desi3933
09-18 11:37 AM
I am here to fight the USCIS. Unfortunately you being a thorn.
Why don't you start your own site fightwithuscis.org. You can be admin and nobody will be a thorn for you. :D :D :D
BTW - When are you filing lawsuit? and what are your basis to sue?
Why don't you start your own site fightwithuscis.org. You can be admin and nobody will be a thorn for you. :D :D :D
BTW - When are you filing lawsuit? and what are your basis to sue?
wallpaper BMW 7 Series SE Auto,
shukla77
09-07 09:54 PM
This guy is Joey Tribbiani's father.....from Friends... So dont take him seriously..:D
Man! Who r u? Wat is ur interest in joining this forum? Nobody is asking what u think. You don't belong here.
Man! Who r u? Wat is ur interest in joining this forum? Nobody is asking what u think. You don't belong here.
Michael chertoff
08-11 12:28 PM
I think by this time next year..we all will have greencard... have fun.
2011 BMW 730d SE
angelina
07-17 07:29 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-QfLJbEN3k
Thankyou for standing by us.
Thankyou for standing by us.
more...
hsd31
06-20 11:53 AM
That is interesting. The steps that we followed were the ones told to us by the DC embassy. I think the only difference between your case and my wifes case is that her passport had just her First Name under "Given Name" and her "Surname" was blank. I think in your case you have the First Name and Last Name combined under the "Given Name" and "Surname" is blank.
I just spoke to Indian consulate, NYC. The procedure to correct the last name is very simple. All you need is an Affidavit from the person (Signed in US, saying that you are correcting your name.), 4 photos and a copy of 797 or Visa. No need of advertizements, or Indian affidavit.
Please note, this is applicable only if,
In your passport Surname is Blank
Given name has <first name><last Name> (and all spelling etc are correct)
and you want it to be corrected to
Surname <last Name>
Given Name <First Name>
They will issue a new booklet with corrected name. It's same day service in NYC.
I just spoke to Indian consulate, NYC. The procedure to correct the last name is very simple. All you need is an Affidavit from the person (Signed in US, saying that you are correcting your name.), 4 photos and a copy of 797 or Visa. No need of advertizements, or Indian affidavit.
Please note, this is applicable only if,
In your passport Surname is Blank
Given name has <first name><last Name> (and all spelling etc are correct)
and you want it to be corrected to
Surname <last Name>
Given Name <First Name>
They will issue a new booklet with corrected name. It's same day service in NYC.
Gravitation
02-02 06:27 PM
What does it mean to say EB2 ROW? What is the reference point of Rest of World? Thanks.
Rest of World means all countries which are not listed separately in the visa bulletins. It means all countries except India, China, Mexico and Philippins.
Rest of World means all countries which are not listed separately in the visa bulletins. It means all countries except India, China, Mexico and Philippins.
more...
gcny2006
08-11 11:40 PM
Here is what ron gotcher has to say and zI think it makes sense.
don't have access to the raw data. I have spoken with personnel in the Visa Office and they have been unwilling to give out precise numbers. Rather, they have used phrases like "limited numbers" and "handful of numbers" to describe the situation.
I believe these assessments to be accurate. I base this belief on the certain knowledge that the CIS has more than enough pending China and India and India E2 cases to use up the remaining quota without having to advance cutoff dates at all.
If the CIS were processing enough cases to close out the quota, there would be absolutely need for the Visa Office to advance cutoff dates. Advancing cutoff dates if the CIS were processing enough cases to use up the quota would only result in more cases being filed than could be accommodated. There would be no point in doing this and, in fact, it would be contrary to established procedure. The only possible reason for advancing cutoff dates under present circumstances would be to allow consular posts to adjudicate more cases from their inventories.
Does this mean that the CIS is not going to approve any China or India E2 cases? Of course they will? They are a big agency and they are always adjudicating some cases. There is a difference, however, between adjudicating some cases and adjudicating a large number of cases. If they were adjudicating more than a few cases, or even likely to adjudicate more than a few cases, the VO would not have advanced cutoff dates. Doing so would have been positively harmful. The fact that VO did advance priority dates is the best evidence that the CIS is not processing enough cases to exhaust the quota.
