Biden Could Fix the Logjam If He Wanted To

[jan22 3,052]

36 minutes ago, GregandNatty said:

 

 

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Bandwidth = capacity to perform interviews. 

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Yes, I do have a problem with tourist VISAs when the embassy is issuing more tourist VISAs than family VISAs and saying they don't have capacity to increase interviews. Sorry, I just don't feel foreign tourist coming to the US should take precedence over a US Citizen or permanent resident seeking a VISA.  It's our country not theirs, and so we should be first in line. 

 

Specifically, bandwidth is used by the Embassy to refer to computer system capacity; the bandwidth available basically controls how much data can be downloaded or uploaded.  Immigrant visas require a great deal of information be downloaded for the officer to review and, therefore, more bandwidth.  The Embassies have to rely on the same internet service providers that everyone else in a country uses -- with all of the extra loads being put on the systems by more businesses/individuals working more online.   There may not be enough bandwidth to download the large amount of data needed to process an IV case, or the amout available makes the download much slower, thus limiting the number of cases that can be downloaded per day.  NIVs, on the other hand, require far less information to be downloaded and, therefore, require less bandwidth to process. 

 

Not trying to make any excuses for a frustrating issue -- just wanted to offer a broader explanation.

Edited February 28, 2021 by jan22

[Mike E 11,739]

2 hours ago, davidvs said:

I don't like the idea of putting the wealthy in the front of the line. 

It’s a fee based agency and paying extra to get my documents shipped via  FedEx over night, hold for pickup, ID + signature required not only doesn’t put me ahead of you in line it takes me out of the line and gets you processed faster.  
 

Cuz this way I am not in line again replacing a document that Usps lost.  The same document you are waiting for.   
 

To be consistent we should force a Usps to get rid of priority and express mail, cuz you know, wealthy.  

Edited February 28, 2021 by Mike E

[davidvs 337]

1 hour ago, Mike E said:

It’s a fee based agency and paying extra to get my documents shipped via  FedEx over night, hold for pickup, ID + signature required not only doesn’t put me ahead of you in line it takes me out of the line and gets you processed faster.  
 

Cuz this way I am not in line again replacing a document that Usps lost.  The same document you are waiting for.   
 

To be consistent we should force a Usps to get rid of priority and express mail, cuz you know, wealthy.  

"Premium courier " does not put the wealthy in front of the line, "premium processing " does.

 

[Mintosman 11]

On 2/27/2021 at 3:24 PM, GregandNatty said:

 

I think a phone call from Biden to the State Department could  fix the issue, but worse case an executive order that orders embassies to ramp up interviews would fix alot of this.    I'm not saying we need to be at pre-covid levels, but maybe even 50% would be a reasonable place to be.  We aren't anywhere close to that.   See attached.

The issue isn't the entire immigration system, but the people doing interviews.  Get these people vaccinated.  Absolutely all of the science about the current vaccines say without exception that every vaccine currently available prevents 100% of severe COVID and death.   That's what really matters right?  I mean, we all get colds every year, but we don't go hide in our homes because of it.  If the vaccines reduce COVID to something that amounts to a cold, then problem solved.  

Why you ask should they be prioritized?   Because what's going on right now by keeping families apart is having very real and extremely detrimental impacts on people.  It's difficult to measure the impacts to families going through immigration and are apart because of the pandemic because we aren't actively looking at it, but they are there and they are hurting alot of people.   Don't underestimate the importance of family to personal health.   

I’d say Zoom interviews would be a nice start!!! They have all our information. Just ask away on a zoom call.

[HRQX 4,145]

5 minutes ago, Mintosman said:

I’d say Zoom interviews would be a nice start!!! They have all our information. Just ask away on a zoom call.

Note that DOS would have to comply with the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) in order to propose a significant change to 22 CFR § 42.62(a). The APA includes requirements for publishing notices of proposed and final rulemaking in the Federal Register, and provides opportunities for the public to comment on notices of proposed rulemaking.

[Mintosman 11]

2 minutes ago, HRQX said:

Note that DOS would have to comply with the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) in order to propose a significant change to 22 CFR § 42.62(a). The APA includes requirements for publishing notices of proposed and final rulemaking in the Federal Register, and provides opportunities for the public to comment on notices of proposed rulemaking.

Fine by me. We are a year into Covid. The mental health of the children and spouses who are just waiting for a few questions to be asked before being reunited is worth a few hearings and public comment responses. IMHO 

[Mike E 11,739]

1 hour ago, davidvs said:

"Premium courier " does not put the wealthy in front of the line, "premium processing " does.

 

Premium courier: a separate delivery organization that does not impact the poor.   
 

Premium processing: a separate petition and visa processing organization that does not impact the poor. 

