bi-specialization at VSC

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bosver

Registered Users (C)
Hi,
Comparing past years this year there has been a relatively large the slow down in processing I 539 and few other applications at VSC, especially after April 2006. This is not only the case for the people from H4-F1, but also for the people applying for OPT as far as I see.

Is it beacuse of the introduction of bi-specialization at VSC? Could we expect a speed up in this coming month? My spouse in an dilemma. She has to start her school with full assistantship in the mid of august. She is currently in H4, and lodged I-539 for F1 at VSC in the end of May, 2006. Currently only March 19 applications are processed. Given that I am not sure her May application will be processed before Mid august. Is going out to Canada and trying for F-1 would help? Her intended school councilor says that it is usually got approved in mid august. However I think this year is really different when I look at the processing time statistics & Chronology of the recent years. I talked to few other immigration specialists I know and worked with, but none was able to give a workable answer, beyond telling me that it is still a guessing game.

I know noone can predict, but any suggestions on taking the risk in the mid of august going to Canada for a try?
 
Vermont service center is really slow this year. I saw last year's data. It is only one month processing time for I539 listed. Now it is almost 4 months this year.

But last update there is a big proceed to April 30. Now it comes about 3 months. Still very slow compared to one month of last year.

Have your wife's F1 get approved yet? I saw several cases of late May get approved at Vermont.
 
USCARN
Not yet. We are still waiting. We hope to hear from VSC in couple of weeks trusting USCIS timeline, "the approvals of April 30th applications on July 19th." Can you be specific of late May application approvals? Exactly what date of application to VSC?
 
I saw cases with RD May 24th got approved in July 20. But there are cases at the end of March that are still pending.

Two years ago, I539 was prcocessed with 10 day wait. Now it could become 4 months. What a difference!

So what is bi-specialization? Why do you expect the processing will speed up in the coming month?
 
USCARN,
Bi-specialization is what I read about centers concentrating on specific tasks. Only VSC (and CSC?) on H1B issues and NSC & TSC on greencard issues in addition to the rest of the usual tasks (such as H4-->F1). This is what MY understanding. I am not sure, if I had understood it clear. This was introduced in this year (April I think). Only then I saw the slow down of the H4-->F1 process. I thought since H1B issues were busy due to cap quota, when this process was over, it would speed up.

When I saw the processing date changed from March 19 to April 30 from the processing time information at USCIS (July 11 to July 19), I felt a little relieved.

However now I am not sure how to feel. You say that an application received on May 24th was approved on July 20, but some March applications are still pending. I am not sure how my spouse's application will be treated.

Are both applications similar in nature? (such as funding, field of study, type of university, and previous visa status) I am curious to see how they differ.
 
I think the speed difference depends on the luck. Some officers are faster, some are a little busier with other cases.

If you think it is slow because of H1 processing, seems they are going to keep busy for some time, there are still advanced degree H1 to be filled up.
 
I am not clear about how the process works. Does an offcier handle more than one type of application at the same time? Only thing that I can do at this moment keeping the hope. It's frustrating, but I do not see any other way at this moment. Going Mexico, Canada or back to my country does not seem to be a viable solution considering the time taken for the appointments and the automatic invalidation of the current application. All what we did was the optimum process; When got the I-20, as soon as possible we submitted with all necessary documents that was asked, and then goes on this waiting game. If the approval will not arrive before the third week of August, just pack the bags, and say bye. :-( Whatelse to do? However considering the April 30 application processing date shown in the last update at VSC, we hang on the hope. Getting a decision on visa approval seems tougher than getting an admission with full finantial assstantship
 
Why do you need to pack and leave when the application is pending?

Does H1 and H4 can go to school full-time while the application is pending? the only thing your wife cannot do is to get paid by the assistantship.
 
The issue is that I am in H1B which ends in August end. I have already applied for my extension two months back. However since she had already applied for H4-->F1, we did not apply for her extension of H4 from September. This puts her in a position of no state from Spetember if F1 does not arrive by August end. We did not want to complicate the issue by applying two visas for her at the same time when I sent for my H1B extension. All what we thought was the usual four to six week process of H4-->F1. Let me see. One month more. I still hope for the good. In worse case she may ask for the one semster delay from school.
 
I think I got an idea what does Bi-specialization mean? start in April there are lots of transfers of I140 to Vermont. That's one reason it slows down.

Is it possible you send me a email to my inbox through this website?

thanks
 
I am really getting frustrated with VSC. The processing dates posted on august 03, Changing to F or M (I-539) processing time has not been changed from the last posted date on July 19; same old April 30, 2006. My spouse's RD was late May. The school is starting exactly in two weeks. When phoned to VSC customer service, they just recited what is on the USCIS webpage. Interestingly, for the same category, NSC is processing July 07, 2006 applications that makes me really wonder how this system works. Are they inplying "Applying a school in Midwest is what you have to do for processing I-539" This is absurd. Are they working on visa in bulk? At least USCIS can give somewhere on how the 'real processing' in USCIS works and what on earth we have to interpret from the posted processing dates. I have to ask my spouse's school international office or a lawyer on if she can fax for requesting expediation as the school starts and her current visa expires in the end of this month. I know posting here does not make any wonder, but I do not know where to vent this frustration.
 
bosver said:
I am really getting frustrated with VSC. The processing dates posted on august 03, Changing to F or M (I-539) processing time has not been changed from the last posted date on July 19; same old April 30, 2006. My spouse's RD was late May. The school is starting exactly in two weeks. When phoned to VSC customer service, they just recited what is on the USCIS webpage. Interestingly, for the same category, NSC is processing July 07, 2006 applications that makes me really wonder how this system works. Are they inplying "Applying a school in Midwest is what you have to do for processing I-539" This is absurd. Are they working on visa in bulk? At least USCIS can give somewhere on how the 'real processing' in USCIS works and what on earth we have to interpret from the posted processing dates. I have to ask my spouse's school international office or a lawyer on if she can fax for requesting expediation as the school starts and her current visa expires in the end of this month. I know posting here does not make any wonder, but I do not know where to vent this frustration.
Click to expand...
I think the Nebraska date may not be right...my wife's app has an RD of June-9th & the LUD is June-13. So, this date of July-07 doesn't make much sense.
rgds.
 
lfgc said:
I think the Nebraska date may not be right...my wife's app has an RD of June-9th & the LUD is June-13. So, this date of July-07 doesn't make much sense.
rgds.
Click to expand...

lfgc, thanks for the information. My confustion is always how to interpret the Processing Dates from USCIS webpages. Sometime back I even posted a thread on it. I also asked two immigration specialists attached to school, who handle the immigration issues. Only (somewhat good natured mocking) answer I got is, "It is a million dollar question. If We know won't be sitting here replying your questions." I confess I did not ask any lawyers. I am sure that there is a pattern in USCIS Processing date postings, but I have hard time to understand what it is :-( The dates are really misleading while comparing with the real time processing with the dates can be in tracking threads. One thing I notice is that pattern on batch processing of various catergories in consequent updates. I may be wrong
 
At last it seems got approved today (11 August,2006). Thanks for all for sharing your thoughts and experiences.
 
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