Petition to help change AP wait times

[Daria8885 1]

Hi, my name is Daria and my husband has been in AP for one month. I want to try and do something because otherwise we are just sitting her waiting and waiting. I figured this couldn't hurt.

Please sign this petition it might help us out and even if it doesn't help who will it hurt?

No one is going to stand up for us in this matter so we must do it ourselves.

http://wh.gov/4E9

Go to that link and sign the petition share it with your friends there is only a short amount of time to get a ton of signatures.

Thank you in advance

Daria L. Camargo

[milimelo 4,291]

There is NOTHING you can do to speed up the process. You have to allow the consulate and any other agencies they're using to do AP to do their jobs. Have some patience, some people waited over a year in AP.

[Ban Hammer 12,903]

one post removed for rude remarks towards a member, post returned below minus certain parts that violate tos.

I know people have waited much longer than me. That is the point of this petition to try and speed up this process. It is very flawed and while there are people jumping the border and over staying their visas me and many others are doing this the right way and still suffering for it.

I am just trying to stay positive through all of this and find something that eases all the pain I am going through. If it is a petition that brings people together to try and help so be it!

note the link goes to whitehouse.gov and A whitehouse.gov account is required to sign Petitions - i.e. one must register and provide an email to do so.

[Daria8885 1]

Yep I know. It's just a petition talking about reforming certain aspects of AP(such as the time factor) and signing up is easy.

[carolynhotstuff 252]

I believe that Administrative Processing can be done faster in certain cases. After the interview how long does it actually take for the CO to send a case for security checks? Does the CO really have to put a case in AP for 2 years just to decide he is going to deny a visa because he doesn't think the relationship is real or as in one case the CO felt the couple was already married when they filed a K-1 petition.

There used to be a time when they would tell you your case was in security checks. They don't do that anymore so most of the time you don't know what's happening with your case. It's pure hell going month after month not knowing what's going to happen with your marriage or relationship.

My husband has been in AR/AP for 10 months. At the first interview the CO told Ahmed everything looked good we just needed to find a new co-sponsor. After 4 months we finally found one and sent in the paperwork. We were so happy thinking that the visa would be issued soon. We were then placed in Administrative Review for 3 months. Then they placed our case in AP for 2 months. Then they called Ahmed to come in for a second interview with the fraud prevention unit where the CO hinted we might not get the visa because Ahmed couldn't answer one of the stupid questions he asked about my ex-husband and for other various reasons including our age difference. After that we were placed back in AP where we have been ever sense. Ahmed felt the interview did not go well and the CO told him we would have an answer in 2 months. That 2 months has come and gone a long time ago. Everyday Ahmed and I live in fear. We want AP to be over and at the same time we want to stay in it out of fear of being denied.

We don't know if they are doing security checks all they will tell us is our case is still pending at the embassy. On Visa Journey some members feel they don't put you in a long AP unless they are doing security checks. I don't believe this is true. The CO's can do what they want and if they just want your case to sit there and gather dust until they are ready to make a decision, then that's what's going to happen.

There are ways to streamline the process. There needs to be an agency where you can complain if your case stays in AP for over a year or more. If people are denied their visa they should be told why. After all the visa is not free. We pay over $400 for that visa.

Ahmed and I are blessed. We love each other and support each other. We filed our original I-130 petition 2 years ago this month. Our marriage has suffered during this process but we are still together. Other couples are not so blessed. The stress and stain of AP then having a case sent back to USCIS has broken up marriages and relationships.

It doesn't matter if you have been in AP for one month or 2 years it still hurts.

[momof1 205]

There has already been quite a bit of "reform" when it comes to AP. Just a few years ago name checks were taking close to 4 years for many people while now they are much less. I have a friend who filed a writ after being in namecheck for over 4 years and it was the only thing standing between him and his green card(he came on a skilled worker visa in 1999). The determination was made that if a namecheck is the only thing stopping the green card issuance and its been more than six months, then the green card should be issued. There are checks and balances in the system, but even still there will be people who take much longer. I know it's unfortunate and it seems unfair at the time(we too were caught up in a namecheck that held up our I-130 approval for 2.5 years). It's now been over 8 years since I filed the I-130 and I can say without a doubt that AP, although difficult in that moment, is but a small drop in the bucket. It ends and you move on. Deal with it the best you can while you're in it because it will be over soon. Keep you eye on your eventual goal and concentrate on what you control...bc honestly AP is out of your control.

I believe that Administrative Processing can be done faster in certain cases. After the interview how long does it actually take for the CO to send a case for security checks? Does the CO really have to put a case in AP for 2 years just to decide he is going to deny a visa because he doesn't think the relationship is real or as in one case the CO felt the couple was already married when they filed a K-1 petition.

There used to be a time when they would tell you your case was in security checks. They don't do that anymore so most of the time you don't know what's happening with your case. It's pure hell going month after month not knowing what's going to happen with your marriage or relationship.

My husband has been in AR/AP for 10 months. At the first interview the CO told Ahmed everything looked good we just needed to find a new co-sponsor. After 4 months we finally found one and sent in the paperwork. We were so happy thinking that the visa would be issued soon. We were then placed in Administrative Review for 3 months. Then they placed our case in AP for 2 months. Then they called Ahmed to come in for a second interview with the fraud prevention unit where the CO hinted we might not get the visa because Ahmed couldn't answer one of the stupid questions he asked about my ex-husband and for other various reasons including our age difference. After that we were placed back in AP where we have been ever sense. Ahmed felt the interview did not go well and the CO told him we would have an answer in 2 months. That 2 months has come and gone a long time ago. Everyday Ahmed and I live in fear. We want AP to be over and at the same time we want to stay in it out of fear of being denied.

