September Filers!

[sara..... 371]

Estadia: Any news yet? Seems like with all those touches, something must be happening! Any day now, I'm sure.

Congrates Daly!

I called DOS yesterday and Kathy is finally eligible for an interview. Within 1-2 weeks, I should know the interview date and we are guessing it will be late june or early july.

It's too bad that we don't get more traffic in here these days! Anyone else have any news?

Brian

nope no news but i feel somethings coming should would be nice to get it this week

[Norman and Dijani 0]

Hello Everyone,

I just thought you would all like to know that my fiancee had her interview this morning and was approved!!!! She will be booking her flight on June 11th and should arrive in Detroit on June 11th!!!

I can't tell you what a weight has been lifted off of our shoulders!!! thank you all for the kind words, good thoughts, prayers and everythign else you all did to help us through this long , hard journey. After almost 9 months, we will be reunited and all the stress and waiting will melt away when she walks through those doors at the airport!!!

Good luck to you all that are still waiting! Keep the faith and , if you truley love each other, you will make it!!

Regards,

Norman

[vanessaandbrent 0]

Many congrats Norman and Dijani & Daly!! Woohoo!!

Will be nice to have almost all of us September filers across in the AOS group soon

[Brian & Kathy 0]

I called DOS today. To my amazement, there was no wait to speak with someone. I've never gotten through without a wait and was wondering if I called the wrong number.

This time, they had good news for us. Our interview date is arranged for July 7th.

Brian

[웃 910]

I am not sure if some of the September filers remember, but my fiancee (Diana) was supposed to receive her visa April 9, however, on April 8 she got bad news from the medical appointment. There was a very, very tiny spot on her lung for her chest x-ray and she had to return 3 mornings in a row at 6am for a sputum test. They told her that the results would be ready in 10 weeks and she will need to pay $400 when she returns!!! Well....this Friday marks 8 weeks so I am hoping to have the results soon.

I will let everyone know how it turns out. I am hoping for results at week 8 or 9 instead of at week 10 or beyond.

Edited June 2, 2008 by thegreatgate

[FredErika 0]

Feel free to modify this letter and email/mail to your Senator/Congressman.... I already have gotten initial responses.

Its reasonable, rationale, and makes a case, without whining....

YOUR NAME

ADDRESS

October 5, 2007

Dear Senator <<NAME>,

I am one of a countless number of United States Citizens who has applied for an I-129F, Petition for Alien Fiancé, for my fiancé who is at this time a citizen of <<COUNTRY>>. I filed this petition on her behalf on <DATE>, and the petition was received by the Vermont Service Center on the <<DATE>>.

I have seen press releases regarding how backlogs were supposed to be cleared by certain dates, and thus the processing of these petitions should return to more desirable waiting times. However, it appears that with each passing day, the waiting gets longer and longer.

• Net/Net: If I was on a H1B work visa, and got married, the visa processing would take 24 hours. However, as a US Citizen, I have to wait for almost 8 months to 10 months to get my wife/fiancé to the U.S. Where is the justice here???

The crux of the issue is far less about processing times, but about the lack of transparency that is being displayed by United States Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS). At one point, the web site for USCIS displayed receipt dates that had been processed, but at this time simply displays a blanket date of “6 months.”

I wish to share some specific concerns with you so as to offer insight into how the petition process is currently affecting citizens.

• Net/Net: If I was on a H1B work visa, and got married, the visa processing would take 24 hours. However, as a US Citizen, I have to wait for almost 8 months to 10 months to get my wife/fiancé to the U.S. Where is the justice here???

• Significant delays in the processing of petitions. Many of us who filed

in May through the date of this letter are noticing that an extremely small

number of petitions have been processed/approved.

• A strong opinion that the prioritization of visas from applicants to work is inappropriate compared to the processing of family and marriage based immigration.

• A lack of accountability on the part of USCIS. No matter who we speak to, no matter what we are told, it seems impossible to gain any true information.

• Extremely poor customer service. Petitioners often get the run around from those working USCIS call centers or service centers, and are often read form statements that only regurgitate the blanket information on processing times from the various web sites of USCIS. One member has had a representative tell him his case was with an officer and was to be adjudicated within a short time frame, only to still be left in the dark two weeks later.

• Continued press releases from USCIS stressing the “importance” of processing employment-based Visas, or the Adjustment of Status petitions from others who already have their visas, yet leaving any K1 or K3 petitioners in the dark on their status.

I recognize that immigration benefits for my spouses is a privilege and not a right, however, being a United States Citizen, feel I deserve accurate information and the opportunity to have my concern addressed by knowledgeable officials who can give me facts (not inaccurate time estimates and scripted misinformation designed to appease nervous and sad callers). I also understand the need for security checks, as I am aware of our national security issues, but I do not believe this is the source of the most recent delays. Only the truth and some swift action on the part of USCIS can alleviate some of the stress associated with this process. My life, along with my loved ones abroad, are on hold and we have no idea when this first part of the immigration process will conclude. It is difficult to plan weddings, coordinate other family members, or plan essentially anything until this process resolves itself.

The wait for a petition to reach National Visa Center, then the appropriate Embassy and, finally, the attendance of the beneficiary at scheduled interview can add an additional 3 – 12 months to an already excruciatingly slow process. The USCIS needs to set a reasonable goal of 90 days and/or have expedited processing available for K1/K3 VISA applicants. Currently, we are completely and utterly at the mercy of the system.

I am not trying to make ‘demands’ as such. I am beyond frustrated with the process and feel that the process should be better run, and information should be much easier to come by. As a Citizen of the country, I feel that my requests for information and action are not unreasonable. I am simply devoted Americans lost in a sea of bureaucracy and red tape. While this is a generally accepted part of American life, these petitions and visas are dealing with our hearts and souls in our significant others. I love my country, and only want to share that dream with those that we love as soon as possible.

As a citizen, I am writing to you on behalf of myself because I feel that I am at wit’s end. We want information, we want answers, and the government is failing to give us any. We are requesting that you use your connections and power to help us make this issue known. It is slowly reaching a crisis status for all of us who are awaiting these visas to be approved. Our hearts are heavy, and breaking, because we cannot do anything within the letter of the law to speed the process along and bring our loved ones into our arms. We are not asking for special treatment, we are simply asking for transparency and for answers. We hope that with your help, we can get the government to give us some answers, and maybe the situation may become more bearable.

I respectfully request a response to this letter, so that I may know that my concerns have been heard. Even if it is not feasible for something to be done immediately or at all, the knowledge that someone else knows about my personal plight and the plight of thousands of other Americans will help put my mind at ease, even if only slightly.

• Net/Net: If I was on a H1B work visa, and got married, the visa processing would take 24 hours. However, as a US Citizen, I have to wait for almost 8 months to 10 months to get my wife/fiancé to the U.S. Where is the justice here???

Respectfully,

<<NAME>>

United States Citizen

What an amazing letter, thank you so much! I have hope for all of us that this process will go swiftly and we will be with our loved ones soon. Now if only every one of us would agree to send just one of these letters, just think what an impact that would make!