Waiting for a NOA2 from VSC for your I-129F?

[Bob & Kim 0]

Totally agree Bill y Bella. Their service sucks, period! I am so tired of coming on here and seeing zero approvals, zero! I have been saying for a long time now that we will most likely wait about 6 months and many just sat back and did nothing. I cannot believe every K-1/K3 filer who isn't approved yet has not written their elected officials and media. This is sickening and mark my words, those that did nothing will regret it some day. Sure, the day will come some day and you will be happy when it does, but think of the time together with your loved one that they took away and you can never get back, and God forbid if one of them dies while waiting these unreasonable times. As usual, I see today they are too busy processing work visas, refugee visas, receipting issues, etc. above ours...I never said they aren't working. I have always said the system sucks and they work too much ###### above us--tax paying US individual citizens.

Jesus christ.... Do you not think that's going a LITTLE too far? I know I said the other day that people need to rant occasionally to let of steam etc and that everyone handles things differently, but ffs! Get a grip!

How dare you say that those who did nothing will regret it one day. Who the HELL do you think you are?

Yes, this is a public forum and people can express their opinion in any which way they see fit, but you are really beginning to piss me off

Sorry you took it personal. I hope it got you fired up to write a letter or some more if you already haven't. As US Wendy said, "Get angry..." take action. I agree and I know there are many who wished they would have written their letters a lot earlier. My post was a call to action, a call to wake those up who have done nothing. If after reading this you don't agree, so be it. Then you and I have different sides on this issue.

[Bill y Bella 0]

I have to wonder just how many of you are actually doing anything besides coming on VJ and ranting?

Don't take that to be an insult, I just wonder.

I have only been waiting 3 months (not quite) and I have sent out probably around 5 or 6 letters to important people. So far, I've had one returned (That'd be the Aguilar one) and one reply from one of my Senators.

My father, the cynical man that he is, says he doesn't think writing any politicians will help because I'm just one person in a very big country, and while I will not give him the pleasure of agreeing with him, he is not completely off base.

If only a couple of people ever do anything...the system cannot possibly be completely overhauled for the better.

I strongly encourage all of you, especially Mirla to find ways to write in to these people. Let your voice be heard. Nobody will ever know you're in trouble if you don't admit that you are.

Just my two cents, halfway between Bill y Bella and everyone else I think.

Wait, let me get this straight in my mind. I am on one side all by myself, you are in the middle and everyone else is on the other side? Seems a little out of balance. I hope the forum does not tip over.

As to your question that mentions rants, I am a little offended despite your disclaimer. To rant is to speak violently or vehemently. I do not feel that is a fair description of very many posts in this forum and it definitely does not accurately describe mine. Just because a post is not positive does not make it a rant.

I do understand your point about people needing to take some sort of action if they are not satisfied with the status quo. Personally I would like to see us bombard the ombudsman and the USCIS director with a ton of emails all asking the same question. Why do employment based visa petitions have greater priority than petitions for family based visas from US citizens? There are other problems with USCIS also, but I think that question goes to the heart of the problem.

[Missy1 0]

Hey Guys,

It's been a while since I have posted anything. I have been feeling very depressed lately. I am so sad that we are going through this. This is just not fair. What makes things worse is that we have no one to complain to. I hit the five month mark on Monday and now I have three weeks to go. The are f@@@ing liars!!!!! Now they are starting to say that it takes six months to a year. These people are complete jerks and I cannot stand them.

Edited October 25, 2007 by Missy1

[rouguewave 7]

I have to wonder just how many of you are actually doing anything besides coming on VJ and ranting?

Don't take that to be an insult, I just wonder.

I have only been waiting 3 months (not quite) and I have sent out probably around 5 or 6 letters to important people. So far, I've had one returned (That'd be the Aguilar one) and one reply from one of my Senators.

My father, the cynical man that he is, says he doesn't think writing any politicians will help because I'm just one person in a very big country, and while I will not give him the pleasure of agreeing with him, he is not completely off base.

If only a couple of people ever do anything...the system cannot possibly be completely overhauled for the better.

I strongly encourage all of you, especially Mirla to find ways to write in to these people. Let your voice be heard. Nobody will ever know you're in trouble if you don't admit that you are.

Just my two cents, halfway between Bill y Bella and everyone else I think.

Wait, let me get this straight in my mind. I am on one side all by myself, you are in the middle and everyone else is on the other side? Seems a little out of balance. I hope the forum does not tip over.

As to your question that mentions rants, I am a little offended despite your disclaimer. To rant is to speak violently or vehemently. I do not feel that is a fair description of very many posts in this forum and it definitely does not accurately describe mine. Just because a post is not positive does not make it a rant.

I do understand your point about people needing to take some sort of action if they are not satisfied with the status quo. Personally I would like to see us bombard the ombudsman and the USCIS director with a ton of emails all asking the same question. Why do employment based visa petitions have greater priority than petitions for family based visas from US citizens? There are other problems with USCIS also, but I think that question goes to the heart of the problem.

Definitions of rant on the Web:

harangue: a loud bombastic declamation expressed with strong emotion

bombast: pompous or pretentious talk or writing

talk in a noisy, excited, or declamatory manner

wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

A rant is a widespread and distinctive phenomenon of emotional speech or writing usually consisting of complaints or attacks, sometimes in a political nature. Rarely, rants express great praise, defending an idea or a person from attack.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rant

Rant: An Oral Biography of Buster Casey is a novel by Chuck Palahniuk that is due to be released on May 1, 2007 . The following has been said by the author in regards to an official description: Palahniuk has allegedly discussed aspects of the book during tours. ...

