I don’t get it.

[dbcs 3]

My petition has been collecting dust at the Nebraska SC since October. I’ve seen soooooo many people on here who have gotten approvals in just a couple of months. My timeline on here has said “past due” for over a month now.  I sent everything they wanted and more, and even if I didn’t am I not entitled to an RFE? I paid their fee. What the eff is wrong with these people? Do they not understand the concept of first come first serve? 
 

It’s infuriating.

[Chancy 6,241]

9 minutes ago, dogbraincatscan said:

Do they not understand the concept of first come first serve? 

 

I don't know where you got the idea that USCIS processes petitions on a first-come-first-serve basis (they don't).  The best you can hope for is that your petition is reviewed within the published estimated time posted here -- https://egov.uscis.gov/processing-times/

 

If your case has not been processed within the published estimate, you can try logging a request for "Outside Normal Processing Time" using this form -- https://egov.uscis.gov/e-request/displayONPTForm.do?entryPoint=init&sroPageType=onpt

 

We filed our petition in early May 2020 and only very recently got approved.  Before we got the approval email, my spouse was starting to have revenge fantasies about withholding essential services from USCIS employees 

 

Hang in there!

 

[dbcs 3]

6 minutes ago, Chancy said:

 

I don't know where you got the idea that USCIS processes petitions on a first-come-first-serve basis (they don't).  The best you can hope for is that your petition is reviewed within the published estimated time posted here -- https://egov.uscis.gov/processing-times/

 

If your case has not been processed within the published estimate, you can try logging a request for "Outside Normal Processing Time" using this form -- https://egov.uscis.gov/e-request/displayONPTForm.do?entryPoint=init&sroPageType=onpt

 

We filed our petition in early May 2020 and only very recently got approved.  Before we got the approval email, my spouse was starting to have revenge fantasies about withholding essential services from USCIS employees 

 

Hang in there!

 

Thank you for your response. I suppose if we’re going to split hairs over who is “first” in line then I’ll say here that I am USC petitioning for a spouse, which I believe is priority. If this is not what you meant about how “they don’t” do that then perhaps you could shed some light on how they do decide who comes first? 

 

Thanks again. I’m glad you and your wife got your approval after such a long wait.

[Chancy 6,241]

7 minutes ago, dogbraincatscan said:

I suppose if we’re going to split hairs over who is “first” in line then I’ll say here that I am USC petitioning for a spouse, which I believe is priority. If this is not what you meant about how “they don’t” do that then perhaps you could shed some light on how they do decide who comes first?

 

I meant that for petitions for spouses of US citizens, it would not be accurate to say that those are processed on a first-come-first-serve basis.  The closest analogy would be to think of USCIS processing like a supermarket checkout line.  You may be unlucky and get a slow cashier, or the person ahead of you could have a lot more in their shopping cart.  The difference is that petitioners don't have control over which cashier -- i.e. USCIS processing center or adjudicating officer -- they get assigned to.  Ours was first assigned to Nebraska SC, then transferred to Potomac SC.  Ugh.

 

I've personally followed 2 cases of USC spouse petitions that were filed months after ours, yet approved in around 3 months!  Happy for them, but depressing for us.  But then I also know of a case that was filed in Jan 2020 and only approved in Jan 2021.

 

[dbcs 3]

2 minutes ago, Chancy said:

 

I meant that for petitions for spouses of US citizens, it would not be accurate to say that those are processed on a first-come-first-serve basis.  The closest analogy would be to think of USCIS processing like a supermarket checkout line.  You may be unlucky and get a slow cashier, or the person ahead of you could have a lot more in their shopping cart.  The difference is that petitioners don't have control over which cashier -- i.e. USCIS processing center or adjudicating officer -- they get assigned to.  Ours was first assigned to Nebraska SC, then transferred to Potomac SC.  Ugh.

 

I've personally followed 2 cases of USC spouse petitions that were filed months after ours, yet approved in around 3 months!  Happy for them, but depressing for us.  But then I also know of a case that was filed in Jan 2020 and only approved in Jan 2021.

 

That is a reasonable assessment which makes me feel better. I appreciate you taking the time to accept the challenge of my angry post. Thank you. 

[Chancy 6,241]

1 hour ago, dogbraincatscan said:

That is a reasonable assessment which makes me feel better. I appreciate you taking the time to accept the challenge of my angry post. Thank you. 

