The whole process is outrageous

[alaskaone 0]

Thanks, Feather. You've answered some questions already... I'm gonna have to provide duplicates. My other questions are probably local quirks only Joy can answer such as can we just do the fingerprints and send them in?

Fiance & I are going to California and then on a month long honeymoon visiting family and such. I don't want to miss an appointment to get her fingerprints done (again, they were done in Finland already).

Oh, what the heck is a 'lock box'? There appears to be two addresses to send the status adjustment form... I remember the Lincoln, Nebraska address but now there is a 'lock box' to send it to in an entirely different city.

The work permit is free now but that application gives a different address from the AoS application... I'm afraid they'll bounce it back if I don't include a fee.

It doesn't have to be like this.

[Caladan 19]

alaskaone's being a bit hyberbolic, but pretty much 100% correct. The luckiest thing for USCIS was 9/11 because now every bureaucratic inefficiency can be swept away with a worry about terrorists. No EAD? Terrorists. Filing the obsolete G-325A eight times? Terrorists. Fingerprinted three times (the first two were warm-ups)? Terrorists. No driver's license. Terrorists AND illegals.

As if the US were the only country to fear terrorism and have immigration. The system is broken and it is beyond absurd that in the name of security(!) the process takes this long. Here's a hint, kids. If Joe Terrorist is coming here he's not going to go through the process that requires a background check, and if he does, you can bet Osama's eyeteeth that he will be the guy with the perfect background.

alaskaone, if you want to help, the best thing you can do as a private citizen is educate yourself about the process. Read immigration law. Read the policies. And when your friends chat about how easy it is, let them know what the process is like. Bug the hell out of your Congressmen when Congress decides to make more stupid immigration laws.

Members support members in this group. The OP offers no support. Instead, the OP offers screams and tears for the shoulders of others without contributing so much as a timeline to the group. Even the tears and screams are irrational. The first advice was the best. Zanex or something stronger.

Pull the other one. You mean everyone's real problem with the OP's post is that he hasn't filled in a timeline???

Personally, I'd recommend tequila but only because that stuff is practically a hallucinogen.

[Caladan 19]

Thanks, Feather. You've answered some questions already... I'm gonna have to provide duplicates. My other questions are probably local quirks only Joy can answer such as can we just do the fingerprints and send them in?

Fiance & I are going to California and then on a month long honeymoon visiting family and such. I don't want to miss an appointment to get her fingerprints done (again, they were done in Finland already).

Oh, what the heck is a 'lock box'? There appears to be two addresses to send the status adjustment form... I remember the Lincoln, Nebraska address but now there is a 'lock box' to send it to in an entirely different city.

The work permit is free now but that application gives a different address from the AoS application... I'm afraid they'll bounce it back if I don't include a fee.

It doesn't have to be like this.

You'll be okay. Family based petitions go to the Chicago Lockbox (basically a big PO Box.) If you send the I-765 and I-131 along with the I-485, you don't need to send a separate fee, and you send them ALL to Chicago.

And with the delays lately, you probably won't miss your biometrics appointment. I filed at the beginning of August and we still don't have our appointment (he's been fingerprinted three times since this process began... you'd think one of them would count. )

[no name 1]

Thanks, Feather. You've answered some questions already... I'm gonna have to provide duplicates. My other questions are probably local quirks only Joy can answer such as can we just do the fingerprints and send them in?

Fiance & I are going to California and then on a month long honeymoon visiting family and such. I don't want to miss an appointment to get her fingerprints done (again, they were done in Finland already).

Oh, what the heck is a 'lock box'? There appears to be two addresses to send the status adjustment form... I remember the Lincoln, Nebraska address but now there is a 'lock box' to send it to in an entirely different city.

The work permit is free now but that application gives a different address from the AoS application... I'm afraid they'll bounce it back if I don't include a fee.

It doesn't have to be like this.

They can answer it all.

[Sinergy 3]

Folks, we've all paid taxes... 31% off the top for most of us plus about another 20% in hidden taxes on goods and services. Why are we being milked again?

We want to marry someone. That's it. 9/11 was done by people approved by the feds to come to our country. Who has been punished? Nobody working for the Feds, that's for certain.

We're trying to get married and live happy ever after, that's all. USCIS is using it as an excuse to extract revenue from us.

