Applied via DCF for IR-1 visa and may have to leave before Administrative processing is finished

[ccepa4 0]

Hi All.

My husband and I filed a DCF immigrant application in October in Seoul, Korea. We have been in administrative for 2.5 months. He is from Iran. Unfortunately the Korean government has given him a deadline to obtain his visa and are promising to deport him after January 10th, 2015. The US embassy has his passport and the Iranian embassy supposedly cannot issue papers unless my husband signs for permission. My contract is finished soon and I'm pregnant so I doubt I will have my work contract extended as they usually fire pregnant women. I have been trying to speak with the people at the USCIS embassy in Korea about what happens with our application if we both have to leave the country, and they apparently can't read and won't answer any questions except to say they will inform us when the process is finished. I have also tried to ask them whether or not they will give Korean immigration his passport if they request it to deport him. My lawyer has been less than helpful and a senator and congresswoman have not been able to illicit any other response. Anyone have any experience or information regarding this situation. Thank you...

[Tony Gabriello 0]

I have had much experience because I am retired from the United States Department of State. All citizens from Iran are on our terrorist watch list. All applicants have to go thorough security sreening and clearance checks. Unfortunatley there are many agencies involved in this process. There is no way your attorney or any government official will be of any assistance. You can try them again but It has to take its natural course which takes time. There is no date to be put on any one matter . This is the letter we usally send back to applicants. I am sorry for any inconvience.

[ccepa4 0]

Why can they not answer any other questions about what happens if we have to leave Korea? And he has had other Iranian friends in Korea get approved in less than a week.

[ChuckM 8]

But not all have to go to Administrative Processing, most do from what I have seen, but my wife was issued her visa without going through AP.

There are also many citizens of Iran who are also citizens and LPRs of the US, if those individual citizens were actually on a terrorist watch list, they would not be allowed here. Maybe their names are compared to a watch list, but all 80 million Iranians are certainly not currently on a terrorist watch list.

All citizens from Iran are on our terrorist watch list. All applicants have to go thorough security sreening and clearance checks.

Edited December 19, 2014 by ChuckM

[jan22 2,898]

I have had much experience because I am retired from the United States Department of State. All citizens from Iran are on our terrorist watch list.

I hope you were not a consular/visa officer prior to your retirement...or that you have been retired for quite a few years and are relying on inaccurate information provided by an "insider" who claims to know. This statement is completely WRONG and inflamatory. All visa applicants go through the same security screening when applying for a visa but some take longer because of similarities in names, incomplete information on the person on the list that makes ruling someone out a little harder, etc. There is no nationality for which ALL citizens are automatically on a watch list. Making such sweeping statements while claiming inside information disrespects the members of this forum who sincerely try to provide accurate, helpful information, IMO.

[Tony Gabriello 0]

I hope you were not a consular/visa officer prior to your retirement...or that you have been retired for quite a few years and are relying on inaccurate information provided by an "insider" who claims to know. This statement is completely WRONG and inflamatory. All visa applicants go through the same security screening when applying for a visa but some take longer because of similarities in names, incomplete information on the person on the list that makes ruling someone out a little harder, etc. There is no nationality for which ALL citizens are automatically on a watch list. Making such sweeping statements while claiming inside information disrespects the members of this forum who sincerely try to provide accurate, helpful information, IMO.

you are correct it is the country that is on the list not the people, sorry. yes many years i am almost 70.

[HtBlack 4]

I know this might be totally wrong, but is it possible that since you're pregnant and will be fired, you can ask them to expedite the process? :/ it's such an awful situation, I hope it works out.

[Boiler 43,429]

You can not expedite AP, you can ask for your passport back

[HtBlack 4]

That sucks, I thought that maybe considering she's pregnant they might do something about it. :/ sorry for the silly suggestion!

[Boiler 43,429]

If all it took was pregnancy there would be a LOT of pregnant applicants.

[Darnell 8,478]

Why can they not answer any other questions about what happens if we have to leave Korea? And he has had other Iranian friends in Korea get approved in less than a week.

USCIS office is reachable, is possible to talk with the Humans there,

However, I suggest you , the petitioner, go in person, with a list of questions to be answered:

1. FBI Namecheck started what date? What date, results back?

2. What else is on hold with the processing? Petitioner namechecks finished yet, or no?

That's the small list - I'll give over more in the next 24 hour span. Directly, they cannot answer your questions about forecasting. However, they can answer specific, direct questions, when you are there in the office, face to face. No appointment needed, IIRC.

and - sorry yer having these troubles, but Country of Passport Holder is really a problem, needs extra time, extra checks on him mandated.

Edited December 26, 2014 by Darnell

[HtBlack 4]

Hahaha, you know, that's exactly what I was thinking as I typed my reply. I'm afraid I'm the kind of person who doesn't think others would exploit it, since I wouldn't. Pregnancy doesn't attract me very much just yet...

(Granted, I'm sure a lot of people would be happy because, you know, they wanted a child anyway and if a pregnancy could expedite the AP they would be happy to think about it, I'm not saying everyone would do it simply to beat the system.)

[Darnell 8,478]

Why can they not answer any other questions about what happens if we have to leave Korea? And he has had other Iranian friends in Korea get approved in less than a week.

more questions:

1. USCIS officer on holiday leave? Yes or no? If Yes, was casefile assigned to other human there? If yes, as of what date?

2. Exactly what additional things are you currently waiting on with FBI and DoS ?

3. It's been some holiday time here, do you think there's a pile of unprocessed consular packets back from the FBI, and the paper verification of the electronic notification from the FBI namecheck might actually be in that pile? I'm happy to wait around your office for half-a-day whilst you check for it.

[ccepa4 0]

more questions:

1. USCIS officer on holiday leave? Yes or no? If Yes, was casefile assigned to other human there? If yes, as of what date?

2. Exactly what additional things are you currently waiting on with FBI and DoS ?

3. It's been some holiday time here, do you think there's a pile of unprocessed consular packets back from the FBI, and the paper verification of the electronic notification from the FBI namecheck might actually be in that pile? I'm happy to wait around your office for half-a-day whilst you check for it.

1. They won't let me talk to the USCIS officer or anyone that knows anything about my case. I've only been able to reach them through a general email for information. So I don't know. The signature on my refusal worksheet is illegible so I don't know the name of the officer who interviewed us.

2. They originally told us that they needed to speak with Korean immigration and would call them ASAP and then give us a phone call/answer that same afternoon, but we never heard back from her again, so we are assuming it is extra security checks because he is from Iran and his father used to work for the government.

3. We applied through the Seoul Embassy as a DCF so they won't let us in the embassy/USCIS without an appt and from what I understand you can only get an appointment for applying for the visa.

Thank you for the list of questions to ask. I'm going to try and find another number to call or email to write to.

We're trying to work the Korean immigration side to give us more time, but it looks like for now I'm going to end up a single mother for a while.

[Darnell 8,478]

apologies - these were not questions, for you to answer, to me.

so, you really feel you can't get in to the USCIS office there, pose the questions face to face?

OK - rethink it a bit, attempt to use a telephone,try again.

these are questions for you to ask the human that answers the phone at the USCIS office there in Seoul.

I formed them based on what I've done with phone calls into USCIS, USA, seeking a convo with an ISO here.

Can you try it again, use a telephone, talk with a human, next ?

Edited December 29, 2014 by Darnell