cis ombudsman annual report

[markndannie]

the dhs cis ombudsman has released its latest report of problems it has discovered with the visa services. I know that we are aware of the many problems with the process and it makes interesting reading. Some of the charts are also interesting. here is the url

http://www.dhs.gov/interweb/assetlibrary/C...Report_2005.pdf

mark

[Trigg]

Interesting article. The section on lack of standardization between UCIS offices realy strike a familiar note. It appears that the common thread running through the numerous pages is "Hey ya'll, we need cheap labor so let's get 'em a green card or we will have to do the shity jobs and our business men don't wanna pay the wages we would demand"

 

too critical???

[rogerluli]

shity too critical???

135379[/snapback]

Hope I'm not being too critical but shouldn't it be "shitty"...

[frank1538]

I took a quick read of Part II - Pervasive and Serious Problems. Remembering that this is a USCIS and not a DOS report, the ombudsman identified many of the same problems that we have encountered in real life. The real question is whether any significant improvements will come of it.

 

One thing I found interesting was the section dealing with how people abuse the system by filing for a green card solely to get an EAD which then allows them to go after drivers licenses and social security cards.

[Trigg]

shity too critical???

135379[/snapback]

Hope I'm not being too critical but shouldn't it be "shitty"...

135382[/snapback]

No, it shouldn't be shitty or shity--but it is.

 

yeah frank, some of their perception of the problems is dead on. Soooo, now they can't say "we didn't know"---but i'm thinkin' they will anyway.

 

Lots of good rhetoric in the article but I have always found rhetoric to be---hmmmm, rhetorical perhaps.

[bubbafred10]

Mark -

 

Thanks for the link to the Ombudsman.

 

I wrote to the Ombudsman and narrated several problems with CSC and MSC. I received a reply, see below.

 

I think it's good to notify the problems , inefficiencies, deficiencies, and discrepancies we encounter with our cases.

 

The problems I perceived and told the Ombudsman are:

 

1) Discrepancies in CSC's processing times, from 35 to over 100 days;

2) Extremely lengthy time to process I-129F at MSC;

3) CSC has become inaccessible lately and not replying to emails nor answering phone calls;

4) MSC is totally and completely inaccessible;

5) The lack of customer service and such callous attitude (my case for stepson - new school year, come to US with his mother, and CSC already investigated me with my wife's I-130 and half the work already done);

6) No consideration for family needs and family values;

7) K1 processed faster than K3/K4 indicative the utter disregard and low priority of family values; and

8) CSC and MSC are not even close to implementing George W Bush statement "..as a nation that values immigration and depends on it, we should have immigration laws that work and make us proud." and "[Our] country has always benefited from the dreams that others have brought here. By working hard for better life, immigrants contribute to the life of our nation."

 

I trust and hope many of you will also write to the Ombudsman and show our frustrations and helplessness by the "mightier than thou attitude" of CSC and MSC, and the definite lack of customer service. We paid for that service, not freebie.

 

Fred

 

-------------------------------------

Thank you for contacting the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman. The Ombudsman is dedicated to identifying systemic problems in the immigration benefits process and recommending solutions to these problems to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services ("USCIS").

 

If you are experiencing difficulty with a particular immigration case and wish to submit a case problem you are experiencing with USCIS, the Ombudsman will forward your inquiry to USCIS for further action on your behalf. If you wish to submit a case problem, please be sure to utilize the following resources before submitting a case status inquiry to the Ombudsman:

 

The USCIS National Customer Service Center which may be accessed online at http://uscis.gov/graphics/services/NCSC.htm or by calling (800) 357-5283; and

 

USCIS.gov online case status which may be accessed online at https://egov.immigration.gov/cris/jsps/index.jsp.

 

These sources of information can resolve many frequently asked questions including: what are the appropriate forms to file, where is the proper place to file your forms, as well as give information regarding the status of a particular case. If you are seeking to submit a case problem, please do so according to the instructions contained on our website. These materials may be obtained at our web site address, http://www.dhs.gov/cisombudsman.

 

Again, thank you for contacting our office. Echoing the sentiments of President George W. Bush , together 'as a nation that values immigration and depends on it, we should have immigration laws that work and make us proud.'

[HanLi]

Identifying is one thing..... correcting is another!!

[warpedbored]

Very interesting. I particularlly liked the observation that if green cards were processed faster there would be less need for EAD or AP thus freeing up more resources which in turn would allow them to process things faster. The fly in the ointment is security checks.

[ptcrusier333rph]

interesting too that the filing system is old and need to be updated to a person base file thus speeding up the process

 

robert

[bubbafred10]

It's typical government - difficult and resistance to change, and very slow to implement. I know a few federal agencies that bought mainframes almost ten years ago, and only starting to implement it last year. Talk about waste and supreme poor planning.

