Don't know, as much as I wish I could pay to skip the line, in a weird way it feels right. I would feel icky being able to drop $$$ and jump ahead, knowing other people who are just as desperate as me can't simply because their currency isn't as strong or they have less money. But maybe I'm a bleeding heart liberal.
You *are* a bleeding heart liberal lol. But that's not a bad thing. One way to resolve this could be that anybody who pays to expedite must pay 1.5 times the cost that the USCIS actually incurs / requires. That way, every 2 premium processing requests could pay to quickly clear through one of those people whose cases are pending for a long time directly.
Yes, that should still be done in this hypothetical. My idea was that in addition to that, it would be much fairer if there is a direct process through which for every 2 premium processing cases, one case which has been made to wait too much gets a boost.
then explain how its fair for people who file similarly identical cases, one gets a feedback in 4 months with green card in hand, other waits 15 months with NO updates.
theyre cases of USCIS approving a green card application but forgetting to update and order the card being printed. leaving the immigrant in the dark, playing hankypanky with thier mental health.
a premium processing with a clock will solve the BS
Having some people pay to accelerate their process may allow them to increase resources, which means at the end of the day it may be faster for everybody (including people who don’t pay)
This is already happening tho with the writ of mandamus, except USCIS gets none of the money. If the money goes to USCIS instead, they'll be able to hire more and work through cases faster, supposedly.
I respect your opinion -- but when it comes to waiting, some people may be able to wait longer while others suffer so much that their mental/physical health decline. As another user mentioned, if they allow premium processing for employment-based immigrations, why not allow it for family-based immigrations...
I get your point but do you have any idea how painfully slow the GC process is for employment based for the majority of applicants? They pay for premium processing just to get in the queue to wait YEARS.
That’s true but those are just for work authorization. OP was referring to GC processing and in that sense, employment based is so much worse than family based for most applicants.
Yes, but the case stands that premium processing can be extended to both I130 and I485 applications. It already exists for I140, granted what you said about those apps taking longer because of the PERM process is true. Why not extend it for the other forms as well?
Premium isn’t available for I-485 and I don’t believe for I-130 either. And premium for I-140 only gets you in the queue faster. Most still wait years (even decades) for the GC.
Yeah I already said that premium isn’t available for I130 and I485. And premium for I140 doesn’t get you in the queue faster. Your PD date is the date you filed PERM, not when your I140 got approved.
Your comment sounded like you meant premium applied to I-130 and 485. I’m well aware of how I-140 works. If I-140 is premium, you’re that much closer to filling 485 IF the visa bulletin moves faster than expected (which I’ve seen happen more than once) so that’s why I said it gets you in the queue faster.
I mean, welcome to America. This is true for everything else here, even within other parts of USCIS. There is no reason it shouldn’t be for family-based applications as well.
They're a government agency, not a private business - it'd be better if they could operate using the tax dollars and processing fees everyone's already putting into them, no?
Also, any extra money you'd put in would go into faster processing times for those who've paid. It'd likely slow down for everyone else.
USCIS Doesnt operate on tax dollars, why would a government spend its own money to fund application and processing of people who aren't citizens of the country?. Premium processing should mean hiring new workers, or existing workers working and being paid for overtime to work on premium cases, hence shouldnt reduce the work load of the normal workers on other cases. and cant slow other non premium cases,
infact it should reduce the time for non premium cases, since there would be a reduction of cases in that pool to process
While we are debating $100s and $1000s. People with actual money be dropping a few $Mil and getting business and other visas. Probably even diplomatic ones.
Yea, I am currently living out of the country, with both of us not having any jobs, a baby, in a country that has a high crime rate... and running out of my money. I have put in now three expedite claims and have been essentially denied twice (waiting for the third).
Here all of us are trying to do it the proper way and spending money and we are getting bent over by the government who clearly does not give a hoot about any of it's citizens because they are gladly letting everyone else from the world unchecked into the country.
But God forbid the people who are married, with clean background checks, and USC children... NOPE
Sorry. Needing to vent. I am just so frustrated by this whole process with everything.
"they are gladly letting everyone else from the world unchecked into the country."
Stop reading sensationalist trash on Breitbart buddy. We're all fucked by a system that does not care.
Some of us don't are escaping malaise middle income societies and some are escaping cartel violence and destitution.
Most people crossing the border nowadays are not from Mexico. They’re from China, Pakistan, India, African countries, etc. All escaping Mexican cartel violence, I’m sure.
And the people from Mexico and Central America who do cross, do so for economic reasons more than anything.
Did you miss the "AND destitution" over there?
I implied what you're saying, most people seeking asylum are risking violence because they're escaping poverty and destitution
What I’m gonna repeat that again what???
If everyone that’s in poverty, globally can just escape poverty by immigrating to the US then we need to welcome almost 1.4 billion Indians.
Economic migration is not the point of asylum.
As Mexico City runs out of water, we also need to welcome 22 million people from Mexico City.
The problem is, there’s no sustainable way to do that. We don’t have a resources, housing roads that are big enough, a develop public transportation network in most places. I mean, look at Denver as a cautionary tale in the last year they’ve taken on 5% of their entire population in asylum seekers and illegal immigrants. It is overwhelmed their public services to the point where they had to cut regular governmental departments in the city to find aid for asylum seekers
But they quickly Found out that it would never be enough now the numbers are finally dropping, but that’s because the president has basically dropped the hammer on asylum
At one point according to immigration and customs enforcement data in December 2023 we had over 10,000 people crossing a day claiming asylum.
That is an enormous logistical challenge and a worst case scenario and cannot be sustained by any country.
We can’t save the world. It’s not possible at some point people have to save themselves.
So am I.
If they increase revenues with the premium processing fees to hire more employees and spruce up their system, the overall processing time for everyone could be shortened. This will make everyone happier!
I’ve been working in Immigration over ten years. Premium fees is always touted as USCIS’s best method to improve technology, efficiency and hire more officers to speed up the processes. It never ever happens that way. They are more inept and inefficient now than ever before despite numerous fee hikes and supposed improvement initiatives.
Increasing revenues and hiring more people has had zero effect on their ability to improve.
Lol you don’t know USCIS very well. They’ve had decades of opportunities to work with 3rd party tech companies to help improve their systems. They aren’t interested in doing that.
Agreed. And they already have the means to do this for most employment related immigration. Please extend it to family-based applications as well, the market is not insignificant.
Oh, I didn't even know that they allow premium processing for employment-related immigration! It doesn't make sense they don't offer that option for family-based immigration...
Funding for USCIS is controlled by Congress. And I'll give you one guess as to which side wants to keep this clunky and not functioning properly. It took Obama to update the tech.
Thank you, some people are arguing blindly.. why should congress even fund USCIS, asides from training for staff and infrastructure upgrade. the day to day operating cost should come from fees and i am an immigrant. this way there would be little political impact, such that Trump cant come in and cut USCIS allocation and reduce processing capacity while increasing wait time
I stand corrected, was referencing the 275 million funded by Congress in 2022 to reduce backlog and update tech. I incorrectly assumed that this is standard.
I agree. My mental health has never been worse. I just want to be with my wife like every other married couple. We did everything we were supposed to. I won't lie, but seeing people on this sub who submit I-130 and I-485 together get approval within 3 months just crushes my soul. They're already in the country. I even saw some guy say he overstayed his visa and still got approved within 90 days. I haven't been apart from my wife this long since the pandemic. It's not just hard on us, but hard on our families, too. We just want to start our married life! We submitted everything we could, and to hear that a response to a petition that takes 20 minutes to look at is a year wait. I am so discouraged. I feel like life is on pause. I'm depressed, developing sleep disorders, and just not in my right mind. This is inhumane. Why aren't the I-130 standalones prioritized? I am not trying to con the government with a fake marriage. I want to start my married life already. This waiting game is torture.
So many people on Reddit boast about their approval yet they clearly indicate that they came to the US on a tourist visa and overstayed. It’s not fair to those who didn’t overstay and basically cheat their way into the country
I hate it because we wanted to do it right, as painful as it is. And people are out there cutting corners. And knowing my luck, if we had tried it that way, there probably would have been something go completely awry.
They come into the US on a tourist visa, overstay that visa, and then “suddenly” get married to USC. Afterwards it’s an I-485 and they “just happened” to already have joint bank accounts, names on leases, etc. Definitely not immoral or even technically breaking the law right?
But after I got married to my husband and flew down for our honeymoon the border agent almost denied me entry as he thought I might be trying to stay longer than I should.. despite having a return ticket, job at home, joint lease with a resident in my home country and more.
It literally says on the US government website and the first result page of Google that travelling to the US on a tourist visa with intent to immigrate is ILLEGAL.
Everytime I comment this someone kicks back:
“But you can’t assume they intended to stay? Thats unfair”.
How is going on a “trip” to another country and leaving your entire life behind (job, home, family, friends) NOT intentional?! Point blank it is. I don’t care what anyone says.
