September 2023 I-130 Filers

[emeditz 3]

Actually, I talked to an agent via Emma who told me that my case is in California, not Texas, and always has been. The bottom of my receipt letter has an address in Texas, so I assumed it was the Texas service center.

The "processing times" tab on this website seems to indicate that California is farther along on processing I-130 applications, but my timeline now says: "There are not enough recent approvals in the timeline system to accurately approximate when your I-130 will be approved." As a newbie, I'm probably just not understanding something important.

Back to before, awash in uncertainty ...

[Cookie88 61]

6 minutes ago, emeditz said:

Actually, I talked to an agent via Emma who told me that my case is in California, not Texas, and always has been. The bottom of my receipt letter has an address in Texas, so I assumed it was the Texas service center.

The "processing times" tab on this website seems to indicate that California is farther along on processing I-130 applications, but my timeline now says: "There are not enough recent approvals in the timeline system to accurately approximate when your I-130 will be approved." As a newbie, I'm probably just not understanding something important.

Back to before, awash in uncertainty ...

 

If feel like the processing times showing for California are glitched? If you put California in your timeline it does not show a quicker approval estimate. I don’t know. 

[Josh B K 5]

20 hours ago, Cookie88 said:

What are the rest of you guys in Sept seeing in your VJ estimated processing time? 

 

Mine says October 24, 2024, @Cookie88. 

[Josh B K 5]

10 hours ago, emeditz said:

Actually, I talked to an agent via Emma who told me that my case is in California, not Texas, and always has been. The bottom of my receipt letter has an address in Texas, so I assumed it was the Texas service center.

The "processing times" tab on this website seems to indicate that California is farther along on processing I-130 applications, but my timeline now says: "There are not enough recent approvals in the timeline system to accurately approximate when your I-130 will be approved." As a newbie, I'm probably just not understanding something important.

Back to before, awash in uncertainty ...

 

@emeditz: First, let me welcome you to the group! I'm pretty new to this site myself. I only joined this week. Second, let me express my shared frustration and empathy for the long wait. The entire process of petitioning USCIS as a citizen has made me very angry and motivated me to become an advocate for change. 

 

I made the same assumption about TSC based on the return address in my receipt letter. I need to check on my actual processing center as well. 

 

I wanted to share with you and @Cookie88 that my understanding of the data on this site leads me to believe you might get earlier responses. I'm not sure where this data comes from, and I'm still working to find out, but according to this site, CSC processing time is about 300 days from your receipt date. The data table indicates that CSC is not processing applications received in September 2023. 

Reference: 

[Josh B K 5]

Let's Talk, Friends

 

One of the purposes of this site is to get information from the community of humans struggling with the USCIS. Practical information like processing times, tips, and experiences can help all of us feel more comfortable.  Knowing a little more can take the sting out of our helplessness before a system we cannot control. The facts are great, but I also think the personal connections can help us too; so, I'd like to propose we include some "get to know you" info here on this thread. 

How did you meet your spouse? I met my partner on a beach in Mexico while I was visiting to fix up an investment property. I was at a restaurant on the beach that featured a popular evening fire-dance show, and I saw them sitting at a nearby table alone. I made the rare choice to risk a cold, stranger-to-stranger introduction in Spanish, a language I was just beginning to learn. Though we took it slow, I think it was a love at first sight kind of experience. We dated for 2.5 years before we decided to get married. We were married in the town where we met, and we celebrated on the rooftop of the building in which we live. Family from the US and Mexico came to celebrate with us, and we had a wonderful night of mariachi and dancing. 

Where do you and your spouse/family live now? Because I had a flexible career, after meeting my partner, I decided to stay in Mexico. I've been living with my partner here in Mexico for 3.5 years. Though I love Mexico, I never intended to make it my primary residence. I'm eager to get our visa so we can move back to my hometown, Seattle, WA. I'm not sure if my partner will like life in the US or Seattle specifically, but we are going to give it a try. I'd love to see my partner get access to better jobs with good pay, benefits, and time off, and as for me, I'd love to get back to the cool weather, mountain hikes, skiing, and friends of Seattle. 

