calm me down. 221(g) please

[Ramialbali 23]

Hi Guys,

I had my interview on May 14 for K-3 visa in Jerusalem. The consular officer was nice and everything went fine. He told me that "I have passed the interview" but he killed me when he said "but". He said that I need to provide them with Swiss Criminal Record and Originally certified English translation of my marriage contract, luckily I had a copy of it and I lost the original one. I don't know how. I asked him that according to their packet 3 that they sent me, I need to provide them with police certification from all countries I had resided for at least one year, and as a result I did not have it ready with me, but he said they need it. Then, He gave me a paper saying that I need to provide them with documents that I mentioned above, and my visa denied under section 221 (g). Also, he said," As soon as you mail the documents, they will contact me to send them my passport, don't worry".

I have done both documents, and I emailed the consulate to ask them whether if I can open the enclose envelop of the Swiss Criminal Record to translated it, and their replay was:

Dear Sir;

Thank you for your interest in this case. At present we have no additional questions or concerns that need clarification. This case is pending mandatory administrative processing. If any additional information is needed we will let you know. Unfortunately we are unable to give a precise timetable for when this administrative processing will be completed. Each case is unique. We assure you we will process this case as expeditiously as possible and look forward to being able to provide you with a final determination in the near future.

I freaked out, even they did not answer my question about translation. Anyway, I opened it according to the paper that they gave me in the day of the interview which said that I need to translate all foreign documents, but It was written in 4 languages. I cloesed it and mailed the documents to the consulate. What do you think guys? Calm me down please.

We have been apart more than a month after living together happily for two years rather than stressing about this process. My wife left to the USA to prepare for my arrival. It is so difficult to wake up every day and your love laying next you for two years, and then waking up, and she is not there instead checking my email to read her emails. We were working here together, take trips and laugh and cry together, but now I do not know how long will take this until we will be together again. I don't know if I can endure this stress and my wife too.

Do you think it will take months?!!!! Is there any possibility that they can deny my visa?!!! Please help. Sorry for inconvenience.

Regards

Rami-Becky

Edited June 16, 2009 by Rami-Becky

[catknit 144]

AP or Adminstrative Processing is VERY typical for men out of MENA [Middle East/North Africa] countries as well as some Asians countries. Some applicants wait a few days, some months, some longer. There doesn't seem to be much rhyme or reason to the system [typical names that can cause a hit on one of the security checks may slow AP down].

You did nothing wrong and from your post it sounds like you did an excellent job with your interview. All you need to do is wait at this point...

Depending on the consulate you interviewed with, the members in the MENA forum may be able to give you a bit of a timeline for how long your wait will be.

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

It sounds like you did everything correctly. I'm guessing the consulate employee who read your email didn't even bother to read the question. They just looked up your case, saw the 221(g), and then sent you the standard canned response.

As catknit said, AP is pretty much expected in MENA cases. In most cases, it just means a little extra delay, but the visa usually comes eventually.

[Ramialbali 23]

AP or Adminstrative Processing is VERY typical for men out of MENA [Middle East/North Africa] countries as well as some Asians countries. Some applicants wait a few days, some months, some longer. There doesn't seem to be much rhyme or reason to the system [typical names that can cause a hit on one of the security checks may slow AP down].

You did nothing wrong and from your post it sounds like you did an excellent job with your interview. All you need to do is wait at this point...

Depending on the consulate you interviewed with, the members in the MENA forum may be able to give you a bit of a timeline for how long your wait will be.

It is true. I really did well in the interview beside the consular was nice and helpful even after a while we spent over 10 mins talking about things not related to my case at all. I hope everything will go fine and fast. How can people endure being apart for years! It is difficult. Thank you.

[Ramialbali 23]

It sounds like you did everything correctly. I'm guessing the consulate employee who read your email didn't even bother to read the question. They just looked up your case, saw the 221(g), and then sent you the standard canned response.

As catknit said, AP is pretty much expected in MENA cases. In most cases, it just means a little extra delay, but the visa usually comes eventually.

I hope you are right. The local workers were really rude and not helpful. May be just with me. The one who was preparing for the interview, taking the applications and documents, was really rude. She messed up my application even she asked to pay 400$, and I have to pay just 131$. When I told her that it seems there is something wrong here, and I made clear that I am applying for K-3, she insisted that I have to pay this amount. During the interview the consular recognized and talked to her and asked me to go and took my money back and pay 131$. Also, she used to tell me you do not need this or that, and it turned up I needed everything ,that she denied, during the interview. Luckily the consular officer was American and nice. Hopefully you are right. May be it was some of these lazy workers who replayed to my email and do not bother to check. Thank you.

Rami-Becky

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

It sounds like you did everything correctly. I'm guessing the consulate employee who read your email didn't even bother to read the question. They just looked up your case, saw the 221(g), and then sent you the standard canned response.

As catknit said, AP is pretty much expected in MENA cases. In most cases, it just means a little extra delay, but the visa usually comes eventually.

I hope you are right. The local workers were really rude and not helpful. May be just with me. The one who was preparing for the interview, taking the applications and documents, was really rude. She messed up my application even she asked to pay 400$, and I have to pay just 131$. When I told her that it seems there is something wrong here, and I made clear that I am applying for K-3, she insisted that I have to pay this amount. During the interview the consular recognized and talked to her and asked me to go and took my money back and pay 131$. Also, she used to tell me you do not need this or that, and it turned up I needed everything ,that she denied, during the interview. Luckily the consular officer was American and nice. Hopefully you are right. May be it was some of these lazy workers who replayed to my email and do not bother to check. Thank you.

