Write to Zoe Lofgren for namecheck

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rollingstone

Registered Users (C)
During a concall with Rajiv Khanna he shed some light on the namecheck mess. He said he talked to an FBI agent who used to be his client. As per this agent when a manual check is needed, it's assigned to an FBI agent fresh from training. This job is so boring that nobody wants to do it, thats why they assign it to the freshers. They mostly rot for first 6 months after which it gets transferred to someplace else where the "real work starts". No insights as to how the "real work" is done.
Mr Khanna urged all of us to write to Zoe Lofgren, Chair - Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security and International Law. She has the power to change a lot of things.

I urge all of you to write to Zoe Lofgren. See link below for contact information.
http://lofgren.house.gov/emailform.shtml

If you live in California's 16th Congressional district (San Jose, Silicon Valley area), your letters will be especially invaluable. Some tips (mine, not Mr Khanna's) on writing:
  1. Be brief, Ms Lofgren probably receives hundreds of mail every day. A long letter will go unread.
  2. Make sure there are no spelling or grammatical mistakes in your letter. Run it through a spell checker. If English is not your strong point, ask someone to review it.
  3. If you have a good handwriting, write it yourself, otherwise get a computer printout and sign it. Make sure you include your complete name and address for credibility.
  4. Use regular postal mail. Although you can send fax, I was reading somewhere that snail mail is usually most effective means of communication. Also, email is not an option if you're not in the 16th congressional district.
  5. I have included a sample mail below. DO NOT COPY IT AS IS. Make some changes, personalize it, or make up your own.
=================================================================================
[Your name and address here]​

[date]

Subject: Immigration delays due to FBI namecheck.​

Dear Zoe Lofgren,
I wish to bring to your attention inordinate delays in completing security checks for immigration benefits. Most of these checks are completed within a reasonable period of time. However, one particular type of check, known as "namecheck", is done by the FBI and may take years to complete. It is not surprising that the CIS Ombudsman in his 2007 Annual Report to Congress has categorized name check as one of the "Pervasive and Serious Problems" (page iv). The namecheck problem has been outstanding for many years now, yet little has been done to resolve the issue.
These delays have affected me and my family directly and severely. My Adjustment of Status (AOS) application has been pending since [485 RD] due to these checks. Overall, my permanent residency application has been pending since [PD]. I am not an illegal alien and have maintained legal status every single day of my stay in the United States. Adjudication of my AOS application will be one of the most important events in my life and lives of my family members. It is unfortunate that this ill-conceived security check causes so much harassment to many genuine law abiding applicants who mean no harm and are waiting to call this great nation home. I request you to evaluate the FBI namecheck procedures on an urgent basis.

Thank you, yours sincerely,

(Signature)
=============================================================
 
Good work....

I am not sure whether I will be a victam of namecheck or not as I just filled I-485 in June 2007 but I will surely write a letter.
 
good call, i just wrote a letter and will put it in the mail tonight. thanks for putting it together.
 
rollingstone said:
Please post the link to this thread in all immigration related forums/boards. We need lots of letters to make an impact.

http://tinyurl.com/yvpbe8
Click to expand...

wow, i did not know we were already doing this. But anyway i wrote couple of letter to her last week itself, when this visa bulletin fiasco started. She replied back thanking for my email. not sure if she really read my mail or it is just an automated response like our outof office reply ):
 
