Department Of State

[Stepbrow]

The "Open Government Initiative" is a program by the Obama Administration to promote openness in government, transparency, and citizen input. This was announced on January 21, 09.

 

The many government departments are now getting up to speed on this program, and that includes the DOS. You can sign up to the web page, and make comments, vote on others ideas, etc. I think it could be a good venue to present ideas about changes to visa issuance for spouses and fiances.

http://www.state.gov/open/

 

Oh, and you can write the changes you would like to make on this thread too.

[warpedbored]

The "Open Government Initiative" is a program by the Obama Administration to promote openness in government, transparency, and citizen input. This was announced on January 21, 09.

 

The many government departments are now getting up to speed on this program, and that includes the DOS. You can sign up to the web page, and make comments, vote on others ideas, etc. I think it could be a good venue to present ideas about changes to visa issuance for spouses and fiances.

http://www.state.gov/open/

 

Oh, and you can write the changes you would like to make on this thread too.

First thing I would do is make VOs more accountable. As it stands now they can impose their own values and pay no regard to the 9 FM.

[Stepbrow]

The "Open Government Initiative" is a program by the Obama Administration to promote openness in government, transparency, and citizen input. This was announced on January 21, 09.

 

The many government departments are now getting up to speed on this program, and that includes the DOS. You can sign up to the web page, and make comments, vote on others ideas, etc. I think it could be a good venue to present ideas about changes to visa issuance for spouses and fiances.

http://www.state.gov/open/

 

Oh, and you can write the changes you would like to make on this thread too.

First thing I would do is make VOs more accountable. As it stands now they can impose their own values and pay no regard to the 9 FM.

 

Yup, I second that!

[Guest jin979]

can we send a CFL letter signed by thousands of USC's and chinese to this ?

[chengdu4me]

The very first thing I would like to see changed is that if the VO requires something, they must ask for it at the interview. We all read over and over again how many time the beneficiary has gone to the interview loaded for bear and then gotten a blue slip for something they had right then and there but the VO didn't ask for it or wouldn't take it. If you are given a blue slip due of a communications errors (ie: the beneficiary didn't understand what the VO was asking for, you ought to be able to get right back in line and show it to them that day. (Example: Do you have the petitioners last three years of tax transcripts? No! Blue slip! Oh, he meant tax returns!!!! I have them right here! Take a number, get back in line.

 

The letter confirming the interview appointment should have a list of everything needed at the interview. If it isn't listed on that letter, then it is no longer applicable to the case. Then the Vo should either ask for the entire pile of requested info or refer to the number on the letter for each item. Do you have item #1..Yes, here! Do you have item #2?, Yes, here you go!

 

The second thing is the question of bona fides. If the petitioner says the relationship is bone fide, then it is. Period! The government needs to stop being our babysitter. We can decide who should have their finger on the launch codes, but we can't decide for ourselves who our wife should be? Perhaps interviewing the petitioner at the same interview process would be acceptable.

 

White slips should not be the end of the road ( or a detour that takes you out of your way for the next four years). They should state exactly what the problem is and what resolution is needed and allow the petitioner/beneficiary 60 days to correct the problem and submit that to the same VO (meaning we have to know his/her name) before the case is send into the Martian gravitation field. Once the problem is corrected, visa should be issued within 30 days.

 

There should be a telephone/email hotline to discuss specific about your case manned by actual knowledgeable people that can pull up your case on the computer and discuss it and answer questions that may fall into the gray area of what is needed. Example: I have my last three years tax returns, but year #2 the income fell below 125% of poverty level because I broke my leg and couldn't work for two months. Please tell me what is needed to make this anomaly insignificant to my case?

 

I know that part of the mystique is to prevent fraud. But, come on! Once the petitioner puts his signature on the I-134, the fraud is no longer the governments problem. IMHO, the government can not use "crime" as a reason for their erratic and confusing processing. Crime statistics of legal immigrants is way, way, way, way, way below the crime statistics of US born citizens.

 

We don't need a babysitter/Mama/caretaker. We need efficient administrative processing!

Edited February 17, 2010 by chengdu4me (see edit history)

[Stepbrow]

can we send a CFL letter signed by thousands of USC's and chinese to this ?

 

That would be up to the Don and the rest of the mods. Personally I think that it would be better if the USC's and Chinese C's write questions and then all of us can vote on them. Voting is one of the things you can do on the site. The more votes a suggestion or question gets, the more attention will be paid to it.

 

I signed up for the site, and will post some "suggestions" so you all need to sign up and vote on them. OK?

[Stepbrow]

Well, I made my first suggestion on the DOS Open Government Website. Here it is:

Refusals of Family Based visas causes undue suffering and pain. Visa refusals can take months or years to overcome. The time of separation is agonizing for the family, and the stress of visa refusals can tear families apart.

