DS230 mental health question

[closed-20101014 3]

Can you understand where we are coming from with the anxiety involved in making the wrong decision here?

I ticked NO in I-94 "Do you have a mental disorder" because I thought it was just a copy of the ESTA form I already did. That specifically says "Do you have a mental disorder which POSES risk" etc.

Now I rang the US embassy because I was SO anxious about this and was told my condition does not normally require disclosure on I-94.

But if you say "yes" to the question on DS-230 and heck, if you put in a letter saying "oops sorry I may have misrepresented before" you'll be in it, deep.

To be honest the whole thing is making me consider abandoning this visa because I still don't know the right answer, half saay one thing, the other half says the other. Just because somebody gotr through having said "yes" doesn't mean everyone does, nor will that "yes" have meant half the potential harm as it does to somebody with a "no" on past I-94.

I mean Angelblu's "yes" with the later medical package explanations could have resulted in an adjudicator who thought "well she really needn't have ticked yes, there's nothing that needs disclosure."

My "yes" could well mean "I see that I did this wrong in the past, this is an admission of guilt" - depending on the adjudicator.

So I need the hard fast right answer and as long as there;'s a myriad conflicting opinions I don't think I'll ever have it.

Phoning the US embassy in the morning, several times over to get different peoples' answers.

[closed-20101014 3]

Can anyone link me to the DS-230 in Japanese please as the tenses may be more obvious to me?

[closed-20101014 3]

I wish I had never gone to the USA and this is why I have not been back since despite his family pestering all the while as to why not. I am deathly, deathly afraid of this visa and deathly afraid that I did the wrong thing and that I am about to do thew wrong thing again and fact is I am happy with neither interpretation of the question.

[closed-20101014 3]

Can anyone tell me if it is possible to tick neither box and write on the form "I do not understand this question. Please see attached sheet explaining my situation."

[mamamimi 8]

Answer truthfully as you risk problems down the line if you lie.

Check out my topic on this subject as I went through this and if you need further advice feel free to message me.

http://www.visajourn...arm-depression/

I agree, you are warned not to lie...say the truth...you went thru a bad time and now you are fine.

[Brandi n Michael 8]

Am I correct in assuming this is for the 'Application for Immigration visa and Alien Registration' #40a?

I'm from Canada and had a very similar situation. I answered no because I'm not a harm to myself or others. With the question of medication you will have to have your doctor put the nature of the illness in perspective in letter form. Have him/her write on the letter that must go with you to the medical Symptoms are under control and not likely to reoccur (if that is the case). When I went to the interview, make sure you have health insurance document stating that you are covered medically in the USA. It is not a required thing but anything you have will help. I honestly had no problems. You can PM me if you'd like more information.

Brandi

[mamamimi 8]

Answer truthfully as you risk problems down the line if you lie.

Check out my topic on this subject as I went through this and if you need further advice feel free to message me.

http://www.visajourn...arm-depression/

Just read the thread, I am so happy that everything worked out for you. You are a great help for anyone going thru something similar to your case.

[closed-20101014 3]

Am I correct in assuming this is for the 'Application for Immigration visa and Alien Registration' #40a?

I'm from Canada and had a very similar situation. I answered no because I'm not a harm to myself or others. With the question of medication you will have to have your doctor put the nature of the illness in perspective in letter form. Have him/her write on the letter that must go with you to the medical Symptoms are under control and not likely to reoccur (if that is the case). When I went to the interview, make sure you have health insurance document stating that you are covered medically in the USA. It is not a required thing but anything you have will help. I honestly had no problems. You can PM me if you'd like more information.

Brandi

'Application for Immigration visa and Alien Registration' - not sure which one this is, it's DS-230 (NVC stage) and the risk of alerting them to a possible lie on I-94. I did not lie intentionally on I-94 and tbh I still don't know if I lied or not re. I have aspergers and answered "no" to "do you have a physical or mental disorder" because on the ETSA form online that same question was accompanied with "that poses harm to yourself or opthers." I can't be reassured about this, am sick with worry.

I have visible, recoreded self harm from 10 years prior. Caused by cured depression. But I have aspergers, and that is for life.

[closed-20101014 3]

Then the "or" is the answer to how to answer. The proper answer is "yes." Again, it would be far easier to answer truthfully with an explanation of the situation than it would be to defend a charge of Misrepresentation.

I sdtill don't understand it because the "or" doesn't really help. I had depression because I had no answer to my condition, the doctors had tried me on many drugs and none helped. I have not had depression with self harm) since getting an answer and coming off drugs. If you have an answer to your behaviour, one that allows you to explain yourself, to hold down jobs, that's not going to result in a reoccurance of depression/self harm. So I don't even understand how the "or" would explain it being that I don't suffer from anything that COULD result in harm. I mean christ, I passed a medical to be a registered carer and am frequently left alone with vunerable persons.