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rant (novel)

a dance step apparently originating in northern England.

www.traditionalmusic.co.uk/traditional-music/ency/r1.htm

Ref: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&def...on&ct=title

Personally, I think yours is pretty accurately defined in the 1st. Although you are clearly frustrated and justifiably angry, you are taking it out on others here who may choose to act differently than you.

Edited October 26, 2007 by rouguewave

[waiting9 0]

I have to wonder just how many of you are actually doing anything besides coming on VJ and ranting?

Don't take that to be an insult, I just wonder.

I have only been waiting 3 months (not quite) and I have sent out probably around 5 or 6 letters to important people. So far, I've had one returned (That'd be the Aguilar one) and one reply from one of my Senators.

My father, the cynical man that he is, says he doesn't think writing any politicians will help because I'm just one person in a very big country, and while I will not give him the pleasure of agreeing with him, he is not completely off base.

If only a couple of people ever do anything...the system cannot possibly be completely overhauled for the better.

I strongly encourage all of you, especially Mirla to find ways to write in to these people. Let your voice be heard. Nobody will ever know you're in trouble if you don't admit that you are.

Just my two cents, halfway between Bill y Bella and everyone else I think.

Wait, let me get this straight in my mind. I am on one side all by myself, you are in the middle and everyone else is on the other side? Seems a little out of balance. I hope the forum does not tip over.

As to your question that mentions rants, I am a little offended despite your disclaimer. To rant is to speak violently or vehemently. I do not feel that is a fair description of very many posts in this forum and it definitely does not accurately describe mine. Just because a post is not positive does not make it a rant.

I do understand your point about people needing to take some sort of action if they are not satisfied with the status quo. Personally I would like to see us bombard the ombudsman and the USCIS director with a ton of emails all asking the same question. Why do employment based visa petitions have greater priority than petitions for family based visas from US citizens? There are other problems with USCIS also, but I think that question goes to the heart of the problem.

Yes, that is probably confusing. However, what confused me more, much more than anything else is:

Why do people on work visas (H1B) take 1 day to process their spouses visa, while a US Citizen has to wait for a total of 8-12 months? Is it because the H1B visa holders are more trustworthy than us US Citizens?

This my friends make no sense to me. I have heard back from one of the Senators and have a call with their office next week. Also, I finally spoke to someone from CNN (Lou Dobbs) and they have requested that I send them documentation, as they were unable to believe that infact is the case.

Will keep you'll posted.

[waiting9 0]

I have to wonder just how many of you are actually doing anything besides coming on VJ and ranting?

Don't take that to be an insult, I just wonder.

I have only been waiting 3 months (not quite) and I have sent out probably around 5 or 6 letters to important people. So far, I've had one returned (That'd be the Aguilar one) and one reply from one of my Senators.

My father, the cynical man that he is, says he doesn't think writing any politicians will help because I'm just one person in a very big country, and while I will not give him the pleasure of agreeing with him, he is not completely off base.

If only a couple of people ever do anything...the system cannot possibly be completely overhauled for the better.

I strongly encourage all of you, especially Mirla to find ways to write in to these people. Let your voice be heard. Nobody will ever know you're in trouble if you don't admit that you are.

Just my two cents, halfway between Bill y Bella and everyone else I think.

Wait, let me get this straight in my mind. I am on one side all by myself, you are in the middle and everyone else is on the other side? Seems a little out of balance. I hope the forum does not tip over.

As to your question that mentions rants, I am a little offended despite your disclaimer. To rant is to speak violently or vehemently. I do not feel that is a fair description of very many posts in this forum and it definitely does not accurately describe mine. Just because a post is not positive does not make it a rant.

I do understand your point about people needing to take some sort of action if they are not satisfied with the status quo. Personally I would like to see us bombard the ombudsman and the USCIS director with a ton of emails all asking the same question. Why do employment based visa petitions have greater priority than petitions for family based visas from US citizens? There are other problems with USCIS also, but I think that question goes to the heart of the problem.

Yes, that is probably confusing. However, what confused me more, much more than anything else is:

Why do people on work visas (H1B) take 1 day to process their spouses visa, while a US Citizen has to wait for a total of 8-12 months? Is it because the H1B visa holders are more trustworthy than us US Citizens?

This my friends make no sense to me. I have heard back from one of the Senators and have a call with their office next week. Also, I finally spoke to someone from CNN (Lou Dobbs) and they have requested that I send them documentation, as they were unable to believe that infact is the case.

Will keep you'll posted.

[Bill B 0]

It is a sad state of affairs that they put employment based visas ahead of us for many reasons. I can't help but notice and point out again that what we are doing is similar to the weekends--sort of attacking posters here--because like the weekends, approvals are near nonexistent. We have nothing to congratulate each other for and when times are like this, hopelessness sets in. I wish us all the best with our loved ones while we endure this together. We do share in this pain that is for sure.

[Bill B 0]

I have to wonder just how many of you are actually doing anything besides coming on VJ and ranting?

Don't take that to be an insult, I just wonder.

I have only been waiting 3 months (not quite) and I have sent out probably around 5 or 6 letters to important people. So far, I've had one returned (That'd be the Aguilar one) and one reply from one of my Senators.

