K-1 expedite request

[gretchen_darren 67]

Question: has anyone ever asked the Embassy for help in expediting a K-1 application from the start? My finace is in the Philippines, in a very poor purok, nowhere near an urban section or town. To get to her village, you have to cross a river on a raft. I emailed the embassy requesting help while I am finishing my paperwork to file this week. I am in hte process of writing the cover letter now requesting expedition based on humanitarian, and extreme emergent situations. I am also planning on contacting my senators/state representatives requesting assistance. I thought I knew poverty until I saw the village. The village made a campground look good. It was very much off the beaten path for anyone but pinoys.

Cheers,

Darren

[monyfer 27]

Hmm. I will be interested in to hear if anyone thinks you can get an expedite request for something like this. My first instinct is to say I doubt it. Lots of people live in extreme poverty, but it doesn't make it a humanitarian emergency. My fiance is living in one of the most violent cities in Mexico because of a the drug war and as far as I am concerned, his life could be at risk every time he steps out his door. But, I doubt the government would even consider that enough of a plight. If anyone thinks it's worth trying though, I would..

[milimelo 4,237]

Doubt the expedite would happen - the fiancee already lived in a difficult place when she met you so nothing has changed.

[Penny Lane 8,159]

Unfortunately, I believe your chances of getting an expedite are low. There's no harm in trying, but prepare for bad news.

[Sergi9 110]

Question: has anyone ever asked the Embassy for help in expediting a K-1 application from the start? My finace is in the Philippines, in a very poor purok, nowhere near an urban section or town. To get to her village, you have to cross a river on a raft. I emailed the embassy requesting help while I am finishing my paperwork to file this week. I am in hte process of writing the cover letter now requesting expedition based on humanitarian, and extreme emergent situations. I am also planning on contacting my senators/state representatives requesting assistance. I thought I knew poverty until I saw the village. The village made a campground look good. It was very much off the beaten path for anyone but pinoys.

Cheers,

Darren

Darren,

The trip to her village on a raft is an "expedition" , the request for USCIS to speed up processing of your forms is

and expedite. You mentioned two criteria ;

Extreme emergent situation

Humanitarian situation

You might want to save yourself time, aggravation and distraction by focusing on the application at hand instead of trying to manufacture a crisis to jump in line ahead of others.

Presumably your fiance has been living in this poor location across the river by raft for quite some time, so that eliminates "emergent" situation, which means something that did not exist before and exists now.

Humanitarian involves much more than running water and working electricity or remote location. If she is subject to something that could potentially kill or torture her perhaps, but it sounds like she is quite nicely paddling her raft to the other side of the river to go to the internet cafe and meet US Citizens.

Good luck

and to the posters who said this is worth a try ? PLEASE.. this call a senator routine costs TIME and if everyone is so concerned about timely processing of applications, they should stop recommending things that gum up the works.

[Penny Lane 8,159]

and to the posters who said this is worth a try ? PLEASE.. this call a senator routine costs TIME and if everyone is so concerned about timely processing of applications, they should stop recommending things that gum up the works.

It's the OP's time to waste if he so chooses. It can't hurt his case. The worst thing that could happen (and as pointed out by numerous people in this thread likely WILL happen) is they could say no.

[Messybrownhair 251]

Such is the case for a lot of people in the Philippines though, she is not the first to go through it.

But I know you are concerned, and that you want her out of there quick, and that's understandable. I don't see any harm in requesting for it on the cover letter, as it is your choice to do so anyway and what's the worse that could happen right? I mean they could (and probably will) say no but at least you tried.

I doubt calling the senator would work though.. When we called to ask them for help, they told us they could not help until we have reached the 5-month mark because that is the standard processing time, and my fiance is in the military.. ^.^

I wish you luck and may you have a speedy journey!

[Messybrownhair 251]

Such is the case for a lot of people in the Philippines though, she is not the first to go through it.

But I know you are concerned, and that you want her out of there quick, and that's understandable. I don't see any harm in requesting for it on the cover letter, as it is your choice to do so anyway and what's the worse that could happen right? I mean they could (and probably will) say no but at least you tried.

I doubt calling the senator would work though.. When we called to ask them for help, they told us they could not help until we have reached the 5-month mark because that is the standard processing time, and my fiance is in the military.. ^.^

I wish you luck and may you have a speedy journey!

