biggish data

Most systems are broken,this one is not an exception,it's not perfect,but it is what it is,and you have every right to complain about it,thats what makes democratic countries so great,you have waited 4 months or so,that's nothing,chill,relax it will come...I'm just venting about people that think they deserve some special treatment after a few months of waiting...

You're right, most systems are broken. This one is a glaring example of that, sadly!! And you're right, 4 and a half months isn't that long compared to how long many have been waiting. But while I'm just sitting here waiting, why not contact the people who are most likely to get changes made? Just one person alone won't accomplish anything but if people took an active interest in writing, calling, emailing, etc. their representatives they'd eventually have to take a look at it. I'm waiting either way, may as well try to bring some light to the issue. Several of my friends work for the Dept of Justice, Dept of State and I know what a mess it is, but they DO make changes if enough people complain. Squeaky wheels get the oil and whatnot.

spareows

Not Telling

Canada

2013-06-13 10:05:00

You know I just don't get it,wait..wait your turn..if it takes a year..wait..it's not a right to be in this country,it's a privilege...all these people that I read about that after 3 or 4 months are up in arms about having to still have to wait,and the immigration system is evil because they are keeping you from your loved one is ridiculous..Find a lover from your own country,no waiting simple...I waited a year..and then like 9 months for my removing of conditions,and i had a AOS interview,not once did I consider calling my senator..A petition is rediculous,they process hundred of thousands aplications a year...I understand certain cases require some help,but the majority of cases here are relatively new...Stop whining and just relax and your time will come.

If you're happy to wait a year then by all means go for it. I find that if you've waited that long without contacting someone then it's really your own fault nothing got done sooner. Still, I don't feel bad about contacting people elected to help me and represent me. I'm an American citizen, I vote, I get to bug them. That's their job, it's what they're there for. Calling to check on why there is a huge backlog isn't something that is going to put a stand still on their day. Like I said before, I wasn't asking for any type of special treatment, I was calling to figure out if they had any idea why the VSC files were being so delayed. Just because people have waited that long doesn't make it right. Just because this is the system doesn't mean it's not broken. I'd rather be proactive then wait a year with nothing to show for it.

spareows

Not Telling

Canada

2013-06-13 09:46:00

Spareows, welcome to the waiting game of USCIS and US Gov't. Everytime I would call USCIS and speak to a Tier 2 agent regarding my AOS application it was a different answer from the that I got before. I learned that I had to develop a really thick skin when dealing with these people. Some where rude and some were not. Just luck of the draw of who I spoke to on the phone.

Yep. It's a shame that people can be so rude. I'm tempted to just call and bug her once a week from now on, just cos. Haha.

spareows

Not Telling

Canada

2013-06-13 09:07:00

Reading all this has been interesting for me my fiancé and I are one of the unfortunates who is outside of the processing time frame June 2012 we filed, an RFE Dec 2012 sent all the info to Vermont and have been sitting waiting since the beginning of Feb. I am now wondering if it is even worth my fiancé calling his local congressman or just sit and continue to play the waiting game

Wow, that is entirely too long to wait. You need to contact them, you're way outside of normal times. Demand some action!

spareows

Not Telling

Canada

2013-06-12 22:33:00

I agree something like that should not happen.

This thread started with OP reaching out to senators office and he was disappointed with the response and my response was he was well within the avg time frame of the K1 processing and its ok.For

For the record Harsh, I'm the lady in this couple. But you're right, I am within processing times. My problem didn't come from her saying there wasn't anything they could do, I fully anticipated that. The issue was with how poorly she handled the situation, and brushed the issue aside. For me to ask why there is such a delay and her to tell me she wasn't going to find out was unacceptable.

A delay in all cases is understandable in that situation. But to put, for example, September filers on a shelf so that these other cases can be worked on, but January filers still get processed like normal with no delay? That shouldn't happen.

That's what seems to be happening. It's a huge slap in the face to people still waiting from October/November to see a flurry of Jan/Feb filers being approved.

spareows

Not Telling

Canada

2013-06-12 14:21:00

Why would a North Carolina Senator help a Texan?