My father, the cynical man that he is, says he doesn't think writing any politicians will help because I'm just one person in a very big country, and while I will not give him the pleasure of agreeing with him, he is not completely off base.

If only a couple of people ever do anything...the system cannot possibly be completely overhauled for the better.

I strongly encourage all of you, especially Mirla to find ways to write in to these people. Let your voice be heard. Nobody will ever know you're in trouble if you don't admit that you are.

Just my two cents, halfway between Bill y Bella and everyone else I think.

Wait, let me get this straight in my mind. I am on one side all by myself, you are in the middle and everyone else is on the other side? Seems a little out of balance. I hope the forum does not tip over.

As to your question that mentions rants, I am a little offended despite your disclaimer. To rant is to speak violently or vehemently. I do not feel that is a fair description of very many posts in this forum and it definitely does not accurately describe mine. Just because a post is not positive does not make it a rant.

I do understand your point about people needing to take some sort of action if they are not satisfied with the status quo. Personally I would like to see us bombard the ombudsman and the USCIS director with a ton of emails all asking the same question. Why do employment based visa petitions have greater priority than petitions for family based visas from US citizens? There are other problems with USCIS also, but I think that question goes to the heart of the problem.

Yes, that is probably confusing. However, what confused me more, much more than anything else is:

Why do people on work visas (H1B) take 1 day to process their spouses visa, while a US Citizen has to wait for a total of 8-12 months? Is it because the H1B visa holders are more trustworthy than us US Citizens?

This my friends make no sense to me. I have heard back from one of the Senators and have a call with their office next week. Also, I finally spoke to someone from CNN (Lou Dobbs) and they have requested that I send them documentation, as they were unable to believe that infact is the case.

Will keep you'll posted.

Waiting9,

Thank you because you are one of many trying to make a difference...trying to turn around the injustice of the system. It sounds like someone is finally at least listening to you. I have also received letters back from both of my senators and congresswoman. Each took a different attack. The congresswoman's office calls USCIS periodically to keep on them, one senator wrote the Department of Homeland Security and the other wrote the Department of State. One thing is for certain; if we do nothing, nothing will change for the better of us and those after us.

[virgillionaire 0]

I don't get it.

1. Byrun gets an RFE because his attorney screwed up again.
2. Mirla is told that she only needs to wait a few more weeks which if it is true means that she could be the first of the group to hit the 6 month mark.
3. There have been only 3 VSC approvals in the last 7 days. 2 of those were expedited mid and late September submittals while early May filers are still waiting.
4. VSC can't even do the email and hard copy notifications properly when there is a rare approval.
5. Based on the VSC approval pace over the last 7, 15, 30 & 60 days the best case projection for how long it will take from today to finish each month's petitions is 51 days for May, 132 days for June and 280 days for July.

But we are waving pom poms and yelling gooooooooo VSC? Members are posting that they are sure that so and so will have their approval any day now? Based on what? The power of positive thinking and the pom pom to change VSC policy?

Call me negative. I don't care. When there is good news out of VSC I will be as positive as anyone else. In the meantime the reality is that VSC is doing a terrible job for us and unless they change soon most of us will be waiting a very long time for our approvals.

Please don't get me wrong. I am hopeful. I hope that Mirla is approved today and I hope that Byrun's RFE does not delay his processing by more than a few days. I hope that VSC gives us back our adjudicators very soon. I hope that May filers are all approved by the end of the month and I hope that June filers follow soon after. I also hope that I am not missing too much as my baby girl grows and learns every day while she is 5,000 miles away. I hope that my fiance's son is not becoming too old for us to form a close father/son relationship as we wait for VSC to finish processing petitions for employment visas. I hope I do not go bankrupt buying airline tickets so that we can be together as often as possible. I hope that Bella does not ask me tonight how much longer it will be because I do not want to see the tears in her eyes when I tell her that it looks like it might be a very long time.

I hope all of these things and many more. Unfortunately I am not sure of any of it because what I observe at VSC is not encouraging.

Hopefully things will improve soon. In the meantime, whenever I see those pom poms I find myself wishing VJ had a machine gun emoticon.

This is why is doesn't make sense to me that Cuba gets special treatment. We have hardships too, is VSC cutting any of us a break cause they're nice guys? Or because we deserve it? My fiancee' went through a miscarriage alone.

I don't think waiting alone is a good reason to put Cuba to the front of the line. Apparently, Ghana has a long wait for interviews - Zee didn't get to jump the line.

Let cuba take it like everyone else.

PS I still have a feeling we'll see some approvals popping up before people get to 6 months. I think they won't want the controversy ...

[U.S. Wendy 0]

Totally agree Bill y Bella. Their service sucks, period! I am so tired of coming on here and seeing zero approvals, zero! I have been saying for a long time now that we will most likely wait about 6 months and many just sat back and did nothing. I cannot believe every K-1/K3 filer who isn't approved yet has not written their elected officials and media. This is sickening and mark my words, those that did nothing will regret it some day. Sure, the day will come some day and you will be happy when it does, but think of the time together with your loved one that they took away and you can never get back, and God forbid if one of them dies while waiting these unreasonable times. As usual, I see today they are too busy processing work visas, refugee visas, receipting issues, etc. above ours...I never said they aren't working. I have always said the system sucks and they work too much ###### above us--tax paying US individual citizens.

