I totally agree, Ric2
All of us filing from (it seems) May-Sept. have really been
screwed by these events Ric2 has listed. It\'s even worse for
those of us who are the only wage-earner and/or in relatively low
paid professions (like academia).
While I believe VSC are trying to go through 485s in something
resembling receipt order, my real frustration lies with the low
priority given to us at this stage, despite the large numbers of
waiting filers, while they now work relatively swiftly on new
applications.
Like all Aug. filers, it took two months for me to get an 1-485
receipt and, from the look of current postings, these now take a
matter of a couple of weeks, if not days.
Add to that the nine months it took for the I-140 processing--even
in EB1--which is now taking a few weeks.
We have all been hit at every level by delays and what appear to
be internal shifts in processing priorities. If anyone is writing a
letter, this should be mentioned. Why can\'t VSC reassign
manpower to follow up on our cases as quickly as they are
working on the cases of new filers? Is it that the INS assign
officers to specific tasks only (like I-485 receipts)? Or is it just
that final stage processing is the lowest priority?
I was told that the INS pad their processing times (the 365-year
and a half listed on the letter) to prevent us calling and to ensure
that they have more than enough time to get the work done.
Regardless, this would work against any complaint to a senator
(remember guys, we\'re not going to be voting for a long time).
After all, the INS haven\'t technically failed us, and, as we know,
the current political climate isn\'t exactly pro-immigration so we
probably aren\'t the most effective lobbying group. FYI, when I
called the INS to find out what had happened to my case a few
months back I was told that they only intervened in cases that
had taken longer than the time stipulated on the receipt letter.
That said, I think some filers should write, but probably those
who have already waited for longer than the time stated on the
approval letter. Also, I wonder if there shouldn\'t be more of a
group effort so that the systematic problem is tackled rather than
individual cases being processed to deal with the specific
complaints.
If you are thinking of writing, remember,
senators/representatives aren\'t usually that familiar with
immigration law (even the lawyers I know socially aren\'t--they tell
me it is considered very much a niche area in law school). If the
letter says 365+ days and we\'ve waited 330, we may think we\'ve
been screwed (judging from past precedents), but they\'re not
going to see this unless they are very familiar with the process.
Anyway, lets hope they do something soon. I really can\'t afford
another EAD after losing 6 months work thanks to the delay in
140 processing which delayed applying for an EAD.
Those of you who do write, please keep us informed about the
process and its outcome. Thank you.
Peeps
All of us filing from (it seems) May-Sept. have really been
screwed by these events Ric2 has listed. It\'s even worse for
those of us who are the only wage-earner and/or in relatively low
paid professions (like academia).
While I believe VSC are trying to go through 485s in something
resembling receipt order, my real frustration lies with the low
priority given to us at this stage, despite the large numbers of
waiting filers, while they now work relatively swiftly on new
applications.
Like all Aug. filers, it took two months for me to get an 1-485
receipt and, from the look of current postings, these now take a
matter of a couple of weeks, if not days.
Add to that the nine months it took for the I-140 processing--even
in EB1--which is now taking a few weeks.
We have all been hit at every level by delays and what appear to
be internal shifts in processing priorities. If anyone is writing a
letter, this should be mentioned. Why can\'t VSC reassign
manpower to follow up on our cases as quickly as they are
working on the cases of new filers? Is it that the INS assign
officers to specific tasks only (like I-485 receipts)? Or is it just
that final stage processing is the lowest priority?
I was told that the INS pad their processing times (the 365-year
and a half listed on the letter) to prevent us calling and to ensure
that they have more than enough time to get the work done.
Regardless, this would work against any complaint to a senator
(remember guys, we\'re not going to be voting for a long time).
After all, the INS haven\'t technically failed us, and, as we know,
the current political climate isn\'t exactly pro-immigration so we
probably aren\'t the most effective lobbying group. FYI, when I
called the INS to find out what had happened to my case a few
months back I was told that they only intervened in cases that
had taken longer than the time stipulated on the receipt letter.
That said, I think some filers should write, but probably those
who have already waited for longer than the time stated on the
approval letter. Also, I wonder if there shouldn\'t be more of a
group effort so that the systematic problem is tackled rather than
individual cases being processed to deal with the specific
complaints.
If you are thinking of writing, remember,
senators/representatives aren\'t usually that familiar with
immigration law (even the lawyers I know socially aren\'t--they tell
me it is considered very much a niche area in law school). If the
letter says 365+ days and we\'ve waited 330, we may think we\'ve
been screwed (judging from past precedents), but they\'re not
going to see this unless they are very familiar with the process.
Anyway, lets hope they do something soon. I really can\'t afford
another EAD after losing 6 months work thanks to the delay in
140 processing which delayed applying for an EAD.
Those of you who do write, please keep us informed about the
process and its outcome. Thank you.
Peeps