im calling out anyone who got a interview for the summers months

[JustUs 3]

I went on the us.gov website to see there was any information regarding how someone could raise a concern about an embassy - this lead me to an open chat with a customer service rep. Below is the chat:

: I am a US citizen who has begun the petitioning process to bring my husband to the US from Ghana. In conversations with a number of other citizens in the same process we have concerns about the significant delay in getting visa interviews in Ghana in comparison to other embassies. We are trying to find out who we can raised our concerns with.

: There have been other problems working with the embassy in Ghana and we want to raise those concerns as well.

Danielle M.: Please give me a few moments to do some research and retrieve information for you.

: ok

Danielle M.: The following USA.gov web page provides information and resources for obtaining visa application status.

http://answers.usa.gov/cgi-bin/gsa_ict.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=1385

: I am ok with getting a status on my visa. My question is who do we contact to raise concerns about how the visa process is being handled at the embassy in Ghana?

Danielle M.: U.S. visa applications are handled jointly by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and by the Office of Visa Services at the United States Department of State (DOS). Assistance with questions related to visas is available from these agencies directly.

Danielle M.: You may contact the DOS Office of Visa Services by phone at 1.202.663.1225, or by e-mail at: usvisa@state.gov

Danielle M.: You may call the USCIS National Customer Service Center (NCSC) toll-free, at 1.800.375.5283 (TTY: 1.800.767.1833). Office hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, except federal holidays.

Danielle M.: The United States Department of State (DOS) cannot order a Consular Officer to issue a visa.

Danielle M.: I hope you will find these resources helpful. Is there anything else I can assist you with?

Based on the above - it looks like a good place to start to raise our concerns is through the email usvisa@state.gov. What do you think?

[wb7985 0]

Thanks! i will try to go in and see what i can do- if anything. I will let you know if its true when i try to go in July

When was your case complete at NVC?

my case just got completed last month (April). So with all this talk about Ghana slowing down, who knows whether he will be here by Christmas.

[lori7734 6]

Thanks! i will try to go in and see what i can do- if anything. I will let you know if its true when i try to go in July

When was your case complete at NVC?

i was just in ghana to see my husband in march went to the embassy all they say is they are behind you feel like smacking them in there face i swear.they say u just have to wait ur turn.

[midge and isi 8]

They just don't care- but i will continue to pester them for the next 8 months or what ever it takes to get the visa that we deserve! The rights of an applicant are clear during the interview but what about during this part of the process! and the USC!

Some day we will all look back on this is think- what was a few months! At least Ghana is a safe place and they don't have war to worry about and stuff so our loved ones are safe and not having to live in fear day to day. That we can thank God for.

[Matana74 0]

Ok...so are we all in agreement to start here with DOS?

I just want awareness, true awareness raised about this...I am ready to start this email campaign. It would be great if we can get all the people going through the Ghanaian embassy to start sending emails to DOS...regarding this delay. Regardless of where they are in the process…a backlog today of a couple months could be a backlog of a few years tomorrow.

Please be mindful that our emails need to be as factual as possible about our cases and concerns and not emails that could appear to be "yelling"...we want to send out emails in the fashion of what we understand of the process compared to what the actual process is...is the process different from embassy to embassy...and if so why...and if not why?...and get answers true answers...I want to ask all of my questions and not get the same "scripted" answer.

I think that if we all commit to this wholeheartedly we will get answers, understanding and movement in the embassy. I pray that our cause stirs up questions behind the scenes at the embassy level.

So when do we start?

~Matana74]

[midge and isi 8]

I have been looking around looking for a real contact- am not having much luck to finding someone we can contact. I don't know if anyone has found anyone that we can write to. I looked at committees in the house and senate but not finding something that is clearly and immigration thing- the homeland security committees is about all i can see- unless someone knows of something else. And I dont see if we start to write to our reps that we do both house and senate- What harm will it do?

Do we know any other embassys that are handing out interview dates this far away? It might be worth a look- is there a place we can find this out?

[Evans and Flor 2]

We know that Hillary Clinton is the head of Dept. of State. Since she has been spending alot of time over there, there has to be someone inher office that should know what to do or how to get things going. I have been thinking of this as well. Senators can do so much and Congressmen/women can also do but so much. Unless we can get them all to hear, we arent going to get anywhere. We can all sign a pettion and send to the Dept. of State or send letters of concern. It make take some time but maybe those that are getting started can benefit from this. This is a long wait for alot of us. When I go back to Ghana in July, I plan to call ahead to speak with someone at the embassy. I want to make sure that we are heard and Im not worried about how much damage I may do to my case. I feel that this is a very important step for all Ghana Filers. If some one else has a good idea and how they want to go by doing this, Im all for it. COUNT ME IN!!!!!!!

[midge and isi 8]

Its the DOS we need. I have been looking and he seems like one of the people we might be able to contact http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/biog/123210.htm

The address i believe would be

USA department of state

bureau of african affairs

attn: Johnnie Carson

320 21st Street Northwest

Washington, DC 20451-0001

phone would be:

(202) 647-4000

Any thoughts- i feel like we have to centralize letters to actually accomplish anything because if we send to each of ours (it wont hurt) but it will just seem like one of us is complaining.

[ghana1821 0]

I WANT TO KNOW IS ANYONE GOT A INTERVIEW FOR GHANA FOR JUNE,JULY OR AUGUST FOR GHANA

I fiance'e has a interview in July. This will be his third interview. Everytime they push the next interview out farer.

[midge and isi 8]

Can you fill in your time line-

Also if you dont mind can you let us know why so many interviews- i have heard of two but three? Just to help us all prepare for the interviews. Thanks!