The best evidence of this will be the establishment of the cutoff dates for the October Visa Bulletin. If the cutoff dates remain where they are, then that will be evidence that there are plenty of E2 numbers available for China and India. On the other hand, if cutoff dates for China and India E2 retrogress significantly in October, that will substantiate the position that there were only a few numbers (relatively speaking) available. If the cutoff dates retrogress, as the folks at the VO assure me they will, then that is conclusive evidence of the accuracy of this conclusion.
__________________
don't have access to the raw data. I have spoken with personnel in the Visa Office and they have been unwilling to give out precise numbers. Rather, they have used phrases like "limited numbers" and "handful of numbers" to describe the situation.
I believe these assessments to be accurate. I base this belief on the certain knowledge that the CIS has more than enough pending China and India and India E2 cases to use up the remaining quota without having to advance cutoff dates at all.
If the CIS were processing enough cases to close out the quota, there would be absolutely need for the Visa Office to advance cutoff dates. Advancing cutoff dates if the CIS were processing enough cases to use up the quota would only result in more cases being filed than could be accommodated. There would be no point in doing this and, in fact, it would be contrary to established procedure. The only possible reason for advancing cutoff dates under present circumstances would be to allow consular posts to adjudicate more cases from their inventories.
Does this mean that the CIS is not going to approve any China or India E2 cases? Of course they will? They are a big agency and they are always adjudicating some cases. There is a difference, however, between adjudicating some cases and adjudicating a large number of cases. If they were adjudicating more than a few cases, or even likely to adjudicate more than a few cases, the VO would not have advanced cutoff dates. Doing so would have been positively harmful. The fact that VO did advance priority dates is the best evidence that the CIS is not processing enough cases to exhaust the quota.
The best evidence of this will be the establishment of the cutoff dates for the October Visa Bulletin. If the cutoff dates remain where they are, then that will be evidence that there are plenty of E2 numbers available for China and India. On the other hand, if cutoff dates for China and India E2 retrogress significantly in October, that will substantiate the position that there were only a few numbers (relatively speaking) available. If the cutoff dates retrogress, as the folks at the VO assure me they will, then that is conclusive evidence of the accuracy of this conclusion.
__________________
2010 Bmw 730D Se , 2005,
genius
04-29 07:02 PM
i got an RFE from USCIS for my appln.Does that mean my appln is in the cap already?or only after the requred info is provided to them?
Applied under MS Cap ,regular processing.
Thanks in advance!
Applied under MS Cap ,regular processing.
Thanks in advance!
more...
sxv7392
12-19 11:33 AM
I just did
hair Bmw 730D Se , 2005,
SA EB3 Retro
08-14 10:07 AM
Did the Checks get cashed.!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by SA EB3 Retro
Signature has all relevant information. I-140 was approved August 2005.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SA EB3 Retro
Signature has all relevant information. I-140 was approved August 2005.
more...
Leo07
11-29 04:59 PM
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$>$$$$$$$<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
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realizeit
02-25 01:50 AM
�A journey of a thousand miles begins with a small step.�
~ Lao Tzu (570-490 BC), Famous Inspirational quote by the Chinese Founder of Taoism.
Recently all of us in the IV community were thinking and worrying about what the future holds for skilled immigrants in this country. Day by day things are getting tougher! All of us in IV community (including the leadership) have different ideas about how to approach the problem. Under the IV leadership, we have a set of declared priorities and our lobbyists and community are working for those. Even when we work for those stated goals and priorities, we have to reevaluate what is feasible in the changing environment.
In this increased protectionist environment, Re-Capture, Country Cap Elimination and Immigrant Visa increase seems difficult if not impossible. So, I would like to propose a SMALL STEP, which would provide us HUGE BENEFITS and at the same time satisfy all stakeholders (including anti-immigrant community) as this is the least controversial method.
Some of us may say that this won�t work. Some of us support a big-bang theory. Some others argue for the already stated goals and priorities from the IV leadership team. I agree with all these groups of our brethren, but at the same time, I urge each and every member of our community to give a serious consideration of this proposal before shooting it down.
