biggish data

K-1's Treated as Criminals While Illegals Live and Love

What part of this do you consider being treated like a criminal?

With the passage of IMBRA, K-1 applicants are now selectively singled out as presumptively guilty as abusers until declared and proven innocent by even more background checks.

Got a multiple name match? Welcome to AR.

That is being treated like a criminal in the name of social engineering.

The point of the thread however is that we are a drop in the bucket compared to the tsunami of illegal immigrants. To subject us to unending (and increasing) scrutiny, when viewed in the context of the big picture, must make a reasonable person shake their head in disbelief.

Edited by Pete, 15 June 2006 - 01:38 PM.

Pete

Male

Philippines

2006-06-15 13:35:00

K-1's Treated as Criminals While Illegals Live and Love

This article in today's SF Chron just rubs salt into the open wound caused by IMBRA and USCIS. All K1 applicants have been chosen for even more scrutiny thanks to the IMBRA "social engineeering" law. But ignored is the reality: millions of illegal aliens enjoying life together in the USA, no worries.

But us K-1 applicants are treated as criminals and second class citizens, and denied our loved ones.

It just ain't right.

Here is the link.

[b]Ramiro and Marisol looked on proudly as their 3-year-old son, Alexis, took out his toolbox and pretended to fix a closet in their new San Jose home. He was imitating the flurry of work his parents had put into the one-bedroom condominium over the past two weekends, installing new linoleum and carpets from Home Depot, painting and repairing.

With a shy giggle, Marisol, 27, pointed out where she plans to put the sofa and the TV in the tiny living room while Ramiro, 32, talked about being able to grill carne asada on the tree-shaded balcony.

They joked about how rarely they see each other. Ramiro works six days a week in a sheet-metal factory and attends night school to get his high school diploma. Marisol goes to business classes in the mornings and works afternoons as an office assistant while Alexis attends preschool.

It was a typical new-homeowner scene with one exception: Ramiro and Marisol, who asked that their last name not be used, are undocumented immigrants from Mexico. They've been in the country for four years. Marisol entered on a tourist visa. Ramiro hid in a car.

Their immigration status did not prevent them from buying a home. It is legal for undocumented people to purchase property in the United States.

The problem has been borrowing the money to pay for it. Ramiro and Marisol have stable jobs, but many undocumented people have spotty or nonexistent credit histories. Often, they've worked off the books. That's two big strikes against getting a mortgage.

Another issue used to be an absolute deal breaker when undocumented people applied for home loans: Until recently, people had to have a Social Security number to qualify for a mortgage.

Now, a handful of banks, including some major institutions, have begun offering home-mortgage loans to people who don't have Social Security accounts. Instead, borrowers can use individual taxpayer identification numbers, or ITINs, which are used to file income tax returns. These lending programs also allow borrowers to use unconventional ways to demonstrate their creditworthiness.

The Internal Revenue Service issues taxpayer IDs to both resident and nonresident aliens so they can pay taxes. A significant number of the 8.6 million holders of individual taxpayer IDs are illegal immigrants, according to the Government Accounting Office.

Even as a heated debate swirls around the 12 million unauthorized immigrants in the United States, they are increasingly participating in the country's financial system, from paying taxes to opening bank accounts. And, for many undocumented people, just as for many citizens, the ultimate financial goal is to be a homeowner.

"For those families who have the American dream, but don't have access to documentation, the (the taxpayer ID mortgage) is a way for them to be able to buy a home, lay down roots and build wealth for their family for the future," said Janis Bowdler, housing policy analyst at the National Council of La Raza, a Hispanic civil-rights organization in Washington, D.C.

Opponents of illegal immigration deplore mortgages for undocumented people. Some say the banks making taxpayer ID loans are guilty of aiding and abetting criminals.

U.S. Rep. John Doolittle, a Republican from Roseville (Placer County), has introduced a bill that would ban issuing residential mortgages to illegal immigrants.