[ghana1821 0]

I have been thinking a lot about this issue. I actually went through the K1 process and had some very awful experiences with the embassy in Ghana. I have stayed in contact with several others who had bad experiences in Ghana. We concluded that the embassy in Ghana is dealing with a lot of scam situations that probably has resulted in there over evaluation of cases. However, some of things that happened just seemed mean spirited at times. The issue with having limited interview dates is just mind boggling. I recently sent an email to the embassy asking if they expected an increase in the available days for CR1 interviews since the k3 visa has ended. So far, I just received an automated response. Bottom line is that I am willing to do my part to raise the awareness of this issue to the right parties. Maybe the result would be an increase in staff at the embassy in Ghana - this I would think should be viewed as a positive move for them. I am just not sure where to begin. As you already stated, we are all from different locations so sending a single letter to a Senator or Congressman will have a small impact. The other challenge is how to reach the larger number of filers in Ghana - they certainly are not on this website. Numbers is what is needed to raise awareness. Then the facts need to be accurate. All we have access to is the information on vj which again only represents a small number of filers. I am not trying to create barriers, I am just at a loss for where and how to begin. If there is a wiser person than me on this site who can come up with a reasonable plan, please keep me in mind.

I can feel your pain. I started my process in March of 09. My fiancee went for his first interview in Jan 2010.

At his first interview he had all the things that was requested in the packet plus more. The person that interviewed my fiancee ask him to come back in March, because they needed to do more administrative work on our case.And they didn't ask him to bring anything else when he comes back. Ok March came, time for his second interview. In the interview the CO ask him, did you know that your soon to be wife have been married before? He said yes! So the guy ask him what was her ex husband's name? He replied. Then the CO ask him why do your fiance'e keep marrying from W Africa? My fiancee replied, I don't know maybe because her dad is from Ghana. So she wants to married to a W African man!!! The CO left the room and came back, then told him to come back in July. He then requested my fiancee to bring proof of me and my ex husband living together over 10 years ago! I've contacted the phone company, the place where we were living, and the electric company. I was unable to get this information, because they don't keep old files past 3 to 4 years. Now my thang is, I didn't know if you are American citizen born, you can't marry who you like. It's more than just me, that has been married more than once. Hell some people get married 3 and 4 times until they get the right person.

However,at this point I started stressing,praying, and of course crying. I explained my problem to my work uncle,and he suggested that I should contacted my congressman in the city which I'm living. Because they did him almost the same way. They kept pushing his wife case back and just nitpicking her for every little thing. So I did, the congressman secretary and I emailed back and forward. My congressman had his secretary to contact the American Embassy in Ghana, to find out what was going on with my case. The only imformation the Embassy gave my congressman is, my case was still in the processing stage and my fiancee has another appointment set for July. The secretary contacted me back to inform me of what was said. She also stated they can't make them give more information than what they wanna give. Now I don't know what's gonna happen in the next interview, but I'm praying for the best. However if I have too, I will go to my Governor.

In so many words they are trying to say this is a fraud case.But if my case was fraud why would I get the congressman involved? Now that would be real stupid of me don't you think? We have more than enough proof of our relationship. We text and call more than anything. We had so many phone records,cards,pictures, letters from friends and family that knew of our relationship, til it's a hot mess!!! LOL The saddest part of it is, they never once ask for these items that they requested.Now that's just a hot stanky mess, why request information and don't look at it?????!!!!

[midge and isi 8]

Wow! The Ghana embassy is really out of control with things. I hope that your July interview will bring you fiance home! Its just crazy- you bring the information but they dont look at it- who cares about your ex-husband. Legally if you are divorced and you didn't request a k-1 twice (in two years i think) then there is no reason for them to hund that information especially if its 10 years old!

July is not that far away, i know in total you have been waiting a long time but things have to turn around!

God bless and take care!

[ghana1821 0]

I have been looking around looking for a real contact- am not having much luck to finding someone we can contact. I don't know if anyone has found anyone that we can write to. I looked at committees in the house and senate but not finding something that is clearly and immigration thing- the homeland security committees is about all i can see- unless someone knows of something else. And I dont see if we start to write to our reps that we do both house and senate- What harm will it do?

Do we know any other embassys that are handing out interview dates this far away? It might be worth a look- is there a place we can find this out?

I'm with you on this!!! However the people in Ghana has been doing people like this 4 @ lease the past 2 years...This happened to my work uncle, while he was trying to bring his wife in from Ghana 2yrs ago..He told me at one time they pushed his wife case back for 6 mths and sending her back for different things. She went to the embassy at lease 4 times bfore making it to the states. However they pushed mines back for 4mths. I've emailed and called the embassy,and they claim there's nothing they can do. I was told my fiancee just have to wait his turn....But this isn't fare too us..They don't care, because it's not them waiting for their husband or wife...

Edited May 11, 2010 by ghana1821

[ghana1821 0]

Wow! The Ghana embassy is really out of control with things. I hope that your July interview will bring you fiance home! Its just crazy- you bring the information but they dont look at it- who cares about your ex-husband. Legally if you are divorced and you didn't request a k-1 twice (in two years i think) then there is no reason for them to hund that information especially if its 10 years old!

July is not that far away, i know in total you have been waiting a long time but things have to turn around!

God bless and take care!

I was thinking the same thing. But that's how they are I guess...At this point in time we have to keep each other in our prayers and stay on our hands and knees with faith of a mustard seed. And God will bring our love ones home....

I wish you the best luck also, and you take care

[midge and isi 8]

Thanks. I guess im lucky either one of us in my case have previous marriage or children. Not that its a bad thing- but to the Ghana embassy its seems like its murder! My only thing is I am still a student and need a co-sponser and hopefully they wont tear us apart for that...... We just have to be strong and keep going. And join the fight that we are trying to start!