Wrote to my Congressman

[SirLancelot]

Hi All.

 

Wrote a letter to my Congressman today. I figured with elections coming up very soon that this would probably be the best time to have him help me.

 

Actually it isn't even to help me personally. I did not ask for any help in processing my K-1 visa. I simply asked for his office to make an official inquiry into why it takes GUZ 2-3 months to receive our petitions from NVC, when UK, France, Germany, Canada, Japan and a host of other nations receive their forwarded petitions from NVC within a week at most.

 

I'll let you guys know of his response.

[Xiuyin]

Hi All.

 

Wrote a letter to my Congressman today. I figured with elections coming up very soon that this would probably be the best time to have him help me.

 

Actually it isn't even to help me personally. I did not ask for any help in processing my K-1 visa. I simply asked for his office to make an official inquiry into why it takes GUZ 2-3 months to receive our petitions from NVC, when UK, France, Germany, Canada, Japan and a host of other nations receive their forwarded petitions from NVC within a week at most.

 

I'll let you guys know of his response.

 

Very nice, thanks. This is becoming more and more anoying. It seems that GUZ has stoped receiving from NVC and sent out P3 in the past couple of months. Has any one received P3 lately or confirmed by GUZ of receiving from NVC?

[SinoTexas]

I have worked for a federal agency for over 32 years now. I can tell you that the past six years have been tough on my agency with budget cuts, staffing reductions and so on. I would guess that GUZ is probably in the same boat. Unless you are dealing directly with terrorism issues, your agency is probably going to have budget cuts, or if you are lucky, a flat budget.

 

In the near future, my SO should be part of the GUZ interview and all that goes with it. I'm hoping that all goes well. But I can understand where the folks that work in GUZ are coming from. They are under staffed and under budgeted. The realities of their budget needs do not keep up with the amount of increased work they have. The folks in my agency are over stressed and told do more with less...same song and dance as GUZ is probably going through. While the agency I work doesn't deal with the lives of couples, we do deal with impacts that may affect peoples lives. I can't tell you the number of times people have been upset with us because of rulings or decisions we hand back. In some cases, the backlog is a couple of years wait as applicants make their way through the bureaucracy of our agency. I would guess GUZ is the same.

 

Instead of writing to complain, I would write my Congressperson to see about increasing the staffing and budget of GUZ. It always helps to know that there are constituents out there that are willing to champion our cause, when federal law prohibits us (employees) from doing so.

 

As aye,

 

Jim

[SirLancelot]

Instead of writing to complain, I would write my Congressperson to see about increasing the staffing and budget of GUZ. It always helps to know that there are constituents out there that are willing to champion our cause, when federal law prohibits us (employees) from doing so.

 

As aye,

 

Jim

 

 

I did not write to complain. I am the least critical of GUZ. I am well aware of the shortage of funding at GUZ and in fact my letter to my Congressman is not a one-time event. I'm leading up to asking for him to get more funding for GUZ. But in the meantime, my Congressman has to see how out of steps GUZ is with other Consulates and Embassies. They are ALL underfunded, not just GUZ. But yes, I'm most interested in GUZ (for obvious reasons) and will advocate more funding for GUZ.

Edited October 25, 2006 by SirLancelot (see edit history)

[SinoTexas]

Good. I hope more folks will do the same. Good luck to you for a speedy process.

 

As aye,

 

Jim

[jemmyell]

Hi All.

 

Wrote a letter to my Congressman today. I figured with elections coming up very soon that this would probably be the best time to have him help me.

 

Actually it isn't even to help me personally. I did not ask for any help in processing my K-1 visa. I simply asked for his office to make an official inquiry into why it takes GUZ 2-3 months to receive our petitions from NVC, when UK, France, Germany, Canada, Japan and a host of other nations receive their forwarded petitions from NVC within a week at most.

 

I'll let you guys know of his response.

 

I think that your action was ill considered and harmful. I have STOPPED writing anything but negative feedback because EVERYBODY construes ANY communication to be negative. I actually accidentally got some poor bastard fired about six years ago by writing him a commendation! The jackasses he worked for did NOT know what THAT WAS but they were SURE IT HAD TO BE BAD and fired him because they had to take a break from golf and read a letter from me.

 

Think about your actions, IMHO that was not helpful and probably a LITTLE harmful...

 

-James

[Trigg]

I have worked for a federal agency for over 32 years now. I can tell you that the past six years have been tough on my agency with budget cuts, staffing reductions and so on. I would guess that GUZ is probably in the same boat. Unless you are dealing directly with terrorism issues, your agency is probably going to have budget cuts, or if you are lucky, a flat budget.