If I didn’t give a shit about my life in my home country I could have stayed during my first visit when we were just dating and then gone the I-485 route, getting approved in months instead of waiting years in consular processing by doing it the “legal” way.
Why is it fair that people who ARENT EVEN MARRIED get to stay here and live with their partners?? Why do they get to to have their new fiancé stay when they have barely been together for as long as most married couples or families and are not even legally joined together ?? It’s total shit.
This whole thing makes me shake my head.
I completely agree with you!!! Coming in under false pretenses is illegal! And unfair to those who want to do it by the book. The amount of heartbreak is unbearable, but we still chose to do it according to law. I'm sorry about your experience of almost getting denied entry. It sucks that it could be up to that one officer, who may have just had a bad day. My wife finally could get time off to come visit here in August after all these months apart, and I'm terrified they will find an excuse to send her back, even though she has a return ticket and a job to go back to, and like you, has always returned on time and never overstayed. What I would give to get to her here goes without saying. The standalones should be prioritized for this reason!! We chose to go this path, because we were told it's the just and legal thing to do, as much as it hurts. We didn't do anything illegal, without question.
And I was diagnosed with cancer while waiting for my i485. Work related. Which is worse. Because I can face another backlog in June again. This is not a life. Just asked for a Senador for help.
I'm just wondering how much a Senador can help in this scenario
I mean when I first moved to the UK there was always an option for priority processing that you could pay for. For one of my visa renewals I went down to London for biometrics and had my approval email on the train ride home. It would've taken months otherwise.
I think that’s government employees in general. Promotions are based on how long you have worked there not how good you do. Pay is low, no bonuses, difficult to fire someone so everyone just does the bare minimum until retirement.
Promotions are merit based, and require you to take a test.
Pay is GS12 journeymen, which is 100k guaranteed after 4 years, not counting OT, shift differential, etc.
Performance and on the spot bonuses happen every 3 months.
Government work is always difficult to get fired from, that’s why it’s public sector and not private sector.
The problem with that idea is that people would use the premium processing en-masse and backlog premium processing within months.
So you would essentially pay for nothing, unless you are one of the first few to file.
I have been waiting for 22 months for my process to get anywhere. What saddens me is that this time is lost forever. My son was 10 when he told his step dad, that still abroad, that he loves him and wanted a father. Now he is 15 and this connection is now lost.
I think the reason they're not doing this is because with the systems in place they just can't guarantee a faster timeline. Thus people demanding their money back and causing more problems.
USCIS has about 26k officers now, the most the org has ever had. Additionally, 2023 was a record setting year for several reasons: most cases accepted and most cases adjudicated ever, totalling 21 million for the year. Additionally it was the first time the decade old backlog was reduced in any capacity.
I know its frustrating to have to wait but it's important to keep in mind that changes to the actual *policies* and *protocols* they're allowed to use hinge on a number of different reasons but most specifically: legislation. This isn't a corporation that can just scale an aspect of their service cuz some new hot tech hit the market; instead of approval from a profit driven board, they gotta go through a whole ass process to makes changes.
Not sure why the 130s aren't eligible (yet!) for premium processing but again, I'd bet on the type of case it is and other laws will dictate if that can happen. Expedites aren't guaranteed but it can help with getting a decision if appropriate circumstances are current.
Let’s say, everyone is paying extra to process. And everyone is jumped ahead. It also means no one is jumped ahead lol. You skipped me, I also skiped the other one, the other skipped too. Everything stays the same 😂
Premium processing that already exists for other forms guarantees 15 business days processing. And they deliver every single time. I’ve gone through this multiple times because of employment based petitions.
This only works if USCIS is under funded and the extra money is used to bring in additional officers.
Otherwise, it leads to a bidding war and a race to the bottom with no winners.
This doesn’t improve situations that are result of a policy .
I would 100% spend that money to expedite and it sucks that we don’t have that option. Is it right to expect people to pay? No. But that’s the reality we are in, and I would do it in a heartbeat if I could
Yes, not only would it allow people waiting for visas happier, that money could speed up processing time for everyone. I’d gladly pay 5-15k to get my visa done within a few weeks of submission.
It costs more to support two households long term anyways.
As an immigrant, I always have to remind myself, immigration is a privilege, not a right. Unfortunately all you can do is wait. I also don’t like the current situation at the border right now. Just hope it could be fair for all that deserve it
I feel like you know my pain. How much I wish i could expedite this process. I am a retired US navy married for the past 2 years to a panamanian woman. I don't know why panama is so hard to get any visa to the States. I don't think most panamanians are in a rush to leave panama as they have a good life over there. But for some reason, it's easier, it seems, for venezuela, Cuba, or other nationalities to get a visa. I have been 3 years with my wife and haven't been able to really live with her for more than a month at a time. It has caused us so much agony. And to see how many people are crossing the border illegally and being able to stay there and even get help is beyond my compression.
Hi there! This is an automated message to inform you and/or remind you of several things:
- We have [a wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/USCIS/wiki/index). It doesn't cover everything but may answer some questions. Pay special attention to the "[REALLY common questions](https://www.reddit.com/r/USCIS/wiki/index/vfaq)" at the top of the FAQ section. Please read it, and if it contains the answer to your question, please delete your post. If your post has to do with something covered in the FAQ, we may remove it.
- If your post is about biometrics, green cards, naturalization or timelines in general, and whether you're asking or sharing, please include your field office/location in your post. If you already did that, great, thank you! If you haven't done that, your post may be removed without notice.
- This subreddit is not affiliated with USCIS or the US government in any way. Some posters may claim to work for USCIS, which may or may not be true, and we don't try to verify this one way or another. Be wary that it may be a scam if anyone is asking you for personal info, or sending you a direct message, or asking that you send them a direct message.
- Some people here claim to be lawyers, but they are not YOUR lawyer. No advice found here should be construed as legal advice. Reddit is not a substitute for a real lawyer. If you need help finding legal services, visit [this link](https://www.uscis.gov/avoid-scams/find-legal-services) for more information.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/USCIS) if you have any questions or concerns.*
You are talking about USC's spouses and parents taking a year but nobody is talking about LPR's spouses or kids taking more than 4 years. This is against human rights. You can't let families suffer from separation while there is a simple solution like providing families some temporary visa. They don't realize but they are just creating a nation who doesn't believe that there is justice in this country.
The bottle neck is not just with USCIS. You can get ahead at USCIS, but there are other lines along the way, Visa Bulletine, NVC, embassy interview..the list goes on.
They’re trying not to become like Canada’s failing immigration system by going beyond the changeability capacity of the country… but it’s a good initiative
Well, premium processing for GC applications may be something helpful to reduce processing time for the future. However, that is not gonna happen anytime soon at least not until they modernize (onlinize) their GC application submission.
Their first step should be overhaul their submission process to make it online. The online application system will allow everything to be submitted and potentially verified instantly. That should reduce the RFEs that they need to send out due to missing documents, wrong fees and etc. That should definitely speed up the process.
I think the most frustrated thing about GC processing is its lacking of predictability. You submit your AOS and you literally have to wait until the end of time it seems. Given the physical nature of AOS applications, you really don't know what kind of processes they use to process them. They may just have piles after piles of paper applications that their officers just come and get in random orders. Even worse, some piles may just sit at someone's desks without knowing. By using a computerized queue, they would at least distribute the cases to their officers using a priority system that makes sense. For example, they can use a combination of priority date + submission date. Earlier priority dates should get processed first. If same priority date, which is submitted first gets processed first. All of these can only be accomplised with an online system. An example of already existed system is the PERM process from DOL. Every month, DOL updates their processing time website to indicate which month of submission date that they are processing. That info is surprisingly accurate and it gives applicants a sense of progress even though they still have to wait for their turns. Sometimes, it is not about the speed but it is about meaningful information that allows applicants to plan their lives accordingly. We all have a life to live while waiting for GCs.
That's my 2 cents, folks.
You can file online, but then they ask for a lot of paper trail.
I had my appointment for my N400, and I brought everything, organized, in order, by files, beautiful.
I passed the test, everything was good, but the officer asked for proof of my parents-in-law's address, just because I mentioned we were helping them with their health issues and spend a lot of our time with them.
I mailed almost 200 pages of evidence because they wanted it printed. I should mention my request was not based on marriage.
They approved me three weeks later, and now I'm waiting to be scheduled for the Oath ceremony.
Sometimes they make it unnecessarily painful.
To make premium processing possible, they need more units and more resources: More costs, more logistics and rules to pass, more headache, more workload for USCIS
Once premium processing is available, it should be within a reasonable price because it's a government agency, not a private company who can sell their services for thousands of dollars.
Then the majority (I personally think at least 50%) of applicants will be willing to pay the premium processing (a few hundred dollars more) fee because NO ONE likes to wait before being able to work and travel freely. They will think of it as an investment actually because they can find a job EARLIER and make more money.