I believe they were referring that post to another poster from NC who had some issues when they contacted someone.

spareows

Not Telling

Canada

2013-06-12 13:25:00

I understand your comments and where you are coming from and I do not think your feelings are misplaced.

the problem is that this process and what you are trying to accomplish can not come from feelings. this whole process can be overwhelmingly emotionally charged and those emotions have to be checked at the door.

there is no way to really wrap your arms around how the process works.. I have been able to come to my own understanding that there are dozens of offices, hundreds of people adjudicating files that are all in different stages, so first in first out.. yes and no.. so the answer for your question and your understanding is no, there is no first in and first out.. that is the way it is. overall when you talk about a box shipped to an office, yes it will be handled first in first out.

if you are trying to get help on your case, then you understand you have to be beyond processing times. NOBODY will help you with the overall process. if you want to be heard, you will have to find a local or national news station that will have some interest in your cause.

this is not meant to be an attack.. you are not operating an advocacy group or a civil rights movement. you are using speaking points with you pursuits that honestly are fruitless. no government agency will respond to a request you are making on the behalf of other individuals or to try to understand petition approval dates.

keep your eye on your case.. argue your facts.. check your emotions at the doors.. and be nice to the people you are dealing with.. you will eventually get someone to help you if you really need help.. unfortunately, this is not the case for you right now

You're right it is very emotional. The process is a long and draining one. But I disagree that emotion is a bad thing in this process. Things aren't going to change until people get emotional enough to demand something change. To sit back and just take what they hand you when you're dealing with an inefficient system isn't something I'm capable of doing. I am active with local immigration groups; I will continue to write my representatives regarding the faults with the current system.

As far as processing times, I don't expect anything to be done until it's past them. I really am not looking for someone to push me to the front of the line. But they aim for a 5 month turn around and right now if we're going from October it's over 7 months. That's a bit ridiculous. There has to be a better solution to this broken system, but until enough people speak up about their experiences with it, it won't change.

I don't think you're attacking me at all. And even if my pursuits are fruitless I feel better utilizing my rights as a citizen to be active in my government and push for change.

Thanks for your insight, it's much appreciated!

spareows

Not Telling

Canada

2013-06-12 13:18:00

Write your story in a more public forum and spread the word. The reason why congresspeople exist is to help their constituents, and if they flat-out refuse to do that, and even go to the length of calling people liars (which I find funny... why would people on VJ lie about when they got their approval?), then I'm sure other people would like to know about it come election time. Even if they are technically correct in their response (figuring it's under the standard turnaround times) the dismissal of your concern and grief is most telling about their character.

Thank you for the advice. Like I said I wasn't asking for any special treatment, just trying to figure out the big hold up. We all need to call and be as annoying as possible to put some pressure on them. Unfortunately I'm in a state that isn't the most favorable with immigration.

spareows

Not Telling

Canada

2013-06-12 13:09:00

Unfortunately some times you will get that. I got the same brush off from Dianne Feinstein's office when mine was pending, but Barbara Boxer's staff was much better.

I would try calling Cornyn's people since you are not likely to get another staffer at Cruz's office except the one you are dealing with. And keep in mind, you probably have a bunch of Tea Partiers who are doing Cruz's case work. While I wouldn't swear my name to it, I wouldn't be surprised if they are less than thrilled to bring another foreigner into the country more quickly. If you know anything about Benghazi though, I am sure you would go to the front of the line

I am definitely trying Cornyn. I'm also going to call my representative. You're right, they were very condescending when I told them I was having an immigration issue. It's freaking Canada though, so give me a break. Lol.

Looks to me like you got a correct response. Sort of a "STFU until you have a real problem".

There is a way to say "Sorry, nothing I can do" without being rude. She was downright rude and indifferent. People need to be active about calling their representatives and bugging them to put some pressure on USCIS. It's not just about my case or an individual. It's about every single person who has been waiting for months with no end in sight. There's reasonable, and then there is unreasonable. I think current waiting times are bordering on unreasonable.

Get Cornyn. Forget Cruz. And if you want to really get her, write a letter to Cruz stating what you say, copy the papers, etc. Heck copy Cornyn on that as well. Ask to speak to her super and give them factual info.

I already did that. My blood was boiling!!!!!!

Edited by Kathryn41, 13 June 2013 - 03:39 PM.
to remove pejorativev name in quote

spareows

Not Telling

Canada

2013-06-12 13:05:00

There is no FIFO remember that, none of the centers work on FIFO bases.

There are simple things like where your fiancee is would matter too, for some countries centers can verifiy information quickly and case would move faster.

There can be other things like if either one was married in past or not etc.

Just coz one center is processing Feb and your application was in Jan at another center, Senator or Congressman is not going to question the center. for that.

Avg time us 6-7 months and if one center is processing it faster than 6 months they are not going to question them for processing faster than avg time.

Talking with the Senator's office, cases are generally processed in the order they come in. And from the USCIS website "USCIS usually processes cases in the order they are received. For each type of application or petition we have specific workload processing goals. For example, we try to process naturalization cases within 5 months of the date we receive them and immediate relative petitions (for the spouse, parent or minor child of a U.S. citizen) within 6 months of the receipt date. Sometimes the volume of cases we receive is so large that it prevents us from achieving our goals, but we never stop trying."

I'm sure they're not going to be 100% accurate, but there should be action taken to make them as close to accurate as possible.

Also, I was specifically calling to request information at VSC. I know that CSC and VSC move at different rates, and all the info I gave her came from the VSC timelines. Still, there is an issue when the USCIS website says processing times are October 15 and people from Feb are being approved without expedite while people from October are still waiting. There's obviously a backlog, but unless we stay on them and put pressure on them we won't get any results. The woman was annoyed because she said 5 people had called her about K1 visas. Good. She needs to be bugged about it, it's a problem.

spareows

Not Telling

Canada

2013-06-12 12:57:00

From your timeline it seems you are right at the point of 6 months which an average is given few weeks here or there.

No senator or congressman is going to touch a case if it is within the average time frame.

Each case is different and some do get approved faster and some does take little extra time nor they would go by anything on VJ.

And I understand that. I was calling in regards to many of the Vermont cases being approved out of order. Like I mentioned, from July-Feb on the most recent Igor's List. If they're doing a first in, first out, then times should be consistent. I do understand there are expedites, but several of the February cases that were processed this week did not have an expedite. That's awesome for those guys, but I was calling to ask them to look into the backlog, inconsistent approvals, etc.

spareows

Not Telling

Canada

2013-06-12 11:42:00

Remember this next election. Vote against them.

Believe me, I haven't ever voted for them to begin with. Now I'll go out of my way to actively campaign against them.

Yeah,, I got the same response from that office when I called about the CSC backlog several months ago. Cornyns office wasn't much better.

No, they're just not helpful. And their staff are rude as well. Talk about frustrating. Unless you're a big company with lots of money to throw towards their special interests they don't care.

spareows

Not Telling

Canada

2013-06-12 11:11:00

Rep Walter Jones' (NC-3rd) folks were just as unhelpful. Took them forever to respond as well.

Considering Ted Cruz wants to abolish the IRS...I dunno. Your other senator isn't exactly rushing to work on immigration either.

Perhaps you have a congressman who can help?

Sorry to hear you weren't having any help either. Senator Cornyn I contacted, but like you said, he's not really going to be much help. My other representative may be some more help, but who knows. I've got a request out to him as well. Fingers crossed. There are some serious problems with the current immigration system. It's hard being away from someone you love.

spareows

Not Telling

Canada

2013-06-12 11:08:00

She sounds like a gem. I started a petition if you're interested. Spread it around if you can.

Short URL: http://wh.gov/li933
Save and Share this URL: https://petitions.wh...-uscis/43dxPgHZ

Thanks! I already signed it earlier this week, and believe me I am spreading it around!!

spareows

Not Telling

Canada

2013-06-12 10:32:00

I called Texas Senator Ted Cruz's office and spoke to Melissa Miller today regarding the backlog at Vermont. She was very short and rude. On top of saying "Looks like you'll just have to wait" she told me that she "wouldn't be reaching out to them (Vermont) again" because she already called for another gentleman. When I pointed out that many people were being approved from months all out of whack she brushed it off and basically called VJ contributors liars. When I told her that the recent timelines showed approvals from July - February she scoffed and told me that she wouldn't look at anything unless my case was filed before October 15, 2012.