Let's Talk, Friends

 

One of the purposes of this site is to get information from the community of humans struggling with the USCIS. Practical information like processing times, tips, and experiences can help all of us feel more comfortable.  Knowing a little more can take the sting out of our helplessness before a system we cannot control. The facts are great, but I also think the personal connections can help us too; so, I'd like to propose we include some "get to know you" info here on this thread. 

How did you meet your spouse? I met my partner on a beach in Mexico while I was visiting to fix up an investment property. I was at a restaurant on the beach that featured a popular evening fire-dance show, and I saw them sitting at a nearby table alone. I made the rare choice to risk a cold, stranger-to-stranger introduction in Spanish, a language I was just beginning to learn. Though we took it slow, I think it was a love at first sight kind of experience. We dated for 2.5 years before we decided to get married. We were married in the town where we met, and we celebrated on the rooftop of the building in which we live. Family from the US and Mexico came to celebrate with us, and we had a wonderful night of mariachi and dancing. 

Where do you and your spouse/family live now? Because I had a flexible career, after meeting my partner, I decided to stay in Mexico. I've been living with my partner here in Mexico for 3.5 years. Though I love Mexico, I never intended to make it my primary residence. I'm eager to get our visa so we can move back to my hometown, Seattle, WA. I'm not sure if my partner will like life in the US or Seattle specifically, but we are going to give it a try. I'd love to see my partner get access to better jobs with good pay, benefits, and time off, and as for me, I'd love to get back to the cool weather, mountain hikes, skiing, and friends of Seattle. 

Let's Talk, Friends

 

One of the purposes of this site is to get information from the community of humans struggling with the USCIS. Practical information like processing times, tips, and experiences can help all of us feel more comfortable.  Knowing a little more can take the sting out of our helplessness before a system we cannot control. The facts are great, but I also think the personal connections can help us too; so, I'd like to propose we include some "get to know you" info here on this thread. 

How did you meet your spouse? I met my partner on a beach in Mexico while I was visiting to fix up an investment property. I was at a restaurant on the beach that featured a popular evening fire-dance show, and I saw them sitting at a nearby table alone. I made the rare choice to risk a cold, stranger-to-stranger introduction in Spanish, a language I was just beginning to learn. Though we took it slow, I think it was a love at first sight kind of experience. We dated for 2.5 years before we decided to get married. We were married in the town where we met, and we celebrated on the rooftop of the building in which we live. Family from the US and Mexico came to celebrate with us, and we had a wonderful night of mariachi and dancing. 

Where do you and your spouse/family live now? Because I had a flexible career, after meeting my partner, I decided to stay in Mexico. I've been living with my partner here in Mexico for 3.5 years. Though I love Mexico, I never intended to make it my primary residence. I'm eager to get our visa so we can move back to my hometown, Seattle, WA. I'm not sure if my partner will like life in the US or Seattle specifically, but we are going to give it a try. I'd love to see my partner get access to better jobs with good pay, benefits, and time off, and as for me, I'd love to get back to the cool weather, mountain hikes, skiing, and friends of Seattle. 

 

[Josh B K 5]

Let's Talk, Friends

 

One of the purposes of this site is to get information from the community of humans struggling with the USCIS. Practical information like processing times, tips, and experiences can help all of us feel more comfortable.  Knowing a little more can take the sting out of our helplessness before a system we cannot control. The facts are great, but I also think the personal connections can help us too; so, I'd like to propose we include some "get to know you" info here on this thread. 

How did you meet your spouse? I met my partner on a beach in Mexico while I was visiting to fix up an investment property. I was at a restaurant on the beach that featured a popular evening fire-dance show, and I saw them sitting at a nearby table alone. I made the rare choice to risk a cold, stranger-to-stranger introduction in Spanish, a language I was just beginning to learn. Though we took it slow, I think it was a love at first sight kind of experience. We dated for 2.5 years before we decided to get married. We were married in the town where we met, and we celebrated on the rooftop of the building in which we live. Family from the US and Mexico came to celebrate with us, and we had a wonderful night of mariachi and dancing. 

