kkimm
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Posts posted by kkimm
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Clearance completed 5-6-03, here is the timeline of my case:
11-16-02 1st submission
3-13-03 2nd submission
ON-HOLD was told 3-18-03
Cleared 5-6-03
Email received same day from GZ!
Fax from DOS received last week 5-14-03 notifying cleared!
I think in the past months, I made enough noise to be on one of their list...hopefully everything will go well from now on...
Good luck to everyone who's been on-hold!
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After six months, pending just means that someone has not got around to doing their job yet. On hold would mean that for some reason someone has actively done something to flag the case as needing further investigation. Apparently one of the most common reasons for being on hold is that of having the same name as someone who has been put on a watch list.
Question: The FBI has computer automated finger print search capabilities. Why aren't people fingerprinted and that used to eliminate the vast majority of these same name holds?
"ON-HOLD" is something that the CA office has to tell you. The DOS info line or your case status seen by GZ or others will only show as "PENDING".
FBI is setting up their camp in China, why cannot they allocate one person to take fingerprints for namechecks?
I agree with you Owen 100%. But I believe this whole "namecheck" thing should only be treated as business/executive decisions, nothing to do with technical probability or accountability.
My view of a democratic gov't of the US's, ironically, has been changed by themselves. I would suggest they add themselves to the Human Rights Whitebook they publish each year
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http://www.usembassy-china.org.cn/guangzho...cg/holiday.html
GZ is off now. GZ will go back to work until 6th this month. i just wonder why they have so many holidays.
everyone needs a holiday and i think GZ has been really working hard for everyone here. They need a good rest and come back to work again.
I really respect them because they are working while GZ is filled of SARS disease
I agree with you on this, GZ is not the one to blame in any cases, even if they make mistakes, the roof of all this is because of some executive order on the "namechecks"...i believe they would rather get rid of us asap, too.
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LisaP's letter is more symbolic than actual help. I will just make a follow up communication with LP's letter attached.
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This is better, I am re-posting this as a list for "Attackee-of-the-week"
GZ is at the end of the food chain, we probably should go up the ladder and try:
http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/committee...ittees_home.htm
1. DOS Head Colin Powell
2. Congress - Judiciary Comittee
3. Subcommittee of Judiciary for Immigration
4. Comittee on Foreign Relations (very active)
5. Maura Harty & CA
6. GZ
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GZ is at the end of the food chain, we probably should go up the ladder and try:
http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/committee...ittees_home.htm
1. DOS Head Colin Powell
2. Congress - Judiciary Comittee
3. Subcommittee of Judiciary for Immigration
4. Comittee on Foreign Relations (very active)
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I have stopped calling them a long time ago...it's a waste of time and money
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Can we file a class action suit again the fed gov't if there are enough evidence/difficulty both financially & emotionally
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we should keep asking no matter what, here is next schedule, that's today:
And please join us for future online discussions as the "Ask the White House" forums continue. Tomorrow, Mark Forman, Administrator for Electronic Government, will be available online.
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Here is what I received in the mail today:
Dear Mr. XXXX:
This is in response to your facsimile of March 31, 2003, to Secretary Powell conveying a copy of your letter to Senator Hatch regarding the time it is taking to process your immigrant visa by the Consulate General in Guangzhou.
The immigration and Nationality Act (INA) requires all aliens coming to the US to have a visa appropriate for the purpose of entry into the U.S.. The procedures required to obtain each type of visa, whether non-immigrant or immigrant, are designed to ensure that the applicant is in fact entitled to the visa. In the case of individuals desiring to live in the U.S., they must have an immigrant visa. People coming to live in the U.S. clearly must undergo a more thorough process to determine eligibility than those merely coming, for example, for study (e.g. an F-1 or J-1) or temporary work (e.g. an H1- B ). The application procedures for immigrant visas therefore are more complex, and perforce lengthy, because of the need make certain an applicant meets the eligibility requirements specified in the INA for obtaining legal permanent residency.
...
We hope this information is helpful.
Sincerely,
signed by
Lisa Piascik
Director
Office of Public and Diplomatic Liaison
Visa Services
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Here is the linke to the law I found at INS website:
http://www.immigration.gov/lpBin/lpext.dll...ame.htm#slb-act
I sent a fax to Senator Hatch (Chairman of Judiciary Committee) and cced the fax to Mr. Powell's office 2 weeks ago. I will make a follow-up tomorrow.
