since there's now only 2 service centers....

[NonyGuy 0]

With the Texas Service Center no longer doing I-129F's for alian fiance...will this make the processing times LONGER at the CSC and VSC?

I can see arguments for both sides of this...that it would increase, and could even decrease.

What do you guys think?

[YuAndDan 153]

TSC and NSC have been sending cases to CSC for well over a year now, so no change should be noticed.

[TracyTN 237]

I think it will shorten the CSC time some and lengthen the VSC time - meaning they'll be about the same. Which is actually the way it should have been all along.

But only time will tell.

Edited to add: YuandDan is right, however, some of those TSC and NSC filers/transferees will now be going through VSC instead. So I think the wait times will eventually reflect that.

Edited July 31, 2007 by TracyTN

[*julez* 124]

You have asked this question over and over in various threads! The answer is still: There have only been 2 service centers processing I-129f's for the last few years - CSC and VSC. Until this week, the other service centers, TSC and NSC have been forwarding their petitions to CSC for processing.

In conjunction with this change, the workload for processing the I-129f petions has been more evenly balanced between the two service centers. So, in theory, CSC would process faster and VSC slower. HOWEVER, reality is what we are faced with and the effects of the changes will not be revealed for months yet.

It's way too early into the journey to be so stressed out! Like you, I have just filed this month, but I have been participating in this forum for nearly a year. What I have noticed is that, regarless of trends that we see here, some cases will be processed faster, some slower. What you find here are estimates, nothing more.

I suggest you sit back and try to RELAX!

[eric_and_teresa 10]

TSC and NSC have been sending cases to CSC for well over a year now, so no change should be noticed.

I agree, if anything maybe the NOA1's will be issued and sent sooner, as it took longer to forward the cases from the NSC to the CSC, but now that they will be filing directly it will save some time.

[Cassie 8]

With the Texas Service Center no longer doing I-129F's for alian fiance...will this make the processing times LONGER at the CSC and VSC?

I can see arguments for both sides of this...that it would increase, and could even decrease.

What do you guys think?

TSC hasn't been processing fiance visas for about 2.5 years now, if I remember correctly.

julezabelle -- great post!

[*julez* 124]

With the Texas Service Center no longer doing I-129F's for alian fiance...will this make the processing times LONGER at the CSC and VSC?

I can see arguments for both sides of this...that it would increase, and could even decrease.

What do you guys think?

TSC hasn't been processing fiance visas for about 2.5 years now, if I remember correctly.

julezabelle -- great post!

Thanks Cassie

[~Nini~ 2]

It's way too early into the journey to be so stressed out! Like you, I have just filed this month, but I have been participating in this forum for nearly a year. What I have noticed is that, regarless of trends that we see here, some cases will be processed faster, some slower. What you find here are estimates, nothing more.

I suggest you sit back and try to RELAX!

Can we get this stickied please?

[desert_fox 32]

It's way too early into the journey to be so stressed out! Like you, I have just filed this month, but I have been participating in this forum for nearly a year. What I have noticed is that, regarless of trends that we see here, some cases will be processed faster, some slower. What you find here are estimates, nothing more.

I suggest you sit back and try to RELAX!

Can we get this stickied please?

Each center has always specialized in certain types of petitions. Supposidly, this makes them more efficient, which makes sense. I would assume that gradually their processing times will decrease due to the new fees and if Congress authorizes more positions in order to reduce the backlog. Sometimes, they throw temporaries (workers) at these petitions, but these are not authorized positions. They must be terminated before the end of the fiscal year so that they can meet the authorized strength that they are required to have by law at the end of the fiscal year. Of course, they just rehire the same ppl a week later as temporaries as they go into the new fiscal year.

[Kass 0]

I spoke with a customer service rep at the Vermont Service Center this morning. We are awaiting an RFE from them. Of course they cannot tell you what this is for (not exactly truthful as one rep did and I was able to get what was needed). Needless to say the RFE was decided on 16 July. Then it has to go to clerical (just made it to clerical in the 30 July box (two weeks later)), clerical types it up (they have ten days to do so) and then up to 14 days mail time. When I asked why this is taking so long as we got our NOA1 on 24 April 2007, the customer service rep at VSC stated that they are moving files here there and everywhere and that there are hundreds and hundreds. Nice and comforting answer. So this is the ultimate relative to the cut down to TWO service centers.