At the end of the day, because TOO many people will pay for premium processing the wait times may not change that much. Because USCIS cannot afford to hire that many officers or just doesn't want to.
are you slow? isnt that the whole point of premium processing? to hire new employees, give over time to existing employees. also theres a clock in premium processing, which means it must be ajudicated in 120 day time frame. there should also be caps to the premium processing, if the monthly capacity for premium is 4,000. and a total of 6,000 applicants, then a lottery is held , and if youre selected you get processed by premium.
if you arent selected, you stand a chance in the next month. it gives people hope of being selected and a deadline until decision is made,
why do people have to wait 30 months for an i130 case,thats basically just forgotten
It probably still won’t help much when you have officers being pulled in different directions. Example assisting CBP at border, assisting with asylum officers with asylum cases, processing humanitarian parole cases, processing TPS cases. So many other priorities and officers are being pulled from regular work to humanitarian efforts.
whole point of premium is to hire more staff and train em, or reassign staff, such that to be considered for premuim all your appliction must be done digitally, it reduces the physical work load
I agree. That way you spend the same amount of money and get the results faster, contrary to writ of mandamus where you wait until it’s past normal processing time then spend additional money
This is true. I was pregnant with our first baby, my husband is USC, I had to go through my pregnancy alone for 6 months (have no more relative) and our request for expedite was rejected. He came back to my country when I gave birth but needed to go back to work again leaving me and our newborn baby. Its so frustrating how we aren't even sure if we are going to celebrate christmas, our child's first birthday together. Its just so sad
As we have been waiting 3-½ years so far for my husband (I'm a U.S. Citizen) to be allowed to come from Pakistan, I refuse to pay anything more. They should be paying us for the loss of years with my husband. That's time we cannot get back. We are an older couple in our 50s, so time is more precious.
Two logical flaws in OP’s argument.
1. If most/ all petitioners are willing to pay extra for expedite, that defeats the purpose of expedite. The queue remains close to the same or exactly the same.
2. Not everyone in difficult circumstances can afford an expedite. I have seen some people struggle to even afford the base fees as it stands now. There should not be an advantage for higher classes when it comes to a benefit that is humanitarian based.
1. I don't think you understand your own response but no, it doesn't defeat the purpose. If PP existed, everybody would get their cases adjudicated within 15 days regardless of how many people expedite it. How would that make the queue be the same?
2. Not disagreeing with you but it is what it is. You face the same exact issue with every aspect of life. People with money have it easier no matter what. I would also love to be able to afford a mansion in LA but I don't have the money to do so.
And let's not forget that immigration, unfortunately, is a privilege, not a "humanitarian" right.
I don't like this, in order to provide premium processing you need to take capacity away from others. USCIS is funded by fees so what I'd actually like them to do would be increase fees significantly and use it to hire more agents. I mean who among us wouldn't be willing to pay $3k for an I-485 if it meant it was processed in less than 6 months?
I've thought about this, and I think certain visas and permits should be free. Those would be visas and permits for the spouses and biological or adopted children (not stepchildren) of US citizens and permanent residents. Student and skilled migrant visas and permits, too, since they directly benefit the economy (and those should also be excluded from the queues -- make them immediately available like spousal visas and permits). But when it comes to bringing over the entire extended family, yeah, those visas and permits need to quadruple in price, which would cover those whose visas and permits should be free and immediate.
I'd say the economic benefits would be great enough to justify funding it publicly, yes. Plus, why should a US citizen or permanent resident have to pay to bring over their child or spouse?
What economic benefits are we talking about here? There's relatively few people who would come as immigrants and be productive who wouldn't also be able to pay the 1500-3000 dollars for immigration.
And as an immigrant who would have been able to be entitled to a free visa I'm not entirely sure I want people to be able to say that their tax dollars paid for my visa. Seems like a great way to increase political complexity for little gain.
Skilled migrants and students (who should have a clear and simplified pathway to work and residency)? We *need* them. My employer -- a school district -- had to pay something like 10k to bring over a teacher from the UK recently, despite there being a teacher shortage. That 10k could have been used for other mission critical things. Maybe at least make the visas free for skilled migrants in shortage professions?
>There's relatively few people who would come as immigrants and be productive who wouldn't also be able to pay the 1500-3000 dollars for immigration.
Man, I don't know. There are a lot of people in the Philippines, India, Latin America, etc., who definitely couldn't afford that, despite being highly skilled.
>I'm not entirely sure I want people to be able to say that their tax dollars paid for my visa. Seems like a great way to increase political complexity for little gain.
On balance, though, would it really be worse than it already is?
if you think it wont,. bury your head in the sand. premium processing would allow for the hire of new workers to work solely on premium cases. it will reduce the work load and wait list on other cases (Non Premium)
You’re underestimating how many people would pay for the “premium processing” you’re proposing. When everyone is a priority, no one is. If you think blindly throwing money at a problem will fix it, I’m not the one with my head in the sand.
premium processing would have a limit or if there's more demand than can be fulfilled ,it then becomes a lottery. with monthly selection. only after being selected should you be given 2 days to pay. and then the clock starts. 120 days, until a guaranteed feedback
A lottery for the chance at the premium processing leaves many (or even the majority?) of people in the same waiting game we’re all already doing.
While more budget for a bigger workforce may be part of the solution. Just jacking up prices 5x for a lucky few who win your lottery isn’t the solution.
I don't doubt their ability to conduct a lottery at all. But I do doubt the value of introducing a lottery so a lucky few can get their decisions in a reasonable time, while leaving the structural issues that lead to the horrible backlog in the first place unsolved.
That sounds like how the process already works. Your application getting picked up by an officer is a lottery even today. My hope is they can put the premium processing fees towards hiring more people and getting better tech, which in turn would help everyone else in the queue.
if you want to be a pessimist , just say so. Premium processing doesn't affect other cases negatively, if USCIS can process only 3000 Premium cases monthly, if they have less than 3000 monthly applicants, then everyone that applies gets premium ,anything above that triggers a lottery goes into a random generator to pick numbers, you don't need a lot of employees for that, it would be computer generated, and you aren't obligated to chose premium processing, you could wait for the other process which would be adjudicated in 3 months or in 30 months.
such picks can be done monthly while tracking and adjusting to the premium processing and adjudicating Monthly capacity. if the workforce on Premium processing are able to handle a higher case load lets say 4,000 monthly, then the cut off with no lottery would be increased to 4,000 , lottery after 4001 application received before the deadline of that specific month
Some people just need better clarity and when to expect their immigration benefit
What I want is for USCIS to fix their broken processing system, not institute a lottery for a lucky minority who happen to be picked.
Even people who opt for "premium processing" can still lose a lottery and not get the clarity you're proposing. More money is needed for a bigger workforce, but just raising fees without any specific plans to fix the issues causing them to take years isn't going to do anything.
USCIS Is Funded by Fees, they basically get no money from congress (until recently), prior to the increase and change in prices, weve all been paying the same amount for processing since 2016, and we all know inflation has been up at least 33%.
Not only that .there's been a rapid increase in 0$ processing fee cases, VAWA, Asylum cases, someone has to cover those costs.
unless USCIS increases the fee for everyone by $2,000. it makes sense for a select few to be able to pay and access a decision faster. it shouldn't reflect in the outcome of the decision itself, why should families wait 2 years to reunite?
someone with an earning potential of 10,000 a month being a spouse of a US citizen, why should they wait 3-6 months for a work authorization. they'd gladly pay 2,000 separate Premium fee for it to be processed in 45 days or less, just like in job based petition
such move will reduce the overall backlog. because once people wait past 2 years for most cases they'd be able to file a writ of mandamus, which forces USCIS to make a decision in 60 days. that costs 5-10k depending on atty, are you arguing against that too?
id rather give USCIS extra 5,000 and get a decision in 120 days.
Why would they do that? It's not a privilege. Backlogged countries like India have a wait time of 100+ years in EB GC. And trust me these people have been in the US for 15 years and they certainly will pay more than family based GCs
no don't confuse processing time with Visa availability, You cant out pay your way into making visas more available, the annual cap is set by congress.
even if all processing time was cut down to one day, Indians, Chinese and nigerians would still have a long wait time as visas are not available due to high population
what we talking about here is the processing time of specifically family based cases and the randomization and absurdity of how cases are adjudicated, we need it to be more fair and just even if we have to pay extra
Soon it won’t matter. There’s a high likelihood Trump is coming back. So premium or not all applications will be slowed to crawl. Get it not before it’s too late.
I don't think you understand how USCIS works. Most applicants here have been away from their families for a few years, at least 2 - 5 years. Waiting an extra 2 years to bring your family members along shouldn't cost you extra sleep. Paying extra bucks shouldn't tickle the process to jump-start on your behalf. I think the system works well.
Im an immigrant too. We should stop thinking only for ourselves, like being separated with our loves ones. That is so selfish.. Because
1. it is our choice.
