HUSBAND'S VISA DENIED - FEBRUARY 2010

[Lizz&Mohamed 2]

HELLO VJ,

An update on our case: My husband's visa was denied by the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, Egypt because the interviewer felt in her opinion that my husband did not know enough about me. For one, he answered by birthdate with the Egyptian format and he did not know enough about my short stay in a different state. I did not share so much about this part of my life with him only because it is when I ended my relationship with my childrens father & my younger sister passing away. It was a horrible time in my life & I chose to just try to forget it. Because of this mistake however, my husband did not answer an question correctly & his visa was denied on the spot. When I tried to obtain information from the Embassy on this, of course my email went unanswered and my calls were not successful either. They could not give me the exact reason for the denial. At this point, I contact my CONGRESSWOMAN's office & got them involved! It is amazing, that as soon as the Embassy in Cairo received a formal request/inquiry into our case the Embassy sent them a letter with the reasons why he was denied. One point was the fact he did not answer if I worked during my brief stay in the other state & that he did not know how long I lived in my current apartment...When I mentioned this to my husband he swore to God/ALLAH & promised me that he was NEVER, NEVER asked about the length of stay in my current apartment but did admit he did not answer the one question about my employment status in this other state I lived in. He did state that she addressed heavily our age difference and how his family felt about that. He fully explained that his family is fully supportive of our marriage even with a 10year age difference and how he looks much older than his true age as I look much younger than mine...but in the end, her reason for the denial was that he did not know enough about me. Never even mentioning our age difference. Anyway, the case gets kicked back to the United States, USCIS, Calfironia Center for further review. My husband did tell me that when he was waiting for his interview that there was a couple there for their interview with a noticeable age difference: the American wife in her 50's and the Egyptian husband in his early, early 20's. Their visa was approved on the spot. Is it because he was a Christian Egyptian perhaps and not Muslim? Was it because she accompanied him on the interview and my husband was alone? I would hate to think that a visa can be denied on an age or religious discrimination but I don't know what to think at this point. It is my hope of course that I am completely wrong about this...

Now, USCIS received the file back on April 13, 2010 & since then, I have check my case status online on a daily basis with no result. I have placed a few calls and have spoken to USCIS representatives that have informed me that they have up to 6months, 180 days for them to make the final decision on our case and for me to be patient, stop calling them and wait for their result/answer in the mail. I asked if I could submit new supporting evidence in the meantime, that they can add to our file and they said NO. That they do not recommend that I do this because they cannot guarantee the evidence will even get attached to the file. Well needless to say, I sent in new supporting evidence anyway!!! I attached their I-797 Notice of Action letter, a cover letter explaining to them my family's emotinal distress because my husband is not with us, I also attached my last trip back to Egypt in April 2010 paperwork. I took my children and a niece and took daily pictures of our 21day stay there, phone logs from our multiple, daily calls between my husband and I and the most up to date email messages...I sent enough for USCIS to see that there is an ongoing marriage/relationship between my husband and my family/children and his family back in Egypt. After doing so, I called them again and asked if they could tell me if my evidence made it in and attached to my case and their answer was again, that they have no way of knowing these things and told me that they had not asked for any information and asked why I did this...I was appauled and told them of the emotinal distress I and my children are experiencing not having my husband with us and not knowing that they have our fate in their hands. That it is our wish for them to consider the new supporting evidence and even consider talking to me and my children before they make a final decision that can potentially destroy my family. She tried to calm me down and told me that their current processing time is 120 days & that I may possibly know the final decision about my husband's case by August 13th, to be patient and wait until then before placing another call. At this point, I contacted my Congresswoman's office again and updated them on the case as they asked me to do. When I did this, she told me that they had heard from the State Dept. and that they told them the original reason for denial of the visa was due to me filing the wrong visa for him...how can this be a wrong visa? I first started a K-3 Visa process but later changed it to a CR-1 Visa that I was told I could do? State Dept. also told them that they did not have our case & for them to contact USCIS but when when calls USCIS for a case status, they refer her to State Dept.??? This is crazy!