Jesus christ.... Do you not think that's going a LITTLE too far? I know I said the other day that people need to rant occasionally to let of steam etc and that everyone handles things differently, but ffs! Get a grip!

How dare you say that those who did nothing will regret it one day. Who the HELL do you think you are?

Yes, this is a public forum and people can express their opinion in any which way they see fit, but you are really beginning to piss me off

Sorry you took it personal. I hope it got you fired up to write a letter or some more if you already haven't. As US Wendy said, "Get angry..." take action. I agree and I know there are many who wished they would have written their letters a lot earlier. My post was a call to action, a call to wake those up who have done nothing. If after reading this you don't agree, so be it. Then you and I have different sides on this issue.

Yep

I can't say how many letters or e-mails I've written, too many to count, but I feel like whatever efforts WE have made HAS helped....even in a small way to push USCIS to answer as to WHY things are such a mess with their agency. Complaining to the Ombudsman was a GOOD thing...for all of us.

As for me, he's investigating my case, formally, and I just noticed today my first 'returned' petition was 'touched'. It hasn't been touched since June 26, 2007, the day AFTER it made it back to the U.S. for 'review', so probably by the time they review the first, the second one will finally be approved. I was told there are 85,000 cases waiting for 'review' and they are even LESS of a priority than the K-1's and K-3's are. It's really silly, but I don't make the rules.

As for my Elected Officials, only one has really stepped up to the plate for me, a Democratic House Rep. His Aide is AWESOME!!!! I do believe that her calls to USCIS/VSC played a BIG part in them FINALLY dusting off my case to take a look at the injustice my fiance and I have suffered. There is no doubt in my mind that IF enough of us start hassling them, they will FORCE USCIS to do something more than they are doing now.....which is just to make lame excuses.

About the 6 month timeframe to approve our petitions....well, I hate to say I told you so. It's not nice to rub salt in the wounds of those of you sitting in the same boat with me, but I couldn't help but feel that only a small number of you believed me. For those of you who have been persistent in your efforts, I would bet you will see some kind of payoff.... if nothing more than finally getting accurate information about your case....and that's a rarity around here as you can see.

It's not too late to act....and although I may come off as a bit bitter and serious here, it's not meant to hurt or anger anyone here beyond getting you all to DO something tangible to effect change.

What about the press release for the 'chocolate drop'? Has that effort fizzled out?

P.S.- the reporter from Washington Post did contact USCIS and they told her that the processing of K-1's in 30 days (earlier this year and last year) was not true, so you see what I'm saying?

Peace, W

[Bill y Bella 0]

I have to wonder just how many of you are actually doing anything besides coming on VJ and ranting?

Don't take that to be an insult, I just wonder.

I have only been waiting 3 months (not quite) and I have sent out probably around 5 or 6 letters to important people. So far, I've had one returned (That'd be the Aguilar one) and one reply from one of my Senators.

My father, the cynical man that he is, says he doesn't think writing any politicians will help because I'm just one person in a very big country, and while I will not give him the pleasure of agreeing with him, he is not completely off base.

If only a couple of people ever do anything...the system cannot possibly be completely overhauled for the better.

I strongly encourage all of you, especially Mirla to find ways to write in to these people. Let your voice be heard. Nobody will ever know you're in trouble if you don't admit that you are.

Just my two cents, halfway between Bill y Bella and everyone else I think.

Wait, let me get this straight in my mind. I am on one side all by myself, you are in the middle and everyone else is on the other side? Seems a little out of balance. I hope the forum does not tip over.

As to your question that mentions rants, I am a little offended despite your disclaimer. To rant is to speak violently or vehemently. I do not feel that is a fair description of very many posts in this forum and it definitely does not accurately describe mine. Just because a post is not positive does not make it a rant.

I do understand your point about people needing to take some sort of action if they are not satisfied with the status quo. Personally I would like to see us bombard the ombudsman and the USCIS director with a ton of emails all asking the same question. Why do employment based visa petitions have greater priority than petitions for family based visas from US citizens? There are other problems with USCIS also, but I think that question goes to the heart of the problem.

Definitions of rant on the Web:

harangue: a loud bombastic declamation expressed with strong emotion

bombast: pompous or pretentious talk or writing

talk in a noisy, excited, or declamatory manner

wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

A rant is a widespread and distinctive phenomenon of emotional speech or writing usually consisting of complaints or attacks, sometimes in a political nature. Rarely, rants express great praise, defending an idea or a person from attack.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rant

Rant: An Oral Biography of Buster Casey is a novel by Chuck Palahniuk that is due to be released on May 1, 2007 . The following has been said by the author in regards to an official description: Palahniuk has allegedly discussed aspects of the book during tours. ...

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rant (novel)

a dance step apparently originating in northern England.

www.traditionalmusic.co.uk/traditional-music/ency/r1.htm

Ref: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&def...on&ct=title

Personally, I think yours is pretty accurately defined in the 1st. Although you are clearly frustrated and justifiably angry, you are taking it out on others here who may choose to act differently than you.

Oh. So I am loud, bombastic, pompous, noisy and pretentious. So much for your original claim of no insult being intended. But hey, nice cut and paste.

