USCIS Announces New Actions to Reduce Backlogs (merged)

[JeanneAdil 6,498]

13 hours ago, DaveAndAnastasia said:

Honestly I don't understand why K visa recipients and those adjusting from K visas aren't just authorized to work and issued SSNs automatically (if they didn't already have them).

 

I've never heard of an EAD application during AOS from a K-1 being denied for any reason other than paperwork errors or the underlying AOS being approved or denied before an EAD could be issued (and so rendering the application moot).

that would mean the K1 immigrant could come,  get that permit and SS card and could skip the marriage / there are many who would do just that

but the good part of that is the USC would not be doing the AOS and have to file a I 864 and be stuck

Edited March 30, 2022 by JeanneAdil

[Mike E 11,739]

1 hour ago, Kor2USA said:

Agreed priority should be given to those waiting months and months over newbies.

Prediction 1: to meet the new service level objectives (SLOs), existing cases and existing and new I-751s will drag out to 5 years or more.  
 

 

1 hour ago, Kor2USA said:

I've seen members report fast processing times out of all service centers and one or two out of Nebraska waiting longer than the stated time on the website. 

Prediction 2: Once the average pre March 29 immediate family I-485 case reaches an average wait time of 3 years, we will see a new trend of  I-485s withdrawn and new ones filed.

[Mike E 11,739]

1 hour ago, JeanneAdil said:

that would mean the K1 immigrant could come,  get that permit and SS card and could skip the marriage / there are many who would do just that

but the good part of that is the USC would not be doing the AOS and have to file a I 864 and be stuck

If the objective is to encourage K-1s to get married, then K-1 cases should be adjudicated like this: you get married, you file an info pass, you bring your spouse, marriage certificate, biometrics and green card fees, and passport to the field office, and get an I-551 stamp and a green card in the mail. 

[Dashinka 24,492]

8 minutes ago, Mike E said:

Prediction 1: to meet the new service level objectives (SLOs), existing cases and existing and new I-751s will drag out to 5 years or more.  
 

 

Prediction 2: Once the average pre March 29 immediate family I-485 case reaches an average wait time of 3 years, we will see a new trend of  I-485s withdrawn and new ones filed.

Shouldn't it be "service level objectives workload"?  SLOW!

[DaveAndAnastasia 2,092]

14 hours ago, millefleur said:

My guess is it's another one of those "But it creates jobs!" things where bureaucrats love to bureaucrat.

Eh, much like the "USCIS's illogical extra paperwork requirements are just a scam to make money" theories, this is extremely improbable due to scale.

Relative to the size of the federal government, USCIS is a tiny agency with no significant budget.

$500 million and a bit under 2,000 people is a lot to you and me, but it's nothing to the federal government (which  has an over $1.5 trillion budget and over 9 million employees).

 

1 hour ago, JeanneAdil said:

that would mean the K1 immigrant could come,  get that permit and SS card and could skip the marriage / there are many who would do just that

I don't think there would be any more than the number that already come and divorce almost right away, which is a drop in the ocean of people overstaying tourist and other visas.

After all, you're only here legally for 90 days if you don't get married on a K-1, and isn't the whole point of a marriage/fiancé(e) visa-related scam is to end up a legal permanent resident if not a US citizen?

[JeanneAdil 6,498]

1 hour ago, DaveAndAnastasia said:

Eh, much like the "USCIS's illogical extra paperwork requirements are just a scam to make money" theories, this is extremely improbable due to scale.

Relative to the size of the federal government, USCIS is a tiny agency with no significant budget.

$500 million and a bit under 2,000 people is a lot to you and me, but it's nothing to the federal government (which  has an over $1.5 trillion budget and over 9 million employees).

 

I don't think there would be any more than the number that already come and divorce almost right away, which is a drop in the ocean of people overstaying tourist and other visas.

After all, you're only here legally for 90 days if you don't get married on a K-1, and isn't the whole point of a marriage/fiancé(e) visa-related scam is to end up a legal permanent resident if not a US citizen?

If  a immigrant has friends to stay with i don't think he cares if he's legal / there's lots of under the table work for which they don't pay taxes

and many do not think of future like retirement and what happens if i can't work

[JeanneAdil 6,498]

2 hours ago, Mike E said:

If the objective is to encourage K-1s to get married, then K-1 cases should be adjudicated like this: you get married, you file an info pass, you bring your spouse, marriage certificate, biometrics and green card fees, and passport to the field office, and get an I-551 stamp and a green card in the mail. 