My question is now, do I sit tight and wait for USCIS to contact me or do I continue to be actively involved in the case and risk upsetting USCIS with my constant phone calls? I am so upset because I don't have my husband yet...I am a nervous wreck because my family's fate is in their hands and I am scared to death that they will deny our case once again. Has anyone experience this? Please forgive me if I may sound a bit irrational but time is clicking away on our case and I am only worried that my family will face another disappointment...I am an American Citizen, who fell in love and married an Egyptian/Muslim man, who happens to love me and my children dearly. His family has met all of us and welcomed us into their family...We just want to be given our right to be together as a family...Any suggestions and comments are welcomed. I need all the help and support possible.

Thank you for hearing my case out and look forward to any sign of hope...

Sincerely,

Lizz&Mohamed

[DanniandMary 1]

Hello Lizz,

My heart goes out to you. I do not have my timeline filled out (mostly due to depression after our denial last December)but my husband is from Algeria and he was denied his visa at the interview in December 2009. Our case came back to USCIS Feb. 9. I called daily to USCIS and of course got the same story every day to wait 180 days. Well, I called July 20 (not quite 180 days) and told them that I had waited 180 days already and they have filed a request to look into our case since it is past the processing time. Since then our file has been touched twice. We were told we would get an answer within 45 days (either denide, approved for another interview or request for more proof). I had also asked like you in the past if we could go ahead and send more proof in and was also told "no". Hang in there. There is hope but unfortunately we have to wait the time they give us. I think that USCIS makes us wait the full waiting time to see if we are "hanging in there" and not just "looking for a visa". This is my opinion. I think they hope that some people give up and forget about the case because it is too much work but for people like us that are truly in love and married, we will make it incha allah. My husband is also Muslim and we are 10 years apart so you and I seem to have a lot in common except for the countries our husbands live in. Keep hope and faith Lizz! We will be with our husbands soon incha allah.

Your sister,

April

[wendy&tamer 10]

I dont think it had much to do with your husband being alone for his interview or that he is muslim and you are not. I am christian and Tamer is muslim and Tamer was alone for his interview ( I couldnt attend due to work). They look at many factors, not just one. I hope that with new evidence they can see that you love your husband and he loves you. I dont think staying active in your case is bad, Im not sure calling every day is a good idea, maybe tone it down to once a week just to check the status. I wish you the best and hope this nightmare will end for you. Keep in mind you should be willing to share all with your husband (good and bad). Being confident and honest during an interview is the most important. I pray this time will be more positive for you. You must be willing to look at other reasons this could have been kicked back. Like I said, Im not sure it was just one reason. I could be wrong, its just an opinion. Take care and Im here if you need to talk or vent.

[Zai & Gary 6]

I don't have any personal experiences in your type of situation and I don't have a solution for you but I have a friend who called them every day and then received a letter in the mail informing him that if he continued calling they would automatically close his wife's visa case. I don't know if they could actually do that or not but he stopped calling and eventually her visa was approved. As difficult as it is being separated from our loved ones we all have to wait and know that upon starting the process.

[Lizz&Mohamed 2]

Hello Lizz,

My heart goes out to you. I do not have my timeline filled out (mostly due to depression after our denial last December)but my husband is from Algeria and he was denied his visa at the interview in December 2009. Our case came back to USCIS Feb. 9. I called daily to USCIS and of course got the same story every day to wait 180 days. Well, I called July 20 (not quite 180 days) and told them that I had waited 180 days already and they have filed a request to look into our case since it is past the processing time. Since then our file has been touched twice. We were told we would get an answer within 45 days (either denide, approved for another interview or request for more proof). I had also asked like you in the past if we could go ahead and send more proof in and was also told "no". Hang in there. There is hope but unfortunately we have to wait the time they give us. I think that USCIS makes us wait the full waiting time to see if we are "hanging in there" and not just "looking for a visa". This is my opinion. I think they hope that some people give up and forget about the case because it is too much work but for people like us that are truly in love and married, we will make it incha allah. My husband is also Muslim and we are 10 years apart so you and I seem to have a lot in common except for the countries our husbands live in. Keep hope and faith Lizz! We will be with our husbands soon incha allah.

