Well, Alla had her Embassy interview today. It is good news, bad news. First the good...

The visa was granted with conditions. Alla said there were 70 people at the Embassy and they called her at around noon. The male officer was polite and friendly. He asked, what Alla called, "...interesting and normal questions." Here they are:

How did you meet your fiancé? We meet on internet.
How many times did your fiancé visit you? Three
How long did he stay the last time? One year.
One year! He must love you very much. Where did you live? Kazan'
Did he work here? Yes, he taught English for children.
How did he find the Russian winter? Very well. He liked it.
Where will you live in America? Ohio
How is the weather in Ohio? Seems to me much like Kazan'.

This is where things began to turn...

"I see on his tax form he did not make much money last year. (I didn't, of course, I was living in Kazan' and earning Russian wages.) Tell your fiancé he needs to send us an I-864 with a co-sponsor and your visa is granted."

Well, this is where I'm at a loss. My current income is well over the 125% threshold. Of course, my 1040 was light, I lived in Russia at earned about $200 a month. I gave them a letter of employment that clearly stated my annual income was well over the minimum and also demonstrated this with pay records for this year. I am also shocked they asked for an I-864. I have never heard this request at the Embassy level before. I thought this would be needed when we got to AOS. I am concerned as I really have no family I can ask. I have friends, but I don't know how they would feel about being asked to sign such a strong contract. I am hoping, if I can convince one, they can withdrawal their I-864 and I can replace one for me only when we go to adjust status. I am wondering if the officer failed to look at all of my documents. Maybe they only looked at the 1040 and failed to look deeper to see the tax form is not telling the true financial tale but only a three month story. Looks like my year in Russia is penalizing me now...

On a side note...
Alla had her medical at IOM. She reported only professional behaviour, although the doctor that examined her son was "very serious."

CONGRATULATIONS, JEFFERY AND ALLA!
I hope you can clear up the sponsorship mess so you can bring your sweetheart home.

Congrats on the conditional approval! Do you have savings or other assets you can show in addition to income?

No, not enough to make an impact, only income which exceeds the 125% threshold. The Embassy seems to be focused on what I earned in Russia instead of what I'm earning here and now.

Yeah. I'm surprised by that also. I thought most of all they would be concerned about your current situation as that is the one that matters going forward. Unfortunately, I think each officer has their own ideas on these things. Same goes for wanting an I-864 instead of I-134.

That seems incredibly bizarre and wrong. Does the officer think your US income would magically shrink to the Kazan' level? I really don't understand. i hope it all gets sorted out soon.

I don't get it either.

The process at the embassy level is a crapshoot. Give them that I-864 co-sponsor or she doesn't come to the US. It is as simple as that. If you are going to bring them the same evidence, the same officer will reject it again. Asking for an advisory opinion (supervisor intervenes) or a formal reconsideration (congressman intervenes) can take many months to process with unpredictable results.

I agree. Unfortunately, whether they are right or wrong, you'll probably need to give them what they want.

Only other thing I can think of...Did you also present documentation from previous tax years? If you can show a clear pattern prior to Kazan and after Kazan, maybe they would consider that enough evidence. It usually isn't required to show more than 1 year but you can if it helps prove your case. You could try emailing the embassy and asking if this would be enough.

All in all, I am happy for you. I know you are smart and resourceful and will figure out how to overcome the issue. Of note, we were also asked for the I-864. I was prepared.

I wish you luck on finishing this journey.

Big congrats on the good news part!!! On the other part, I think the idea of sending an email is worth a shot. If you can show them a history of pre-Kazan good income and make certain they understand your present income situation, maybe they'll reconsider. Like you, I'm wondering if they failed to look that closely at your financial documentation. A well constructed email sure won't hurt. If that doesn't fly, then I don't see a good alternative other than giving them what they asked for. As far as asking a friend to be the co-sponsor, I can understand your uneasiness. But, couldn't you have a "side" contract with that friend to guarantee that you would be responsible for (either by paying for or by paying back at a later date) any potential expenses incurred as a result of the sponsorship?