 

No wonder all those service centers are so lethargic? I almost think when the incoming petitions slows down, the processing slows down rather than greater efficiency. It's called job security, and stretch those processings to as long as possible under the guise of "greater detailed investigation" crap.

 

Wonder no more why US emergency defense system failed on that fateful 911 day.

[LeeFisher3]

I really enjoyed the recommendation for "off the shelf" software, obviously the author has never been involved in government purchasing before.

[turtle]

My favorite except:

 

"USCIS is hampered by a funding structure that prevents it from providing the most efficient method of service due to a need for revenue"

[LeeFisher3]

My favorite except:

 

"USCIS is hampered by a funding structure that prevents it from providing the most efficient method of service due to a need for revenue"

136093[/snapback]

In the private sector this would be viewed very poorly and possibly end up before a judge. In simple terms it could be considered bait and switch.

[bubbafred10]

I emailed the Ombudsman and cc'ed to CSC. I received a brief reply from CSC that states that my "petition is currently with an officer". Just anoter canned phrase. I am flabberghasted!, how they always come up with so many different canned phrases. I thought my petition should have been "with an officer" many weeks or three months ago. After all, I have seen approved K3 and K1 petitions with NOA1 date later than my stepaon's I-130 's NOA1 of March 25. Hey!, half the investigation work on me is already done!

 

 

---------------------------------------------------------

 

From: "130, CSC XII " <CSC-XII.130@dhs.gov>

To: my email address

Subject: Re:Complaint on CSC's processing of I-130 (WAC05xxxxxxxx)

 

This petition was currently with an officer. You will be notified by mail

when a decision has been made.

 

Thank you

 

Congressional

Division XII

 

 

____________________Reply Separator____________________

Subject: Complaint on CSC's processing of I-130 (WAC05xxxxxxxx)

Author: "My name" <SMTP:my email address>

Date: 07/11/2005 9:02 PM

 

Dear Mr. Khatri,

 

I read your Annual Report 2005 that was submitted to the US Senate Committee on the Judiciary.

 

I am in agreement with the conclusion on California Service Center's lack of

process efficiency. I am particularly emotioned by the first sentence in

the Conclusion section, the quote from George W. Bush "[Our] country has always benefited from the dreams that others have brought here. By working hard for better life, immigrants contribute to the life of our nation."

 

Unfortunately, the California Service Center and the Missouri Service Center

do not agree with our President's statement, and worse of all, they place low priority to family values by the much slower processing of spouse and

children visa petitions versus that for fianc¨¦ visa.

 

I am writing this to you because I strongly believe there are problems with

the I-130 processing at the California Service Center. The I-130 petition

(WAC05xxxxxxxx) for my stepson's CR-2 visa is currently being processed at

CSC, and it has been at CSC for over 100 days without adjudication. CSC informed me it is getting a "detailed" review process. This is despite the fact that my stepson's petition is a followup to my wife's I-130 petition which was completed in 70 days last February. I assume the securty check and investigation about me would have been done and completed with my wife's I-130 petition processing. They only have half the investigation work to do. The other half about me has previously been done.

 

I filed a separate I-130 petition for my stepson when the National Visa

Center informed me that my wife's I-130 petition does not carry derivative status for the minor (under 14 years old) stepson. Therefore I filed a separate I-130 petition in March, four months after my wife's.

 

In December I filed I-129F petition for K3 and K4 visa for my wife and

stepson, and it took almost 7 months to get it completed by the Missouri Service Center. There was no phone number or email address for MSC to make inquiry.

 

Overall this petition process for my family has been unbelievably slow, and

appears to be intentionally slowed.

 

I wrote several letters and emails to CSC requesting for more expediency and also asked for family values consideration, but I received no positive

response.

 

I also notified CSC that I am aware of a few people whose I-130 petitions

were completed within 40 days, and I requested equal treatment with my I-130 petition for my stepson. I asked for an explanation why my petition cannot be processed and completed within 40 to 60 days like those few others.

 

I also asked CSC why I-129F for K1 visas tend to be processed much faster

than for K3 visa, as if fiances have higher priority than spouses and families.

 

I greatly appreciate if you can investigate further the following

discrepancies:

 

1. Variations in the time to process I-130 petitions by CSC, i.e. 40 days

for a handful, versus 70 days for many, versus over 100 days now. Who are those specials who got their petitions completed within 40 days?

 

2. Why does USCIS give lower priority for spouses and families K3 and K4

visas petitions than those for fiances' K1 and K2's?.

 

3. Why has CSC's processing slowed down so much in the last 2 months? Why should my I-130 petition for my stepson's CR2 visa taken over 100 days without determination made yet?

[Yuanyang]

Good letter Fred. I think I'll send one in also. I'm approaching 90 days for a #@(* NOA2!!