"The government should not be in the business of creating incentives to encourage illegal behavior. Nor should companies be permitted to reward those individuals in clear violation of our laws," Doolittle said in a statement when he introduced the bill in October.

The bill, which also would require expedited deportation of people caught entering the United States illegally, is pending in the Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security and Claims.

It benefits the economy when immigrants move from "mattress money" into mainstream financial transactions, economists say. And illegal immigrants represent a huge potential market. Undocumented Latino immigrants could take out some $44 billion in mortgage loans if they had the same access as legal residents, according to a 2004 study for the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals.

"People traditionally talk about the undocumented Latino population as furtive people in the shadows who are very marginalized," said the study's author, Rob Paral, a research fellow with the American Immigration Law Foundation in Washington, D.C. "What's really changed is that a lot of people who are undocumented have fairly decent incomes. They have spending patterns and social behaviors which include an interest in buying a home and an ability to do it."

Using Census data on income and age, he estimated that 216,000 currently undocumented households could buy homes -- admittedly ones at modest prices. About a quarter of those potential home buyers are in California. "This is a large, untapped population from a financial point of view," Paral said. "If it were not restrained, it could be pouring a lot more money into society."

Banks have gotten that message loud and clear. U.S. banks now routinely accept both taxpayer ID numbers and a Mexican ID called matricula consular to open new accounts. Many reach out to the Latino community with Spanish marketing materials and bilingual bank tellers.

The latest twist is the taxpayer ID mortgage. Pioneered by small community banks, mainly in the Midwest, the loans slowly have begun to spread. As of September 2004, one credit union and 18 banks were offering such mortgages, according to a report by independent researcher Mari Gallagher. In California, Wells Fargo and Citibank both offer taxpayer ID mortgage loans, albeit in small programs.

Citibank's version of the loans is made in conjunction with ACORN Housing, a nonprofit that promotes home ownership among low-income people. ACORN does initial screening of potential borrowers and refers those who can qualify to Citibank.

Mark Rodgers, a spokesman for the New York bank, said its loans do not specifically address immigration status.

"We look to provide financial services across the wide spectrum of consumers in the United States," he said. "This is a program for borrowers in low- to moderate-income households, and we do, as part of that program, accept (taxpayer IDs) in addition to Social Security numbers."

Marisol and Ramiro got their mortgage through the Citibank/ACORN Housing program, which offers interest rates a full percentage point below the published rate and $3,000 toward closing costs or down payment. In addition, their Realtor, Rebecca Gallardo-Serrano of Protelo Group Realty in San Jose, gave them a rebate of $2,500 to help pay their closing costs. At less than $260,000, their small condo was the lowest-cost listing in Santa Clara County.

The program acknowledges the reality that many Latino immigrants do not have much traditional credit history.

"In the Latino community, we don't like to have debt," said Frances Martinez Myers, chairwoman of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals. "We transact in cash, so there's no credit history."

Marisol and Ramirez, for example, "used very nonconventional credit," Gallardo-Serrano said. ACORN Housing verified that the couple had paid their bills on time for the past two years to PG&E, San Jose Water, their landlord and a health club. In addition, they showed two years of tax returns and employment history.

Lez Trujillo, field director with ACORN Housing Corp. in Chicago, said the program with Citibank, which is available in about seven states, has made 804 mortgages worth $153 million since early 2005. Of those, 387 were in California, primarily Northern California. An additional 1,300 borrowers are now in the pipeline, either in contract or shopping for a house.

None of the mortgages has resulted in a foreclosure. In fact, among all the borrowers, there have only been two late payments, both quickly remedied, she said.

Aren't illegal immigrants worried that buying a home could make them more vulnerable to deportation?

"It's a risk people are willing to take," Trujillo said. "Many of them have established credit, have had a job for many, many years, have been paying taxes. They have families, they want a stable place, privacy -- the same reasons the rest of society buys a house. The mentality is that they are here to stay and want to buy houses."

