FlightRisk

Good article talking about the backlogs, that the fee increases aren't helping much and how Bush has asked for more money to fund the background checks so employers don't hire illegals, but no money for speeding up citizenship.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080209/...ation_backlogs

-f

Just Jenney

So weird -- I was just about to post this exact same article when I saw you'd beaten me to it!

What annoys me is that, until this article, I didn't realize that the fee increases from last year are for getting rid of the backlog by 2010. The article also says (in the very last sentence): "The 7.7 million applications the agency received last year amount to about three years of work."

So, people who rushed to get their applications in before the fee increase are now just part of the backlog that the fee increase was supposed to get rid of in the first place -- 3 years later.

This is just another example of the irony that the government is willing to fork over millions of dollars to dedicate to illegal immigrants (the people they don't want here), but NOT willing to dedicate ANY funds to legal immigrants (the people they DO, supposedly, want here).

~ Jenney

ian-mstm

Interesting comment... I have a slightly different take on things (not surprisingly)! I agree the government doesn't want illegal immigrants here... but I also think the government doesn't really want any legal immigrants here either. However, under current law, once someone fulfills the requirements to get here, the government basically throws up its collective hands and says, "well... this is another fine mess you've gotten us into". To that end, they hike the fees to discourage people from applying, and things slow down so that, perhaps, people will just get frustrated and leave. It's all a great conspiracy, don't you know!

Speaking of conspiracies, I have absolutely no doubt that aliens did, in fact, crash in Roswell in 1947... and the US government has been trying to get rid of aliens ever since!

Ian

lpdiver

Well now I have something new to obsess about which will drive Ian nuts. Sorry buddy OCD's are people too.

I feel like Charlie Brown at trick or treat. (What did you get...another rock.)

Our K-3 to AOS journey took from early 2002 to 24 Sept, 2007. Thanks to residing in the TSC jurisdiction and the New Orleans field office and Katrina.

I don't really understand the fact that the mass of applications from the dead line last year does not reflect the "insipient" delays.

I just took the time to compare the published time lines for all 81 field offices that are listed. Using New Orleans as the benchmark (sorry just being selfish) there are just five offices that are later than New Orleans.

What I found interesting is the fact that using the "latest" reporting date of Jan 15 there are no more recent timelines than June 19, 2007.

This would lead me to believe that CIS considers seven months to be within the "normal" time frame.

What I have a hard time comprehending is that the surge from meeting last years deadline is included in these numbers. Yet they are "warning" to expect 16-18 month processing times.

Unless this is Reaganomic trickle down theory or new math; the only conclusion I can arrive at is, they are going to dedicate resources currently processing N-400s elsewhere.

Back to my own selfish situation, my bride AOSed on 24 Sept, 2007. So on or about June 24, 2010 she will be able to submit an N-400 application (assuming the laws don't change before then). And then six months later be processed (optimistically thinking here). Optimistically thinking Jan, 24 2011 journey complete.

Journey from 1 July, 2002 to Jan 24, 2011. Eight and a half years to citizenship. Assuming I don't just chunk it all and move to Colombia!!!

Sheesh good thing I am at work or I'd be looking for a drink about now!


t