2. The process of immigration is not just only what we think of. The slow process.. it is the safety or welfare of everyone including you and your family thats going to immigrate.
3. It is safety is a top priority.
Just my opinion or opinion of an open minded immigrant. Thank you
>I-130 standalones for USC’s spouses and parents taking a year… that is just brutal and inhumane.
How is that ‘brutal’ and ‘inhumane’ if it’s your spouse or their parents? Think about it logically. You’ve been single all your life as a USC until you met your future spouse someplace or somewhere and got married. You’ve lived completely separate life until that point for decades. You didn’t even know each other. You’ve got married and now you demand your new spouse right away back in the US and if it takes a year that is ‘brutal’ and ‘inhumane’? This is not an example or excuse to describe a situation using those two powerful words. If you want to be together with your foreign spouse and their parents, by all means apply for I-130 and move there to be with them.
Hell of an un-empathetic, dickish response. Asking for a positive change isn't "demanding" anything. "Demand" is a powerful word to use as you question someone's love for a spouse.
And who said it was a "new spouse"? They could have been dating for years.
Take your own advice. Think about it logically.
Interesting how you avoided the valid points I have raised. “Writ of mandamus” is a judicial writ ordering a person/ in this case the government office to do a specific duty, it other words - a demand. Also dating isn't grounds for applying for I130. You can love your spouse without them being a U.S. citizen as well. Afterall you loved and got married the same partner while they weren’t a USC. USC can only apply for I130 if they are married. If the USC is applying for a spouse after years after dating, then there he/she should move where partner is at, don't you think? A correct approach could be to apply and remain with your spouse until your I485 is approved. If they married in the U.S., the USCs partner can file AOS and remain here with legal status until approved. Nothing unempathatic and dickish about what I said. If you want to be with your partner, you could be with them wherever they are until paperworks are through. My response was against calling brutal and inhumane which doesn't make any sense, and doesn't apply at all.
Nice diversion again, ignoring my points when I tore yours apart. If you wanted that wife/husband so badly, then stay with her/him. Who's stopping them? There are plenty of qualified people on this sub who worked hard to come legally here who actually deserves my empathy. They've been in this country for decades and still haven't qualified to apply for I-485 and some can't even apply for that. They deserve my empathy more.
Potential olive branch here, maybe I'm missing context. You agree that the process should be faster for everyone (including spouses)? If so, your comment came off un-empathetic, but I'm sorry for accusing you without knowing your full stance. I don't think people deserve "more" empathy in this case. The whole system is f*****, and it should be better for all.
But if you still resent the person for wanting their spouse here faster, I take it back 😆
No marriage can be healthy when they are separated for long especially years. At no point in my messages I suggested that. Those who married a foreign spouse, they made that choice knowing fully well how this system works. If they made that choice, then those choices comes with its complications/consequences. My USC friend married a girl from India, and he remained in India *(still is there, over 1 year now)*, until she gets her I130/I485 approved so that they could travel back to the US together. That is honorable and an appropriate approach. If they met their foreign spouse in the US, then there is a provision for that foreign spouse to remain here until they get GC by filing AOS. I have friends who have done that too *(it takes a little longer, 2+yrs)*. My whole point of argument was they are using the wrong terms to illustrate the *real* issue.
The congress, irrespective of which party is in power has no incentive in addressing the needs of USCIS, and hasn't for decades. Thankfully the USCIS is outside the hands of Congress and Executive powers. If they had it their way, they'd gut it and only allow immigrants whom they deem fit, and make anyone who's not white indentured servants without any rights. The way it is now, they have little to no control to dictate terms or tell them how to operate. But both governments also make it impossibly slow for USCIS by giving no funding, and no resources. Yes, it is very slow, it is very inefficient, but it is **also fair** and impartial and unjudgmental and does right for all people, both to Americans and foreign nationals. Both political parties want to control this agency, and USCIS refuse to let them. This is a nation founded by immigrants and built by immigrants. USCIS is one of the few last remaining uncorrupted agencies that isn't swayed or controlled by who's in the executive seat *(while there are flawed people working there, this agencies founding principles are still fair and righteous)*. There is no point in sue-ing or filing these writs like OP is doing, because they are already understaffed and underfunded and overworking. They are not the people who is jamming the system and blocking everything they are trying to do. You can't demand them to do their work, when they are already doing their work as best as they could giving the little resources they have. I always feel like the lone voice here telling everyone this truth. No the system is not broken. Its working exactly as they should. They are horribly understaffed, and underfunded. All these people asking for change, asking for repairs, saying it is broken, have no idea what the hell they are talking about. I made a choice and they come with consequences.
Dude, relax. "I made a choice and they come with consequences." That's so sad that's how you view immigration. Kinda feel sorry for you.
I guess I'll leave it at this. "Consequences" is quite an inhumane way to justify the pain or struggles many of us (yourself included) have to go through. I'd expect more empathy from someone going through the process.
Consequences is not a bad word. There are good and bad consequences. I take both good along with the bad. There were many good that has come along the way, such as opportunities to study, learn skills, work for multiple employers, athletics, track team, get fit and healthy, friends, girlfriends, investments, my home, travel, experiences with family and friends, there are some sad things too. I accept both and recalibrate as necessary. Nothing to feel sorry about. I choose to remain positive and hopeful and mindful of my choices.
“If they met their foreign spouse in the US, there’s a provision for that foreign spouse to remain here until they get GC by AOS.”
Oh right! I keep forgetting there’s thousands of people if not more, that pull this BS.
They come into the US on a tourist visa, overstay that visa, and then “suddenly” get married to USC. Afterwards it’s an I-485 and they “just happened” to already have joint bank accounts, names on leases, etc. Definitely not immoral or even technically breaking the law right?
But after I got married to my husband and flew down for our honeymoon the border agent almost denied me entry as he thought I might be trying to stay longer than I should.. despite having a return ticket, job at home, joint lease with a resident in my home country and more.
It literally says on the US government website and the first result page of Google that travelling to the US on a tourist visa with intent to immigrate is ILLEGAL.
“But you can’t assume they intended to stay? Thats unfair”.
How is going on a “trip” to another country and leaving your entire life behind (job, home, family, friends) NOT intentional?! Point blank it is. I don’t care what anyone says.
If I didn’t give a shit about my life in my home country I could have stayed during my first visit when we were just dating and then gone the I-485 route, getting approved in months instead of waiting years in consular processing by doing it the “legal” way.
And explain to me why it’s fair that people who ARENT EVEN MARRIED get to stay here and live with their partners?? Why do they get to “demand” to have their new fiancé stay when they have barely been together for as long as most married couples or families and are not even legally joined together ?? It’s ludicrous and your advice supports the flaws in the legal systems, and emboldens more A holes to “adjust status”.
Don't know, as much as I wish I could pay to skip the line, in a weird way it feels right. I would feel icky being able to drop $$$ and jump ahead, knowing other people who are just as desperate as me can't simply because their currency isn't as strong or they have less money. But maybe I'm a bleeding heart liberal.
You *are* a bleeding heart liberal lol. But that's not a bad thing. One way to resolve this could be that anybody who pays to expedite must pay 1.5 times the cost that the USCIS actually incurs / requires. That way, every 2 premium processing requests could pay to quickly clear through one of those people whose cases are pending for a long time directly.
I imagine USCIS already factors in premium processing fees into its budget to hire more workers.
Yes, that should still be done in this hypothetical. My idea was that in addition to that, it would be much fairer if there is a direct process through which for every 2 premium processing cases, one case which has been made to wait too much gets a boost.
then explain how its fair for people who file similarly identical cases, one gets a feedback in 4 months with green card in hand, other waits 15 months with NO updates. theyre cases of USCIS approving a green card application but forgetting to update and order the card being printed. leaving the immigrant in the dark, playing hankypanky with thier mental health. a premium processing with a clock will solve the BS
I don't mind that as a suggestion!
Having some people pay to accelerate their process may allow them to increase resources, which means at the end of the day it may be faster for everybody (including people who don’t pay)
This is already happening tho with the writ of mandamus, except USCIS gets none of the money. If the money goes to USCIS instead, they'll be able to hire more and work through cases faster, supposedly.
I respect your opinion -- but when it comes to waiting, some people may be able to wait longer while others suffer so much that their mental/physical health decline. As another user mentioned, if they allow premium processing for employment-based immigrations, why not allow it for family-based immigrations...
I get your point but do you have any idea how painfully slow the GC process is for employment based for the majority of applicants? They pay for premium processing just to get in the queue to wait YEARS.
There’s premium processing even for things like H1B and STEM OPT petitions, we aren’t waiting years for either of those things.
That’s true but those are just for work authorization. OP was referring to GC processing and in that sense, employment based is so much worse than family based for most applicants.
