When we began the process of marriage, we chose to seek a fiancé visa because it was supposed to get my husband to the U.S. faster than getting married and trying to get an immigrant visa for him. In theory that would have worked had my then-fiance’s petition not end up in some governmental black hole.
How Long is Too Long?
I spent months on the phone with the government trying to get the case “unstuck.” No one could or would tell me anything useful to get the case moving. Apparently one Regional Service Center of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) was waiting on a file from another Regional Service Center. Finally, some USCIS agent took pity on me and gave me a tip – of course with the caveat that he would deny that he ever told me: your Congressional representative has a dedicated immigration liaison who can assist you when you can’t get resolution of your immigration case through the usual channels.
Congressional Help for Immigration
When a Congressperson inquires with immigration officials into a case on behalf of a constituent, the government is obligated to respond to the Congressperson within 10 days. After 8 months of no progress, after I enlisted my Congressman for help,magically the Service Centers began sharing the necessary information and our fiancé petition began moving through the process. I wish I had known that tip six months earlier.