Wells Fargo has offered taxpayer ID mortgages since December in a pilot program in Los Angeles and Orange counties. The bank declined to discuss the program, instead sending a short statement saying it will continue to evaluate it.

The biggest barrier to such loans is that they cannot easily be sold on the secondary mortgage market. Most banks sell the mortgages they originate to bring in more money to make more loans. Instead, banks must keep taxpayer-ID mortgages in their portfolios, tying up capital.

"If there was an investor, whether Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae or someone on Wall Street, who decided they would start buying (taxpayer ID mortgages), it would certainly make it a lot easier for lenders to make them," said Brad German, a spokesman for Freddie Mac, a government-sponsored entity that repackages mortgages for sale to investors. Freddie Mac is studying whether to buy taxpayer ID mortgages, German said.

Mortgage Guarantee Insurance Corp., the nation's largest mortgage insurer, provides insurance on taxpayer ID loans.

While Mortgage Guarantee does not release specific numbers, Katie Monfre, a spokeswoman for the Milwaukee company, said taxpayer ID loans account for less than a half-percent of its overall business. "I can tell you the loans we've had on this very young book of business have been performing well," she said. That means they've had a very low rate of delinquencies and defaults.

Gallagher, who specializes in research on undocumented Mexicans and the mortgage market, said that despite the shifting political winds, she thinks taxpayer ID mortgages will grow because the market pressure of so many immigrants who want to buy homes will be so strong.

"This is the match that could light the next fire in the mortgage industry," she said.

That kind of talk ignites wrath among anti-immigration partisans.

"It's simply wrong for foreign lawbreakers to be enabled to plant roots in this country by way of obtaining a mortgage," Roy Beck, executive director of NumbersUSA, a group that wants to curtail immigration growth, wrote in support of the Doolittle bill that would bar mortgages for undocumented aliens.

Ramiro and Marisol don't see themselves as lawbreakers. They hope to become citizens. And they hope that their condo will appreciate in value so they can trade up.

"After I finish school, I want to have another baby, a girl," Marisol said. "Then in three years or maybe two, we can buy a house."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

E-mail Carolyn Said at csaid@sfchronicle.com.

Immigrants and finances

Immigrants participate less in
mainstream financial institutions than native-born Americans and have a lower
rate of home ownership. Immigrants in this study were a representative sample
of the country, so about two thirds are legal residents and one third are
undocumented.
Checking Savings Own Own
Household account account home stock
Immigrants 63% 55% 55% 13%
Native-born Americans 76% 68% 75% 27%

Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago

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URL: http://sfgate.com/cg...MNGRMJEGM81.DTL

Pete

Male

Philippines

2006-06-15 12:04:00

Facts About Marriage Brokers

I think what "mail order bride" sites mean are those sites that market the foreign woman as a commodity that is being "sold" to the USC male. Obviously you will not find sites openly trafficking in humans (at least I hope not). But the websites do advertise their "products" this way.

BINGO! In IMBRA2005's own words- they passed a law which does nothing to protect women, but instead targets crappy marketing. This hits the nail on the head. Create laws which make us feel better, not which have no teeth and are not written to actually provide results. They for all intents and purposes legislated good taste in advertising!

Once again, the laudable intention to do good slams into the concrete wall of unintended consequences.

All of us on here know, for a fact, that the whole purpose of the fiancee visa process is to allow the various governments to ascertain if the relationship is real or sham. Law was already in place, and the mechanisms were working.

Edited by Pete, 18 June 2006 - 05:41 PM.

Pete

Male

Philippines

2006-06-18 17:40:00

REASON FOR IMBRA ???

Entire previous Artegal post...ummm masarap! (delicious)

Very nice post. Thank you.

Pete

Male

Philippines

2006-06-21 15:47:00

REASON FOR IMBRA ???