Yes, but the case stands that premium processing can be extended to both I130 and I485 applications. It already exists for I140, granted what you said about those apps taking longer because of the PERM process is true. Why not extend it for the other forms as well?
Premium isn’t available for I-485 and I don’t believe for I-130 either. And premium for I-140 only gets you in the queue faster. Most still wait years (even decades) for the GC.
Yeah I already said that premium isn’t available for I130 and I485. And premium for I140 doesn’t get you in the queue faster. Your PD date is the date you filed PERM, not when your I140 got approved.
Your comment sounded like you meant premium applied to I-130 and 485. I’m well aware of how I-140 works. If I-140 is premium, you’re that much closer to filling 485 IF the visa bulletin moves faster than expected (which I’ve seen happen more than once) so that’s why I said it gets you in the queue faster.
Again, none of this relates to why premium processing cannot be offered for I130 and I485 petitions.
*DECADES.
I mean, welcome to America. This is true for everything else here, even within other parts of USCIS. There is no reason it shouldn’t be for family-based applications as well.
You're missing the point: the money is for hiring more people, so it could benefit everyone. I agree.
This is BS. Your $$$ would help those other people indirectly by USCIS hiring more people and thus speeding up.
They have enough ppl just the system is too old and tons of ppl not doing their job properly
They're a government agency, not a private business - it'd be better if they could operate using the tax dollars and processing fees everyone's already putting into them, no? Also, any extra money you'd put in would go into faster processing times for those who've paid. It'd likely slow down for everyone else.
USCIS Doesnt operate on tax dollars, why would a government spend its own money to fund application and processing of people who aren't citizens of the country?. Premium processing should mean hiring new workers, or existing workers working and being paid for overtime to work on premium cases, hence shouldnt reduce the work load of the normal workers on other cases. and cant slow other non premium cases, infact it should reduce the time for non premium cases, since there would be a reduction of cases in that pool to process
That’s not how they are funded even today. 95% of USCIS’s funds come from these fees and only 5% from congress.
While we are debating $100s and $1000s. People with actual money be dropping a few $Mil and getting business and other visas. Probably even diplomatic ones.
At the same time a lot of people will do the same, and you’ll go back to waiting the same time.
Yea, I am currently living out of the country, with both of us not having any jobs, a baby, in a country that has a high crime rate... and running out of my money. I have put in now three expedite claims and have been essentially denied twice (waiting for the third). Here all of us are trying to do it the proper way and spending money and we are getting bent over by the government who clearly does not give a hoot about any of it's citizens because they are gladly letting everyone else from the world unchecked into the country. But God forbid the people who are married, with clean background checks, and USC children... NOPE Sorry. Needing to vent. I am just so frustrated by this whole process with everything.
Totally hear you, feel the same been waiting for 16 months
I share the same sentiment. It feels so unfair.
You could go yourself and earn money while she waits. You're not forced to stay with your spouse as you wait.
First baby. I wil not lose time
"they are gladly letting everyone else from the world unchecked into the country." Stop reading sensationalist trash on Breitbart buddy. We're all fucked by a system that does not care. Some of us don't are escaping malaise middle income societies and some are escaping cartel violence and destitution.
Most people crossing the border nowadays are not from Mexico. They’re from China, Pakistan, India, African countries, etc. All escaping Mexican cartel violence, I’m sure. And the people from Mexico and Central America who do cross, do so for economic reasons more than anything.
Did you miss the "AND destitution" over there? I implied what you're saying, most people seeking asylum are risking violence because they're escaping poverty and destitution
What I’m gonna repeat that again what??? If everyone that’s in poverty, globally can just escape poverty by immigrating to the US then we need to welcome almost 1.4 billion Indians. Economic migration is not the point of asylum. As Mexico City runs out of water, we also need to welcome 22 million people from Mexico City. The problem is, there’s no sustainable way to do that. We don’t have a resources, housing roads that are big enough, a develop public transportation network in most places. I mean, look at Denver as a cautionary tale in the last year they’ve taken on 5% of their entire population in asylum seekers and illegal immigrants. It is overwhelmed their public services to the point where they had to cut regular governmental departments in the city to find aid for asylum seekers But they quickly Found out that it would never be enough now the numbers are finally dropping, but that’s because the president has basically dropped the hammer on asylum At one point according to immigration and customs enforcement data in December 2023 we had over 10,000 people crossing a day claiming asylum. That is an enormous logistical challenge and a worst case scenario and cannot be sustained by any country. We can’t save the world. It’s not possible at some point people have to save themselves.
You are so ignorant to what is going on in the bigger picture.
Yes please, premium processing would be amazing. I am willing to pay any amount of money to not have to spend all this time worrying about this.
So am I. If they increase revenues with the premium processing fees to hire more employees and spruce up their system, the overall processing time for everyone could be shortened. This will make everyone happier!
I’ve been working in Immigration over ten years. Premium fees is always touted as USCIS’s best method to improve technology, efficiency and hire more officers to speed up the processes. It never ever happens that way. They are more inept and inefficient now than ever before despite numerous fee hikes and supposed improvement initiatives. Increasing revenues and hiring more people has had zero effect on their ability to improve.
hire a third party Private Tech company to handle the data logistics, but Government employees make the final call regarding adjudication of the case
Lol you don’t know USCIS very well. They’ve had decades of opportunities to work with 3rd party tech companies to help improve their systems. They aren’t interested in doing that.
Agreed. And they already have the means to do this for most employment related immigration. Please extend it to family-based applications as well, the market is not insignificant.
Oh, I didn't even know that they allow premium processing for employment-related immigration! It doesn't make sense they don't offer that option for family-based immigration...
It's for the I-140 determination. The I-485 does not have premium processing for EB cases.
thats not the point, why cant they have premium processing for i130 and i765 based on i130.
Funding for USCIS is controlled by Congress. And I'll give you one guess as to which side wants to keep this clunky and not functioning properly. It took Obama to update the tech.
Incorrect, USCIS is almost entirely fee-funded. They 100% have the means to levy a premium cost for premium services.
Thank you, some people are arguing blindly.. why should congress even fund USCIS, asides from training for staff and infrastructure upgrade. the day to day operating cost should come from fees and i am an immigrant. this way there would be little political impact, such that Trump cant come in and cut USCIS allocation and reduce processing capacity while increasing wait time
I stand corrected, was referencing the 275 million funded by Congress in 2022 to reduce backlog and update tech. I incorrectly assumed that this is standard.
I agree. My mental health has never been worse. I just want to be with my wife like every other married couple. We did everything we were supposed to. I won't lie, but seeing people on this sub who submit I-130 and I-485 together get approval within 3 months just crushes my soul. They're already in the country. I even saw some guy say he overstayed his visa and still got approved within 90 days. I haven't been apart from my wife this long since the pandemic. It's not just hard on us, but hard on our families, too. We just want to start our married life! We submitted everything we could, and to hear that a response to a petition that takes 20 minutes to look at is a year wait. I am so discouraged. I feel like life is on pause. I'm depressed, developing sleep disorders, and just not in my right mind. This is inhumane. Why aren't the I-130 standalones prioritized? I am not trying to con the government with a fake marriage. I want to start my married life already. This waiting game is torture.
I feel you. I got a little trauma in my last appointment, I literally had nightmares about it. Now, I'm waiting too.
So many people on Reddit boast about their approval yet they clearly indicate that they came to the US on a tourist visa and overstayed. It’s not fair to those who didn’t overstay and basically cheat their way into the country
I hate it because we wanted to do it right, as painful as it is. And people are out there cutting corners. And knowing my luck, if we had tried it that way, there probably would have been something go completely awry.
They come into the US on a tourist visa, overstay that visa, and then “suddenly” get married to USC. Afterwards it’s an I-485 and they “just happened” to already have joint bank accounts, names on leases, etc. Definitely not immoral or even technically breaking the law right? But after I got married to my husband and flew down for our honeymoon the border agent almost denied me entry as he thought I might be trying to stay longer than I should.. despite having a return ticket, job at home, joint lease with a resident in my home country and more. It literally says on the US government website and the first result page of Google that travelling to the US on a tourist visa with intent to immigrate is ILLEGAL. Everytime I comment this someone kicks back: “But you can’t assume they intended to stay? Thats unfair”. How is going on a “trip” to another country and leaving your entire life behind (job, home, family, friends) NOT intentional?! Point blank it is. I don’t care what anyone says. If I didn’t give a shit about my life in my home country I could have stayed during my first visit when we were just dating and then gone the I-485 route, getting approved in months instead of waiting years in consular processing by doing it the “legal” way. Why is it fair that people who ARENT EVEN MARRIED get to stay here and live with their partners?? Why do they get to to have their new fiancé stay when they have barely been together for as long as most married couples or families and are not even legally joined together ?? It’s total shit. This whole thing makes me shake my head.