We don't know if they are doing security checks all they will tell us is our case is still pending at the embassy. On Visa Journey some members feel they don't put you in a long AP unless they are doing security checks. I don't believe this is true. The CO's can do what they want and if they just want your case to sit there and gather dust until they are ready to make a decision, then that's what's going to happen.

There are ways to streamline the process. There needs to be an agency where you can complain if your case stays in AP for over a year or more. If people are denied their visa they should be told why. After all the visa is not free. We pay over $400 for that visa.

Ahmed and I are blessed. We love each other and support each other. We filed our original I-130 petition 2 years ago this month. Our marriage has suffered during this process but we are still together. Other couples are not so blessed. The stress and stain of AP then having a case sent back to USCIS has broken up marriages and relationships.

It doesn't matter if you have been in AP for one month or 2 years it still hurts.

Contact CIS ombudsman if you feel your case is not being handled properly and it has been an extended period of time.

[Daria8885 1]

That is exactly what I am afraid of too. I love my husband I wouldn't go through all of this for some that I didn't love. We are prepared to wait but that doesn't make this any easier. I'm not trying to compare how long I have waited with other couples my heart aches at the thought of loved ones separating over this. It's quite sad and I don't want people to have to go through the pain being put in AP causes and that is why I posted the petition on here. I thought there might be other couples who feel the same way I do. If it doesn't go anywhere then it doesn't but if it does it might help people in the future. No harm done. Carolyn I have the same story. I went in for my husbands interview and we were told our sponsor didn't make enough money so we needed to find someone else. My sponsors wife decided she would add herself with an I-864a and we did that quite fast. Our interview was September 14th and we are already in AP. They called us and said all of our paperwork was fine. They said being in AP has nothing to do with us it has to do with them.....It just shouldn't take so long I mean 90 days cool but it should never be more than that. I'm just going to hope that this makes a difference somehow it make me feel better.

[carolynhotstuff 252]

Lately Islamabad embassy is playing games with people by not answering their phones and not responding to emails. My Senator's office sent 2 emails but they never responded. I called the CIS Ombudsman today but they only handle cases at the USCIS not at the embassy level. If your visa is denied and your case gets sent back to USCIS then the Ombudsman's office can help you.

If a case is in AP over a year there should be an agency you can contact to look into your case and make sure it is being handled properly. We don't have that here but they have it in other Countries.

Daria, your case is in Colombia where AP's might go a lot faster then they do in Islamabad. Islamabad is famous for long AP's. You did nothing wrong in posting your petition. Don't let anyone make you feel bad.

I don't mind security checks, what I mind is going 10 months or more waiting to see if my case will be denied. You can never be sure if you are going to get the visa until they issue it is my motto.

[momof1 205]

Lately Islamabad embassy is playing games with people by not answering their phones and not responding to emails. My Senator's office sent 2 emails but they never responded. I called the CIS Ombudsman today but they only handle cases at the USCIS not at the embassy level. If your visa is denied and your case gets sent back to USCIS then the Ombudsman's office can help you.

If a case is in AP over a year there should be an agency you can contact to look into your case and make sure it is being handled properly. We don't have that here but they have it in other Countries.

Daria, your case is in Colombia where AP's might go a lot faster then they do in Islamabad. Islamabad is famous for long AP's. You did nothing wrong in posting your petition. Don't let anyone make you feel bad.

I don't mind security checks, what I mind is going 10 months or more waiting to see if my case will be denied. You can never be sure if you are going to get the visa until they issue it is my motto.

I didn't say they were wrong and I didn't try to make them feel bad. It's just that I'm a realist, and it's hard to see clearly when you're in the middle of immigration madness. If creating a petition helps you channel your frustration then go for it, but don't expect it to change anything. The whole thing is a game. I could get very frustrated by this system but it only hurts me. I've had to take a very laissez faire attitude with the whole thing and now, 11 years since filing of the first immigration petition and just 6 months away from applying to natz, I can finally see light at the end of the tunnel. I will rejoice in the day my husband finally becomes a citizen and I wish every single person ultimate happiness with their spouse...even if it took longer than they initially expected.

Edited October 14, 2011 by momof1

[carolynhotstuff 252]

Above it says one post was removed for rude remarks...Monof1 I wasn't talking about you when I said not to let anyone make her feel bad for posting the petition.

I'm happy for you and your husband that you made it through immigration and your husband is ready to apply for his citizenship but you are wrong when you say don't expect to change anything. Government is always changing and one person can make a difference. For an example of how one person can make a difference look up Rosa Parks.

[Daria8885 1]

I was the one who made the bad comments lol I used the word jerk because I was upset at how negative momof1 was being when all I was trying to be was positive. She kind of stomped and squished with her remark and I feel we should all be supporting each other not bringing one another down

[lokidew 0]

you got my vote on this. Especially Islamabad Embassy has the worst CO working who really hate their jobs.

[rbg 0]

Hi, my name is Daria and my husband has been in AP for one month. I want to try and do something because otherwise we are just sitting her waiting and waiting. I figured this couldn't hurt.

Please sign this petition it might help us out and even if it doesn't help who will it hurt?

No one is going to stand up for us in this matter so we must do it ourselves.

http://wh.gov/4E9

Go to that link and sign the petition share it with your friends there is only a short amount of time to get a ton of signatures.

Thank you in advance

Daria L. Camargo