But I know bad legislation when I see it. Just because there is a problem it doesn't mean every law that addresses it is a good law, and a person who opposes a law is not necessarily for the crime, understand?

Sums up the reality pretty good- thank you for saving me the typing.

Like the premise of "The Colbert Report", people want to "feel" a law is good, regardless of the weight (in this case the lack thereof) of the evidence proving otherwise. It is all puppies and butterflies as long as the law "sounds" good.

To cite emotionally gripping examples, and claiming they were all preventable if IMBRA had only been in effect, is intellectually bankrupt and only panders to the sensationalistic hot-buttons of the masses.

BUT what is always missing are the studies showing causation and linkage.

What studies were conducted? Were meta-studies done? Who were the control groups? What are the facts supporting this "power imbalance" theory? This is IMBRA's whole problem, it is all based on emotion, there are no facts supporting the alleged efficacy of the solution.

Don't cram legislation down my throat that was written in ambiguous and convolution fashion, based on knee-jerk reaction.

There were already laws in place for visa fraud, spousal abuse. Don't create new laws when you don't enforce the ones already in place.

Edited by Pete, 20 June 2006 - 02:10 PM.

Pete

Male

Philippines

2006-06-20 14:09:00

Zethris, Pete...sorry for the mix-up

I should at least check and see just who is in my Kool-Aid before I unleash the Kool-Aid man

Everyone say it with me...

OH YEAH!

Hehe...

No worries, I was chuckling at your post as I was responding back. I love your passion, your future spouse is lucky and in for a challenge :devil:

OH YEAH!

Back on the IMBRA topic...

Just think, tens of millions of illegals in this country never had to go through what we all are being forced to, simply because we chose to play by the rules. And we are the ones suffering. Tens of millions more in the future too friends, because the flow won't be stopped. How does IMBRA affect them? It doesn't. It just hurts the people that try to do right.

Thanks to the monsters that created the cruel, poorly written law that is IMBRA combined with USCIS having no accountability to anyone, and seemingly no ability to serve the public... well it sucks to be in love with a person not from the USA. Family values my azz.

Pete

Male

Philippines

2006-06-05 21:41:00

Readers of this thread - If you have not contacted your Congressperson or Senator, you must do so today. Tell them this abuse of applicants and lack of accountability by USCIS is not acceptable.

Sheep to the back of the visa line.

With all due respect, zethris: you are now all up in MY Kool-Aid, and you don't even know the flavor.

Your suggestion that those who elect not to pursue your favored course of action on their own cases should have their applications penalized is your own opinion, to which you are entitled. Airing it, however, has earned you 90 Rude Points, out of a possible 100.

Bottom line: you're not the boss of me. Adjust your attitude accordingly.

A ticked-off Tigre

Er, that was me, not zethris, that wrote your quoted statement :whistle:

I apologize for my poor wording, as you would be the last person I would lump in as a watcher and not a do-er :thumbs:

You HAVE taken action and are definitely helping the cause!

My intent was that people need to raise awareness of the USCIS processing fiasco in addition to posting on the this forum. Aside from USCIS customer (dis)service, I think making a lot of noise is a good thing. It is probably good too that the ruckus come from all directions (senators, congresspeople, Ombudsfolk, lawyers, and other branches of government).

Did you read about the guy that got ate by the lioness? LINK Hehe, looks you are mauling us...

Tigre on the loose!

Hey- Happy Monday and cheers to all who are fighting the good fight regardless of their chosen avenue

Pete

Male

Philippines

2006-06-05 18:07:00

And one more thing:

Some posters have commented that USCIS processing is like applying for a job or mortgage.

WRONG!

I spent 5 years in the mortgage business: equity, retail and wholesale and I can guarantee you getting a mortgage is 10,000 times easier than the fiancee visa process. On a mortgage app they pull a credit report. THAT'S IT! There is NO background check! Not with the FBI, the CIA, the State Department and who knows how many other local and regional databases.