Please do not use this thread to point fingers at one another. Always remember, when you point fingers at someone, three of your fingers are pointing towards you and one stays neutral. Please try to avoid statements like the following in your reply to this post to encourage serious and productive discussion:
�Why didn�t you update your profile with all information?�
�What have you done so far for the community?�
�Did you participate in these so and so initiatives of IV?�
�You are a line cutter who used substitution�
Etc etc etc�the list goes on.
We have far more things that unite all of us than the few things that divide us. So, let us focus only those things that unite all of us. If we are united, we can easily solve all our differences. As AR Rahman said, always we have the option of choosing love over hate.
PROPOSAL
Our main concern with respect to GC journey is the UNCERTAINITY! I am sure all of us worried at least one time �What happens if my 485 gets denied after all these years of waiting?� Many of us here are expecting a GC wait time of 2-12 years. So, a denial at the end would be little bit disheartening.
The normal processing time of a 485 application ranges from 4 months to 12 months. For all the retrogressed countries, this would be 2-12 years. All of us, who are in the Adjustment of Status category, are legally allowed to stay and work here in the US. So, in no way we are additional burden to the country. So, all the shackles on the GC applicant and family during the years of retrogression period are not beneficial to anyone in this country and it is not protecting anyone�s job. These shackles just inflict pain to the GC applicant and family � that's all - nobody is benefitting from this!
So, if we can work to obtain Adjudication of all I-485s irrespective of whether the country is retrogressed or not � we have a solution. As per the INS rules, an immigrant VISA cannot be allocated outside the numerical limit. If the country is not under retrogression, the applicant will get his GC. If the applicant�s country is a retrogressed one, instead of obtaining the Green Card, I-485 processing-status could be changed to a new one such as �Adjudicated � Pending Visa Allocation� (meaning: Adjudication completed, Visa allocation pending). So, in essence, when the VISA numbers are available, then only the person will get Green Card. But at the same time, the applicant and family can feel the relief � No need to worry about RFE, NOID, MTR etc, because the 485 is already approved and it is in a Pending Visa Allocation status. So, in the case of all these retrogressed countries, the actual allocation of Green Card may take 2-12 years time depending on the availability. This option will go well with the protectionists.
If the status of the 485 application is �Adjudicated � Pending Visa Allocation� and the applicant�s country is a retrogressed one, S/he should be eligible to obtain 3, 4 or 5 year EADs with travel benefits associated. Also, the applicant should be able to take any job after 1 year of the status change date of the status �Adjudicated � Pending Visa Allocation�.
I believe the above proposal is a small step in the eyes of the protectionists where as it is a big leap for all retrogressed country applicants. We may be able to achieve this using administrative fix or an action from the Executing branch, as this won�t change the annual GC quota of 140000. Apart from this, this will encourage all those skilled immigrants to invest in American economy within 1-2 years of filing AOS application. At present most of us are sending our money to our home countries as our situation is so uncertain. This effort will definitely help the ailing economy and will serve as a boost to the housing market.
Whom should we approach to get this done?
Ans: Hillary � Yes Hillary Clinton. She is the number 1 friend of people from China and India, who is in the current administration. Her department is also in charge of the 140K Visa numbers, Travel related visas etc. If we can get support from Compete America, prominent members of Indian and Chinese communities in US, Ambassadors of China and India to US and approach Hillary, we will be successful. Hillary may be very much pleased to start an initiative to achieve this, as she has a chance to influence 700K+ Indians and Chinese immigrants in US, in a very positive way. At the same time, politically this won�t create much problem � Status quo will remain the same � even after such an administrative fix. There is no net addition of immigrants to this country.
With Hillary�s support, if we approach Janet Napolitano, we may have a solution.
Remember: �A journey of a thousand miles begins with a small step.�
So, once we obtain this admin fix (first step), then we will work to obtain the Allocation of GC issue for all those folks who are waiting to get the GC allocated.
Every progress starts from a dream. So, if someone would like to call this a dream, please feel free to!