Your sister,

April

Thank you so much April for your kind words. It is my hope that all of us who are in the boat (sort of speak), are reunited with our husbands as soon as possible.

Lizz&Mohamed

[Lizz&Mohamed 2]

I dont think it had much to do with your husband being alone for his interview or that he is muslim and you are not. I am christian and Tamer is muslim and Tamer was alone for his interview ( I couldnt attend due to work). They look at many factors, not just one. I hope that with new evidence they can see that you love your husband and he loves you. I dont think staying active in your case is bad, Im not sure calling every day is a good idea, maybe tone it down to once a week just to check the status. I wish you the best and hope this nightmare will end for you. Keep in mind you should be willing to share all with your husband (good and bad). Being confident and honest during an interview is the most important. I pray this time will be more positive for you. You must be willing to look at other reasons this could have been kicked back. Like I said, Im not sure it was just one reason. I could be wrong, its just an opinion. Take care and Im here if you need to talk or vent.

Thank you Wendy for your words. It is not that I purposedly set out to keep this part of my life from my husband...it is how I was dealing with all the stress in my life at that time. The stress behind any relationship ending, especially where children are involved and my young sister dying of breast cancer and I being far away in another state away from her during her last days are difficult...I have to live with that for the rest of my life, not seeing my sister alive in before her passing...This put me in such a deep state of depression and it is why I packed all my belonging and brought me and my children back home to live near my family. My husband now nows all this information and completely understands why i did not share this with him so openly. My point to this whole thing was that had I even married an American Citizen, I don't think I would have shared this with him. I thought certainly the person conducting these interviews could understand that it is impossible to share my entire life (from day I was born to current) with my husband, who by the way is still limited in English. I simply shared key points in my life. No matter what, I am prepared to travel to Cairo if they grant him a second interview to support him through all of this process again. Apparently, the woman appeared to be a bit upset and harsh with her questions during the interview and my husband of course was intimidated by this. Thank you again though for your kind words and will make sure I keep updating our case here in VJ to get everyone's feedback.

Lizz&Mohamed

[Lizz&Mohamed 2]

I don't have any personal experiences in your type of situation and I don't have a solution for you but I have a friend who called them every day and then received a letter in the mail informing him that if he continued calling they would automatically close his wife's visa case. I don't know if they could actually do that or not but he stopped calling and eventually her visa was approved. As difficult as it is being separated from our loved ones we all have to wait and know that upon starting the process.

Hello Zai & Gary,

I guess I should clarify that I was not calling USCIS daily to get a case status check. I simply go in the USCIS webiste and electronically check the status that way. Since April 13th, I have placed maybe a total of 4 calls to them, asking them if I could mail them new supporting evidence, if they received it and of course added if they had reached a decision yet. My plan is to call them by August 13th (4months exactly) and ask again if they can provide me with my case status.

Lizz&Mohamed

[illnevergetthis 5]

I am sooo sorry to hear what you are going through. I know how frustrating it is to be sent back and forth between the NVC and USCIS. This happened to me with my K3.

I hope that the person at USCIS is correct and that the timeline really is about 120 days. If that is true, you are only a few weeks away from hearing something.

The people that answer the phones do not have much information and I have found that they do not always give correct information. You can check your case online...at least in between your calls. I really hope that you get good news soon!!!!

[Lizz&Mohamed 2]

I am sooo sorry to hear what you are going through. I know how frustrating it is to be sent back and forth between the NVC and USCIS. This happened to me with my K3.

I hope that the person at USCIS is correct and that the timeline really is about 120 days. If that is true, you are only a few weeks away from hearing something.