A job applicant MIGHT have a credit report pulled.

Criminal records? FBI check? IMBRA type disclosures??? PLEASE. You are delusional or severely mis-informed if you think the USCIS checks are remotely similar to applying for a mortgage or a job.

Please don't spread that kind of mis-information or try to reframe the real problem with those comparisons.

Pete

Male

Philippines

2006-06-05 15:48:00

Bottom line: USCIS is charged with processing petitions in a timely manner. 90-120- who knows how many days is not a timely manner. This is a government agency, and as such is paid for by my tax dollars (and my application fees!).

Anybody remember "No taxation without representation"?? If memory serves, that particular issue led to some minor changes here in the USA :-)

There sure as hell is no applicant representation as far as USCIS goes. All there is, is stonewalling, obfuscation and hours hold time on the telephone for contract call center employees that know nothing.

They go home at night, every night, to their loved ones. I don't. And I have no idea when I will because of their lack of transparancy and inability to CARRY OUT THIER DUTY TO PROCESS APPLICATIONS.

Yes, I am not happy, yes I am willing to try to change the system for the better.

Edited by Pete, 05 June 2006 - 03:36 PM.

Pete

Male

Philippines

2006-06-05 15:33:00

I have come to find out through this entire journey I have been on even before submiting the I-129F, that a good 2 - 3 months average wait time throughout the visa process is not because of volume, but because of the inefficient bureaucracy that is involved.

zethris you are sooo on target (and my new hero). If everyone on this forum chose to take action we could put some real pressure on those that can FIX the problems with USCIS management.

You hit the nail on the head- USCIS has proven to be as competent as FEMA was during the New Orleans hurricane! As we all know, USCIS and Dept of State insulate themselves from responsibility and the consequences of their poor management, and we suffer. There is no accountability! That is why the system is broken.

There is no excuse for a fiancee visa to take 9-12 months from application to issue. None.

The government always f's up whatever they touch, and as we continue to give up our freedoms (wiretapping, background checks, IMBRA) the worse it will get.

Class action law suit- bring it on! I want in!

Readers of this thread - If you have not contacted your Congressperson or Senator, you must do so today. Tell them this abuse of applicants and lack of accountability by USCIS is not acceptable.

Sheep to the back of the visa line.

Pete

Male

Philippines

2006-06-05 13:11:00

This is what I just sent to Department of Homeland Security

Recently I filed a K-1 visa petition. Recently I have been reading where the I-129F application did not meet the requirements for the recently passed law International Marriage Brokers Regulation Act which requires that questions be asked as to the petitioner's criminal background as to things like domestic violence. I want to know since I filed my petition before the I-129F application required any questions as to the petitioner's criminal background can I expect additional papers in the mail to fill out and how many days, weeks, or months will this add to the process?

If anyone else wants to send your questions or comments to DHS this is the webpage.

http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/contactus

PS..........Catagory Immigration then click submit to send email

Nice find tjv2000 and great feedback! I love to see people finding and posting these links, and ACTING not just "hoping".

No idea where it goes but I just used that feedback form at the link above to send this:

"Dear Sir/Madam,

I filed a K1 I-129F application for fiancee' visa, which was received at USCIS CA on 3/29/2006.

I am now aware that the already agonizingly slow approval process has actually gone into reverse because USCIS was not compliant with the new IMBRA law.

Over 1000 approved applications have been returned to USCIS for additional processing!

Thousands of innocent people are now caught in the deepening black hole of the fiancee' visa approval process.

How has this been allowed to happen? Is anything being done to address the massive backlog of fiancee' visa processing? Can you place an emphasis on expediting existing fiancee visa applications since the processing delays are mentally devasting the people involved? Why does it take 5 months to get an interview at the Philippine embassy after approval?

Thank you for the courtesy of a reply. "

I challenge each and every person reading this forum to take action if you ever want to see an approval this year. Your silence means nothing will change for the better.