~ Lao Tzu (570-490 BC), Famous Inspirational quote by the Chinese Founder of Taoism.
Recently all of us in the IV community were thinking and worrying about what the future holds for skilled immigrants in this country. Day by day things are getting tougher! All of us in IV community (including the leadership) have different ideas about how to approach the problem. Under the IV leadership, we have a set of declared priorities and our lobbyists and community are working for those. Even when we work for those stated goals and priorities, we have to reevaluate what is feasible in the changing environment.
In this increased protectionist environment, Re-Capture, Country Cap Elimination and Immigrant Visa increase seems difficult if not impossible. So, I would like to propose a SMALL STEP, which would provide us HUGE BENEFITS and at the same time satisfy all stakeholders (including anti-immigrant community) as this is the least controversial method.
Some of us may say that this won�t work. Some of us support a big-bang theory. Some others argue for the already stated goals and priorities from the IV leadership team. I agree with all these groups of our brethren, but at the same time, I urge each and every member of our community to give a serious consideration of this proposal before shooting it down.
Please do not use this thread to point fingers at one another. Always remember, when you point fingers at someone, three of your fingers are pointing towards you and one stays neutral. Please try to avoid statements like the following in your reply to this post to encourage serious and productive discussion:
�Why didn�t you update your profile with all information?�
�What have you done so far for the community?�
�Did you participate in these so and so initiatives of IV?�
�You are a line cutter who used substitution�
Etc etc etc�the list goes on.
We have far more things that unite all of us than the few things that divide us. So, let us focus only those things that unite all of us. If we are united, we can easily solve all our differences. As AR Rahman said, always we have the option of choosing love over hate.
PROPOSAL
Our main concern with respect to GC journey is the UNCERTAINITY! I am sure all of us worried at least one time �What happens if my 485 gets denied after all these years of waiting?� Many of us here are expecting a GC wait time of 2-12 years. So, a denial at the end would be little bit disheartening.
The normal processing time of a 485 application ranges from 4 months to 12 months. For all the retrogressed countries, this would be 2-12 years. All of us, who are in the Adjustment of Status category, are legally allowed to stay and work here in the US. So, in no way we are additional burden to the country. So, all the shackles on the GC applicant and family during the years of retrogression period are not beneficial to anyone in this country and it is not protecting anyone�s job. These shackles just inflict pain to the GC applicant and family � that's all - nobody is benefitting from this!
So, if we can work to obtain Adjudication of all I-485s irrespective of whether the country is retrogressed or not � we have a solution. As per the INS rules, an immigrant VISA cannot be allocated outside the numerical limit. If the country is not under retrogression, the applicant will get his GC. If the applicant�s country is a retrogressed one, instead of obtaining the Green Card, I-485 processing-status could be changed to a new one such as �Adjudicated � Pending Visa Allocation� (meaning: Adjudication completed, Visa allocation pending). So, in essence, when the VISA numbers are available, then only the person will get Green Card. But at the same time, the applicant and family can feel the relief � No need to worry about RFE, NOID, MTR etc, because the 485 is already approved and it is in a Pending Visa Allocation status. So, in the case of all these retrogressed countries, the actual allocation of Green Card may take 2-12 years time depending on the availability. This option will go well with the protectionists.
If the status of the 485 application is �Adjudicated � Pending Visa Allocation� and the applicant�s country is a retrogressed one, S/he should be eligible to obtain 3, 4 or 5 year EADs with travel benefits associated. Also, the applicant should be able to take any job after 1 year of the status change date of the status �Adjudicated � Pending Visa Allocation�.
I believe the above proposal is a small step in the eyes of the protectionists where as it is a big leap for all retrogressed country applicants. We may be able to achieve this using administrative fix or an action from the Executing branch, as this won�t change the annual GC quota of 140000. Apart from this, this will encourage all those skilled immigrants to invest in American economy within 1-2 years of filing AOS application. At present most of us are sending our money to our home countries as our situation is so uncertain. This effort will definitely help the ailing economy and will serve as a boost to the housing market.
Whom should we approach to get this done?