Where do you and your spouse/family live now? Because I had a flexible career, after meeting my partner, I decided to stay in Mexico. I've been living with my partner here in Mexico for 3.5 years. Though I love Mexico, I never intended to make it my primary residence. I'm eager to get our visa so we can move back to my hometown, Seattle, WA. I'm not sure if my partner will like life in the US or Seattle specifically, but we are going to give it a try. I'd love to see my partner get access to better jobs with good pay, benefits, and time off, and as for me, I'd love to get back to the cool weather, mountain hikes, skiing, and friends of Seattle. 

[emeditz 3]

6 hours ago, Josh B K said:

 

I wanted to share with you and @Cookie88 that my understanding of the data on this site leads me to believe you might get earlier responses. I'm not sure where this data comes from, and I'm still working to find out, but according to this site, CSC processing time is about 300 days from your receipt date. The data table indicates that CSC is not processing applications received in September 2023. 

 

I also reached that conclusion — although I hope you mean "now processing" rather than "not processing"! And CSC perhaps turns around fewer of these cases at a time than TSC does. It may be worthwhile for those in our cohort to ask for a live agent through the "Ask Emma" chat feature if they don't know their service center or want to double-check it. Unfortunately, you get asked repeatedly for the same information and oftentimes the chat stalls out before you can even get an answer. In the end, I don't know how helpful it really is, but it's something to do instead of waiting ...

[emeditz 3]

Congratulations on finding a life partner, Josh, and doing so in such a bold way. I traveled to Colombia once and successfully asked for and purchased a rain jacket at a corner store and that's my only successful interaction in Spanish, after four years of studying it.

 

For those who care about my story:

I spent about three years as a volunteer teaching assistant in English-language courses through the International Rescue Committee. For a number of reasons, the participation in the classes began to dwindle, and I was about to move to a new city, so I joined an international pen pal website, thinking that I may be able to help English learners online through writing. On there I met Ayda, who lived in Tehran and has a master's degree in linguistics, and our communication was infrequent at the beginning. But then after I moved — in late February 2020 — the world kind of froze in place because of the pandemic. She didn't leave her apartment and really neither did I (because I could work from home and still do). We were both feeling scared and uncertain about what the future would hold. Over that time, she helped me create English subtitles for some Iranian films, and slowly we recognized that we cared for each other more and that we should try to have an in-person relationship, which was challenging to fulfill because of the geopolitical challenges between our governments. She eventually moved to Istanbul, Turkey (one of the few countries she can visit without a visit) and got a job as an English teacher. I visited her there several times, and it is where we got married about four years after we met virtually.

 

She still lives in Istanbul, and I still live in the US. This is a struggle for us. She made a bold decision to live in a country alone where she doesn't even understand the native language (although she's much more comfortable with it now, as she is skilled with languages). However, I would likely need to quit my job to live with her, and I really don't want to do that. It feels like sacrificing my income-earning potential over the long term, and to live in the way we want to live in the US, obviously you need to have money. Turkey also has profound economic challenges — it's still experiencing over 70% inflation. Because I work remotely, I could basically live anywhere in the US, but I can't do it in Turkey because of the time zone differences and tax complexity for my employer. And she can't even come to the US until this immigration case is resolved. So I fly to Istanbul about four times a year, and we talk constantly over Telegram and Google Meet. I don't know if it is the right decision to remain in the US and I think about it constantly.

[Josh B K 5]

On 7/16/2024 at 4:48 PM, emeditz said:

Congratulations on finding a life partner, Josh, and doing so in such a bold way. I traveled to Colombia once and successfully asked for and purchased a rain jacket at a corner store and that's my only successful interaction in Spanish, after four years of studying it.

 

For those who care about my story:

I spent about three years as a volunteer teaching assistant in English-language courses through the International Rescue Committee. For a number of reasons, the participation in the classes began to dwindle, and I was about to move to a new city, so I joined an international pen pal website, thinking that I may be able to help English learners online through writing. On there I met Ayda, who lived in Tehran and has a master's degree in linguistics, and our communication was infrequent at the beginning. But then after I moved — in late February 2020 — the world kind of froze in place because of the pandemic. She didn't leave her apartment and really neither did I (because I could work from home and still do). We were both feeling scared and uncertain about what the future would hold. Over that time, she helped me create English subtitles for some Iranian films, and slowly we recognized that we cared for each other more and that we should try to have an in-person relationship, which was challenging to fulfill because of the geopolitical challenges between our governments. She eventually moved to Istanbul, Turkey (one of the few countries she can visit without a visit) and got a job as an English teacher. I visited her there several times, and it is where we got married about four years after we met virtually.