Pete

Male

Philippines

2006-05-25 16:51:00

It is all well and good to post timelines- but it doesn't fix the IMBRA, and bigger picture, USCIS problems.

Please, call your congressmen. Ask to speak to the immigration specialist on staff. If you live reasonably close, go visit them. Express your rage at the entire application process not only being stopped, but REVERSED! (interviews canceled, approvals reversed)

This is insane.

It drives me crazy to read posters say- Just wait. Be patient. Be a quiet sheep. That is #######- our rights as citizens to pursue happiness and love where and how we chose to was trampled by the IMBRA law.

There is no earthly reason a fiancee visa should take more than a couple months from application to approved visa. There is no excuse. People must be held accountable for this not happening.

Today I made my 4th call to my Congressman's office and I will continue to call them until somebody fixes USCIS.

The squeaky wheel gets the grease. Don't be a sheep! Make some noise!

I posted this to a different thread but the message needs to be communicated far and wide.

Pete

Male

Philippines

2006-05-19 14:52:00

FilipinaHeart.com Responds to my IMBRA Question

Thought many of you might be interested to read this. Filipinaheart.com is a hugely popular site owned by Australians (who also own many other dating internet sites). This is their response to me:

"Dear Member,

Thank you for contacting us and congratulations!

We are exempt from the IMBRA law under the provisions of section 4 ( b ) (ii), however we are in the process of implementing an information form so that those US members who are seeking marriage may complete the required information. It is our understanding that it may be beneficial to the Spouse Visa Application if US men complete the information specified in the IMBRA regulations.

However, we need to inform you that the law commenced March 6, therefore it will be applicable if you and your fiancee met after 6 March. If you met prior to this date the law will not be applicable therefore you will not be required to complete the form.

We would love to hear your success story and share it with all our other members.

If you would like to submit your success story, please do so by email to team@FilipinaHeart.com or by submitting it on the site. There is a link to add your success story on the home page of our site.

We wish you every happiness in the future and thank you for your valued membership at our site.

Please contact us if you require any further assistance.

Regards

team@FilipinaHeart.com"

Pete

Male

Philippines

2006-06-22 12:28:00

Mail Order Bride Newspaper Article /Star Telegram

Just emailed to Jim Witt, Senior VP, Executive Editor: jwitt@star-telegram.com

"Dear Mr. Witt,

I am writing to voice my disgust with the headline on the article at this link: http://www.dfw.com/m...on/14814686.htm

"Mail-order brides on hold waiting for new forms"

As a USA petitioner of a woman from another country, I can assure you the term "Mail Order Bride" is as derogatory and insulting as any racial epithet. Your headline adds insult to the injury already inflicted by USCIS and DHS inability to manage and execute the fiance visa process. Petitioners are put through a convoluted, emotionally wrenching process lasting 9 months-2 years.

Couples applying for fiancee visas expend thousands of dollars in application fees, travel expenses, and penalties for canceled plans as the visa application grinds its way through a broken system.

Did you know a good percentage of petitioners are women? Yes, their bride in another country is a man. Your headline further insults them!

For your publication to classify our "brides" as "Mail-Order" plays into old stereotypes perpetuated by people who have no idea what the truth is. A "Mail Order Bride" does not exist. Your editorial department owes visa applicants an apology for your insensitive headline."

While I am not nearly as well spoken as some of you, I think I made my point. I urge all of you to respond to Mr. Witt and explain the damage being done.

Pete

Male

Philippines

2006-06-15 11:08:00

Asia: East and Pacific

Manila Seminar

If your fiancee is 21 or under prepare for a pain in the ###. She MUST have a notarized permisison from both parents and also from herself. We wound up having it done at a lawyers. (BTW- we were K-1)

If you do not have this, you WILL NOT receive your CFO stamp.

I have heard sometime fiancees's under 25 may need this. Best to call CFO ahead of time and be SURE.