Ans: Hillary � Yes Hillary Clinton. She is the number 1 friend of people from China and India, who is in the current administration. Her department is also in charge of the 140K Visa numbers, Travel related visas etc. If we can get support from Compete America, prominent members of Indian and Chinese communities in US, Ambassadors of China and India to US and approach Hillary, we will be successful. Hillary may be very much pleased to start an initiative to achieve this, as she has a chance to influence 700K+ Indians and Chinese immigrants in US, in a very positive way. At the same time, politically this won�t create much problem � Status quo will remain the same � even after such an administrative fix. There is no net addition of immigrants to this country.
With Hillary�s support, if we approach Janet Napolitano, we may have a solution.
Remember: �A journey of a thousand miles begins with a small step.�
So, once we obtain this admin fix (first step), then we will work to obtain the Allocation of GC issue for all those folks who are waiting to get the GC allocated.
Every progress starts from a dream. So, if someone would like to call this a dream, please feel free to!
more...
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anjans
08-25 02:46 PM
EB2 for india and China is U as of Aug 21st..maybe that's why..see my post in a seperate thread
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surabhicnu
07-17 07:32 PM
Great Job, thanks for the effort the active members had put in to bring this change
more...
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seattleboy
04-06 11:39 PM
If the authorities were really clever they should have accepted the 65000 with highest salaries instead of doing something random like a lottery. This in turn would have forced employers to raise wages to have a meaningful shot at getting a visa.
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mvinayam
08-14 12:22 PM
Hi All,
My cheques got encashed & based yesterday.
Application filied on : July 2
Service Center : NSC
I-140 approved on Jun 2006 from TSC
LUD of I-140 : 07/28/2007
Recp.No starts as : "SRCxxxxxxxx"
so looks like though I filied the application at NSC based on the working location it got transferred to TSC as my I-140 has been approved by TSC.
Thanks
MV
My cheques got encashed & based yesterday.
Application filied on : July 2
Service Center : NSC
I-140 approved on Jun 2006 from TSC
LUD of I-140 : 07/28/2007
Recp.No starts as : "SRCxxxxxxxx"
so looks like though I filied the application at NSC based on the working location it got transferred to TSC as my I-140 has been approved by TSC.
Thanks
MV
more...
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bhav4u
08-14 01:12 PM
sent june 29th according to lawyer would have been received on june 30th. So not sure if its june 30th or july 2nd.
have not received any receipt yet.
sent I485/765/131 /NSC :-(
have not received any receipt yet.
sent I485/765/131 /NSC :-(
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neeidd
03-06 10:18 PM
$25 from me please!
Thanks,
Thanks,
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ireddy
08-11 02:03 PM
I applied for passport renewal (Chicago consulate) without name change form. In the Online application, I splitted the name as needed (earlier my name was under Given name). The renewal passport was sent to me with the way I entered the name (splitting) without any additional forms or affidavits.
gc28262
05-10 11:12 PM
I just want to generate enough internet chatter so that the issue of substitute labor will come on CIS radar. I know for sure that a huge fraud was perpetrated during July 07 fiasco by some unscrupulous consulting companies who sold pre-approvevd labors like frozen pizzas. Just heat and eat.
And I also know for sure that IV has gained enough publicity that CIS folks might be tempted to check it now and then. May be they will take notice of this thread and start investigation of all the subst labors.
I surely am pissed as hell on somebody who came to this country in 2007, and got his/her GC by paying money for some 1999 pre approved labor. I will fight on.
Please complete your profile and then talk.
And I also know for sure that IV has gained enough publicity that CIS folks might be tempted to check it now and then. May be they will take notice of this thread and start investigation of all the subst labors.
I surely am pissed as hell on somebody who came to this country in 2007, and got his/her GC by paying money for some 1999 pre approved labor. I will fight on.
