your experience with complaints made against USCIS

[POA 178]

23 hours ago, HPPJ said:

hi.

 

looking for 'first hand experience' from people who have submitted formal complaints against USCIS. 

 

Exactly 'how' did you do it, and how did it turn out.

 

me:  I found a link at the USCIS site, and did what it suggested:  I sent a (registered/certified) letter to the Director of the USCIS office I have multiple issues with.  The letter was received (tracked via USPS.com as delivered and signed for) but after more than a month I have received no response.  

 

thanks for any all responses from people with experience.

 

 

 

I did. I reached out to Ombudsman to complain about USCIS error. It took a few years but I considered it a win because they refunded me the money. They even try to put the blame on us but got lucky that they are not smart enough to remember that they left a detailed message which contradicts what they told the ombudsman about what they told us to do.

[Love To Teach 161]

On 7/14/2019 at 12:16 PM, Loren Y said:

Where USCIS files all complaints photo below. Understand this trash can is way too small for the number of complaints against them. There is none, zero, zilch, accountability. Welcome to the United States of America. Sorry to be so blunt, but sometimes that's the best way.

You are exactly right! The sad thing is they know they have the power to destroy people AND they are allowed to use it. Their own rules of conduct state that they are not to intimidate, harass, etc., people and to deal with them in a decent way. They DO NOT do this. The US Embassy in Islamabad has local Pakistanis do their dirty work for them, screaming, ranting, throwing papers, calling people lairs, etc. This needs to stop!

 

[HPPJ 3]

update #1

 

the person that handles immigration issues for my US Congressman's office got back to me after I called a second time (i had left detailed information with their office admin the first time).   they apologized for not calling me back sooner.  they said that they have a USCIS 'Legislative Liason' that they work with and they were waiting to hear back from them.   but, since they did not hear back from them by the time i left my second message they called the Liason again.  the Liason works for USCIS, so that is good.

 

the Liason then told my US Congressman's office that I mailed my complaint to the wrong person at USCIS.  But, i had sent it to the 'Director' (by name and title)  of the Service Center as listed on the USCIS website, AND this was the person that signed and sent the RFEs (RFEs is one of my issues) and listed himself as 'Director'.  I told this to the  US Congressman's immigration handler and they said 'oh...hmmm..'. 

 

the next step is for the US Congressman's immigration handler to call back the Liason with this information and find out next steps.   the Liason also said that USCIS reads every piece of mail they receive and take complaints seriously,  but that is easy to say.

 

So, I am glad i contacted my US Congressman's office.  I was thinking of contacting my US Senators to help, but since there are just 2 of them for the entire state (vs. the larger number of Congressmen/Congresswomen for the state) i thought i had a better chance with the Congressman.

 

i will never know for sure, but i think that if I would never have heard back from USCIS if I did not contact my US Congressman's office.

 

it is almost 2 months since i sent the USCIS Director the letter and supporting documents of my issues.  If they, USCIS, read every piece of mail they receive and take complaint seriously then someone would have gotten back to me.  it is not like i was submitting a form for processing that winds up on a stack of papers somewhere.

 

i will update the thread again when i have more news.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 16, 2019 by HPPJ

[HPPJ 3]

On 7/14/2019 at 4:50 PM, POA said:

I did. I reached out to Ombudsman to complain about USCIS error. It took a few years but I considered it a win because they refunded me the money. They even try to put the blame on us but got lucky that they are not smart enough to remember that they left a detailed message which contradicts what they told the ombudsman about what they told us to do.

thanks for sharing

[HPPJ 3]

update #2

 

the person that handles immigration issues for my US Congressman's office got back to me quickly;  she was able to get to the USCIS Liason.

 

the Liason was told what I told my US Congressman's office:   that i had sent it to the 'Director' (by name and title)  of the Service Center as listed on the USCIS website, AND this was the person that signed and sent the RFEs (RFEs is one of my issues) and listed himself as 'Director'.  So, i DID send it to the right person.  

 

the next step is for the USCIS Liason to reach out to the USCIS Director and find out what happened to the letter and documentation I sent. 

 

i will update the thread again when i have more news.

[HPPJ 3]

update #3

 

the person that handles immigration issues for my US Congressman's office got back to me;  after several days she heard back from the USCIS Liason. 

 

The USCIS liason said that the Director HAD INDEED received the letter several weeks ago.  But, since USCIS gets so few complaints they were not really sure what to do with it.  

