APRIL 2021 I-129F K-1 FILERS

[Fil&Em 285]

  On 4/21/2022 at 2:49 PM, SA21 said:

I guess the only 'advantage' we will have making it through to May is that we'll be able to submit an enquiry for case outside of processing time? That said, it seems like cases dated 12th/13th April are slowly hearing back which makes me think we may not be too far off? Really hoping we have something by mid May. Does anyone have any update on how things are processing at NVC?

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Unfortunately, if they are unable to speed up the processing time, it is most likely they will increase it, otherwise they will be swamped with inquiries.

 

I was expecting it to happen last week or so, but they didn't, which gave me a little hope. However, if this keeps going at this pace, it will be unavoidable. So my suggestion is to send it as soon as you are able. Not that it helps a lot, as the information is insufficient and wildly inaccurate.

  On 4/21/2022 at 3:12 PM, wenweichang said:

Well 2624 is other action and untouched cases combined, so you can probably deduct those cases classified under other action  im in 76000 group, so that leaves 1000+ cases lining ahead of me. I hope this makes you feel better. And we had more than 80 cases touched on one day April 11, don’t lose hope and stay strong. We are all in this together. 

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By my experience of 5 months tracking the March cases, other actions, such as name, date of birth updates, expedite request denied are largely "untouched" cases.

 

I'm a March 26th filer. Today should be the day I'm allowed to (again) send an inquiry, after 2 processing times changes, however, the system is still doesn't allow. In 5 days we'll be 13 months waiting. It is insane.

[slavaskii 886]

  On 4/21/2022 at 4:42 PM, Fil&Em said:

Unfortunately, if they are unable to speed up the processing time, it is most likely they will increase it, otherwise they will be swamped with inquiries.

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If the estimated processing date is indeed automatic as I suspect it is (subject to 'updates' every so often), I'm not entirely sure we will see it adjust. If the expedites factor into the equation, the overall average for I-129F must be really misleading. After all, last week both early 2022 and March 2021 filers were getting approved! And there's not just a few expedites that are outliers; I'd assume a substantial portion of USCIS' approvals last month were expedites. We see it ourselves with the daily processing, as soon as eligibility increased there was a notable slowdown in March/April.

Edited April 21, 2022 by slavaskii

[Amelme 8]

  On 4/21/2022 at 7:37 PM, slavaskii said:

If the estimated processing date is indeed automatic as I suspect it is (subject to 'updates' every so often), I'm not entirely sure we will see it adjust. If the expedites factor into the equation, the overall average for I-129F must be really misleading. After all, last week both early 2022 and March 2021 filers were getting approved! And there's not just a few expedites that are outliers; I'd assume a substantial portion of USCIS' approvals last month were expedites. We see it ourselves with the daily processing, as soon as eligibility increased there was a notable slowdown in March/April.

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So guys ..when we can be sure they won’t be back on March, when they start on April 1 or some other date 😒

Edited April 21, 2022 by Amelme

[slavaskii 886]

  On 4/21/2022 at 7:40 PM, Amelme said:

So guys ..when we can be sure they won’t be back on March, when they start on April 1 or some other date 😒

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In truth, they won't ever 'abandon' March. There are, after all, still cases from January 2021 outstanding from my last check. USCIS will shift the vast majority of their focus to a new month when approximately 90% of the previous gets done; now that we've hit that with March, it's unsurprising that April is approaching (and sometimes surpasses) March's cases/day.

 

I recall that when February 2021 filers had less than 300 left, they starting picking up March 2021 in full swing. We're about that time now, and I think the recent numbers reflect that April is becoming priority.  

Edited April 21, 2022 by slavaskii

[Charlotte070 68]

  On 4/21/2022 at 7:46 PM, slavaskii said:

In truth, they won't ever 'abandon' March. There are, after all, still cases from January 2021 outstanding from my last check. USCIS will shift the vast majority of their focus to a new month when approximately 90% of the previous gets done; now that we've hit that with March, it's unsurprising that April is approaching (and sometimes surpasses) March's cases/day.

 

I recall that when February 2021 filers had less than 300 left, they starting picking up March 2021 in full swing. We're about that time now, and I think the recent numbers reflect that April is becoming priority.  

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The thing is they aren’t really working in April either. 20 cases a day is a joke! And I haven’t seen anyone approved today in April. They just don’t care about the fiancé visa it seems 

[Em&Jen 27]

  On 4/21/2022 at 7:53 PM, Charlotte070 said:

The thing is they aren’t really working in April either. 20 cases a day is a joke! And I haven’t seen anyone approved today in April. They just don’t care about the fiancé visa it seems 

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I wonder how it is possible that with all this extra funding, they didnt get before, their performance is just getting weaker and weaker? It is like they want people to withdraw the K1 and file spousal, so they can collect the fees twice. Where is all the funding going? We paid the service and we dont get anything back? It is like a huge scam.