letter to Zoe lofgren

To: Honorable representative Ms. Zoe Lofgren
102 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Respectful representative Ms. Zoe Lofgren:
I am writing this letter to bring to your attention to inordinate delays in completing security checks for immigration benefits. Most of these security checks are completed within a reasonable period of time. However, one particular type of check, known as "name check", is done by the FBI and may take years to complete.
CIS Ombudsman in his 2007 Annual Report to Congress has categorized name check as one of the "Pervasive and Serious Problems", USCIS reported a staggering 329,160 FBI name check cases pending. CIS Ombudsman also concludes that FBI name check process has limited value to public safety or national security, and the current USCIS name check policy may increase the risk to national security by extending the time potential criminal or terrorist remains in the country. Ombudsman understands that most, if not all, of the problem cases which would result in an eventual denial of benefits also can be revealed by the other more efficient, automated criminal and security checks that USCIS initiates. In spite of these facts, USCIS officials continue to use FBI Name Check Excuse to delay immigration benefits, and little has been done to resolve the issue.
FBI name check delays have affected me and my family directly and severely. My Adjustment of Status (AOS) application has been pending since Apr 2006 due to FBI name check delay. I have never involved in any criminal/unlawful activities either in the USA or in mainland China. I have maintained my legal status throughout my stay in USA. My FOIPA (Freedom of Information Privacy Act) request to Mr. David M. Hardy’s office of FBI showed ‘NO RECORDS in file’. In spite of these facts, my FBI name check is still pending more than fifteen months by now.
FBI name check delay is mainly due to search method inefficient. FBI name check search people with same last name or first name, and people born in same year. We know one person can only have one birthday. Search people born in same year will increase false “hit” by 365X. Also there are millions people with same last name in China. The inefficient search method of FBI name check unreasonably punish innocent people by false “hit”.
I humbly request you to evaluate the FBI name check procedures on an urgent basis. I really appreciate your assistance in this matter.
Thanks
 
how long?

How do I request FOIPA (Freedom of Information Privacy Act) ?? can some one lay the details and how long will it take to complete????


worriedEngineer said:
To: Honorable representative Ms. Zoe Lofgren
102 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Respectful representative Ms. Zoe Lofgren:
I am writing this letter to bring to your attention to inordinate delays in completing security checks for immigration benefits. Most of these security checks are completed within a reasonable period of time. However, one particular type of check, known as "name check", is done by the FBI and may take years to complete.
CIS Ombudsman in his 2007 Annual Report to Congress has categorized name check as one of the "Pervasive and Serious Problems", USCIS reported a staggering 329,160 FBI name check cases pending. CIS Ombudsman also concludes that FBI name check process has limited value to public safety or national security, and the current USCIS name check policy may increase the risk to national security by extending the time potential criminal or terrorist remains in the country. Ombudsman understands that most, if not all, of the problem cases which would result in an eventual denial of benefits also can be revealed by the other more efficient, automated criminal and security checks that USCIS initiates. In spite of these facts, USCIS officials continue to use FBI Name Check Excuse to delay immigration benefits, and little has been done to resolve the issue.
FBI name check delays have affected me and my family directly and severely. My Adjustment of Status (AOS) application has been pending since Apr 2006 due to FBI name check delay. I have never involved in any criminal/unlawful activities either in the USA or in mainland China. I have maintained my legal status throughout my stay in USA. My FOIPA (Freedom of Information Privacy Act) request to Mr. David M. Hardy’s office of FBI showed ‘NO RECORDS in file’. In spite of these facts, my FBI name check is still pending more than fifteen months by now.
FBI name check delay is mainly due to search method inefficient. FBI name check search people with same last name or first name, and people born in same year. We know one person can only have one birthday. Search people born in same year will increase false “hit” by 365X. Also there are millions people with same last name in China. The inefficient search method of FBI name check unreasonably punish innocent people by false “hit”.
I humbly request you to evaluate the FBI name check procedures on an urgent basis. I really appreciate your assistance in this matter.
Thanks
Click to expand...
 
This is great. I will definitely send a letter.

But, more than anything else what we all should be worried about is USCIS accepting all the cases in July....because if they do....all the pending cases will rot for a long long time..

Most estimates put the case load coming in July (if accepted) at 750,000 cases. Think about all the resources that's needed to receipt all the applications in addition to processing AP and EAD......

Not to be selfish...but I think it's totally fair to have a cut off date in line with the visa numbers and not accept cases 2005-2007 PDs. The resources should be spent on clearing out the backlog...people have been waiting here for a long long time. And it just kills me to see AILF fighting in support of brand new PERM cases.

Guess what that's because they got fees from us already.....and don't care anymore..........BUT DON'T YOU????

WHAT CAN BE DONE TO MAKE OUR VOICES HEARD??? THOUGHTS??
 