The people that answer the phones do not have much information and I have found that they do not always give correct information. You can check your case online...at least in between your calls. I really hope that you get good news soon!!!!

Thank you so much. It is a relief to see that I am not alone in this part of the process. I just wish I could also hear from the ones that have gone through this & could give me some insight on what I have to look forward to with USCIS in this part of the process. Like did they wait the 180days for their decision, was it postitive or negative decision? what aptions are available for me....etc.

Thank you again.

[illnevergetthis 5]

I know, there really isn't a place on VJ that you can research this.. There are no timelines to track.

There is a pinned topic in MENA. I've never read the whole thing. Don't start reading before page 11 because that portion is all about getting the topic pinned. It discusses what to do if this happens to you.

That is good that you have a congresswoman that is helpful. I can't say the same for my state. Keep your chin up, insha allah, this will come to a happy ending and you won't have to wait long.

[Zai & Gary 6]

Hello Zai & Gary,

I guess I should clarify that I was not calling USCIS daily to get a case status check. I simply go in the USCIS webiste and electronically check the status that way. Since April 13th, I have placed maybe a total of 4 calls to them, asking them if I could mail them new supporting evidence, if they received it and of course added if they had reached a decision yet. My plan is to call them by August 13th (4months exactly) and ask again if they can provide me with my case status.

Lizz&Mohamed

My apologies Lizz. I misunderstood. As for the website, hey you can check it as much as you like. Don't lose hope. This process is nerve racking so we all understand your frustration. We are all behind you. Our prayers are with you both.

Gary

Edited July 31, 2010 by Zai & Gary

[wendy&tamer 10]

Yes we are all praying for you, I understand the stress of a marriage ending (mine did after 12 yrs and 2 kids) and I too have lost a brother (when he was 11 and I was 9, a very tragic accident). I pray you find strength in all of this. When you go in this time, go with confidence in your love for each other and it will bring you the courage to face all this together. I am really hoping you have a much better interview experience this time and you will able to bring your husband home with you. I do think it is beneficial for you to be there this time, I think it is very important for them to see how you are together (strong as one). You have a very brave and admirable strength, that we can all see. I love the determination in you, you will overcome this obstacle. Try to remain calm and know it will come, remind yourself each day that its a new day and one day closer to having your husband with you. Im sure your kids will be so happy when you will bring him home with you and you can be a family. I wish you the best and keep us updated, if you need a shoulder we are here. We all learn something new from our spouses each day no matter how we think we know them. Over 4 years I have talked to Tamer almost every single day and I still find more and more things about him and his family that remind me why I love him and I love his family too. They have been so wonderful to me and my kids over the years and I look forward to a future with him and them. I am sure you feel the same. Try to rest your mind from time to time and take a break with your kids. Enshallah all will be fine this time.

Masalama

wendy

[Boiler 43,865]

Do you have a Lawyer involved.

My first thought was I doubt very much they have any issues with your commitment to the marriage so more evidence along those lines will not make any difference.

From a practical point of view it may be better for you rather than him to consider moving.

[mustafa1232 3]