All that can be reasonably asked of us is the following; a tax return (have ya got a job to support your new wife/husband with?) and a criminal background check on the fiance'. That's it. No more.

This wringer INS wants to smash us all through is just plain cruel and pointless.

Well, that's now how it is, and it's not going to change (and INS is no longer a department that exists), so either put up or shut up.

"That's how it is and it's not going to change."

Says you. What a cowardly attitude. Put up or shut up? Do you want photos of the building, sweetie? Photos of the people inside the building, darling? It's the same building and the same people. I went through this whole damnable process ten years ago and in the decade past it's only gotten worse and ten times the cost in money and bloody pointless paperwork.

You want to bend over and lube up, fine. I've got to do the same thing but the difference between us appears to be that you like it and I don't. It's precisely your sort of attitude that has allowed the feds to spiral so far out of control.

They work for us. We do not work for them. How dare you forget that.

If youve already gone thru the process you should know how it is. if you chose to go out of the US to marry again then you have no reason to be this psychotic about the process. and for you to attack ppl like you are better than the rest of us who have gone thru or are going thru this process is just rude and pathetic.

get yourself in check, and then come back on VJ.

[alaskaone 0]

Members support members in this group. The OP offers no support. Instead, the OP offers screams and tears for the shoulders of others without contributing so much as a timeline to the group. Even the tears and screams are irrational. The first advice was the best. Zanex or something stronger.

You might try reading for comprehension. Go on, give it a go.

See, unlike many folks, I'm relatively well off and so can afford the pointless ####### and fees of petty bureaucrats. The fiance visa is done and now it's on to more repetitive, pointless bullshit... for several years.

Once it's over and the fiends are no longer a threat to us, I'll continue on and fight them any which way I can figure out how. So who here is offering real support? You and your hypocritical "Members support members" where in you've suggested alternately drugging me or kicking me out of my country... or me, someone who has had enough of INS bullcrap and will go on to raise bloody hell about it so that in the future, maybe people won't be faced with years of pointless, reptitive and ever more expensive shyte?

[featherB 1]

Thanks, Feather. You've answered some questions already... I'm gonna have to provide duplicates. My other questions are probably local quirks only Joy can answer such as can we just do the fingerprints and send them in?

Fiance & I are going to California and then on a month long honeymoon visiting family and such. I don't want to miss an appointment to get her fingerprints done (again, they were done in Finland already).

Oh, what the heck is a 'lock box'? There appears to be two addresses to send the status adjustment form... I remember the Lincoln, Nebraska address but now there is a 'lock box' to send it to in an entirely different city.

The work permit is free now but that application gives a different address from the AoS application... I'm afraid they'll bounce it back if I don't include a fee.

It doesn't have to be like this.

Yeah, maybe you need to speak to the lovely Joy, then... usually there is some flexibility with biometrics appointments (eg, if you can't make the date/time on your notice, you can ask for a new appointment or show up on a specified day when they do 'walk-in' appointments), but if you just fail to show up altogether, your wife might be considered to have abandoned her AOS. Which you obviously don't want to happen. I actually went to have my biometrics done at an entirely different office to the one I was supposed to go to - I thought this would be a major hassle to arrange, but it was actually no problem at all, I went to an Infopass at my local office and they just told me to bring the biometrics notice (from the other office)... however, such an approach won't be so useful if your appointment letter is sitting in Anchorage while you're honeymooning in California. Hopefully 'Joy' will be able to suggest something... (only other thing I can think of is a mid-honeymoon Infopass to see if you've been given a biometrics appointment in Anchorage, if the IOs in the local offices can see that kind of info... which I think they can. Not very romantic and honeymoon-y, but it might work...).

AOS forum here...

(Edited to add... I might well be wrong, but I don't think you can just get the fingerprints done and send them in anymore. But going for biometrics somewhere in CA, or waiting 'til you get back from honeymoon might just be possible... am assuming you don't want to wait to file the AOS stuff until after you get back...)

Edited September 14, 2007 by featherB

[Sinergy 3]

Members support members in this group. The OP offers no support. Instead, the OP offers screams and tears for the shoulders of others without contributing so much as a timeline to the group. Even the tears and screams are irrational. The first advice was the best. Zanex or something stronger.

You might try reading for comprehension. Go on, give it a go.