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Excellent idea! Thanks!!! I'm reworking the text and will send that to Zoe soon. I'm in San Jose.
 
Write to your congressman too

Good to see many people writing. Please don't limit your letters to Zoe Lofgren. Write to your representative too :

http://www.house.gov/writerep/

With the floodgates to EB AOS applications opening, there will be a huge flood of new applications. Old namechecks will rot beneath an ever-growing pile of fresh applications. This system MUST BE FIXED if you ever want to see the face of your greencard.
 
A few grammatical mistakes, and one possible factual error (in red)

worriedEngineer said:
To: Honorable representative Ms. Zoe Lofgren
102 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Respectful representative Ms. Zoe Lofgren:
I am writing this letter to bring to your attention to inordinate delays in completing security checks for immigration benefits. Most of these security checks are completed within a reasonable period of time. However, one particular type of check, known as "name check", is done by the FBI and may take years to complete.
CIS Ombudsman in his 2007 Annual Report to Congress has categorized name check as one of the "Pervasive and Serious Problems", USCIS reported a staggering 329,160 FBI name check cases pending. CIS Ombudsman also concludes that FBI name check process has limited value to public safety or national security, and the current USCIS name check policy may increase the risk to national security by extending the time potential criminal or terrorist remains in the country. Ombudsman understands that most, if not all, of the problem cases which would result in an eventual denial of benefits also can be revealed by the other more efficient, automated criminal and security checks that USCIS initiates. In spite of these facts, USCIS officials continue to use FBI Name Check Excuse to delay immigration benefits, and little has been done to resolve the issue.
FBI name check delays have affected me and my family directly and severely. My Adjustment of Status (AOS) application has been pending since Apr 2006 due to FBI name check delay. I have never involved in any criminal/unlawful activities either in the USA or in mainland China. I have maintained my legal status throughout my stay in USA. My FOIPA (Freedom of Information Privacy Act) request to Mr. David M. Hardy’s office of FBI showed ‘NO RECORDS in file’. In spite of these facts, my FBI name check is still pending more than fifteen months by now. (Delete "by")
FBI name check delay is mainly due to search method inefficient. (Due to the fact that the search method employed is inefficient). FBI name check search (looks for names of) people with same last name or first name, and people born in same year. (Not sure if this is correct. I read that it searches around the birthdate but not entire year. In general I'll recommend omitting details of namecheck precedure). We know one person can only have one birthday. Search people born in same year will increase false “hit” by 365X. Also there are millions people with same last name in China. The inefficient search method of FBI name check unreasonably punish innocent people by false “hit”.
I humbly request you to evaluate the FBI name check procedures on an urgent basis. I really appreciate your assistance in this matter.
Thanks
Click to expand...
 
FBI name check information

rollingstone said:
A few grammatical mistakes, and one possible factual error (in red)
Click to expand...

This file http://www.cyrusmehta.com/related/Ayetes_Memo_on_Name_Checks.pdf has a lot of detail of FBI name check, it says FBI name check search people born in same year.
The memo goes on to state that the name checks are conducted using an applicant’s name and date of birth, as listed on the application. Alias submissions and spelling variations do not require a separate check. If only the month and date of birth is incorrect, but not the year, a separate name check is not required. But if the year is incorrect, a separate name check needs to be initiated. Names are searched in a multitude of combinations, switching the order of the first, middle, and last names, as well as the combination of just the first and last names, referred to as an “around the clock” search.
 
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Email or snail mail when writing ?

Hey guys -

I am from the bay area (16th congressional district). Should I be sending the letter via surface mail or e-mail ? What makes the bigger impact ?

Thanks
 
Last week I got a reply from Ms Lofgren's office. Her response was since I am not in her congressional district I need to contact my local congressman. She forwarded the letter to my congressman as well.

Anyway, she did acknowledge that the problem was about namecheck, so she knows that one more person is stuck in this mess. A small victory. Let's see what my congressman has to say. The lesson learned is:

1. Write to your representative as well.
2. While writing to Zoe Lofgren, address her as "Chairperson, Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security and International Law"
 
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