[virgillionaire 0]

Totally agree Bill y Bella. Their service sucks, period! I am so tired of coming on here and seeing zero approvals, zero! I have been saying for a long time now that we will most likely wait about 6 months and many just sat back and did nothing. I cannot believe every K-1/K3 filer who isn't approved yet has not written their elected officials and media. This is sickening and mark my words, those that did nothing will regret it some day. Sure, the day will come some day and you will be happy when it does, but think of the time together with your loved one that they took away and you can never get back, and God forbid if one of them dies while waiting these unreasonable times. As usual, I see today they are too busy processing work visas, refugee visas, receipting issues, etc. above ours...I never said they aren't working. I have always said the system sucks and they work too much ###### above us--tax paying US individual citizens.

Jesus christ.... Do you not think that's going a LITTLE too far? I know I said the other day that people need to rant occasionally to let of steam etc and that everyone handles things differently, but ffs! Get a grip!

How dare you say that those who did nothing will regret it one day. Who the HELL do you think you are?

Yes, this is a public forum and people can express their opinion in any which way they see fit, but you are really beginning to piss me off

Sorry you took it personal. I hope it got you fired up to write a letter or some more if you already haven't. As US Wendy said, "Get angry..." take action. I agree and I know there are many who wished they would have written their letters a lot earlier. My post was a call to action, a call to wake those up who have done nothing. If after reading this you don't agree, so be it. Then you and I have different sides on this issue.

Yep

I can't say how many letters or e-mails I've written, too many to count, but I feel like whatever efforts WE have made HAS helped....even in a small way to push USCIS to answer as to WHY things are such a mess with their agency. Complaining to the Ombudsman was a GOOD thing...for all of us.

As for me, he's investigating my case, formally, and I just noticed today my first 'returned' petition was 'touched'. It hasn't been touched since June 26, 2007, the day AFTER it made it back to the U.S. for 'review', so probably by the time they review the first, the second one will finally be approved. I was told there are 85,000 cases waiting for 'review' and they are even LESS of a priority than the K-1's and K-3's are. It's really silly, but I don't make the rules.

As for my Elected Officials, only one has really stepped up to the plate for me, a Democratic House Rep. His Aide is AWESOME!!!! I do believe that her calls to USCIS/VSC played a BIG part in them FINALLY dusting off my case to take a look at the injustice my fiance and I have suffered. There is no doubt in my mind that IF enough of us start hassling them, they will FORCE USCIS to do something more than they are doing now.....which is just to make lame excuses.

About the 6 month timeframe to approve our petitions....well, I hate to say I told you so. It's not nice to rub salt in the wounds of those of you sitting in the same boat with me, but I couldn't help but feel that only a small number of you believed me. For those of you who have been persistent in your efforts, I would bet you will see some kind of payoff.... if nothing more than finally getting accurate information about your case....and that's a rarity around here as you can see.

It's not too late to act....and although I may come off as a bit bitter and serious here, it's not meant to hurt or anger anyone here beyond getting you all to DO something tangible to effect change.

What about the press release for the 'chocolate drop'? Has that effort fizzled out?

P.S.- the reporter from Washington Post did contact USCIS and they told her that the processing of K-1's in 30 days (earlier this year and last year) was not true, so you see what I'm saying?

Peace, W

The 'chocolate drop' is still alive if anyone is interested. Noone has replied to prior messages so I'm trying to get the ducks in a row alone before I suggest we start.

I found out how to send a press release to the AP. It seems we'd need to email CNN and other news org.s unless we paid a distribution service. And the Post reporter said she'd run it if we do it before her story prints.

We still need a one page press release. I'll try to write a draft if nobody volunteers. It's just a catchy headline of our cause, subheading. And a few paragraphs of explanation and what we are going to do.

Again, any suggestions welcome.

PS Maybe it's better that they deny the 30 day processing, being caught in a lie is more of a story than them shrugging it off as cyclical ...

[Bob & Kim 0]

Totally agree Bill y Bella. Their service sucks, period! I am so tired of coming on here and seeing zero approvals, zero! I have been saying for a long time now that we will most likely wait about 6 months and many just sat back and did nothing. I cannot believe every K-1/K3 filer who isn't approved yet has not written their elected officials and media. This is sickening and mark my words, those that did nothing will regret it some day. Sure, the day will come some day and you will be happy when it does, but think of the time together with your loved one that they took away and you can never get back, and God forbid if one of them dies while waiting these unreasonable times. As usual, I see today they are too busy processing work visas, refugee visas, receipting issues, etc. above ours...I never said they aren't working. I have always said the system sucks and they work too much ###### above us--tax paying US individual citizens.

Jesus christ.... Do you not think that's going a LITTLE too far? I know I said the other day that people need to rant occasionally to let of steam etc and that everyone handles things differently, but ffs! Get a grip!

How dare you say that those who did nothing will regret it one day. Who the HELL do you think you are?

Yes, this is a public forum and people can express their opinion in any which way they see fit, but you are really beginning to piss me off

Sorry you took it personal. I hope it got you fired up to write a letter or some more if you already haven't. As US Wendy said, "Get angry..." take action. I agree and I know there are many who wished they would have written their letters a lot earlier. My post was a call to action, a call to wake those up who have done nothing. If after reading this you don't agree, so be it. Then you and I have different sides on this issue.

Yep

I can't say how many letters or e-mails I've written, too many to count, but I feel like whatever efforts WE have made HAS helped....even in a small way to push USCIS to answer as to WHY things are such a mess with their agency. Complaining to the Ombudsman was a GOOD thing...for all of us.