Really frustrated with the conversation I just had.

spareows

Not Telling

Canada

2013-06-12 10:21:00

I had good results with the ILS human in Marc Veasey's office this year.

Just saying. trail o poo in my profile - click my name, have a read?

I know this is OLD now, but I can't send a message to you Darnell. Who did you speak to there? Any advice? I hope to call them today.

Rdz's

Female

El Salvador

2014-02-06 10:21:00

FORM DS-230 PART 1 - Need help please!

You definately you need to enter exact dates and years,u can't assume or guess bcoz whatever forms u feel should be true to your knowledge.thats what I can advice you on my side!

supu

Male

India

2013-09-10 08:13:00

can my fiance send papers from US to US Embassy islamabad ?

the person living in paksitan should go to the American express. they should send it through them. don't take risks at this point.

Alis0817

Not Telling

Pakistan

2014-02-20 17:15:00

i am the petitioner living in us currently, can i visit my fiance?

Thank you, i was thinking about this as well.. lets hope he gets here soon. inshallah

I understand your dilemma. I would just tell you previous practice of Islamabad Embassy.

Previously, they would outright deny joint sponsors of petitioners having no jobs or low income. They were strict on this. Now they are allowing joint sponsor, as we all know. But, it is important for the petitioner to have a job on hand, because during AP, they sometimes solicit information like recent paystubs etc. I know the frustration it can cause for your fiance' to be in AP. Maybe you could take some vacation days and go visit him.. But again it would be your choice..

But at a time like this, having a job would be important. I hope you have submitted I-134 and also I-864 for yourself and the joint sponsor. Normally they don't ask for I-864 but if you provide the same, it makes your case much much stronger.

I hope you are out of AP before you actually leave for Pakistan.

Good luck!

Alis0817

Not Telling

Pakistan

2014-03-22 12:47:00

i am the petitioner living in us currently, can i visit my fiance?

HI my fiances interview went smooth CO said ur approved even smile on him and issued him pink slip which mean ur approved and didnt asked for anything . Also she said u can come pick up ur passport/visa in few days even he went to embassy after 5 days once he reached their they said ur visa is nt ready yet and took his passport. We r on AP since feb 5 2014. since our status changed 4 times in march it was on ready for 5 days and put us back on AP again now m literally confused.

you might want to use the islamabad embassy inquiry form and tell them this whole situation.

Alis0817

Not Telling

Pakistan

2014-03-21 16:55:00

i am the petitioner living in us currently, can i visit my fiance?

actually arsalan.sh my fiance's interview already happened. everything was fine co said its our process we have to put everyone under ap now so we are in ap since last month and i just dont want to stay here without him i mean i want ot see him so i am debating on goin to pakistan but one thing is scaring me that if i leave from here i will be jobless and would that be bad for our case. i mean the interview happened already and i do have a joint sponsor.

I would highly recommend that you visit your fiance'. Moreover, since you are United States Citizen, you can even visit the embassy without appointment and solicit information on your case. This can have greater chances of approval. AP is a dark pit and people lie in it for months. But if you have the option to visit Pakistan, do go to embassy with your fiance'. I know it will have a positive impact on the case when the COs see you two together and they can't put you in AP like this. You are a USC and you have a right to know what's going on..

Just make sure other things are ok.. AND, if you have not submitted I-864 for yourself and the joint sponsor, I suggest that you prepare those documents in accordance with the instructions, as previously I-864 Affidavit of Support was optional, but now it's mandatory for every person.

I wish you good luck!

when you were put into ap did the co say something to you? atleast it means they are working on your case... don worry you will be out of it soon inshallah.

Hi guys

I am also in same kind of situation but my finace lives in Dubai UAE. He had his interview on Feb 5 2014 right after his interview he was placed on AP and then march 4,5 status changed and on march 6 our status changed to Ready until march 10 and they create our case creation date as well on march 10 then march 11th they placed us back on AP since then we r facing AP situation which is really stressfull. i wanna know after ready why they placed us on second AP do u think soon we will issue or it will take longer as well? Any suggestions will greatly helpful.

