Matthew Udall

I just received a copy of the TSC AILA liaison minutes from the meeting on 03/03/03 (thank you AILA), and there is one bit of information that I thought might be of interest to the TSC'ers. While this is not earth shattering news, and while it won't do anything to speed up your case, it does relate to delays caused by TPS applications. Here you go.

M.U.

-//-

It was asked, "What is the status of TPS applications and its affect on other product lines? Were some product lies affected more than others?"

The TSC answered, "We do have the dubious task of balancing limited resources to handle the diverse workload and customer groups for applications and immigration benefits. From time to time, because of filing deadlines, we have to work in a taskforce mode concentrating on workloads that have a finite deadline for completion".

goya0002

And we can reasonably assume that this is how they all do it. And since there is an infinite supply/request of K1/k3 visasa...it is probably one of the visas that gets put aside for a while when something else comes up with a finite number of requests.

Thank you Matt for sharing.

Rohit

goya0002

Matt,

Not related to this topic but still will do all of us good. Would you happen to know if the service centers will be closed for Friday and or Monday, due to Good Friday?

Thanks,
Rohit

Matthew Udall

Yes, all of the service centers shift their resources from time to time, depending on factors such as backlogs or pressing deadlines they are required to meet. As you know, K-1 I-129f’s are processed the CSC, NSC, TSC, and the VSC, while K-3 I-129f are processed at the MSC.

The MSC is the same in that they will also shift personnel if they are behind (they try to stay about as current as they can… working on the same dates for cases, for all case types), however what is interesting about the MSC is that they will keep at least one officer working on each of the “other� case types even when they have shifted most of their officers to one particular case type that is lagging behind (I flew to Kansas City last fall to attend the first tour of the MSC offered to AILA attorneys, and I picked up this tidbit during that visit).

“Only one officer you say… that does not sound that great�. Well, at first glance I might agree, however it sounds pretty good when you realize that under normal circumstances, most service centers only have 2 to 5 officers regularly assigned to process I-129f’s. CSC usually has around 3 (the other 74 officers in that division are assigned to do I-130s), I believe the NSC had around 3 to 5 last time I was there and checked, TSC… I think it was around 2 to 4… I would need to check my notes from my last visit at the TSC to see if I have the exact figures (I visited the MSC, TSC, NSC and the National Records Center a few months ago. Interesting facilities, and I always pick up some good information during those events).

Oh, another interesting thing about the MSC. A while ago, the TSC and the CSC shipped a bunch of their backlogged (still pending) I-130’s to the MSC for them to help take up the slack. I know one of my I-130 cases (actually two I-130’s… one for wife and one for child) was transferred to the MSC and is now being worked on there.

Matthew Udall

Don't know, but I doubt they will be closed. Those are not national holidays, so I doubt they will be closed (but of course, I could be wrong).

M.U.

bba1vol

any news about the 130 filed in Texas

ScottHenshaw

Interesting information and thanks for posting. One would think that with $110 per petition coming in that they would be able to budget for more inspectors per service center to increase with productivity and get caught up. But, this late in the game I personaly just try not to think

Scott

cindyabs

Thanks for the info Matt. I find the bit about MSC now processing some 130s for Texas interesting. Although we have been approved for a K3 (THANK YOU MSC!!!!!!), I must admit that my heart sank a bit and I got a righteous indignation attitude going when I saw the new processing for my 130 at TSC is now as much as 999 days.....AND that no movement at all had been made on dates since December, still on June of 2001.

goya0002

There was someone that posted a question about NSC having 3600 K1/I-129F applicatons. If that is true and lets say the average fee breaks down to $90 per application (as their prices keep going up and down) then

$90 X 3600 = $340,000

That is a lot of money. I wonder what an average agent gets paid. And we must also consider how long a file is with an agent. From what I've heard all over this board, its not that much time. So we really have to wonder how much of this is really going for the cost of the agent and how much we are being over charged.

You guys will not believe how many worker visas I saw that got to NSC the same day as my K1 application and had an approval time that would just amaze us all.

Rohit

lairdside

Salary Table 2003-GS
2003 General Schedule

http://www.opm.gov/oca/03tables/html/gs.asp

Rates of Pay for the Executive Schedule

http://www.opm.gov/oca/03tables/html/ex.asp

Basic Rates of Pay for Members of the Senior Executive Service

http://www.opm.gov/oca/03tables/html/es.asp

Basic Rates of Pay for Employees in Senior-Level and Scientific or Professional Positions

http://www.opm.gov/oca/03tables/html/slst.asp

Basic Rates of Pay for Administrative Law Judges

http://www.opm.gov/oca/03tables/html/alj.asp

For a more complete list :-

http://www.opm.gov/oca/PAYRATES/index.asp

http://www.opm.gov/oca/03tables/indexGS.asp

lairdside

Adjudications Officer:

