About To Send In The I-130 Petition

[JKhan 0]

Our situation is a bit too unusual as we haven't sent in the I-130 petition to date despite getting married in 2011. I will try to be as thorough as possible. I am sure you have gone/going through these visa policy changes pre/post-Trump. Any advice would be much appreciated.

I started speaking with my wife over the phone in September 2010. We were introduced by a mutual friend who was also married to a Pakistani man at the time. I was in Pakistan and the mutual friend and I were working in the same organization in Islamabad. Anyhow, things progressed and my wife traveled to Pakistan on May 30, 2011 from the US. We got married on June 17, 2011 and she lived with me at my parents' house till July of 2013 and that's when she left. That's the last time we saw each other. As ridiculous as that might sound, we never applied for the Immigrant/Spouse Visa and are wanting to do it now. Many factors including her chronic depression, my financial ordeal, and my inability to leave as I was helping my parents take care of 2 siblings who were/are suffering from a rare type or cancer in the absence of my brothers came in our way of sending in the I-130 petition. The question is:

Would this affect our application? 

Would it look suspicious in spite of us being very much in love and wanting to be with each other?

Thank you. 

 

[Crazy Cat 39,285]

1 minute ago, JKhan said:

Our situation is a bit too unusual as we haven't sent in the I-130 petition to date despite getting married in 2011. I will try to be as thorough as possible. I am sure you have gone/going through these visa policy changes pre/post-Trump. Any advice would be much appreciated.

I started speaking with my wife over the phone in September 2010. We were introduced by a mutual friend who was also married to a Pakistani man at the time. I was in Pakistan and the mutual friend and I were working in the same organization in Islamabad. Anyhow, things progressed and my wife traveled to Pakistan on May 30, 2011 from the US. We got married on June 17, 2011 and she lived with me at my parents' house till July of 2013 and that's when she left. That's the last time we saw each other. As ridiculous as that might sound, we never applied for the Immigrant/Spouse Visa and are wanting to do it now. Many factors including her chronic depression, my financial ordeal, and my inability to leave as I was helping my parents take care of 2 siblings who were/are suffering from a rare type or cancer in the absence of my brothers came in our way of sending in the I-130 petition. The question is:

Would this affect our application? 

Would it look suspicious in spite of us being very much in love and wanting to be with each other?

Thank you. 

 

It will certainly attract a lot of scrutiny........yes, it will affect your application.  You will need strong evidence of a bona fide marriage, and an ongoing relationship.......be prepared for a difficult journey, imo.....how old are both of you? Same religion?  Do you have evidence that you are involved in each other's lives?  These are big questions, and you will be required to answer them when asked bu the CO.

[JKhan 0]

20 minutes ago, JKhan said:

Our situation is a bit too unusual as we haven't sent in the I-130 petition to date despite getting married in 2011. I will try to be as thorough as possible. I am sure you have gone/going through these visa policy changes pre/post-Trump. Any advice would be much appreciated.

I started speaking with my wife over the phone in September 2010. We were introduced by a mutual friend who was also married to a Pakistani man at the time. I was in Pakistan and the mutual friend and I were working in the same organization in Islamabad. Anyhow, things progressed and my wife traveled to Pakistan on May 2011 from the US. We got married in June 2011 and she lived with me at my parents' house till July of 2013 and that's when she left. That's the last time we saw each other. As ridiculous as that might sound, we never applied for the Immigrant/Spouse Visa and are wanting to do it now. Many factors including her chronic depression, my financial ordeal, and my inability to leave as I was helping my parents take care of 2 siblings who were/are suffering from a rare type or cancer in the absence of my brothers came in our way of sending in the I-130 petition. The question is:

Would this affect our application? 

Would it look suspicious in spite of us being very much in love and wanting to be with each other?

Does anyone of you have an idea about the VisaCoach guy who consults the Spouse Visa applications? Would it be worth a try getting his assistance, or is a lawyer  better option? 

Thank you. 

PS: I am from Pakistan but living in Qatar. Was also born in Qatar

 

Edited March 27, 2018 by JKhan
Forgot to mention some details

[JKhan 0]

25 minutes ago, JKhan said:

Our situation is a bit too unusual as we haven't sent in the I-130 petition to date despite getting married in 2011. I will try to be as thorough as possible. I am sure you have gone/going through these visa policy changes pre/post-Trump. Any advice would be much appreciated.

