Hi everyone,

I am a US citizen and married my husband, a Venezuelan citizen, in February. I submitted petitions for our I-130 and I-129F in March and April, respectively. I am staying in Venezuela until my husband receives his visa but we have already been waiting 5 months and have not received an approval for either. I am not very optimistic that we'll be receiving an approval soon.

Our problem is that it seems I have to leave Venezuela soon and won't be allowed back in, which means that I won't be able to see my husband until he receives his visa for the US. My husband and I don't want to be separated but Venezuela has closed all visa changes within the country, so I can't stay in the country much longer. I came into Venezuela as a tourist and we were married in Merida. Since we got married, my husband and I have been trying to change my Venezuelan visa status to visa de transeunte and the Onidex has closed this department completely. They said this change has to be done outside of the country. So, I went to the Venezuelan consulate in Boa Vista, Brazil and they said that I have to request my visa de transeunte in my country of origin. I called the Venezuelan consulate in NYC and they told me that since I wasn't married in the US they can't give me a visa de transeunte either. My husband and I call the Onidex all the time to see if they've reopened visa changes within the country but up until today it still remains closed. Most of the time when we call and speak to someone they aren't even aware that visa changes are closed, but once they ask around, they confirm that it indeed remains closed. According to Venezuelan law a tourist can only be in the country for 180 days out of the year. I got an extension, and I have one more month left, but I won't be given another one, and once I leave Venezuela I won't be allowed back in for a year.

Does anyone have any advice they can offer? It is my right to receive this visa since I'm married to a Venezuelan citizen, but we have tried everything and have hit a dead end. I really don't want to be separated from my husband but I don't want to stay in the country illegally either. I don't know when my husband's US visa will be approved but if it isn't approved soon and I can't receive my visa de transeunte we'll be separated! Please help!!

Thanks in advance!

Hey girl....

I'm so sorry that you guys are going through such a thing! And I'm more sorry to tell you that nowadays the only way to get ANYTHING from Onidex is bribing someone. Your husband (or his contacts) knows for sure how to get in touch with one of these persons. It's not a nice thing... I'm not proud of it whatsoever, but it's a last resource. You are not the only American citizen I know who has married a Venezuelan person and has had to leave without her/him. If you guys have waited 5 months already, I don't think your approval will take much longer. The situation in Vzla (regarding international affairs) is not in its best moment, so I wouldn't take the risk. Can't you check with your embassy why is the process taking so long?

Cheers and good luck!

PD. Funny... I met my husband in Mérida, at the Hoyo del Queque

Hi!!

Thanks for the reply! Yeah, I've come to the realization that bribing would be our only option. However, I've heard that usually these people don't actually give you valid documents which is a huge risk we would be running as well. We've done everything legally, and you would assume that that is the way you should get things done, so its frustrating that the only way to get things done here is to do them illegally!

I tried to go through the US embassy in Caracas but they told me that unless I'm a Venezuelan resident I can only apply for my husband's visa through the USCIS. I submitted all my paperwork to the USCIS and they have been the ones holding us up. Everytime my parents call (cuz I can't call them from Venezuela)they just say that the petitions are processing. I've tried going through my congresswoman AND my senator and I haven't received satisfactory answers from them either. I'm going to just have to keep waiting I guess.

P.S. I took my husband to Hoyo del Queque for his birthday last year!