 

Consular officers often deny family based visas for the reason of "lack of a bonifide relationship." The consular officers make these refusals without a factual basis. Instead they base their reasons on a set of "red flags" which can include a significant age difference between the parties, a short courtship, or limited communication abilities. Consular Officers are required by law and regulation to make decisions that are factually based, and not speculative. Per Department of State directives they are not to determine the quality of a relationship. They are required to determine if the relationship meets the legal requirements as defined in the INA, and the FAM.

 

The cause of visa refusals due to "lack of Bonifide Relationship" is due to poor training on the part of the consular officers and their supervisors. If adequate training was given, then the laws and regulations would be properly applied. Families would be reunited, thereby validating the reason for Family Based Visas.

 

So now you all need to go over there and vote.

[tkgert]

Well, I made my first suggestion on the DOS Open Government Website. Here it is:

Refusals of Family Based visas causes undue suffering and pain. Visa refusals can take months or years to overcome. The time of separation is agonizing for the family, and the stress of visa refusals can tear families apart.

 

Consular officers often deny family based visas for the reason of "lack of a bonifide relationship." The consular officers make these refusals without a factual basis. Instead they base their reasons on a set of "red flags" which can include a significant age difference between the parties, a short courtship, or limited communication abilities. Consular Officers are required by law and regulation to make decisions that are factually based, and not speculative. Per Department of State directives they are not to determine the quality of a relationship. They are required to determine if the relationship meets the legal requirements as defined in the INA, and the FAM.

 

The cause of visa refusals due to "lack of Bonifide Relationship" is due to poor training on the part of the consular officers and their supervisors. If adequate training was given, then the laws and regulations would be properly applied. Families would be reunited, thereby validating the reason for Family Based Visas.

 

So now you all need to go over there and vote.

Stepbrow, I totaly agree with you, You got my vote..

[Stepbrow]

Thanks TKG, but you need to go over to the website and vote. Right now we have one vote for, and one vote against. Probably a con off.

[tkgert]

Thanks TKG, but you need to go over to the website and vote. Right now we have one vote for, and one vote against. Probably a con off.

I did go there and vote!!!

[Highlander 08 09 10 11]

Well, I made my first suggestion on the DOS Open Government Website. Here it is:

Refusals of Family Based visas causes undue suffering and pain. Visa refusals can take months or years to overcome. The time of separation is agonizing for the family, and the stress of visa refusals can tear families apart.

 

Consular officers often deny family based visas for the reason of "lack of a bonifide relationship." The consular officers make these refusals without a factual basis. Instead they base their reasons on a set of "red flags" which can include a significant age difference between the parties, a short courtship, or limited communication abilities. Consular Officers are required by law and regulation to make decisions that are factually based, and not speculative. Per Department of State directives they are not to determine the quality of a relationship. They are required to determine if the relationship meets the legal requirements as defined in the INA, and the FAM.

 

The cause of visa refusals due to "lack of Bonifide Relationship" is due to poor training on the part of the consular officers and their supervisors. If adequate training was given, then the laws and regulations would be properly applied. Families would be reunited, thereby validating the reason for Family Based Visas.

 

So now you all need to go over there and vote.

Your statement very well stated. One more voter here..

[Kyle]

The very first thing I would like to see changed is that if the VO requires something, they must ask for it at the interview.

 

I can see the benefit with this. An opportunity to present needed information (as long as the petitioner isn't taking an excessive amount of time due to language difficulties or poor organization) should be properly allotted.

[a2784]

The very first thing I would like to see changed is that if the VO requires something, they must ask for it at the interview.

 

I can see the benefit with this. An opportunity to present needed information (as long as the petitioner isn't taking an excessive amount of time due to language difficulties or poor organization) should be properly allotted.

I can see your point about the time but I would like to add that they only need to do interviews for the cases they think there could be problems. If you look at most "easy pinks" they knew the decision before the interview. Why waste the time. This frees up time for better interviews and decisions.

[Zhou Zhou]

Well, I made my first suggestion on the DOS Open Government Website. Here it is:

Refusals of Family Based visas causes undue suffering and pain. Visa refusals can take months or years to overcome. The time of separation is agonizing for the family, and the stress of visa refusals can tear families apart.

 

Consular officers often deny family based visas for the reason of "lack of a bonifide relationship." The consular officers make these refusals without a factual basis. Instead they base their reasons on a set of "red flags" which can include a significant age difference between the parties, a short courtship, or limited communication abilities. Consular Officers are required by law and regulation to make decisions that are factually based, and not speculative. Per Department of State directives they are not to determine the quality of a relationship. They are required to determine if the relationship meets the legal requirements as defined in the INA, and the FAM.

 

The cause of visa refusals due to "lack of Bonifide Relationship" is due to poor training on the part of the consular officers and their supervisors. If adequate training was given, then the laws and regulations would be properly applied. Families would be reunited, thereby validating the reason for Family Based Visas.

 

So now you all need to go over there and vote.

Your statement very well stated. One more voter here..

 

I also agreed and voted...

[Highlander 08 09 10 11]

I posted this information on Visa Journey, as to the State Department Open for ideas and to vote. As of this morning seems very few are interested.