My subject is meant to be sarcastic. At the interview, the consul said "Visa approved". The Monday after the interview we called the support desk, and the next day received an answer from the consul: "Visa approved, you'll have it in 1 week". Yesterday we called for another status update, and today were told "Administrative review. If your visa is approved, it will take 1 or 2 weeks before it is printed, but quite often it can take much longer. If you don't receive your passport back in a month, call us again".

So, they've been lying to us for the past 2 weeks. Now Natasha and Vika will return to Volgodonsk and I'll return to Omaha, the future uncertain once more. I haven't decided yet whether I should change their tickets to a month or two from now, and try to be hopeful, or if I should just cancel them. There's no way to tell IF the visas will be approved now, since they have apparently changed their minds. I've spent all the money I had to bring Natasha and Vika back to the USA, so even if the visas get approved eventually, I don't know what to do.

Assuming I hear anything, ever, from the consulate, I'll let everyone know.

Kevin, I am truly saddened by this. Hang in there ! Get your Congressman involved ! While you are now truly living a nightmare now, I truly believe everything will work out for both of you. Chris

I'm sorry. I hope it gets resolved soon.

Is there a precedent for this kind of thing happening at the Moscow consulate?

KGSodie, I'm sorry about your troubles.
The good news is that unlike NVC which can hold people on AP forever, the consulates usually don't delay overmuch. If they said a month, you have good chances of waiting just that long. Be hopeful. At any rate, if visa is approved at the interview, there is extremely little chance it will be denied as a result of AR.

Kevin, I'm saddened beyond words at this news. I do hope you're able to get this resolved quickly. Be strong, hang tough. The day is coming that you will all be together in Omaha.

What can I say, I guessed the Administrative Review not that long ago in your other thread. See:
http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...p;#entry1652998

If I was in your shoes I'd cancel their tickets and return home ASAP to stop any more ticket change losses. This whole Administrative Review thing from what I've read about from other consulates around the world here on VJ can take many months, even years for some of the MENA folks. My guess again is that since the consulate does the finger printing the day of the interview, the prints are reviewed a few days later, and if there is a match or a close match they'll put up the Administrative Review roadblock or it could just be a random quality control check. Either way both are unpredictable in terms of time with no logical time line.

Kevin,
Would you please share with us what questions officer asked her during interview?

Terrible news! I'm sure you followed all to the letter. Is there any reason you can think of for this decision? I know you and Natal'ya are already racking your brains trying to ascertain this. I feel a pit in my stomach for the both or you.

Kazan - no reason we can think of, or they will tell us. Frustrating as hell to be told for two weeks "visas approved, you'll have it soon" only to have the rug yanked out from under you.

WWW - we'll eventually get to a full review of the interview, but we were hoping to do that in Omaha. We're not much in the mood now. I will say it was a very short interview, perhaps 5 minutes, and they asked no questions about me at all. Natasha had a previous K-1 visa 2 years ago, and only stayed a few days because the guy proved to be a real jerk, and most of the questions were about this visa and why it didn't work out. The consul also asked Natasha's 11 year old daughter if she wanted to live in the USA.

Kevin, my opinion at the moment is it has to do with the previous K-1. If they drilled her only about this past event and had nothing to ask about you and your future together, it seems it has to be. I hope you can both pass this obstacle soon. Keep holding on to each other. At minimum, you are physically together again. Take comfort in that.

The first thing that jumped to my mind was her previous K-1 also. But remember that the consulates are not allowed to "re-adjudicate" petitions. You *ARE* approved...the consulate cannot un-approve you. So even if there was some concern over her previous K-1, USCIS would have caught it, and it would have been an issue long before now.

As hard as parting will be, you might be in a better position to get more information and/or push it through this so-called "administrative review" from the States. Chances are it's just a bureaucrat flexing his/her muscles and you just got caught up in it. Hang in there my friend. (easy enough for me to say I know... )

As said above, keep your head up and hang in there.