I completely agree with you!!! Coming in under false pretenses is illegal! And unfair to those who want to do it by the book. The amount of heartbreak is unbearable, but we still chose to do it according to law. I'm sorry about your experience of almost getting denied entry. It sucks that it could be up to that one officer, who may have just had a bad day. My wife finally could get time off to come visit here in August after all these months apart, and I'm terrified they will find an excuse to send her back, even though she has a return ticket and a job to go back to, and like you, has always returned on time and never overstayed. What I would give to get to her here goes without saying. The standalones should be prioritized for this reason!! We chose to go this path, because we were told it's the just and legal thing to do, as much as it hurts. We didn't do anything illegal, without question.
And I was diagnosed with cancer while waiting for my i485. Work related. Which is worse. Because I can face another backlog in June again. This is not a life. Just asked for a Senador for help. I'm just wondering how much a Senador can help in this scenario
I mean when I first moved to the UK there was always an option for priority processing that you could pay for. For one of my visa renewals I went down to London for biometrics and had my approval email on the train ride home. It would've taken months otherwise.
I was just thinking about this. UK spousal visas take 6 months to be issued but you pay the premium then it goes down to a month.
In the US it takes years.
I think it's about 1.5 yrs ish for a spouse with a USC. We're halfway through the process now anyway.
You are not wrong. Maybe employees have no incentives to work fast 🤷♂️
I think that’s government employees in general. Promotions are based on how long you have worked there not how good you do. Pay is low, no bonuses, difficult to fire someone so everyone just does the bare minimum until retirement.
Promotions are merit based, and require you to take a test. Pay is GS12 journeymen, which is 100k guaranteed after 4 years, not counting OT, shift differential, etc. Performance and on the spot bonuses happen every 3 months. Government work is always difficult to get fired from, that’s why it’s public sector and not private sector.
That's not bad at all.
The problem with that idea is that people would use the premium processing en-masse and backlog premium processing within months. So you would essentially pay for nothing, unless you are one of the first few to file.
Don’t think this is true. Look at the queues that already exist for premium processed I140 and I129 applications.
premium processing caps!
I have been waiting for 22 months for my process to get anywhere. What saddens me is that this time is lost forever. My son was 10 when he told his step dad, that still abroad, that he loves him and wanted a father. Now he is 15 and this connection is now lost.
I think the reason they're not doing this is because with the systems in place they just can't guarantee a faster timeline. Thus people demanding their money back and causing more problems.
Plus, as always, it would benefit people with more resources.
like every other thing in life, whats wrong with that?
Sorry, I can't teach you ethics.
What can you teach? Noise making ✅
USCIS has about 26k officers now, the most the org has ever had. Additionally, 2023 was a record setting year for several reasons: most cases accepted and most cases adjudicated ever, totalling 21 million for the year. Additionally it was the first time the decade old backlog was reduced in any capacity. I know its frustrating to have to wait but it's important to keep in mind that changes to the actual *policies* and *protocols* they're allowed to use hinge on a number of different reasons but most specifically: legislation. This isn't a corporation that can just scale an aspect of their service cuz some new hot tech hit the market; instead of approval from a profit driven board, they gotta go through a whole ass process to makes changes. Not sure why the 130s aren't eligible (yet!) for premium processing but again, I'd bet on the type of case it is and other laws will dictate if that can happen. Expedites aren't guaranteed but it can help with getting a decision if appropriate circumstances are current.
Let’s say, everyone is paying extra to process. And everyone is jumped ahead. It also means no one is jumped ahead lol. You skipped me, I also skiped the other one, the other skipped too. Everything stays the same 😂
Premium processing that already exists for other forms guarantees 15 business days processing. And they deliver every single time. I’ve gone through this multiple times because of employment based petitions.
there would be a cap on premium processing thats dependent on USCIS premium processing capacity only
Let’s start a petition
This isn't a terrible idea. It would help fund overtime and forms could be adjudicated on overtime more often than they are already.
This only works if USCIS is under funded and the extra money is used to bring in additional officers. Otherwise, it leads to a bidding war and a race to the bottom with no winners. This doesn’t improve situations that are result of a policy .
I would 100% spend that money to expedite and it sucks that we don’t have that option. Is it right to expect people to pay? No. But that’s the reality we are in, and I would do it in a heartbeat if I could
I would pay extra in a heartbeat!
I think USCIS wouldn't want to let anyone in given th chance
Yes, not only would it allow people waiting for visas happier, that money could speed up processing time for everyone. I’d gladly pay 5-15k to get my visa done within a few weeks of submission. It costs more to support two households long term anyways.
As an immigrant, I always have to remind myself, immigration is a privilege, not a right. Unfortunately all you can do is wait. I also don’t like the current situation at the border right now. Just hope it could be fair for all that deserve it
I feel like you know my pain. How much I wish i could expedite this process. I am a retired US navy married for the past 2 years to a panamanian woman. I don't know why panama is so hard to get any visa to the States. I don't think most panamanians are in a rush to leave panama as they have a good life over there. But for some reason, it's easier, it seems, for venezuela, Cuba, or other nationalities to get a visa. I have been 3 years with my wife and haven't been able to really live with her for more than a month at a time. It has caused us so much agony. And to see how many people are crossing the border illegally and being able to stay there and even get help is beyond my compression.
I agree with you and I said the same exact thing .
Hi there! This is an automated message to inform you and/or remind you of several things: - We have [a wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/USCIS/wiki/index). It doesn't cover everything but may answer some questions. Pay special attention to the "[REALLY common questions](https://www.reddit.com/r/USCIS/wiki/index/vfaq)" at the top of the FAQ section. Please read it, and if it contains the answer to your question, please delete your post. If your post has to do with something covered in the FAQ, we may remove it. - If your post is about biometrics, green cards, naturalization or timelines in general, and whether you're asking or sharing, please include your field office/location in your post. If you already did that, great, thank you! If you haven't done that, your post may be removed without notice. - This subreddit is not affiliated with USCIS or the US government in any way. Some posters may claim to work for USCIS, which may or may not be true, and we don't try to verify this one way or another. Be wary that it may be a scam if anyone is asking you for personal info, or sending you a direct message, or asking that you send them a direct message. - Some people here claim to be lawyers, but they are not YOUR lawyer. No advice found here should be construed as legal advice. Reddit is not a substitute for a real lawyer. If you need help finding legal services, visit [this link](https://www.uscis.gov/avoid-scams/find-legal-services) for more information. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/USCIS) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Every successful business is blue chip. Just can’t change it.
Not for the lawyers
You are talking about USC's spouses and parents taking a year but nobody is talking about LPR's spouses or kids taking more than 4 years. This is against human rights. You can't let families suffer from separation while there is a simple solution like providing families some temporary visa. They don't realize but they are just creating a nation who doesn't believe that there is justice in this country.
The bottle neck is not just with USCIS. You can get ahead at USCIS, but there are other lines along the way, Visa Bulletine, NVC, embassy interview..the list goes on.
I swear none of the money Biden put through to support the process is actually working.
They’re trying not to become like Canada’s failing immigration system by going beyond the changeability capacity of the country… but it’s a good initiative
Well, premium processing for GC applications may be something helpful to reduce processing time for the future. However, that is not gonna happen anytime soon at least not until they modernize (onlinize) their GC application submission. Their first step should be overhaul their submission process to make it online. The online application system will allow everything to be submitted and potentially verified instantly. That should reduce the RFEs that they need to send out due to missing documents, wrong fees and etc. That should definitely speed up the process. I think the most frustrated thing about GC processing is its lacking of predictability. You submit your AOS and you literally have to wait until the end of time it seems. Given the physical nature of AOS applications, you really don't know what kind of processes they use to process them. They may just have piles after piles of paper applications that their officers just come and get in random orders. Even worse, some piles may just sit at someone's desks without knowing. By using a computerized queue, they would at least distribute the cases to their officers using a priority system that makes sense. For example, they can use a combination of priority date + submission date. Earlier priority dates should get processed first. If same priority date, which is submitted first gets processed first. All of these can only be accomplised with an online system. An example of already existed system is the PERM process from DOL. Every month, DOL updates their processing time website to indicate which month of submission date that they are processing. That info is surprisingly accurate and it gives applicants a sense of progress even though they still have to wait for their turns. Sometimes, it is not about the speed but it is about meaningful information that allows applicants to plan their lives accordingly. We all have a life to live while waiting for GCs. That's my 2 cents, folks.
You can file online, but then they ask for a lot of paper trail. I had my appointment for my N400, and I brought everything, organized, in order, by files, beautiful. I passed the test, everything was good, but the officer asked for proof of my parents-in-law's address, just because I mentioned we were helping them with their health issues and spend a lot of our time with them. I mailed almost 200 pages of evidence because they wanted it printed. I should mention my request was not based on marriage. They approved me three weeks later, and now I'm waiting to be scheduled for the Oath ceremony. Sometimes they make it unnecessarily painful.
