A Web based group of US Citizens fed up with wait times that have increased from one month to five months and growing for the first step in the long process of bringing their fiance(e)'s to the USA has sent loads of Hershey's Kisses to remind USCIS that they are waiting to be with their loved ones and trying to follow the legal way of bringing them to the United States -

This week dozens of pounds of chocolate kisses were sent to the USCIS Vermont office by US Citizens petitioning for I129f visas for their fiance(e)'s to join them in the USA. The first step in the year or longer process to initially arrive in the USA (the immigration process continues beyond that once they arrive in the US) is the I129f petition to show the fiance(e)' is eligible to apply. These citizens are also frustrated that foreign workers holding H1B visas can get a visa for their spouses in just one day from the US Embassy in their home country.

Waiting times for this initial step have increased from one month in April to five months and climbing - and USCIS has said it will get worse. This is in spite of a more than 150% increase in the filing fee in July. This extended time apart is very stressful for the couples who have to deal with separation anxiety, medical issues like miscarriages or family health emergencies, and even children being raised without one parent.

These citizens are angry that USCIS is giving priority to work related visas and has pulled immigration officers off their cases for other "priorities". Another sore point is that USCIS has begun to review many petitions from September and October while earlier petitions from May through August languish untouched. They also want adjusted what they believe is an unreasonable and unfair internal USCIS goal of six months to complete the initial step of the I129f petition (which can take a processor as little as 15 minutes to review). This type of I129 petitioner is also not allowed to pay for premium 15 day processing as employment visas are allowed to request. The citizens hope that by sending these chocolates they can get the same positive response foreign workers with H1B visas got by sending flowers to the USCIS director earlier this year when they sought, successfully, to extend an already unusual opening for them to file greencard requests.