This is the first same sex couple to receive a green card after DOMA was struck down.
Monthly Archives: July 2013
USCIS and DOMA
The Supreme Court’s ruling on the Defense of Marriage Act has given many people the opportunity and benefits they have been waiting years for. In light of the ruling, same-sex couples can now petition for their spouses. I believe this is going to help individuals that have had to hide all these years from Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Now individuals that are in this country illegally have a path to citizenship. Our country is still young and we have a lot of room for improvement, but with DOMA being struck down, now homosexuals and undocumented immigrants are given equality they deserve in this country we call home!
USCIS Wait Time
I work for a local law firm in Tracy, California that specializes in immigration. In the past four years, I have dealt with USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) on a daily basis. The biggest flaw with USCIS’s system is trying to speak with an officer to answer questions about cases. The wait time to speak to an officer wasn’t always horrible, averaging between 20-30 minutes. The problem is USCIS implemented a new service where you can be reached by email, wait on the phone, or receive a callback within 48 hours. Once this service was implemented, if you chose to wait on the phone, the wait times now average between 45-60 minutes. One thing that I have noticed over the years, whatever the wait time says, double it and that is your real wait time. It is very frustrating waiting for such a long time, but it really is your only option. When choosing the email options, I NEVER received an email from an officer. When choosing the call back option, I NEVER received a call back from an officer to discuss a case. It is my job to contact USCIS and every time it is a dreadful experience. What saddens me is the immigrants not represented by an attorney waiting this long to get an update on their case. Our country is not giving a good first impression having people wait for hours to speak to an officer. I think that USCIS should go back to their old ways of waiting to speak to an officer because the new system doesn’t give the officers the opportunity to really answer the questions.
USCIS 