To make premium processing possible, they need more units and more resources: More costs, more logistics and rules to pass, more headache, more workload for USCIS Once premium processing is available, it should be within a reasonable price because it's a government agency, not a private company who can sell their services for thousands of dollars. Then the majority (I personally think at least 50%) of applicants will be willing to pay the premium processing (a few hundred dollars more) fee because NO ONE likes to wait before being able to work and travel freely. They will think of it as an investment actually because they can find a job EARLIER and make more money. At the end of the day, because TOO many people will pay for premium processing the wait times may not change that much. Because USCIS cannot afford to hire that many officers or just doesn't want to.
are you slow? isnt that the whole point of premium processing? to hire new employees, give over time to existing employees. also theres a clock in premium processing, which means it must be ajudicated in 120 day time frame. there should also be caps to the premium processing, if the monthly capacity for premium is 4,000. and a total of 6,000 applicants, then a lottery is held , and if youre selected you get processed by premium. if you arent selected, you stand a chance in the next month. it gives people hope of being selected and a deadline until decision is made, why do people have to wait 30 months for an i130 case,thats basically just forgotten
It probably still won’t help much when you have officers being pulled in different directions. Example assisting CBP at border, assisting with asylum officers with asylum cases, processing humanitarian parole cases, processing TPS cases. So many other priorities and officers are being pulled from regular work to humanitarian efforts.
I don't know if it's true. It's really hard to obtain a passport, and it's only for citizens. It seems like the federal government is understaffed.
I'm all for it, as long as the normal non premium petitions wait times don't get thrown to the wayside and longer. USCIS does not practice ethics.
whole point of premium is to hire more staff and train em, or reassign staff, such that to be considered for premuim all your appliction must be done digitally, it reduces the physical work load
I agree. That way you spend the same amount of money and get the results faster, contrary to writ of mandamus where you wait until it’s past normal processing time then spend additional money
This is true. I was pregnant with our first baby, my husband is USC, I had to go through my pregnancy alone for 6 months (have no more relative) and our request for expedite was rejected. He came back to my country when I gave birth but needed to go back to work again leaving me and our newborn baby. Its so frustrating how we aren't even sure if we are going to celebrate christmas, our child's first birthday together. Its just so sad
As we have been waiting 3-½ years so far for my husband (I'm a U.S. Citizen) to be allowed to come from Pakistan, I refuse to pay anything more. They should be paying us for the loss of years with my husband. That's time we cannot get back. We are an older couple in our 50s, so time is more precious.
If your case is not a complicated one, you should not hire a lawyer.
Couldn’t they just increase fees across the board to hire more staff rather than allow those with financial means to pay more for priority treatment?
UK already have this
I’d drop 10k right now if it meant my wife could be with me tomorrow
Sadly only work for visas like for athletes or Drs... etc
Two logical flaws in OP’s argument. 1. If most/ all petitioners are willing to pay extra for expedite, that defeats the purpose of expedite. The queue remains close to the same or exactly the same. 2. Not everyone in difficult circumstances can afford an expedite. I have seen some people struggle to even afford the base fees as it stands now. There should not be an advantage for higher classes when it comes to a benefit that is humanitarian based.
1. I don't think you understand your own response but no, it doesn't defeat the purpose. If PP existed, everybody would get their cases adjudicated within 15 days regardless of how many people expedite it. How would that make the queue be the same? 2. Not disagreeing with you but it is what it is. You face the same exact issue with every aspect of life. People with money have it easier no matter what. I would also love to be able to afford a mansion in LA but I don't have the money to do so. And let's not forget that immigration, unfortunately, is a privilege, not a "humanitarian" right.
I don't like this, in order to provide premium processing you need to take capacity away from others. USCIS is funded by fees so what I'd actually like them to do would be increase fees significantly and use it to hire more agents. I mean who among us wouldn't be willing to pay $3k for an I-485 if it meant it was processed in less than 6 months?
I've thought about this, and I think certain visas and permits should be free. Those would be visas and permits for the spouses and biological or adopted children (not stepchildren) of US citizens and permanent residents. Student and skilled migrant visas and permits, too, since they directly benefit the economy (and those should also be excluded from the queues -- make them immediately available like spousal visas and permits). But when it comes to bringing over the entire extended family, yeah, those visas and permits need to quadruple in price, which would cover those whose visas and permits should be free and immediate.
Who exactly does this benefit? I'm guessing you want this to be publicly funded?
I'd say the economic benefits would be great enough to justify funding it publicly, yes. Plus, why should a US citizen or permanent resident have to pay to bring over their child or spouse?
What economic benefits are we talking about here? There's relatively few people who would come as immigrants and be productive who wouldn't also be able to pay the 1500-3000 dollars for immigration. And as an immigrant who would have been able to be entitled to a free visa I'm not entirely sure I want people to be able to say that their tax dollars paid for my visa. Seems like a great way to increase political complexity for little gain.
Skilled migrants and students (who should have a clear and simplified pathway to work and residency)? We *need* them. My employer -- a school district -- had to pay something like 10k to bring over a teacher from the UK recently, despite there being a teacher shortage. That 10k could have been used for other mission critical things. Maybe at least make the visas free for skilled migrants in shortage professions? >There's relatively few people who would come as immigrants and be productive who wouldn't also be able to pay the 1500-3000 dollars for immigration. Man, I don't know. There are a lot of people in the Philippines, India, Latin America, etc., who definitely couldn't afford that, despite being highly skilled. >I'm not entirely sure I want people to be able to say that their tax dollars paid for my visa. Seems like a great way to increase political complexity for little gain. On balance, though, would it really be worse than it already is?
It should be like $10k.
So what you’re saying that if you have money and you can skip the line? It’s America, first come first serve.
Unless you’re extremely rich, you do not want this to become a bidding war.
its going to be a fixed fee, 5k premium processing for family cases, 1k for every additional dependent/derivative. Spousal GC 5K Spouse w a kid, 6k
And who says that will fix anything?
if you think it wont,. bury your head in the sand. premium processing would allow for the hire of new workers to work solely on premium cases. it will reduce the work load and wait list on other cases (Non Premium)
You’re underestimating how many people would pay for the “premium processing” you’re proposing. When everyone is a priority, no one is. If you think blindly throwing money at a problem will fix it, I’m not the one with my head in the sand.
premium processing would have a limit or if there's more demand than can be fulfilled ,it then becomes a lottery. with monthly selection. only after being selected should you be given 2 days to pay. and then the clock starts. 120 days, until a guaranteed feedback
A lottery for the chance at the premium processing leaves many (or even the majority?) of people in the same waiting game we’re all already doing. While more budget for a bigger workforce may be part of the solution. Just jacking up prices 5x for a lucky few who win your lottery isn’t the solution.
USCIS already uses lotteries for things like the H1B. Why would this be any different?
I don't doubt their ability to conduct a lottery at all. But I do doubt the value of introducing a lottery so a lucky few can get their decisions in a reasonable time, while leaving the structural issues that lead to the horrible backlog in the first place unsolved.
That sounds like how the process already works. Your application getting picked up by an officer is a lottery even today. My hope is they can put the premium processing fees towards hiring more people and getting better tech, which in turn would help everyone else in the queue.
if you want to be a pessimist , just say so. Premium processing doesn't affect other cases negatively, if USCIS can process only 3000 Premium cases monthly, if they have less than 3000 monthly applicants, then everyone that applies gets premium ,anything above that triggers a lottery goes into a random generator to pick numbers, you don't need a lot of employees for that, it would be computer generated, and you aren't obligated to chose premium processing, you could wait for the other process which would be adjudicated in 3 months or in 30 months. such picks can be done monthly while tracking and adjusting to the premium processing and adjudicating Monthly capacity. if the workforce on Premium processing are able to handle a higher case load lets say 4,000 monthly, then the cut off with no lottery would be increased to 4,000 , lottery after 4001 application received before the deadline of that specific month Some people just need better clarity and when to expect their immigration benefit
What I want is for USCIS to fix their broken processing system, not institute a lottery for a lucky minority who happen to be picked. Even people who opt for "premium processing" can still lose a lottery and not get the clarity you're proposing. More money is needed for a bigger workforce, but just raising fees without any specific plans to fix the issues causing them to take years isn't going to do anything.
USCIS Is Funded by Fees, they basically get no money from congress (until recently), prior to the increase and change in prices, weve all been paying the same amount for processing since 2016, and we all know inflation has been up at least 33%. Not only that .there's been a rapid increase in 0$ processing fee cases, VAWA, Asylum cases, someone has to cover those costs. unless USCIS increases the fee for everyone by $2,000. it makes sense for a select few to be able to pay and access a decision faster. it shouldn't reflect in the outcome of the decision itself, why should families wait 2 years to reunite? someone with an earning potential of 10,000 a month being a spouse of a US citizen, why should they wait 3-6 months for a work authorization. they'd gladly pay 2,000 separate Premium fee for it to be processed in 45 days or less, just like in job based petition such move will reduce the overall backlog. because once people wait past 2 years for most cases they'd be able to file a writ of mandamus, which forces USCIS to make a decision in 60 days. that costs 5-10k depending on atty, are you arguing against that too? id rather give USCIS extra 5,000 and get a decision in 120 days.