Rami-Becky

That's also common in Vietnam. The workers are locals, and they are intensely jealous of any other local getting a visa to the US. That's the only reason I can think of for the abysmal way that they treat applicants. They yell at them, call them liars and frauds, tell them they will be denied, and give them false information. The translators have even been known to intentionally mistranslate a statement, apparently to make the statement sound bad to the consular officer. Fortunately, the CO's usually speak the local language, so they know what was actually said. The CO's are generally pretty nice.

Don't worry - I don't think it had anything to do with you personally. Assuming your background is clean, and your name doesn't come up on any watch list, I think you'll get through AP fairly quickly.

Best of luck!

[Ramialbali 23]

It sounds like you did everything correctly. I'm guessing the consulate employee who read your email didn't even bother to read the question. They just looked up your case, saw the 221(g), and then sent you the standard canned response.

As catknit said, AP is pretty much expected in MENA cases. In most cases, it just means a little extra delay, but the visa usually comes eventually.

I hope you are right. The local workers were really rude and not helpful. May be just with me. The one who was preparing for the interview, taking the applications and documents, was really rude. She messed up my application even she asked to pay 400$, and I have to pay just 131$. When I told her that it seems there is something wrong here, and I made clear that I am applying for K-3, she insisted that I have to pay this amount. During the interview the consular recognized and talked to her and asked me to go and took my money back and pay 131$. Also, she used to tell me you do not need this or that, and it turned up I needed everything ,that she denied, during the interview. Luckily the consular officer was American and nice. Hopefully you are right. May be it was some of these lazy workers who replayed to my email and do not bother to check. Thank you.

Rami-Becky

That's also common in Vietnam. The workers are locals, and they are intensely jealous of any other local getting a visa to the US. That's the only reason I can think of for the abysmal way that they treat applicants. They yell at them, call them liars and frauds, tell them they will be denied, and give them false information. The translators have even been known to intentionally mistranslate a statement, apparently to make the statement sound bad to the consular officer. Fortunately, the CO's usually speak the local language, so they know what was actually said. The CO's are generally pretty nice.

Don't worry - I don't think it had anything to do with you personally. Assuming your background is clean, and your name doesn't come up on any watch list, I think you'll get through AP fairly quickly.

Best of luck!

Thank you. But, I think the case in the US Consulate in Jersualem is different. Most of the workers are Jews and I am Palestinian and you know the situation here in my country "war". May be I am wrong and she just did not know anything, but she was giving me false information.

Thank you again. It helped

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

Thank you. But, I think the case in the US Consulate in Jersualem is different. Most of the workers are Jews and I am Palestinian and you know the situation here in my country "war". May be I am wrong and she just did not know anything, but she was giving me false information.

Thank you again. It helped

Ok, the reasons are different, but the results are the same. The Jews are still locals, and not Americans. The reasons they don't like you are different from the reasons the Vietnamese locals don't like the applicants there, but the net effect is the same - they treat you badly.

And yes, most of the time the local employees know very little about the visa process. You and your American fiancee should probably learn as much about the process as you can so that you don't have to depend on consulate employees for information, and when you get incorrect information from an employee you should point it out to the CO.

This is a pretty common problem. It's too expensive for the US government to send Americans to work at consulates and embassies around the world for jobs that don't require much skill and don't pay very well. So, they hire locals to work there.

[emt103c 10]

In his case the AP is just for the two documents she didn't supply. Once those are submitted, the visa will probably be issued. . . .he just got a canned response. . .many of us have had that happen. . .a lot. . .

Edited June 17, 2009 by emt103c

[AmmAr 0]

hi rami, hi all

YES' for sorry bro.. we have been in the same hole.

i have never thought that i would be in security check or having any problem with our cases. and think the consulate in jerusalem been worst consulate ever around the world and we don't know why, even we must have better treatment to get visa, so if there is a Jewish workers then they must help us for immigration :huh:

yes bro i still in the AP hole since January2009 and i really hope we scape from this whole soon. wish best for both cases ,,,

CHEERS

AMMAR

[No-Where-Man 147]

hi rami, hi all

YES' for sorry bro.. we have been in the same hole.

i have never thought that i would be in security check or having any problem with our cases. and think the consulate in jerusalem been worst consulate ever around the world and we don't know why, even we must have better treatment to get visa, so if there is a Jewish workers then they must help us for immigration :huh:

yes bro i still in the AP hole since January2009 and i really hope we scape from this whole soon. wish best for both cases ,,,

CHEERS

AMMAR

im srry to hear this

but i think the guys gave u the answer u need

noithing to do but to wait ...Good Luck

[oo27 0]

hi rami, hi all

YES' for sorry bro.. we have been in the same hole.

i have never thought that i would be in security check or having any problem with our cases. and think the consulate in jerusalem been worst consulate ever around the world and we don't know why, even we must have better treatment to get visa, so if there is a Jewish workers then they must help us for immigration :huh:

yes bro i still in the AP hole since January2009 and i really hope we scape from this whole soon. wish best for both cases ,,,

CHEERS

AMMAR

im srry to hear this

but i think the guys gave u the answer u need

noithing to do but to wait ...Good Luck

Have your US citizen wife contact her local congressman, and US Senators office. Explain your situation to them, and they will do something to expedite the process.

[L179 1]

sorry to hear this...

best of luck

[Enlighten one :) 5]

This is common. You are in good standing with your interview it sounds. You can expect an average wait of 6-8 months, but can go over a year.