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Travel Ban: The US government took my money and then changed the rules

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Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Iran
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This on again off again travel ban is both heartbreaking and financially unfair. I started the K-1 process before Trump became president. Iran was not a blocked country. I paid a filing fee to the USCIS to apply for a petition and paid an interview fee to the US Embassy in Abu Dhabi for an interview for my fiance. We are in administrative processing. And now it is nearly (if not completely) impossible to get a K-1 visa because the law has changed mid process. How is this fair? The government took my money and then changed the rules. What if anything will the courts do for those of us in this situation? It's maddening. I feel cheated. And worse... I am heartbroken. I hope the ACLU is victorious and gets this order over turned once and for all. 

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Filed: IR-1/CR-1 Visa Country: Morocco
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Hi,

I am sorry for what happened to you, and I totally understand where you are coming from. 

 

However,

The government did NOT take your money. The government took the money to get someone to look at your K1 petition at USCIS then also for the person who processed your papers at the NVC and then at the embassy and gave you an interview. . These persons that look at your papers and processed it at the various levels are getting paid to do this work and this is where your money went. The decision/outcome at the end of the process is merely dependent on circumstances of each case and not the money you paid. 

 

Good luck 

 

 

Edited by No-Where-Man

YA ALAH Bless Our Joureny To The End , Ameen

Je T'aime Till My Dying Day

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2 minutes ago, No-Where-Man said:

Ppl from countries on the blocked list can immigrate if they have a bonafide relationship to someone in the US. Fiance visa is one of those but not as strong. Best if you marry first then file for a CR-1 visa or you can live with your fiance in his/her country if this is an option

That was the previous bans (plus a fiance was deemed to be a bona fide relationship for that exception anyway). The exception for a bona fide relationship was removed in the latest ban. Marriage won't change it.

Edited by geowrian

Timelines:

ROC:

Spoiler

7/27/20: Sent forms to Dallas lockbox, 7/30/20: Received by USCIS, 8/10 NOA1 electronic notification received, 8/1/ NOA1 hard copy received

AOS:

Spoiler

AOS (I-485 + I-131 + I-765):

9/25/17: sent forms to Chicago, 9/27/17: received by USCIS, 10/4/17: NOA1 electronic notification received, 10/10/17: NOA1 hard copy received. Social Security card being issued in married name (3rd attempt!)

10/14/17: Biometrics appointment notice received, 10/25/17: Biometrics

1/2/18: EAD + AP approved (no website update), 1/5/18: EAD + AP mailed, 1/8/18: EAD + AP approval notice hardcopies received, 1/10/18: EAD + AP received

9/5/18: Interview scheduled notice, 10/17/18: Interview

10/24/18: Green card produced notice, 10/25/18: Formal approval, 10/31/18: Green card received

K-1:

Spoiler

I-129F

12/1/16: sent, 12/14/16: NOA1 hard copy received, 3/10/17: RFE (IMB verification), 3/22/17: RFE response received

3/24/17: Approved! , 3/30/17: NOA2 hard copy received

 

NVC

4/6/2017: Received, 4/12/2017: Sent to Riyadh embassy, 4/16/2017: Case received at Riyadh embassy, 4/21/2017: Request case transfer to Manila, approved 4/24/2017

 

K-1

5/1/2017: Case received by Manila (1 week embassy transfer??? Lucky~)

7/13/2017: Interview: APPROVED!!!

7/19/2017: Visa in hand

8/15/2017: POE

 

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Filed: IR-1/CR-1 Visa Country: Morocco
Timeline
1 minute ago, geowrian said:

That was the previous bans (plus a fiance was deemed to be a bona fide relationship for that exception anyway). The exception for a bona fide relationship was removed in the latest ban. Marriage won't change it.

True. edited. 

YA ALAH Bless Our Joureny To The End , Ameen

Je T'aime Till My Dying Day

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Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Sweden
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28 minutes ago, geowrian said:

That was the previous bans (plus a fiance was deemed to be a bona fide relationship for that exception anyway). The exception for a bona fide relationship was removed in the latest ban. Marriage won't change it.

Could you please describe in simple words what the newest "travel ban" entails? Are countries banned still/again? If so, no one from those countries can come to the US?