 

No worries.  Been there.  I'm just glad we got the approval before those revenge fantasies escalated to crazy levels

 

[top_secret 2,421]

 

On 3/30/2021 at 6:34 PM, Chancy said:

like a supermarket checkout line.  You may be unlucky and get a slow cashier,

Oh, man.  I'm always the guy wind up in that line somehow.  This is going to take forever. 🙄😉

[Chancy 6,241]

15 minutes ago, top_secret said:

Oh, man.  I'm always the guy wind up in that line somehow.  This is going to take forever. 🙄😉

 

We found out when we called USCIS that our petition was transferred from Nebraska to Potomac.  My husband said it's like we had been waiting at the checkout line for more than half a year, only to discover that our shopping cart had been shipped to another supermarket 😒

 

[JoeBacon 27]

Right there with you on this one! Our i-130 (spouse of USC too) has been gathering dust at Nebraska since early July 2020!

 

After literally no contact or updates for almost 9 months we submitted a case enquiry, as we are almost 2 months outside of 'normal' processing times at this point and then we got sent this:
 

Quote

We ask for you to allow additional time for this process to continue since we process these cases in the order received.

Yikes!

It's very frustrating to see people get approved in a few months, about 10 of the last 15 approvals at Nebraska (according to this site) have been from applications submitted in 2021! So no, they clearly don't understand the concept of first come first served.

I try to be happy for all those getting quick approvals, I really do, but it's very difficult. Each day longer they make us wait is another day apart from the ones we love the most! It's like emotional torture to be kept in the dark about something as important as when/if you can be together with your soulmate again...

[dbcs 3]

On 4/2/2021 at 7:44 PM, JoeBacon said:

Right there with you on this one! Our i-130 (spouse of USC too) has been gathering dust at Nebraska since early July 2020!

 

After literally no contact or updates for almost 9 months we submitted a case enquiry, as we are almost 2 months outside of 'normal' processing times at this point and then we got sent this:
 

Yikes!

It's very frustrating to see people get approved in a few months, about 10 of the last 15 approvals at Nebraska (according to this site) have been from applications submitted in 2021! So no, they clearly don't understand the concept of first come first served.

I try to be happy for all those getting quick approvals, I really do, but it's very difficult. Each day longer they make us wait is another day apart from the ones we love the most! It's like emotional torture to be kept in the dark about something as important as when/if you can be together with your soulmate again...

Have you consulted an immigration attorney? That is what I would do if I got an inquiry response like that.  I might just skip the inquiry and the courtesy call to the useless hotline to do exactly that when my case falls outside of the normal processing time in May.

[neca 166]

Our case was submitted Oct 2019, finally approved August 2020. No RFE, no nothing. As soon as our case moved out of regular processing times, they moved the processing times back.

 

Finally got our DQ Oct 2020. Been waiting for an interview since then.

 

Covid sucks.

[JoeBacon 27]

12 hours ago, dogbraincatscan said:

Have you consulted an immigration attorney? That is what I would do if I got an inquiry response like that.  I might just skip the inquiry and the courtesy call to the useless hotline to do exactly that when my case falls outside of the normal processing time in May.

We have contacted both our Senators and Congressperson, one of the senators has already contacted USCIS on our behalf. No matter which service centre you are at, or any other excuses they use, we fully believe that waiting close to (or in some cases well over) a year just to complete the first of many steps (i-130) of this process is inhumane and cruel, whilst others just skip through the queue in a few months.

 

Hopefully the pressure from the senators etc will have some affect, they really need to sort out the huge disparity in processing times and stop messing with peoples lives like this.

 

14 minutes ago, neca said:

Our case was submitted Oct 2019, finally approved August 2020. No RFE, no nothing. As soon as our case moved out of regular processing times, they moved the processing times back.

 

Finally got our DQ Oct 2020. Been waiting for an interview since then.

 

Covid sucks.

You see, that's insane, there are others on here who applied in December last year who already have visas in hand... The agency is a mess and the lack of communication and updates is just cruel. 

[dbcs 3]

I just found out that my case was transferred to Texas less than a week after NOA1. That was six months ago. My online account has never been updated with that information. Also, longer processing time. (removed)neato!

Edited April 11, 2021 by Ontarkie
bypassing language filter

[Ikhan 49]

USCIS really doesn't have anyone to answer to, that's why they do what they want. They claim they transfer cases to make things faster and but that is not how it works. If this was the case there wouldn't be such a big disparity between the averages for their service centers. 

 

Legal immigration to the US is a complete disaster. Comparable countries have far better immigration processes that are secure and humane. For example i filed a case to Canada and it's moving lightning fast. They have already completed my background and have sent my case to the visa center in a span of 3 months.

Meanwhile it's been 14 months waiting for my i130 to be looked at. Tons of people have had their petition approved before me. I have no criminal history, a good paying job that helps Americans, good credit etc... It's absurd. 

 

The worst part is the community here at vj think it's okay. They want you to wait without making a fuss or rocking the boat. Legal immigration needs to change, and it won't change unless people voice it to their congressmen/senators

 

 

[top_secret 2,421]

It's all controlled by a complex computer algorithm