[Hicham♥Sara 15]

Even though I am not the OP but as someone who has learned a lot and will probably ask more questions when i start our K1 process sometime in late spring/ early summer,I really appreciate the responses on the thread that are kind and offer advice even though there are certain requirementw for an expedition and unfortunatey this is not a situation that probably would meet the criteria. There again, is no harm in trying. The sarcasm and condescending tone of others is just not right or fair. It is ok to disagree, of course, but respect is a requirement. We are all in this together..

Sarasusan

[Sergi9 110]

Even though I am not the OP but as someone who has learned a lot and will probably ask more questions when i start our K1 process sometime in late spring/ early summer,I really appreciate the responses on the thread that are kind and offer advice even though there are certain requirementw for an expedition and unfortunatey this is not a situation that probably would meet the criteria. There again, is no harm in trying. The sarcasm and condescending tone of others is just not right or fair. It is ok to disagree, of course, but respect is a requirement. We are all in this together..

Sarasusan

Are you and others who are suggesting fling cow dung on the wall and some of it might stick and the expedite that is not really an expedite might get approved... Are you really that patient and kind and loving Koom-bye-yah .. that you encourage others with no legitimate expedite criteria to go ahead and jump the line?

Hmmm is that your definition of "respect" , if so I think it should be mutual. Respect the process and the others in it as well.

As for you and others assuring the OP that "there is no HARM in trying" , first you have no evidence to support that claim and as Bill Clinton may have said, "depends on what the definition of harm is".

If they take your petition out of the normal processing que, you simply have no assurance it will be processed in the same order in which it was recieved, and perhaps every reason to assume after it sits in the expedite pile and gets denied it is sitting in a box in the file room waiting to be recirculated back into the que, I seriously doubt it gets back in line where it originally began. These files are piled in boxes and picked up by adjudicators and worked in batches, the batch it would have been in if kept in line is now GONE ahead and a later box will be where it is put back in line.

So before you assure an OP there is "no harm" in trying something this futile, perhaps you should back up your assertions with some facts by taking a look at denied expedites and how fast they came to fruition after they were denied to back up your "theory".

As for being rude and condescending I prefer a non-sugar coated true assessment over a lovey dovey misinformed one.

[Messybrownhair 251]

Eh.. I don't think it will really cause any harm. They read the cover letter, will choose not to expedite it and so it will just be processed normally. It's not like it will be sent to somewhere special because on the cover letter the OP asked if it could be processed as quickly as possible. There is no formula for a cover letter, if the OP just writes and explains his k1 situation and asks to be processed as quickly as possible, whats wrong with that? It's not like there is a separate form for an expedite, well if there was we did not use one, we just wrote it on the cover letter... This is just my opinion though..

[Penny Lane 8,159]

It's unfortunate when people can't simply give advice without talking down to others.

OP, I hope in all this mess, you've found your answer. I don't suggest trying, but it's your time and your decision. Good luck to you on your journey.

[VinhBao MyTam 3]

OP, perhaps you can help her to get a more suitable place while the process continues.

Is it the I-129f petition you want expedited? Or is it some special consideration in the visa process once it gets there since there is a hardship for her to get into the city?

[gretchen_darren 67]

Thanks for the replies so far. Yes, I do not know of the expedite will be approved or not. However, her situation HAS changed since meeting me. 1) she lives in the Mindanao region of the Philippines. there is a US Embassy travel advisory for this area. (northern end, but still part of the more fractured part of the Philippines. 2) I was the only American to visit the village in the last 2 years. 3) she does not cross the river to talk to people, it just so happens one of the mothers from the village lives here in town with me. We net online due to relatives living close by me. 4) I provided her a laptop, cell phone, and passport already to provide means to communicate with her, and provide support for her and her family. 5) as for gumming up the works, well, let's just say that is america. there are always exceptions to rules not rules with out exceptions as in many other countries. 6) As for sitting untouched or in a separate batch, etc. It is your responsibility to follow up, not their responsibility to let you know. 7) I have provided food for her and her family since we have started dating. Her dad insists she talks with me each and every day. They did not have separate rooms in the house until I provided money to them. The whole village, as well as those along the route (jeepney and bus) now know her and I are engaged to be married. It was a common conversation every day when going back and forth. 8) I bought her the first dress she ever owned 9apart from school uniform) 9) the engagment party was 37,000php.

[gretchen_darren 67]

the family has never been outside of the area they are in. 1) they never have been to mcdonalds or jollibee until I took them. 2) going shopping is a rarity to them. 3) there is nowhere to send while waiting, all of the family pretty much lives in the village from what I know. 4) the furthest I know of them going is butuan or cagayan de oro. 5) I am having her get her vaccinations now, I will be paying for all of these. 6) I also paid for her cousin to take her exams for graduation.