They didn't update the website, so we didn't get the visa.

[t-rae 1]

My fiance had his interview on Nov. 16, 2015 in Guangzhou China. He is Irish.

When we scheduled the interview we were sent the list of documents needed for the interview from the ustraveldocs website. This is what we were sent. http://www.ustraveldocs.com/cn/Immigrant%20Visa%20Instructions%20Oct.%202015%20(5).pdf

We did not know at the time, but they sent us the WRONG page for information. We didn't think there was anything wrong, because it says Immigrant visa at the top. They should have sent us the K Visa Documents list, instead. We didn't know there was a difference. How were we supposed to know.

They are basically the same, except for one small difference. The Immigrant list says we needed background checks for places lived for longer than 12 months. So we got those. The K visa list says for 6 months. Well.

Fiance lived in Belgium for 10 months. We didn't get that background check.

So, we were preliminarily approved, and now we have to send in the background check for Belgium.

Here's the catch. My husband is an EU citizen, who enjoys the freedom of movement and employment in the EU. So he never officially "registered" when he was living there. He didn't have to. But now Belgium is saying that he can't get a background check without having been registered.

We need a document that is impossible to attain in order to get this visa.

We have been separated for 4 months, after having spent 4 years together almost 24/7 (that is not an exaggeration. The longest we were apart before now, since the DAY WE MET was 3 days/2 nights). I am dying here. And am THIS CLOSE to saying screw it, leaving the US and never coming back.

But, are there any Belgians or anyone who has any experience or advice to offer?

[MiNMiLove 33]

Just a suggestion- could you get married instead after letting the K-1 expire? Then do IV. Sorry for your struggle.

[t-rae 1]

Just a suggestion- could you get married instead after letting the K-1 expire? Then do IV. Sorry for your struggle.

When exactly will the K1 expire?

Get married and start the whole process over again?? That sounds awful! I mean, we could do that, but I have to be in the US until June. If we don't get the K 1 for him to be here, I'll go visit him for Christmas and spring break (I'm a teacher) and then leave in June to never return, haha. But seriously.

thank you for the sympathy. This has been the worst and most difficult thing either of us has done in our lives, and neither of us are faring very well emotionally. It shouldn't be this difficult.

[Pennycat 880]

Did you have your interview already? Is that the "preliminary approval" thing?

And no it shouldn't be this difficult but it is and K-1s have it pretty much the easiest out of anyone (which for us, at 9 months from application to immigration is *mind boggling*, especially considering that we were one of the fastest in our group that applied through Texas in February).

In terms of Belgium... hrm. You can't be the first EU citizen with this problem. Perhaps try in the regional forum? Also, is it really 6 months? Our requirement was 12, I think (it was actually not applicable but still...)

[t-rae 1]

Did you have your interview already? Is that the "preliminary approval" thing?

And no it shouldn't be this difficult but it is and K-1s have it pretty much the easiest out of anyone (which for us, at 9 months from application to immigration is *mind boggling*, especially considering that we were one of the fastest in our group that applied through Texas in February).

In terms of Belgium... hrm. You can't be the first EU citizen with this problem. Perhaps try in the regional forum? Also, is it really 6 months? Our requirement was 12, I think (it was actually not applicable but still...)

Yes he had his interview on Nov 16. We had background checks for everywhere he was for over 12 months and the interviewer told him it was actually 6 months. We were preliminarily approved, we just need this one document.

I just called the Belgian embassy in New York and she said it was impossible if he wasn't registered at the town hall. I don't know what to do.

If I have to choose between my fiancé and my country, well, screw America. I am so out of this place.

[LionessDeon 2,060]

Is there any way to get some type of document from them stating he was not registered and therefore nothing comes up on their records system? Obtain some type of proof of this "not registered no record" thing.

[Pennycat 880]

Yes he had his interview on Nov 16. We had background checks for everywhere he was for over 12 months and the interviewer told him it was actually 6 months. We were preliminarily approved, we just need this one document.

I just called the Belgian embassy in New York and she said it was impossible if he wasn't registered at the town hall. I don't know what to do.

If I have to choose between my fiancé and my country, well, screw America. I am so out of this place.

Have you communicated this information to the consulate? That would be a helpful first step. Or get the lack of records documented? (Think about it: if they don't have records it probably means no arrests). Have you asked other EU applicants how they handled this issue (I would bet my house that you are not the first to run into this issue).

You are absolutely nowhere near needing to make that choice. Nowhere. Unless that's what you want. You have several legal and less than above board options available to you. If you calm down, do some research and make a plan you will be fine. It won't be overnight but nothing with immigration is and you're still on the fast track, even with this speed-bump.

[t-rae 1]

His Belgian friend is going to try to get some sort of "not registered so no check available" document, but he is flaky and neither of us have been able to get through to the office there to ask about it.

The number for the consulate in Guangzhou doesn't answer any calls, and all of our emails and things have come up with a copy-paste answer that doesn't answer the question. (Basically, "you should have been given a list of documents to send in with your passport after your interview. Follow that")

We simply cannot get through to any human beings, and it is so frustrating. The only human was e woman at the be,Gina embassy in New York who gave me a flat no.

Believe me, I have been calm. I've done research. There is no plan to be made, at least none where we have any kind if control. I don't know what to do any more. I just want to talk to a person.

[Pennycat 880]

His Belgian friend is going to try to get some sort of "not registered so no check available" document, but he is flaky and neither of us have been able to get through to the office there to ask about it.

The number for the consulate in Guangzhou doesn't answer any calls, and all of our emails and things have come up with a copy-paste answer that doesn't answer the question. (Basically, "you should have been given a list of documents to send in with your passport after your interview. Follow that")

We simply cannot get through to any human beings, and it is so frustrating. The only human was e woman at the be,Gina embassy in New York who gave me a flat no.