Please pin this for a few days so everybody get to know about this INA stuff, first time I've ever heard about that. A quick read points the background check to FBI (Act 105)
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They have new menu system, the sequence is:
1 then 0 to speak to an operator.
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I will call too
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Just received this reply from Harty's office:
We join you in hoping that your waiting period ends soon. We are doing
everything that we can to conclude this case, but we ask you to understand that parts of the process are entirely outside our control. For that reason, a meeting with us would not resolve the problems that are
delaying this visa application.
Sincerely,
Kathryn Cabral
Chief
Public Inquiries Division
Visa Services
After some thinnking, this is probably something we should do or ask, since KC says they are doing everything they can, and they cannot trace individual cases during that process...
1. what they can do, as a category, for "on-hold" cases? and what they've done?
2. as a standard procedure, they could at least issue a memo requesting infomration from that government agency and they should get a response not matter what.
3. To move up the food chain, we should contact Colin Powell, or the Congress Judiciary committee...
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My most recent email to Harty sent yesterday, I will write another one before the end of this week.
Dear Ms. Maura Harty,
I am writing again with regard to my case that has been put on hold as of most recent email dated XXXXX.
I understand that at this point, my case might be in the hands of a government agency that is out of the control of your office. Previously I have request for a meeting (last week) but did not get any answer.
Up to now, there has not been much infomation on "cases" that were place on-hold. I am not looking for why my case was put on hold, however, I do eager to find out how much longer this process is going to be or how much impact it is going to have on the processing time.
Also, I would like very much to know, that to the best of your knowledge, if there is any "on-hold" cases being cleared in the past few months. This would give me, at the least, some comfort that my case could be just needing some more examination...
With best regards,
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Just received this reply from Harty's office:
Dear Mr. ******:
Assistant Secretary Maura Harty has asked us to respond to your e-mail
of April 8 that requested a meeting to discuss the immigrant visa
application of ******* and to the separate e-mails of April 4 from you and Ms. *****. We last corresponded with you about this matter on March 20.
We understand and share your frustration with the delays that have
occurred during the interagency clearance process. A variety of problems have arisen with that process, and, in cooperation with the other involved
agencies, we have taken several actions to resolve existing cases and to minimize delays for future applicants.
We have worked hard and continue to work hard to fix the system. What
we are not able to do under any circumstances, however, is to reach into
that system to expedite individual cases. We can and have repeatedly urged the other agencies to resolve all outstanding cases. We do not have the authority to instruct them to do so or to take action on any individual clearance.
We have even less influence over cases involving "holds." A "hold"
means that a government agency has informed us that it needs more time to reach a decision on an individual case. We have no ability to overcome or shorten a "hold." Information on the reasons for the "holds" is not shared with us, and we cannot predict when the "holds" will be lifted.
We join you in hoping that your waiting period ends soon. We are doing
everything that we can to conclude this case, but we ask you to understand that parts of the process are entirely outside our control. For that reason, a meeting with us would not resolve the problems that are
delaying this visa application.
Sincerely,
Kathryn Cabral
Chief
Public Inquiries Division
Visa Services
another interpretation:
Yes we know you are on hold and you've been waiting for a long time.
No we cannot do anything, don't ask me why and why, okay?
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Gentlemen (and ladies),
Consider it done! I will let you know if and/or when I get a response from anyone connected with this fiasco.
And two things Eric:
1. You should ALWAYS vote DEM, visa problems or not.
2. I have ALREADY passed the white glove test - with flying colors
For all academic connections I have, almost everybody will vote for
DEM, either east coast or west coast, some of them were really
upset because suddeny there is no grad students/researchers on
the projects --- they were stuck abroad --- it is a big drag on
everybody --- and it is becoming a routine:
"where is XXXX recently, haven't seen him this semseter?"
"visa problem"
"oh..."
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We do not
know why a hold was put on Ms. xxxxs case, and we are unable to predict
when the hold will be lifted.
I am afraid this is gonna be a new form letter for all the on-hold cases.