[MeG@Am 110]

  On 4/21/2022 at 9:57 PM, Em&Jen said:

I wonder how it is possible that with all this extra funding, they didnt get before, their performance is just getting weaker and weaker? It is like they want people to withdraw the K1 and file spousal, so they can collect the fees twice. Where is all the funding going? We paid the service and we dont get anything back? It is like a huge scam.

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Honestly, I lost trust in the institution.  

But it's just too late for us to withdraw and start all over again.  It's just unreal how incompetent they are.  It's very very very very frustrating, but, what can we do?  

I said this before, but I joked my fiancé maybe if I can give him a ticket to Mexico, there's a much bigger chance that he will be here sooner.  Just very frustrating really. 🙄😒😡

[Fil&Em 285]

  On 4/21/2022 at 7:37 PM, slavaskii said:

If the estimated processing date is indeed automatic as I suspect it is (subject to 'updates' every so often), I'm not entirely sure we will see it adjust. If the expedites factor into the equation, the overall average for I-129F must be really misleading. After all, last week both early 2022 and March 2021 filers were getting approved! And there's not just a few expedites that are outliers; I'd assume a substantial portion of USCIS' approvals last month were expedites. We see it ourselves with the daily processing, as soon as eligibility increased there was a notable slowdown in March/April.

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Yes. True if both the premise it is atomatic and the expedites are factored in are correct. Factoring expedites, as you say, is extremely misleading. Both for us, and for USCIS officers that if it is reduced may be swamped by even more inquiries.

 

  On 4/21/2022 at 7:46 PM, slavaskii said:

In truth, they won't ever 'abandon' March. There are, after all, still cases from January 2021 outstanding from my last check. USCIS will shift the vast majority of their focus to a new month when approximately 90% of the previous gets done; now that we've hit that with March, it's unsurprising that April is approaching (and sometimes surpasses) March's cases/day.

 

I recall that when February 2021 filers had less than 300 left, they starting picking up March 2021 in full swing. We're about that time now, and I think the recent numbers reflect that April is becoming priority.  

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The fustrating part is that, since I'm a late March filer, I saw them moving, or starting somehow with March when my group and the group after were both with over 70% cases untouched, and those were large groups. If this is their modus operandi, if I ever have someone that I know that will be filing for this process, I will recommend them to have their case received earlier in the month, by either sending it in the last few days of the month, or first couple of days, since last groups of the month seem to be neglected in favour of the group after.

 

[DSBeijing 303]

  On 4/21/2022 at 9:57 PM, Em&Jen said:

I wonder how it is possible that with all this extra funding, they didnt get before, their performance is just getting weaker and weaker? It is like they want people to withdraw the K1 and file spousal, so they can collect the fees twice. Where is all the funding going? We paid the service and we dont get anything back? It is like a huge scam.

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Worst is, that they take 12-15 Minutes to process the K1 Case. How high are the overhead costs, if $535 is not enough to cover orderly processing??? Even if they take 30 minutes per K1 case, that is over $1070 per hour. How are they this incompetent.

[Merica-n 65]

  On 4/21/2022 at 11:36 PM, DSBeijing said:

Worst is, that they take 12-15 Minutes to process the K1 Case. How high are the overhead costs, if $535 is not enough to cover orderly processing??? Even if they take 30 minutes per K1 case, that is over $1070 per hour. How are they this incompetent.

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I think this is just the interview time at the foreign consulate.

 

My application was many pages, they have to read it.  They have to complete background checks on myself and my fiancee and validate that everything is correct and in good order, and ship it between different centers.  Mail out two letters to me.  Mail out a packet to my fiance.  No way they can do all that in 12-15 minutes or half an hour.

Edited April 22, 2022 by Merica-n

[slavaskii 886]

  On 4/22/2022 at 12:24 AM, Merica-n said:

I think this is just the interview time at the foreign consulate.

 

My application was many pages, they have to read it.  They have to complete background checks on myself and my fiancee and validate that everything is correct and in good order, and ship it between different centers.  Mail out two letters to me.  Mail out a packet to my fiance.  No way they can do all that in 12-15 minutes or half an hour.

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I've also been skeptical about the 15 minute timeframe. Of course, a lot of the system is automated (the officer themselves isn't sending out the letter), but as you said, people routinely send 50+ page packets which require not only reading, but scanning into the computer. If someone dumps 100 pages of call logs and love letters, the adjudicator might as well order a pizza while standing next to the copier. 