I have bouts of extreme sadness over this visa but I don't even think that could be called depression because it's not ongoing, plus I don't self harm nor will I self harm.

And yet answering "no" on I-94 when I have a lifelong incurable developmental disorder is about the stupidest thing I've ever done in my life. And I can't forgive myself for ever going to the US (I mean heck if I'd answered yes I wouldn't have got past immigration anyway.)

And it still wasn't intentional, I thought the whole thing was just a redoing of the ESTA questionnaire. Which clearly stipulates only answer yes if you have current risk of harm.

[closed-20101014 3]

I am really, really absolutely and stunningly confused though, re Angelblu's thread and her worry over the medical as it is re. coming up to medical stage, meaning she already submitted DS-230 and yet there's no mention of worry over ticking "yes" to the omg INADMISSABLE question which is weird to me because I would be, and am, peeing myself over it. The medical questionnaire has nothing on it IMO.

[Casprd 167]

One issue here is that you have answered no on previous I-94's so if you say yes now, there can likely be a problem because in the past you said no. However, the wording of the question is asking if you have had (past or current) a condition that does or may cause (now or in the future). Reading it this way, IMO you can safely answer No because while you have had a past condition, based on your words it does not and will not cause any future problems)

[closed-20101014 3]

One issue here is that you have answered no on previous I-94's so if you say yes now, there can likely be a problem because in the past you said no. However, the wording of the question is asking if you have had (past or current) a condition that does or may cause (now or in the future). Reading it this way, IMO you can safely answer No because while you have had a past condition, based on your words it does not and will not cause any future problems)

Well we are now in a situation of USCIC saying to say yes, and London Embassy of the United States saying to say no, one lawyer saying to say yes, one person having had said yes but the fact remains the form does say, clearly, in boldtype "Aliens in the following categories are inadnissable" question remains if we can't lie or be vaguer on the form why would the form lie?

I am not trying to be abrasive I am genuinely confused and genuinely do not know what to do. Still. Going to try London embassy again in the morning, it's their form right? The form goes in to them.

I still think a good lawyer would be able to answer this better, I'm still not sure they'd even have had experience of a similar case. This is exactly the same issue I am going through and Angelheart is close to my NOA date to boot.

Edited September 28, 2010 by Shirorisu

[Angelheart1962 6]

Upon reading all the answers to my question, I have looked again at the form. This is what it says....are you an alien 'who has or has had a physical or mental disorder that poses or is likely to pose a threat to the safety or welfare of the alien or others; or who is a drug abuser or addict.'

On that basis I am now inclined to say 'no' to that question because while it is true I did have a mental aberration, for want of a better word, I know that the circumstances that led me to it are never likely to be repeated, and I am 100% confident that I will never pose a threat to myself again.

I will see what the immigration lawyer says on Weds just out of interest and let you all know.

Thanks for all the responses, this place is a godsend!

[closed-20101014 3]

Upon reading all the answers to my question, I have looked again at the form. This is what it says....are you an alien 'who has or has had a physical or mental disorder that poses or is likely to pose a threat to the safety or welfare of the alien or others; or who is a drug abuser or addict.'

On that basis I am now inclined to say 'no' to that question because while it is true I did have a mental aberration, for want of a better word, I know that the circumstances that led me to it are never likely to be repeated, and I am 100% confident that I will never pose a threat to myself again.

I will see what the immigration lawyer says on Weds just out of interest and let you all know.

Thanks for all the responses, this place is a godsend!

My husband rang USCIS, they told him to say yes.

I still don't know what to do.

The wording is really confusing and thing is, they asked him to read it out to them so it is not like they knew offhand.

But now I'm on record as haviong rang and been told to say yes, so haha, I guess I'm scuppered. My advice: Find a lawyer, nobody here can agree and I'm still not satisfied with the answers.

[closed-20101014 3]

I guess what I am saying is "I want everyone to have the same opinion" and "I don't want to personally tick yes because it appears to be admitting inadmissability" and also "I'm plain angry I'd be considered inadmissable after fighting and winning over this disorder." I mean it's not like it makes sense is it, for this question to be worded differently on every form, the result of this is that you can get in on some visas (like visa waiver) but for spousal you're inadmissable? Makes no sense at all.

Still can't tell if either of us lied on I-94, given the "grey area" advice I got from London Embassy. Like I say, most people have some kind of "physical or mental disorder." I'm hard of hearing too, actually COMPLETELY FORGOT BOUT THAT on all these applications.