HELLO VJ,

An update on our case: My husband's visa was denied by the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, Egypt because the interviewer felt in her opinion that my husband did not know enough about me. For one, he answered by birthdate with the Egyptian format and he did not know enough about my short stay in a different state. I did not share so much about this part of my life with him only because it is when I ended my relationship with my childrens father & my younger sister passing away. It was a horrible time in my life & I chose to just try to forget it. Because of this mistake however, my husband did not answer an question correctly & his visa was denied on the spot. When I tried to obtain information from the Embassy on this, of course my email went unanswered and my calls were not successful either. They could not give me the exact reason for the denial. At this point, I contact my CONGRESSWOMAN's office & got them involved! It is amazing, that as soon as the Embassy in Cairo received a formal request/inquiry into our case the Embassy sent them a letter with the reasons why he was denied. One point was the fact he did not answer if I worked during my brief stay in the other state & that he did not know how long I lived in my current apartment...When I mentioned this to my husband he swore to God/ALLAH & promised me that he was NEVER, NEVER asked about the length of stay in my current apartment but did admit he did not answer the one question about my employment status in this other state I lived in. He did state that she addressed heavily our age difference and how his family felt about that. He fully explained that his family is fully supportive of our marriage even with a 10year age difference and how he looks much older than his true age as I look much younger than mine...but in the end, her reason for the denial was that he did not know enough about me. Never even mentioning our age difference. Anyway, the case gets kicked back to the United States, USCIS, Calfironia Center for further review. My husband did tell me that when he was waiting for his interview that there was a couple there for their interview with a noticeable age difference: the American wife in her 50's and the Egyptian husband in his early, early 20's. Their visa was approved on the spot. Is it because he was a Christian Egyptian perhaps and not Muslim? Was it because she accompanied him on the interview and my husband was alone? I would hate to think that a visa can be denied on an age or religious discrimination but I don't know what to think at this point. It is my hope of course that I am completely wrong about this...

Now, USCIS received the file back on April 13, 2010 & since then, I have check my case status online on a daily basis with no result. I have placed a few calls and have spoken to USCIS representatives that have informed me that they have up to 6months, 180 days for them to make the final decision on our case and for me to be patient, stop calling them and wait for their result/answer in the mail. I asked if I could submit new supporting evidence in the meantime, that they can add to our file and they said NO. That they do not recommend that I do this because they cannot guarantee the evidence will even get attached to the file. Well needless to say, I sent in new supporting evidence anyway!!! I attached their I-797 Notice of Action letter, a cover letter explaining to them my family's emotinal distress because my husband is not with us, I also attached my last trip back to Egypt in April 2010 paperwork. I took my children and a niece and took daily pictures of our 21day stay there, phone logs from our multiple, daily calls between my husband and I and the most up to date email messages...I sent enough for USCIS to see that there is an ongoing marriage/relationship between my husband and my family/children and his family back in Egypt. After doing so, I called them again and asked if they could tell me if my evidence made it in and attached to my case and their answer was again, that they have no way of knowing these things and told me that they had not asked for any information and asked why I did this...I was appauled and told them of the emotinal distress I and my children are experiencing not having my husband with us and not knowing that they have our fate in their hands. That it is our wish for them to consider the new supporting evidence and even consider talking to me and my children before they make a final decision that can potentially destroy my family. She tried to calm me down and told me that their current processing time is 120 days & that I may possibly know the final decision about my husband's case by August 13th, to be patient and wait until then before placing another call. At this point, I contacted my Congresswoman's office again and updated them on the case as they asked me to do. When I did this, she told me that they had heard from the State Dept. and that they told them the original reason for denial of the visa was due to me filing the wrong visa for him...how can this be a wrong visa? I first started a K-3 Visa process but later changed it to a CR-1 Visa that I was told I could do? State Dept. also told them that they did not have our case & for them to contact USCIS but when when calls USCIS for a case status, they refer her to State Dept.??? This is crazy!

My question is now, do I sit tight and wait for USCIS to contact me or do I continue to be actively involved in the case and risk upsetting USCIS with my constant phone calls? I am so upset because I don't have my husband yet...I am a nervous wreck because my family's fate is in their hands and I am scared to death that they will deny our case once again. Has anyone experience this? Please forgive me if I may sound a bit irrational but time is clicking away on our case and I am only worried that my family will face another disappointment...I am an American Citizen, who fell in love and married an Egyptian/Muslim man, who happens to love me and my children dearly. His family has met all of us and welcomed us into their family...We just want to be given our right to be together as a family...Any suggestions and comments are welcomed. I need all the help and support possible.

Thank you for hearing my case out and look forward to any sign of hope...