Alis0817

Not Telling

Pakistan

2014-03-21 16:02:00

i am the petitioner living in us currently, can i visit my fiance?

Yes, of course it's OK. I have a friend who went to the Philippines to attend his fiance's interview, and then stayed until she got her VISA, and is coming home in a couple of days. So, YES, it's fine. Go, have a good time, and hopefully the visa is issued while you're there, and you can come home TOGETHER.

Thankyouuu!!! that makes me feel better!11

Alis0817

Not Telling

Pakistan

2014-03-20 23:34:00

i am the petitioner living in us currently, can i visit my fiance?

Soo ... guys i need help i am a bit confused... so me and my fiance are just frustrated as im sure everyone else is. he had his interview at the islamabad embassy on the 19th of feb its been a month. nothing was asked from us but we were put to AP, the CO said we have to wait its part of their job to put everyone for background checks specially mens. so now i am thinking to visit my fiance who is living in pakistan. i am the petitioner i want to knw if it will be alright if i go there and come back with him once he gets his visa in hands. what do you guys say i mean what is concerning me is that i would be unemployed than but than i do have a cosponser and interview already happened so i am just confused. would there be any problem if i go visit him and stay there til he gets his visa. my lawyer said he doesnt see a problem with it but i still want opinions....

i would really like a reply back .. thank you,

Alis0817

Not Telling

Pakistan

2014-03-20 16:05:00

thanks, I will take a time off

Alis0817

Not Telling

Pakistan

2014-04-02 16:38:00

yup i have in savings..

Alis0817

Not Telling

Pakistan

2014-03-23 20:59:00

no i just work a normal retail job. i dont earn much. i dont have any vacation time there. yes i will be unemployed if i go. our interview already happened. would it still be a problem.? we were put into AP just for name checks and background checking.

Alis0817

Not Telling

Pakistan

2014-03-22 23:21:00

sooo i am having a problem. i need suggestions. i have filed for my fiance visa who lives in pakistan. his interview happened everything was fine but still we were put into AP as the CO said its their requirement to do so... but i dont want to wait anymore i really want to go visit him. we filed the petition last febuary which was in 2013. i really want to see him its almost year and few months. since i dont make enough income i have a co sponsor. my problem is if i go to pakistan would there be any problem because than i will be unemployed. should i go or not. what would be your suggestions...........

waiting for replies ... please reply really appreciate everyones opinions.

Alis0817

Not Telling

Pakistan

2014-03-22 15:21:00

No form in the attachement?

Right, the site may be getting updated. This happens often but be patient; it does not take long to come back online. It helps to go back and forth between vj and the uscis sites. Sometimes one or the other is working. In this case, both links are down temporarily.

Warmly, Laura

Mohamed&Laura

Female

France

2013-11-03 07:45:00

Emergency Situation

I feel what you're saying Yang-Ja. If we can leave tomorrow we will. Kelly is frustrating me now because she wants to go to the hairdresser so she can look good for my family and I'm dealing with this crisis .

Go hat shopping :-))

Mohamed&Laura

Female

France

2013-11-21 17:19:00

duplicate threads have been merged and duplicate posts removed. The topic, while it does relate to the NVC forum, is being moved to the K-1 Visa Process and Procedure forum as it relates to the K-1 process and keeps all steps - even unexpected ones - together in the same forum.

I concur, for the same reason. I posted this here but somebody moved it to the NVC forum.

Can you tell me where we can find out the date of the interview? It seems that the latest news is that the file is on it's way, via DHL, to Paris and that an interview date is already scheduled. Is that correct? If I call the NVC on Monday, will they tell me the interview date? Thank you.

CEAC Visa status check:

"Your case is in transit to the Consular Section. Your interview date was provided to you by the National Visa Center."

Mohamed&Laura

Female

France

2013-12-21 17:00:00

yayyyy....problem solved after we sent the copy of passport!

from the ceac website:

"Your case is in transit to the Consular Section. Your interview date was provided to you by the National Visa Center."