Please complete your profile and then talk.
eb2dec2005
09-13 01:49 PM
I incorporated the points you made and the revisions are in fuchsia:
The Ombudsman
USCIS
September 10. 2008
Sir/Madam,
On behalf of the employment-based legal immigrant community in the United States of America, I am writing to highlight the ongoing egregious inefficiencies in the immigration �services� provided by the USCIS and the DOS. There have been numerous occasions when there have been erratic movements in the DOS published visa bulletin dates. This, as we understand it, is owing to USCIS under- or over-estimating the number of applicants available for adjustment of status. And in the rare instances when the date finally moves forward by a substantial window, USCIS tends to approve the more recent applications as opposed to the ones that were filed earlier. Let me explain with an example: in the July 2008 visa bulletin, the cut-off date for the India EB2 category was 01 April 2004. A month later, the cut-off date for Indian EB2 applicants abruptly moved forward two years and was set at 01 June 2006. Instead of approving applicants who applied in 2004 and 2005, USCIS approved applicants from 2006. Where is the justice in that??? Why bother publishing the cut-off date if approvals are to be randomly allocated???
We understand we have to stand in line and wait our turn. Each applicant is assigned a priority date which chronologically determines his/her turn for approval. To further complicate matters, once the I-485 is filed, a crop of other dates are issued by the USCIS � a receipt date, a notice date and a processing date. USCIS then takes the liberty to throw random rules at us � �Case adjudication is based on receipt date� �No, we process applications based on notice date�, �Actually, it�s the processing date that determines which applications are adjusted.� !!!
Please take a moment to consider how these conflicting statements and arbitrary decisions wreak havoc on our morale and psyches? No one, NOT even the USCIS, has a clue as to what exactly is happening in their processing centers. The USCIS has never been able to clearly state the exact number of applications languishing, excuse us, we meant pending, in their �service� centers! We, employment-based immigrants, are tax-paying, law-abiding, educated individuals contributing to America�s knowledge economy - yet we have been subjected to the worst aspects of the US employment-based immigration system. These include:
1) Extended wait times at each step of the immigration process.
2) Lack of transparency on the part of USCIS (re: priority date, receipt date, notice date).
3) Lack of USCIS customer service � once applications are submitted to USCIS they disappear into a black hole. Barring a website where one can nominally check one�s case status (but which in reality remains static for months, even years!) there is no concept of updating an applicant on where his case stands. And this is despite the applicant paying immigration fees that often run into thousands of dollars over the years. We are simply expected to wait in a complete void of information, for however long it may take, until approval.
4) Lost opportunities owing to the lack of job portability during the process (a time period spanning an average of five years, whereas an applicant from any country besides India gets his/her PR card in under two years).
Another inconsistency, surfacing in August 2008, begs redressal � while I-485 applicants (albeit those from 2006 instead instead of earlier years) at the TSC were being approved in a steady stream, the NSC was almost completely inactive resulting in only a very few cases being approved prior to August 20th. After this date, the NSC appeared to completely hold off on all I-485 approvals while approvals continued at the TSC. Could somebody please account for this preferential treatment for I-485 applicants at the TSC versus those at the NSC? Furthermore, when complaint faxes were sent in to the NSC in protest, instead of issuing a formal statement to explain their approach, the NSC retaliated by issuing a bunch of RFEs. Is the USCIS trying to intimidate us so that we remain quiescent??
While we are grateful for the opportunity to partake in the American dream, it is ironic that we arrive in America and find that our freedom is shackled � we are bound to our sponsoring employer from the start to the end of an extremely lengthy process. Although legal immigration reform is our ongoing aim, for now, we sincerely request you to investigate the process whereby the monthly visa bulletin is set and to ensure FIFO (first in, first out) adjustment so that those of us who have been waiting longer receive attention prior to those who have applied later. We want USCIS to be accountable to us, its paying customers.
We request you to lend us your ear and address these issues so that we are not subjected to them in the future. Kindly note that there remain roughly 15 days until the October 2008 visa bulletin goes into affect. Once October arrives, the dates for Indian EB2 candidates retrogress to 2003. We believe you have the power to help a few more of us who have been waiting, seemingly endlessly, to get out of this immigration limbo.
Thanking you,
I really appreciate your initiative in drafting this letter.Please let us know, how each one of us could contribute . Whom should the faxes/emails/pamplets be sent.