 

 

[jan22 3,052]

2 hours ago, Mintosman said:

I’d say Zoom interviews would be a nice start!!! They have all our information. Just ask away on a zoom call.

There are a lot of security issues involved (that have been discussed here in VJ previously) -- things like verifying identity, fingerprinting, maintaining data security, etc -- that prevent the possibility of online interviews with the current infrastructure.  In addition, many countries do not have stable enough Internet connections to ensure a strong enough connection to have the quality of video needed for the interviewer to be able to see facial expressions, etc clearly.

[Bob44 12]

It’s stupid. They have prison visitors behind glass. Have the interview like that. It was Trumps excuse to screw up the system and it’s low on Biden’s radar. I’ve written both my senators and congressman. Not even a reply. 

[HRQX 4,145]

31 minutes ago, Bob44 said:

They have prison visitors behind glass. Have the interview like that.

It's already like that:

[GregandNatty 195]

42 minutes ago, Bob44 said:

It’s stupid. They have prison visitors behind glass. Have the interview like that. It was Trumps excuse to screw up the system and it’s low on Biden’s radar. I’ve written both my senators and congressman. Not even a reply. 

 

What's going on now has nothing to do with Trump.

 

Seems whenever someone is unhappy with US immigration its immediately Trumps fault

 

Edited March 1, 2021 by GregandNatty

[GregandNatty 195]

Deleted - duplicate 

 

Edited March 1, 2021 by GregandNatty

[Bob44 12]

You’re right people blame him for many things. Mainly because of his aggressive attitude. I don’t think you can say it has nothing to do with him. I think him amd his boy Stephen Miller were opportunistic. This problem can be solved immediately. It is impacting people’s lives. Pick a date. By end or March all people in the US that are vulnerable will have had vaccines. Get foreign staff vaccinations in April. Set a goal to cut wait times in half by Aug. Figure it out. 

[Cjab 1]

On 2/27/2021 at 7:06 PM, GregandNatty said:

 

I work for/with government employees as a consultant and there is no question that federal employees are like 5 or 10 fold more paranoid about COVID than most private industry counterparts.  They are a mess across the board and they feed into their own mess by freaking each other out.    

 

What do you do with families?   I would counter with the question:  What do we do about medical professionals or school teachers families?    These professionals are being vaccinated and getting back to work. 

What's going on with US Immigrations and the family VISAs right now is just awful.   Somebody needs to address this before we address other parts of US Immigration like what's going on right now with our southern boarder and just letting thousands of asylum seekers come here while their cases are being processed.   That's cool but then let all of those with family visa applications bring their significant other, or which ever family member is part of the application, here to the US while their cases are being processed. 

Hello, I am a nurse working here in Florida. I'm waiting for my dependents from the Philippines.  I feel they are safer there now than here. I work in covid unit and we see younger harsh cases of covid. I am just going to travel home this midyear to check on them. But, I trust in God's timing for them to come when most of USA has been vaccinated. 

[Ohana2020 5]

I have not yet read the whole thread, but so far I agree with the topic starter here. "Just suck it up" is not a good attitude in life period, so trying to do something about it is a great start. I am not criticizing the current government, I think it takes time to do things and they will eventually get to this. The author is simply trying to reunite with his family, they both have a right for that. And I can only imagine how hard this is. Just because I did not go through this I can't just say "dude, just wait" and go on without realizing the financial and mental consequences of this time apart for families. 

 

As a norm, embassy workers have access to more facilities and day care/childcare/schools than regular citizens of that particular country. That is a token to brave ones who leave their comfort behind and go around the world to do what most of us could not or would not do. But even if someone does not have a place to drop off their kids they won't come to work is not a good excuse. Job is a job and needs to be done. If there is really an emergency, there is always more than 1 officer and a few back ups to do the job. So I think, the interviews are not slowed down because the employees don't have anywhere to take their children and show up to work... They live their lives, go out to eat, drink, hang out with friends, take local or international trips...

 

 

With COVID the embassy personnel has very minimum interaction with interviewers. Usually, those rooms have bulletproof glass windows so anyone being interviewed and the consular office are being divided by that thick glass. Also, most embassies require the interviewer to be quarantined before they show up to the interview. (I was). They are asked questions like "have you been in contact with anyone who had covid....etc. etc", and they take your temperature before you go inside. Of course, masks are mandatory at all times. And if the masks prevent from getting it or spreading it, then the situation should be a lot better than what we have. My point is measures are being taken. With all of this in place, it's not deadly to start interviewing more people than before, especially those who has been waiting forever. 

 

They allow tourists to come, but not the spouses of US citizens??? I do not see logic, but maybe there is someone here who has insider information, I am happy to be informed. 

 

Greg, I really hope for the best for you, hopefully you can contact your congressmen or someone who may take this up. I know of a case when this helped (before covid).