October 2019 I-129F FILERS

[Jml 1]

Good luck to everyone! Also an October filer. Does anyone know of processing time varies by nationality? 

[Lyn Chazzy 39]

26 minutes ago, Jml said:

Good luck to everyone! Also an October filer. Does anyone know of processing time varies by nationality? 

I think so. Some has 90+ days processing days 

[Greenbaum 12,259]

7 hours ago, Jml said:

Good luck to everyone! Also an October filer. Does anyone know of processing time varies by nationality? 

Nope. When your file has reached the completed adjudication stage is when it will move on to the next stage. USCIS is a equal opportunity adjudicator. 

[Greenbaum 12,259]

On 12/14/2019 at 5:27 AM, Manu8915 said:

Well, my fiancé worked in the Army for many years and he told me that usually the governmental offices works the same But with reduced personnel (federal public holidays excluded). So I don't think that they will really close for Christmas vacations. 

All embassies and government agencies are closed on Christmass day. As you pointed out they will not close for a "vacation" period where no one is working. 

[Sinead91 249]

74 days and waiting! Hoping to see a change by February  Lots of September filers receiving their NOA2 so hopefully we're soon!

 

 

[DaveAndAnastasia 2,092]

On 12/14/2019 at 2:27 AM, Manu8915 said:

Well, my fiancé worked in the Army for many years and he told me that usually the governmental offices works the same But with reduced personnel (federal public holidays excluded). So I don't think that they will really close for Christmas vacations. 

Our case left NVC on Dec 26 last year, so it definitely seems like that.

Local holidays can mean not much happens at embassies/consulates, though (the hardcopy of our file didn't get to Moscow until around Jan 9, because there are a lot of Russian holidays in the first week of January +/- a few days).

[Jml 1]

So I guess my question was about how much of an ~unequal~ opportunities processor USCIS is! Is the time between na01 and na02 anything to do with what country you’re from or how that country might be considered from an immigration standpoint? I guess I’m just trying to understand any intricacies in how or why my case would diverge from the norm, if it does! 

[MaruMaru 76]

2 hours ago, Jml said:

So I guess my question was about how much of an ~unequal~ opportunities processor USCIS is! Is the time between na01 and na02 anything to do with what country you’re from or how that country might be considered from an immigration standpoint? I guess I’m just trying to understand any intricacies in how or why my case would diverge from the norm, if it does! 

Hello! 
 

Well, I tried to dig into it and it looks like there are countries that USCIS may consider as potentially "visa fraud" risky. There is no official information about that, of course not, but I have this feeling

[E&W 146]

United Kingdom and Italy are for sure not high fraud countries. Most of Europe has no reason to be considered high fraud, because it’s mostly first world stable democracies.

High fraud: think war torn countries, collapsed economies etc. Places where a lot of people lead bad enough lives to try anything to get out.

From what I understand, at this stage what slows things down is: serious criminal past and RFEs for things that are missing or need clarification.

The speed changes when you get to the embassy stage, because some embassies are dealing with more applications. 

Correct me if I’m wrong, this is just what I understood.

 

 

[Greenbaum 12,259]

13 hours ago, Manu8915 said:

Hello! 
 

Well, I tried to dig into it and it looks like there are countries that USCIS may consider as potentially "visa fraud" risky. There is no official information about that, of course not, but I have this feeling

And @Jml @E&W FYI.

 

As part of its benefits adjudication process and as required by law, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) conducts background checks on petitioners and applicants who seek certain immigration benefits. These background checks consist of four separate checks against systems within Department of Justice (DOJ), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). In order to facilitate the collection and transmission of information necessary to complete background check processes, USCIS maintains five information technology electronic systems: the Fingerprint Masthead Notification System (FMNS), the Customer Identity Capture System (CICS), the FD-258 Tracking System - Mainframe (FD-258 MF), the Benefits Biometrics Support System (BBSS), and the Interagency Border Inspection System (IBIS) Manifest. USCIS is conducting this privacy impact assessment (PIA) because FMNS, CICS, FD-258 MF, BBSS, and IBIS Manifest collect, use, and share personally identifiable information (PII). This PIA replaces the previously published USCIS PIA for the "Background Check Service (BCS)" which describes planned background check-related systems that were never implemented. Upon publication of this PIA, the BCS PIA will be retired.

 

Additional screening and background checks based on country of birth, citizenship, or residency in the “State Sponsors of Terrorism” (T-7) list: Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Sudan, Syria; or from the “List of 26”: Afghanistan, Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, UAE, Yemen. This is a mandatory stop list and allegedly takes 2 to 4 days, thanks in part to the partially rolled out PATRIOT (Pre-Adjudicated Threat Recognition and Intelligence Operations Team) system managed by ICE, but often take 3 to 6 weeks and if there is a hit who knows how long.

 

Security Advisory Opinion (SAO) or Washington Special Clearance,[1] commonly called security clearance, administrative clearance, or administrative processing,[2] is a process the United States Department of State and the diplomatic missions of the United States use in deciding to grant or deny a United States visa to certain visa applicants. The process involves sending a request from the visa issuing post to the Department of State's headquarters in Washington, D.C., to investigate an individual's case for possible espionage, terrorism, and illegal export of technology out of the United States.

Edited December 20, 2019 by Greenbaum

[E&W 146]

Thank you Greenbaum, that makes sense.

[SalishSea 17,836]

17 hours ago, Jml said:

So I guess my question was about how much of an ~unequal~ opportunities processor USCIS is! Is the time between na01 and na02 anything to do with what country you’re from or how that country might be considered from an immigration standpoint? I guess I’m just trying to understand any intricacies in how or why my case would diverge from the norm, if it does! 

No.  The requirements of a petition approval at USCIS are really very basic.  Further background checks and such are done at the consular level when it comes time for a visa approval. 

 

The processing time fluctuations are much more related to other parameters, such as work volumes.

[Aly123 84]

Wishing all my fellow October filers a smooth process. My fiancé just finished getting through Miami customs!! We were so nervous and thought he would have a hard time since he was just here in August (Before we filed). He will be here for 3 weeks! I’m over the moon!!!

[LittlePug 60]

It’s the end of December! 😀

 

It feels like start from next week (Jan!!), everyday is a chance to get NOA2... I am super excited!!

 

Merry Christmas & happy new year everyone. Sincerely hope everyone get good news next year soon!!

[Sarge2155 4,587]

16 minutes ago, LittlePug said:

It’s the end of December! 😀

 

It feels like start from next week (Jan!!), everyday is a chance to get NOA2... I am super excited!!

 

Merry Christmas & happy new year everyone. Sincerely hope everyone get good news next year soon!!

Very exciting times for all October 2019 filers, I am hoping the NOA2s start rolling in soon!