 

She still lives in Istanbul, and I still live in the US. This is a struggle for us. She made a bold decision to live in a country alone where she doesn't even understand the native language (although she's much more comfortable with it now, as she is skilled with languages). However, I would likely need to quit my job to live with her, and I really don't want to do that. It feels like sacrificing my income-earning potential over the long term, and to live in the way we want to live in the US, obviously you need to have money. Turkey also has profound economic challenges — it's still experiencing over 70% inflation. Because I work remotely, I could basically live anywhere in the US, but I can't do it in Turkey because of the time zone differences and tax complexity for my employer. And she can't even come to the US until this immigration case is resolved. So I fly to Istanbul about four times a year, and we talk constantly over Telegram and Google Meet. I don't know if it is the right decision to remain in the US and I think about it constantly.

 

Awe @emeditz what a beautiful story! Thanks for sharing it, and encouraging us. I also love languages and am thinking of teaching English as a volunteer; so, we all (Ayda, you, and I) have a lot in common. With regard to your decision to stay in the US, I think you are doing the best you can - the best you know how. You are right that maintaining your US income will likely be a huge asset to Ayda and you as you continue your lives together. I don't think the wait will be too much longer for any of us. I'm mentally preparing to wait until end of 2025 for the whole process soup to nuts, and I'm hopeful we'll have USCIS approval by end of 2024. Hang in there!

[UK_Dreamer 35]

Hi everyone, recent I-130 June approval here (PD 11th of June 2023, approval 30th of July 2024). I wanted to share my experience with the USCIS timer.  

 

I wanted to let everyone know to not trust the USCIS timer. Despite being approved, the estimated time still says '5months' (last month it was 10 months) and the home page still says 'currently being actively reviewed'. Over the course of our wait we got down to 1 week and then 'your case is taking longer than expected' about three times.

 

The most accurate measure have been THESE forums. I got approved the same day people from 10-13th of June 2023 got approved. However, some applicants from earlier in June are still waiting. So USCIS doesnt follow a strict chronological pattern.. and they also approve multiple days at once... so its more like general trends.

 

But yeah-- do not trust the approx time it is LIAR! 

 

PS. we got an email saying 'action has been taken' and the approval letter was in the DOCUMENTS section of my.uscis. The homepage did NOT update from 'case is being actively reviewed'.

 

Hang in there! This process is awful for ones mental health.

[emeditz 3]

Thank you. I have also given up on that timer. I did write some moderately irritated letters to my congresswoman about it. I guess I understand that there is a backlog and we all need to wait our turn and that these things take time ... but why is there a countdown that means nothing continually scrambling my brain on what to expect? When there's a whole separate website that says it's likely to take 14 months? &etc. Anyway, I'm just counting down until October. Good luck on your next steps, UK_Dreamer.

[k0nstantin 7]

On 7/14/2024 at 4:55 PM, Josh B K said:

The Texas center is currently processing petitions with NOA1 dates of May 27, 2023; so the backlog has about 3 months of petitions ahead of us "septemberers". I am hoping for some of us to get responses in October 2024. 