And definitely, make some phone calls. Someone out there can find out something. Congressmen and Senators work for you so make them.

Good luck, and hopefully this gets resolved quickly.

Sasha and I want to include our sorrow over this, Kevin. We agree that you will be together soon. Be strong and patient. And like it was suggested before, get your local state officials involved. Just a brief letter from them may be enough to "unstick" the approved visas. Hang in there, buddy. We're all rooting for you.

I dont think thats accurate mox. The consulate CAN deny your petition at their discretion. Just because you are approved by USCIS and NVC does not guarantee the visa. The consulate has the final say.

I agree that the AR is probably due to the previous K1, and since the relationship is legit, it is only a matter of time. It sucks for sure, but they will get the visa, it is just going to take a little longer.

That's not what I'm saying.

The consulate absolutely can deny the visa. HOWEVER, they can't "re-adjudicate" the petition. For example, they can't deny the visa because they're not satisfied the couple met within the last 2 years. USCIS have already determined that the couple have met within the last 2 years. (note that they can deny the visa if they don't think there's a real relationship, but that's something completely different.)

The consulate has broad discretion, but they are under guidance by the Secretary of State not to re-adjudicate petitions. This is why I believe if there was a problem with Natasha's previous K-1, it would have popped up at the USCIS level, and not the consulate level. Since we're speculating, I'm really thinking it was probably due to something that came up post-interview. Maybe, as someone else suggested, fingerprints that matched too closely or an I that wasn't dotted or a T that wasn't crossed. I have a hard time believing it would be anything that USCIS would have caught in the first place.

Note: When I say the consulate "can't" deny based on something that USCIS have approved, they can certainly kick the petition back to USCIS if they feel there is overwhelming evidence to do so. When this happens, USCIS have the option of either kicking it back to the consulate, saying "no, we were right the first time," or they can send a "Notice of intent to deny" to the petitioner. But note that in both of these cases the consulate is not denying the petition. Only USCIS can deny the petition.

Thanks for all the support and ideas, everyone. I would have thought the USCIS would have objected to the previous K-1 if someone wanted to object, rather than having the consul object to it, and I also agree that it smells like something post-interview since for 2 weeks after the interview every call we made received a reply of "visas approved, being printed".

My brother and his wife are both the politically active types, and have contacted one of my congressmen. I emailed Kent the entire story complete with dates and events and the consul case number so that he would be prepared to hand this information over in the event someone wanted to listen. The congressman indicated that he would be happy to make some inquiries, but wanted our full names and passport numbers, which I have sent this morning.

I really don't expect anything to happen quickly, since this is the government we're talking about, but at least a government official is 'investigating'.

Like you, Tanya had a K-1 6 years ago and left quickly for the same reason. I may be seeing this issue for ourselves as well.
Good luck and hang in there!

I'm afraid all I can say is that I'm very sorry to hear about your situation.
Best of luck to you and Natasha! I hope she will get her visa sooner than all of us can imagine!

Natalia

I'm glad to hear this Kevin. And sometimes our government will surprise you. If your brother is the politically active type he might know some buttons to push or names to throw around. With any luck your congressman and brother are in the same party.

Stay in touch please.

The congressman will get results.

Getting them to do it is the hard part. If your brother has someone's ear, then you'll probably hear something pretty quickly (within a few days.) because once a congressman starts poking their nose into some other govt. agency's business, things tend to move pretty quickly.

Plus, if they're taking your passport numbers and stuff, they'll be making it all official. That'll ensure something gets done.

I'd say your headed in the right direction, just hang in there a little longer......

The consulates are more famous for doing something much worse, that being not acting on an approved petition! They can simply reply that they are "working" (AR) on it. Brining a mandamus action to compel them to act is a loss cause based on some of the cases I have read.

Now that everything seems to be resolved for Kevin (see his "happy" thread), will this thread die or become another one of our morph threads?