I know but there are some that would skip all that if they got a SS # upon entry alone

like the ones who leave spouse right after the green card comes

 

and i am thinking time to do away with K1 but that is just my opinion

Edited March 30, 2022 by JeanneAdil

[DaveAndAnastasia 2,092]

35 minutes ago, JeanneAdil said:

If  a immigrant has friends to stay with i don't think he cares if he's legal / there's lots of under the table work for which they don't pay taxes

Sure but if you don't care if you're legal, why use a marriage-based visa for the initial entry into the US (which either adds an aggrieved fiancé(e) if they weren't in on the plan or another conspirator if they were, neither of which is a great thing to have if you're planning on breaking the law) unless it's the only thing you can get in a reasonable amount of time, which from most countries I think it's not?

[Redro 4,611]

7 hours ago, Mike E said:

Prediction 1: to meet the new service level objectives (SLOs), existing cases and existing and new I-751s will drag out to 5 years or more.  

They should extend CR-1 validity to 3 years. If still married after 3 years you can apply for citizenship under the 3 year rule. They already require you show proof of bonafide relationship and they've had combo interviews in the past, so why not continue on in that fashion. 

If foreign national does not want to acquire US citizenship or divorces then I-751 application... 

Or USCIS Utopia: mo more CR1. Everyone acquires IR1 visa. 

 

4 hours ago, JeanneAdil said:

I know but there are some that would skip all that if they got a SS # upon entry alone

like the ones who leave spouse right after the green card comes

 

and i am thinking time to do away with K1 but that is just my opinion

 Don't think we need to do away with K1. There are some good reasons behind preferring a US marriage certificate vs foreign and probably something about K2s...  But, maybe up the requirements. At least 3 meetings of 2 weeks each in a 2-3 year period before filing. 

But I agree with previous posters. K1s should be able to receive work authorization upon entry and extend after proof of filing AOS is obtained. 

[Babu Frik 1,162]

19 hours ago, JeanneAdil said:

I know but there are some that would skip all that if they got a SS # upon entry alone

like the ones who leave spouse right after the green card comes

 

and i am thinking time to do away with K1 but that is just my opinion

They had mentioned at one point allowing the spouse to come if USCIS approved the case, this would be before going through NVC and the consulate interview. With that it would make more sense to do away with the K1.

[Crazy Cat 41,844]

14 hours ago, Kor2USA said:

They should extend CR-1 validity to 3 years

Statistics show (the last time I checked) that only about 1% of I-751s are actually denied.....and I'll wager that most of those refiled.  I don't see this as effective use of USCIS resources.  I think conditional green cards need to be eliminated.

[JeanneAdil 6,498]

20 minutes ago, Crazy Cat said:

Statistics show (the last time I checked) that only about 1% of I-751s are actually denied.....and I'll wager that most of those refiled.  I don't see this as effective use of USCIS resources.  I think conditional green cards need to be eliminated.

might as well eliminate them as the immigrant can divorce and file for themself to RoC so give them a permanent green card

[Mike E 11,739]

57 minutes ago, JeanneAdil said:

might as well eliminate them as the immigrant can divorce and file for themself to RoC so give them a permanent green card

The I-751 is perhaps  greatest boon to marriage based immigration fraud in the history of the USA.  
 

Before the conditional marriage based residency, INS would actually make random home visits after approving cases and make divorcees sweat N-400s.   

[JeanneAdil 6,498]

2 minutes ago, Mike E said:

The I-751 is perhaps  greatest boon to marriage based immigration fraud in the history of the USA.  
 

Before the conditional marriage based residency, INS would actually make random home visits after approving cases and make divorcees sweat N-400s.   

being able to apply for citizenship when only in US 3 years is also riduculous / my opiniononly- but its just not enough time to prove u know the US government well enough (to say vote) and are going to follow all laws 

[JeanneAdil 6,498]

1 hour ago, Babu Frik said:

They had mentioned at one point allowing the spouse to come if USCIS approved the case, this would be before going through NVC and the consulate interview. With that it would make more sense to do away with the K1.

the way it use to be?

intending immigrant came to the US after the USCIS and NVC stage and then interviewed here

and either was approved or deported 

problem is that some who were not approved just disappeared underground and stayed here illegally

 

that probably is not going to happen  / not with all the security scares since 9/11