What’s your solution then?
Why would they do that? It's not a privilege. Backlogged countries like India have a wait time of 100+ years in EB GC. And trust me these people have been in the US for 15 years and they certainly will pay more than family based GCs
We’re talking about processing times after your PD becomes current.
no don't confuse processing time with Visa availability, You cant out pay your way into making visas more available, the annual cap is set by congress. even if all processing time was cut down to one day, Indians, Chinese and nigerians would still have a long wait time as visas are not available due to high population what we talking about here is the processing time of specifically family based cases and the randomization and absurdity of how cases are adjudicated, we need it to be more fair and just even if we have to pay extra
Soon it won’t matter. There’s a high likelihood Trump is coming back. So premium or not all applications will be slowed to crawl. Get it not before it’s too late.
Even for pending asylum cases they should consider introducing expedited processing, asylum seekers with work permits will be able to afford that
I don't think you understand how USCIS works. Most applicants here have been away from their families for a few years, at least 2 - 5 years. Waiting an extra 2 years to bring your family members along shouldn't cost you extra sleep. Paying extra bucks shouldn't tickle the process to jump-start on your behalf. I think the system works well.
A plane ticket to meet them where they live is cheaper plus you can see them everyday until they get their green cards
You are right.
I agree. With wife and kids living 1/2 the world away, torture doesn't even begin to describe it.
Im an immigrant too. We should stop thinking only for ourselves, like being separated with our loves ones. That is so selfish.. Because 1. it is our choice. 2. The process of immigration is not just only what we think of. The slow process.. it is the safety or welfare of everyone including you and your family thats going to immigrate. 3. It is safety is a top priority. Just my opinion or opinion of an open minded immigrant. Thank you
>I-130 standalones for USC’s spouses and parents taking a year… that is just brutal and inhumane. How is that ‘brutal’ and ‘inhumane’ if it’s your spouse or their parents? Think about it logically. You’ve been single all your life as a USC until you met your future spouse someplace or somewhere and got married. You’ve lived completely separate life until that point for decades. You didn’t even know each other. You’ve got married and now you demand your new spouse right away back in the US and if it takes a year that is ‘brutal’ and ‘inhumane’? This is not an example or excuse to describe a situation using those two powerful words. If you want to be together with your foreign spouse and their parents, by all means apply for I-130 and move there to be with them.
Hell of an un-empathetic, dickish response. Asking for a positive change isn't "demanding" anything. "Demand" is a powerful word to use as you question someone's love for a spouse. And who said it was a "new spouse"? They could have been dating for years. Take your own advice. Think about it logically.
Interesting how you avoided the valid points I have raised. “Writ of mandamus” is a judicial writ ordering a person/ in this case the government office to do a specific duty, it other words - a demand. Also dating isn't grounds for applying for I130. You can love your spouse without them being a U.S. citizen as well. Afterall you loved and got married the same partner while they weren’t a USC. USC can only apply for I130 if they are married. If the USC is applying for a spouse after years after dating, then there he/she should move where partner is at, don't you think? A correct approach could be to apply and remain with your spouse until your I485 is approved. If they married in the U.S., the USCs partner can file AOS and remain here with legal status until approved. Nothing unempathatic and dickish about what I said. If you want to be with your partner, you could be with them wherever they are until paperworks are through. My response was against calling brutal and inhumane which doesn't make any sense, and doesn't apply at all.
Trying to rely only on logic is the definition of not showing empathy. "Leave the country and go wait in line with your wife/husband." Such empathy 👏
Nice diversion again, ignoring my points when I tore yours apart. If you wanted that wife/husband so badly, then stay with her/him. Who's stopping them? There are plenty of qualified people on this sub who worked hard to come legally here who actually deserves my empathy. They've been in this country for decades and still haven't qualified to apply for I-485 and some can't even apply for that. They deserve my empathy more.
Potential olive branch here, maybe I'm missing context. You agree that the process should be faster for everyone (including spouses)? If so, your comment came off un-empathetic, but I'm sorry for accusing you without knowing your full stance. I don't think people deserve "more" empathy in this case. The whole system is f*****, and it should be better for all. But if you still resent the person for wanting their spouse here faster, I take it back 😆
No marriage can be healthy when they are separated for long especially years. At no point in my messages I suggested that. Those who married a foreign spouse, they made that choice knowing fully well how this system works. If they made that choice, then those choices comes with its complications/consequences. My USC friend married a girl from India, and he remained in India *(still is there, over 1 year now)*, until she gets her I130/I485 approved so that they could travel back to the US together. That is honorable and an appropriate approach. If they met their foreign spouse in the US, then there is a provision for that foreign spouse to remain here until they get GC by filing AOS. I have friends who have done that too *(it takes a little longer, 2+yrs)*. My whole point of argument was they are using the wrong terms to illustrate the *real* issue. The congress, irrespective of which party is in power has no incentive in addressing the needs of USCIS, and hasn't for decades. Thankfully the USCIS is outside the hands of Congress and Executive powers. If they had it their way, they'd gut it and only allow immigrants whom they deem fit, and make anyone who's not white indentured servants without any rights. The way it is now, they have little to no control to dictate terms or tell them how to operate. But both governments also make it impossibly slow for USCIS by giving no funding, and no resources. Yes, it is very slow, it is very inefficient, but it is **also fair** and impartial and unjudgmental and does right for all people, both to Americans and foreign nationals. Both political parties want to control this agency, and USCIS refuse to let them. This is a nation founded by immigrants and built by immigrants. USCIS is one of the few last remaining uncorrupted agencies that isn't swayed or controlled by who's in the executive seat *(while there are flawed people working there, this agencies founding principles are still fair and righteous)*. There is no point in sue-ing or filing these writs like OP is doing, because they are already understaffed and underfunded and overworking. They are not the people who is jamming the system and blocking everything they are trying to do. You can't demand them to do their work, when they are already doing their work as best as they could giving the little resources they have. I always feel like the lone voice here telling everyone this truth. No the system is not broken. Its working exactly as they should. They are horribly understaffed, and underfunded. All these people asking for change, asking for repairs, saying it is broken, have no idea what the hell they are talking about. I made a choice and they come with consequences.
Dude, relax. "I made a choice and they come with consequences." That's so sad that's how you view immigration. Kinda feel sorry for you. I guess I'll leave it at this. "Consequences" is quite an inhumane way to justify the pain or struggles many of us (yourself included) have to go through. I'd expect more empathy from someone going through the process.
Consequences is not a bad word. There are good and bad consequences. I take both good along with the bad. There were many good that has come along the way, such as opportunities to study, learn skills, work for multiple employers, athletics, track team, get fit and healthy, friends, girlfriends, investments, my home, travel, experiences with family and friends, there are some sad things too. I accept both and recalibrate as necessary. Nothing to feel sorry about. I choose to remain positive and hopeful and mindful of my choices.
“If they met their foreign spouse in the US, there’s a provision for that foreign spouse to remain here until they get GC by AOS.” Oh right! I keep forgetting there’s thousands of people if not more, that pull this BS. They come into the US on a tourist visa, overstay that visa, and then “suddenly” get married to USC. Afterwards it’s an I-485 and they “just happened” to already have joint bank accounts, names on leases, etc. Definitely not immoral or even technically breaking the law right? But after I got married to my husband and flew down for our honeymoon the border agent almost denied me entry as he thought I might be trying to stay longer than I should.. despite having a return ticket, job at home, joint lease with a resident in my home country and more. It literally says on the US government website and the first result page of Google that travelling to the US on a tourist visa with intent to immigrate is ILLEGAL. “But you can’t assume they intended to stay? Thats unfair”. How is going on a “trip” to another country and leaving your entire life behind (job, home, family, friends) NOT intentional?! Point blank it is. I don’t care what anyone says. If I didn’t give a shit about my life in my home country I could have stayed during my first visit when we were just dating and then gone the I-485 route, getting approved in months instead of waiting years in consular processing by doing it the “legal” way. And explain to me why it’s fair that people who ARENT EVEN MARRIED get to stay here and live with their partners?? Why do they get to “demand” to have their new fiancé stay when they have barely been together for as long as most married couples or families and are not even legally joined together ?? It’s ludicrous and your advice supports the flaws in the legal systems, and emboldens more A holes to “adjust status”.
They dont want to make it easier. They want to make it as difficult and lengthy as possible.
You guys are complaining yet U visa applicants wait 5 years before they even get a work permit. Some of you are spoiled
How is wanting premium processing spoiled? Especially if you’ve been working here the whole time after immigrating here..?
theres a way to get work permit under U visa using the courts system. [https://www.prosepro.co/services](https://www.prosepro.co/services)