I started speaking with my wife over the phone in September 2010. We were introduced by a mutual friend who was also married to a Pakistani man at the time. I was in Pakistan and the mutual friend and I were working in the same organization in Islamabad. Anyhow, things progressed and my wife traveled to Pakistan on May 2011 from the US. We got married in June 2011 and she lived with me at my parents' house till July of 2013 and that's when she left. That's the last time we saw each other. As ridiculous as that might sound, we never applied for the Immigrant/Spouse Visa and are wanting to do it now. Many factors including her chronic depression, my financial ordeal, and my inability to leave as I was helping my parents take care of 2 siblings who were/are suffering from a rare type or cancer in the absence of my brothers came in our way of sending in the I-130 petition. The question is:

Would this affect our application? 

Would it look suspicious in spite of us being very much in love and wanting to be with each other?

Does anyone of you have an idea about the VisaCoach guy who consults the Spouse Visa applications? Would it be worth a try getting his assistance, or is a lawyer  better option? 

Thank you. 

PS: I am from Pakistan but living in Qatar. Was also born in Qatar.

 

 

[JKhan 0]

She's 39, I am 36. Christian and Muslim respectively but we aren't religious. Yes, we do speak everyday or keep in touch regularly. 

[WeGuyGal 1,052]

You got married 5 years ago, just 2 weeks after the very first meeting.. and haven't seen each other since? And you guys haven't met once in 5 years? 

Reckon you two would attract scrutiny. Is your wife of pakistan origin, or caucasian? That could play a role too. 

[Sunnyland 639]

I'm afraid they will definitely think your marriage is for GC only. Adding her medical history of depression, God knows what they will think of your relationship. 

Edited March 27, 2018 by Sunnyland

[kris&me 572]

you have to have met within 2 years of filing petiton

you definitely need more face time

if her depression is documented and she is under care or has a appointed guardian to oversea her,  then that is also an issue

some people are just depressed and it is not documented 

Also is the depression keeping her from normal activity and work?

your age is not that much of an issue 

and a muslim man can marry a Christain woman 

so,  your big issues are "not much face time"

not been together in last 2 years

and you did marry on the 1st visit

be ready to address these

DO NOT try to expediate for her depression as it will not help at all

[WeGuyGal 1,052]

4 minutes ago, kris&me said:

you have to have met within 2 years of filing petiton

you definitely need more face time

if her depression is documented and she is under care or has a appointed guardian to oversea her,  then that is also an issue

some people are just depressed and it is not documented 

Also is the depression keeping her from normal activity and work?

your age is not that much of an issue 

and a muslim man can marry a Christain woman 

so,  your big issues are "not much face time"

not been together in last 2 years

and you did marry on the 1st visit

be ready to address these

DO NOT try to expediate for her depression as it will not help at all

Did you read the original post? 

[JKhan 0]

Definitely more face time needed. She's Caucasian. But with her work and everything, her depression is much much better. Very much capable of taking care of herself. One of the reasons we didn't apply was that she wasn't making enough at the time and would have needed a co-sponsor for the petition, which we agreed on not doing. But she's doing great now. Besides, who the hell would want to be in Pakistan anyway? It is not safe. Cray cray.

[JKhan 0]

My amazing Paki passport doesn't give me much independence in terms of traveling (or it does if you are super rich). Due to her diabetes, she cannot travel on longer routes. That's a medical condition that can very well be supported by documentation. 

[Crazy Cat 39,285]

2 minutes ago, JKhan said:

One of the reasons we didn't apply was that she wasn't making enough at the time and would have needed a co-sponsor for the petition, which we agreed on not doing.

Rather live apart than have a joint sponsor?  I wouldn't tell the CO such a story........you have an uphill journey imo.

[JKhan 0]

37 minutes ago, Sunnyland said:

I'm afraid they will definitely think your marriage is for GC only. Adding her medical history of depression, God knows what they will think of your relationship. 

Well, I am not married to someone else over here or ever was before. That should answer the GC query. 

Edited March 27, 2018 by JKhan

[JKhan 0]

7 minutes ago, missileman said:

Rather live apart than have a joint sponsor?  I wouldn't tell the CO such a story........you have an uphill journey imo.

Made a mistake there probably, but that's not the issue at hand. The question is: is it better to have a lawyer handle the case?

[WeGuyGal 1,052]

The years apart, her being older in a nation where men seek younger wives, different religion, her shaky finances.. if we see flags, certainly a CO would too.