USCIS ~ Re-Affirms our CR1 Case (APRIL 2011)

[Lizz&Mohamed 2]

Hello VJ family,

It has been awhile since I last posted but here is an update on my case and hope it sheds some light and hope to anyone that is in the same situation.

Our case was returned back to USCIS not based on our age difference at least that is what the CO said but more due to 3questions (so she alleged) that my husband answered wrong. But let me tell you that my husband & I's age difference is 14yrs. Of course, I will tell you that I don't look it but I am sure we all say that. Anyway, I made a BIG mistake and that was by not going back to Egypt to be with my husband for his interview. I was later told by Homeland Security that this was my mistake. But never having gone thru an immigration process at all and by reading on the website that it was not mandatory for me to do so, I simply rested on the most important fact that we "truly loved each other" and that alone would suffice. Boy was I wrong. My husband's visa was denied because according to the CO, he did not know enough about me, we met online and married on my first trip to Egypt. The case was returned back to USCIS, where it stayed here for 13months to be exact. In the 13months, you better believe I was on that phone bi-weekly, then monthly and got my Congresswoman involved in which her office if not monthly on a bi-monthly basis was in contact with USCIS. At around the 11month(MARCH 2011), Homeland Security showed up at my place of employment and caught me by surprise. There were 2male agents and they interviewed me for about 35minutes, both taking turns. One was more easy going and the other was very stone face, very serious minded. I answered all their questions truthfully and offered them more updated evidence: pics, chat and call logs that I happened to have at work but they refused, smiled and tapped on the already thick case file they had in front of them and said that what they had was sufficient. They also said they were there to investigate the validity of our marriage and to report the facts back to USCIS. They asked me to submit the financial part of my trips to Egypt and said once they received it, their report will be typed and given to USCIS for their processing. I asked him for his honest opinion on our case and this is when he told me that my mistake, was not being there at the interview with my husband. That when they see this, they look at the relationship as not being a strong one and that this hurt our case. He then proceeded to tell me that I MUST attend the next one if granted and this is when I asked him what his report would recommend. He said that their report makes no VISA recommendations. That their sole function is to investigate fraudulent marriages and report back the facts. He told me not to worry that I came across very honest and forthcoming about my feelings and marriage and that we have established a strong and bonafide marriage/relationship. That our case will most likely be "re-affirmed" by USCIS and returned back to the Embassy/Consulate in Cairo but again, reminded me to be there for the next interview. The next morning, 7am to be exact, the agent called me and asked me if he could have to docs and I told him, he would get them as soon as I got in to my office that morning. Once in, I sent it to him, he thanked me and said he will be giving his report to USCIS asap.

Now, in APRIL 2011, USCIS sends me a notice of action and informed me that they had "RE-AFFIRMED" our petition and that it was being sent back to NVC and to communicate with them from now on, when I needed a status on our case. I called NVC on April 28th, they still had no record of our case being logged in their system and reminded me that sometimes it can take up to 90days for them to receive a case from USCIS and for it to be recorded in their system. So, I decided to wait before contacting them again. Then in the 3rd week in MAY 2011, I get a called from my husband and he tells me that he had just gotten off the phone with a Consular Officer from Cairo and that they had informed him that they were in receipt of our case and that he needed to update his medical, police report and I-230 and to have me update my I-864 and send all the docs to them via DHL and for him to call them back when he has done so. This past Friday, I sent my husband my updated I-864 via Express Mail and once he gets it, he plans to travel to Cairo to send all the docs via DHL.

With all of this great news, I am afraid to re-joice and allow myself to get so happy and my hopes up again because as we all know, that even with all of this - the CO that will interview my husband again, can deny his visa yet again. So, for now, I will pray and ask GOD/ALLAH to help us in our endeavor and that he shine his light on our case onto these people, who hold our fate in their hands...God Willing = Insha Allah, it will have a happy ending.

This has been an extremely emotional, difficult situation for all of our families. My children, while they communicate with my husband daily via chat/webcam and telephone, still feel the stress over this diffcult ordeal. My children love my husband and I am so blessed to have found a man and his family, who love and accept my children as his own but again, while our love story is like one of a fairytale, it has been mostly a stressful and trying time for all of us. But we are still very much in love and involved in each others lives after 3 long years...I have been told by others, that the Embassy/Consulate looks at this and how we have not given up on our relationship as so many others do. This is one way, that they will maybe see/believe if our marriage is more legitimate/believeable...So for now, I will continue to pray and keep my fingers crossed and hope our journey will come to an end soon. Insha Allah = God willing. I want to add, that I am still able to have children and my husband very much wants to have children with me...something I hope we can start on at least 1 year after living together and getting him settled in to his new life here in the USA. Insha Allah.

Sorry for the long post and again, I hope - it offers anyone else in our same situation some hope.