As for me, he's investigating my case, formally, and I just noticed today my first 'returned' petition was 'touched'. It hasn't been touched since June 26, 2007, the day AFTER it made it back to the U.S. for 'review', so probably by the time they review the first, the second one will finally be approved. I was told there are 85,000 cases waiting for 'review' and they are even LESS of a priority than the K-1's and K-3's are. It's really silly, but I don't make the rules.

As for my Elected Officials, only one has really stepped up to the plate for me, a Democratic House Rep. His Aide is AWESOME!!!! I do believe that her calls to USCIS/VSC played a BIG part in them FINALLY dusting off my case to take a look at the injustice my fiance and I have suffered. There is no doubt in my mind that IF enough of us start hassling them, they will FORCE USCIS to do something more than they are doing now.....which is just to make lame excuses.

About the 6 month timeframe to approve our petitions....well, I hate to say I told you so. It's not nice to rub salt in the wounds of those of you sitting in the same boat with me, but I couldn't help but feel that only a small number of you believed me. For those of you who have been persistent in your efforts, I would bet you will see some kind of payoff.... if nothing more than finally getting accurate information about your case....and that's a rarity around here as you can see.

It's not too late to act....and although I may come off as a bit bitter and serious here, it's not meant to hurt or anger anyone here beyond getting you all to DO something tangible to effect change.

What about the press release for the 'chocolate drop'? Has that effort fizzled out?

P.S.- the reporter from Washington Post did contact USCIS and they told her that the processing of K-1's in 30 days (earlier this year and last year) was not true, so you see what I'm saying?

Peace, W

Yo, welcome back US Wendy and thanks for always adding something informative about what the hell is going on! So they even lie to the reporter too...they never cease to amaze me. Hell, I suppose this NOA2 in less than 30 days never happened either? Carly & Evan Canada Vermont Service Center 2007-10-01 2007-10-22

They are pathetic. I knew their system was f'd, but I never thought they would stoop to lying to a reporter. US Wendy: Please tell the reporter to file under the Freedom of Information Act to get the real story. We will let the truth be known, http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/men...00045f3d6a1RCRD

FOIA

USCIS Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Privacy Act (PA) Contact:

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

National Records Center, FOIA/PA Office

P. O. Box 648010

Lee’s Summit, MO 64064-8010

(816) 350-5570

Fax (816) 350-5785

uscis.foia@dhs.gov

Making a FOIA or PA request:

1. To Request USCIS Records: Unless otherwise noted below, mail or fax all requests for USCIS records, including alien files and procurement information, to the National Records Center at the address listed above. Please note: ALL FOIA REQUESTS MUST BE SUBMITTED IN WRITING. Form G-639 (available at www.uscis.gov) may be used for this purpose, but is not required. Please see “How to make a FOIA or PA request” for detailed information necessary to process your request. Unfortunately, we are unable to accept FOIA or PA requests by e-mail at this time.

2. To Request Human Resources Information: Mail requests for this information to: Customs and Border Protection, Burlington Human Resources Office, 70 Kimball Avenue, South Burlington, Vermont 05403-6813.

3. To Request Certifications: Certification of Nonexistence of a Record involves an agency decision. The USCIS Office of Records Management prepares this documentation. Requests for this service should be addressed to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, ATTN: Records Service Branch, 111 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, 4th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20529.

4. To Request Customs and Border Patrol records: Effective October 1, 2007, mail all requests for non-Alien file Customs and Border Patrol records to U.S.Customs and Border Protection, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Attn: Mint Annex Building, FOIA Division, Washington, D.C. 20229.

Reading Rooms:

1. Conventional Reading Room:

The USCIS Public Reading Room is located at 111 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W. 1st Floor, Washington, D.C. 20529. The hours of operation are 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The Reading Room is closed on Federal holidays. Please contact the Freedom of Information Office at (202) 272-8280 to make arrangements to view information in the Reading Room. At this on-site location you can review information that has been placed in binders and shelved, or you can take advantage of two computers made ready for electronic viewing of information maintained in our Electronic Reading Room.

The majority of information in our public reading room is made up of Administrative Decisions. The numerous Decisions have been indexed and categorized to assist you in navigating to your desired document.

2. Electronic Reading Room (ERR):

The ERR includes frequently requested records, opinions, policy statements, and staff manuals/instructions to staff, created after November 1, 1996.

Multitrack Processing:

USCIS uses a three-track system to process FOIA requests.

Track One: Routine requests;

Track Two: Complex inquiries that normally necessitate additional search and review time; and

Track Three: Requests by individuals scheduled for a hearing before an immigration judge.

Track Three became effective March 30, 2007. It consists of FOIA requests of individuals who are scheduled to appear before an immigration judge. The new track allows for accelerated access to A-files requested through the FOIA process, provided an individual or the individual’s representative includes at least one of the following documents with the FOIA request:

Notice to Appear (Form I-862);

Order to Show Cause (Form I-122);

Notice of Referral to Immigration Judge (Form I-863); or

A written request of continuation of a scheduled hearing before the immigration judge.

Requesters wishing to move a pending FOIA request to this new Track Three for processing must resubmit the request and comply with the above requirements.

Notice of this new track was published in the Federal Register February 28, 2007. A link to the Federal Register Notice is located under "Related Links" on this page.