Sincerely,

Lizz&Mohamed

hi Lizz&Mohamed first of all iam sorry for your husban visa denied dont worry every thing is going to be normal again inshallaha and please dont panic and dont hurry up every thing done its own right time wait for right time your case is so simple and easy your husband case is only number of evidence and proof and your husband is going for his second interview soon inshallaha so beprepared and ready for your husband second interview in your husband visa cr1 interview case the mistake is in your side first of all write a letter to uscis nvc and dos which is something like that for example iam the petationer of my husband benifecery iam the responsible of my husband visa denied because of my previous marriage life and my personal family matter at that time iam so depress and a lot of tention in my mind about my previous past marriage at that time i dont share my story of my past life with my husband because it is horrible at that time i dont want that my husband involve in my past previous life because iam trying to forget my whole horrible past previous life because of my depression and deep tention so in that situtation my husband is inocent because he is completely blind of my past life so iam request you to please consider my husband visa cr1 petation on humanity ground

if you go to your doctor weekely or monthly basic for your routine check up take a report to your doctor about your depression and tention for example doctor write a report on hospital or clinic letter head she is my regular routine patient at that time she is so depress or in deep tention her conditition is mentally and physically so bad at that time her decision making power is not in her control or she is not able to make any right decision it completely up to doctor or she mentally disturb what ever your condition is that time if doctor give you that report this report is a rock solid proof and evidence for your husband cr1 visa case send a letter and doctor report to uscis nvc and dos with complete details

this letter is necessary because consular officer thought the mistake is in your husband side and he is responsible of visa denied and your husband interview is a negtive effect of your husband cr1 case because some time consular officer thought this marriage is only purpose for green card or this is temparry agreement based marriage

Edited August 1, 2010 by mustafa1232

[Lizz&Mohamed 2]

Yes we are all praying for you, I understand the stress of a marriage ending (mine did after 12 yrs and 2 kids) and I too have lost a brother (when he was 11 and I was 9, a very tragic accident). I pray you find strength in all of this. When you go in this time, go with confidence in your love for each other and it will bring you the courage to face all this together. I am really hoping you have a much better interview experience this time and you will able to bring your husband home with you. I do think it is beneficial for you to be there this time, I think it is very important for them to see how you are together (strong as one). You have a very brave and admirable strength, that we can all see. I love the determination in you, you will overcome this obstacle. Try to remain calm and know it will come, remind yourself each day that its a new day and one day closer to having your husband with you. Im sure your kids will be so happy when you will bring him home with you and you can be a family. I wish you the best and keep us updated, if you need a shoulder we are here. We all learn something new from our spouses each day no matter how we think we know them. Over 4 years I have talked to Tamer almost every single day and I still find more and more things about him and his family that remind me why I love him and I love his family too. They have been so wonderful to me and my kids over the years and I look forward to a future with him and them. I am sure you feel the same. Try to rest your mind from time to time and take a break with your kids. Enshallah all will be fine this time.

Masalama

wendy

Shokran Wendy for you kind words again. I feel as if you totally understand my struggle...I am placing my faith in God/Allah that he will reunite my husband and I soon but it is just difficult when your patience is tested as it is when USCIS has no news or final decision on our case. This month is a year from when I first submitted our I-130 paperwork. A year without having him with me kills me a little each day. Moh's patience wears thin sometimes but he always is the one that reminds me that Allah will see things through for us. While I do understand that Homeland Security/USCIS has a hard task at hand with the Immigration process, I hope they understand that there are so many families being torn, kept apart from each other all due to a flaw in their process or with their delay in processing cases. Insha Allah - our case is finalized soon and that it is a positive outcome. I can't even bring myself to think of the possibility of USCIS denying the visa permanently. I know that if that were to happy that I can appeal their decision but I hear it can be costly because it is recommended for an Immigration Attorney to be hired to appeal the decision...

Wendy, thank you again for you kind words of encouragement. It truly means a lot to me that I am not alone in this process.

Salaam,

Lizz&Mohamed