See, unlike many folks, I'm relatively well off and so can afford the pointless ####### and fees of petty bureaucrats. The fiance visa is done and now it's on to more repetitive, pointless bullshit... for several years.

Once it's over and the fiends are no longer a threat to us, I'll continue on and fight them any which way I can figure out how. So who here is offering real support? You and your hypocritical "Members support members" where in you've suggested alternately drugging me or kicking me out of my country... or me, someone who has had enough of INS bullcrap and will go on to raise bloody hell about it so that in the future, maybe people won't be faced with years of pointless, reptitive and ever more expensive shyte?

you have support if your not insulting and attacking members left and right, if you want to insult and attack, then you wont find much support here

[rakkaus 0]

Dude. Take a deep breath.

Now count your blessings: You already have your NOA2 in hand -- read the "waiting for an NOA2" threads to see how long they're taking now, with agents apparently handling other petitions first since NOA2's can technically take 6 months. You're sponsoring someone from Finland (woo hoo ) which is one of the lowest-fraud consulates on Earth, so you can reasonably hope that you won't be stuck on Administrative Review for years on end.

Do I feel wistful when I hear old-timers talk about going through Customs and saying "Anything to declare? Just *her*" and basically getting a green card on the spot? Of course! But it is what it is, and I figure I should just be thankful if I can eventually bring my fiancee here.

Good luck with the process, and best wishes for you and your Finnish love.

[no name 1]

You might try reading for comprehension. Go on, give it a go.

See, unlike many folks, I'm relatively well off and so can afford the pointless ####### and fees of petty bureaucrats. The fiance visa is done and now it's on to more repetitive, pointless bullshit... for several years.

Once it's over and the fiends are no longer a threat to us, I'll continue on and fight them any which way I can figure out how. So who here is offering real support? You and your hypocritical "Members support members" where in you've suggested alternately drugging me or kicking me out of my country... or me, someone who has had enough of INS bullcrap and will go on to raise bloody hell about it so that in the future, maybe people won't be faced with years of pointless, reptitive and ever more expensive shyte?

You came on here (joined TODAY, I might add), insulted ALL of us, and the INS ( ). How dare the govt infringe on your rights, etc, etc.

Now you tell us you are rich & don't care about fees. You say you can't be bothered with this ####### & yet, you have done no research except what happened 10 years ago.

People have tried to help you, even tho you are coming across in a very unpleasant way.

One might not have to wonder too much why your first overseas marriage didn't work....

[mox 298]

alaskaone, you're obviously very upset with the process, and you've vented that position quite clearly. However, unless you're prepared to offer up a reasonable solution for discussion, there's really no reason to continue this thread.

Yes, the process is unreasonably expensive and yes, the bureaucracy is out of control. The process is too complex and too cumbersome at all levels. But it is what it is. Grit your teeth if you have to, but get yourself through it so you can be done with it. There is nothing more positive that can be done in this thread.

I wish you and your fiance luck.

[alaskaone 0]

you have support if your not insulting and attacking members left and right, if you want to insult and attack, then you wont find much support here

Ion, it was not me who lobbed the first dung ball.

Thanks, Rakkus.

[Mags 112]

Final request for the personal attacks to stop. Any more and I'm afraid this topic will get a lovely little padlock on it.

[AmericanGentleman 0]

I look at the OP's complaint objectively. First, it was a different world 30 years ago. There was alot more integrity in both marriage and immigration. Over the past 30 years, the original system was progessively abused until we have what we have today, a system to ensure a relationship is valid by testing it over a period of roughly a year's worth of beaurocracy. Most people 30 years ago would not even think to try to bamboozle the government on immigration, but today, if given the chance, countless people who be selling marriges to foriegners if it were made easy as the OP suggests. I do not like waiting any more than the rest of you, but i see why we have to do it and accept it.

As for the increase of fee's, this is probably mainly due to the INS (now DHS) goign from paper to digital. I am more than willing to help pay this fee so couple that come after me can have a more expedited process and be together sooner. I look at it as a small sacrifice to create a better legacy for those who follow.

[featherB 1]

Final request for the personal attacks to stop. Any more and I'm afraid this topic will get a lovely little padlock on it.

Could the AOS-y stuff get split into the AOS forum, mebbe? (Or would that create a big thread-splitting mess?)