I vote for morph!

I like pie.

Nyum, nyum, pie! Me likes pie too!

Lemme guess...Key Lime?

Key Lime is for sissies. Lemon morangutan is where it's at. For people and monkeys without tails. Apes. Primates.... and sissies.

Agreed, lemon is my favorite. Someone brought in some of those lemon bars to work the other day (basically lemon marangue pie baked on a sheet without the marangue, and then cut into little cubes) and I was in heaven.

Of course, apple is the real man's pie.

I'm voting for pecan pie ala mode. Gotta blow the calorie count off the charts!

You know, those lemon bars cost like $3 and take all of five minutes to prepare (You have to wait for them to harden in the fridge, but it's worth it!) I really should eat them more often... they're delicious.

As far as apple being the real man's pie......( "It's like warm apple pie." ) I have to disagree on grounds that I'm not really a fruit peson. I'm into the chocolate. Sprinkles, chips, cream, icing... it doesn't matter. As long as it's chocolate, it has my vote.

And don't get me started on fudge.....

I will concede that pecan is indeed a manly pie, but I don't care for it. Love butter pecan ice cream (a manly ice cream btw), don't care for the pie.

I'm trying to find a good argument for cheesecake being a manly pie, but I'm not making very much progress. Shame really.

I guess I'm a sissy then... Key Lime (real Key Lime like you find in Florida) is a fav. How'd you know? Also fond of lemon, chocolate creme, and pecan.

Anything that can be made in five minutes by mixing in a packet of stuff with some milk, is indeed, manly. Not even that caveman from the Geico commercials could mess up the Jello no-bake stuff.

And supporting argument for cheesecake being manly - Chicks dig it. It's like having a Mini. The car itself isn't necessarily manly. But, once you've got three chicks in there with you.... YOU'RE THE MAN!!!




Pecan pie ala mode is most definitely the best, and manliest, of the pie family.

I can totally get on board with this logic. Cheesecake is indeed manly.


I still gotta go with apple. Make it ala mode, and it's like the Chuck Norris of pies. You don't eat it, it eats you from the inside. That's how manly it is.

I just can't eat apples.

I like the "creamy apple-flavored filling" but I don't like the chunks of fruit.

Chunks of legumes..... now that I can get down with!

And why we're at it, can I get a woot woot for some beef jerkey?

Now that's some manly $#!T right there!

Woot woot for beef jerkey, the manliest of the manly foods for sure!

Now if it only came in a pie...

Remember those "pies" you make by the campfire by putting two buttered slices of bread into the little pie maker and sitting it in the fire?

I'm pretty sure you could stuff that thing full of beef jerkey and a little sharp cheddar and make one helluva manly "pie" sammich.

Any time you put the words "beef' and "jerky" together, you're talking man's talk.

Seeing recent responses in this thread (and having internet again), I just had to see what was what. And I laughed my hiney off! No one morphs a thread like us Russian forum folk.

Now, on to serious business: I used to say apple was my favorite, and no offense slim but the bigger the chunks the better, but these days I'd have to go with cherry. I, too, have always had a soft spot for chocolate creme pie, as well as banana creme pie, but haven't tasted either in many years.

Tell me, though - since I'm here in Russia and Vika likes to watch TV, every 3 minutes I see another 'choco-pie' commercial. Do those count as 'pie'? I hope so, because I've eaten and loved them since I was just knee high!

I don't know if they count as pie.... it's like calling a Hot Pocket a sandwich. Technically, it is, but in reality, it's not.

Either way, it's good!

Aw man... I am soooooooo sorry to hear that... I wish they wouldn't tell people they are approved and then say oh I made a mistake.. they don't know what kind of plans people get ready to make especially with plane tickets and everything like that... oh I pray you get your visa soon.. I really do... oneder

I pray that posters will actually read past the first post. I really do.

(At least read until you get to the pie posts. Once you hit the pie posts you're probably safe.)