FOIA Requester Service Center:

The National Records Center operates a call center to answer questions about filing a request, provide status updates of pending requests, and otherwise provide assistance in obtaining records from USCIS. The call center operates from 7:00 AM to 2:15 PM Central Time. The phone number to reach a call center representative is (816) 350-5570. You may also fax inquiries to the National Records Center at (816) 350-5785, or e-mail your questions to uscis.foia@dhs.gov.

[Munesh and Suz 0]

I don't get it.

1. Byrun gets an RFE because his attorney screwed up again.
2. Mirla is told that she only needs to wait a few more weeks which if it is true means that she could be the first of the group to hit the 6 month mark.
3. There have been only 3 VSC approvals in the last 7 days. 2 of those were expedited mid and late September submittals while early May filers are still waiting.
4. VSC can't even do the email and hard copy notifications properly when there is a rare approval.
5. Based on the VSC approval pace over the last 7, 15, 30 & 60 days the best case projection for how long it will take from today to finish each month's petitions is 51 days for May, 132 days for June and 280 days for July.

But we are waving pom poms and yelling gooooooooo VSC? Members are posting that they are sure that so and so will have their approval any day now? Based on what? The power of positive thinking and the pom pom to change VSC policy?

Call me negative. I don't care. When there is good news out of VSC I will be as positive as anyone else. In the meantime the reality is that VSC is doing a terrible job for us and unless they change soon most of us will be waiting a very long time for our approvals.

Please don't get me wrong. I am hopeful. I hope that Mirla is approved today and I hope that Byrun's RFE does not delay his processing by more than a few days. I hope that VSC gives us back our adjudicators very soon. I hope that May filers are all approved by the end of the month and I hope that June filers follow soon after. I also hope that I am not missing too much as my baby girl grows and learns every day while she is 5,000 miles away. I hope that my fiance's son is not becoming too old for us to form a close father/son relationship as we wait for VSC to finish processing petitions for employment visas. I hope I do not go bankrupt buying airline tickets so that we can be together as often as possible. I hope that Bella does not ask me tonight how much longer it will be because I do not want to see the tears in her eyes when I tell her that it looks like it might be a very long time.

I hope all of these things and many more. Unfortunately I am not sure of any of it because what I observe at VSC is not encouraging.

Hopefully things will improve soon. In the meantime, whenever I see those pom poms I find myself wishing VJ had a machine gun emoticon.

I understand exactly what you are saying and why you are saying it. There isn't any judgement, just understanding. I agree with you.

Yesterday my adjucation date was 10/27, today it is 10/18 (which is in the past). Just in case I needed one more thing to be pissed off about....

There's a reason for that. Another NOA2 approval...someone filed beginning of OCTOBER and was approved in 2 weeks. That messes up the numbers till a real time approval comes in.

WHO GOT APPROVED AND FILED IN OCTOBER???????????????? WHAT BULLSHIT IS THIS??????????

[U.S. Wendy 0]

Totally agree Bill y Bella. Their service sucks, period! I am so tired of coming on here and seeing zero approvals, zero! I have been saying for a long time now that we will most likely wait about 6 months and many just sat back and did nothing. I cannot believe every K-1/K3 filer who isn't approved yet has not written their elected officials and media. This is sickening and mark my words, those that did nothing will regret it some day. Sure, the day will come some day and you will be happy when it does, but think of the time together with your loved one that they took away and you can never get back, and God forbid if one of them dies while waiting these unreasonable times. As usual, I see today they are too busy processing work visas, refugee visas, receipting issues, etc. above ours...I never said they aren't working. I have always said the system sucks and they work too much ###### above us--tax paying US individual citizens.

Jesus christ.... Do you not think that's going a LITTLE too far? I know I said the other day that people need to rant occasionally to let of steam etc and that everyone handles things differently, but ffs! Get a grip!

How dare you say that those who did nothing will regret it one day. Who the HELL do you think you are?

Yes, this is a public forum and people can express their opinion in any which way they see fit, but you are really beginning to piss me off

Sorry you took it personal. I hope it got you fired up to write a letter or some more if you already haven't. As US Wendy said, "Get angry..." take action. I agree and I know there are many who wished they would have written their letters a lot earlier. My post was a call to action, a call to wake those up who have done nothing. If after reading this you don't agree, so be it. Then you and I have different sides on this issue.

Yep

I can't say how many letters or e-mails I've written, too many to count, but I feel like whatever efforts WE have made HAS helped....even in a small way to push USCIS to answer as to WHY things are such a mess with their agency. Complaining to the Ombudsman was a GOOD thing...for all of us.

As for me, he's investigating my case, formally, and I just noticed today my first 'returned' petition was 'touched'. It hasn't been touched since June 26, 2007, the day AFTER it made it back to the U.S. for 'review', so probably by the time they review the first, the second one will finally be approved. I was told there are 85,000 cases waiting for 'review' and they are even LESS of a priority than the K-1's and K-3's are. It's really silly, but I don't make the rules.

As for my Elected Officials, only one has really stepped up to the plate for me, a Democratic House Rep. His Aide is AWESOME!!!! I do believe that her calls to USCIS/VSC played a BIG part in them FINALLY dusting off my case to take a look at the injustice my fiance and I have suffered. There is no doubt in my mind that IF enough of us start hassling them, they will FORCE USCIS to do something more than they are doing now.....which is just to make lame excuses.