Each year hundreds of thousands of people apply for various types of immigration benefits from the United States government. The benefits they seek include permission to import foreign workers, permission for relatives to immigrate and permission to become American citizens. Adjudications Officers determine eligibility for this wide variety of benefits. They review applications and often conduct interviews of the applicants. Adjudications Officers have the dual responsibility of providing courteous service to the public while being alert to the possibility of fraud and misrepresentation and usually perform their duties in an office environment. District Adjudications Officers are located in the offices nationwide and may be called on to provide assistance to Immigration Inspectors. Center Adjudications Officers are located only in the following Service Centers: St. Albans, VT; Lincoln, NE; Irving, TX; and Laguna Niguel, CA. Individuals will be hired at the GS-5 or GS-7 level; progression is to the GS-12 level after successful completion of the preceding grade(s). Competition is required to move above the GS-12 level.

The Adjudicator basic training course is approximately a one month residential program and includes instruction in the following subject areas: Immigration Law, BCIS Adjudication Process and Procedures, Naturalization Process and Procedures, Fraudulent Document Detection, EEO, Sexual Harassment, and Utilization of Immigration Data Base Systems. In order to successfully complete basic training all officers must obtain a score of 70% or better in each of the major areas of study, as well as satisfactorily complete all required Practical Exercises.

GS-5 (basic rates), step 1 to GS-7, step10 = $ 23442 to 37749

Immigration Information Officer (IIO):

Each year hundreds of thousands of people apply for various types of benefits under the Immigration and Nationality law. The IIO provides information about immigration and nationality law and regulations. They assist with information necessary to complete required forms and explain the administrative procedures and normal processing times for each application. These positions are located throughout the country in Districts, Sub offices, and Service Centers. Individuals may be hired at the GS-5 level; progression is to the GS-8 level after successful completion of the preceding grade(s). Competition is required to move to grade levels above GS-8.

The Immigration Information Officer basic training course is approximately a one month residential program and includes instruction in the following subject areas: Immigration Law, Immigration Officer Duties and Responsibilities, Fraudulent Document Detection, Customer Service, EEO, Sexual Harassment, and Utilization of Immigration Data Base Systems. In order to successfully complete basic training all officers must obtain a score of 70% or better in each of the major areas of study


GS-5 (basic rate, steps 1 to 10 = $ 23442 to $30471)

Sorry about the long post - pay varies by locality but this gives an idea..lol

Sophisgent

Matt,
You are nice to report the first, repeat first, official version of why TSC was
not adjudicating Fiance Visa Petitions. Thank you.
I first asked this question in November 2002.
Why didn't TSC just tell the truth instead of lying to Petitioners and their
Congressional representatives????
And why does it take AILA to come up with an answer from TSC. I mean, we're
talking 150 days to just get a direct answer, if you can call this bunch of
government speak, a direct answer.
Another question, why does the American petitioner have to have something like
AILA obtain the answer. Why can't TSC just tell it like it is and plain
language so the taxpayers who shell out
$ 110.00 fee at least know what the deal is.
Sincerely,
Archie Wilson

ironporer

The poor management and total lack of any type of customer service of the INS is the root of the problem here.

I know in the real world of buisness any moderatly bright manager could come up with some very simple solutionsto the back log of cases, and the disparity of processing times from center to center.

Premium processing fees could be charged- $1000 for a 1 mo k-1 visa would allow the INS to bring on more agents and workstations to handle all cases at no cost to the gov't. Re-allocation of cases personell temporarily to even out the case load between the 4/5 centers. Looking seriously at the VT model- something certainly seems to be working better there than in NE or TX.

It's not that tough.

nizwa

My case was transferred from Vancouver to Bangkok k-1 . Do you
know how long that will take. I got there too late to offer to pay for
express mail. [email protected] please reply thank you

ERWIN

bobzy

My Ph.D. engineer friend paid an expediting fee in January and got her visa in two weeks -- START TO FINISH. Beats the heck out of me as to why our fiances, spouses, and children are a greater potential threat to national security such that they require months or years of additional time to scrutinize. Zhengyu and I are in a TSC black hole at around 160 days, and will have another 9 months or so to get through Guangzhou whenever TSC gets through January petitions and works its way backwards to petitions from last Fall.

As for how much revenue BCIS is collecting through our fees -- Udall pointed out last Fall that the fees are not collected by BCIS. Our checks go straight to Treasury, and Congress decides how much to budget to immigration services. Fault for lack of manpower lies not with BCIS, but more directly with our state representatives.

Mismanagement of service centers, however, is not a budget problem. One word for the TSC managers who are taking fiance petitions so grossly out of order: bastards. THIS HAS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH PRIORITIES OF ASSIGNMENTS THAT IT IS GIVEN FROM THE OUTSIDE.

(PS edit -- I'm not growling at the messenger!)