Best of luck to you!!!

I think they looked at it. The thing seems to be they give the most weight to the most recent tax return(s). While I see what you are saying about current pay and paystubs, you may have to fight to get them to pay attention to them.

I sent a rather polite and lengthy e-mail just prior to making this post. I told the Embassy I would be happy to show income prior to Kazan' if need be.

I have really only two friends I feel close enough to ask such a favour. It's such a huge thing to ask anyone, I'll see what happens in the next few days.

Keep us posted on the e-mail.

Did you have more than one year of tax info? Did you establish the pattern for them to see?

Yeah, I showed them that I earned this prior to Kazan' and returned to a similar level post Kazan'. Now for some light at this tunnel...

My friends all turned me down and an aunt as well. Too scared with the economy. So...

I just had to totally humiliate myself. I asked my 25 year old son to be his daddy's future wife's co-sponsor. Of course, he agreed. So, I can give them a I-864 now. He is well over the 125% threshold.

I'll see what the e-mail states from the Embassy and they can have an AOS if they need it.

glad that your son is pulling through for you. alla will be here soon!

Jeffery,
Glad to learn that she was approved but bummed that they would hold your time in Russia against you. Its great that you have someone to sponser you. But its really a bummer that you would haven to even do this. It really goes to show that many people that work in the government are pretty black and white on the regulations. If any of them were empowered to make a reasonable decision on there own there would be probably a lot less horror stories in the immigration process.
But I am happy you have a solution to there request. I guess Olya and I are up to bat next May 28th. Hope we sail through.... I have gambled and purchased her and her sons airline tickets to the U.S. Olya is from Vladivostok and does not wish to fly back home so she will wait in Moscow with her son and fly here on June 6th pending eveything is successful. If not. My wallet takes a huge hit
Hope everything is resolved and you and Alla are reunited soon

Thanks! I hope all will resolve too! I am sure you and Olya will be fine. Someone needed to receive some bad news to level those odds and insure others their sail throughs! Believe it or not I felt this coming after so many, many of "We're Approved!" in this forum.

I don't see the big deal with sponsoring or co-sponsoring someone. I think they'd be hard pressed to get someone to pay for something more than a plane ticket back to the country of origin. When they ask "can you support this person while they're here?" Obviously with a K-1 the support is going to be for around 6-12 months with the expectation that the person will work or start having babies after that time period and thus "earn their keep" in their new environment. It's messed up that the K-1 falls under the same support obligations as student and/or work visas, etc. This is another area of the immigration process that definitely needs to be redone.

And "Mr. Kind Eyes", if your 25 year old son is earning well over 125% of the poverty level, you can save the humiliation and instead pat yourself on the back. There's a reason he's making that money..... maybe ol' dad did a good job raising him? (And thusly could "pay back" a little by doing a favor like co-sponsoring.) My dad and I are around the same ages as you and your son and if he ever asked me something like that, I'd gladly help him if I could. The reason I'm making more than 125% now is because of the way he raised me. "Get your @$$ up and get to work, son" is a valuable lesson a lot of young men don't get anymore. And truth be told, around 25 is when it starts "making sense" that ol' dad was right about a lot of things. Now go "Turn that light off!" and save .00001/cents off your next electric bill cause if you do that every day... you save a whole dollar over the course of the year. And if you do that for every light in the house..... that's enough to buy half a tank of gas... and if you save money on your gas then you don't have to work so much and you can spend more time with your family. It all makes sense.

I'm pretty sure he's honored to help. I know I would be.



I think you've gambled right. I played it safe and had my wife return to Vladivostok and fly out a month or two later. (She had some stuff to do, I had some stuff to do, etc.) She got her visa all the way out there a week later. Your girl in Moscow should be fine.

