Congressmen, Senators ...

[LebaneseMama 1]

I have been waiting about 6 months for an interview. A couple girls on here suggested contacting senators or congressmen. What exactly do they do ?? Do they expediate the process or slow it down even more (which I am scared to death of ). Does the NVC look down on the case that the congressmen is refering to ? Right now I have just been counting on Allah (God), patience, and love. Do I need to do more ? LOL.

[Jasman0717 8]

From the posts I have read here more often than not the elected representative was able to assist the person.

[dollface41601 0]

when my hubby and i were waiting for our interview date....our senator called the embassy here in amman and the embassy called us 3 days later with our interview date....2 weeks ahead of when they should have called....i havent seen a sen/rep hurt anyones case so to speak....

[~Jess~ 0]

I dont see as it could hurt. i have the names of the congressmen/woman in new york and i plan on calling them, even tho we are filing here in Lebanon. I also plan on contacting the Attorney General's office myself when it comes to the Waiver we will have to file

[MrsAmera 41]

I think it helps. I contacted my Senator on a Friday regarding our interview date (we had waited about 6 weeks) and on Monday we had an e-mail with a date and time for our interview. I'm not sure if this makes any difference at all but Kiya's information was sent to Casa the same day as ours and they didn't get their interview until about 2 weeks after us? I think it will help speed things up most definetely. And if it doesn't it won't hurt you.

[Girona40 0]

I think it helps. I contacted my Senator on a Friday regarding our interview date (we had waited about 6 weeks) and on Monday we had an e-mail with a date and time for our interview. I'm not sure if this makes any difference at all but Kiya's information was sent to Casa the same day as ours and they didn't get their interview until about 2 weeks after us? I think it will help speed things up most definetely. And if it doesn't it won't hurt you.

Glad you all had good experiences with your congressional representatives helping. We had the complete opposite.

All they could do was make inquiries, they have no power to speed things up or get the USCIS to actually take any action. "We can simply inquire as to the status", is what all the congresspeople and senators we spoke to said.

In fact, when we went to meet with the District Director in DC she told us "the minute a member of congress was involved the file was instantly frozen". We also found that when we went to the desk, to ask what was happening on our case, the IO said "I can't discuss this with you since there is congressional interest in this case".

I don't know if it is just where we live, the complexity of our case, or whether they are just plain useless!

Good Luck

[jennieh 0]

I contacted a senators well two of them one did nothing really. And one is trying but not getting much they did contact Morocco and got some guy named Matthew a director I assume like a main manager. He was pretty nice to them but he couldnt tell them more cause the National Visa Center does the CR-1 scheduling. I guess contacting them makes them wake up and realize your case needs to be worked on.

[MaryandMian 1]

I tried to contact my congressman and he would NOT help. I did get my senator to write them and they said embassy was too busy. But guess what we got our interview date three days later for two months out. So write to them and it cannot hurt.

Mary

Edited February 23, 2006 by mianishqsrose

[Yasi 0]

Hi,

I don't think it would hurt your case. I contacted my congresswoman and she wrote NVC a letter last week. We're waiting for an answer. I was told by several other people who had applied for a visa (not on this site) that it really helped their cases. Good luck.

Yasi

[~kiyah~ 14]

Wasalaam Alaikom.

Yes, contacting your Senator does do some good. I contacted my Senator when 10 weeks had passed before getting an interview date. I also contacted my Senator when we received the 221g stating our file was sent back to the United States...they sent 2 congressional inquiries to the consulate on my behalf regarding the 221g we received.

My Senator has been extremely helpful throughout the process when I have contacted them. I actually am on a first name basis now with the Immigration Representative in my Senator's office. They are eager for our case to be reviewed (as we are) so my fiance and I can be together like we deserve to be. I have a standing invitation to the Senator's office when my fiance is finally here...we will thank them in person for everything they have done for us. Gotta get him here first! This Senator definitely gets my vote when election time rolls around here in Texas.

The reason why contacting your Senator or Congressman helps is because the consulates work for the State Department...the State Department answers to Congress and the House Senate. It does seem to be the Senators who are more than willing to help. However, only contact your Senator if you truly have an issue which needs their intervention like waiting a ridiculous amount of time for an interview...more than 8 weeks with no response from the consulate; other urgent issue like we faced...petition sent back to the United States for review.

Contacting your Senator is really easy. If you do not know who your Senator is, you can locate them in the United States Senate Directory:

Senators of the 109th Congress

All Senators will have a website and a contact form. What your Senator will need from you to send a congressional inquiry on your behalf is a signed immigration privacy form which gives them permission to make the inquiry. Most Senators will have this form readily available on their web site...if not, call them and they will fax one to you so you can sign it and fax it back.

Hope all this information helps...good luck to you.

~Kiya~

[LebaneseMama 1]

Any of you from California ??

Kiya - thanks for the info ... jazaki kheir inshallah.

I printed everything out but am scared to death to fill out and send it. I don't know what to do ! One girl said they "froze" her case .. and with my luck thats probably what will happen Augh ! Maybe I will wait one month to see if I hear anything .. cuz on March 23rd it will be exactly two years since our case first started.

[jennieh 0]

I called two of them and one of them they are actually trying to help now they just havent been able to do much. They really seem to care and we keep contact daily but they just arent getting answers that were looking for but some guy named Matthew McKeever Consular Section Chief in Morocco replied to them very eager to help which kind of suprised me. I just want a interview and want to know why the case is still sitting there. I hope this just reminds them to do something and in the near future. It can really help your case but to think that it cant would be wrong I would think. They seem to get more information then we do all I get at the NVC is the operators that dont know anything. The have great service with great hours its just their operators dont know anything by the sounds of it!

[LebaneseMama 1]

OK I am sending my letter to my senator tomorrow in the mail ... wish me luck ! Thank you soooo much girls ... you have been a great help so far.

[MaryandMian 1]

Good luck and keep us updated on your progress.

Mary

[~kiyah~ 14]

At the very least they can find out what the hold up is...6 months is an awful long wait for an interview sister. Good luck to you...insh'allah you will get good results.

~Kiya~