Originally Posted by fatbrit

Bluesails hits the nail very firmly on the head. Well said!

Originally Posted by Rete

But then hitting a screw with a hammer is not going to work well.

Immigration is not an problem which can be fixed with the stroke or two of a hammer but needs the slow and steady pressure applied by a screwdriver.

First and foremost, the parents were at fault and now are demanding their "government" fix their parental error. Such good US Citizens that they never apparently bothered to learn the rules and regulations of their country before they took to studying the bible, if that was the nature of their religious missionary work.

Originally Posted by Rete

But then hitting a screw with a hammer is not going to work well.

Immigration is not an problem which can be fixed with the stroke or two of a hammer but needs the slow and steady pressure applied by a screwdriver.

First and foremost, the parents were at fault and now are demanding their "government" fix their parental error. Such good US Citizens that they never apparently bothered to learn the rules and regulations of their country before they took to studying the bible, if that was the nature of their religious missionary work.

Originally Posted by Petra

Just saw additional information in the paper about this story.
What's Next:

The Birchill family is working with an Atlanta immigration attorney to speed up the process. They also plan to contact U.S. Rep. Charlie Norwood's office to see whether there is anything he can do to help.

..................

Originally Posted by fatbrit

I think the newspaper chose the wrong (and unfortunately only a single) case to bring forth a very valid point: the total inefficiency of the US civil service and its lack of accountability to its customers.

Originally Posted by fatbrit

There is no reason that any personal application to any government department can’t and shouldn’t be processed in 30 days maximum.

Originally Posted by fatbrit

If there aren’t enough employees, hire some more. If the employees aren’t efficient enough, sack the management.

Originally Posted by Matthew Udall

Just because...

Originally Posted by fatbrit

Hi Matthew,

We need something to compare them to. Having moved around a lot in my life and been self-employed for much of it, I can honestly say that the US government bureaucracy scores a big fat 'F' in my book. Basically they have all the features of a second or third world country with the sole exception that they are not easily bribable.

As an example, how long does it take for Brit to take their US wife to the UK? If someone comes on this board and says I USC are marrying UKC and we don't care if we live in either place, what would everybody's advice be?

Finally, if folks keep making excuses for them and justifying it, it's never going to get any better. Call them what they are: a total waste of space. And help your voice go towards trying to ensure this does not continue.

FB

Originally Posted by Matthew Udall

Oh, I think there is room for them to make improvements, but I also acknowledge that they "have" made a lot of improvements since I stated my practice. The amount of funding to allocate to the USCIS is "definitely" a political question, and if you want faster service, be sure to contact your representatives. But also make sure you tell them that you want more of your tax dollars allocated to immigration even after you have no more need for the agency.

They are doing important work and are swamped with that work. They are working to bestow great gifts on the beneficiaries (who don't have a "right" to come to America). This is not McDonalds and unfortunately at the current time, there is no instant gratification awaiting someone at the drive thru petition approval and/or visa pick up window.

Originally Posted by fatbrit

I think the newspaper chose the wrong (and unfortunately only a single) case to bring forth a very valid point: the total inefficiency of the US civil service and its lack of accountability to its customers.

This sloppiness is not confined to immigration matter but endemic throughout most of the US bureaucracy. As a further example, I would present the social security disability system. I worked for some time in the US with so-called co-occurring individuals (those with a mental illness and substance abuse problem). These folks were entitled to apply for payments from the social security system and I would aid them completing the application. From delivery to the first payment took 6 to 12 months. They then had so much money owing, they would be instructed to spend the money quickly in order to still be eligible. That’s right, giving an addict a few thousand and telling them to spend it quickly…

There is no reason that any personal application to any government department can’t and shouldn’t be processed in 30 days maximum. If you can’t discover that the applicant isn’t eligible in that time, you never will! Bit like the brainless though amusing Starr and Clinton fiasco really!

If there aren’t enough employees, hire some more. If the employees aren’t efficient enough, sack the management. It can’t be beyond the ability of the US to have a bureaucracy functioning with some semblance of efficiency; after all, they did manage to put a man on the moon.

I’m sorry but I really do think it has reached the stage where it needs a hammer! A bloody big one!

Originally Posted by Petra

This was on the front page of the Augusta Chronicle ( http://www.augustachronicle.com ) this morning:

Teen's future lies in limbo

In Jennifer Birchill's mind, she is as American as apple pie. Her parents are American, her siblings are American and her boyfriend is preparing to serve the United States in the Iraq war. But the U.S. government disagrees.

Because the 17-year-old was born in Canada while her parents served there as missionaries, she has to go through the immigration process to be sanctioned as an official U.S. citizen. It is a lengthy process that is preventing her from pursuing her college dreams, accepting a HOPE scholarship or applying for a student loan. Weeks before graduation from Westside High School, Jennifer's entire future is on hold.

"I can't work at all, and I can't get a learner's permit to drive. And so there is no way for me to pay for college. I am kind of at an end until I get it," she said.

When Jennifer was born in 1987, her American-born parents were working as missionaries in Canada. The Birchill family returned to the United States four years ago.

Last fall, Jennifer discovered she couldn't get a Social Security number until she completed form N-600 for children born abroad to American parents. She applied in November, and she is still awaiting approval.

Jennifer is not the only one whose life is on hold because of processing at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. In fact, the backlog became so bad that President Bush ordered the agency to reduce the wait time to six months by 2006. "We are almost there already, and we are not even in the middle of 2005," spokeswoman Ana Santiago said Tuesday.

Service Director Eduardo Aguirre told Congress last summer that the agency had a plan to erase the backlog by September 2006. He pledged to reallocate resources and modernize outdated computer systems. The agency's backlog reached a record high 3.8 million cases in January 2004. Immigration officials reduced it to 1.5 million by September.

But the backlog can have an impact. Jennifer said she spent her high school years making good grades to qualify for a HOPE scholarship. She wants to be a genetic counselor and help parents who have children with birth defects or who might be at risk for a variety of inherited conditions.

The complicated immigration policies have stopped her cold. An immigration attorney told her the backlog could mean waiting as long as three years.
"That is ridiculous," says her mother, Lynne.

The parents tried to call the immigration services office and ask about speeding up the process, but getting anyone on the phone was impossible, they said. It's all automated. Ms. Santiago said they could sign up for an appointment by logging on to the agency's Web site, www.uscis. gov.

The family has tried that for several months. They keep getting the same response, a reply repeated on their computer screen Tuesday: "At this time, there are no information appointments available for the office in your area. Please try back again later."

On Tuesday, Ms. Santiago responded to a 1- week-old inquiry from The Augusta Chronicle and said the Birchill case should be wrapped up "by the end of the year." It all seems silly to the Birchill family. Jennifer is an American citizen without the certificate to prove it. Jennifer's options are dwindling just weeks before graduation.

Her parents are unable to pay for her college tuition, and Jennifer cannot take out a loan without a Social Security number. She can't even earn money herself for college because she can't work or drive. So, as she waits for the government bureaucracy to work, Jennifer is considering her options.

She can move to Denver and become a nanny for her brother's 3-week-old son. She can borrow the money for college from her sister and spend years paying her back. She will be eligible for the HOPE scholarship when all the immigration hurdles are cleared. Her mother just wants the government to work faster.

"We just wish they would speed things up," she said.

Originally Posted by Rete

Rather nice that you were allowed to voice it without ridicule.