 

The real way to speed up I-129F is to make us be able to send the packet electronically, just as it is for I-130. RFEs should have an extremely quick turnaround, too; the amount of cases looked at twice is quite substantial. The RFE should, ideally, be transmitted over email, allowing the Petitioner to immediately upload the required evidence into the cabinet that night. 

 

Nonetheless, my solutions are neither here-nor-there. I just doubt the I-129F takes that little time to go through, because once the adjudicator needs to issue an RFE, there's most certainly an added 5-10 minutes tacked on. Perhaps it takes 10-15 minutes to get through a perfect case. But, alas, the I-129F is largely DIY and lacks a set outline.

Edited April 22, 2022 by slavaskii

[SouthBound2022 32]

  On 4/22/2022 at 12:56 AM, slavaskii said:

I've also been skeptical about the 15 minute timeframe. Of course, a lot of the system is automated (the officer themselves isn't sending out the letter), but as you said, people routinely send 50+ page packets which require not only reading, but scanning into the computer. If someone dumps 100 pages of call logs and love letters, the adjudicator might as well order a pizza while standing next to the copier. 

 

The real way to speed up I-129F is to make us be able to send the packet electronically, just as it is for I-130. RFEs should have an extremely quick turnaround, too; the amount of cases looked at twice is quite substantial. The RFE should, ideally, be transmitted over email, allowing the Petitioner to immediately upload the required evidence into the cabinet that night. 

 

Nonetheless, my solutions are neither here-nor-there. I just doubt the I-129F takes that little time to go through, because once the adjudicator needs to issue an RFE, there's most certainly an added 5-10 minutes tacked on. Perhaps it takes 10-15 minutes to get through a perfect case. But, alas, the I-129F is largely DIY and lacks a set outline.

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50 pages.... our lawyers that we hired asked us for SO much stuff its over 230 pages. Texts, calls, letters, receipts flights, photos, like literally everything but the kitchen sink!!  I've been wondering if that's why they haven't touched ours.... no one wants to read through so much S***. 🤷‍♀️

[KDZzl 5]

April 8 filer, got approved today.

[DSBeijing 303]

  On 4/22/2022 at 12:56 AM, slavaskii said:

I've also been skeptical about the 15 minute timeframe. Of course, a lot of the system is automated (the officer themselves isn't sending out the letter), but as you said, people routinely send 50+ page packets which require not only reading, but scanning into the computer. If someone dumps 100 pages of call logs and love letters, the adjudicator might as well order a pizza while standing next to the copier. 

 

The real way to speed up I-129F is to make us be able to send the packet electronically, just as it is for I-130. RFEs should have an extremely quick turnaround, too; the amount of cases looked at twice is quite substantial. The RFE should, ideally, be transmitted over email, allowing the Petitioner to immediately upload the required evidence into the cabinet that night. 

 

Nonetheless, my solutions are neither here-nor-there. I just doubt the I-129F takes that little time to go through, because once the adjudicator needs to issue an RFE, there's most certainly an added 5-10 minutes tacked on. Perhaps it takes 10-15 minutes to get through a perfect case. But, alas, the I-129F is largely DIY and lacks a set outline.

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Well I was off it takes 40 Minutes to process 129f. 

This is according to USCIS:

 

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/11/14/2019-24366/us-citizenship-and-immigration-services-fee-schedule-and-changes-to-certain-other-immigration

 

Just scroll down to "2.Completion Rates" there you can see average times im hours to process one Case. 

Figurs are from 2019, but this should have not changed substantially. 

 

[Fil&Em 285]

  On 4/22/2022 at 1:47 AM, DSBeijing said:

Well I was off it takes 40 Minutes to process 129f. 

This is according to USCIS:

 

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/11/14/2019-24366/us-citizenship-and-immigration-services-fee-schedule-and-changes-to-certain-other-immigration

 

Just scroll down to "2.Completion Rates" there you can see average times im hours to process one Case. 

Figurs are from 2019, but this should have not changed substantially. 

 

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Ok. This makes me somewhat sick.

 

I know that there is probably additional tasks that they are responsible, with or without relation to the petition, but knowing it takes so little and they cannot take care of this ever growing problem does make me sick.

 

EDIT: However, this tells me how much time they spend on average on petitions. I'd be curious to know the lead time, i.e. how long, on optimal and average situation, they take to complete it from start to finish (there could be waiting time for other automated tasks, etc..)-

Edited April 22, 2022 by Fil&Em