The Ombudsman
USCIS
September 10. 2008
Sir/Madam,
On behalf of the employment-based legal immigrant community in the United States of America, I am writing to highlight the ongoing egregious inefficiencies in the immigration �services� provided by the USCIS and the DOS. There have been numerous occasions when there have been erratic movements in the DOS published visa bulletin dates. This, as we understand it, is owing to USCIS under- or over-estimating the number of applicants available for adjustment of status. And in the rare instances when the date finally moves forward by a substantial window, USCIS tends to approve the more recent applications as opposed to the ones that were filed earlier. Let me explain with an example: in the July 2008 visa bulletin, the cut-off date for the India EB2 category was 01 April 2004. A month later, the cut-off date for Indian EB2 applicants abruptly moved forward two years and was set at 01 June 2006. Instead of approving applicants who applied in 2004 and 2005, USCIS approved applicants from 2006. Where is the justice in that??? Why bother publishing the cut-off date if approvals are to be randomly allocated???
We understand we have to stand in line and wait our turn. Each applicant is assigned a priority date which chronologically determines his/her turn for approval. To further complicate matters, once the I-485 is filed, a crop of other dates are issued by the USCIS � a receipt date, a notice date and a processing date. USCIS then takes the liberty to throw random rules at us � �Case adjudication is based on receipt date� �No, we process applications based on notice date�, �Actually, it�s the processing date that determines which applications are adjusted.� !!!
Please take a moment to consider how these conflicting statements and arbitrary decisions wreak havoc on our morale and psyches? No one, NOT even the USCIS, has a clue as to what exactly is happening in their processing centers. The USCIS has never been able to clearly state the exact number of applications languishing, excuse us, we meant pending, in their �service� centers! We, employment-based immigrants, are tax-paying, law-abiding, educated individuals contributing to America�s knowledge economy - yet we have been subjected to the worst aspects of the US employment-based immigration system. These include:
1) Extended wait times at each step of the immigration process.
2) Lack of transparency on the part of USCIS (re: priority date, receipt date, notice date).
3) Lack of USCIS customer service � once applications are submitted to USCIS they disappear into a black hole. Barring a website where one can nominally check one�s case status (but which in reality remains static for months, even years!) there is no concept of updating an applicant on where his case stands. And this is despite the applicant paying immigration fees that often run into thousands of dollars over the years. We are simply expected to wait in a complete void of information, for however long it may take, until approval.
4) Lost opportunities owing to the lack of job portability during the process (a time period spanning an average of five years, whereas an applicant from any country besides India gets his/her PR card in under two years).
Another inconsistency, surfacing in August 2008, begs redressal � while I-485 applicants (albeit those from 2006 instead instead of earlier years) at the TSC were being approved in a steady stream, the NSC was almost completely inactive resulting in only a very few cases being approved prior to August 20th. After this date, the NSC appeared to completely hold off on all I-485 approvals while approvals continued at the TSC. Could somebody please account for this preferential treatment for I-485 applicants at the TSC versus those at the NSC? Furthermore, when complaint faxes were sent in to the NSC in protest, instead of issuing a formal statement to explain their approach, the NSC retaliated by issuing a bunch of RFEs. Is the USCIS trying to intimidate us so that we remain quiescent??
While we are grateful for the opportunity to partake in the American dream, it is ironic that we arrive in America and find that our freedom is shackled � we are bound to our sponsoring employer from the start to the end of an extremely lengthy process. Although legal immigration reform is our ongoing aim, for now, we sincerely request you to investigate the process whereby the monthly visa bulletin is set and to ensure FIFO (first in, first out) adjustment so that those of us who have been waiting longer receive attention prior to those who have applied later. We want USCIS to be accountable to us, its paying customers.
We request you to lend us your ear and address these issues so that we are not subjected to them in the future. Kindly note that there remain roughly 15 days until the October 2008 visa bulletin goes into affect. Once October arrives, the dates for Indian EB2 candidates retrogress to 2003. We believe you have the power to help a few more of us who have been waiting, seemingly endlessly, to get out of this immigration limbo.
Thanking you,
I really appreciate your initiative in drafting this letter.Please let us know, how each one of us could contribute . Whom should the faxes/emails/pamplets be sent.
