How to File Complaint

[KierenHby 897]

Rules\ethics that apply on US soil do not always apply overseas, including at US consular Posts.

[aaron2020 11,651]

This is the way I see it.

OP was aware of the US Embassy's instruction not to make travel plans without a visa in hand. She choose to take the risk. The risk was realized when the visa was denied. Instead of accepting that she took a known risk and lost, she rather blame someone else for her making the choice to take risk and things not working out.

To make matters worse, she stated that she had seen others take the same risk with "promises" from COs and not gotten their visas.

But it's not her fault. It's someone else's fault for her buying plane tickets and making hotel reservations.

[tayjoc 4]

There's nothing wrong with making a complaint. What can it hurt at this point?

[Boiler 43,804]

Agree no downside.

[cdneh 3,112]

There's nothing wrong with making a complaint. What can it hurt at this point?

No downside. But no use, either.

[tayjoc 4]

No downside. But no use, either.

I would disagree.

[tayurshu 37]

By all means, you can file a complaint, but where will it get you?

DO NOT MAKE TRAVEL PLANS UNTIL YOU RECEIVE YOUR VISA AND PASSPORT.

That's it. Everyone is told it. That's what you'll be told when they respond to your complaint. They'll say that "Visa approvals can be delayed and conditions can change. For this reason, we advise against making any travel plans until you receive your visa."

For example, my visa was approved for printing the day the recent global shutdown occurred. I had to wait 5 weeks after the shut down to get my visa. I didn't book flights because I WAITED until I had my visa and passport back, because that's what the Consulate said.

In my opinion, there's nothing to complain about except the fact you ignored very clear advice.

[frida_e 14]

Does anyone know how/where you can file complaints related to an embassy? We have applied twice for a B1/B2 visa for my husband's brother (my hubby is a K-1 holder). We wanted him to be the best man in our wedding ceremony, which is planned for the end of this month, but we didn't want to buy a plane ticket until they approved his visa. So he went a couple weeks ago to interview for the visa and the consular gave him some trouble because there wasn't an ink signature on the letter that I wrote for him (I signed it and scanned it to him). However, they told him it would be approved and kept his passport and said come back in two days to pick up your visa. At this point he told us it was approved so we purchased a plane ticket for 2 weekends later. When he went back to get the passport and visa, the consular told him they changed their mind and needed more evidence. I attempted to email more evidence on his behalf to the embassy using the email address they listed on their website. The email never went through, though, apparently. When he arrived the following day with more evidence, the consular refused to see him and eventually told him he needed to reapply altogether, because he was rejected.

So we spent the money to re-apply and submitted his application again and scheduled another interview. This time we sent him with all sorts of documents, including the plane tickets we purchased, the wedding invitation, copies of mine and my husband's passports, letters from his employer and his school, as well as an additional letter from me asking them to contact me if anything else was needed, because we would happily supply any documentation to keep us from losing this $2000 plane ticket and the best man at our wedding ceremony. In the end, the consular acknowledged that there was more than enough evidence but told him that he thought he didn't have strong enough ties to Malawi (i.e. a wife and kids) or anyone powerful to vouch for him (keep in mind the man in the office next door vouched for him, and we had letters from his employer and college. When we appealed to our friend at the embassy to look into it, he said the consular told him that he didn't believe that I wrote the letters, and that my husband forged them.

Also keep in mind this same consular granted my husband's K-1 visa a couple months ago with no trouble, and even wished him well and had extensive conversations with him, giving him marriage advice, etc.

So essentially, I've had to cancel plane tickets and hotel reservations, not to mention we're less than 3 weeks away from our wedding and the best man isn't able to come. I've lost around $1700, simply because the consular mislead us and then decided to hold some unknown, untrue, unprovable grievance against us. I'm livid.

Where can we file complaints? If they embassy has done this to him, I'm sure it's happened to others. I've had so many problems with them saying one thing and doing another. They rescheduled my husband's K-1 interview 3 times and then promised him his visa would be printed for 3 days in a row without actually doing it. Who can we contact about these things??