If you have a young bride and wait until the day before your flight, you are in big trouble. Best to act VERY early in the game. We did and are thankful we did.

Edited by Pete, 21 September 2006 - 01:11 PM.

Pete

Male

Philippines

2006-09-21 13:10:00

Manila Appointment Dates SPEEDING UP???

Ok, here is the dealio. I called the Manila embassy just now and gave my case number 2006712XXX and asked if they could give me an interview date. She gave me the standard reply of 90-180 days, and then advised November will probably be the likely month.

My fiancee and I were in the first batch of post-IMBRA approvals (an NOA2 of 7/25). So, yes it appears I got my hopes up by looking at the wrong dates on the embassy website. :blush:

In any event, I will be thrilled with an (early! hehe) November date (but not ecstatic). Looking at the VJ stats, lots of poor folks last year had hellish long waits for an appointment, the good news is latest interview dates seem to show Manila working off the backlog.

All you folks in our date range - this is your latest news update.

Woo-hoo

Pete

Male

Philippines

2006-08-21 20:31:00

Manila Appointment Dates SPEEDING UP???

This appears to be wonderful news, if you check the "Next available appointment date" on the Manila embassy web site it has in the past week moved from Oct 23, to Oct 5?

Unless someone knows something I don't, it looks like they are plowing thorough their backlog? And those of us Post-IMBRA will get an appointment approx only 60-75 days after NOA2?

Bueller? Bueller?

Edited by Pete, 17 August 2006 - 09:53 AM.

Pete

Male

Philippines

2006-08-17 09:52:00

Manila US Embassy

Elizabeth, will you please fill out your timeline?

Pete

Male

Philippines

2006-08-24 12:44:00

Dates for Nov Interviews Posted Minila

Who else is considering attending their fiancee's interview at the embassy? I would really like to be there, and then to accompany her on the trip back.

My only concern is: how to time the flight to her visa being delivered. The timelines are no less than 5 working days for delivery (assuming no complications).

Our interview is Wednesday Nov 15th, so I am thinking flight leaving Manila on Thursday Nov 23rd, which is Thanksgiving Day (ugh).

Any ideas on logistics of all this?

Pete

Male

Philippines

2006-09-19 12:08:00

The IMBRA law

Here in California, I just called my Congressman's office (Congressman Pombo), they have an immigration specialist on staff. Unfortuantely he was not familiar with IMBRA. I explained the situation, and suggested this would be a great opportunity to get ahead of what might be EVEN MORE delays in approvals.

If you want to make a difference, don't just post to or read this forum, Google the contact information of your Congressman or Senators office, call them and make your voice heard! If you don't, then you deserve any delays you will suffer from.

Ask your representative how these delays are family friendly? When does legislation go too far? That legislation that removes our right to the pursuit of happiness as guaranteed in the US Constitution is unacceptable! Heck forget asking! Tell them you are fed up with a broken system! Tell them you demand change now.

One voice doesn't matter. The combined voices of all applicants might well get some attention.

Do it today!

Edited by Pete, 12 May 2006 - 03:19 PM.

Pete

Male

Philippines

2006-05-12 15:18:00

The IMBRA law

I found this web page to be enormously informing.

Some quotes:

"If however the couple met through an IMB BEFORE March 06, 2006, and thus BEFORE the law's compliance requirements went into effect for the IMB, then it would be expected that, by logic and fairness, the Consular Officer would apply the standard administrative protocol, "grandfathering", and not inquire further about the IMB and its conduct. "

"This law does NOT APPLY ONLY TO IMBs. There are provisions in this law which apply to ALL petitioners and couples, regardless of how they met. They apply to ANY K Visa petititoner, even those who did NOT meet their fiancee or spouse through an IMB, but for instance just through friends or family. "

Full full effect, please read clear through to the bottom of the page.

Also see this news article from Mar 13th.