K-1: 12-22-2015 - 09-07-2016

AP: 12-20-2016 - 04-07-2017

EAD: 01-18-2017 - 05-30-2017

AOS: 12-20-2016 - 07-26-2017

ROC: 04-22-2019 - 04-22-2020
Naturalization: 05-01-2020 - 03-16-2021

U.S. passport: 03-30-2021 - 05-08-2021

En livstid i krig. Göteborg killed it. Epic:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBs3G1PvyfM&ab_channel=Sabaton

 

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9 minutes ago, Scandi said:

Could you please describe in simple words what the newest "travel ban" entails? Are countries banned still/again? If so, no one from those countries can come to the US?

It's still the "Travel ban 3.0" from Sept. 24th...just that SCOTUS allowed it to go into full effect yesterday.

Details: https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/09/24/enhancing-vetting-capabilities-and-processes-detecting-attempted-entry

http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/24/politics/trump-travel-restrictions/index.html

 

The rules vary by country, but some (mostly those from the middle east) cannot issue any immigrant or non-immigrant visas. Others can only issue certain types of visas (i.e. student & exchange visas are allowed from Iran, but nothing else). One (Venezuela) only affects a very small number of individuals (government officials and their immediate family). The "bona fide relationship" exception on this order expired on Oct. 18th.

 

A waiver is available, but is only to be granted on a case by case basis (with no information on timelines or well-defined criteria for approval).

 

tldr: North Korea, Syria, Somolia, Iran, Chad, Yemen, and Libya nationals cannot be issued an immigrant (or K-1) visa. Further limits on other visas apply to a subset of those countries.

Timelines:

ROC:

Spoiler

7/27/20: Sent forms to Dallas lockbox, 7/30/20: Received by USCIS, 8/10 NOA1 electronic notification received, 8/1/ NOA1 hard copy received

AOS:

Spoiler

AOS (I-485 + I-131 + I-765):

9/25/17: sent forms to Chicago, 9/27/17: received by USCIS, 10/4/17: NOA1 electronic notification received, 10/10/17: NOA1 hard copy received. Social Security card being issued in married name (3rd attempt!)

10/14/17: Biometrics appointment notice received, 10/25/17: Biometrics

1/2/18: EAD + AP approved (no website update), 1/5/18: EAD + AP mailed, 1/8/18: EAD + AP approval notice hardcopies received, 1/10/18: EAD + AP received

9/5/18: Interview scheduled notice, 10/17/18: Interview

10/24/18: Green card produced notice, 10/25/18: Formal approval, 10/31/18: Green card received

K-1:

Spoiler

I-129F

12/1/16: sent, 12/14/16: NOA1 hard copy received, 3/10/17: RFE (IMB verification), 3/22/17: RFE response received

3/24/17: Approved! , 3/30/17: NOA2 hard copy received

 

NVC

4/6/2017: Received, 4/12/2017: Sent to Riyadh embassy, 4/16/2017: Case received at Riyadh embassy, 4/21/2017: Request case transfer to Manila, approved 4/24/2017

 

K-1

5/1/2017: Case received by Manila (1 week embassy transfer??? Lucky~)

7/13/2017: Interview: APPROVED!!!

7/19/2017: Visa in hand

8/15/2017: POE

 

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Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Sweden
Timeline
9 minutes ago, geowrian said:

It's still the "Travel ban 3.0" from Sept. 24th...just that SCOTUS allowed it to go into full effect yesterday.

Details: https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/09/24/enhancing-vetting-capabilities-and-processes-detecting-attempted-entry

http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/24/politics/trump-travel-restrictions/index.html

 

The rules vary by country, but some (mostly those from the middle east) cannot issue any immigrant or non-immigrant visas. Others can only issue certain types of visas (i.e. student & exchange visas are allowed from Iran, but nothing else). One (Venezuela) only affects a very small number of individuals (government officials and their immediate family). The "bona fide relationship" exception on this order expired on Oct. 18th.

 

A waiver is available, but is only to be granted on a case by case basis (with no information on timelines or well-defined criteria for approval).

 

tldr: North Korea, Syria, Somolia, Iran, Chad, Yemen, and Libya nationals cannot be issued an immigrant (or K-1) visa. Further limits on other visas apply to a subset of those countries.

Thank you! 