 

In the near future, my SO should be part of the GUZ interview and all that goes with it. I'm hoping that all goes well. But I can understand where the folks that work in GUZ are coming from. They are under staffed and under budgeted. The realities of their budget needs do not keep up with the amount of increased work they have. The folks in my agency are over stressed and told do more with less...same song and dance as GUZ is probably going through. While the agency I work doesn't deal with the lives of couples, we do deal with impacts that may affect peoples lives. I can't tell you the number of times people have been upset with us because of rulings or decisions we hand back. In some cases, the backlog is a couple of years wait as applicants make their way through the bureaucracy of our agency. I would guess GUZ is the same.

 

Instead of writing to complain, I would write my Congressperson to see about increasing the staffing and budget of GUZ. It always helps to know that there are constituents out there that are willing to champion our cause, when federal law prohibits us (employees) from doing so.

 

As aye,

 

Jim

Good points. However, budget cuts come across the board and they DO NOT explain why Guz is so far behind the other consulates in the world. Champion a cause--absolutely, but if the D.C bean counters don't get pressured they will NEVER increase funding for GUZ. Rather, the will dole out the bucks to those who pressure/lobby them or to those who serve the best interest of the officials in charge of the finances. I've worked in gov at the state level and I know for sure that squeaky wheels do indeed get greased!! There is a finite amount of money to spend. It seems to me that not only does one need to champion the cause to get additional funds delegated to guz or whatever cause they deem appropriate, they also need to champion causes that will stop the huge sums of money that are going elsewhere and thus taking potential funding from guz. Hmmmmmmmmmm, how much do we spend on our war budget???????

[RLS]

I also work for the government at the County level. The programs that get the most funding are the ones that taxpayers demand. For example - sheriff dept., fire dept., road repair and schools. The Welfare dept is funded more from the federal and state levels than county. It all boils down to that "squeaky wheel" analogy. The issues which cause the most mail or negative press get handled first.

[Michael and Manyun]

It seems to me that not only does one need to champion the cause to get additional funds delegated to guz or whatever cause they deem appropriate, they also need to champion causes that will stop the huge sums of money that are going elsewhere and thus taking potential funding from guz. Hmmmmmmmmmm, how much do we spend on our war budget???????

 

Good point, Trigg. Without taking political sides, which returns more for the American Citizen (and their lives) for each dollar spent?

[sweattrl1]

It seems to me that not only does one need to champion the cause to get additional funds delegated to guz or whatever cause they deem appropriate, they also need to champion causes that will stop the huge sums of money that are going elsewhere and thus taking potential funding from guz. Hmmmmmmmmmm, how much do we spend on our war budget???????

 

Good point, Trigg. Without taking political sides, which returns more for the American Citizen (and their lives) for each dollar spent?

just ask the goverment to give up just one cruise missile, and give GUZ that money , i think that will take care of the problem , no more money problems

[warpedbored]

What would be wrong with working smarter not harder? Instead of issuing a blue slip for every little thing what if they were to actually look at the evidence many of your sweet hearts usually have with them? Take care of the problem on the spot instead of having to use resources to reschedule later. Bet the could save a lot of time and money.

[rlheim]

carl, your idea is too much like right!~!! Too much like working right. We can't have that now!!!!

[C4Racer]

What would be wrong with working smarter not harder? Instead of issuing a blue slip for every little thing what if they were to actually look at the evidence many of your sweet hearts usually have with them? Take care of the problem on the spot instead of having to use resources to reschedule later. Bet the could save a lot of time and money.

 

How right you are...

 

Maybe it could be the VO doesn't make the decision during the interview like GUZ wants us to believe. It makes no sense at all that they would be instructed not to look at evidence the applicant has with them. They say it is because they don't have time. Reminds me of a saying, I don't have time to do it right, but plenty of time to do it over.

[littlesquare]

you did a good job.

[Rickmt57]

I dont see any harm in writing our congress man or woman and letting them know of our plite. Why should we sit back and say nothing we are all tax paying Americans. We are only trying to bring our SO's here legally we only want to know why we have to wait so long in every step of the process. Maybe if enough of our congress/man/women are made aware of our situation will something be done. How anyone can think that harm can be done by writing intelligent, heart felt letters will do harm is beyond me. I have writen to my congress/man/woman on two different occassions and I will continue to do so because it is my right as an American citizen.

Job well done!!!!

 

Of course thats just my opinion and yes I have one....