My bottom line take on this is that if you met your fiancee' before mar 6 you have no worries. After, and who the hell knows.

Good Luck to All of us!
Pete

Pete

Male

Philippines

2006-05-12 12:37:00

ALL ABOUT RECALLED PETITIONS after March 6th

You have to call your congressmen! Now! Today! Ask to speak to the immigration specialist on staff. If you live reasonably close, go visit them. Express your rage at the entire application process not only being stopped, but REVERSED!

This is insane!

It drives me crazy to read posters say- Just wait! Be patient! Be a quiet sheep! That is #######- our rights as citizens to pursue happiness and love where and how we chose to was trampled by the IMBRA law.

Furthermore USCIS is a total cluster ####! If they were a private company accountable to their customers, they would have been out of business years ago.

There is no earthly reason a fiancee visa should take more than a couple months from application to approved visa. There is no excuse. People must be held accountable for this not happening.

Today I made my 4th call to my Congressman's office and I will continue to call them until somebody fixes USCIS.

The squeaky wheel gets the grease. Don't be a sheep! Make some noise!

Pete

Male

Philippines

2006-05-19 14:37:00

that was for nothing

Reminder on how to get to a real (are they?) human the fastest and with least amount of those condescending voice prompts : dial the USCIS (dis)service number 800-375-5283 and don't hit ANY buttons. Just let it roll through the spanish yakking and you will get an operator after a few minutes.

I fired off a strongly worded letter to the USCIS Ombudsman today taking them to task for the process being put into reverse. He is the link: http://www.dhs.gov/d...torial_0731.xml

If you are not part of the solution (sending letters/making calls) you are part of the problem. If you do not hold the people in charge accountable, NOTHING WILL CHANGE!!!

Reach out and touch your Senator and Congressman today. (and the ombudsman for whatever THAT is worth). This forum is invisable to the people that can make changes.

Edited by Pete, 24 May 2006 - 03:03 PM.

Pete

Male

Philippines

2006-05-24 15:01:00

IMBRA

I wrote a letter to my congressman. His office is right down the street from my work and I will see him on Monday at our local parade.

Here is the letter I wrote to my congressman:

I was actually able to send this via email to him. I plan on speaking to him personally on Monday at the parade.

Bingo! Very nice and doesn't pull punches. Glad to see others taking action.

Mine was very similar: Asking for an explanation of the visa process going into reverse, asking for an immediate investigation of DHS and USCIS, and seeking all possible effort being brought to bear in processing applications and expediting of I-129F especially as they are keeping loved ones apart.

If every US citizen reading this forum contacted their Congresspeople and Senators, we might bring some accountability to this walled-off bastion of bureacracy called USCIS and DHS.

People can easily locate their representatives at this site: http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/

Unless we act together and enmasse, we will continue to languish in "wait land".

Edited by Pete, 25 May 2006 - 03:15 PM.

Pete

Male

Philippines

2006-05-25 15:11:00

IMBRA

AussieWench is correct, this is old news.

That restraining order is not helping those of use caught in USCIS and DHS meatgrinder.

Please take advantage of Gary Bala's (an immigration atty) fine blog for updates:
http://usaimmigratio...ex.php?itemid=2

Scroll to the bottom for the latest. The "Highlighted" posts are his.

Today I contacted Senator Feinstein and Senator Boxer from my state, and registered my views on the visa approval process being placed into reverse by the USCIS and DHS incompetance. Yesterday I requested a personal meeting with my Congressman to express my displeasure with how USCIS and DHS is managed.

If you have not contacted your Congresspeople and Senators, why haven't you? You have no excuse unless you just enjoy participating in a f*ed up process. The longer you are "quiet" and "hoping" and "praying" like good sheep, the worse it will get. Reap what you sow, action begets action.

Here is a very simple site that tells you exactly how to make contact: http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/ Do it. Do it NOW.

Pete

Male

Philippines

2006-05-25 11:11:00