Believe me, I have been calm. I've done research. There is no plan to be made, at least none where we have any kind if control. I don't know what to do any more. I just want to talk to a person.

How did they tell you to deliver the document? New appointment?

You can contact your congressman and ask them to contact the State Department liaison (they have access to people you don't and they exist to help you with exactly this kind of thing. Make sure you call the local office not DC)-- ask the State liaison what to do.

You can also get married and go that route, go through the embassy in Ireland or have him visit you on VWP and figure it out from there. Or wait and see what type of documentation you can get, or again go to the EU threads and see how others handled this.

You sound the opposite of calm when you say "eff this place" and "decide" to move to the other side of the world in the face of a minor setback, through which many people are trying to help you.

[LionessDeon 2,060]

I am sure there is a way to get this resolved. No need to panic and drop everything.

Can you fiancé contact the Belgian police records where he lived (or some type of court office in Belgium) and inquire about obtaining some document proof his record his clean or that I is not available since he was not registered? It may take a little work on you part to overcome this but it's doable.

Have you made a post in the Belgium forum to see what advice you can get?

Put your heads together and cone up with something. Don't pack your backs just yet. This journey is full of bumps and twists in the road. Stay calm and you'll find a solution.

[t-rae 1]

How did they tell you to deliver the document? New appointment?

You can contact your congressman and ask them to contact the State Department liaison (they have access to people you don't and they exist to help you with exactly this kind of thing. Make sure you call the local office not DC)-- ask the State liaison what to do.

You can also get married and go that route, go through the embassy in Ireland or have him visit you on VWP and figure it out from there. Or wait and see what type of documentation you can get, or again go to the EU threads and see how others handled this.

You sound the opposite of calm when you say "eff this place" and "decide" to move to the other side of the world in the face of a minor setback, through which many people are trying to help you.

You're right. I'm not calm anymore. But to explain a little, he and I met in China four years ago and were living there together for most of that time. I've been back in the U.S. For 4 months, so it's not that I'd just up and go, it's that I'd up and go BACK. I don't know if this helps but moving across the world wouldn't really be such a drastic move, and it's getting to sound like the most reasonable and lractical thing to do. I just want to be with him.

I have heard that contacting a congressman doesn't actually help, that any emails or letters aren't actually read by the right person. But I will check it out.

We are to mail in the document along with his passport back to the consulate in Guangzhou.

What exactly did you mean about going through the embassy in Ireland? And would t getting married make us start the whole process over again and we'd be apart even longer? It also wouldn't get rid of the background check requirement, would it?

Thank you for your help. I really do appreciate it. This is just so frustrating. We've been together over 4 years and had our wedding (non legal, but with ceremony and party and all that) in June in Thailand, our families came, we consider ourselves married (this did not affect the outcome of the interview- they were fine with it, because it's not legal yet). For over 4 years the longest we'd been apart since the day we met was 3 days and 2 nights. This is miserable for us. We are not doing well, emotionally speaking.

I apologize for the grumpiness. I appreciate all of the help from this site, and all the members here. We wouldn't have gotten even this far witho it.

[Pennycat 880]

You're right. I'm not calm anymore. But to explain a little, he and I met in China four years ago and were living there together for most of that time. I've been back in the U.S. For 4 months, so it's not that I'd just up and go, it's that I'd up and go BACK. I don't know if this helps but moving across the world wouldn't really be such a drastic move, and it's getting to sound like the most reasonable and lractical thing to do. I just want to be with him.

I have heard that contacting a congressman doesn't actually help, that any emails or letters aren't actually read by the right person. But I will check it out.

We are to mail in the document along with his passport back to the consulate in Guangzhou.

What exactly did you mean about going through the embassy in Ireland? And would t getting married make us start the whole process over again and we'd be apart even longer? It also wouldn't get rid of the background check requirement, would it?

Thank you for your help. I really do appreciate it. This is just so frustrating. We've been together over 4 years and had our wedding (non legal, but with ceremony and party and all that) in June in Thailand, our families came, we consider ourselves married (this did not affect the outcome of the interview- they were fine with it, because it's not legal yet). For over 4 years the longest we'd been apart since the day we met was 3 days and 2 nights. This is miserable for us. We are not doing well, emotionally speaking.

I apologize for the grumpiness. I appreciate all of the help from this site, and all the members here. We wouldn't have gotten even this far witho it.

It's still a drastic step (essentially abandoning the process and making a big change in plan) over a very small problem. I get separation, almost everyone here does, you're still on the fast track to be together and things could be much much much worse.

See if you can get something in writing about this not being possible. Whether you can get it or not, get in contact with the CO however you were told to. Either show the document or explain.

If you can't do this, call the Congressman. I've worked for Congress in both a DC-based political capacity and a district office-based constituent service capacity. I had a small paperwork problem with the Costa Rica embassy and it was solved in 2 hours. If you contact the right office (district office not DC) and make it easy to help you (don't complicate the issue, keep emotion out of it, treat it like the practical problem that it is), one of the 3 (you have 2 Senators and 1 congressman and they all have constituent service offices), you should be able to get this information communicated to the embassy. Ask them if they can call the State liaison and explain that this document does not exist. Congressman calling USCIS is often fruitless but this is State and and you're not asking for faster service you're asking for help communicating. This is very different.

I suppose thay you could have applied through Ireland, which is likely a much easier embassy and would have seen this problem many times. You still could. Yes you'd start again. Same with getting married (you're lucky they didn't know about the ceremony. ..people have been denied over that and told to go with spouse visa). Or you visit on VWP and consider your options moving forward (including moving back or to a 3rd country).

But honestly it won't come to that. Options 1 and 2 should be just fine.