The bottom line here is that, we are there. There are Iraqi citizens that put their lives on the line every day to help OUR U.S. SOLDIERS save their own lives. My Brother is on his way there for the 2nd time with the National Guard and his Iraqi interpreter was by his side at all times, pushing him out of danger on occassions and saved his life more then once. Now when his role with OUR military is complete he will most certainly be killed by his own country for helping US Soldiers.
Now as much as I feel each day apart from my sweetie is KILLING me! I will still be alive.

I read somewhere the US let over 7,000 Iragi refugees into the US in 2006. Lots were ex interpreters.

I have moved this to MENA as this hasnt anything to do with visa processing

There's alot going on over there little know about. I've been talking about how bad Afganistan has been for quite a while it's now just being seen as that. It's just a sad situation for everyone.. but don't despair there is good happening too.

They let almost no Iraqis in during 2006. Only about 700 were let in during 2007. Almost 6000 have been accepted this year. My husband is still waiting for his approval so I keep up with this.

Jordan took in ALOT of people from Iraq. This is one of the reasons the embassy in Amman has slowed down so much. Petitions used to go thru Amman in 2-3 months tops...JP..how long did you husband wait for an interview?

Jobs are hard to find there as it is...and now with so many more people, that little country is bursting at the seams.

And....the falafel is smaller (no direct correlation)

There are 2 million Iraqi refugess in Jordan...there are many in Syria as well but not sure of the number.

Orginally our interview was scheduled 10 months out and then was moved up by 5 months which really didnt make much of a difference because we spent all that time in AP

have they done anything about the material support issue? i always thought that was pretty messed up. "Since 2004 thousands of persecuted refugees in need of protection, who pose no threat to national security, are being denied access to asylum and resettlement in the United States due to the unintended consequences of the overly-broad application of the “material support to terrorist organizations” bar (and related bars) to admissions."refugeecouncilusa

if you pay ransoms for kidnapped relatives in iraq, then according to the u.s., you've "materially supported" terrorism, and can be made ineligible to receive a visa. some other examples-

Miguel’s entire immediate family was killed resisting paramilitary attempts to take over the family’s farm while he was away at school. Armed paramilitaries later came to his house and forced Miguel and others to dig graves at gunpoint on a death march, often shooting the gravediggers so that they toppled into the trenches they had just dug. Miguel stated “I never knew when I would be digging my own grave." Miguel is deemed to be ineligible for US resettlement because by digging graves at gunpoint he has provided support to terrorists.

Kalifa, a Somali woman was attacked in her home by members of the United Somali Congress (USC) militia. The men shot and killed both Kalifa's daughter and her husband during the invasion. They blindfolded and handcuffed Kalifa's son, looted the house of valuables, and took her son away in a car. Kalifa's son was held for three months until she paid $2,000 for his release. One week after her son was released, the attackers returned to her house, sexually assualted Kalifa and beat her son and demanded that they vacate their home. Kalifa and her son fled the country, but were denied resettlement in the United States because the theft of household valuables and the ransom paid to the militiamen was deemed material support of terrorism.

really, really messed up.

They are trying to fix the material support problem, but my husband said he has met some Iraqi families denied refugee for that reason so not sure when it will get fixed. I just read some reports on the Department of State website that said they plan to address that problem.

According to all estimates I read and looked at, which are many, there are about 500,000 to 800,000 Iraqis in Jordan. They estimate up to 2 million in Syria. I forget the estimates for Egypt, Lebanon and Turkey which also have sizeable refugee populations though lower than Jordan and Syria. Sweden also took in about 30,000 Iraqis before they had to call it quits. It took my husband 3 attempts over a year to get into Jordan even though he was married to me for two of those attempts. He must work for free as a doctor because he isn't authorized to get paid. Yet if he doesn't work then he loses his skills. Some Iraqi doctors are even required to pay the hospital $100 a month to work in them. The whole situation is frustrating.

I knew Jordan would be slow to process for the spouse visa so I just went ahead and had my husband go the refugee route. He has everything done (interviews, fingerprints, sworn statements, physical exam, etc). It is just the approval and booking the plane tickets that is left. I hate the waiting. We have been married 13 months now, but I know others have had it worse.

I'm not sure where you got that information but the numbers I gave are from Jordan. They have 2 million documented Iraqi's there. The situation is frustrating for both Iraqi's and Jordanians. Jordan's population is roughly 6 million, 2 million Palistinians, 2 million Iraqi's, and 2 million Jordanians. By opening their borders, the government has stopped subsidizing everyday products like bread, eggs, etc.