I had a very similar experience with my husband's K1 visa. I wrote about it on my timeline if you would like to read about it. I am only on here very quick tonight but once I get time again I will check up. I too was going to file a complaint and actually posted about it on the US department of State's Facebook page where a woman with a similar situation also commented on my post. Honestly, the U.S. is our great country but they are out of control in their embassy policies and the way they treat others. We all have human rights and playing around with our emotions is truly messed up and should not be allowed.

[raven52 233]

When I was going through the K-1 visa process, I was reminded by a few MODS, who I respect and know they know what they are talking about, "the VJ.com, 'Golden Rule" Never buy a ticket, never plan an event, nothing.,.,until you have a visa 'in your hand'.,.,.,.,"

Just an opinion, from me, after many "dealings" with officers, etc., some are corrupt, especially from where my wife came from, and I just do not think they can he held responsible for "promises"

or their wording, about the approval process.

It is very unfortunate that this happened to you, but as "you said".,.,.,.,'you jumped the gun'.

[Ryan H 3,796]

Moved from Tourist Visas forum to US Embassy & Consulate Discussion.

[GJF 5]

In Brazil at least the US consulate acts in a "pass-fail" fashion regarding any kind of visa. If they tell you that you are approved, you are approved.

Seems like terrible practice for me the officer changing his mind after retaining the person's passport. That should not be acceptable by any means and should not be considered normal. It does not matter if it is written somewhere in the consulate-embassy or USCIS terms or not. Something being legal does not mean it is moral.

In a philosophical way, I'm really afraid of a society that does not question something like that. It is like admitting that everything the government do is ok just because is the government doing it. We should remember that USA itself was created by people that questioned excessive abuse of power and bureaucracy by the britain government.

So yes, you should complain. Not because you are likely to get a refund (you are not), or because they are going to change their mind (they probably will not). You should complain because it is the right thing to do.

[aaron2020 11,651]

In Brazil at least the US consulate acts in a "pass-fail" fashion regarding any kind of visa. If they tell you that you are approved, you are approved.

Seems like terrible practice for me the officer changing his mind after retaining the person's passport. That should not be acceptable by any means and should not be considered normal. It does not matter if it is written somewhere in the consulate-embassy or USCIS terms or not. Something being legal does not mean it is moral.

In a philosophical way, I'm really afraid of a society that does not question something like that. It is like admitting that everything the government do is ok just because is the government doing it. We should remember that USA itself was created by people that questioned excessive abuse of power and bureaucracy by the britain government.

So yes, you should complain. Not because you are likely to get a refund (you are not), or because they are going to change their mind (they probably will not). You should complain because it is the right thing to do.

You are wrongly presuming that the consular officer changed his mind after the interview.

There are other checks and if they come back negative after the interview, then the visa can not be issued even with a preliminary yes at the interview. This is why the U.S. embassy advises not to make plans until the visa is in hand.

Edited September 10, 2015 by aaron2020

[GJF 5]

You are wrongly presuming that the consular officer changed his mind after the interview.

There are other checks and if they come back negative after the interview, then the visa can not be issued even with a preliminary yes at the interview. This is why the U.S. embassy advises not to make plans until the visa is in hand.

You are once again using the legal standpoint. I'm questioning the moral standpoint.

If the officer said that the visa would be approved and the person did not get the visa there are only two possibilities regarding the officer's moral behavior:

He changed his mind

He lied (because since the beginning he knew the process and he knew that it could not be approved)

Neither are acceptable. And the second tends to be even worse than the first one because it gives the person false reassurance.

Edited September 10, 2015 by GJF

[Transborderwife 4,666]

As previously said, they've been given the power to lie. The morals and ethics do not enter this due to what the SCOTUS decided

[Boiler 43,804]

We should remember that USA itself was created by people that questioned excessive abuse of power and bureaucracy by the britain government.

That's quite funny. The Hollywood version.