K1 Visa Denied at Interview in Islamabad

[UAtoUS 55]

We are waiting on our NOA-2 and getting ready for the interview. I know that that she is coming from Ukraine and the culture is different but i am glad I came across this post and now we will not bring any celebration pictures or sound "Too Married" Sorry to hear that it happened to you and thank you for sharing. 

[space-cadet 2]

4 minutes ago, UAtoUS said:

We are waiting on our NOA-2 and getting ready for the interview. I know that that she is coming from Ukraine and the culture is different but i am glad I came across this post and now we will not bring any celebration pictures or sound "Too Married" Sorry to hear that it happened to you and thank you for sharing. 

 

@UAtoUS i wish you the best of luck

[Abcd1234 102]

Was she asked about your cousin's wedding pics or engagement.

   What did she reply? 

[HP+IC 292]

3 hours ago, UAtoUS said:

We are waiting on our NOA-2 and getting ready for the interview. I know that that she is coming from Ukraine and the culture is different but i am glad I came across this post and now we will not bring any celebration pictures or sound "Too Married" Sorry to hear that it happened to you and thank you for sharing. 

The culture in Ukraine is average European and not that different, we do not have customary or unconventional weddings to confuse the COs. Ukraine has its own traps but hardly this one, rather, to the opposite. It is more likely that an applicant will be reviewed for engagement in prostitution, marriage fraud and visa hunting. 

[Going through 5,668]

8 hours ago, moejangda said:

@gsdc23 Thanks for your response. You think so? there were at most 20 people there, it was at my uncle's house and it was far from what you'd expect for a Pakistani wedding

It's a very common reason for denial and for them thinking you are "too married" with an engagement party---many times members here ask about having an engagement party (no matter how big or small) and it's generally advised NOT to for the very reason of denial you experienced.

 

Best of luck with the CR-1 filing.

Edited November 14, 2018 by Going through

[space-cadet 2]

5 hours ago, Abcd1234 said:

Was she asked about your cousin's wedding pics or engagement.

   What did she reply? 

She wasn't asked about my cousin's wedding pictures or engagement. In fact, no engagement photos were even provided or put on facebook so i'm not even sure how they'd know. They're nowhere to be found online.

[space-cadet 2]

1 hour ago, Going through said:

It's a very common reason for denial and for them thinking you are "too married" with an engagement party---many times members here ask about having an engagement party (no matter how big or small) and it's generally advised NOT to for the very reason of denial you experienced.

 

Best of luck with the CR-1 filing.

Thanks!

[Jeanne Adil 1,651]

10 hours ago, moejangda said:

My fiancé's visa was denied in Islamabad because the CO believed we were "too married." Has anyone ever heard of this before? we've traveled together to three different countries after we filed the initial petition and he seemed to be quite bothered by that. We also lived together back in the states for awhile when she was a student. It really feels like he made an assumption based on Pakistani cultural norms in the sense that most engaged couples haven't lived together or vacation together until after marriage. He said to file for a CR-1 or to file an appeal but how does one even argue against someone saying we seem "too married"? If we were married we wouldn't have gone through this year long process in the first place because we'd already be together in the states.... What's our response supposed to be here? "Sorry we try to do as much together as we can until we're legally allowed to be married and live together. We'll try to love each other less."

You can not appeal a denied K1 

and although your attorney did not know this was way outside the cultural norms,  you do

now, to be together,  you need to marry and file and wait

it does look like u were too married and happens with many countries

[JFH 12,189]

10 hours ago, moejangda said:

If we were married we wouldn't have gone through this year long process in the first place because we'd already be together in the states.... 

You’d be surprised how many married couples go through the K-1 process hoping that no one will notice or research it. Don’t make assumptions based on how *you* would see or do things. The COs at the embassies have seen it all and expect it all. People think the K-1 is quicker or better and so some married couples who are aggrieved at the perceived longer processing times for a CR-1 try to “beat the system”. 

 

You have referenced to “not what you’d expect for a Pakistani wedding” but remember that one half of the couple is American (yes, I get that you are of Pakistani origin but you are a USC) and you have chosen to adopt an American life for yourselves as a couple. Weddings with 20 people (and fewer) in attendance are perfectly normal in the USA. We had 2 witnesses and that was it. No other guests. Nothing unusual about that here. So the CO will also look at American traditions and customs also. 

[bad4tatt 168]

11 hours ago, moejangda said:

@gsdc23 Thanks for your response. You think so? there were at most 20 people there, it was at my uncle's house and it was far from what you'd expect for a Pakistani wedding

Absolutely, he eluded to him thinking you're already married based on the CR1 statement and I agree with you about Pakistani weddings, they are HUGE. I have been to a few.  I wonder if you can file an appeal with proof that you are not married???

[SusieQQQ 11,584]

12 hours ago, moejangda said:

 If we were married we wouldn't have gone through this year long process in the first place because we'd already be together in the states.... 

Small consolation but no, she’d just have been waiting for her CR1 interview rather than a K1 interview.  

[Boiler 43,434]

13 minutes ago, bad4tatt said:

Absolutely, he eluded to him thinking you're already married based on the CR1 statement and I agree with you about Pakistani weddings, they are HUGE. I have been to a few.  I wonder if you can file an appeal with proof that you are not married???

How do you prove you are not married?

[George & Roth 1,485]

I got engaged and had a party, I also included photos from our engagement in my submission. We had our names put up on some of the decorations and I was certain to pick ones which had some decoration including the word "engagement." It also was labeled that way on the photo booklet we received from the photographer. 

 

I included a few notarized letters, for example from my parents saying they met my fiance and attended our engagement. Letter included other details but the party was one of them!

 

Even though I included this on my initial submission you can still go and get it done now if you hadn't already.

 

 

Just trying to "unfreakout" the people worried. Now is your chance to gather that additional evidence so you are prepared!

 

 

[Anna&eiad 84]

4 hours ago, Going through said:

You said you submitted it with the petition, already---so they have them on record.

Cultural norm you should be ok because Arab countries understand the engagement ring on the right hand not the left. 

[Anna&eiad 84]

Just now, Anna&eiad said:

Cultural norm you should be ok because Arab countries understand the engagement ring on the right hand not the left. 

My fiance wears an engagement ring right hand also (his wedding band). And so did my jordanian ex husband before we were married. Normal. No worries