 

LOL!   🤣

 

After being told this i laughed so hard that i had tears flowing from my eyes.  I told the person from my congressman's office that the internet is full of people complaining about USCIS, but regardless, even if no one had ever complained in the history of USCIS I should have received some type of notification back from the Director, or the people he delegated it to (if he had actually delegated it) ; she agreed.   I am a paying customer and a US citizen.   It is now over two months since I sent the letter to the Director.

 

The liason then said that the Director would not handle such complaints anyway, and they would likely be passed on to someone else in the organization.  The liason also said something else that was interesting: that a person sending complaints to USCIS should not expect a response. 

 

huh!?!?!??!!?!?!?  😮

 

next step is an appointment with an immigration case worker at my US Congressman's office.  They said that they can open a formal case with USCIS on my behalf.  And, that USCIS would have to respond to them (unlike USCIS not having to respond to me).

 

i am now convinced that I would never have have heard back from the USCIS Field Office.

 

i suspect that they are doing nothing about my complaints in the letter to the Director.   

 

i am also convinced that the only way to 'effectively' deal with USCIS complaints is through one's Senators or Congressman/Congresswoman.

 

 

i will update the thread again when i have more news.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 27, 2019 by HPPJ

[geowrian 22,337]

21 minutes ago, HPPJ said:

The liason also said something else that was interesting: that a person sending complaints to USCIS should not expect a response. 

Correct. Complaints are handled internally - they are not a process with a feedback loop to the person who initiated it.

[Going through 5,671]

It kind of makes sense that you wouldn't receive a response directly from them on how your complaint was handled against the person(s) you complained about.  It's like a retail store---if you complained about a cashier there, the manager is probably just going to tell you he'll "handle it".  He's likely not going to reach out to you to tell you later precisely what steps he took to discipline the person, if they got fired, demoted, etc. due to that person's right to privacy issues.  

 

It's also possible that the person/office whom you complained about will be found to be at no fault (ie. they were following policy the applicant might not have been aware of).  Doesn't mean it won't be looked at---it just may not yield the results you hoped for by complaining.

 

Any response received by the congressman will probably be generic in nature----that it was taken seriously, it was dealt with in terms of whatever internal policies/procedures as a result of a complaint received, yadda yadda yadda blah blah blah, thank you for your concern, etc.  I wouldn't expect too much detail.

[HPPJ 3]

in my case, i wo

4 hours ago, geowrian said:

Correct. Complaints are handled internally - they are not a process with a feedback loop to the person who initiated it.

With any other Government or public entity you always get some type of response that they received your complaint - that is what I meant by my surprise at what they said.  What they do about it, or not, is a separate issue to me and i do not expect a response to that for some of the complaints.   when i started this thread i was looking for acknowlegement of the receipt of the complaint.

 

2 hours ago, Going through said:

It kind of makes sense that you wouldn't receive a response directly from them on how your complaint was handled against the person(s) you complained about.  It's like a retail store---if you complained about a cashier there, the manager is probably just going to tell you he'll "handle it".  He's likely not going to reach out to you to tell you later precisely what steps he took to discipline the person, if they got fired, demoted, etc. due to that person's right to privacy issues.  

 

It's also possible that the person/office whom you complained about will be found to be at no fault (ie. they were following policy the applicant might not have been aware of).  Doesn't mean it won't be looked at---it just may not yield the results you hoped for by complaining.

 

Any response received by the congressman will probably be generic in nature----that it was taken seriously, it was dealt with in terms of whatever internal policies/procedures as a result of a complaint received, yadda yadda yadda blah blah blah, thank you for your concern, etc.  I wouldn't expect too much detail.

again, with any other Government or public entity you always get some type of response that they received your complaint - that is what I meant by my surprise.  

 

your analogy about the store manager is a good one: the manager tells you they will handle it.  so the complaint is acknowledged.  that is what i was looking for. 

 

without going into detail (for my own reasons),  i have multiple complaints - including one against the Director.  it's complicated....

 

i will update the thread again when i have more news.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Going through 5,671]

1 hour ago, HPPJ said:

your analogy about the store manager is a good one: the manager tells you they will handle it.  so the complaint is acknowledged.  that is what i was looking for. 

 

without going into detail (for my own reasons),  i have multiple complaints - including one against the Director.  it's complicated....

Hopefully you get some sort of formal (yet perhaps generic) response, then.  At least then you'll know it went to the right hands.