Alla called me at work today with great news. While she was heading back on the train, the Embassy called her home and spoke to her mother. The told her to inform Alla her visa is approved without any further documentation required. They said no I-864 is required. Evidently, they looked deeper in my paperwork and discovered I was indeed above the threshold. The said to expect her visa sometime next week to arrive.

BIG SIGH...

Oh, and, Slim... Yes, my boy was not always this way, but he has matured tremendously within the past year. I am quite proud.

Excellent news, Jeffery. And now..... Good luck on the rest of your VJ!

(And don't forget to pat yourself on the back a little bit. Parents don't take enough credit for their kids' success. Sure, people make their own choices and once they're grown up it's not really up to you anymore but if more parents would do a better job, all in all, kids would turn out better and society in turn would be a better place. It starts at home!)

Правда!

Great news! Your luck is turning

I'll feel so much better (and totally confident) when I can post the "Visas In Hand" update. Hopefully, next week!

Great news, congrats!

My now-husband (whose name is also Jeffery BTW ) didn't even send me his tax forms for my interview, explaining that his lawyer had advised him against it. So when the embassy people pressed me for tax documents, I just told them off. This information is indeed redundant and, frankly, none of their business.

Good for you, Blues Fairy. Sounds like my Alla would appreciate your attitude. I've heard Alla tell more than a few people off. Its amazing what a 152 cm / 44 kg motivated Russian girl can do when provoked.

Jeffery !
I was pleased to come home and see that there was some common sense at the embassy ! Congratualations and it is nice to see Good thangs happen too Good people. Also Thanks to you and Slim for optimism in my Olyas upcoming interview.

ohhhhhhhh im sooo very happy for u guys congratulations

Congratulations Kazan Tiger. Best of luck and soonest meeting with your pretty Alla!

Estadia, you are a very strong person....so happy for other people...you have big and hot heart! Wish you personally good news ASAP.

Congratulations Jeffrey! Man.. they seem to make it a grind till the end!!!

Glad to hear that the Consulate came around! Excellent news!! Whether your email influenced them or not.....doesn't matter now. I understand that you won't rest easy until she actually has the visa, but from what you've passed on, it's just a matter of Pony Express getting the visa to her. Congratulations!!!!

Congratulations! Good to know someone was willing to re-examine your documentation. And now you know your son is there for you when you need him too.

Congratulations on the final outcome. Now, are you ready for her arrival? Time to clean the house, get her some personal items (hair dryer, lotions, etc.) and make room in your home for her things. Give her plenty of time to adjust to the time changes, especially the first two or three weeks.

You are going to have a great summer. Again, congratulations.

Congratulations!!

Congrats, KT.......wonderful news!

Thank you all! Check back for the next update!

Bummer, but then I kept reading and Hurray!

I'm still a tad spooked. I'll be happier when Alla says, "Visa in my hands!"

Congratulations - on two accounts. While it was scary when they were requesting the affidavit, you found out something you wouldn't have known for sure otherwise, although you might have hoped it - that your son was willing to stand by you and support you when it really mattered in a way that counted. Kudos to both of you for that - and of course, Congratulations to you and Alla for getting your visa approval!

Can the next update include you and the Mrs. in some Uncle Sam hats or something? I'm really missing the funny hat pictures. I really looked forward to them every time I saw you posted.

Hey, J.

I just wanted to say to hang in there. You did everything right. These are just small obstacles to overcome. You have come so far.....it's just a matter of time now.

Everything will be just fine.

Hmmm... Didn't you mention, a while back, the cute hats would only be spoke of once. Actually, I've been working a lot lately (even some 16 hour days). I really have barely had enough time to check in here. Might just happen for 4 July. You just never know.

That is completely false information. Pony Express delivers tourist / business visas for the embassy. DHL handles the K1 and CR1 visas.

Great news! Congrats!!!

love the new hats!

Thanks, Jomo's girl motivated me.

Yeeee-Hah!

Congratulations!

Awesome news. Let the party begin. Woo HOO