Sincerely,

Lizz&Mohamed

Mexico & Egypt!

JUST CORRECTED THE MATH IN OUR AGE DIFFERENCE...14 YEARS AGE DIFFERENCE.

My husband also is very eager to start having children as do I and Insha Allah - we can begin this soon.

Lizz&Mohamed

[iwuvcheshert 6]

inshallah... best regards and enoy the great news keep the faith!

[Lizz&Mohamed 2]

iwuvcheshert -

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR WELL WISHES...IT TRULY HELPS ME BECAUSE I HAD LOST HOPE.

LIZZ&MOHAMED

[KLS2010 30]

My thoughts go out to you and your husband!

After such a long and painful road I really hope you have a good outcome this time!

Good luck!

[Amber & Ahmed 133]

Lizz, after reading your post today my heart went out to you and your long ordeal. I will pray for God's will to be done in your situation. Wow I am amazed at how well it seems you have dealt with this! I know it could not have been easy. I wish you all the blessings for your life with your husband! It seems soon you will be hearing some news about his visa! Looking forward to seeing a post from you so soon saying your husband has recieved his visa!

[Mrs O. 29]

Great news! Congratulations because I believe it will only be success from now on!

**Your 2yr anniversary is coming up soon? Then he might get IR1 visa instead of CR1, another bright side!

Edited June 6, 2011 by Mrs O.

[Wendy<3Ahmed 12]

Congrats Lizz, hope everything goes well from here on. I have a friend who is in the same situation you are. Her husband is as well an Egyptian like our husbands but resides in Kuwait due to employement. She as well made the mistake of not appearing to the first interview. Also went by her attorneys suggestion that she did not need to appear and that her husband only bring what the interview letter requested. Big mistakes from the begining. When first sending her original I-130 aplication nothing was sent other than the application, citizenship certificate and the marriage contract. She was very lucky to be approved just with that in just under 5 months. Flew by NVC and got the interview date February 2010. During the interview her husband was asked in many occasions by she wasnt there. Since the file was so small without any supporting evidence, the CO asked for more proof. Being that she listen to her attorney, her husband brought the usual, passport, police report medical exam, pictures... nothign else. Even though she is my best friend, I too as a CO would have denied her visa case. Adding the fact she had only traveled twice to see him in a two years span. I dont think having a full time job is much of an excuse. Many of us have full time jobs and kids from previous marriages. Still seeming to make the sacrafise and travel to see our husband as much as possible. Her case was sent back to the US and receiving a letter from USCIS that they would review her case again on June 2010. With many months of waiting finally in April 2011 she received a RFE and just this month she received a letter of Re-Affirming her case. Its been a long journey for them. Inshallah, they will soon forward her case to the Kuwait Consulate and give her a new interview date.

[saraio 1]

Praying that everything goes well this time. God will do it!

[marymina119 3]

so are u going for the second interview ?

Hello VJ family,

It has been awhile since I last posted but here is an update on my case and hope it sheds some light and hope to anyone that is in the same situation.

Our case was returned back to USCIS not based on our age difference at least that is what the CO said but more due to 3questions (so she alleged) that my husband answered wrong. But let me tell you that my husband & I's age difference is 14yrs. Of course, I will tell you that I don't look it but I am sure we all say that. Anyway, I made a BIG mistake and that was by not going back to Egypt to be with my husband for his interview. I was later told by Homeland Security that this was my mistake. But never having gone thru an immigration process at all and by reading on the website that it was not mandatory for me to do so, I simply rested on the most important fact that we "truly loved each other" and that alone would suffice. Boy was I wrong. My husband's visa was denied because according to the CO, he did not know enough about me, we met online and married on my first trip to Egypt. The case was returned back to USCIS, where it stayed here for 13months to be exact. In the 13months, you better believe I was on that phone bi-weekly, then monthly and got my Congresswoman involved in which her office if not monthly on a bi-monthly basis was in contact with USCIS. At around the 11month(MARCH 2011), Homeland Security showed up at my place of employment and caught me by surprise. There were 2male agents and they interviewed me for about 35minutes, both taking turns. One was more easy going and the other was very stone face, very serious minded. I answered all their questions truthfully and offered them more updated evidence: pics, chat and call logs that I happened to have at work but they refused, smiled and tapped on the already thick case file they had in front of them and said that what they had was sufficient. They also said they were there to investigate the validity of our marriage and to report the facts back to USCIS. They asked me to submit the financial part of my trips to Egypt and said once they received it, their report will be typed and given to USCIS for their processing. I asked him for his honest opinion on our case and this is when he told me that my mistake, was not being there at the interview with my husband. That when they see this, they look at the relationship as not being a strong one and that this hurt our case. He then proceeded to tell me that I MUST attend the next one if granted and this is when I asked him what his report would recommend. He said that their report makes no VISA recommendations. That their sole function is to investigate fraudulent marriages and report back the facts. He told me not to worry that I came across very honest and forthcoming about my feelings and marriage and that we have established a strong and bonafide marriage/relationship. That our case will most likely be "re-affirmed" by USCIS and returned back to the Embassy/Consulate in Cairo but again, reminded me to be there for the next interview. The next morning, 7am to be exact, the agent called me and asked me if he could have to docs and I told him, he would get them as soon as I got in to my office that morning. Once in, I sent it to him, he thanked me and said he will be giving his report to USCIS asap.

