take the calls.

 

We have only made one phone call throughout our process so far, and it was to NVC because we got an electronic notification but never the paper notification we needed. Explaining exactly what we needed to the person who answered the phone got us a polite response and the information we needed.

 

Identifying the reason for the call instead of just immediately pushing someone up to the next level is necessary. They'd probably get chewed out by upper levels for clogging up level two queues with unnecessary escalations.

[Ben&Zian 4,398]

"The best advice I can give anyone going through this process is to just wait and be patient like everyone else, because as a government agency they are going to have communication issues"

 

Probably easiest way to simplify entire thing is the one line above. I know people on here do say "Call and ask for tier 2"; but it is true, regardless of what information you get, you're still going to have to be patient and wait. I never bothered calling USCIS or NVC or anything. It's one of those out of your control things.

Edited July 5, 2018 by Ben&Zian

[BVGApeach 288]

3 minutes ago, Paul & Mallory said:

We have only made one phone call throughout our process so far, and it was to NVC because we got an electronic notification but never the paper notification we needed. Explaining exactly what we needed to the person who answered the phone got us a polite response and the information we needed.

We only ever called NVC to get our number after NOA2 since we were both living overseas and had no idea if the approval letter with our case number would ever reach us. It did come, finally - but only after we had already had our interview and had been approved  

[Ben&Zian 4,398]

12 minutes ago, Paul & Mallory said:

While I understand why people call, as someone who's worked in customer service before for a large company.. I totally feel this guy's pain and frustration.

 

 

Exactly. My husband has worked customer service before and the amount of calls he dealt with was insane. Then there's just the fact of the type of questions asked. Literally to the point of "is it plugged in"? haha. I don't envy these USCIS workers who have to take the amount of calls from people who I'm sure some are angry, yelling, swearing at them even. 

 

And as former military myself, every government agency has communication issues. That's just how it is. So the USCIS worker is pretty accurate with that statement.

Edited July 5, 2018 by Ben&Zian

[Paul & Mallory 1,398]

39 minutes ago, Ben&Zian said:

 

Exactly. My husband has worked customer service before and the amount of calls he dealt with was insane. Then there's just the fact of the type of questions asked. Literally to the point of "is it plugged in"? haha. I don't envy these USCIS workers who have to take the amount of calls from people who I'm sure some are angry, yelling, swearing at them even. 

 

And as former military myself, every government agency has communication issues. That's just how it is. So the USCIS worker is pretty accurate with that statement.

Exactly. I never expected this process to be quick and painless - any time you deal with the government, you might as well prepare to wait a while. I've dealt with enough other processes/issues with the government in some form of fashion to know it ain't quick by any means. Even our DMV offices run like molasses most of the time.

 

Again - when there are real issues, these people are helpful. THAT'S what they're there for. Not just a sounding board for people who are simply tired of waiting and want a step by step update on their case as it moves along within reason.

[Camelot13 63]

While I do understand this point of view and we should all be nice and polite when we call, I also think it would be a lot easier to be patient and wait if the applications stayed within the processing times we were told to expect when we first applied. One of my applications was supposed to take like 10 months and has ballooned to 2 years currently and still no info, then it was recently transferred to a facility I was told had a processing time of 36 months. The only way I would have found out any more detail is by calling because the online tracking and notification systems are so glitchy and vague with what info it does provide. If the online system updated with more specific info & included a better estimation of where your case was in the queue, I think people would call less. Wishful thinking, I know. 

Edited July 5, 2018 by Camelot13

[mrmvkjts 459]

Well and we could also start another thing with, if they wouldn‘t process the files so randomly some people wouldn‘t call so and be rude! Because when people who filed later than others but already got their approvals and the earlier ones don‘t....it‘s frustrating...I know...it is what it is...but....you know

 

I definitely understand this ranting person, and the 2 times we called, we had two very friendly people on the phone, but since we had a specific question (about quite conflicting updates) we really needed a tier 2 officer and a call back  is not possible since we both live abroad!

One time the tier 2 said hello and then all of a sudden the line was cut off

and the other time we didn‘t even get that far....it is fine now, we got approved after alls frustrating and I feel like they do need to work on certain things but I definitely I also understand that rant too!

 

Edited July 5, 2018 by mrmvkjts

[swalker 137]

2 hours ago, NuestraUnion said:

When I read this part ...

I laughed. I wonder how much of a role we (as in VJ) played in this. How many people do you know who actually knows how to ask for Tier 2 directly?

Same! I immediately thought of us! 

[kris&me 572]

not a corrert way for a service operator to respond

especially as our fees pay for her and the level of frustration gets high

he/she should take these issues to a supervisor

this type of responce would cost a job in many companies

let immigration set the policy and we should remember it does say at bottom of our receipts DO NOT CONTACT THEM

 

 

 

[Carpe Vinum 2,327]

6 hours ago, BVGApeach said:

I saw this on the Reddit Immigration forum and thought I'd post it since I read so many questions about getting past Tier 1. The person who wrote this post on Reddit seems super salty that callers want information about their cases. 

 

From here: https://www.reddit.com/r/immigration/comments/8w9pk9/uscis/  (formatting is mine since they posted it in one giant paragraph)

 

"I work for the first level of customer service, and I can tell you from experience that the reason it's impossible to get transferred to the next level, or even get a call back is because they are so damn busy with callers such as yourselves who want to know every single detail about their case. The next level is supposed to be reserved for rescheduling biometrics appointments, clarifying conflicting information (case status says one thing while a notice says another), faxing appointment notices, and giving tracking information. THAT'S IT. Nothing more, nothing less.

 

So of course, we are not going to transfer you when the first thing you say after we give our opening is "Hi, I'd like to be transferred to Tier 2 please." Because we're not idiots, we aren't going to transfer someone unless it is absolutely necessary, otherwise we wouldn't even have a next level of customer service. It honestly baffles me at the amount of people who call wanting to speak directly with the officer working on their case. Do you realize how large the workload already is for USCIS? If the ajudicating officers spent the day taking calls and listening to people complain about their cases then the amount of time it takes to process an application would most likely triple. That's why most tier 2 representatives are not ajudicating officers, some of them aren't even officers at all.

 

The best advice I can give anyone going through this process is to just wait and be patient like everyone else, because as a government agency they are going to have communication issues, hell, most of the time the information that USCIS provides to us tier 1 representatives is conflicting and it changes almost every day. So before you run your mouth at some redneck with a headset on, take a step back and consider the enormous amount of work that the Immigration Officers have to do, and if you do call, please just be patient and don't cut us off or ask to be transferred before we even know what your issue is. Most of us are not there just to get you off the phone, we will help you with what we can, and if your issue warrants a transfer, then we will do so if the next level is taking calls. But we are not there to tell you what you should do, we are just there to explain your options and tell you the procedures."

I work for the government...that's not salty or a rant. Just reality in an organization with a high workload....