About the 6 month timeframe to approve our petitions....well, I hate to say I told you so. It's not nice to rub salt in the wounds of those of you sitting in the same boat with me, but I couldn't help but feel that only a small number of you believed me. For those of you who have been persistent in your efforts, I would bet you will see some kind of payoff.... if nothing more than finally getting accurate information about your case....and that's a rarity around here as you can see.

It's not too late to act....and although I may come off as a bit bitter and serious here, it's not meant to hurt or anger anyone here beyond getting you all to DO something tangible to effect change.

What about the press release for the 'chocolate drop'? Has that effort fizzled out?

P.S.- the reporter from Washington Post did contact USCIS and they told her that the processing of K-1's in 30 days (earlier this year and last year) was not true, so you see what I'm saying?

Peace, W

Yo, welcome back US Wendy and thanks for always adding something informative about what the hell is going on! So they even lie to the reporter too...they never cease to amaze me. Hell, I suppose this NOA2 in less than 30 days never happened either? Carly & Evan Canada Vermont Service Center 2007-10-01 2007-10-22

They are pathetic. I knew their system was f'd, but I never thought they would stoop to lying to a reporter. US Wendy: Please tell the reporter to file under the Freedom of Information Act to get the real story. We will let the truth be known, http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/men...00045f3d6a1RCRD

FOIA

USCIS Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Privacy Act (PA) Contact:

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

National Records Center, FOIA/PA Office

P. O. Box 648010

Lee’s Summit, MO 64064-8010

(816) 350-5570

Fax (816) 350-5785

uscis.foia@dhs.gov

Making a FOIA or PA request:

1. To Request USCIS Records: Unless otherwise noted below, mail or fax all requests for USCIS records, including alien files and procurement information, to the National Records Center at the address listed above. Please note: ALL FOIA REQUESTS MUST BE SUBMITTED IN WRITING. Form G-639 (available at www.uscis.gov) may be used for this purpose, but is not required. Please see “How to make a FOIA or PA request” for detailed information necessary to process your request. Unfortunately, we are unable to accept FOIA or PA requests by e-mail at this time.

2. To Request Human Resources Information: Mail requests for this information to: Customs and Border Protection, Burlington Human Resources Office, 70 Kimball Avenue, South Burlington, Vermont 05403-6813.

3. To Request Certifications: Certification of Nonexistence of a Record involves an agency decision. The USCIS Office of Records Management prepares this documentation. Requests for this service should be addressed to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, ATTN: Records Service Branch, 111 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, 4th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20529.

4. To Request Customs and Border Patrol records: Effective October 1, 2007, mail all requests for non-Alien file Customs and Border Patrol records to U.S.Customs and Border Protection, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Attn: Mint Annex Building, FOIA Division, Washington, D.C. 20229.

Reading Rooms:

1. Conventional Reading Room:

The USCIS Public Reading Room is located at 111 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W. 1st Floor, Washington, D.C. 20529. The hours of operation are 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The Reading Room is closed on Federal holidays. Please contact the Freedom of Information Office at (202) 272-8280 to make arrangements to view information in the Reading Room. At this on-site location you can review information that has been placed in binders and shelved, or you can take advantage of two computers made ready for electronic viewing of information maintained in our Electronic Reading Room.

The majority of information in our public reading room is made up of Administrative Decisions. The numerous Decisions have been indexed and categorized to assist you in navigating to your desired document.

2. Electronic Reading Room (ERR):

The ERR includes frequently requested records, opinions, policy statements, and staff manuals/instructions to staff, created after November 1, 1996.

Multitrack Processing:

USCIS uses a three-track system to process FOIA requests.

Track One: Routine requests;

Track Two: Complex inquiries that normally necessitate additional search and review time; and

Track Three: Requests by individuals scheduled for a hearing before an immigration judge.

Track Three became effective March 30, 2007. It consists of FOIA requests of individuals who are scheduled to appear before an immigration judge. The new track allows for accelerated access to A-files requested through the FOIA process, provided an individual or the individual’s representative includes at least one of the following documents with the FOIA request:

Notice to Appear (Form I-862);

Order to Show Cause (Form I-122);

Notice of Referral to Immigration Judge (Form I-863); or

A written request of continuation of a scheduled hearing before the immigration judge.

Requesters wishing to move a pending FOIA request to this new Track Three for processing must resubmit the request and comply with the above requirements.

Notice of this new track was published in the Federal Register February 28, 2007. A link to the Federal Register Notice is located under "Related Links" on this page.

FOIA Requester Service Center:

The National Records Center operates a call center to answer questions about filing a request, provide status updates of pending requests, and otherwise provide assistance in obtaining records from USCIS. The call center operates from 7:00 AM to 2:15 PM Central Time. The phone number to reach a call center representative is (816) 350-5570. You may also fax inquiries to the National Records Center at (816) 350-5785, or e-mail your questions to uscis.foia@dhs.gov.

I will. Thanks for all the detail so I just have to cut and paste and shoot her an e-mail.

Only thing is this:

1-I sent a FOIA on my case in April, 2007 and I still don't have anything from them. Maybe, as a reporter she can get a faster response, I don't know.

2-OUR site tracks only our petition averages, and yes, VSC was averaging 30 days at one time, however USCIS may try and present the average of ALL K-1's or K-3's or lump them together and have come up with a different average....or they just lied. I don't know.

Anyhoo, I'll let her know about the FOIA