Of course my Paralegal mind would like to state that if one knows that one is going from 4 service centers for k1's down to two then would not one take action to hire additional help to aid in the new exhorbant amount of case loads...would one not think!!!???

Depending on which desk that you land on it could be quick or lit could be long!

So basically and frustratingly it is now a game of hurry and wait!

[TracyTN 237]

Technically, its not 'going down to two' service centers.

Vermont and California have been the only two SCs adjudicating I 129fs for a while now. Texas and Nebraska

I 129f cases were forwarded to CSC.

The only real change is the re-distribution of people to the respective service center.

(Frustrating, nonetheless, about RFEs, no?)

[Bill y Bella 0]

OK class, let's review:

• Texas and Nebraska stopped processing applications a while ago. I don't know exactly when. I have seen some posts that say it was quite a while ago.
  
• On July 30, 2007 Texas and Nebraska stopped receiving applications. Prior to that they forwarded their applications to California where they were processed.
  
• On July 30, 2007 applications that previously would have gone to Texas and then on to California began going to Vermont.
  
• At this point Vermont is responsible for more states than it was previously and California is responsible for less.
  

Here is today's quiz question:

Will California's procesing time decrease and Vermont's increase?

The answer:

NO ONE KNOWS.

Why? Because we do not know several things.

• Was there a pre-increase spike in applications to beat the fee increase? We don't know yet. VJ data today shows that there was not. However, not every visa applicant is a member of VJ and VJ's July data is probably incomplete at this stage since there will possibly be additional July filers joining and posting their timelines.
  
• Did they adjust staffing levels at the service centers? Once again we do not know. If they did, this will also have an impact on processing times.
  

So, as julezabelle says, we are going to all have to try to relax and wait to see what happens over the next couple of months.

If you are a July K1 filer, you might want to monitor and contribute to Attention July Filers. It shows the current status of almost all of the VJ July K1 filers.

If you have a I-129F from any month being processed in Vermont, keep an eye on Waiting for a NOA2 from VSC?. There are two different tables there that will give you a lot of information about what is happening in Vermont.

Best of luck to everyone.

Edited August 1, 2007 by Bill y Bella

[*julez* 124]

OK class, let's review:

• Texas and Nebraska stopped processing applications a while ago. I don't know exactly when. I have seen some posts that say it was quite a while ago.
  
• On July 30, 2007 Texas and Nebraska stopped receiving applications. Prior to that they forwarded their applications to California where they were processed.
  
• On July 30, 2007 applications that previously would have gone to Texas and then on to California began going to Vermont.
  
• At this point Vermont is responsible for more states than it was previously and California is responsible for less.
  

Here is today's quiz question:

Will California's procesing time decrease and Vermont's increase?

The answer:

NO ONE KNOWS.

Why? Because we do not know several things.

• Was there a pre-increase spike in applications to beat the fee increase? We don't know yet. VJ data today shows that there was not. However, not every visa applicant is a member of VJ and VJ's July data is probably incomplete at this stage since there will possibly be additional July filers joining and posting their timelines.
  
• Did they adjust staffing levels at the service centers? Once again we do not know. If they did, this will also have an impact on processing times.
  

So, as julezabelle says, we are going to all have to try to relax and wait to see what happens over the next couple of months.

If you are a July K1 filer, you might want to monitor and contribute to Attention July Filers. It shows the current status of almost all of the VJ July K1 filers.

If you have a I-129F from any month being processed in Vermont, keep an eye on Waiting for a NOA2 from VSC?. There are two different tables there that will give you a lot of information about what is happening in Vermont.

Best of luck to everyone.

Well stated Bill! I believe we are compadres now!!!! Thanks for helping to level set expectations! Now, I'm going to relax with a glass of wine.

[Bill y Bella 0]

Well stated Bill! I believe we are compadres now!!!! Thanks for helping to level set expectations! Now, I'm going to relax with a glass of wine.

I was channelling you when I wrote it.

Now I am going to try to channel some of your wine.

[*julez* 124]

Well stated Bill! I believe we are compadres now!!!! Thanks for helping to level set expectations! Now, I'm going to relax with a glass of wine.

I was channelling you when I wrote it.

Now I am going to try to channel some of your wine.

I feel honored!

I'll gladly share my wine with a fellow crusader!