K-1: 12-22-2015 - 09-07-2016

AP: 12-20-2016 - 04-07-2017

EAD: 01-18-2017 - 05-30-2017

AOS: 12-20-2016 - 07-26-2017

ROC: 04-22-2019 - 04-22-2020
Naturalization: 05-01-2020 - 03-16-2021

U.S. passport: 03-30-2021 - 05-08-2021

En livstid i krig. Göteborg killed it. Epic:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBs3G1PvyfM&ab_channel=Sabaton

 

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Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Vietnam
Timeline

Unfortunately there are no guarantees with  immigration until the process is complete and those immigrating are in the US.

ROC Timeline

Service Center: Vermont

90 Day Window Opened....08/08/17

I-751 Packet Sent..............08/14/17

NO1 Dated.........................

NO1 Received....................

Check Cashed....................

Biometrics Received..........

Biometrics Appointment.....

Approved...........................

 

IR-1/CR-1 Visa

I-130 NOA1: 22 Dec 2014
I-130 NOA2: 25 Jan 2015
NVC Received: 06 Feb 2015
Pay AOS Bill: 07 Mar 2015
Pay IV Bill : 20 Mar 2015
Send IV/AOS Package: 23 Mar 2015
Submit DS-261: 26 Mar 2015
Case Completed at NVC: 24 Apr 2015
Interview Date: 22 Sep 2015
Visa Approved: 22 Sep 2015
Visa Received: 03 Oct 2015 

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Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Iran
Timeline
7 hours ago, No-Where-Man said:

The government did NOT take your money. The government took the money to get someone to look at your K1 petition at USCIS then also for the person who processed your papers at the NVC and then at the embassy and gave you an interview. . These persons that look at your papers and processed it at the various levels are getting paid to do this work and this is where your money went. The decision/outcome at the end of the process is merely dependent on circumstances of each case and not the money you paid. 

 

The USCIS, the NVC, and the US Embassy are all parts of the US government. The people working there are employees of the US government. The fact remains that I paid money to the US government with the expectation that it was technically possible to get approved (not guaranteed, but possible). With the latest ban it is practically impossible to get approved for a visa for someone from Iran. Money paid, process started, rules changed, success impossible. Not fair emotionally or financially. 

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Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Ecuador
Timeline

Thread is closed in favor of the pinned "Trump's published immigration policies" megathread.

Remain respectful when posting.

06-04-2007 = TSC stamps postal return-receipt for I-129f.

06-11-2007 = NOA1 date (unknown to me).

07-20-2007 = Phoned Immigration Officer; got WAC#; where's NOA1?

09-25-2007 = Touch (first-ever).

09-28-2007 = NOA1, 23 days after their 45-day promise to send it (grrrr).

10-20 & 11-14-2007 = Phoned ImmOffs; "still pending."

12-11-2007 = 180 days; file is "between workstations, may be early Jan."; touches 12/11 & 12/12.

12-18-2007 = Call; file is with Division 9 ofcr. (bckgrnd check); e-prompt to shake it; touch.

12-19-2007 = NOA2 by e-mail & web, dated 12-18-07 (187 days; 201 per VJ); in mail 12/24/07.

01-09-2008 = File from USCIS to NVC, 1-4-08; NVC creates file, 1/15/08; to consulate 1/16/08.

01-23-2008 = Consulate gets file; outdated Packet 4 mailed to fiancee 1/27/08; rec'd 3/3/08.

04-29-2008 = Fiancee's 4-min. consular interview, 8:30 a.m.; much evidence brought but not allowed to be presented (consul: "More proof! Second interview! Bring your fiance!").

05-05-2008 = Infuriating $12 call to non-English-speaking consulate appointment-setter.

05-06-2008 = Better $12 call to English-speaker; "joint" interview date 6/30/08 (my selection).

06-30-2008 = Stokes Interrogations w/Ecuadorian (not USC); "wait 2 weeks; we'll mail her."

07-2008 = Daily calls to DOS: "currently processing"; 8/05 = Phoned consulate, got Section Chief; wrote him.

08-07-08 = E-mail from consulate, promising to issue visa "as soon as we get her passport" (on 8/12, per DHL).

08-27-08 = Phoned consulate (they "couldn't find" our file); visa DHL'd 8/28; in hand 9/1; through POE on 10/9 with NO hassles(!).

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