The way she said about unable to predict when the hold will be lifted, reminds me of that "famous" letter from DOS last August, when they cannot even predict how long it takes for themselves to issue the visa.
Since this whole namecheck thing is kinda like something behind a black curtain, somehow, I thought the American gov't was a democratic system
We need to find out:
1. If there is any "hold" case that was cleared in the past (At least give us some hope that they are working on it)
2. Is there or is the procedure finalized for the government agency to clear such cases?
In China, there used to be a saying that describes each government agency as a temple, each has a budda in it. One has to go through all the temple, one-by-one, kneel down, pay the prayer and pay the tribute to get something done...
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Honestly, I am proposing the webmaster to make a special section or read-only thread to list all the mistakes that GZ/CA/DOS can make, either calling it lessons learnt, or crazy stories is fine
What other mistakes can they not to make???
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That's a really good idea to send Harty an email together, yes, I also asked my gongfuman send the email to Harty. We do have to wake up DOS and CA! Make them draw attention on our delayed case!
KKimms: Gongfuman is going to join the meeting also!
Yes, let's keep the pressure on DOS & CA !!!
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Thanks guys, I am proposing that if you like, you are welcome to
modify and use the letter and send it the Maura Harty for your
own case;
Or, if you'd like, PM me with your name/case (or if you want to
go to the meeting), I could compose it into a group letter and
send it out Monday by email, fax, and regular mail.
Does anybody know how to contact relevant FBI officers?
How they conduct this namechecks? My understanding is that FBI
will run your name and relevant identity information through their
criminal record database, to see if there is any information matches
that in the database. If that happens, does that mean this case
will be put "on-hold"?
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Does any one know what committees are involved with the DOS or FBI name checks etc. I want to know which congressmen are involved on those committees and write to them. Especially the chairmen. And others can write to them complaining about the backlog.
look at the congress Judiciary committee, I posted a letter from their committee a while ago at:
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This is a sample quick writing of a letter request for informationa and request for a meeting.
To
Maura Harty
Assistant Secretary
Bureau of Consular Affairs
Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20520
4/4/2003
RE: Immigration Visa "On-Hold"; Request for Meeting
Dear Ms Maura Harty
I am writing with regard to my immigration application at the Consulate
in Guangzhou, PRC (GUZ 2002 XXX XXX). The application is [Category]
and reached the Consulate in [Date].
This case has been put on hold by a federal agency. I was told,
according to an email dated [Date], "A government agency recently
placed a hold on your case. We expect that a significant amount of
time may be required before that agency resolves this issue".
Though tried many times, I have not been able to find out more
information thereafter.
I am aware of the changes of the security procedures in the visa
issuance process, and the delay caused by this. However, I am
getting concerned about this "case on-hold" and questioning the
meaning of "significant amount of time".
Because this is causing additional delays that I am already
experiencing, and with an increasing number of "on-hold" cases,
I believe a meeting with a responsible officer from your office, or
preferrably from that government agency, would be helpful in
clarifying questions and moving these cases forward.
It would be appreciated if such a meeting could be arranged.
I am willing to make this trip to DC once a date is set up.
I wish you would be able to see this message, and I look forward
to hearing from you regarding the meeting request.
Yours Sincerely,
[name]
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They might not get a meeting, but............they just might get their attention, and attention is something that they are not being given now. Remember way back when we were visaless, Eric?
Yes. It never hurts
But I thought the purpose of the letter was to actually get a meeting with FBI. That's why I said it won't work
I wouldn't rush to the decision that that Federal agency is FBI, but I do agree if they wouldn't even let us know which agency it is, it is very unlikely for such a meeting.
However, it does no harm to request it on the first thought, the least they can do is to pass on the pressure to that "federal agency"...
I will see if I could post a sample letter requesting meeting with either CA or that "federal agency"...
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I just sent an email to Maura Harty, requesting a meeting in person with "the Agency" that put my case on hold...don't know if it will result in anything, but will keep your guys updated...
What is China thinking?????
in General Visa Discussion & First Steps
Posted
True, this tax cut is out-rageous, one restriction I heard over the news is that you have to have an income more than 26,000 last year in order to get a refund for your child...what about those being laid off and have a family to support ?