The historic processing times for USCIS (all service centers) held steady at about 11.5 months for all of 2023 and 2024; so, I was hoping we would have some action by July 2023. Unfortunately, that is not happening; so, obviously processing times have slowed and the rolling statistics published by USCIS have not yet updated.  (source data)

The reality is a bit more nuanced than "processing times have slowed". Like most people here I don't know exactly how USCIS works, but I think I have a pretty good guess:

1. When an I-130 is filed, it is put into one of two queues: queue one for adjustment of status and queue two for consular processing. These are nationwide queues, i.e. it doesn't matter anymore which service center your case is assigned to. When it's your turn, your case gets automatically assigned to the next available agent regardless of where that agent works. So the fact that you're assigned to Texas doesn't mean anything, you'll just get reassigned when it's your turn.
2. Petitions from the AOS queue start to be processed after a couple of months from filing. How long an AOS petition has to wait in the queue seems to be random, but could in fact be determined by USCIS using some characteristics of the petition.
3. On the other hand, the consular processing queue is a true queue: first in - first out. A petition in this queue is never processed before any petition that was filed earlier, including the AOS petitions.
4. Thus any consular processing petition is considered after all of the earlier consular processing petitions, all of the earlier AOS petitions and some of the later AOS petitions.

In April of 2024 USCIS increased its filing fee by about $100. This caused a huge spike in the number of applications in March. The number of applications doubled compared to the average. Work on AOS petitions from the March batch has already started, and they are substantially slowing down work on consular petitions.

 

The other reason, although a much less significant one, is prioritization of I-129F (K-1) petitions. These used to take about a year to process in 2023, but now they only take 3-6 months. These are likely prioritized because there are much fewer of them and they are much easier to take under control, which looks good in a report to agency's bosses.

 

This is based on various forum posts and statistics published here.

Edited August 19 by k0nstantin

[TiffAndMike 38]

On 7/16/2024 at 3:19 AM, Josh B K said:

Let's Talk, Friends

 

One of the purposes of this site is to get information from the community of humans struggling with the USCIS. Practical information like processing times, tips, and experiences can help all of us feel more comfortable.  Knowing a little more can take the sting out of our helplessness before a system we cannot control. The facts are great, but I also think the personal connections can help us too; so, I'd like to propose we include some "get to know you" info here on this thread. 

How did you meet your spouse? I met my partner on a beach in Mexico while I was visiting to fix up an investment property. I was at a restaurant on the beach that featured a popular evening fire-dance show, and I saw them sitting at a nearby table alone. I made the rare choice to risk a cold, stranger-to-stranger introduction in Spanish, a language I was just beginning to learn. Though we took it slow, I think it was a love at first sight kind of experience. We dated for 2.5 years before we decided to get married. We were married in the town where we met, and we celebrated on the rooftop of the building in which we live. Family from the US and Mexico came to celebrate with us, and we had a wonderful night of mariachi and dancing. 

Where do you and your spouse/family live now? Because I had a flexible career, after meeting my partner, I decided to stay in Mexico. I've been living with my partner here in Mexico for 3.5 years. Though I love Mexico, I never intended to make it my primary residence. I'm eager to get our visa so we can move back to my hometown, Seattle, WA. I'm not sure if my partner will like life in the US or Seattle specifically, but we are going to give it a try. I'd love to see my partner get access to better jobs with good pay, benefits, and time off, and as for me, I'd love to get back to the cool weather, mountain hikes, skiing, and friends of Seattle. 

I absolutely love you and your partners story. I'm a December 2023 filer myself.  I kinda like to snoop through posts in different months to give myself an idea of how much longer I actually have to wait during the never ending time frames USCIS keeps giving us. 

 

I have been and will continue to advocate for all of us about the ridiculous way USCIS is handling our cases. If you want a partner in crime to help you bring about change, pm me. 

 

I can tell you what I've done, show you emails I have sent and recieved, etc. to fight this nightmare of an immigration system. 

 

[k0nstantin 7]

It looks like the March AOS cases are now running out. Also processing speed has been going up since March. Some back of the envelope calculations show that if USCIS keeps their pace in September, then they'll be approving cases from September 2023 in October 2024, and not in November like VJ predicts. Fingers crossed!

[Cookie88 61]

1 hour ago, k0nstantin said:

It looks like the March AOS cases are now running out. Also processing speed has been going up since March. Some back of the envelope calculations show that if USCIS keeps their pace in September, then they'll be approving cases from September 2023 in October 2024, and not in November like VJ predicts. Fingers crossed!

Depends on your PD. We applied end of September, and I am pretty sure we'll be approved in November. It's taking 13 months, 3 weeks, and 3 days on average right now.