Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration
Services
Formally known as the:
Immigration and Naturalization Service
Some simple rules to understand when dealing with the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services, BCIS:
BCIS is never wrong
BCIS never makes mistakes
If BCIS does make a mistake it is because of an error you made
Mistakes will cost you money
You will not receive a Green Card
Green Cards get lost in the mail
It is your fault that the Green Card was lost in the mail
Always mail documents to BCIS return receipt. (The INS website said not to do that)
BCIS will not mail your Green Card return receipt as the “Post Office must deliver mail only to the addressee.”
Do not mail anything to BCIS. Go to a BCIS office
Contradictions in BCIS policy are your fault
No two BCIS Officers will give you the same answer to any question
The answer you received from the BCIS Officer is incorrect
If you receive a Green Card it will contain an error
There is a phone number that comes with the Green Card to report errors
The phone number is always busy
No matter how early you get to BCIS, you are at the end of the line
The waiting time at BCIS is five hours
You will wait on the floor
Complaint forms are free
Complaint forms are not available at BCIS Offices (Download one, or more here.)
My Experience with BCIS:
I am an American Citizen.
In the summer of 2002, I married a foreign national in her country. Her country is part of the European
Union. Well before the wedding, we
prepared for what we expected to be the most difficult process of getting her
residency permit for the
Your Tax returns for the past three years (even for the years you did not have to report)
W2s for those three years
Proof of current employment
Form verifying that your income meets a minimum
Marriage certificate
Spouse’s physical (only from a CIA approved doctor in her home country)
Large passport-quality photographs. The one’s from the photo booth are not acceptable.
Form from the police reporting on her criminal history over the last ten years of her life
- Money to pay for the applications, over $400 (more like $700)
Form accepting that you will be financially responsible for your spouse until one of the following three things happen:
1.
You spouse performs at least 40 quarters of work in the
2. Your spouse permanently moves back to her country
3. YOU DIE
The above form excludes your spouse from being able to apply for / collect unemployment or welfare. You are her unemployment office. Don’t worry, your spouse still get to pay unemployment taxes.
My wife’s Greencard arrived two weeks after she arrived in the US after the wedding. However, it was in her maiden name. We were told to return it with an explanation of the mistake. That was the last we saw of her Greencard. A year later we finally got the stamp in her passport renewed for a year. It shows temporary proof of application for a Greencard. That cost $130 as it is only possible to get a new stamp with a new card application. When asked when we could expect her new card, the reply was “You will not get one, as the validity is less than a year. You will have to apply for an adjustment of status (and pay $230!) in nine months to get a permanent residency card.”
I spent five hours sitting on the floor with my wife one time. The treatment of the BCIS officers is shameful. They treat the immigrants like shit. They do not know better, and of course they do not want to get into trouble, so they just take it. As I have no fear, I try to explain the facts to the officer of our situation. It did not matter, as everything we did was wrong. They have no explanation as to why the card was issued in her maiden name, and luckily for us, they cannot blame that on us. It was the immigration officials who filled out the forms and had her sign her married name. The agent saw me looking at her name tag and covered it with her hand. The whole experience is unreal! (and unresolved)
I do not expect to see her Greencard, ever. We have two friends here who have been here over two years now, and they are getting letters extending the validity of their conditional cards.
However, without a Greencard, my wife has a Social security number in her maiden name. It only took nine trips before we got her card. We made them mail it to the SS Office. That is another agency that treats people like shit.
Also, without a Greencard, she cannot get a Driver’s license in DC.
BCIS is the reason why the US has an immigrant problem. Fix BCIS and the US will have more than enough agents to go after illegal aliens and terrorists hiding among them!
In all fairness, you can visit:
Part of:
