Funeral/ Expedited Visa

[KateKate 1]

Hi all,

  I was wondering if you could help me with a question. My friend recently became a widow. She is a citizen of Ukraine living in United States. Her recently deceased husband was an American Citizen. they have been married for three years. She was trying to get an expedited visa for her parents to come to be able to attend the funeral ceremony. Two years ago they got denied a visa, so this time we received again the denial. My question is about the consul interviewing them though. Her in-laws offered to help financially, so they built and Affidavit of Support I - 134. The consul asked very rude questions, he saw the affidavit of support and asked how come his parents are so rich???! Why do they have to pay for them and for the funeral?? And that he is an American and he knows that money are valued much here??....ok so #######??? first the wife gets compensation and help from the government to pay for the funeral. Second who is he to even ask these questions about why her in-laws should pay for them. The parents (in-laws) decided they want to help, and they have the means. Her parents are house owners in Ukraine, they own a small family business, her sister is a student at the law faculty. The family is very great looking from the social point of view (exemplary family). So my question is: Did someone ever encounter such a situation? And what did you do with this?

[Khallaf 647]

24 minutes ago, KateKate said:

Hi all,

  I was wondering if you could help me with a question. My friend recently became a widow. She is a citizen of Ukraine living in United States. Her recently deceased husband was an American Citizen. they have been married for three years. She was trying to get an expedited visa for her parents to come to be able to attend the funeral ceremony. Two years ago they got denied a visa, so this time we received again the denial. My question is about the consul interviewing them though. Her in-laws offered to help financially, so they built and Affidavit of Support I - 134. The consul asked very rude questions, he saw the affidavit of support and asked how come his parents are so rich???! Why do they have to pay for them and for the funeral?? And that he is an American and he knows that money are valued much here??....ok so #######??? first the wife gets compensation and help from the government to pay for the funeral. Second who is he to even ask these questions about why her in-laws should pay for them. The parents (in-laws) decided they want to help, and they have the means. Her parents are house owners in Ukraine, they own a small family business, her sister is a student at the law faculty. The family is very great looking from the social point of view (exemplary family). So my question is: Did someone ever encounter such a situation? And what did you do with this?

really there is nothing that can be done, they have to be able to prove on their own they have strong ties to their country to return. CO can ask anything they want to and they do so in order to get reaction from people. giving an affidavit of support isn't going to help.

 

you can't petition someone to come to visit, they have to be able to get a visitor visa on their own merit, I am sorry for the loss your friend is experiencing, and that her folks can't come to pay their last respects but it is a decision made solely at the discretion of the CO.

[aaron2020 11,651]

Sorry about your friend's loss.

 

Please understand that nobody is entitled to a US visitor visa.  People have been denied visitor visas for the deaths of parents, brothers and sisters, and their own children.  This is a case for the loss of a son-in-law.

 

An I-134 is not needed for a visitor visa.  It's not a factor in issuing the visa.  This shouldn't have been turned in when her parents can afford their own trip.

 

Who is he to even ask these questions about why her in-laws should pay for them?  He's the Consular Officer in charge of issuing or denying their visas.  He is within his rights to do his job.  They come to him, they present their case, and he is allowed to ask questions.

 

There is nothing they can do.  

Edited December 27, 2018 by aaron2020

[KateKate 1]

4 minutes ago, Khallaf said:

really there is nothing that can be done, they have to be able to prove on their own they have strong ties to their country to return. CO can ask anything they want to and they do so in order to get reaction from people. giving an affidavit of support isn't going to help.

 

you can't petition someone to come to visit, they have to be able to get a visitor visa on their own merit, I am sorry for the loss your friend is experiencing, and that her folks can't come to pay their last respects but it is a decision made solely at the discretion of the CO.

So if we got the expedited visa denied, we have a regular appointment for January 8th, we can come to that ?

[Khallaf 647]

1 minute ago, KateKate said:

So if we got the expedited visa denied, we have a regular appointment for January 8th, we can come to that ?

the visa that is being requested is a visitor visa correct?

[aaron2020 11,651]

Just now, KateKate said:

So if we got the expedited visa denied, we have a regular appointment for January 8th, we can come to that ?

One interview per application.  There is no second chance.  If they already had their visitor visa interviews, then it's over.

 

Nothing will change in 2 weeks.  

[KateKate 1]

2 minutes ago, Khallaf said:

the visa that is being requested is a visitor visa correct?

Yes. We were requested to make a regular appointment in order to get to the expedited appointment.

 

" After your emergency request has been approved you will need to cancel your current appointment and reschedule for a new emergency slot. Should the U.S. Embassy deny your request for an expedited appointment, you will be notified of the denial by email and you should keep your existing appointment. "

This was their statement online. Would that mean that our original interview slot is still in power?

[Unlockable 7,306]

Don't know why the inlaws did the affidavit of support because it is not leagl binding.

 

You can't sponsor someone to come to the US on a visitor visa. You can finance the trip but that is not a true sponsorship.

 

It is unfortunate that they had a bad experience. The general thought is that people are less likely to be a risk if they don't need to rely on orhers to finance their trip to the US.

 

So be careful when you say things like, "ok so?" when you hear about an officer asking why they need someone else to finance their trip. The officer is doing his/her job to find out if they applicants are a risk.

 

One of the biggest mistakes we see people make with tourist visas is getting someone in the US to provide an affidavit of support. It is a red flag because it a relative is willing to show they can support them on a trip, then what is stopping them from staying and living in the US with the help of that relative. 

[aaron2020 11,651]

5 minutes ago, KateKate said:

Yes. We were requested to make a regular appointment in order to get to the expedited appointment.

 

" After your emergency request has been approved you will need to cancel your current appointment and reschedule for a new emergency slot. Should the U.S. Embassy deny your request for an expedited appointment, you will be notified of the denial by email and you should keep your existing appointment. "

This was their statement online. Would that mean that our original interview slot is still in power?

No.  One interview.  That's it.  The regular interviews were cancelled once they got their expedited interviews.  There is no need to interview them again since their visitor visa applications have been denied.  

 

P.S.  This is a new account created in the last hour and asking for a friend.  Now, it's "we were requested."  Confusing.  

Edited December 27, 2018 by aaron2020

[KateKate 1]

6 minutes ago, aaron2020 said:

One interview per application.  There is no second chance.  If they already had their visitor visa interviews, then it's over.

 

Nothing will change in 2 weeks.  

OK. So that means we should probably do a new DS 160 application and pay the fees again in order to be able to receive an interview? On the website usrtaveldocs on our appointment history is showing that the interview on the 8th is still available. so that is what confuses us a little

[KateKate 1]

2 minutes ago, aaron2020 said:

No.  One interview.  That's it.  The regular interviews were cancelled once they got their expedited interviews.  There is no need to interview them again since their visitor visa applications have been denied.  

When would you recommend us to start working for another try? We need her parents support here, so we thought that if there would be any ways that we can restart again anytime soon.

[Khallaf 647]

3 minutes ago, KateKate said:

Yes. We were requested to make a regular appointment in order to get to the expedited appointment.

 

" After your emergency request has been approved you will need to cancel your current appointment and reschedule for a new emergency slot. Should the U.S. Embassy deny your request for an expedited appointment, you will be notified of the denial by email and you should keep your existing appointment. "

This was their statement online. Would that mean that our original interview slot is still in power?

the parents have tried before and got denied, unless the situation has changed they will likely be denied again.

 

The repeated attempts to get a visitor visa will ultimately back fire, best to have one of the parents apply and have one stay behind, this might show the return possibility.

 

going to another interview so fast is not likely to be a success.

 

again I am sorry that your friend is going through this but her parents are not likely to be able to attend.

 

and if you want me to be perfectly honest, if their daughter has been married to a US citizen for that long she is in running for citizenship, this will show immigrant intent on their part so that is very good the likely reason for denial. 

[aaron2020 11,651]

1 minute ago, KateKate said:

OK. So that means we should probably do a new DS 160 application and pay the fees again in order to be able to receive an interview? On the website usrtaveldocs on our appointment history is showing that the interview on the 8th is still available. so that is what confuses us a little

Why?  Nothing has changed.  This is not a chance based process.  If nothing has changed, then your parents are not going to get visitor visas.  

We again.  Are you really asking for a friend or asking for yourself?

[Khallaf 647]

Just now, KateKate said:

When would you recommend us to start working for another try? We need her parents support here, so we thought that if there would be any ways that we can restart again anytime soon.

if she is need of her parents support, I would recommend she go back to visit them. their ability to come here is not in the near future.

[aaron2020 11,651]

2 minutes ago, KateKate said:

When would you recommend us to start working for another try? We need her parents support here, so we thought that if there would be any ways that we can restart again anytime soon.

I would not recommend another try.  

If she needs her parents support, then she can go to visit them.  

Edited December 27, 2018 by aaron2020