As far as the visa process, I don't think the American Embasssy is treating the Iraqi's any differently than Jordanians or Palestinians. While I was processing, there was a another gal who's husband was from Iraq and she got her visa before we did. Our timelines were pretty much identical.

I don't think there is any difference in processing visas. That is not what I meant. What I meant is that it was faster to process as a refugee than as a spouse.

The vast majority of Iraqis do not register in Jordan because they can't get visas. My husband got one for three months, but then they wouldn't renew it so now he isn't there legally. This is the case with many of the other Iraqis too. The only place that Iraqis actually bother to register is at the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugee).

Here are some sites you can check out to see what I am saying:

http://www.humanrightsfirst.info/pdf/irp-jordan-syria.pdf

http://www.refugeesinternational.org/conte...try/detail/2941

http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/hom...mp;id=470387fc2

I personally appreciate what Jordan has done for the Iraqis. It is more than most countries and they already had so many Palestinian refugees. Please never think I would criticize Jordan. They really did all they could and they don't have a lot of natural rescources or strong economy to handle such an influx of people. I was just describing what my husband went through.

Oh hon, I never meant for you to think that I thought you were critisizing Jordan. And Yes I do agree with you, they have bitten off more than they can chew. They are already on foreign aid so having all those people there only makes it worse for everyone involved.

Even if you husband is there illegally, he is counted in the pool. Everyone that comes in to the border is counted. These are things we read about daily in Al Rai, a Jordanian Newspaper. There are many conflicting reports online but the 2 million number is what the Mininstry reports (My brother in law works there).

Also I have some family in Iraq so I know exactly what your husband is going through and I sympathize. The situation sucks for everyone involved. Countries like Jordan need more foreign aid for cleaning up W's mess. I don't know where the American Gov't expects these people to go.

Our husbands are going to be on the same plane, I just have a feeling.

lol, I hope that means soon!

I sure wish Ibrahim was on that plane. It's gonna be a longgggggggggggg time til he flies anywhere.

I have the worst time keeping up with where everyone is at. Where is he in the process now?

We started over. Filed the I130 to adjust from the B1 to CR1. Canceled that and he went back to Jordan to work and I refiled an I130 and it is like 2 weeks into California. I just got the NOA1 and he has sent me a new G325A and pics. We were not going to do K3, but dayum the wait could be a year or more on a cr1.

I can only hope the k3 breezes thru quickly and he can come back home. The cat misses him.

jJ

me too but hubby has a little more to do to catch your husband. Keep HOPE alive!

I got a call today from the local agency that handles refugees. They have gotten the request to sponsor my husband after he gets here. They called me to verify that I wanted him to come to my city (lol, of course I do). They are sending back their acceptance today. They also said all we are waiting now on is booking his flight. This means he is approved!!! Hopefully he will get the call from the IOM soon. I am so excited. Not long now.

big big congratulations to u

Thankyou, this is the best news I have heard in a long time!

Nice to see some others filing on behalf of an Iraqi fiancé/spouse on here. I just sent in an I-129F application to get my fiancée over here a month and a half or so ago. She's from Mosul, but has been living as a refugee in Syria (where we met). I just requested an expedite on humanitarian grounds, explaining she's at risk of being deported from Syria and would face extreme danger back in Iraq... hopefully the folks over at the USCIS have some conscience about what Iraqis are going through and approve it.

Did you apply for accelerated processing?

- Daniel

No, we didn't need to apply for accelerated processing. All Iraqis are automatically put into accelerated processing. All of our cases were approved in under a month or even a week after NOA1. At least this is what I know for those of us with Iraqi spouses. I am not sure about fiances because that is a different type of visa. I married my husband in Syria where he was a refugee before moving to Jordan so I can relate to your situation. I wish you the best of luck!

I'm so Jealous!!!


but CONGRATULATIONS!!!

I'm sure your time will come soon too I am sure! Then we can both celebrate reuniting with our husbands.

s and s what visa will he come on ?

Jackie

According to the letter I got and the Department of State website it is an Iraqi P-2 visa. Here is the link that explains it:

http://www.state.gov/g/prm/rls/2008/100742.htm

I'm sorry you have to start all over with your SO. That must be so hard. I really hope the process goes fast for you.