Now, in APRIL 2011, USCIS sends me a notice of action and informed me that they had "RE-AFFIRMED" our petition and that it was being sent back to NVC and to communicate with them from now on, when I needed a status on our case. I called NVC on April 28th, they still had no record of our case being logged in their system and reminded me that sometimes it can take up to 90days for them to receive a case from USCIS and for it to be recorded in their system. So, I decided to wait before contacting them again. Then in the 3rd week in MAY 2011, I get a called from my husband and he tells me that he had just gotten off the phone with a Consular Officer from Cairo and that they had informed him that they were in receipt of our case and that he needed to update his medical, police report and I-230 and to have me update my I-864 and send all the docs to them via DHL and for him to call them back when he has done so. This past Friday, I sent my husband my updated I-864 via Express Mail and once he gets it, he plans to travel to Cairo to send all the docs via DHL.

With all of this great news, I am afraid to re-joice and allow myself to get so happy and my hopes up again because as we all know, that even with all of this - the CO that will interview my husband again, can deny his visa yet again. So, for now, I will pray and ask GOD/ALLAH to help us in our endeavor and that he shine his light on our case onto these people, who hold our fate in their hands...God Willing = Insha Allah, it will have a happy ending.

This has been an extremely emotional, difficult situation for all of our families. My children, while they communicate with my husband daily via chat/webcam and telephone, still feel the stress over this diffcult ordeal. My children love my husband and I am so blessed to have found a man and his family, who love and accept my children as his own but again, while our love story is like one of a fairytale, it has been mostly a stressful and trying time for all of us. But we are still very much in love and involved in each others lives after 3 long years...I have been told by others, that the Embassy/Consulate looks at this and how we have not given up on our relationship as so many others do. This is one way, that they will maybe see/believe if our marriage is more legitimate/believeable...So for now, I will continue to pray and keep my fingers crossed and hope our journey will come to an end soon. Insha Allah = God willing. I want to add, that I am still able to have children and my husband very much wants to have children with me...something I hope we can start on at least 1 year after living together and getting him settled in to his new life here in the USA. Insha Allah.

Sorry for the long post and again, I hope - it offers anyone else in our same situation some hope.

Sincerely,

Lizz&Mohamed

Mexico & Egypt!

JUST CORRECTED THE MATH IN OUR AGE DIFFERENCE...14 YEARS AGE DIFFERENCE.

My husband also is very eager to start having children as do I and Insha Allah - we can begin this soon.

Lizz&Mohamed

[wife801 0]

I am really happy for you. I am going through the same process regarding my husband's immigration process. He's been to interview twice and they rejected them both times because they did not believe our marriage had enough supporting facts. I have been married almost two years to my husband but luck is certainly not with me because his case was send back to the uscis. I contacted them this morning and they told me it's not in their system as of yet. The senators office is helping me through this process but it is extremely hard to get a hold of him. Even though after reading your text it gave me hope, it still worries me a little. I am a full time nursing student and I only work about once a week as a server. I just hope they don't show up at my work and start questioning me because that would be extremely awkward as I have not told my co workers that I married my husband when I went to visit India a couple of years ago. Everyone at my school knows though but I didn't tell any of my co workers. I don't know why??? I wasn't trying to cheat or anything but I just didn't think it was anyone's business especially since he was not here. I guess I just didn't want anyone coming over and asking about his process and all that... did they question any of your co workers or managers? If yes, then maybe I should tell my managers..I wonder if they are going to spy on me to see where I go and who i meet? What if I meet some of my guy friends and they think I am not being honest about the marriage? lol...First I thought, this process shouldn't take more than a year because we did everything truthfully but now since it has taken so long and the kind of questions they were asking to my husband...i feel like I am a liar even when i am telling the truth...does that make sense???? lol Did it really take almost a year for uscis to process the case...OMG...especially with the congresswoman's help....please advise me on anything that could be help to me? Good luck to you

[OneLove <3 6]

congrats and best of luck 2nd time around. God willingly you will have your husband with you soon!

[zawgyosama 0]

does anyone know if it will cost me to file a change of address to nvc ?

does anyone know if it will cost me to file at nvc if i choose to move? zawgyosama