Mohamed&Laura

Female

France

2013-12-21 14:37:00

Yes...seems this is a common error. The supervisor seemed more concerned over how I found out the mistaken birth date than she was about simply fixing the error. She also said it would take so long to fix their error that I will likely have to file an extension of the Approval Notice in Paris. The current Approval is valid until March 14, 2014. It is not looking like a 2 day fix.

Mohamed&Laura

Female

France

2013-12-18 21:29:00

I think this belongs in the K1 forum also because others will see how important it is to follow through with phone calls. If I had not been given the case number and wrong birthdate entered at the State Department, I would not know that the birthdate had been keyed in wrong.

The file left the USCIS with the proper and correct birthdate. The birthdate error occured at the NVC. Apparently, they have some very inefficient safeguards against simple data entry errors

Now the file is being sent to a different building so that somebody there can look at it and confirm that a data entry error occured. The supervisor could not tell me how long this will take.

Mohamed&Laura

Female

France

2013-12-18 12:33:00

Update: I was given the case number from an operator at the State department. Now I am trying to help them to fix the data entry error. They accidentally entered his birthday as the 30th instead of the 20th. :-)

Mohamed&Laura

Female

France

2013-12-18 11:20:00

I called the National Visa Center today. They have a case number ready. They could not give it to me because the birthdate I gave them and the one listed on the NVC form do not match.I entered the correct birthdate on the I129f and all of the forms. She said that the problem is somebody entered the birthdate wrong during processing. Now I must send in a copy of my fiance's birth certificate or a copy of his passport. This is the procedure in order to correct their mistake. I am so glad that I have been calling every few days to ask for the case number. Now we can have the error corrected and move forward, God willing.

Mohamed&Laura

Female

France

2013-12-18 09:03:00

Age gap

I think they only become suspicious if the woman is marrying a much older man...but even those get approved if the couple is patient ;-)

Mohamed&Laura

Female

France

2014-03-05 09:01:00

G-325A Problem..

i REALLY HATE REDOING IT BUT I HAVE NO CHOICE, I HAVE TO WAIT 5 DAYS BEFORE HE WILL RECEIVE IT. NOW I AM CHECKING EVERYTHING AGAIN TO MAKE SURE NO MORE MISTAKES, I REALLY FEEL BAD ABOUT MYSELF. I AM JUST THANKFUL AND LUCKY I HAVE A VERY UNDERSTAND BOYFRIEND BUT STILL I FEEL BAD BUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR IDEA ABOUT IT.. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT A LOT.

Don't feel bad it is very important to make sure that everything is the way that it needs to be. You're looking at 5 days now or potentially 2 weeks for an RFE.

We did the same thing when were getting our paperwork together so it happens. You are making the right call in my opinion as much as it hurts. I know 5 days seems like an eternity when you are so ready to get the whole process started. The extra attention to detail will make a huge difference.

Joey Icecream

Male

Vietnam

2013-10-29 14:59:00

http://www.visajourn...content/k1guide

Help..

Thank you but i still don't get it, so i don't have to send him the DS-156 and DS-156k anymore only the Letter of Intent and G-325A? Thanks

That is correct.

For the i129f:

You do need a G-325A and letter of intent for both of you. 1 G-325A for petitioner and 1 for the beneficiary. 1 letter of intent from petitioner and 1 letter of intent from beneficiary. They need to be signed and original.

You do not need to submit the DS-156 or DS-156k.

You will fill out the DS-160 online at a later time (After the consulate sends your fiance the package 3)

Follow this guide exactly and you will be fine:

And if you have questions always try and ask here. There are some really great people on this site with far more knowledge about this process than me.

Good luck to you two!

Joey Icecream

Male

Vietnam

2013-10-29 14:53:00

What to include with the i-134

Is your income enough to meet the poverty guidelines? If so, then you don't need to include anything from the bank. All you need are: last 6 months paystubs, employment letter, last 3 years tax return transcripts.

My income is above the poverty guidelines, that is awesome thank you for the good news on that. Just waiting for the tax transcript now. =D

Is that all that you needed for your i134? I have heard that the consulate in HCMC can be very demanding and I just want to make sure. Thank you so much for the fast reply!

Joey Icecream

Male

Vietnam

2013-11-19 23:23:00